33 Chapter 30: The End?
"Kyah! Okay, okay, let's calm down." Inhale, "There's a hottie!"
"That means the rumor about him was real!"
"Ah, so he's the capable new teacher, Yanagi Minoru, right? I heard he's also temporary the head of school affairs. That explains why he's with Vice President Kaguya-sama."
"Wait, isn't he too young for that?"
"Who cares! It means as club members, we can also get along with him. There's also a chance that he's single. Muahaha!"
"Whoa, girls. Wake up. I think Shijo-san and Shinomiya-san already…" she whispered, "have their eyes on him, right?"
They were all talking loudly, knowing the student meeting room was soundproof. The students, especially the girls accidentally on the scene, were crazy over the rumor of the new teacher. Meanwhile, most of the boys there already put Minoru on their radar.
"BLASPHEMY!" The one who shouted was Kino Karen, aka Kaguya fanatics. "Kaguya-sama is already with President Shirogane! Period!"
"Ah, whatever. Anyway, let's post the rumor on twitter, girls!" Someone excitedly pumped her fist as she shouted.
"OHHH! ALRIGHT!" the girls shouted.
"How dare they—"
"Karen, wait!" Kose Erika, also a Kaguya fanatic, pulled Karen closer and whispered, "Put aside that I also hate them putting shame on our goddess. I think this is a good change. Let's see. There's a very handsome new teacher; isn't this a good promotion? Maybe we can get a lot of views for our good for nothing Shuchi'in TV?"
Karen pondered her suggestion.
"Hmm… you're right. Maybe we can get more views for this event."
The Mass Media Club had already prepared for today's event. Their work quality could be considered close to professional, but who the heck watched a school ceremony? While it was grander compared to other schools, what you got was the principal's speech about elegance, blah blah blah, and that's it.
Karen and Erika glanced at the bunch of girls typing something on their phones. They both looked at each other with a knowing nod.
---
"Alright, whether you want to head straight to your post or catch a break—it's your call."
Everyone nodded and got up from their seats. He could also see Kaguya, silently devouring the last sandwich. In the end, the last sandwich ended up in Kaguya's hands as Chika realized that Kaguya had been the only one left out.
"Sigh."
With a weary sigh, it appeared as though he had finally mustered to take a deep breath. As everyone dispersed from the meeting room, he navigated his way towards the exit, preparing himself for the upcoming patrol around the academy.
"Yanagi. Wanna smoke?" Shizuka inquired as they both were the last ones in the room.
"No thanks. I'll be making the rounds of the academy as planned. And thank you for being here and assisting us."
"You're really a workaholic, huh? Ah-haha. It's nothing. Well, I get bored if I don't do anything. Anyway, I'll see you soon." Shizuka said, waved at him.
Minoru nodded and also headed to the door, yet he stopped.
As he scanned the corridor, he noted, 'There are more students than before.'
They all looked at him as if anticipating this moment, but he paid no mind to their gazes.
"Excuse me," said one of the two students approaching him.
"Yes?" Minoru observed them, noting the long-haired one holding a microphone and the other wielding a professional video camera.
"My apologies for taking your time. Are you the new teacher and new head of school affairs, Yanagi-sensei?"
"Correct," he replied, walking out of the room and closing it. "Can I help you, students from the Mass Media Club?"
However, he didn't receive an immediate answer as both of them stood frozen in a daze.
"A-AH! I'm sorry. I was shocked that Sensei found out about us so quickly. Ahem, my name is Kino Karen, and this is my friend Kose Erika. If it's alright, we'd like to interview sensei as the new head of school affairs."
Minoru paused. "Interview?"
---
09:35 AM.
"Oh my! Both of you are so cute~"
Ai exclaimed, looking at Aqua and Ruby in their costumes. Ruby sported an oversized bunny outfit, while Aqua opted for a wizard costume. The theme of their attire matched their pets, with Ruby bringing a rabbit and an owl for Aqua.
"Okay, I get it about Ruby." Ichigo nodded as he glanced at Aqua, "What is he wearing again?" He looked puzzled.
Ai cleared her throat, "Hehe~ He said th—" Miyako abruptly shut her mouth, "H-Honey! It's a Hogwarts uniform, alright. My little brother (Minoru) has quite the taste in fashion, so he suggested it." Miyako explained.
Ichigo nodded, accepting that it was Minoru's idea. He didn't question it, being one of Minoru's loyal followers.
"Hoh…! that explains the stick. C'mon Aqua, do a spell. Kekeke."
