Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 25

The Boundaries of Teacher and Student

“On Saturday, where and what time should we meet?”

Seeing her forced calm demeanor, Kurosawa, refraining from teasing her, decided to press on to finalize the details.

“You decide.”

As the passive party, Ninomiya couldn’t come up with a plan.

“Then I’ll message you on Line later.” Kurosawa nodded, not probing further.

In relationships where men and women coexist, the man shouldn’t yield too much. Only by asserting dominance can equality be achieved in interactions.

Having settled this matter, he felt a bit pleased.

Regardless of the difficulty of the mission objectives, the crucial first step was taken – initiating the date.

“Let me make it clear; I’m just accompanying you to the amusement park, not going on a date.”

However, seeing the smile on his lips, Ninomiya couldn’t help but state, “It’s not a date, right?”

Facing her seemingly contradictory tsundere remark, Kurosawa suddenly said, “Of course not, we are teacher and student.”

Ninomiya emphatically nodded in agreement.

“But over the weekend, when a man and a woman go to an amusement park, isn’t that a date?”

Kurosawa, with his hands folded on the table, looked at her delicate face and inquired.

“A date is based on both parties recognizing each other as the opposite sex. Going to an amusement park with you is like an adult taking a child. How can that be considered a date?”

Ninomiya firmly rejected this notion.

“An adult with a child…” Kurosawa pondered over this and then chuckled. “Isn’t Ninomiya-sensei not much older than me? You’re only 28 this year, an eight-year age gap, that’s not enough to be like an adult with a child.”

The fact that she could become a teacher at the University of Tokyo at such a young age showcased Ninomiya’s excellence. In reality, she was the youngest official teacher on campus.

“It’s not about age but perspective. In my eyes, you’re still a child.”

Seeing the smile on his lips, Ninomiya put on a stern teacher’s expression.

“Even if the teacher disagrees, I still want to say I’m looking forward to our date this Saturday. I’ll be leaving now.”

Seeing that she was being stubborn, Kurosawa didn’t insist, stood up, and said.

After speaking, he didn’t give her a chance to continue arguing and swiftly walked away.

Seated in her original spot, Ninomiya watched the door close. After a moment of silence, she fell into contemplation.

Looking forward to it? What does he mean? Does he really want to be in a relationship with me?

Contemplating this, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

“A grown man acting like a child. When I was in junior high, he was still in kindergarten.”

After some thought, Ninomiya stood up neatly and muttered to herself.

Then, she reached up to adjust her blue hair, tidied herself, and confidently walked out of the room in high heels.

……

On the other side, Kurosawa walked out of the student guidance office and headed towards the cafeteria.

“How was it? What did Ninomiya-sensei say to you?”

But before he had walked far, just as he reached the corner, Miyazaki came out.

Obviously, he didn’t go to the cafeteria alone but decided to wait here.

“She said I shouldn’t be distracted by love and should focus on my studies. She’s quite upset about me being in a relationship, and she mentioned that the school is very concerned.”

Seeing him being so loyal, Kurosawa smiled and shrugged.

“After all, being the most outstanding student in the second year of the Economics department, even dating can attract the attention of the school authorities.”

Upon hearing this, Miyazaki couldn’t help but sigh.

“I think she might have exaggerated a bit.”

Kurosawa was a bit skeptical; the school might not have cared about the matter at all, and it could have been a particular concern of Ninomiya. Unfortunately, the system didn’t have a feature to detect affection levels, so he couldn’t be sure.

“Any consequences?”

“None.”

“Anyway, what’s the situation with your love life?”

Miyazaki finally felt relieved, but then he felt speechless.

Kurosawa wasn’t very considerate. He didn’t mention his relationship until he got dumped. It felt like someone telling you the ending of a story before it even began, and it was quite uncomfortable.

“I won’t dwell on a failed relationship.”

Kurosawa didn’t want to discuss it further. It wasn’t something to boast about or worth discussing. 

Even if the ex-girlfriend had a bad character, he didn’t see the need to complain or vent about it.

“I was just curious. Is she from our department?”

“Give me a hint.”

Miyazaki persisted, his curiosity almost driving him crazy.

“I can only say she’s very beautiful.”

Seeing that he was relentless in wanting to know some information, Kurosawa thought for a moment before responding.

Previously, he wasn’t loyal to his friends because things hadn’t progressed far enough to share with others.

“How beautiful is she?”

“At the level of the campus belle.”

“Is the person you’re dating Miki, the junior from the Literature Department?”

Miyazaki was suddenly not calm upon hearing this.

When it came to the campus belle at the University of Tokyo, it was undoubtedly Shiraha Miki from the Literature Department. This junior was exceptionally beautiful and cute. On the day of the freshman assembly, she was immediately crowned as the first belle.

Last year’s belle was completely overshadowed in her presence, showcasing both her talent and beauty.

“No.”

Kurosawa shook his head. He didn’t even know her.

“From another university?”

“Yeah.”

“Seems like it’s not someone I know.” Miyazaki couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. 

Due to his less outstanding appearance and the University of Tokyo’s emphasis on academics, Miyazaki hadn’t participated in many social events. As a result, he didn’t know much about girls from other universities.

The two of them walked together, leaving the building of the Economics Department and heading towards the cafeteria.

In the cafeteria, Kurosawa bought a serving of pork cutlet rice, while Miyazaki Yuta opted for curry rice. Finally, they found a vacant spot and sat down.

Although the number of students at the University of Tokyo wasn’t large, the campus area was extensive, providing plenty of open spaces.

“Could your ex-girlfriend be your private tutoring student? I remember you mentioning that the high school girl you tutor is a super beautiful third-year student.”

As they sat down, Miyazaki suddenly thought of a possibility.

“Don’t talk nonsense; I’m her teacher.”

Kurosawa was surprised that Miyazaki hadn’t moved on yet, feeling a bit speechless. He replied with a hint of annoyance.

As a private tutor, he earned 20,000 yen per hour, and this was a time of great promise for him. Even though the student he tutored was indeed very attractive, he was still a teacher, and maintaining professional boundaries was crucial.

“That’s true.”

Miyazaki thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. While being a private tutor had its perks, jeopardizing one’s career and reputation for such a relationship was not a wise choice for intelligent individuals.

“…”

With Miyazaki Yuta’s agreement, Kurosawa, who was eating his pork cutlet rice, suddenly stopped. He realized that he had uttered a similar phrase just now.

“Kurosawa, I’m your teacher.”

Even as a part-time teacher for over a year, when faced with such situations, he would instinctively set clear boundaries to avoid misunderstandings. 

However, what about Ninomiya though?