Black Hair and Morning Encounters
...Morning already.
In the end, I couldn't leave work again. Even though it takes two hours by car from the academy to home, it wouldn't have been a big deal if I'd just left on time. Being a teacher at Four Seasons Academy is a job that draws envy from many, but the actual satisfaction level for those involved is close to the worst. Since it's an educational facility sandwiched between high school and university, academy teachers are in an ambiguous position between teachers and professors. They have to handle teacher duties while also producing personal research results. On top of that, taking on the homeroom teacher role adds the extra task of managing the students in their charge, just like yesterday.
Amuro Taiyo...
The rumors surrounding him are all vicious enough to warrant immediate imprisonment. Yet he's never actually been punished... I used to wonder how terrifying he must be for victims to not even report him. That's why, thinking I had to nip it in the bud, I called him out on the first day of the semester, using the excuse that he only showed up at lunchtime.
...But yesterday was strange.
Though his reflection paper lacked sincerity, his attitude was excellent. There was none of his usual flippant vibe, and he even asked me to believe he'd become a good student from now on.
"Pfft."
Thinking about that mismatched sight from yesterday made me laugh. I hoped his resolve was genuine so he wouldn't cause any trouble, but...
That's ridiculous.
Holding meaningless expectations wasn't how I'd achieved success. Shhhk— Rattle— To clear my head, I drew the curtains and opened the window to look outside.
Who could it be at this hour...
School starts at 9. Teachers who need to prepare come by 8, but no one arrives this early. If they're going to come in early, they might as well not leave like I do. Partly because travel time is a waste, and partly because the academy's facilities are so excellent...
Ah, a sports-specialty student.
Even from afar, he looked tall and solidly built. I'd heard there were people who come out for early morning training, but this was the first time I'd actually seen one. Curious about which student it might be, and wanting a walk after sitting all night, I headed outside.
...If it's one of my students, should I greet them? I wondered if coming out was a mistake, but once curiosity struck, I had to resolve it.
Ah.
Before I could even think about turning back, I ran into the student. Luckily, I spotted him from behind first. He seemed to be checking out clubs, stopping at each one.
Black hair...
Muscular...
With each stop, the distance closed, and I could see his profile more clearly.
...Amuro Taiyo?
Suspecting I might be mistaken, I tried to get closer when— Whoosh!
"Hup...!"
He suddenly turned around, so I quickly hid to the side and ended up falling on my rear.
"..."
Without even tending to the pain, I slowly stood and backed away.
"Haa...! Haa...!"
Only after returning to my seat in the teachers' office could I finally catch my breath. There was no reason to hold it, no reason to run. But why had I? Setting that aside, was that really Amuro Taiyo?
Once my breathing steadied, yesterday's conversation came to mind.
'You should dye your hair black. It disrupts the academy atmosphere.'
'Ah... Yes! If that's what you want, teacher.'
"No way..."
Did he really go and dye it black the very next day after hearing that? It was hard to believe, but since he was my student, the chance I'd mistaken his face was low.
...If this is real, does it mean Amuro Taiyo is becoming an ordinary, good student? That's a welcome thing, but for some reason, it feels unsettling.
He didn't notice me, did he...?
—— Flutter! Flutter!
"..."
Only the sound of Yumena Natsumi's dobok echoed in the quiet clubroom.
"Hup.."
Along with the occasional sound of Senior Yumena's breathing. Even though she'd handed me the mitts, she wasn't actually striking them, just checking the distance. She said it could be dangerous to face someone with no experience, even in practice. Honestly, it was boring. I'd only offered to help because I had nothing else to do, but this felt no different from just sitting still. Of course, it did let me observe Senior up close from the front... but still. If it were Teacher Eri, maybe, but watching Senior Yumena wasn't particularly enjoyable.
Flutter!—
"..."
More than that, were martial artists' doboks allowed to be that revealing? It was lewd attire that forced a man's instincts even toward someone I had no interest in. Of course, it was partly because she had the perfect looks and figure befitting a heroine, but it was still improper. Thinking that made me curious about her actual skill.
"Senior, try kicking properly."
...
"Huu... Like I said earlier.."
"Scared?"
"It's not that, this is a matter of mindset—"
"You are scared."
"In the first place, this isn't even sparring, it's just holding the mitts..."
"A~ Boring."
...
I meant it when I said it was boring. I'd done plenty of mitt-holding while learning taekwondo, though the method was slightly different. And from that experience, I knew she wouldn't be able to ignore this provocation. Especially at this point in time, when even the protagonist was just a training partner for karate practice, I was certain that Yumena Natsumi, for whom karate was her entire life, absolutely wouldn't let it slide.
"Ssshh.."
As expected, Senior Yumena took her stance. Paang!!— It wasn't a surprise attack, but I hadn't expected her to kick without warning. Still, it was bearable.
