I am a teacher at a girls' school in Tokyo

She suddenly appeared in front of him and in his field of vision.

It really was... unexpected.

"..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa looked at the figure of Shinohara Shiori not far away and was actually stunned where he was.

His gaze pierced through the dim night and fell on the girl.

A face so perfect that there is no flaw to be found, long hair fluttering in the evening breeze, and a straight figure bathed in the moonlight...

The noble and elegant young lady, wearing a neat Western-style uniform, stood quietly in front.

Even the sky became her background, and the lonely moon set off her beauty... There is no doubt that Shinohara Shiori is such a girl who can give people such an impression.

And now, the figure that had been deliberately faded from Hirakawa Tetsufumi's mind a month ago now overlapped with the picture in front of him, adding a sense of haziness to her appearance, making it look as stunning as if she came out of a dream and was caught at a glance.

Until she walked slowly out of the night, her straight and slender legs under her pleated skirt stepping on the frosty white ground dyed by the moonlight.

"Teacher Hirakawa, what's wrong with you?"

She came in front of him, using standard honorifics, a dignified tone, and a clear voice.

The sound floated in the night.

It's been a long time since I last heard her voice... It's so dazed.

After waiting for a while, under the gaze of Shinohara Shiori, Hirakawa Tetsufumi's body, which was a little stiff because it was too unexpected, finally reacted.

He blinked, came back to his senses, and asked hesitantly.

"Um...Shinohara-san?"

"Well, of course it's me."

Shinohara Shiori nodded slightly, then reached out to gather her long hair behind her ears, and the corners of her mouth raised slightly.

"Hirakawa-sensei, you won't forget Shiori, right?"

The tone sounded like a joke, but also like it was serious, it was hard to tell.

"Ah... this... of course not." There was a pause in Hirakawa Tetsufumi's words and his smile seemed a little forced.

After he finished speaking and looked at each other for a moment, Tetsufumi Hirakawa took a deep breath. The cold night air seeped into his lungs, and only then did he calm down his overly complicated emotions a little.

The smile became a little more natural.

"Shinohara-san, long time no see."

"Well, long time no see."

"..."

"..."

After the greeting, they froze and seemed awkward... Maybe only Hirakawa Tetsufumi felt awkward, because Shinohara Shiori stood in front of him with a calm expression, looking at him quietly.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa was about to say something, and he opened his mouth.

"I didn't expect to run into Shinohara-san here."

Shinohara Shiori quickly replied: "Because Shiori came here specifically to see Mr. Hirakawa."

“…Is that so?”

"um, yes."

"Uh...why?" Tetsufumi Hirakawa didn't quite understand.

"There shouldn't be anything wrong with a former student visiting his former teacher, right?" Shinohara Shiori asked softly.

"That's true..."

Hirakawa Tetsufumi echoed the idea... and only after he did that did his brain realize that it was certainly a reasonable reason for a former student to visit his former teacher.

However, to simply describe the relationship between him and Shinohara Shiori as "former teacher and student" is like covering one's ears and stealing the bell.

And even if it is, there shouldn't be a time to visit, right...?

It's almost ten o'clock at night.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa didn't know what to say again.

However, the quiet atmosphere only lasted for a short while before it was broken by Shinohara Shiori.

"Teacher Pingchuan should have left the job for a month, right?" she suddenly asked.

"...Yes, it's been a month." Hirakawa Tetsufumi replied.

"How are you lately?"

"..." Hirakawa Tetsufumi's tone of voice became hesitant. "I think he's fine... How's Shinohara-san doing lately?"

“I’m not used to it.”

"Not used to it?"

"Yeah." Shinohara Shiori said, her long hair swaying up and down slightly, "Although Tamashiro-sensei is also very responsible, I'm still used to Hirakawa-sensei."

"..."

"Also, the wind band is not used to it without Mr. Hirakawa."

"..." Hirakawa Tetsufumi was silent for a moment. What was Shinohara Shiori trying to do by saying this?

He didn't know, so he could only try to smile, "Is that so..."

