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

Chapter 36 – No Turning Back

The day after I talked to Sakurada on the phone, I took my first-ever paid day off.

They had told me to let them know a day in advance if I wanted to take a day off, but I pleaded with the school principal, and he agreed to make an exception, saying, “Well, it sounds like you have a special circumstance…”

Oh, thank goodness Seiou Private Academy is a better place to work than I thought…

If I hadn’t been able to take a day off, I was prepared to just call in sick and deal with the consequences later, so this was a huge relief.

I didn’t want to fake being sick, but I couldn’t exactly tell them the real reason I was taking a day off.

So, with a legitimate day off, I took the first bus down the mountain and then a train to Tokyo.

Why?

Because I got a distress signal from Sakurada.

Well, she didn’t explicitly say “help me,” but I’m not so dense that I can’t tell when my precious student is trying to act tough to put me at ease.

I wanted to say “don’t underestimate me,” but I was also embarrassed that I wasn’t the kind of person she could fully rely on.

In any case, I decided that the best thing to do was to talk to her in person.

And so, I took a bus and a train to the Sakurada residence in Setagaya. She told me yesterday that she would be at home all day, and I’d like to believe her.

Oh, by the way, I didn’t get her address by abusing her personal information at school. I just searched “Minister Sakurada home address” and found it.

The internet is really scary…

But thanks to it, I was able to find Sakurada. So, I went to her house, feeling grateful for the help.

Man, this house is huge. It looks like a mansion…

The Sakurada residence sat in a quiet residential area, taking up about ten blocks. It was surrounded by a three-meter-high wall, with just the roof of a traditional Japanese house peeking out over the top.

The wall had surveillance cameras everywhere, and I would have believed you if you told me it belonged to a yakuza boss.

Overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mansion, I finally reached the massive gate and was about to press the intercom… but then…

“Hey, can I help you?”

A man in a black suit came out from a small side door and spoke to me.

He was smiling, but his eyes weren’t. He looked like a police officer about to question a suspicious person.

Hey, you don’t have anything weird on you, do you?

He walked up to me and asked, “Do you have business here?”

Politely, I introduced myself.

“Oh, hello. My name is Hosokawa. I’m a teacher at Seiou Private Academy and Sakurada Momo-san’s homeroom teacher.”

The man didn’t drop his guard, so I took out my employee ID from my wallet and handed it to him.

He examined it carefully and finally seemed to relax a little.

“I see. Thank you for coming all this way, Sensei.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was in Tokyo for training and heard that Sakurada-san wasn’t feeling well, so I came to visit her.”

I lied so easily it was like breathing. However…

“I see. Unfortunately, the young lady has been ordered by her doctor to rest. I’m very sorry, but please leave for today.”

The man immediately denied my request to see her.

I knew it… What Sakurada said yesterday was a lie.

Something is definitely going on.

As I was thinking that, I heard a loud voice from inside the mansion. It was a woman’s voice, and it sounded like she was arguing with someone.

I knew immediately it was Sakurada’s voice.

Something’s happening inside.

I smiled at the man.

“I see. Well, I’ll try again later, then.”

I bowed, and he bowed back. That was my chance. I dashed toward the side door, which was slightly ajar.

He was a little slow to react.

“O-oi! Stop!”

However, I was already past him. I slipped inside and quickly closed the door, locking it from the inside.

I felt a little bad for him, but my student was in trouble, so I didn’t have a choice.

I apologized in my head and ran toward the sound of the shouting.

I saw an open window in the living room, which was probably open for some fresh air… but taking a glance, what I saw inside was completely unexpected.

Minister Sakurada was sitting on a chair, and a man who looked like Miyashita-san was on his knees, bowing to him. Sakurada was sitting across from her father, but more shocking than all of that, she was holding something that looked like a dagger.

What the heck is going on here…?

The sight was so dangerous that it could have been a scene from a yakuza movie.

I hesitated for a moment but cautiously walked closer to the living room.

Just then, Minister Sakurada stood up and started to walk away.

Wait, Sakurada, why are you pulling the dagger out of its sheath right now?!

Oh no, this is not good!

Realizing the danger, I ran to the living room, jumping onto the veranda with my shoes still on.

Just as Sakurada started walking toward her father with the dagger, I rushed over and grabbed her arm.

“S-Sensei?!”

She looked at me, completely stunned. I guess she didn’t expect me to suddenly appear.

“H-How are you here?!”

Sakurada asked, her eyes wide.

The only way I could answer that question was to say, “Well, you said you were going to be home today, remember? So I came to see you.”

