Field Practice (1)
Last week's staff meeting had given me one key insight.
That I didn't necessarily have to tough it out here for a full year.
'Why didn't I think of this sooner?'
Until now, I'd only been focused on surviving the year by winning over the kids, but it hit me—I could just leave the academy.
Of course, I couldn't simply walk away.
Having been officially appointed as a teacher, running off would brand me a criminal under imperial law.
'So, if the academy kicks me out... but that's the tricky part.'
Getting fired itself would be easy enough.
The teachers who already despised me would jump at the chance to boot me out if I committed even a minor crime.
But crimes come with punishment.
Besides, even for my own survival, causing trouble for others felt wrong.
In the end, there was only one gentle way to get expelled from the academy.
'If I'm incompetent.'
The academy conducted lecture evaluations at the end of every semester.
If your class's ratings fell below standard, you were automatically dismissed. Perfect.
These kids wouldn't like me anyway, so I'd just hang in there for half a year, build a bit of goodwill, and get the boot.
In the meantime, as their teacher, I'd fulfill my duties.
Yeah, even I had to admit it was a flawless plan.
"Man, this magic effect is really something."
I was lost in these thoughts while diligently cleaning the classroom today as usual.
"No thanks." "Ahaha~♡ Sorry, Teacher. I've got something to do today." "Cleanliness is a virtue of the faithful, but it's also the will of the divine! There's meaning in filth as it is! Though clean is nicer, of course."
"...You wanna die?" "Heh heh heh. Unfortunately, my skin's too delicate for that. Please take care of it, Tea-cher~?"
I'd politely asked the other kids if any of them might help out, but they'd all refused, so there was no choice.
Not that I'd expected anything. I'd only asked just in case.
As if these delinquents would pitch in.
"...." "Iruka. Go back to your room." "...No. This spot's comfy."
And for some reason, Iruka always sat in that corner watching me whenever I cleaned.
Dust was flying, so I'd tell her to leave, but she stayed put every time. I'd given up.
She wasn't going anywhere on her own, and forcibly moving her? If I didn't die on the spot, I'd count myself lucky.
"Well, since you're here anyway, shall we continue the counseling?"
I didn't expect much from the offer.
No way these guys wanted to chat with me.
But an unexpected reply came.
"...Sure." "Good, then we'll just quietly... Wait, what?" "...Counseling. Let's do it. Otto."
I blinked in surprise.
Never thought Iruka would want to counsel with me.
I immediately stopped cleaning and sat down, but Iruka looked displeased.
"...Keep cleaning." "...Got it."
Seems she liked this clean environment.
Like how she'd taught me that one spell last time.
Though whether forcibly manipulating my mana into magic counted as "teaching" was debatable.
'Cleaning in exchange for counseling, huh.'
Not a bad deal, since I had to clean anyway.
If anything, multitasking saved time.
"Alright, Iruka. Picking up from last time—" "...No, I'll ask the questions." "Huh?" "...Counseling's back and forth. So it's my turn."
She had something she was curious about?
This was a good sign.
Questions breed interest.
The once utterly indifferent Iruka asking me anything made this moment meaningful.
"Fine. Ask away. I'll answer without hesitation." "Without hesi...?" "...Tough word. Means I'll answer freely." "Okay, cool."
With that, silence fell for a bit.
Conversations with Iruka often went like this now—it was familiar.
She'd zone out mid-sentence a few times at first, throwing me off, but now it was almost funny.
"Why're you here, Otto?" "...To teach you all." "But you're weak. Weaker than me, even—not to mention the other academy teachers."
A brutal fact-check out of nowhere.
I clutched my chest.
True, I was weak, but hearing it straight hurt.
All the other protagonists were overpowered lunatics zooming around. Why me...!
I gave Iruka what amounted to an excuse.
"...Not everything in the world is about strength." "...It isn't?" "Nope. Just look at that pillow you're hugging. It's the opposite of strong." "...Makes... sense?"
Iruka patted her pillow.
I'd said whatever came to mind, but luckily, it landed with her.
"...So why're you here?" "Got assigned by the empire. To teach you guys." "...No talent in the empire?" "Could be I'm the talent." "...Pfft."
