Stealing Spree

Five minutes later, Hayashi-sensei cleared her throat, signaling the end of our quiet reprieve. She started wriggling out of my embrace.

"Alright, enough of this. You finished your report and you still have classes to take." She turned her head to look at my face momentarily before quickly averting it to wipe her fogged- up glasses.

I reluctantly let go and watched her rise to her feet, moving back behind her table, leaving me alone on that sofa where I could still feel the warmth of her body tickling my skin. "Thanks for indulging me, Sensei. Shall I do it every day from now on? You know, for your comfort."

She rolled her eyes and pretended to be annoyed, but I saw the small smirk playing on her lips. "If you really want to help, make sure you do well in that workshop and have your class lead everyone to come up with ideas that won't cause a scandal, Onoda-kun. That's the best way to repay my 'indulgence."

Look at her, if she kept acting like this, my desire for her might just really form one of these days.

Yeah. I was still not at the point where I wanted to make her mine. My head was still only focused on cheering her up after giving up chasing after my father.

It was working, however, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty because it looked like I was just diverting those unrequited feelings of hers to me.

I should really make up my mind soon because, at this moment, it only looked like I was taking advantage of her momentary vulnerability.

What a scum, right?

"What are you still looking at me? Stop pushing your luck, shameless brat. Now go. Remember, no shenanigans during the festival prep. Both in your class and your club" Hayashi-sensei continued as she waved her hand in a shooing motion. "Don't make me regret this little... break we had."

I grinned as I gave her a playful salute. "Yes, ma'am. See you tomorrow."

As I left her office, I heard her clicking her tongue again but in a chirpy way. I held myself from glancing back, not wanting to ruin the moment.

Walking down the hallway, I couldn't help but reflect on how much Hayashi-sensei had changed in front of me. She was still the same strict teacher but had developed a softer side, especially when it came to me. No matter my view of it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Somehow, it was urging me to continue uncovering her, little by little.

Going down the first floor, my feet took me to the faculty office where I found Shio at her desk, surrounded by stacks of papers, looking as busy as ever. She glanced up from her work, her eyes lighting up when she saw me.

She held it in though considering there were other teachers around. Instead, we both acted in our public role as the teacher and her Student Assistant.

Before going to see Orimura-sensei or Ryouko-san, I decided to spend time with this woman, even if we'd only be faced with mounds of paperwork.

"Onoda-kun, are you here to assist me with this mountain of papers?" Shio greeted with a polite smile that barely masked the warmth in her gaze.

"Well, didn't you call for me, Kinoshita-sensei? As your Student Assistant, I can't let you get buried under all this. Who'd scold me if you're stuck here?" I replied with a smirk, pulling up a chair beside her desk.

That initial exchange immediately gathered attention from the other teachers but not in a malicious way.

One of them teased, "Looks like you've got quite the eager assistant, Kinoshita-sensei. Maybe you should share your secret for keeping him so motivated."

Then, our science teacher, Mrs. Suzuki, chimed in, "Well, that's Onoda-kun we're talking about. That boy has always shown diligence in class. I should've taken him as my assistant too."

She looked at me and I inadvertently bowed politely to her, acting as humbly as I could.

"Un. Suzuki-sensei is right. He's always this diligent. Too bad, I got to him first." Shio playfully replied but her expression had this hint of pride. She's also feeling good that I'm getting praised by the other teachers. ʀ𝖆𐌽ọβĘS

I guess that's how it is when our relationship has transcended the typical student-teacher boundary. I'm already her husband in her eyes. All we were waiting for was for us to sign a marriage certificate and a wedding.

As the attention of the other teachers left us, she cleared a spot for me on her desk and handed over a stack of papers. "You're as shameless as ever, Ruru. But I suppose I can't complain, I'm holding back asking you for this yet here you are."

"Come on, Shio. Don't hold back. Ask me whenever you need help. What's the point of me being your Student Assistant if you're not going to use it to your advantage?" I teasingly scolded her in a voice low enough for only her to hear.

Her cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink, which she tried to hide by quickly turning back to her work. "You know I can't just rely on you all the time."

"You say that but you know how I am. If you keep being this reserved, Ryouko-san, Orimura- sensei or even Hayashi-sensei could take up most of my time during breaks. And I know you wouldn't like that," I leaned closer, my voice a soft tease to her ear.

"Unlike them, I can have you in our apartment, all to myself," She whispered back, trying to come up with a retort. She failed though, because she knew I was right.

Even if she's truly the only one to have a privilege like that at the moment, I doubt it would remain unchanged considering the development of my relationship with the other three. Grabbing a stack of documents, I started sorting them into neat piles. This way, we slipped out of the awkward silence and returned to the official student-teacher dynamic. "So, what's on the agenda today? These are a lot. This isn't just about your class, is it?" I asked while skimming through the documents. After reading just the first few lines, I could tell that the workload wasn't limited to her homeroom responsibilities.

"You guessed it," Shio replied, her tone shifting into her professional teacher mode. "I'm covering for another teacher who's out on leave. And then there's the workshop and festival preparation papers coming in fast. On top of that, there's the upcoming midterm exam schedule to finalize."

"Ugh. That's too much," I remarked, shaking my head. "You need me now more than ever, don't you think so? Let me come help you out with these."

"Don't let it get to your head, Ruru. You're here because you offered. I could've managed just fine. Your Shio isn't going to be defeated by papers," She puffed up her chest as she tried to act tough.

Unfortunately for her, that small, exhausted spark in her eyes was more than enough for my head to spring into action.

"Of course, you could have. But now you don't have to." I flashed her a confident grin, settling in to lighten her workload. Sneakily, I grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Just like this, we worked together in a comfortable rhythm. She handed me papers to organize while she focused on reviewing lesson plans and preparing materials. Occasionally, I'd make a comment to lighten the mood, and she'd either roll her eyes or chuckle quietly.

With how fast time flies, I'd probably not have enough time to visit the other two... but I could still check afterward. Besides, our swimming class would be handled by Ryouko-san so it's fine.

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