Aqua's face distorted as Ichigo teased, "Avada Kedavra." Aqua pointed his stick at him.
"Man, is that Latin? What does that mean?"
Aqua smirked, "I'm just four years old remember? He said it was a death spell."
"You punk. Did you just casually kill your own father?"
"Haha." Aqua laughed dryly, wishing he could use the spell on certain people, "Ruby, what's going on?" Aqua looked at Ruby, who always seemed nervous.
Ruby gasped, "I-Idiot. Don't underestimate me. I'm not a kid, you know. And don't talk to me with that costume." Ruby threw away her face as she crossed her arms.
"Haaaah… kids these days." Aqua let out a long sigh and decided to kill time with Ai's phone.
Meanwhile, both mommies had a serious talk a little far from the twins.
"Ai-san, please refrain from saying anything about him in public. Sorry, but please don't be reckless," Miyako pleaded.
Ai helplessly smiled, "Tehee~ Sorry~ But, Miyako-san, this is my first time with them at their school. Couldn't help it, right?" Ai said cutely.
The reason Ai could attend the twins' special class was that Ichigo and Miyako were also here as their disguised parents. Ai was also wearing a typical celebrity outfit, including a hat and mask. It was natural for Ai to yearn for glimpses of her children adorned in adorable costumes. The juxtaposition of joy and sorrow though lingered within her as the absence of their actual father was keenly felt in this moment.
Miyako smiled sympathetically at her situation. "I know. But please remain collected, okay?"
"Gotcha~"
With that, they both walked back to them. As they strolled, Ai realized that she hadn't taken a picture of the twins for Minoru.
'Hahaha!'
Silently, Ai laughed like a devil.
'He must be dreaming that he was here with them. Wait, kinda feel bad for him.'
Then, she smiled at the idea.
As she returned, Ai noticed Aqua using her phone and also sensed a hint of worry, maybe shock? What's going on?
"Hey. Give me back my phone. Hehe~" Ai snatched her phone from Aqua's hand, "Oh my. Don't be sad, Aqua. 'Cause, I'll take a lot of cute pictures."
"Ah… err…" Aqua stared at Ai, his face filled with worry.
Ai tilted her head, looked at her phone, and noticed the app that Aqua was using was still open.
"EHH!?"
"Ai, what's wrong?!"
Ichigo voiced his concern, glancing at Miyako and Ruby, who looked equally surprised. However, Ai remained silent, her attention fixed solely on the screen. Everyone, except Aqua, joined Ai to see what had captured her focus. As it turned out, Ai was scrolling through Twitter and watching a video clip.
[Hello and welcome back to Shuchi'in TV! My name is Kino Karen from Mass Media Club at our beloved Shuchi'in High. Today, we are honored to have the Head of School Affairs and our new teacher, Yanagi Minoru, with us. Thank you for your time, Sensei…]
"Oh, it's just the boss. Hey, does he own that school or something?"
"Shut it, Ichigo," Miyako retorted.
[Yanagi-sensei, can you tell us your feelings about this event?] the reporter asked, handing the mic to a silver-haired man.
[Well, I hope we can end this event smoothly and move on to the homeroom.]
The reporter giggled, [Ahaha, Sensei. I think the students won't be happy with that statement. Next question—since Yanagi-sensei is also a new teacher, what are your thoughts about Shuchi'in?]
The interview continued with mundane questions, but seeing Minoru on screen was captivating.
[Erika-chan, are you serious about this? Two million views!? Ahem— we apologize about that,] the surprised reporter said. [After considering numerous questions from our live viewers, we picked one that doesn't violate privacy. Could Sensei tell us about your hobby?]
Minoru paused, then broke into a genuine smile, causing the girl at his side to blush at the unexpected warmth of his expression. The internet was undoubtedly on the brink of erupting with reactions at that very moment.
[Yes, lately, I've been playing piano at night and cooking meals for my fa—]
"Haah?" Ai, Ichijo, Miyako, and Ruby widened their eyes.
[My puppies that I regard as my family,] Minoru corrected himself.
"Pfft! Huahahah! For real? He almost does the same thing as me," Ai burst into laughter.
"Eh? Mama did?" Ruby asked, clueless.
"I guess heaven made you two for each other," Ichigo whispered and chuckled.
"Thank you. Hehe~"
"Darn Idol. That was sarcasm," Ichigo quipped as they refocused on the interview.
[And of course, there's another new teacher, Yor Briar-sensei, and the vice president of the student council, Shinomiya Kaguya, here with us this morning!]
The screen seamlessly transitioned to reveal them, leaving them pleasantly surprised.
