The Students I Once Tutored As Part-Time Home Tutors During My Student Days Had Suddenly Achieved Excessive Success In Their Careers. - Chapter 18: Sora’s Home Part 2

Sora’s Home Part 2.

“Sensei, I’ve finished vacuuming this area. You don’t need me to do the living room since you’re cooking, right?”

“Yeah! Thanks a lot. You really saved me.”

“No need for thanks. I feel like I should help with this much.”

After folding and storing the laundry, Nanase continued to find more work for herself, moving around and staying active.

“Hey, do you have anything else for me to do? Like wiping down the bathroom sink or sweeping the entrance area?”

“That’s plenty for now. You should take a break soon.”

“Ugh. Well, I snooped around that shelf after seeing Sensei’s underwear.”

“What…? Did you really go through that shelf?”

While standing in the kitchen holding a frying pan, Sensei, who had been working on something, appeared in front of Nanase and commented on her actions.

“Hehe.”

“You’re doing it again, grinning like that… It’s really not appropriate to mess around with an adult man’s underwear, you know? Seriously. It’s not even something nice to look at.”

“But it was already in the laundry, so it’s fine, right? No big deal.”

“That’s not the issue.”

“By the way, why did you buy those yellow duck underwear? It’s pretty clear that they have a design with a beak that sticks out. It must be for a high school trip, right?”

“Th-that… There’s an explanation for that! That one was given to me as a joke by a coworker… I’ve only worn it once, okay? I felt bad not wearing it… It’s almost worse that I’ve only worn it once.”

“You actually wore it!?”

“But if I didn’t wear it at least once, it would be even worse…”

“Haha, you’re really something.”

With a tired apron still on her, Nanase laughed as Sensei explained. The situation was so amusing that she couldn’t help it.

“Anyway, Sensei wearing those duck underwear is quite an amusing mental image.”

“I did try them on in front of a mirror once, and it was seriously embarrassing.”

“Haha, I can imagine. Those are clearly meant for a high school trip.”

“Haha.”

The two of them laughed together while watching TV, and for Sensei, who usually cooked quietly, these moments were genuinely enjoyable. It was a time that made him forget about living alone.

“Hey, doesn’t it feel like we’re living together? I think so.”

“Well, you’re right. Actually, the reason I chose this apartment is because I can invite a lot of friends and live together.”

“….Heh. By the way, is there anyone you are thinking of living with?”

“No, not at all.”

“And there’s no girl that you’re interested in right now?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Sensei. Look at the reality.”

“Well, it’s not time to face reality yet.”

“There you go, escapism.”

Sensei seemed to be taken aback by Nanase’s straightforwardness, and he couldn’t help but be a bit intimidated. “True,” he thought, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“Well, it’s quite surprising, actually. Sensei doesn’t even have someone like that.”

“R-really?”

“To be honest, I think your friends around you just can’t see it. Or maybe you’re too picky? There’s no way you wouldn’t be popular.”

“I appreciate you saying that, but it’s really not the case. I still have my quirks, you know.”

“Hmm…”

Nanase raised one eyebrow, looking skeptical. Her expression wasn’t like that of a student questioning a teacher, but rather, it harked back to her mischievous days.

“By the way, Sensei, what do you do for work now? You mentioned wanting to teach people, so are you working at a prep school or something?”

“No, I became a high school teacher. I’m currently teaching modern Japanese at Sakurada High School.”

“I see.”

“Aren’t you surprised…? I thought you’d be more surprised.”

“Sorry for reacting that way, but I really think teaching suits you, Sensei. It’s your calling.”

“Huh….I-I feel like my eyes are getting wet just now…haha.”

Words said by ordinary people and words said by students carry different weight.

This was the moment when my eyes became hot.

“—Sensei’s lame duck pants.”

“…”

At Nanase’s words, my tear ducts closed tightly.

“Why would you say something like that at this timing!?” Sora thought, but her eyes seemed moist somehow, as if her feelings from earlier were contagious.

“Oh, by the way, I know it’s a bit late to mention this, but Sensei, when you were a teacher at high school, weren’t we doing some pretty risky stuff? That supermarket is near Sakurada High School, right? So there’s a possibility that the parents of students might shop there. I even called you ‘Sensei,’ and you invited me to your house.”

“What…? Do you mean…?”

Understanding what she was getting at, Sensei paused in his cooking.

“The actual relationship isn’t anything improper, and I’m no longer a student there, so a report once or twice should be fine… But if we’re not careful, it could lead to disciplinary action and dismissal, right?”

“Y-yeah, you’re right. What you’re saying makes sense…”

It was the moment when Sensei’s earlier remark about being “quirky” came back to haunt him. Furthermore, Nanase hadn’t known that Sensei was now a highschool teacher. It was all his fault for not addressing these issues when they first reunited.

“The best way to handle it is to change the way I address you when we’re outside, right? I shouldn’t be mistaken for a current student.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry for the trouble, but if you could change the way you address me outside, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Okay. Got it~.”

Nanase replied with a response that now had a musical note at the end, as if to confirm her understanding.

“Then, can I call you ‘Sora’? Just to make sure there’s no misunderstanding when we’re outside.”

“Of course! Feel free to call me that. So, let’s stick to that when we’re out.”

With the issue resolved and their strategy in place, they resumed cooking.

“Hey, Sora?”

“Yes?”

Though she should have used the new name for Sensei outside, when she raised her face to answer, their eyes met.

“…Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, um… I think I’ll stop. Let’s go with ‘Sora-san.’ Sorry. I’ll stick with ‘Sora-san.'”

“Huh? You’re going with ‘Sora-san’?”

In that instant, Nanase suddenly lowered her face and fluttered her hands as she decided to change back.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, you mentioned ‘living together’ earlier… and I got some weird ideas, so… Damn.”

“Hahaha, I see what you mean. ‘Living together’ was something that seemed to come from you, though.”

“…”

“Alright, we’re almost ready with the cooking, so just hang on, Nanase.”

“Grrr!”

Sensei teased her, doubling down on the underwear topic. This verbal assault was designed to stir up Nanase’s emotions, and it certainly did its job.

“Don’t… Don’t keep teasing me…”

It had escalated to a point where she couldn’t let it slide. With a determined look on her face, she raised her head and clenched her teeth, ready to unleash a forbidden move.

With her right hand, adorned with stylish nail art, she brought her hand close to her face…

“Huh? Hey, stop it! No flipping the bird! Cut it out! Both middle fingers, too!”

“Duck-patterned undies.”

“Stop that! It’s embarrassing!”

They continued their noisy banter until the cooking was ready.