Petrified at the Tonkatsu Shop
She was frozen stiff, awkward as death. Standing dead. Frozen solid. That's exactly what Han Hyunjoo looked like right now, pulling off all those over-the-top expressions with ease.
The shock of running into the delinquent student she'd sharply scolded earlier today—right here at the tonkatsu shop—had apparently paralyzed her brain.
"………W-Why... why are you here... why you..."
"Came to eat tonkatsu."
Where had that bright, cheerful regular from moments ago gone? Her face had drained to a sickly blue.
...
Snapping out of it, she lowered her voice and pleaded desperately with the owner, who was busy cooking.
"(Um, excuse me...! C-Could I cancel my order? I think my house might catch fire!!!)"
"Pardon? It's not on fire now, and you think it might?"
"(Th-Then should I go set it on fire?!)")
How badly did she want to escape this place that she'd even start a fire at home?
"They're already in the fryer—both of them. No refunds, ma'am."
"...Okay..."
Inside the fryer, my tonkatsu and her cheese tonkatsu—three pieces total—were sizzling away.
"……..."
Unable to sit, Han Hyunjoo's eyes darted frantically. She was doing mental math in her head. But... even if she was an intellectual who'd passed the teacher certification exam at 22... in this big shop, with her own student sitting alone, she couldn't find an excuse to sit far away.
"...Sniff..."
She shuffled over to my table like she was being dragged. Man, she looked downright pitiful. Was it that bad? Look, if you weren't a main heroine, I wouldn't give a damn about you. Same goes for that twin-tailed girl over there glaring at me while peeling potatoes.
Of course... the reason they both see me as an enemy is all because of Seonha.
...
Is this one of Seonha's traps?
I could chalk up running into Ban Gyuri alone as a coincidence in a restaurant. But encountering the main heroine in the exact same spot? Could I really call that coincidence too? Was this another of Seonha's schemes...?
...No, probably not.
Bribing people is Seonha's specialty, but she hasn't bought off any main heroines to corner me so far—especially not in a place she doesn't control. The risks outweigh the gains. Seonha wouldn't make that kind of blunder. It's like posting a sparrow to guard the granary.
-Clack clack...
"Y-Yeonwoo. Fancy running into you here."
Han Hyunjoo approached, awkwardly raising one hand.
"Hey."
"Did you... um, hear what I said earlier by any chance?"
"Huh? No, I didn't."
"...Phew, good..."
"Tiger Teacher."
I'd heard every word, obviously. Her face flushed red as a persimmon at my words.
"Don't spread rumors! Please! If you do, I'll kill myself! I'll jump off the second floor for real! Sniff...!"
Isn't that a bit low to die from?
"I won't tell anyone."
"Thanks... And, um, that delinquent I said I trampled flat earlier? That wasn't about you! Really, it wasn't..."
She'd even said she trampled him flat.
...
...Am I that uncomfortable for her?
Han Hyunjoo looked so pathetic, sweating even in the chilly March weather. With a personality like that, why become a teacher? I recalled her boasting at school earlier.
-Fufufu... Mine's tonkatsu... cheese tonkatsu, even.
I didn't want this moment she'd been looking forward to all day turning into pure discomfort. Forcing ourselves to sit face-to-face in this kind of relationship wouldn't benefit me anyway.
"Teacher. I've got something urgent. I'm heading out first."
"Wha—wait...?"
I grabbed my jacket. Leaving now wouldn't even look like it was because of Ban Gyuri.
"W-Wait a sec."
As I was about to tell the staff I had to go and couldn't eat, Han Hyunjoo grabbed my sleeve.
"...Wh-Where you going? You already ordered."
"Well..."
"...Is it because of me? Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Half-right. More precisely, the teacher was uncomfortable because of me. I tugged my sleeve down from her grip, sitting her back in her seat as I continued.
"...Sorry. That delinquent story earlier... it was about you, Yeonwoo."
"...I know."
Han Hyunjoo's mouth went dry. She swallowed hard and kept going.
"D-Does the teacher keep avoiding you...? Please understand... It's not that I really hate you or anything..."
"..."
"I'm just... a little scared... scared of you... Back when I was in school... there was this scary kid just like you who bullied me..."
...Ah...
Now I got it. Why Han Hyunjoo became a teacher despite her personality. Back in school... she couldn't guide that scary bully onto the right path... that regret lingered... so she became a teacher. Pretty cool.
"......That jerk... always making me run cigarette errands... I hope he just drops dead."
Nope. She just hated the guy that much.
Turning her head to stew in old grudges, she finally looked back at me.
"A-Anyway, the teacher doesn't... find being around you super uncomfortable."
"How uncomfortable exactly?"
"Hmm... like spicy ramen level?"
That's pretty uncomfortable.
"Got it. I'll eat."
I set my jacket down, and only then did she exhale in relief.
...
"...Look, I know it's rich coming from a teacher who's been dodging you all day, but... do I make you uncomfortable?"
"Nah."
"Then why'd you try to leave earlier...?"
"Felt like my house might catch fire."
She zoned out for a second, then burst out laughing—pffft.
