2. Yuzuka Takagami – Habit She Wants to Fix: Acting Without Thinking Ahead

I first heard about the rumor from Kirihara.

“A rumor is going around that a student is dating a teacher.”

She told me this over the phone one evening while I was at home, and I nearly dropped my phone.

The first person I suspected as the source of the rumor was Kana-chan. The incident in the student council room was still fresh in my memory. While I thought Kirihara’s quick thinking had resolved the situation, maybe it hadn’t…

“Hmm, I thought so too, so I tried probing Kana-chan, but it doesn’t seem like it’s her,” Kirihara explained.

Apparently, after hearing the rumor, Kirihara had cornered Kana-chan in the student council room, carefully observing her reactions.

“Kana-chan’s attitude toward me hasn’t changed at all. She’s not the type to lie, so if she knew about me and Gin, it would’ve shown in her behavior. But it didn’t. In fact, she even told me about another rumor involving you. Apparently, there’s talk about you having a super skilled basketball player girlfriend with a ‘strong face.’”

I silently pressed my palm to my forehead. Another headache courtesy of Yuzu…

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like you can help it. Though, I can’t say I’m thrilled about it!”

“Let’s get back to the main topic. Is there a chance someone else saw something that sparked the rumor?”

“Maybe. Or it could just be baseless gossip. I wasn’t sure if I should even tell you since nothing’s confirmed yet—”

“No, I appreciate it. Let’s be even more careful moving forward.”

“Okay… Sorry. You went out of your way to visit the student council room, and now this.”

“No, it’s fine. We’ll have to avoid secret meetings for a while, but if you’re feeling lonely, call me anytime.”

“Okay♪ Thanks. Love you. Talk later.”

That ended our call for the night, but a few days later, the same rumor was brought up by Ms. Kurei in the staff room.

“You’ve heard the rumor, right? You’re not involved, are you?”

There was no one nearby, and she kept her voice low, speaking vaguely to obscure the topic.

“No, I don’t think so—”

“So, no idea where it’s coming from?”

If I said, “Not exactly,” I’d likely get a lecture, so I quietly nodded.

“Well, these kinds of rumors pop up regularly. It’s like clockwork every year.”

“Really?”

“There are always people who love gossip. I’m not one of them, though.”

“Has there ever been a case where these rumors turned out to be true?”

“Not outside of a drama series. Except for one instance.”

She smiled faintly as she said that.

…Ms. Kurei can be a bit mischievous at times. Not that I dislike it, but it does leave me unsure how to react.

“Just be careful. With her, and with the other students too. Young teachers like you tend to stand out and attract attention. It’s surprisingly easy for students to develop crushes.”

Thinking of Kana-chan’s behavior, I nodded in understanding. My heart belongs solely to Kirihara, but I’ll keep her advice in mind.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Ms. Kurei is someone I can count on, even though she’s made it clear she wouldn’t side with us if our relationship were exposed. She’s a great mentor and genuinely a good person.

“You’re welcome. By the way, how’s the group assignment for the school trip coming along?”

“Oh, it’s going smoothly. Kirihara took the lead early on. She had the group leaders decided through self-nomination and peer nomination, and the rest will be assigned by lottery. I think I’ll just be watching from the sidelines.”

“That’s good to hear. Just remember, the nature of the trip makes students more excitable than during the cultural festival, so make sure to keep them in check.”

“Yes, we’ve already planned ahead for that.”

“Good. Sorry for butting in.”

“Not at all.”

With that, we returned to our work.

Tomorrow marks the start of December. The second-year students’ last major event—a three-day, two-night school trip—is just a week away. The destination is Kyoto.

***

On the first day of December, during homeroom before dismissal, Kirihara stood at the podium, writing the names of the group leaders on the blackboard. She held up a tissue box turned lottery container for everyone to see.

“The leaders’ names are inside. No cheating, no hard feelings, okay? Got it!?”

“Yeah, yeah!” the lively students responded.

Those eager to draw went first, while those who believed in “saving the best for last” lined up at the back. The lottery began.

The chosen leaders returned to their seats, relaxing as the rest of the groups were decided.

Among the leaders were Higashi and Kasahara, who had been central figures during the cultural festival. Naturally, Kirihara was a leader too.

Once the groups were finalized, the students gathered with their respective teams.

From my perspective, the groups seemed well-balanced and fairly distributed.

“Alright, it’s settled. Good work, Kirihara. You can take your seat.”

Kirihara gave a slight bow before returning to her seat. I took over the podium.

“The groups are decided, but I have something important to say to all of you.”

I adopted a slightly firmer tone to refocus the class, which had started to relax.

Most of the students picked up on the shift and directed their attention to me.

“This is a story from when I took the Shinkansen alone for my entrance exams. I was nervous, but the man sitting next to me was even more jittery. His hands were shaking so much that he spilled his tea bottle toward me.”

Some students lost interest, thinking it was just a small anecdote. The class clowns smirked, expecting a punchline.

“He was so unsettled that I grew concerned. I asked, ‘Are you feeling okay?’ The man apologized and explained, ‘My daughter collapsed, and I’m rushing to her.’ He looked so sorry as he said it.”

The room fell silent. No one was laughing anymore.

“Most of you have probably been told to ‘behave’ or ‘be quiet’ on public transport at some point. I was the same. But that incident made me realize I hadn’t truly understood what those words meant. You’re all excited about the school trip, and that’s great. But remember, not everyone traveling is doing so for happy reasons. Some might be going through something difficult. Don’t behave because the school or your teachers tell you to—think about the kind of person you want to be and act accordingly. This isn’t just about the trip; it’s about how you carry yourself for the rest of your lives. Can you do that?”

“…Yes,” came the solemn replies.

“That’s all. Class rep!”

“Stand, bow.”

“Good work, everyone.”

The serious atmosphere relaxed as the students began chatting among themselves.

Many stayed behind to discuss plans with their groups.

A few students gathered around Kirihara as well.

I returned to the staff room.

About two hours later, while finishing some paperwork, I received a message from Kirihara.

“Good work. The group discussions finally ended. It took a while because other groups started mingling.”

“Thanks for handling it all. It really helped.”

She sent a shy sticker, and I replied with a head-patting sticker. She responded with a giant heart sticker.

“By the way, your Shinkansen story was really clear. I brought it up with the other group leaders, and we agreed to make sure no one gets too rowdy during the trip.”

Reading her message, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Glad it made an impact.”

Her response came a bit slower this time.

“Was it a true story?”

“Bingo.”

Since Yuzu moved in with Kirihara, I haven’t visited their place. I’ve also been gaming less on weekends, leaving me with more free time.

I’ve been using that time to read educational theory books and ask Ms. Kurei and other teachers about their experiences.