Not even a joke, but she laughed.
Her first smile mocking me stung, but if it brought us closer, fine by me.
Iruka fired off more questions after that.
"How old are you?" "Twenty-two." "...Liar." "For real."
Starting with age.
"Where you from?" "Worked at the imperial education office, so probably the capital." "...Why the question?" "Don't remember exactly. No memories from early childhood."
"Amnesia, Otto?" "Something like that."
I glossed over my vague birthplace.
"Favorite food?" "Meat. Grilled." "Least favorite?" "Shellfish aren't my thing. Doesn't agree with me. You?" "...Dunno."
Now even prying into my tastes.
I'd learned prepping for the hiring exam: kids' questions reveal their interests.
And surprisingly, Iruka was interested in me.
Learned or not, all her questions were about me—what else could it mean?
'Wait, does she like me?'
Middle-school girls crushing on hot teachers was a cliché.
I checked my reflection in the spotless window.
Black hair, black eyes.
Not East Asian, so skin a bit pale, but recent sleep deprivation had dark circles making it ghostly.
...Not the type girls swoon over.
Definitely not enough for an age-gap middle-schooler to fall at first sight.
'Must be the cleaning that did it...!'
I hadn't done much, but apparently it impressed her.
I mentally noted: Be meticulously clean around Iruka, and redoubled my efforts.
If scrubbing harder boosted my survival odds, I'd lick the floors.
Who knows—maybe Iruka would shield me from Abel later.
Just the blackboard left now, when Iruka asked,
"...Hey, Otto." "Listening, Iruka." "You like cleaning?" "Not really." "...Then why so hard?" "It's your space."
A layered answer.
The unfit environment needed it, and it bought favor too.
Plus, honestly, watching the room sparkle gave a weird thrill.
Good enough? I turned—Iruka was asleep on the floor again.
"Zzz... Zzz...." "Sigh. What a weirdo."
Better wrap this up and get to my own stuff.
Using her snores as a work song, I hurried.
Iruka's blue eyes fixed on Otto's back.
He was nothing like the woman she remembered.
'Me, heh heh, twenty-eight. Still young? Ack, granny? No dinner for real?'
'Our house is down the west coast in a little rural village called Vesta. That's where I'm from. Live here now, though!'
'I love seafood! Especially shellfish! Meat's too gamey for me...? But I'd eat it if offered!'
Age, hometown, even tastes—everything differed.
Yet why did he overlap with her so much?
Swimming through sea memories, she'd hit achingly nostalgic ones.
A port village with vast blue ocean.
Salty sea breeze from the great sea, gulls crying.
Clothes flapping in the wind, sister shaking them out with a smile.
'...Why do you like cleaning so much, Sis?'
'Eek?! Idiot, who likes cleaning?'
'...You do it every day.'
Before the academy.
Iruka's warmest, happiest past.
What had her sister said?
'Because it's where you live.'
"It's your space."
Just like him.
Though memory-sister beamed wide, while Otto's face was stiff.
Still, that warmth inside matched her smile.
'...Maybe Otto's a good adult?'
Could she trust grown-ups again?
She'd decide after this nap, leaning into the warmth as sleep took her.
Meanwhile, as Iruka slept and Otto cleaned vigorously, Abel perched on a tree branch a short distance from the Old School Building, clicking her tongue at the sight.
"Getting too close, it seems."
If Otto heard, he'd yell, What do you mean too close?! But to Abel, it was.
Obtuse and indecisive, but Iruka had firm beliefs and values.
Before Otto, she'd never opened up like that to anyone.
To Abel—who targeted both—it spelled trouble.
"Time to act."
Abel opened her student planner, flipping to the calendar and circling her target date.
"Field practice. Perfect timing."
Heh heh heh. Looking forward to it.
As Abel grinned wickedly—
Snap.
"Huh?"
The branch she sat on broke, sending her tumbling to the ground.
She'd wrapped herself in mana, so no injury, but her face flushed red again.
"Ugh! I'll get revenge...!"
Nothing bad happened before that teacher came!
Not his fault, of course, but it lit a fire in one girl's vengeful heart.