The Students I Once Tutored As Part-Time Home Tutors During My Student Days Had Suddenly Achieved Excessive Success In Their Careers. - Chapter 33: Sae’s POV

Sae’s POV

This was happening simultaneously — these were Sae’s thoughts and feelings at the same time.

***

“It’s been a while… Hehe, it’s nostalgic.”

“Well, it’s nostalgic in a way, but—”

(It’s really nostalgic… I’m so happy…)

What Sae felt was something she hadn’t expected – the ability to lean on his lap, just like the old days when he used to be her tutor.

“Is the nervousness winning?”

“I started feeling nervous once I became conscious of it. So, I’m trying not to be conscious of it.”

“Huh, you can do something so skillful? Isn’t that amazing, Sae-san?”

“It is amazing.”

“Haha, you’re admitting it yourself.”

Actually, she wasn’t that skilled at all. She had just lied. Now that she was conscious of it, she was getting really nervous. She pressed her hand to her chest to hide the sound of her racing heart. It was pointless, but it made her feel a little better.

“Sora-kun, pat my head too. Just like the old times.”

“Well… Sae-san? I’m still your teacher, you know, your homeroom teacher.”

“I finished the important conversation with Mom, so you’ve become a familiar big brother.”

“Well… I mean, I can’t deny that perspective…”

“So, pat my head.”

“Fine, fine…”

Because Sora-kun was kind, he immediately patted her when she asked. But since he was a teacher at their school, he didn’t do this normally. So she had to take advantage of this rare opportunity and get as much pampering as she could. She wanted to charge herself up, making up for all the time they hadn’t seen each other. Even if she reached 100%, she could go to 101%.

The day before, she had a conversation with her mom, who told her sternly, 

“But don’t do anything that would inconvenience him. Since it’s you Sae, I’m pretty sure he goes easy on you.

“Sora-kun says, ‘It’s not an inconvenience,’ so it’s okay.”

“That’s just because he’s being considerate.”

“It’s not.”

Sae insisted. “It’s absolutely not it,” her mom replied. 

…But she didn’t want to miss this chance, so she would listen to her mom scold her later. As long as she could be spoiled by Sora-kun, she didn’t care if her mom got mad.

“Hehe, I’m feeling a great sense of superiority right now. I have you all to myself as my homeroom teacher. I’m monopolizing something that only I can do.”

“Huh? Do you really feel that way?”

“You don’t know anything, Sora-kun, so you’re just thinking that way.”

(Yeah, he really doesn’t know anything.)

That was something she could understand as one of the school’s students.

“By the way, if I were to say that I didn’t know anything, what would your response be?”

“Sora-kun, you’re a very popular teacher. You’re kind, good at teaching, and cool, so you’re very popular among the girls.”

“…I-I’m not popular among the boys?”

“I think you’re more popular among the girls. After all, I know someone who’s planning to confess to you on graduation day.”

“Huh!?”

“Why don’t you seem happy?”

“Well, it’s more of a shock than happiness?”

The frustrating part was that it wasn’t just this girl who was saying this. There might be others around who were saying the same thing, and she couldn’t even count them all. She was Sora-kun’s very first student, but everyone wanted to take him away from her.

“That’s got to be a lie, right?”

“If that’s the case, it’s fine.”

“Is it really?”

“Yeah.”

If being surprised is a stronger emotion than being happy, there’s a higher chance of someone else swooping in.

Just hearing this made me feel a bit better, like my worries had disappeared a little.

“Sora-kun, you worked at a different school before this one, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I worked at the previous high school for two years, and this year marks my third year as a teacher.”

“At the school where you first worked, did any girls confess to you?”

“W-Well…”

“It did happen.”

I was pretty sure it did.

Despite having worked at my high school for only about two months, this kind of thing was already happening.

I pinched Sora-kun’s thigh. It was necessary.

“Admittedly, it did happen… just once.”

“Once?”

“Well, I’m not sure… Ouch! Why are you pinching me?”

“Just because…”

He’s just too popular…

It’s nice when the person you’re interested in is popular. But being too popular is not good at all.

So, I’ll give him a little punishment.

“…But, I did think that you were impressive, Sora-kun. Even as a teacher, you’ve had someone confess to you.”

“T-Thanks?”

“Yeah. The person who confessed to you has good taste.”

“Haha, well…”

With his good eye for people, I think he’ll be happy with a wonderful person in the future.

“Sora-kun, the hand petting my head has stopped.”

“O-Okay, okay.”

Even though it was because I was being affectionate, he immediately started patting my head.

(If only Sora-kun were my boyfriend, I could do this every day…)

But if he did it every day, it might lose its special feeling, so it’s a complicated feeling.

“…So, how long should I keep up this position?”

“Until Mom’s meal is ready, so another hour or two.”

“Isn’t that a bit long? Shouldn’t we do something else in the meantime?”

“This is the best option.”

To prevent Sora-kun from getting up from the bed, I’ll keep hugging him while in this position.

Even though I think there might be some complications due to our respective roles, I want him to endure it for my sake.

“…J-Jito-chan, this is getting a bit much.”

