The Second and Seventh Day

It's my second day. I can't face Miss Chiho with that torn paper. It was impossible for me to predict what would happen to me when she found out.

In the morning, instead of trying to clean my room, I scanned the door in search of footsteps. When there were none, I quickly slammed my door and locked it for good.

I'm early today because yesterday was exhausting. Risano is still asleep. Maybe I should prepare something for us to eat.

While preparing my food, I'm trying to think of a way to explain the situation to Miss Chiho. Would I experience the body lock she did to Nazuno yesterday?

That whole mess was my fault. The reason why Risano was shouting at the door yesterday was because of that letter. Ignoring her made her angry. She's also upset because I left my dusty room open.

I might have been excused yesterday, but this is the last time that I will arrive late again. Never have I practiced being late. Sensei trained me to always wake up at 5 or 6 AM.

While cooking, I saw Risano walking down the stairs while yawning.

"Good Mo…" She suddenly stutters and stoops down her head towards her chair. She's enveloped in silence while fidgeting her fingers.

"Good morning, Risano. Did you sleep well?"

I didn't get a response. She continues to hide her face from me with her pressed lips. I brought food to the table so we could eat.

As I take a bite, Risano still doesn't move.

"Risano, it's alright. What you did last night wasn't your fault."

I thought she was just down because of what she did last night. The younger Risano would apologize for her fault, but now…

She stomped her fist on the table. "That's not like you to be late! What happened to you!? You shouldn't have ignored me!"

"I'm sorry…"

"Fine! The next items you forget will have the same fate."

"I'll never be late again, I swear. By the way, how did you get the letter? It's in my room."

The woman appears red after suddenly freezing with a flat face. Her body shakes and she becomes distant.

"I… It's not like I wanted to get in! I'm just going to check…"

"Check what?"

With shadows in her bangs, she stood at the table. "TO CHECK HOW DEADLY THE SMELL WAS! It's your day off tomorrow, right? Go call a cleaner."

Before she headed to the bathroom, I nodded. Did she really have a stomachache? She shouldn't have held it. I believe she views me as his problematic brother.

I prepared my things and headed to Crutiara. By now, she didn't shout at the door so it was fine. Because it was still morning, I didn't bother taking a carriage.

On my way to school, I saw a familiar face, a classmate.

She has short ash hair and brown eyes. She's 5' 2" tall and walks with a stooped posture. Her bangs seem to hide her eyes.

But I noticed her. I tried to approach her, but she flinched back and squealed. She also ran away from me with haste. There are people around me who easily misunderstand our situation.

I bow down to the public. "I'm sorry, everyone! It's just a misunderstanding. She's my classmate."

Is she a shy person? I think she, the stuttering person, is the one Miss Hirari called yesterday to recite. She seems very tired based on her walk.

Having lost sight of her, I am not able to catch up with her. Maybe I should apologize later for shocking her.

It is the second day of sitting here in my assigned seat and waiting for the time to end. She was sitting in her seat when I saw her earlier. I can have the chance to apologize later.

The other professors are boring as heck. Luckily, they only care about exams… well, except for Miss Hirari.

Miss Hirari is the only strict professor that we have, but everything she says is delivered directly to our brains. She's the only one worth paying attention to. No wonder Majiro likes her and sleeps with other subjects.

But… the last subject came…

The scariest person I've encountered at this university entered our room without hesitation. Another professor tried to stop her by pulling her out.

"Miss Chiho, please… get out of the room… I'm the assigned professor in this class," the other professor said.

"No! I will be teaching this class!" She announced, pulling her hand from the other professor's grip. "I'm planning to tell Takio about this."

Majiro leans towards me and whispers. "I can smell trouble."

"I bet," I replied.

I can see the blueish aura enveloping Nazuno's forehead. I think I'm also going to become her plaything as I'm near her daughter.

Miss Chiho darts a frightening stare at the other professor until he leaves. His threat cannot be described in words because it extends beyond words.