[Thank you for your time, Briar-sensei.]
The woman nervously said, [H-Hello…]
Ruby, Ichigo, and Miyako exchanged glances, curious about Ai's reaction.
Ai looked at Yor, "Oh, I see... so, this woman who always seems to be by his side. There's no doubt; I could smell her scent from here. The scent that's always attached to his fancy suit. Hmm~ Well done, Minoru-kun. Let's see what kind of excuse you'll come up with this time..."
Under her hat, Ai's eyes darkened as if she would kick him out of the house.
"I knew it," said Ruby with a nod.
"Ahem… well, I think he didn't do anything wrong here," Ichigo felt uncomfortable.
"Y-Yeah. Don't worry about it, Ai-san..."
Miyako tried to calm her, but there was no response from Ai, making things eerie.
"Of course~," Ai's chirp caught them off guard, prompting an audible gulp from them.
Chaos enveloped her mind. Behind her mask, Ai smiled, twitching, as she scrolled again and again.
"Does anyone know who they are?" Ai asked softly as she looked at the pic.
"I think I've seen them on TV. Wait…" Miyako said, clueless.
"I've seen them before. The brat with long black hair is Shinomiya Kaguya. To put it simply, her family is filthy rich. And the teacher is an Olympic athlete," Ichigo said, impressed.
Miyako looked at the girl's uniform, "Shinomiya? Ah, I remember her now." She sighed.
"Rich… athlete…" Ai mumbled as she scrolled down and read a post.
Ruby's mouth formed an O shape as she exclaimed, "Mama, Dad is famous."
"Well, he's your dad after all…" Ai whispered, her smile twitching crazily.
[Anonym-chan – 12m]
[Minoru's Interview pic.]
[OH MY GOSH! The rumored one is here! Shuchi'in High's new teacher, and he's a hottie! The school suddenly has great taste huh? It's the first day of April, and I think my school life will be interesting! If you guys are curious about what he'll do next, stay tuned and check out our school's welcome ceremony on this link! That's all from Anonym-chan!]
The post had 1.3k comments and 2.2k retweets of a silver-haired man, undoubtedly her husband. Even though the first post was only 12 minutes ago, the reaction was unbelievable.
[Rin - 12m]
[NO WAY! This is absolutely a scam! A hottie as a teacher? I'm telling my mom that I want to change schools.]
[Hana - 13m]
[LoL. Yanagi-sensei just destroyed the whole standard of what a Japanese high school should have. We need more hotties as teachers! Where's justice!? And where did our taxes go!?]
The power of social media! Not even a moment, keyword "hottie" on twitter became trending in Japan with 1.3k posts, all focusing on Minoru.
More importantly... something frightening grew in Ai's heart. She was clearly not happy and jealous. Was this the end of the Yanagi household?
"Toilet..." Ai said, patting Ruby's head. "I'll be back, okay?" She began walking, and her pace quickened.
"Sigh... kids these days," Ichigo shook his head, understanding what was going on, being a husband himself.
Walking over to the group, Aqua shot them a questioning look. "Where is she going?" Aqua was concerned about Ai.
"Kid, you won't understand the world of grown-ups. Just stay there and look cute," Ichigo gave his advice to young Aqua.
'But, I'm grown up too,' thought Aqua.
"Somehow I feel offended, Ichigo. Please tell me that I'm wrong," Miyako said.
---
The Mass Media Club bowed in gratitude to Minoru and Yor, brimming with joy over their recent achievement.
"Sensei, we're truly thankful for your help," Karen expressed, her eyes welling up with tears.
Help? Minoru had only said a few sentences. Well, they said something about 2 million views or whatever. He also wasn't concerned if his face got caught on camera, as it wouldn't reveal anything about his criminal background. Maybe his folks at Ruska Bratva will notice him here. But it's good. If they see him, it's the same as him telling them that I'm here doing my job, and you fuckers should stay away from my target or else.
"I'm happy to help," Minoru replied.
"Y-Yeah! I also enjoyed it," Yor fibbed, her discomfort in front of the camera evident.
"Hm?" Minoru's eyes widened as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He retrieved it and saw an incoming call.
[Wife]
What's going on? Minoru furrowed his brow, concerned that something bad might have happened. He remembered that she was with the kids for their special class; Pet Day. Perhaps there was an accident?
Shit, he couldn't shake off the unease. He turned and walked away.
"E-Eh? Yanagi-san?" Yor looked at him, taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor.
"Briar-san, I'll go patrol now."
---
A/N:
No-harem!
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