“Ahh, that nickname brings back memories… I like it.”

“Don’t squeeze any harder.”

It’s a nickname I used when I felt a bit frustrated with him or said things like “Come on.”

He would never use it at school, and that’s what makes it so special. It makes me really happy.

Having him pat my head feels so nice.

“Hey, Sora-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have any plans about when you want to get married? I haven’t asked much about your future, so let’s talk about various things.”

“Oh, that sounds interesting.”

Since there’s nothing else to do in this room, I’ve thought of various topics to discuss with Sora-kun.

“Well, let me think… I’d like to get married before I turn 30. I think the average age is around there.”

“I see.”

He’s just summarizing it as “that’s the average,” but I think the main reason is because he’s Sora-kun. It’s because his job will become more stable, he’ll have more savings, and things like that. It’s because he’s Sora-kun.

“By the way, what about you, Sae-san?”

“I want to get married right after graduating from high school.”

“…Huh!?”

Because there’s someone somewhere who’s extremely popular…

“I mean, isn’t that quite early? Not to interfere or anything, but it’s better to have more time to get to know the other person, don’t you think?”

“Even so, I still believe it’s better to get married early.”

“Do you think it’s better to get married early because you want to have children?”

“No, it’s not about that. I just think it’s better to secure someone as soon as possible, or there’s a chance someone else might snatch them away. The longer I work, the more opportunities I’ll have to meet people at social gatherings and such.”

Because someone somewhere is extremely popular, and cute girls might make a move on him at these social events.

“So, you believe in securing someone early to avoid losing them?”

“You see, if you’re just dating, there’s a chance you might lose them.”

“I see. You’re quite… thorough, huh?”

“I aim for people who are so wonderful that they’re worth it.”

“Haha, that’s quite the confidence.”

It’s only natural to be confident.

Even though he’s a teacher, the fact that students confess to him is proof of how wonderful he is.

And despite how he’s laughing as if it’s someone else’s story, it’s not. It’s his story.

“So-Sora-kun, how many children do you want?”

I decided to ask something a bit embarrassing. Making children means… well, you know.

“As for children… Well, it depends on my income, but I’d like to be blessed with as many children as possible.”

“I remember you saying you liked children back when you were a private tutor.”

“Haha, I did say that, didn’t I? It wouldn’t be surprising.”

If I become Sora-kun’s wife, our nights might get busier with the arrival of children. But that’s not a bad thing. I’ve heard that a lively night life is important. Plus, it’s good that he has a job he can do from home, as it can be quite tiring.

“Well… pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing are all really challenging, so it’s something you should discuss with your future wife.”

“It’s not necessary for a couple to have children to be happy; there are plenty of happily married couples without kids. So, above all, I want to respect my future wife’s opinion.”

“When you get all serious about something, it makes me a bit nervous, Sora-kun.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. When it gets to serious discussions, I tend to get a little too focused.”

I had relaxed, but then he brought up this topic. He does this to me.

But Sora-kun, even as a teacher, is so charming that I can’t help but do these unfair things.

“But, Sora-kun, you’re really kind. Just hearing that makes me feel so relieved.”

“I think there are many people who share similar thoughts, so you can rest easy.”

“I feel reassured.”

Other people don’t matter. If it’s Sora-kun, then I’m at ease.

“I’m getting a little sleepy.”

“Um… Jito-chan, I’m still a man, even if I’m your teacher.”

“That’s right.”

“No, I didn’t mean to confirm my gender…”

I know what he’s trying to say. But even though I understand, he’s just too serious and inflexible because of his pride as a teacher. As long as our teacher-student relationship doesn’t change, I’m sure Sora-kun’s awareness won’t change either. If he ever tries to change, he’ll definitely snap back with a firm “This is not okay!”

Because he’s this type of person, I want to graduate from high school quickly and break free from our current relationship.

“So, what do you think will happen if  a hungry lion watches a sleeping zebra?”

“I think it would keep petting until it wakes up.”

“Hmm… You noticed, didn’t you?”

He gave me an obvious example, but I still decided to be mean. It was clear that he had noticed.

…And besides, I think it’s not guaranteed that zebras won’t attack a hungry lion just because of common sense. Probably.

“Sae-san, you’re about to become an adult, so you should be careful. It’s dangerous if you’re not.”

“Scary.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard ‘scary’ without much emotion…”

Sora-kun always misunderstands and doesn’t believe me.

He thinks I only do these things with the person in front of me.

But it’s partly my fault that it’s come to this.

I spoiled him so much when he was my private tutor.

From Sora-kun’s perspective, I should be someone who easily spoils anyone.

“I want to graduate from high school quickly.”

“I just talked about how dangerous that is…”

“Sora-kun, your hand stopped patting my head.”

“…Are you planning to do this for an hour or two?”

“Is it okay to switch roles? I’ll pamper you, Sora-kun, with me being your pillow and patting your head.”

“I don’t want to become that kind of teacher.”

“Now, he’s a familiar face,” she said.

“No, it’s not allowed.”

She thought it was a good idea, but it turned out it wasn’t.

If it’s not allowed, then she decided she would continue to monopolize this place from now on.