"I warned you...!"
Paang!! Thud!!—
Already worked up, her previously polite tone had vanished. I could feel the power behind each kick increasing, but it was still manageable. No, it didn't even faze me. What kind of body did I have? When I collided with Nagao Takuya this morning, only he went flying while I was fine. I really was the naturally strong type. Probably top-tier even among the Injagang.
"Huuu... Huu..."
Senior Yumena, belatedly regulating her breathing after getting excited and neglecting it.
"Senior, you need to stay calmer."
"..."
She glared at me silently, but it seemed like she was thinking about something. Whoosh!— Then, contrary to expectation, she turned and walked away. I thought she might be creating distance to start again, but what she said next was even more unexpected.
"Please go back now. Thank you for your help today."
"Huh..."
"I won't make an issue of what happened earlier. As for the res......"
She seemed to have more to say but didn't voice it.
"...Then I'll be going."
After waiting a moment, I slowly turned and walked out. Her gaze stayed on me the whole time, but she seemed lost in thought. Maybe being told she lacked composure was a complex for her. In the original work, it wasn't explored deeply and was just the "Wow! A karate expert!" vibe, so I didn't know the exact details. That's why I'd assumed she was flawless when it came to karate. That misconception led to my mistake just now.
Apology...
No need to force it. If the chance came up naturally, I could mention it in passing. But I wouldn't go out of my way to do it. Comforting her was Nagao Takuya's role, and I had no intention of getting involved in their relationship. In times like this, my worst preconceptions could actually help. Go with the "Amuro Taiyo being Amuro Taiyo" strategy. Besides, she'd already said she wouldn't make an issue of earlier, so it should be fine. I couldn't imagine her lying to someone over something so trivial.
So now there were no problems.
"Haa..."
Maybe because I'd been out since early morning, I was already tired. Checking my phone, it was past 7:30. With nothing else to do, I decided to head to the classroom early.
Class 2-A.
Dividing classes by alphabet made me wonder if there were levels, but there weren't really. It seemed adjusted so specialty students weren't all grouped together, but otherwise it was random. Of course, it wasn't perfectly random. There'd be adjustments based on circumstances only the academy knew, and above all, because of the author's convenience, the protagonist and heroines were all crammed into Class A.
From 1st year to 3rd year. Class A all three years. Since which class didn't really matter, it was convenient for the author and easy for readers to remember. Thinking about the manga's setting as I walked, I soon arrived in front of the classroom.
"Gulp."
At this moment, I was honestly nervous. According to rom-com manga rules, arriving this early meant alone time with a model-student-type heroine.
...But I couldn't just wander around aimlessly either. If I'd known this would happen, maybe I shouldn't have provoked Senior Yumena and just quietly watched until Nagao showed up to follow him to class. Though I hadn't expected a single remark to provoke her. Rattle—!! Forget overthinking and just go in.
"Oh."
No one was there. Even from outside, the lights had been off. I'd suspected as much, but it was unnecessary worry. As I cheerfully walked inside toward my seat, I realized something.
Where's my seat.
I didn't know where my seat was. Still, it was probably in the back row, so I looked that way.
"Huk!!..."
"What?"
I thought no one was here, but I was wrong. He'd been sitting right next to the back door and was trying to sneak out when he got caught by me. Even so, how little presence did he have? Anyway.
"Perfect."
"W-what do you mean perfect..."
He looked terrified but still answered. Different from the guys I'd seen yesterday... No, since we were in the same class, he probably figured he couldn't run and gave up. Either way, this was perfect. Having someone to tell me where my seat was, and that someone being a guy, was great.
"Where's my seat?"
"Uh, uhhhhh...??
"Where's my seat?"
"H-here.. S-sorry!!"
The spot he pointed to was the seat immediately left of the one closest to the back door. In other words, the seat right next to where this guy had been sitting. Rattle— While saying that, he pushed his own desk as far away as possible. I wondered why he was reacting so extremely, but also worried if I'd told him to stay away before.
"Haa..."
I really needed to clear up this misunderstanding. Of course, from his perspective it might not be a misunderstanding, but since I hadn't done anything, from my perspective it was.
"Hey, where are you going, friend."
My first friend in this place was trying to leave through the back door, leaving his bag behind, probably planning to hide somewhere until class started.
"Uh, uh..."
Rattle—
"Sit down~"
I pulled the desk and chair back, placing them even closer than before, and invited him to sit with the friendliest tone I could manage. I figured I'd need someone to ask whenever I didn't know something during academy life, and this guy was perfect. A bit gloomy, but he had a friendly face, and he was right next to me. Rattle— ... Slide— When I kindly pulled out the chair for him, my friend finally sat down beside me.
"What's your name, friend?"
Starting friendships began with introductions.
"Ah, my name is Amuro Taiyo. You already know that, right?"