FLIGHT 005 - WRONG READINGS

Thursday came, and the situation escalated in an unprecedented scale. The rumors kept on spreading, the "Flirting Teacher Andy" became a hot topic for both students and teachers. With the Andy's image slowly being ruined, two students from his advisory were his only hope.

"Sir Andy is innocent!" Karen shouted at their class president.

Doubting her statement, Sayuri replied in an insulting tone, "He was flirting with his students, how can he be innocent."

"He wasn't flirting! He was just helping a student in need, Prez. He wasn't flirting."

"That is a sign of flirting, he was hiding his ulterior motives. If we didn't warn him or the girls from our class then surely he would have done something already."

"He's not that kind of teacher!" Karen's resolve echoed in her words as she debated for Andy's innocence.

"You don't know that Karen! He was flirting with a student. He's a pervert, a hentai!" Sayuri slammed his hand on her desk,

"Stop it, you two!"

The heated argument halted the second a voice spoke out,

"Sayuri-san, Karen-chan, please stop!"

"Ayaka?"

Tears welled in Ayaka's eyes. Seeing her best friend and the class president argue is a sight she didn't want to see.

"Sayuri-san, Sir Andy is innocent!" she said with a soft but determined voice.

"How sure are you Ayaka?" the class president aggressively asked, "You saw him, he approached you, he was flirting with you."

"HE WAS NOT!"

The normally quiet Ayaka shouted for the first time, surprising everyone in the room. As the victim of Sir Andy's flirting, she explained her side of the story.

"He isn't that kind of person! He was trying to comfort me. I was reading a sad book, but I found myself in tears. Then he came with a concerned look on his face. His eyes showed kindness. He explained to me what happened, he tried to cheer me up, he never tried to harm me."

She crossed her hands and plead, "Sayuri-san he isn't that kind of person, I'm sure of it, Sir Andy is a good guy!"

"Ayaka?"

"I saw him yesterday!"

Her accidental encounter with Andy made her realize his true feelings. She recalled every detail of emotion in his face, and the evident sadness in the man's eyes as he felt the atmosphere change.

"I was about to ask him about the rumors, but he thought it was a question about class. He avoided me. I remember his face, he had dead eyes, his face was emotionless. It wasn't like him, and his reaction says it all. He can't be that kind of person."

"Karen?"

The two best friends begged their Class President, "Please Sayuri-san, please don't think badly about him."

Seeing the two go to such lengths for a person they hardly know stirred up Sayuri's consciousness. She decided to test their theory.

"If tomorrow, he hangs out in the library and doesn't talk to me, I'll change my view on him?"

"Sayuri-san?"

"Prez?'

But Sayuri looked suspicious, there was one thing that she still can't explain, "But, how did such rumors spread?"

Sayuri warned the class about Sir Andy's possible flirting with the students, but as to how such rumors spread throughout the school is still a mystery. The class president is a student of pride and maturity, she would never resort to such an underhanded method.

Then, one of her classmates came into her mind. Her previous actions aroused her suspicion on this girl. The Class president called the girl with a stern tone.

"Minako-san!"

"What's the matter, Prez?" the arrogant girl with black hair replied.

"You! You didn't like Sir Andy that much, right? Were you the one who started the rumors about him?"

Her haughtiness reflected on her grim smile, sending the girls around her fearing for their lives.

"I hate him, alright, he's a a puny Second Officer. But I would never go so low as to start rumors about him, unlike you who suspected him immediately."

Her overflowing arrogance sparked the president's anger, be she kept her cool as the rude Minako walked past her.

"Sorry Prez, it wasn't me, but you better find him!" she cackled and left the room.

The situation inside 1 - D has slightly improved, but the faculty and the campus were no better.

The only area in the school that the rumors haven't breached yet is the headteacher's office, where a heart to heart conversation is currently taking place.

"Nehh, aneki, can you swing by the library tomorrow, at 4:30 PM."

