I Reincarnated as the Counselor NPC in a Dating Sim, and Now Every Heroine I Treat Becomes Obsessed with Me - Chapter 39: “Signs of Collapse—The Day the Counseling Room Felt Smaller”

Chapter 39: “Signs of Collapse—The Day the Counseling Room Felt Smaller”

Third week of November. Monday.

After school, the counseling room somehow felt crowded.

4:10.
Shizuku came.

As usual.
Two knocks. Her usual seat. Tea. Book.

4:25.
Akane came.

No knock.

She opened the door, saw Shizuku was there, and sat in her usual spot—the chair farthest from her.

“…Hey.”

Akane greeted.

Shizuku gave a small nod in return.

The two of them being in the same space had become normal.

Shizuku read her book.
Akane drank her tea and silently looked out the window.

I worked, occasionally speaking to one of them.

4:40.

A knock came at the door.
Three times, evenly spaced.

Midori.

“Excuse me. Asagiri-sensei—”

Midori opened the door and looked inside.

Shizuku and Akane were there.

Her smile froze for just a moment.
Then it returned.

“…Am I interrupting?”

“You can come in. Monthly report?”

“Yes. —If you have time.”

Midori stepped inside.

She sat in an empty chair and opened her binder.

But her usual quick, efficient questions didn’t begin.

Because Akane and Shizuku were there.

Midori’s “monthly report” was, on the surface, just paperwork.
But she herself knew the real part came after—the honest time, over tea.

There was no way she could open up like that with other students present.

“…May I move the report to tomorrow? I’ll just go over the necessary points for today.”

“Of course.”

Midori quickly covered the essentials and left in three minutes.

At the door, she turned back and gave a small bow.

Her usual perfect movement.

But the look she gave me as she left—just for a moment, it held a hint of disappointment.

4:55.

“Sensei, hey!”

Rin opened the door.

She looked inside.

Shizuku and Akane were there.

“Oh, both of you are here today. —Sensei, can I join too?”

“Go ahead.”

Rin sat next to Akane.

“Hinomiya-san, your haunted house art was seriously amazing. My junior got so scared she was shaken for like three days.”

“…Sorry about that.”

“No, no, I’m praising you!”

Rin’s bright voice filled the room.

Akane muttered, “You’re loud,” but didn’t tell her to leave.

Shizuku raised her book a little higher.

Enough to hide her face.

Not when Rin entered—but when Rin sat next to Akane.

I noticed it.

5:10.

The door opened.

No knock.

Mio.

She glanced around the room and stopped.

Shizuku. Akane. Rin.

Three people were already there.

Mio showed no expression.

Prince mode.

“…It’s crowded.”

“There’s still space to sit.”

Mio stood at the doorway for a moment.

Three. Five seconds.

“…Not today. I’ll come again.”

She turned on her heel and left.

—

5:30.

Rin said, “I’m heading out! Got morning practice tomorrow!” and left.

Akane stood up as well.

“I’m going.”

That left just Shizuku and me.

Shizuku held out a note.

『Ren-sensei. It was lively today.』

“Yeah. Everyone overlapped for once.”

She wrote another note.

It took her some time.

『Hojouin-san and Kujou-san left.』

“Yeah. Seems like both of them find it hard to come when there are a lot of people.”

Shizuku looked at me.

For a few seconds.

Then she wrote again.

『I—stayed, even with many people.』

“Yeah. You stayed.”

Shizuku nodded.

Then she put her book into her bag and got ready to leave.

A note before she left.

『Ren-sensei. I will come tomorrow. —Tomorrow, I want it to be just the two of us.』

After reading that, I couldn’t move for a moment.

—“I want it to be just the two of us.”

It was the first time.

Shizuku had clearly put into words her discomfort about others being there.

Until now, it had always been indirect.

—“Will that person come?”
—“Will you be with someone at lunch?”

She would only express her unease through questions.

But today was different.

—“I want it to be just the two of us.”

A clear request.

—

Tuesday.

Morning.

In the staff room, I drank coffee while thinking back on yesterday.

I lined up their visiting times in my head.

Shizuku—
Right after school.
Her usual time: 4:00 to 5:30.
Almost every day.

Akane—
About thirty minutes after school.
4:30 to 5:30.
Four to five days a week.

Midori—
Irregular.
About twice a week.
Usually after school.

Rin—
Irregular.
Two to three times a week.
After school on days without club activities.

Mio—
Irregular.
Once a week.
Her timing was unpredictable.

The problem was obvious.

All of them were concentrated in the after-school hours.

Back in April, only Shizuku came after school.

I met Akane on the rooftop during lunch, so overlap wasn’t an issue.

Midori and Mio also came less often, so running into each other was rare.

Now, all five of them came regularly.

Their times overlapped.

Shizuku and Akane could coexist.

But Midori couldn’t open up with others around.
Mio would leave if it got crowded.
Rin didn’t mind, but her bright voice changed the atmosphere Shizuku needed.

Yesterday—

Shizuku said, 『I want it to be just the two of us.』 

Midori stepped back with, “May I change it to tomorrow?”
Mio left with, “Not today.”

None of them complained directly.

They all adjusted quietly.

Shizuku stayed.
Midori and Mio left.

But—if this continued, Midori and Mio would come less often.

If they began to feel “it’s hard to come here,” the trust we built would fade.