I was so glad I made the choice to come here.

I quickly took the dagger from her hand and threw it on the floor. But what was even happening here?

I looked at her, and she looked away, embarrassed.

“Hey! What’s going on?! Who are you?!”

I heard Minister Sakurada’s voice. I turned and saw him glaring at me with the face of a demon.

“H-Hello… My name is Hosokawa. I’m Sakurada-san’s homeroom teacher.”

“What? Momo’s homeroom teacher? What are you doing here?”

He looked at a man who seemed to be his secretary.

“I told you not to let anyone in without my permission!”

His voice screaming loud, but all his secretaries just looked at each other, flustered.

“Minister Sakurada,” I said, addressing him.

“What?”

“I’ll get straight to the point. Is it true that you’re going to make Momo-san work at Congressman Mifune’s second home?”

That is the most important thing. My question seemed to surprise him, and he widened his eyes slightly.

“Even if it is, what does that have to do with you?!”

“I am Sakurada-san’s homeroom teacher. If she’s being forced into an unwanted relationship with Congressman Mifune, I can’t stay silent. I’m responsible for her well-being.”

“This has nothing to do with you. Get out!” he said, shooing me away with his hand.

But I’ve come too far to back down.

“Sakurada Momo is my precious student. I can’t let you send her to a place like that.”

“What are you talking about? Do you teachers believe it’s right to trample on other people’s homes and family affairs?”

He’s right.

I’m trespassing and meddling in my student’s family’s affairs. But I can’t stay silent.

“Please reconsider,” I said, even though I knew I was being unreasonable.

He then gave me a sinister smile and walked toward me.

“A mere teacher dare to lecture me? This is already decided. I’m giving this worthless daughter the only service she can do for the Sakurada family. She should be grateful, not complain.”

Snap. Something in my head broke.

No. I can’t let Sakurada be hurt because of this scumbag.

“Oh, really? You say that even in front of your daughter?”

“What’s with that attitude? Do young teachers nowadays not even know how to talk respectfully?”

“Shut up! You have no right to talk when you call your own daughter ‘worthless’!”

“This woman has never been my daughter!”

There are some things you just don’t say.

I don’t know the full story of the Sakurada family, but that’s something you should never say in front of your daughter.

I clenched my fists in anger, but I knew hitting him wouldn’t do anything, so I held back and looked at Sakurada.

“Sakurada, is this what you want?”

“Huh?”

“I want to know what you really want. Are you okay with having your dignity trampled on by Congressman Mifune?”

“I… I…”

“Tell me the truth. If you want me to help you, I’ll protect you with my life. So, please, tell me what you really feel.”

If Sakurada asked for my help, I would do everything to protect her, even if it cost me my life.

Why?

Because that’s the kind of teacher I want to be.

I’ve always dreamed of being a teacher, and I finally made that dream a reality.

However, the teacher I want to be wouldn’t ignore a student’s plea for help because of “adult” problems.

If I let my precious student get killed, then there’s no point in being a teacher at all.

Even if people call me naive, if that’s what it means to be a teacher, I’d gladly quit.

“Sakurada, tell me what you really feel. Don’t worry about anything. I’ll take care of it all.”

“……”

She was silent for a moment. Her eyes darted to Miyashita.

“Momo-sama, what you feel is what’s most important,” he said.

Hearing his words, she looked at me.

And then, she said in a trembling voice, “Sensei… Please help me…”

As soon as she said that, I grabbed her by her legs and lifted her light body into my arms.

“S-Sensei?!”

“We’re running. We have to run right now.”

The best strategy is to run away. My first priority was always to get her to safety. I’ll figure out what to do later.

So, with her in my arms, I tried making my way towards the garden. But a man who looked like a secretary stood in my way.

Of course.

My hands were full. All I could do was charge. I tackled the man, shielding Sakurada with my body so she wouldn’t get hurt. My shoulder hit his chest, and he fell to the ground.

I feel bad for the innocent secretary, but I can’t stop. As I ran towards the garden, another secretary grabbed me from behind, wrapping his arms around my stomach.

“Let go!”

“You let go of the young lady!”

“No way in hell!”

I yelled, trying to shake him off, but he was surprisingly strong, and I couldn’t move.

Damn it… I can’t get caught here!

Just as I was panicking, I was suddenly let go.

Huh? What happened?

I turned around and saw Miyashita-san holding the secretary in a chokehold.

“Sensei, run now!”

“Thank you!”

I shouted back and started to run toward the garden again. But I stopped dead in my tracks.

Why?