Andy's eyes looked dead, the paleness of his face showed gloominess and fear.

"What's wrong?" his doting sister asked in concern. It's been a while since she last saw her brother make such a face.

"I'll tell you tomorrow, just go there at 4:30."

He left the office without making any eye contact with his sister.

"What's wrong with my brother?"

Friday soon came, the stress and insults have taken its toll on Andy. He can't endure the pain any longer, dismissal can't come any sooner. He couldn't wait for his two days off starting tomorrow. Two days of peace and rest, two days with no one talking about the dreaded rumors about him.

His classes proceeded on as usual, but he couldn't shake the heavy feeling in his chest. Everyone now sees him as a sad excuse for a teacher. To the students' eyes, he's nothing but a flirt, and a pervert. He was wasn't the cheerful and enthusiastic Andy like before, he lost confidence. Nevertheless, he tried his best to teach his students.

For Karen and Ayaka, today's the day they prove Sir Andy's innocence. Together with Sayuri, they'll go to the library after dismissal and try to talk with Sir Andrei. If he shows even a speck of flirting, it's an instant fail for him.

Soon dismissal time came, and as soon as Andy stepped out of the room.

"Sir Andy!"

With her book in hand, Ayaka ran towards the class adviser, hoping to convince him to go to the library.

"Sir Andy, can I speak with you please. I have a question about this book, and I want to talk over it over the library."

Her sweet voice and eagerness to learn made Andy smile, but a dire consequence looms.

"Sorry Ayaka, I'll be at the library to finish something, but please keep it as short as possible. I can't risk being called a flirt, " he hurriedly left with despair in his eyes.

Ayaka knew that a short moment is all they need. The three girls decided to wait until it was 4:40 PM, they wanted to give their teacher some time to rest after a long stressful week.

Inside the library, the quiet atmosphere and the cold air settled in on Andy's warm and exhausted body. It wasn't just a place to read, but it was also a perfect place to reflect and calm the nerves.

"Andy!" Aneko called, she sat by the window waiting for him.

He beside his sister and sighed. He looked down, disheartened, exhausted, and lonely.

His sister stroked his hair, and with a calm and gentle voice, she asked, "What's wrong, Andy?"

"Aneki, I'm sorry!" he rested his head on her sister's back and slowly hugged her from the side. His arms were locked tight, he wasn't cold, but it was evident that he had been carrying a heavy weight for quite some time.

"What's wrong, you can tell your aneki about it."

Tears started to drop from his eyes, letting out the sadness he had been trying to hold back.

"I'm sorry, I've been branded a flirt. Rumors about me spread throughout the school, to the students, the teachers, in the faculty. I don't know what to do!"

"Why, what happened?"

Andy recalled what happened a week ago, his unexpected encounter with the book-loving Ayaka, and his efforts to comfort when she felt sad. Then, he recounted Sayuri-san's warning just this Monday.

"It's okay Andy, sometimes people misunderstand your real situation," she leaned her head beside his brother's and smiled, "I know you're not that kind of person. You're a man of good intentions"

Tears streamed from Andy's eyes, the pain in his heart began to subside. His sister's comforting words lightened his chest.

"I know you're a good person. I know you, I'm your sister. I know you better than anyone else in this school," Aneko whispered to his ear

Unbeknownst to the siblings, a trio of students just entered the library. The two watched the scene with astonishment, but one of them had a disgusted and suspicious look in her eyes.

Andy hugged her sister tighter, mustering the courage to thank her in the most lovey-dovey way.

"Thank you, Aneko-nee, I love you. I really wuv you!" sniffing and rubbing his head on her sister's shoulder in the process.

Andy's attempt to make himself look cute in front of Aneko made her smile and chuckle. But to a certain someone, it was a disgusting act of flirting.

"This is outrageous!"

Aneko's eyes dashed to her left, surprised to see three students looking at them, the one in the middle showing horror and disgust.

