Just before reaching the school gates, Kojima Kana suddenly released Shirase's arm and stopped in place.
When Shirase turned towards her in confusion, the mature beauty cleared her throat, putting on a stern face. "You go ahead first. I need a moment to get into character, then I'll head to the convenience store to buy drinks for everyone."
"What kind of tactic is this?" Shirase found himself puzzled.
Kojima Kana snickered smugly: "It's called giving the stick and carrot. This way, your Soccer Club members will unconsciously defend my authority as a teacher."
"...As long as you're happy."
Shirase couldn't even be bothered to be the straight man anymore.
Heading straight to the soccer field, Shirase found the Soccer Club members already gathered. Hayama Hayato and the club president were warming up near the sidelines, Isshiki Iroha was sitting beneath a tree holding paper and pen, and not far off were two fresh, youthful figures.
"That person is…" Shirase froze slightly when he noticed the figure next to the blonde girl.
He wasn't surprised by Miura Yumiko's presence, given her closeness with Hayama Hayato.
Instead, the quiet-looking girl beside her, wearing red-framed glasses, caught his eye for an extra second.
He had a vague impression of this girl—but only vague.
Was her name Ebina Kana? Or maybe Ebina Hina?
Not dwelling on it, Shirase greeted everyone briefly before starting his warm-up.
"You actually came? When Hayama said you'd replied that you'd join today's club activities, I thought he was just joking," teased the club president, standing next to Shirase.
Hayama, who had been hopping in place, stopped and smiled. "I was surprised too. But if you think about it, it also kind of makes sense."
"What do you mean?" The club president looked bewildered.
Hayama just smiled faintly, giving Shirase a knowing glance without explaining further.
Just as he'd told Isshiki Iroha that day—he could see clearly the hidden competitive spirit Shirase had.
But seeing was one thing; speaking it aloud was another.
Before entering the field, Shirase noticed all the club members had already finished warming up, looking exceptionally energetic—even the two new members who'd joined just recently. This naturally piqued his curiosity.
Hayama leaned over, whispering softly: "I mentioned to Kirisu-sensei that you'd agreed to attend club activities, so she arrived twenty minutes ago."
Instinctively, Shirase asked, "Why'd you tell Kirisu-sensei?"
Hayama spoke casually: "Because Kirisu-sensei privately asked me to keep an eye on you, worried you might exhaust yourself."
Then, with a faint laugh, he added, "Well, she didn't explicitly use the word 'worried,' but it was pretty clear."
"Ah, got it." Shirase nodded.
Looks like I've underestimated Kirisu Mafuyu's sense of responsibility.
No wonder the club members didn't dare slack off with an ice beauty like her nearby.
"She's back… eh? Who's that with her?" Hayama's gaze suddenly shifted to the school entrance. When he noticed the tall figure walking alongside Kirisu Mafuyu, he momentarily froze.
The other club members also noticed, their mouths falling open in shock. The timid ones even started turning pale.
"Demon Kojima? Why is she at school today?!"
"One Iceberg Kirisu-sensei was already bad enough. Now Demon Kojima's here too? It's over! My slacking-off time is ruined!"
"Shh! Quiet down! If she hears you, she'll eat you alive!"
"Nani? Demon Kojima eats people? But I'm barely over 100 pounds—I'm not enough meat!"
Their anxious whispers reached Shirase's ears. Although he knew Kojima Kana always had an oppressive, dark image at school, seeing this up close today still surprised him.
So this is how scary Kana-nee seems to everyone?
And to think she usually lounged around at home casually, shoulders exposed, loosely dressed, sometimes without even wearing a bra.
This kind of contrast really was striking.
Kirisu Mafuyu and Kojima Kana clearly bumped into each other by accident. One had just bought drinks, while the other had stepped out briefly for an errand.
But for the two of them, having a familiar face to watch the Soccer Club's practice meant it wouldn't be so boring.
"Practice begins!"
Evidently wary of these two famously scary teachers, the club president hurried onto the field first. Everyone else followed swiftly, completely lacking any courage to slack off.
"Hayato's probably going to train until five again, huh? I'll have to wait for him to finish dinner before we can hang out." Standing by the field, Miura Yumiko sighed gloomily.
Ebina Hina, beside her, didn't react at all—seeming truly like a quiet, proper young lady.
But Miura Yumiko quickly noticed something unusual.
Her friend's gaze kept shifting between Hayama and Shirase—glancing left, then peeking right. Beneath those glasses, her eyes occasionally glittered with strange excitement.
"Who are you watching? Hayato or Shirase?" Miura couldn't help but ask.
Ebina glanced back at her, shook her head silently, giving no clue to her thoughts.
Miura Yumiko, sensing something interesting, smirked lightly. "You're watching Shirase, right? Well, I get it. He's actually more popular among girls than Hayato, since Hayato's nice to everyone. Shirase's cool and serious type makes girls even more curious to uncover his mysteries."
Actually, I'm watching both of them.
Ebina Hina thought silently.
Completely oblivious, Miura continued enthusiastically: "If you wanna get to know Shirase, I could ask Hayato. They're pretty close… err, at least friends, right?"
By the end of her sentence, even Miura sounded uncertain.
She'd seen firsthand Hayama repeatedly invite Shirase out after school, only to be rejected again and again.
Yet among all the boys at school, Hayama Hayato was the only one she knew of who could hold a conversation with Shirase.
The speaker might be careless, but the listener had other ideas.
Ebina Hina wasn't at all close to Shirase, despite being classmates. Naturally, she didn't know his situation well.
Hearing Miura say that Hayama was the only guy in school able to talk normally with Shirase, her already restless maidenly heart started beating even faster.
Just then, Kojima Kana and Kirisu Mafuyu approached the sidelines, prompting Miura Yumiko to quickly shut up, politely greeting the two teachers.
"Looks like everyone's quite afraid of us," Kirisu Mafuyu murmured quietly.
Kojima Kana maintained her stern expression: "That's a good thing. Kids past elementary age are hardest to manage, especially since they're all in puberty, with wild ideas popping into their heads. As teachers, we not only have to guide them onto the right path, but also be alert in case they cause trouble at school."
Kirisu Mafuyu nodded in agreement.
But seeing Kojima Kana's obviously forced, intimidating face, she had rather mixed feelings.
After all, she'd privately witnessed Kojima's totally image-breaking laughter already.
"Oh right, if we have a chance, want to grab a drink sometime?" Kojima Kana suddenly asked.
Kirisu Mafuyu blinked in surprise: "You enjoy drinking?"
Immediately afterward, Kirisu looked somewhat embarrassed—after all, her own alcohol tolerance was notoriously terrible.