"Ah."

"..."

"..."

"Speak of it."

With a slight smile on her face, Shinohara Shiori spoke again.

"In fact, up to now, Shiori still doesn't know why Mr. Hirakawa left... You only left a sentence on the blackboard."

"I should have told Shinohara-san about this..." said Hirakawa Tetsufumi, "I feel like I'm not suitable to be a teacher anymore."

"Too general."

"well enough."

"What's the specific reason?"

"..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa did not answer, but Shinohara Shiori answered for him.

"Is it because of me, Shiori?" Shinohara Shiori looked into his eyes.

"..."

"Do you think you are unsuitable because of Shiori?"

"..."

Hirakawa Tetsufumi turned his gaze away.

If it was because of Shinohara Shiori, then it was obvious. But why did the girl ask this?

Now, one month after he resigned, I suddenly found him and asked him this question?

Tetsufumi Hirakawa couldn't figure it out.

"Can you answer Shiori, Mr. Hirakawa?" Shiori Shinohara's eyes never left him.

Hirakawa Tetsufumi avoided the question: "Why are you asking this, Shinohara-san? It's been over a month."

"Can't you ask?"

“It doesn’t make any sense anymore.”

Even though I said that,

"Really?" Shinohara Shiori asked back, her eyes seeing through him, "Teacher Hirakawa is avoiding this question, right? No, should I say, Teacher Hirakawa is avoiding what happened between him and Shiori, right?"

"..." Hirakawa Tetsufumi was speechless.

Shinohara Shiori continued, "Teacher Hirakawa, can't you let go of that matter? After all, if you really let it go, why would you deliberately avoid it and dare not answer it?"

"..."

Under Shinohara Shiori's questioning, Hirakawa Tetsufumi had nowhere to hide and had to face her gaze and her questions directly.

“No evasion.”

Tetsufumi Hirakawa said this and finally nodded.

"If you're talking about Shinohara-san... there is that reason."

"Isn't it?" After hearing the ideal answer, Shinohara Shiori immediately showed an expression of understanding.

I really don't know what she thinks.

"Then may I ask Mr. Hirakawa..." Shinohara Shiori had another question to ask.

"what happened?"

"Have you ever thought about returning to Moriya?"

“……”Hirakawa Tetsufumi did not answer.

"Actually, Mr. Hirakawa also wants to continue being a teacher, right?" Shinohara Shiori continued to ask.

As she questioned him, Tetsufumi Hirakawa leaned back a little, paused, and then answered.

"If you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility. Some mistakes have already happened, and you can't just pretend you didn't know anything and continue like that... The job of a teacher is no longer suitable for me."

"Well... that's still not appropriate. You haven't denied that you want to continue to be a teacher."

"..."

"..."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa really couldn't figure out why Shinohara Shiori came tonight and what her intention was in asking these questions.

but……

"Shinohara-san, I think I should go back at this time... Shinohara-san shouldn't stay outside, right?"

"Ok."

Shinohara Shiori nodded in agreement easily, but then changed her mind again, "But I still have one last question for Mr. Hirakawa."

“…Please ask.”

Shinohara Shiori took a step closer to Hirakawa Tetsufumi and raised her face slightly.

"Teacher Hirakawa, how do you feel about leaving Shiori without saying goodbye?"

"..."

"..."

Silence shrouded the night, and facing the unexpected question asked by Shinohara Shiori, the girl under the moonlight, Hirakawa Tetsufumi fell silent.

What on earth is Shinohara Shiori here for today?

Just to find out what he was thinking?

After a long time, Tetsufumi Hirakawa took a breath.

"Why... do you ask this?"

Shinohara Shiori smiled dignifiedly: "I want to know what Mr. Hirakawa would think when he looks back at that incident now."

"..."

"..."

The quiet air continued to permeate between the two of them, and under the gaze of the girl, Hirakawa Tetsufumi's expression gradually became a little worse.

The two people standing on the street stared at each other for a long time, and the night air against their skin seemed to get colder as time passed.

until……