The Students I Once Tutored As Part-Time Home Tutors During My Student Days Had Suddenly Achieved Excessive Success In Their Careers. - Chapter 3: After the opening ceremony...

After the opening ceremony…

Today marks four days since the opening ceremony.

It’s April 6th, the start of the new semester.

“Sensei! Have you remembered all of your students’ names?”

“Well, hehe… I need a little more time for that. I still can’t match faces to names.”

“Sensei, we’re starting to feel lonely!”

“I might cry!”

“It’s okay, Sensei! I still love you, even if you don’t remember our names!”

“Oh, thank you.”

In an unfamiliar classroom, Sora sensei was conducting the morning homeroom for the short homeroom (SHR) class, and he was already endeared by his students.

“Well, I’ll definitely remember by next week, so please be patient.”

“Alright!”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Sensei.”

“That’s right. Don’t let it get to your head, silly boys.”

This humanities class had remained unchanged since their first year, and they had advanced to the next grade without any class reshuffling. Because everyone in the class already knew each other, they had formed close bonds and were having a good time. It was an impressive sight.

“Oh, I forgot to mention one thing to everyone. We have a health checkup tomorrow, so don’t forget to bring your gym uniforms. I’ll remind you again on the way back during S.H.R.”

“Understood!”

“Yes!”

“Health check-up, huh. It’s a bit scary if something comes up.”

“At our age, it should be fine, right? Probably…”

Hearing worried voices from all around, Sora thought to himself, “Reactions are the same in any school,” with an amused smile as he clapped his hands together.

“Now then, I’d like to collect the essays I assigned yesterday—”

“ “Wha-!?” “ 

Suddenly, a few students gasped in shock. Some students even shuddered.

“Umm, Sensei! Could you, umm, maybe wait a bit…?”

“Plus one… Please give us time!”

“Our classes start in the afternoon, right? So, until then…!”

The students who resisted in a hurry were mainly boys who were involved in club activities or part-time jobs. It was easy to imagine them thinking, “Our class is in the fifth period, so if we finish during lunch break, it should be okay!”

(Even I used to rush like this in high school… Not being able to submit assignments and getting scolded by both the teacher and the club advisor…)

Although two years had passed since becoming a teacher, this nostalgia still welled up within Sora.

“Oh? It seems like there are some students who are panicking, or maybe not…”

In response to the teasing from earlier, Sora put on a smiling facade and pretended not to notice.

“Prioritize your studies!”

“If you’re neglecting your studies, don’t participate in clubs or part-time jobs!”

These opinions from the teachers were valid. Even if they prioritize their studies, it’s tough to do so all the time.

However, Sora’s opinion was, “Can’t we be a little more flexible?” Prioritizing studies all the time is challenging.

“Haha, I understand. I’ve changed my mind, so I’ll wait until the fifth period class.”

“Oh, thank you!”

“Thank you so much, Sensei!”

“This way, I won’t get scolded by the club advisor…”

“Sensei, you’re really too kind!”

Sora could see the relieved expressions on several students’ faces. From the teacher’s podium, their emotions were quite clear.

“…However, I do want to make use of my free time, so if anyone can submit their work now, please do so.”

Sora’s policy was to “avoid giving students negative evaluations as much as possible.” Instead, he added minor extra points to the final assessments for students who consistently submitted their work early.

This way, he didn’t dismiss the effort of his students. Moreover, by collecting the assignments early, he discouraged cheating and encouraged collaborative learning among friends. This was a well-thought-out decision.

After confirming that the assignments had been collected, Sora turned his attention back to the entire class.

“Well, I’ve finished conveying all the information, so it’s a bit early, but I’d like to finish S.H.R., class representative, please.”

“Stand up! Attention, bow!”

“Thank you very much!”

“Yes, thank you.”

At the same time as the students in the class, Sora also lowered his head and entered the break time before the first period.

“Man, Sora sensei is seriously too kind… Isn’t he the best teacher we’ve ever had?”

“Yeah, seriously.”

“His lessons are easy to understand too!”

“I made sure to brag to Takebayashi from the class next door; he was so jealous!”

“Sensei said he doesn’t have a girlfriend, but that’s definitely a lie, right?”

As soon as the break started, students gathered with their friends and began talking.

(Well, at least don’t discuss that when I’m around…)

Although they probably didn’t mean any harm, their voices were loud enough to be heard.

Embarrassed, Sora decided to quickly leave the classroom with his assignments, as if trying to escape the situation.

***

In the staff room, after moving from the classroom, Sora sighed.

“Hmm…”

While things were going smoothly at his new workplace, and he had become friendly with his students, there was one thing bothering him.

“She didn’t come today either…”

Sitting down at his desk, Sora had a stern expression as he looked at the attendance sheet. There was a continuous string of “absences” in one column, marking the four consecutive days since the opening ceremony. The name of the absent student was Komachi Sae.

He had received information about this student from the previous homeroom teacher, which had been passed on to him. Her increased absences began around the middle of her second year. It wasn’t because she was avoiding school due to bullying or other troubles.

The reason for her absence was that she was putting a lot of effort into a job she had taken up. She had no intention of going to college. Her parents were leaving the decision to her. Sora had already discussed with the previous teacher about how many absences and attendances were needed to graduate.

“Hmm… If we’ve already discussed her graduation requirements, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

High school wasn’t compulsory. If that was her choice, then it might be best to respect it. However, as a teacher, Sora strongly wished for her to come to school as much as possible. This current high school life was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a very precious time.

“What should I do…? First of all, I wonder what kind of job Sae-san has taken up? The previous teacher didn’t seem to know either…”

The type of job that high school students could do was limited. If the phrase “taken up” was taken literally, it might be some kind of freelance work. If that were the case, it could be expected that her schedule was packed, causing her to miss school.

“It’s a difficult situation, but I still want her to at least attend the first period… After all, she’s paying high tuition fees, and…”

At this point, Sora’s expression became stern. He couldn’t help but have flashbacks to a former student, Nosaka Sae, who was in the same class as Komachi Sae in Class 3A. They had different surnames, but their names were identical.

The fact that Nosaka Sae, the former student he had hoped to see at this school, was nowhere to be found on any class roster.

And Sora couldn’t help but think. Just as he had managed to help Sae overcome her past struggles with school attendance and become a brighter person, he wanted to find a way to improve  Nosaka Sae’s current situation.

“For now, if she doesn’t come tomorrow either, I’ll make arrangements for a consultation, just like the previous teacher did… I want to take action from my side to make sure she can graduate successfully.”

With that resolution in mind, Sora switched his focus and began preparing for his classes for the day.

***

And so, time passed. It was well past 11 PM at night.

“…I’ve had enough…”

In the silence of the night, a silver-haired girl murmured softly in her room.