Her mood suddenly changed. Once a scary devil, she became a doting mother. She then welcomes us with a warm smile like nothing has happened.

"Good morning everyone!"

She was greeted normally, but what she did next was abnormal. She walked to the backseat, towards us… towards us… I think I know what's going to happen next!

In front of the class, I expected her to hug her daughter the same way, but she didn't. As she walks towards the frozen Nazuno, she fixes her collar, her hair, and her necktie.

Sure, that is sweet for me. But for some mature-thinking individuals like Nazuno, it's a world worth of shame. I could have replaced her, too bad.

"Did Hirari put you in the back seat?" Miss Chiho mumbled. "Tsk. Is she trying to start a war?"

And then she noticed me.

"Mr. Ritake! You're also here?"

Yep. I can only slowly nod while shaking. Yesterday, I didn't tell her that I was her classmate.

She turned her attention to me with a smile. "I see. So, why did you choose to sit next to my precious daughter?"

Now I understand why this seat has been vacant for weeks.

Then her face suddenly changed into something only I could see and hear.

"Are you looking forward to a future with my daughter?" She mumbles like a threat. "If you're trying to make a move with her, I'll make sure that you're..."

She clasped my hand with glittering eyes and a stretched grin. "Welcomed!"

I can only smile with half of my lips like a stroke patient. I nodded so that she thinks that I get her point…

But no.

"Better remember our conversation, Mr. Ritake," she said as she returned to the board. Is she referring to the letter?

As the lesson progressed, I could clearly understand her point. It is like Sensei's style of teaching, but hers is gentler. She's teaching us 'Battlefield Perception and Demon Psychoanalysis.'

Our real professor in that subject did not appear until earlier in the semester. He literally ditched classes because he didn't want to teach.

Miss Chiho might have threatened him with losing his job if he didn't teach. But it's still the right choice, otherwise, no one will learn.

Class ended smoothly, just as how Miss Hirari finished her classes. I can already feel the huge crowd gathering at the door. Before Miss Chiho left, she left us some words that really struck me.

"Also, Nazuno, good luck in your duel later! I'm rooting for you. And for Ritake, good luck! See you at the next meeting, everyone!"

Why does her tone change when she calls my name? While Tsuki is leaving the class to clear the crowd, Majiro approaches me.

"Hey, Ritake, be careful! You're already one of her targets!"

"I know. It always has been." It's been my fate since the start of my class.

"Yes! I can still remember how he made me look frightened when she threatened me that she'd tell everyone about my crush."

"That's too bad for you. I guess I won't have anything to fear..."

"If you think there's none, think of the most important thing you need to do at this university. I guess you should stop worrying about that by now."

"Really?" Isn't it an important thing's definition to remember it? Oh my God, the letter was torn!

As I wander my eyes, I notice that the person I wanted to talk to has already left the room. Nazuno is also gone. Why does it seem like every time I talk to Majiro, too much time passes?

The adrenaline in me becomes chaotic. I gathered my bag and prepared to leave quickly.

"I'm sorry, Majiro. I need to do something," I said as I ran out of the room.

And then I hear him exclaim, "Now you know what I'm talking about!"

I ran just in time to see her walking out of the sophomore building with the same face she had before. But as I call her out, she starts running again.

"Oh, hell! I shouldn't have called her."

I chased her all the way around campus. I guess it's enough for me to be called the famous creepy stalker. Everything that happened to me was all a misunderstanding!

I ended up near the dorms. I asked the dorm guards if they saw anyone with her physique entering there, but they said none. She doesn't live in the dorms.

Although I don't want to, I have opened my Spatial Sense. There is a strange person hiding in the storehouse on the far left of the dorms.

I didn't make any obvious movements to catch her. When I approached her, she jumped out of shock again. Her clammy hands tell me to stop as she steps back while sitting.

She's tearful and trembling. Upon reaching the dead end of stepping back, her shoulder tightens.

"Please! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me more!"

"I'm not intending to hurt you.

"I'm here to apologize."