*
A guy who's sunk years into dating sims might not have much credibility saying this, but I don't love chatting with the opposite sex. More precisely, with strangers. I'm just bad at it. If a shut-in protagonist from his room suddenly banters flawlessly with isekai beauties, check the tags for fantasy. No tag? It's false advertising.
Besides, she's the type miles from sociable too. So... after "my house might catch fire," it was only natural that no real conversation flowed for the next ten-plus minutes.
But throwing out random crap would backfire...
I've learned from last year's experience. Then, out of nowhere, she tossed out something random.
"Y-Yeonwoo, what's your nationality?"
"Nationality...? Korean."
"Oh, really? Same as me."
Ten minutes of agonizing, and that's what she came up with? She messed up, but the awkwardness had to be split between us.
"Y-Yeonwoo. Um... about soccer this time..."
This time, she set down her phone—after searching for a while—and asked. Upside-down, I could see the search bar: "thug conversation topics." Thug? That's a bit much.
Her questions fizzled after five words. Was she obsessed with making this fun? The unnatural fidgeting of a total social misfit oozed from her.
"…" "…"
I'm fine with silence, actually. Awkwardness grows the more you poke it. If I don't show it, I can lie later: "I wasn't awkward back then." So...
"Y-Yeonwoo. Am I boring? You're feeling awkward, right? That's why you're pretending to check your phone? And chugging water when you're not even thirsty? Huh? Admit it? Should I step out till the tonkatsu's ready...?"
This awkwardness is killing me.
-Thud thud
The staff approached. Ban Gyuri. She didn't recognize the teacher. Maybe because she hasn't had class in Gyuri's homeroom yet.
"Ah! It's out!"
Han Hyunjoo, withering in awkward hell, lit up. Now she could focus her mouth on eating instead of forcing words.
"Um, ma'am..."
"Yes! The cheese tonkatsu's this one!"
"Sorry... it's my first day, and I burned the tonkatsu... gotta remake it. It'll take a bit..."
...
"Wh-What!? N-No! Why'd you burn that?!"
"Teacher. Calm down. It's just tonkatsu."
Hell extended fifteen minutes.
*
The barrage of awkward questions didn't stop. Her flailing continued. But the hole she was digging was my grave. She could afford to be awkward with me—but I couldn't be awkward with her. No more letting her mouth run wild.
Better I take control. With that in mind, I pulled out my phone and loaded a LoL video on YouTube, tilting it landscape. I'd remembered what she'd said at end-of-day homeroom.
"Whoa!? You play that game too?"
"Yeah."
"The teacher plays it too...!"
Was this right? A LoL video bridging student and teacher?
"Whoa, really? Wow, Yeonwoo, your tier's that high? You don't just eat and game all day!?"
"No. Silver 2, that's all."
"No way, you're amazing! The teacher's been at it 11 years and still Iron 3!"
Hearing it now, she's the impressive one.
"Yeonwoo, wanna go pro!?"
"Should I?"
"Yes yes yes! I'll write it in your student record!!!"
"Joking. Don't put that. Whose life are you trying to ruin?"
Yeah. This was it. She looked way more relaxed than before. Han Hyunjoo was maybe four or five years older than me on paper. Actually the same age as my real one. The only easy topic? This crap.
"Silver 2... Iron 3 wouldn't stand a chance, huh?"
Her awkwardness retreated in a stride. Joy took its place.
"Right. Iron 3, I could take like two hundred at once."
"Gasp!!! Duo with me!?"
"Duo?"
"Ah, sorry... what am I saying, teacher duoing with a student..."
"What's wrong with that? After school, sure."
"R-Really? Then skip self-study tomorrow and hit the PC bang!?"
No, that's you saying something weird, teacher.
...
She loves games, huh. One more line added to Han Hyunjoo's info.
"Teacher. Eat quick or the cheese'll harden."
"Ah, when'd it come out?"
*
Like stumbling backward into a mouse, things worked out unexpectedly. I'd cleared a good chunk of her fear and discomfort toward me. Sure, Seonha would stir things up again later. And with Ban Gyuri...
-What? Sorry?
-Yeah. My bad.
-Fine. Do one favor and I'll forgive you.
-What?
-Die.
...Long way to go.
Han Hyunjoo and I kept talking a few minutes after finishing the tonkatsu. Once game topics dried up, it got awkward again... but today, this was enough.
We bickered at the counter.
"No way! What money does a student have!?"
"Students can afford this much."
The spineless girl lit up and raised her voice the moment I pulled out my wallet.
"Suck! Absolutely not! Teacher's paying, no question."
"But I..."
"Listen."
Han Hyunjoo, firm in her resolve.
...
If it didn't matter who paid, a mature adult usually foots the bill. They know chances to show effortless generosity and consideration are rare. This wasn't just for show—she genuinely saw it as her duty here.
She's a bit childish, but...
Adults are adults, huh. Stubbornness here would be rude. I pocketed my wallet.
"Alright. Thanks for the meal, Teacher."
".........Huh...? Uh, yeah... s-sure......"
-Droop...
It was just polite words after all.