"Y-you, you have the nerve flirt with both students and teachers! You're disgusting, hentai!"

"Wait, Sayuri-san," he sniffed and wiped off the tears falling from his eyes.

Wanting to prevent the misunderstandings from escalating further, he tried to reason out with his advisory's class president, but his efforts were futile.

"No! I thought you were a kind-hearted teacher, but it turns out I'm wrong! You're nothing but an ecchi loving -"

"Alright, that's enough!" Aneko interrupted.

Unable to bear the pain from hearing his brother be called by a vulgar term. She faced the class president directly in her eyes. The students immediately realized who they were facing.

"Aneki?"

"Sorry Andy, can you get us something to drink, turn left and there's a vending machine there, near the faculty."

Andy quietly stood up and nodded at the headteacher, he left the library without replying to Sayuri's piercing gaze.

The headteacher faced the three students, with her scorching red eyes staring directly through their souls.

"Now then, I think it's time I deal with you."

She pointed at the seats across her. The trio quietly walked over and sat down, afraid for their lives.

"So, you were the one who started the rumors?" she asked the class president.

"Well, I warned my classmates about his flirty attitude when I saw him in the library last week, but the rumors are a different thing."

"Flirty? He's not a flirty teacher."

"But, just now -"

"He was hugging me? Well, of course, that's normal between the two of us."

"Why?" Sayuri asked with uncertainty.

"He's my brother!"

"Ehh?" their jaws suddenly dropped, with a loud "EHHHHHH!" before plummeting to the ground.

"Uso (No way)!" the class president was shocked.

"Honto ni (Really)?" Karen was surprised.

"Ehh?" Ayaka froze up.

"I'm surprised you never noticed, hehehe!" chuckled Aneko.

"No way, I never thought the new teacher and headteacher are siblings!" Karen expressed with great disbelief, "I thought you simply had the same surnames and were merely coincidences. But looking closely" - she squared her fingers and pictured the headteacher and Sir Andy - "there are striking resemblances."

"Ohh, your hair and eyes, they look just like Sir Andy's," observed Ayaka.

The revelation surprised Sayuri, but her allegations against the Aviation teacher didn't change.

"Well, maybe that wasn't the case today, but what about towards his students."

Aneko smiled, and told them her experience with his brother.

"He's not flirty, and he's not a pervert either. I could assure you that. I know him too well. Andy isn't really the type of guy who goes around hanging with girls. He's happy, cheerful, and somewhat childish, but if I know him, he's well disciplined.

He will never lay his hand on a girl, much more become a pervert or even harm her. I can assure you, Andy is a good person, so please don't look at him that way."

Hearing the headteacher's story made her reflect on her actions. Perhaps, her assumptions on Sir Andy being a flirt and a pervert were all baseless accusations overshadowed by her overprotectiveness and hatred for boys. She didn't listen to their adviser's explanation and didn't fully understand his intentions, her hatred towards men prevailed over her logical thinking. Sayuri looked down, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry!" she said to the headteacher.

"I'm not the person who you should say sorry to."

The library door swung open, Andy entered, panting and grunting, with a bottle of cola in hand.

"You told me it's near the faculty!".

"Of course it is," his sister cheekily smiled, "What do you call it in your terms, it's only short final?"

"It's not short final if I have to go to the 1st floor, go to the school cafeteria, then climb back up to the 3rd floor!"

His sister chuckled from hearing his reply. For a moment, the mood became light, but it reverted back the second after.

"So what happened?" his fears and worries were evident on his face, as she asked the four girls.

Sayuri stood up and walked beside Andy. With a guilty conscience and regretting her actions, she bowed down her head and heartfully told his teacher.

