Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher? - Volume 3 Chapter 1.2

Too Much Affection Can Be a Problem 2

“Akiaki, what do you think about Nikki?”

“More than a wall, less than air.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Akira’s typically sharp response.

“So my presence is like it’s there but not really?”

Walls are in your field of vision but usually not something you’re conscious of, and air is invisible to the eye. It’s like being treated as an invisible person.

Perhaps to those uninterested, a man really is an invisible existence.

“I wonder if I look like I’m muttering to myself? It would be shocking if people thought I was some weird girl.”

Irritated by Akira’s insincere play-acting, I said,

“You jerk”.

“Too bad. I’m not a jerk, I’m a girl.”

Akira gleefully seized the opportunity to play on words.

“Akiaki, being able to have such casual interactions with someone of the opposite sex is super rare.”

For some reason, Mayuzumi-san looked at me with eyes full of compassion.

“Nishiki is just right for killing time.”

“But you’d die without air, wouldn’t you?”

Picking up on Akira’s earlier remark, Mayuzumi-san returned with a meaningful retort.

“That’s true for any human being.”

Akira seemed dissatisfied at being outmaneuvered.

It seems no one can beat Mayuzumi Ririka at wordplay.

“Well then, I’ll read the air and make my exit. You two can have all the girl talk you want.”

Since we had finished eating, I started to clear the table.

“Don’t run away alone!”

Akira grabbed my uniform.

“Don’t you get it? That’s me being considerate. That’s why you can easily call other people walls or air.”

“Don’t make me deal with a love-struck Ririka all by myself!”

“I thought love stories were the exclusive domain of girls.”

“I’m not good with this kind of topic!”

Surprisingly, there was an innocent side to her.

“It wouldn’t make much difference if I were here.”

“You’d at least serve as a breakwater wall.”

“So I’m still being treated like a wall?”

“Be happy that I’m relying on you.”

“Happy? Let go—you’re stretching my uniform!”

As Akira and I argued back and forth, an impatient Mayuzumi-san exclaimed,

“Geez, what’s with you two flaunting it! Your youth is too sweet and sour!”

“Why is Ririka the one getting upset?”

“Because it’s frustrating to watch!”

“You don’t have to look.”

“As if Ririka could ignore Akiaki!”

She stomped her feet with such force it seemed her twin tails might stand on end.

With her intense movements, the twin tails bounced energetically.

“If I find the person spreading rumors that we’re dating, I’ll deal with them.”

Akira’s eyes were serious.

“Actually, it’s Ririka who’s been spreading them!”

The real culprit boldly confessed right in front of me. I was taken aback by her brazen nerve.

“Ririka!”

“Kyaa—scary! Nikki, save me!”

Mayuzumi-san circled behind me to use as a shield.

These two could argue in a way that made onlookers tense, yet they were close enough to hang out on holidays. Their relationship must be one without reservations.

The friendship between girls is something boys find hard to understand.

“Akiaki, the cultural festival is coming up soon! Events like that can make people bold, and if you’re not careful, Nikki might get super excited with someone else.”

Akira and I exchanged a look of disbelief.

“No-no, don’t underestimate it. The magic of the cultural festival can work miracles.”

“You’re just getting carried away and losing your mind.”

Akira’s comeback was too straightforward.

“But! It’s been a year since you quit the club. Maybe it’s time to find something new to get passionate about. How about casually finding a boyfriend?”

Ah, the sharpness of Akira’s vibe seemed to increase exponentially.

“Isn’t the timing and pace of love different for everyone?”

I offered a lifeline, unable to watch any longer.

“That’s right! Nishikiu, you do say some good things sometimes.”

“From Ririka’s point of view, Nikki seems like the passionate type when it comes to someone he falls for.”

It felt like she saw right through me.

Reflecting on my actions since discovering that Tenjō Reiyu was my neighbor, I felt I had been unusually proactive.

“Most of a man’s passion is just sexual desire.”

Akira said something brutally frank.

“Listen, unless you’re used to playing around, courting someone of the opposite sex requires a lot of instinctual power.”

I found myself defensively explaining the delicate emotions of men.

“That’s not true.”

“Akiaki, saying that kind of thing ruins the romance! Turning the magic of love into something gross is just… ew!”

“I don’t care. It’s a nuisance caused by selfish reasons.”

“If that were the case, most romances wouldn’t even start.”

The argument over love continued above my head.

I wished they would take it elsewhere.

“Love is nothing more than a tiresome thing that makes you fluctuate between happy or sad all the time because of someone else’s existence.”

As if to end the conversation, Akira stood up from her seat.

Facing her back, Mayuzumi-san threw further provocation.

“——Akiaki, are you scared?”

“Huh??”

Kuhouin Akira, who turned around, had a seriously scary look in her eyes.

But even under her sharp knife-like gaze, Mayuzumi Ririka had a smile full of composure.

I seriously don’t get the relationship between these two.

“Akiaki, since you’re popular, don’t be so picky. Or is this a cry for help while pretending to complain? Or just plain bragging?”

Mayuzumi-san’s way of stirring things up is on another level.

She chooses her words precisely to provoke Akira.

“That’s not the case at all.”

“Then let me seriously offer you a solution.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“Quickly get a boyfriend. If Akiaki just casually accepts someone’s confession, it’ll quiet down like the tide going out.”

The topic loops back around.

How much does Mayuzumi-san want Akira to get a boyfriend?

It seems like it could be effective, but it’s a forceful suggestion.

“No way. Why should I date someone I don’t even like?”

Akira turns her body away as if the idea is out of the question.

“Wow, Akiaki, so pure-hearted.”

“I’m just having a normal thought process.”

“You might come to like someone after dating them. Why not start with a trial? Even subscriptions have a one-month free trial, right? If you like it, just continue. Simple!”

“Rejected. The minimum requirement for a lover is that it’s someone I like. That’s all!”

Akira refuses to take the conversation seriously.