At the same time, I couldn’t tell Shizuku, “Come less often.”

For her, this room was her only safe place.

Restricting that—

(…A schedule, huh.)

An idea formed.

Give each of them their own time slot.

Reduce overlap so everyone could use the room comfortably.

A reservation system.

Common in hospitals and clinics.

Not unusual for school counseling rooms either.

(Could it work? No, but…)

Something felt off.

Creating a schedule meant saying, “This time is yours.”

It might create safety but also send the message: “Please don’t come outside this time.”

Especially for Shizuku.

If I told her, “Three times a week instead of five”— she might take it as rejection.

Akane too.

If I limited her visits, she would feel restricted.

For Midori and Mio, though—it might help.

Knowing “this time is guaranteed one-on-one” would make it easier to come.

Rin was flexible.

She would accept any arrangement.

There was no perfect plan.

Someone would take the hit.

Even so it was better than doing nothing.

If things continued like yesterday,

Midori and Mio would fall behind.

(…I’ll start by suggesting it. Then adjust based on their reactions.)

—

Tuesday. After school.

Today, Shizuku had left a note—library duty.

Akane came.

Just the two of us.

While talking about lunch—I brought it up.

“Akane. There’s something I want to discuss.”

“What.”

“Lately, more people have been coming after school. Times have been overlapping.”

Akane’s hand paused midair, holding her teacup.

“…So?”

“I was thinking of organizing the schedule a bit. So everyone can use the room calmly. Like fixed days or times—a reservation system.”

Akane looked at me.

“…What about my time?”

“Lunch stays the same. After school—Tuesdays and Fridays. Fridays would overlap with Shizuku-chan, though.”

“…So I’m not allowed to come on other days?”

Her voice hardened slightly.

“It’s not that you can’t. Just—those times might belong to someone else.”

“…”

Akane looked out the window.

Ten. Twenty seconds.

“…Whatever.” 

“Really?”

“It’s your job, right? I know I’m not the only one coming here. —Just…”

“Just?”

“I told you before—don’t cut into lunch.”

“I won’t.”

“…Then it’s fine.”

Her voice was flat.

Not angry.

No clear dissatisfaction.

But the leftover food.

Again today—a piece of omelet remained.

—

Wednesday.

I spoke to Shizuku about the schedule.

“Shizuku-chan’s time will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after school. You’ve been coming every day, but I want to make room for others too.”

Shizuku kept her notebook on her lap—and didn’t move.

Ten. Twenty. Thirty seconds.

Then she wrote.

『Am I not allowed to come on Tuesdays and Thursdays?』

“It’s not that you can’t. It’s just—those times are for others…”

『I understand.』

A short reply.

Unusual for Shizuku.

One line only.

She drank her tea, opened her book, and the usual time began.

But the pages turned faster than usual.

A note before leaving.

『Ren-sensei. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I understand.』

That was all.

No “I’ll come tomorrow.”
No “I’ll come again.”

Just confirmation.

From her notes—the warmth had dropped, just a little.

—

Thursday.

I told Midori.

“I’m thinking of setting Tuesday after 5:30 as your time. After everyone else leaves.”

Her reaction was more positive than expected.

“Thank you. That would help a lot. —To be honest, I did find it difficult to talk when others were present.”

“I figured. Sorry I didn’t address it sooner.”

“No. I’ll leave it to your judgment, Sensei.”

Midori accepted it smoothly.

For her a guaranteed “just my time” worked.

I told Mio as well.

A note in her shoe locker.

The next day, a reply appeared under the counseling room door.

『Understood. —I never said I would come every week. I’ll come when I feel like it. But I’ll remember that Thursday is my slot.』

Very like Mio.

She avoided being tied down but still secured her place.

I told Rin over the phone.

“Ah, got it! I’m fine with Wednesday or Friday—anytime works. I don’t mind overlapping with Shizuku-chan, but… she might mind. Then Tuesday? Same as Akane-chan.”

“You’re okay with the same day as Akane?”

“Yeah, totally! We’ve talked here and there since the festival. —Ah, but maybe she won’t like it. Can you check with her first?”

Rin’s thoughtfulness.

She was thinking about Akane.

I asked Akane.

“Is it okay if you share the day with Rin?”

“…Kagurazaka? I don’t mind. She’s loud, but I don’t hate it.”

Akane’s “I don’t hate it” meant yes.

—

Friday.

The schedule was set.

Monday- Shizuku
Tuesday- Akane, Rin (Midori later)
Wednesday- Shizuku
Thursday- Mio (irregular)
Friday- Shizuku, Akane

Formal but not strict.

They could still come outside their slots.

Lunch- Akane (daily)
Others- as needed

Everyone agreed.

On the surface.

Friday after school.

Shizuku came.

As scheduled.

Her usual seat.
Her usual tea.
Her usual book.

But the note she left—was different.

『Ren-sensei. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Three days. Before, it was five. It decreased by two days. Because you decided so, I will accept it. —Tomorrow and the day after, I won’t be able to see you.』

I read the note and placed it in the drawer.

The schedule was necessary.

To protect Midori and Mio.

To make the room usable for everyone.

I hadn’t done anything wrong.

—I shouldn’t have.

The snowdrops by the window swayed in the cold November wind.

Their white petals had begun to wilt, just a little.