"I'm sorry, Sir Andy, I called you a flirt, but you aren't. I didn't listen to you when you tried to explain yourself, and now the entire school hates you. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

Her eyes began to tear up, she pictured herself in her teacher's shoes. Being hated by everyone, avoided, and rumored. For hurting his teacher's feelings and shaming him, there's no way his teacher won't get angry at her. She braced herself for the wrath that's about to come, but instead, Sayuri felt a soft feeling on her head. The aviation teacher patted her head softly, trying to not mess up her hair.

"It's okay, Sayuri-san," Andy comforted, "It's okay. I'm sorry too, my actions lead you to misunderstand me. I'm also partly at fault here, and I would like to apologize."

After hearing his student's apology, Andy felt a sense of relief, the weight he's carrying lightened up. The pain slowly faded away and his confidence slowly improved. He wasn't angry, it was a just misunderstanding. It wasn't her intention to humiliate him, it was a problem that got out of hand.

Blaming himself for the accusation she has done, Sayuri can't help but feel guilt and regret

"No, Sir! It wasn't your fault. I judged you without listening to your explanations, I didn't listen to you, and because of that -"

"It's okay, Sayuri-san. I forgive you!"

Such a simple yet straightforward reply to someone who has done wrong against him. He was insulted, he lost confidence and yet, he forgave his student.

"It's okay to be cautious about the people around you, but please don't judge them immediately without knowing the other person's side, okay," Andy reminded.

Sayuri's tears began to fall, her guilty conscious made her reflect on her actions. Wanting to be truly forgiven by her teacher, her lips kept repeating the same words.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, I never wanted to humiliate you. I'm really sorry!"

While her tears fall, and her eyes bawled, her two friends patted her back while the siblings patted her head, comforting the girl who regretted her actions.

After bawling her eyes out, Sayuri calmed down. Her nose felt clogged and runny, she was still sniffling. The misunderstanding has been resolved but a much bigger problem is still amidst.

"Sayuri-san, about the rumors, did you start it?" Andy asked in a gentle tone.

"It wasn't Sayuri-san," explained Karen, "She was the one who warned us but she won't go to such lengths just to keep our class safe."

"Sayuri didn't start it," Ayaka supported her best friend's claim "she's a kind person, she would never humiliate somebody.

"Is that true, Sayuri-san?"

"Yes, I didn't spread the rumors," she sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"In that case, who did?" asked the headteacher.

She wanted the situation to be quickly resolved, but that won't be an easy task.

"Well," - Sayuri faced down, avoiding eye contact with her adviser - "I'm not sure but it's gotta be one of the girls in our class, most likely, the rude girls from the back," Sayuri suspected.

"Is that so? Well, regardless, what are we gonna do about the rumors."

Aneko was worried, although the misunderstanding has been resolved, the rumor is still prevalent.

"I'm wondering about that too, how will you deal with the rumors?"

"I'll find a way!"

Determined to help bring back the respect for their adviser, Sayuri decided to handle things on her end.

"I'll make sure to clear up the misunderstanding inside the classroom. Once that's resolved, we'll try to spread good rumors about Sir Andy. Hopefully, it'll eradicate the bad rumors about you, Sir."

"That's a good idea, but don't push yourself too hard, Sayuri."

"We'll help you out, Prez. You're not alone in this!"

"Yeah! Karen and I will help you out in any we can, Sayuri-san."

With her two classmates and their adviser supporting her, Sayuri is eager to correct her mistake.

"I appreciate your help, I hope you will be able to fix this problem," cheered Aneko.

Before leaving the library, the three students apologized to the siblings for taking their time. They said their goodbyes and left the library together.

"I'm glad that's sorted out."

"Yeah, I can't believe my aneki was able to convince them." He wrapped his arms below her chest and hugged her tightly. "I wuv my Aneki!"

Proud and happy for his little brother, Aneko pecked him on the cheek and whispered, "And I love my little brother!"

With Andy clinging onto her and not showing any sign of letting go, Aneko dragged the sis-con all the way to the faculty room before leaving the school and going home.

The week ended with calm winds, but oddly less wake turbulence for the Aviation teacher to handle.