The Ice Queen and the Tyrant (4)
The only person capable of taming the Tyrant, Amuro Taiyo, is the Ice Queen, Ms. Ishihara Eri.
This rumor began to circulate around the academy, spreading so quickly and widely that it was impossible for the parties involved to remain ignorant.
Naturally, both Amuro Taiyo and Ishihara Eri ended up hearing about it.
"Sigh..."
She was already well aware that the students referred to her as the Ice Queen.
They tried to keep it a secret, but in a school, secrets never stayed secret for long.
As time passed, rumors spread faster. Once people grew accustomed to them, they would blurt them out unconsciously, completely oblivious to who might be listening.
However, in the case of this particular rumor, she found out within a mere two hours of its inception.
Having stayed up all night the previous evening, Ishihara Eri had been battling a splitting headache since first period, prompting her to request coverage for the rest of her morning classes.
Fortunately, a substitute teacher for chemistry was on standby, so the classes were covered rather than canceled.
She had gone straight to the staff lounge to get some sleep, and upon waking up, she headed to the infirmary to look for some headache medicine.
That was where she overheard the rumor.
"..."
Her initial reaction to the gossip was bewilderment, but true to her nature, she quickly regained her composure.
In fact, she began to wonder if this wasn't actually a positive development.
Since the student in question was Amuro Taiyo—widely considered the worst delinquent in the academy—this rumor was practically a testament to her exceptional guidance.
While the phrasing carried a slightly inappropriate nuance, it wasn't worth losing sleep over.
At the end of the day, it was nothing more than schoolyard gossip.
Deciding that the situation wasn't entirely bad, her thoughts naturally drifted to Amuro Taiyo.
'...He might not be as bad of a student as everyone says.'
In truth, she hadn't done anything particularly grand.
All she had done was demand a single apology letter and offer a passing, half-hearted word of encouragement.
If a problem student could be reformed so easily, any other teacher would have succeeded long ago.
Which meant that Amuro Taiyo himself was the one who wanted to change.
She had no idea what his motives were.
She couldn't tell if he was genuinely trying to turn over a new leaf or if this was just another one of his unpredictable whims.
Yet, his attitude had been remarkably cooperative.
He hadn't stopped at dyeing his hair black; he had also demonstrated an exemplary attitude in class.
'Perhaps I've uncovered a hidden, positive side to Amuro Taiyo.'
Before she was a teacher, Ishihara Eri was a scientist, and her innate curiosity was thoroughly piqued.
Perhaps, deep down, Amuro Taiyo was actually a diligent student.
Maybe his slightly... no, highly unconventional appearance had held him back, inviting endless misunderstandings.
If that was the case, then as his homeroom teacher, it was her duty to help him.
"You were serious about what you said yesterday, I see."
"How admirable."
Honestly, when she first spoke to me...
No, the moment we crossed paths on the rooftop, I was certain she was going to bring up the rumors.
I didn't think she would blame me, of course. I figured she would just say the situation had become awkward and propose some sort of solution to handle it.
Yet, she did the exact opposite. She praised me.
"Ah... Thank you."
"..."
She quietly turned her head back.
Having heard my response, she looked forward once more.
Although she had already reverted to her usual expressionless face, that brief smile lingered in my mind.
I had to actively stop myself from blurting out a confession of love right then and there.
Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to actually do that.
Being sincere and earnest kept me grounded, but perhaps being overly cautious wasn't ideal either.
I couldn't tell.
Should I try to strike up another conversation, or should I just keep my mouth shut?
She didn't spare me another glance, acting as though she had said all she wanted to say.
Yet, she didn't leave the rooftop.
'Probably because this is a public space.'
I shouldn't be lamenting that fact. Instead, I needed to be grateful for this stroke of luck and take full advantage of it.
Standing here with my mouth zipped like a total loser wasn't going to get me anywhere.
"Um, Ms. Ishihara."
"Yes?"
"What else do you think I should change?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"...Well, I feel like just dyeing my hair black isn't going to be enough."
"..."
She fell silent for a moment at my question.
"..."
"Pfft."
Then, she suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
I had no idea what she found so funny, but that didn't matter. I was actually witnessing the Ice Queen laugh out loud.
"Fufu, I'm sorry. It's just... I relate to that statement all too well."
So she really did think my current appearance wasn't enough.
