I Became a Teacher at an All-Girls Boarding School, and Now the Students and Female Teachers Are After Me~

Chapter 3 – I Want Everyone to Know Sensei Is Actually Kind

After that, I continued teaching, receiving shocked looks from the students in every classroom I went to.

It seems that the fact that there’s a young male teacher at Seiou Private Academy is even more surprising than I had imagined.

It would be one thing if it were an ordinary girls’ school, but this is an all-girls boarding school where sheltered girls from all over the country gather.

Though it’s surrounded by the openness of nature, it could also be said to be a closed space isolated from the rest of the world.

Perhaps it’s precisely because of this special environment that my existence is seen as even more odd than in an ordinary all-girls school.

If I were good-looking, I might have been the object of admiration for the female students…

That thought crossed my mind, but fortunately——or unfortunately——I’m a pretty plain-looking guy.

There’s no way I’d have the kind of looks that would captivate girls five years younger than me, so I should probably consider myself lucky that all I got were shocked reactions and nothing more.

Well, time will tell. Before I know it, I’ll be treated just like the other teachers.

With these thoughts in mind, it was already time for school to end.

The day had gone by so quickly…

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at my desk in classroom 2-B.

Sure, I’d rehearsed the lessons multiple times beforehand, but once I was actually teaching, I realized there were parts where the students didn’t seem to fully grasp what I was saying. It really hit me just how difficult it is to explain things clearly.

I opened my notebook and wrote down the parts where the students hadn’t gotten the message across well, and points of reflection on how I could have done it better.

Well, it can’t be helped since it’s my first day.

From here on, I’ll try my best to get as many students as possible to understand the lesson through trial and error!!

Just wait for me, everyone!! I’ll make sure you all become fine adults that you won’t be ashamed of when you step out into the world!

I was burning with fighting spirit as I continued to write in my notebook…

But suddenly, I heard the classroom door rattle open. I turned towards the door and saw a female student clutching a textbook to her chest.

The setting sun streaming in through the classroom window painted the female student’s body orange.

Her name was Sakurada Momo. She was the student carrying the cardboard box this morning. At this point, she’s still one of the few students whose name and face I could match.

But why is she here?

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

When I spoke to her, Sakurada flinched and stepped back slightly.

It seems she still isn’t used to me.

Oh well, it can’t be helped.

As I looked at Sakurada with a smile on my face, she timidly walked over to me and said,

“U-um… There was something I didn’t quite understand in English class, so I was wondering if you could help me…”

Aah, so that’s why she was clutching her English textbook.

Asking the teacher when you don’t understand something. That’s an excellent habit to have.

I was a little pleased by my student’s earnestness, and I excitedly pointed to an empty desk and urged her to sit down there.

“So, what don’t you understand?”

As I stood in front of her desk and said that, she looked up at me, a little shaken.

Hmm? What’s wrong?

I thought that for a moment, but then I recalled that when I called out to her earlier, she took a step back.

It might be a little intimidating if I stand in front of her.

Thinking that, I moved a nearby desk right in front of Sakurada’s desk and sat down in front of her, trying to be as eye level as possible with her.

Even something as simple as eye level can come off as threatening, after all. I wanted to approach the students from the same level, as much as possible.

Maybe my consideration paid off, as Sakurada smiled slightly with relief and opened her textbook.

“It’s this part…”

I looked at the place she was pointing at.

“Ah, I see… this part. Sakurada, do you remember drawing SVO or SVOC lines under sentences back in middle school?”

“Like… these lines?”

“Exactly. It’s hard to tell since there’s a noun followed directly by a verb here, but this verb is actually describing the noun…”

I solved Sakurada’s questions one by one.

Even though I was teaching under the assumption that the students understood these obvious things, there were still many things that they had forgotten.

It may seem obvious, but if there’s something you don’t quite understand, it’s best not to be shy and avoid asking someone else. It’s always better to actively ask and clear up any doubts.

Sometimes, you have to go back and review grammar from middle school.

I ended up spending about an hour going over things with her.

As a result, it seemed that she gradually began to understand how to interpret the material, and her initially tense expression gradually relaxed, making her feel a little more at ease.

“Do you understand it now?”

“Yes, Sensei explains it so well, so it’s fun to study.”

“That’s good to hear. But I think any teacher will teach you properly if you ask them. If there’s something you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Yes.”

Sakurada replied happily, but suddenly her expression darkened and she looked away from me.

“Is there still something you’re unsure about? If so, let’s clear it up while we can.”

I asked her, but she shook her head.

“N-no… That’s not it…”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Sakurada leaned forward slightly and looked at me. I was a little startled by the sudden closeness of our faces, but she continued to look at me without caring.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“S-sensei! I’ve come to understand that you’re a very kind person from how you taught me today.”

“Oh, I see. Thanks.”

“But the other girls are, well… They’re still scared of you. They can’t talk to you like I can.”

So that’s what it was. It seems she’s concerned about whether I’d be able to fit in at the school.

“I want everyone to understand that you’re a very kind person…”

“Well, it might take some time, but I’ll do my best so they can gradually warm up to me. Thanks for worrying about me.”

“……”

I tried to answer, but Sakurada turned her eyes away from me.

“Is there something you’re worried about?”

“I-I know that you’re a kind person. But if things stay as they are, I think the other girls will continue to misunderstand you…”

“Eh? Is that so?”

Sakurada nodded.

That’s very bad. Did I say or do something that scared the students without realizing it?

If that’s the case, I’d like to resolve it as soon as possible.

“Sensei, may I say something a bit rude?”

“Huh? Sure, go ahead. You don’t have to be so careful with me.”

“B-but… I’m scared you might hate me if I say it…”

I wonder what it is. It’s kinda scary to hear her start like that…

Still, if it’s about something I’ve done wrong, I need to have the courage to hear it.

But before that, there’s something I should make clear.

“I will never hate you. So if there’s anything that’s bothering you, please tell me.”

I will never hate my students.

I need to say that much.

This may sound idealistic, but no matter what kind of problems a student has, I want to be as close to them as possible. At the very least, it’s impossible for me to hate them.

Sakurada seemed to feel a little reassured by my words, and she met my eyes again.

Then, after a moment of silence, she spoke.

“S-sensei… I get the feeling that you’re not very used to dealing with women… And I think the other girls have picked up on that…”

“Wh-what…?!”

Her bold but honest words left me speechless.

And I had a very good idea about what she meant.

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T/N: Oh, dem… The student is striking first!