Today's Make-Up Work Club session began on time as usual, with no one late or absent.
That included Hanako, who had a slight conflict with me this morning. She arrived at the club classroom on time and even took the initiative to greet me. I responded normally as well.
It had only been a few hours, yet she seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasantness from the morning, as if nothing had happened at all.
However, I could clearly feel that the distance between us had grown even greater than before.
The most obvious proof was that Hanako no longer harassed me.
She still spoke to me, but only at the bare minimum necessary, and her attitude was polite and respectful, almost beyond reproach.
I didn't mind this. On the contrary, I fully understood her feelings and even felt a trace of pity for her.
So for now, I would not approach her rashly again.
But before that, there was one thing I needed to make clear in person.
After today's tutoring session ended, I deliberately asked Hanako to stay behind. She didn't refuse and agreed at once.
There was a small incident. Koharu, who had been cheerfully slinging her bag over her shoulder and preparing to leave, looked at me, then at Hanako, and for some reason her face turned bright red. She shouted something about "H is not allowed, death penalty!" and insisted on staying to supervise us, which made me rub my forehead and sigh.
In the end, Hanako stepped in. With a single line, "Oh my, does Koharu-chan want to join too?" she successfully scared her off, sparing me from having to call Azusa and Hifumi for help.
Once everyone else had left, only Hanako and I remained in the dimly lit classroom.
"Sensei, is there something you absolutely have to tell me alone?"
If it were before, she would never have missed such a perfect opportunity. She would have used an ambiguous tone and said something impossible to handle.
But now, she wore a smile, though her gaze was ice-cold.
I sighed inwardly, even feeling a little nostalgic.
When Hanako used to harass me, I felt troubled. Now that she suddenly stopped, I found myself uncomfortable instead. Humans really are strange creatures.
Looking at it optimistically, maybe this is just another one of her tactics, playing hard to get?
I didn't beat around the bush or offer polite small talk to ease the atmosphere. I went straight to the point.
"First, I owe you an apology."
Hanako feigned surprise. "Oh my, does the all-knowing Sensei make mistakes too?"
…This pink-haired brat really needs some discipline.
The corner of my mouth twitched, but I kept my tone calm. "Don't interrupt. Let me finish."
"Hehe, I'm terribly sorry."
Ignoring her mockery and provocation, I continued.
"It was wrong of me to say that I understood you. I don't fully understand your experiences, your feelings, or your thoughts. I only speculated about you based on my own experiences. For that, I'm sorry."
After being guided by Mari, hearing Sakurako's information, and putting myself in her shoes, I completely lost any desire to stay angry at Hanako.
Even from another perspective, it was just taking a step back and apologizing to a future lover. I was indeed at fault. There was no need to overthink it. As long as I was true to myself, that was enough.
"Oh." Hanako nodded indifferently. "Anything else?"
...But her attitude was indeed infuriating
"Of course there is."
I looked straight at her. "Even though I still don't know exactly what you've been through, as your Sensei, I will do my best to help you achieve what you want."
Hanako didn't respond. She stared at me, and the fake smile finally disappeared from her face.
"…You know what I want to do?"
"I can roughly guess. I might be wrong, though. It would be best if you were willing to tell me yourself."
"I see. Thank you very much. But…" Hanako smiled faintly, her expression filled with contempt and distrust. "Why would I need your help?"
"That's a fair point."
I scratched my head and reminded her, "But if you continue the way you are now, it will cause trouble for the others in the Make-Up Work Club, won't it?"
Hanako let out a small sound. "So?"
"I think," I said softly, looking at the sensitive and lonely girl before me, "you're not the kind of person who wants to bring pain to others."
Otherwise, why would she choose a method that only harms herself?
"Sigh. You're starting again. Could you apologize to me one more time?"
"Mm. Sorry."
She seemed taken aback that I agreed so readily.
But what followed was a complete darkening of her expression, no longer concealing her rejection, even disgust.
"So you're only capable of saying such insincere things, aren't you? In reality, you just want me to pass the exam smoothly so I don't cause you trouble, so you can complete your assignment!"
"Heh…"
Hearing that, I could not help but laugh, which only drew out even deeper anger from Hanako.
"Ah, I see. Being scolded by a student makes you happy? I didn't expect you to have such a hobby! How impressive. Even I've never seen this kind of play before. I can't wait to try more. Please teach me what I should do next to satisfy you, Sen-sei."
She had perfectly combined sarcasm and teasing. As expected of someone who was once Trinity's pride.
But I was not particularly angry.
If speaking harshly to me made her feel a little better, I didn't mind.
The key was that, faintly, I saw in Hanako a trace of something familiar, a kind of youthful immaturity.
That only made me feel more strongly that I had an obligation to help her, who had yet to find something to anchor her heart.
And perhaps I was being presumptuous, but I was considering a possibility.
Hanako's emotional outburst right now…
Could it be a cry for help from someone who longs to believe but cannot, directed at the only person who noticed her?
Even if it was just my own interpretation, I could not ignore it.
So I said,
"But why?"
She frowned. "Why what?"
"Why are you so certain that I'm doing this for myself?"
At that instant, as if she had anticipated what I was about to say, Hanako spun around at the fastest speed, grabbed her bag, and tried to flee the classroom.
But no matter how swift she was, she could not stop the second half of my sentence from reaching her ears, which for some reason she had not covered.
"Why can't it be for you?"
Hanako came to an abrupt stop at the doorway, but didn't turn around.
Looking at her back, I added, "And for everyone else."
A long silence followed, perhaps lasting several minutes.
I simply watched her without speaking.
"…I'm leaving."
At last, Hanako muttered that and walked off on her own.
"Remember to come for class tomorrow too."
I called out after her. Naturally, I received no response. I had no idea whether she even heard me.
In any case, I sat in the classroom for a while longer before leisurely heading out.
But what I saw made even me widen my eyes in surprise.
"You're slow. You made me wait for so long. Didn't I tell you we'd leave together?"
Leaning against the wall outside the classroom, the pink-haired girl looked at me with her mischievous green eyes, clearly amused.
"Is this the legendary neglect play? It's more boring than I imagined."
I stared at Hanako for a long moment, then burst into helpless laughter.
As expected, I still couldn't understand her.