Kissing My Student, It's Over if We're Caught - Volume 2 Chapter 3.1

Kirihara Touka – Happy Moment: “Welcome back,” “I’m home,” “Let’s eat”

Due to my poor decisions, I ended up causing Kirihara a lot of trouble, but thanks to her generosity, Yuzu’s stay would continue.

It was already late at night, but I returned home, keeping everything related to Kirihara a secret, and informed Yuzu about the arrangement we had decided on.

“Eh!? You won’t be here from tomorrow?”

“A gaming buddy of mine said it’s okay to stay over on weekdays. It’s more comfortable just having guys around if I’m just going to sleep there.”

“Uh, umm, okay.”

Yuzu seemed sad but appeared to appreciate just being allowed to stay. She didn’t probe any further.

“Can I still send you messages? Will you reply?”

“I might not be able to respond right away, but if that’s okay, then sure.”

“Please take care, okay? If you ever miss my cooking, you’re always welcome to come back.”

After settling things with Yuzu, I prepared for my upcoming stayovers before heading to bed.

…Though I went to bed late, I felt I slept particularly well, perhaps because I no longer had secrets from Kirihara.

＊＊＊

The next morning, after arriving at school, I thanked Kurei-sensei for her advice and told her that Kirihara had agreed to the proposal.

“That’s great. You seem tired today too, but you look better. It might feel nice to be worried over by the students, but try not to show too much weakness. You need to maintain your dignity for when it really counts.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Keeping Kurei-sensei’s advice in mind, I headed to the lectern after the staff meeting.

…During lunch, Kirihara messaged me saying I seemed to have more energy today.

“But don’t push yourself too hard. I know it’s been tough for you these last few days. Let’s rest well when you get back.”

Munching on my sandwich, her message lifted my spirits.

From today, Kirihara and I would be together on weekdays too.

Trying to shake off the drowsiness, I somehow managed to get through the afternoon classes.

After homeroom and the closing ceremony, the students dispersed from the classroom with smiles.

Kirihara, as usual, took her time, carefully picking up her bag.

Passing by the staff room, I made it seem like a chance encounter and spoke to her.

“Are you heading to the student council now?”

“Yes, but we’re planning to finish early today, so I should be able to return home soon. Excuse me, then.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, goodbye.”

We parted ways in the hallway with a fake farewell, then I checked my phone in the staff room to find a message from Kirihara.

“Damn. I don’t know why, but that just now made my heart race!”

An animated sticker of a game character blushing and fidgeting followed.

I couldn’t help but smile. I felt the same way.

…I should be careful not to get caught, but this much should be fine.

After returning to the staff room, I worked on grading, preparing for tomorrow, and checking students’ notes.

Kurei-sensei and I discussed the upcoming midterm exams before the cultural festival, and before I knew it, it was time to leave.

“Oh, it’s already this late. You’re heading out today, right?”

“Yes.”

Despite being sleep-deprived, I managed to get through everything. It was a satisfying feeling.

“You seem happy, that’s good.”

Her teasing tone didn’t hide the genuine care in her expression.

“Take care and rest well tonight.”

“Thank you.”

I quickly packed up and left school, taking my costume change and overnight bag from my locker.

After getting off the bus, I changed in a public restroom.

Having notified her of my arrival, Kirihara welcomed me with a bright smile as I rang the doorbell.

“Welcome back!”

But I froze.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… your hair is different from usual.”

Kirihara had her hair tied back.

“I was cooking dinner, thinking we could eat right away. Let me take your bag.”

“…Thank you.”

Kirihara didn’t head back immediately but waited for me to take off my shoes.

“Hehe.”

“What’s up?”

“It’s a secret~”

She was incredibly cheerful. Once I entered the house, she hummed and headed to the kitchen.

…Looking at her nape, I felt a certain allure.

“You had your hair like that when we went to the onsen, right?”

“Ah, right. But things got so bad after that, I totally forgot.” (tln : when kurei-sensei found out)

“Let’s go again after you graduate.”

That casual remark seemed to surprise her, but she turned around with a beaming smile.

“Yeah! Now I have another thing to look forward to after graduation.”

Her smile was dazzling… so adorable.

“What should I do for dinner?”

Usually, Kirihara would prepare everything but leave the finishing touches to me.

Maintaining that sense of shared effort in our meals was always special, but today was different.

“You can just sit. I know you’re tired, so I’ll take care of everything today.”

“Are you sure?”

“Leave it to me. I’ve been watching closely whenever you cook, right?”

True to her word, a splendid dinner was ready in about ten minutes.

“To help you recover, tororo rice is perfect. For iron, there’s miso soup with spinach and tofu, and since your stomach might be tired, I made white fish with tomato juice.”

“It looks so delicious… let’s eat.”

The meal Kirihara prepared was exceptionally good.

As I ate, I couldn’t help but wonder why food made for someone always tastes so amazing…

“I’m glad you like it. Hehe.”

“Aren’t you eating?”

“…Yeah, I wanted to watch you eat a bit longer, but it’s not good if it gets cold. Eating together is also a happiness, so let me join.”

As she prepared her portion, Kirihara remained in high spirits.

“You look happy.”

“Yeah. I was so lonely after you left on the weekends. Having more time together is the best.”

“Then, I should have talked to you about this sooner…”

That thought made my spirits dip again.

“Don’t be sad! I’m not mad, and I’m happy now, right?”

“…Alright. For now, let’s enjoy the meal you made!”

“That’s the spirit!”

“Is your homework done?”

“Yeah. I wanted to cook, so I finished everything while waiting for my turn in the student council room.”

“Pretty impressive.”

“Hehe. I’m capable of anything, you know?”