While the reason behind her laughter stung a little, seeing her smile like that more than made up for it.
"So, do you want my advice? Just like when I told you to dye your hair black?"
"Yes."
"Fufu... Your attitude is already passing grade, at least..."
Surprisingly, she seemed quite intrigued by my sudden desire to reform.
First Tachibana, and now Ms. Ishihara.
I suppose it was rather entertaining to watch the academy's worst delinquent try to fix his life.
"It really is difficult to change an impression once it's been set in stone."
"Yes, I know. I'm prepared for that."
Honestly, I couldn't care less about my reputation in the academy.
As long as she saw me in a different light, that was all that mattered.
She stepped closer.
"!!"
"It looks like you've taken out all your piercings, too..."
She leaned in close, scanning my face.
"Y-Yes. That's right."
A clean, sophisticated scent wafted from her, catching me completely off guard.
"..."
"Well, it's not like you can completely change your face."
"Whew..."
I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding only after she stepped back.
Still, was my natural face really that hopeless?
Plastic surgery was out of the question, and I had absolutely no desire to start wearing makeup.
"In that case, you'll have to change your behavior."
"Yes."
That was exactly why I was asking her.
The only person I wanted to impress was standing right in front of me.
It was like getting tutoring directly from the exam creator.
"I think you'll be fine if you just keep doing what you did in class this morning."
"Pardon?"
"For starters, you actually showed up..."
'Is the bar really that low?'
"You didn't fall asleep, and you actively participated by answering questions."
That was only because I wanted to stare at her for as long as possible.
"I don't know how you behaved in your other classes, but..."
At the very least, I hadn't caused any trouble.
I had just quietly daydreamed or slept through them.
"...Will that really be enough?"
"Of course. You shouldn't care about what others think of you anyway. As long as you can hold your head high, that's all that matters."
"Or... is there perhaps someone you're trying to impress?"
"..."
The question caught me so off guard that my brain momentarily short-circuited.
Yet, she looked completely unfazed.
It seemed she was genuinely just trying to analyze the psychological catalyst behind my sudden reformation.
'Should I tell her?'
Obviously, I wasn't going to launch into a passionate confession of love.
But at the very least, I wanted to hint that the reason I was trying to change was her.
As I wavered between the two choices...
"We should get going, or we'll be late."
She held up her phone, showing me the screen.
"Ah."
Lunch period was ending in five minutes.
I could easily sprint back to class in under a minute, but a teacher couldn't exactly do that.
"If you ever need my help, feel free to ask. Just let me know in advance, and I'll make some time for you."
"Yes..."
Click, clack.
With that, she turned and walked away.
'Ah.'
"Thank you!"
I blurted out my gratitude as I snapped out of my daze, causing her to halt.
She looked back over her shoulder and gave me a small wave.
Her face wore the same beautiful smile that had captivated me just moments ago.
Screeech—
Click.
I stood frozen, completely intoxicated by her beauty.
"Sigh..."
It was only after the rooftop door clicked shut that I finally slid down to sit against the wall.
I pinched my cheek.
I wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
I had worried that the rumors linking us together would cause her trouble, but instead, she had praised me.
She had listened to my concerns with genuine sincerity, and she had even smiled for me.
Sure, she basically confirmed that my face was a lost cause, but she also said that keeping up my behavior from this morning was enough.
Of course, she definitely wasn't looking at me as a romantic interest yet, so it was far too early to celebrate.
But the important thing was that she now viewed me in a positive light and was rooting for me.
Plus, I now had a perfect excuse to spend one-on-one time with her.
'Would it be okay if I went to see her today?'
Since our conversation had been cut short by the end of lunch, it wouldn't be too strange to drop by her office after school.
...
Slap!
'Get a grip.'
I slapped my own cheeks, realizing I was getting ahead of myself.
Today had already been an incredibly successful day.
I still had a whole year with Ms. Ishihara as my homeroom teacher, and another year after that when I became a senior.
If I rushed things, I might end up completely ruining my chances this semester, let alone over the next two years.
Today was enough.
I needed to take it slow so she wouldn't feel pressured.
"Hehe..."
But honestly, how could I help but grin when things were going this well?
For today, I would just bask in this happiness.
"Ehehe..."
Leaning against the wall, I kept grinning like an idiot until, eventually, I drifted off to sleep.
And that was how I ended up sleeping through the entirety of my afternoon classes.