Chapter 26: Turmoil in the Office

Yuu Yoshimizu stood hesitating for a moment at the office door before steeling himself to enter.

Kitahara hadn’t shown up for the second period class, and no one in their class knew what had happened—except him.

He had heard of Sayuri Sato’s fierce reputation; she was known to be a teacher with a terrible temper.

Since both of them had crossed her, there was bound to be trouble. Now that Kitahara was nowhere to be seen, it was almost certain it had something to do with Ms. Sato.

If suffering was inevitable, then he would share the burden.

That was his resolve.

*Knock knock—*

“Ms. Sato, this is Yoshimizu.”

He knocked on the door. There was no response at first, but after a moment, a hushed and flustered voice said, “Come in!”

He pushed the door open to find the female teacher blushing slightly, her expression tender and innocent. The heating inside was intense; the warm air hit his forehead the instant he stepped inside.

He glanced at Ms. Sato, feeling a bit dizzy.

Her beauty was striking—her hair neatly pinned up, dressed in a teacher’s uniform that made her look both commanding and irresistibly feminine.

The heat had her neck glistening with a fine sheen of sweat, and her lips, soft and inviting, made it hard to look away.

At this moment, she wore a black ladies’ suit over her uniform, concealing what lay beneath but clearly outlining her ample assets.

It was difficult to imagine what a magnificent sight she would be without the uniform.

Noticing his gaze, Sayuri Sato’s eyes instantly grew cold.

“What do you want, Yoshimizu? Is that your name? Do I see any respect for your teacher in your eyes?” Her voice was icy and severe, like an eternal glacier.

This was the usual Sayuri Sato.

She was known for her harsh personality and strict attitude toward students.

Suddenly aware of his faux pas, a cold sweat broke out on Yoshimizu’s brow. He hurriedly bowed, “I’m sorry!”

“Save your apologies,” she snapped.

The charming innocence she had shown moments ago seemed like a mirage. Now, her face bore the calm authority of a mature adult and the dignity of a teacher. “Speak. What do you want?”

“My friend Kitahara came to apologize earlier…” Yoshimizu said cautiously.

“He’s already gone.”

“Where did he go?”

“How should I know!” Sayuri Sato raised her voice sharply, startling Yoshimizu.

He continued apologizing, his impression of her as a difficult homeroom teacher only deepening. No doubt, they had earned her displeasure.

“Did he come here just now? Kitahara missed second period…” Yoshimizu whispered.

He was determined to get to the bottom of this.

After all, Kitahara was his friend, and had taken the brunt of the trouble for him.

Yoshimizu resolved to ask no matter how harsh the response.

Ms. Sato was about to answer when she softly hummed and suddenly blushed.

Yoshimizu heard the faint snap of stockings tightening against her leg and wondered if he was imagining things.

He dared not think too much, for this cold, beautiful woman before him was his homeroom teacher.

Her chest rose and fell dramatically, as if she were angry.

She composed herself, suppressing an unspoken anger, and said,

“He did come by.”

“But I reprimanded him, and Kitahara has come to deeply understand his mistake.”

Halfway through, she stopped, slamming her fist on the desk in a fit of frustration or perhaps embarrassed anger.

Yoshimizu jumped, thinking he had done something wrong.

But she made no further moves, simply biting her lip with a shy expression.

Her gaze returned to him.

“After promising to write a five-thousand-word reflection, he left. Where he went, I don’t know... But Yoshimizu, I heard your report. Tomorrow during the staff meeting, I will give him a proper scolding.”

With that, Sayuri Sato closed her mouth, her eyes wandering dreamily.

“This…”

Yoshimizu opened his mouth, surprised that his visit had only caused trouble for Kitahara.

He hurried to explain, “Actually, that’s not what I meant…”

“Whether it is or isn’t doesn’t matter now. Leave. I have work to do!” Sayuri Sato’s face tightened, her voice as stern as an age-old glacier.

She was a formidable woman, and with such a cold expression, no student dared defy her.

Yoshimizu turned away helplessly, ready to give up. But just as he reached the door, he turned back.

“Ms. Sato, I’m sorry about this morning. If I’ve upset you, I’m willing to bear all your anger.”

“Kitahara is innocent.”

Upon hearing this, her expression softened slightly.

“I appreciate your attitude. If your friend, Kitahara, who doesn’t know how to respect his elders, were more like you, I would be much more at ease.”

“T-Thank you,” Yoshimizu blushed, surprised by such high praise from Ms. Sato.

In truth, this was a subtle form of psychological manipulation: first the stick, then the carrot.

Sayuri Sato was a master of such tactics, earning the affection of many students through this method.

The most brilliant part was that the students were oblivious, believing their efforts alone had earned the teacher’s respect.

“Don’t thank me yet. But I must warn you: your grades are not looking good. If I see no improvement on the next exam, be prepared to face my punishment.”

“Understood!”

Yoshimizu said loudly, straightening his posture as he left the office.

Shortly after he left, Sayuri Sato kicked the desk underfoot with irritation.

“Your friend’s gone. You can come out now, right?”

Kitahara smoothed his clothes and stood up.

Before rising, he couldn’t help but glance at the shapely legs clad in black stockings nearby—stockings that hugged the legs of this ice-cold beauty perfectly.

Sayuri Sato’s breathing quickened, her voice tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.

“Hurry up and come out! What are you still looking at?”

Kitahara averted his gaze and stood, his throat dry.

The heating in this office was truly intense.

Yet, why did the air carry a faint dampness?

He picked up the kettle and poured water into Ms. Sato’s teacup, then drank it down in one go.

Throughout this, she merely gave him a look that was both amused and exasperated.

“You little pervert.”

“Say what you want.”

“Your friend came looking for you, yet you hid away... Are you testing my patience?” Sayuri Sato’s phoenix-like eyes curved into a seductive smile. “From what I saw, he passed the test—he’s a good friend. But Kitahara, what about you?”

“Is this how you repay him?”

“Who said I was hiding?” Kitahara shot back.

“Then what else could it be?”

Her smile grew even brighter.

“It’s just that you’re in the same room as your female teacher, sitting in the same chair, holding hands while practicing your penmanship. You’re so nervous… Are you afraid your friend might find out there’s something between us?”

A vulnerability.

This was a weakness.

A gleam of insight flashed in Sayuri Sato’s eyes. She should have guessed long ago—even someone as skilled in manipulation as Kitahara would have something to worry about, like his standing among his friends.

If she used this to threaten him in the future...

Who knew? She might gain a compliant little brother.

Her gaze grew playful.