Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher?-Chapter 0Volume 2 .1 - Prologue - The Distant Past

Prologue

The Distant Past

“Yuunagi-kun, thank you for helping me.”

The room’s owner, Reiyu Tenjō, responds in a voice that sounds like she’s on the verge of death from her bed.

“It’s natural that you’ll catch a cold if you stick around with me all night. Thanks to you, my cold has gone though.”

I, Nishiki Yuunagi, have been taking care of the woman living in the room next to mine.

The beautiful woman with a red face lying in bed is Reiyu Tenjō.

She is my neighbor in the apartment where I live and a teacher at the school I attended, Kiyō High School. On top of that, she’s also my homeroom teacher.

We discovered that we were neighbors after she shared some food with me.

There are various risks and inconveniences to a teacher and student living just a wall apart. However, Tenjō-Sensei, who usually seemed energetic at school, was struggling with her personal life due to her busy work schedule.

Unable to leave her in that state, I suggested that we help each other out as neighbors.

We established a rule called the Neighbor Agreement, and we’ve been supporting each other’s lives while keeping our secrets.

For example, I prepare our meals on weekday mornings and evenings.

On the other hand, Tenjō-san came to take care of me when I was down with a cold.

As a result, my cold was passed on to her.

“It was just an accident! An unfortunate coincidence! It’s an irresistible force majeure due to being half-asleep!”

Despite her high fever, she desperately tries to justify herself.

“You shouldn’t complain about anything when you voluntarily get into a man’s bed.”

“Ugh, this is…”

Tenjō-san can’t argue because she’s the cause of the problem.

This person has a special skill, or rather, a strange habit for crawling into a bed while half-asleep.

Even if it’s the bed in my room.

When she came to take care of me, she fell asleep and unconsciously crawled into my bed, where I was down with a cold in the middle of the night. We ended up sharing a small single bed and woke up together in the morning.

When I woke up, I couldn’t help but laugh after seeing how defenseless she was, and later regretted missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“If I had been healthy, I don’t think I could have held back. I probably would have attacked you.”

I warn her while encouraging myself to exercise more restraint next time.

“———Whaa!?”

Startled, Tenjō-san’s voice cracked, and she hurriedly pulled up the blanket to hide her face.

“It’s just a joke… probably.”

“I feel in danger.”

She stares at me intently.

Her innocent reaction was so charming that I couldn’t believe she was an older Onee-san. I can’t help but feel more affectionate towards her while pretending to be calm.

I really like her.

“Still, you did well to hold out until the Golden Week.”

“Well, that’s the responsibility of an adult.”

“I wish we lived in a society where people could take a break without hesitation when they’re not feeling well.”

The first few days were as usual, but perhaps she let her guard down as we approached Golden Week. But her fever spiked and she fell ill by the time she returned to the apartment and we were eating dinner in my room.

While I understand Sensei’s high ‘professional consciousness’ and strong sense of responsibility, I worry about her tendency to put on a brave face like this.

Reiyu Tenjō is good at hiding what’s truly important.

“…I’m sorry for making you take care of me during the Golden Week.”

Tenjō-san apologizes, revealing half of her hidden face.

This person seems perfect but she’s surprisingly full of openings. That’s what makes her adorable.

Especially now. Weakened by her cold, she doesn’t make me feel the age difference as much as usual.

“Don’t worry about it, I didn’t have any other plans.”

“Really? Aren’t you going home? My fever has already peaked earlier, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

“It’s fine. Taking care of Tenjō-san is fun.”

“Stop saying things like that! I think your parents would be happier if you showed your face once in a while?”

“My family is on vacation, so there’s nobody at home even if I go back now.”

“Weren’t you invited?”

“I declined, saying I had plans with friends.”

Tenjō-san makes a grim face, looking as if she wants to say something. She’s charming even with such a stern expression.

“You said you didn’t have any other plans earlier.”

“I did say that.”

“Did you lie to your parents?”

“I see, Sensei doesn’t count as a friend.”

“That’s not the point.”

“But it all worked out in the end, right? If I hadn’t been here, you might have been bedridden with a high fever all alone. That must have been lonely.”

I couldn’t leave Tenjō-san suffering next door and go out by myself.

Tenjō-san also purses her lips into a frown, seemingly unable to fully deny it.

“You have a very convenient way of thinking.”

Huh, I’ll take that sarcastic remark as a compliment.

“The most important thing for me is Tenjō-san.”

“Don’t say things like that so casually!”

Tenjō-san was embarrassed.

“Since you’ve eaten dinner and sweated a bit. Should I help you with the bath? Oh, I need to bring my swimsuit from next door.”

“No, you don’t have to.”

“But you came into my bathroom in a swimsuit when I was sick.”

Tenjō-san came in wearing a swimsuit when I had a cold, which made me really flustered.

She’s the advisor of the swimming club and flaunted her well-maintained body without hesitation. It was very beautiful and provocative, an image that’s still burned into my mind and won’t fade away.

“That was just because I was worried about you…”

“I think I was about to develop a fetish for competitive swimsuits because of that.”

“Forget about it!”

I’m scolded while she’s lying in bed.

“By the way, I have a special remedy for colds. Want to try it?”

“What?”

“Sleeping together in the same bed. I can even offer my arm as a pillow for one night.”

“Rejected.”

She flatly refused with a very serious face.

“You’re very much an adult in that respect, Tenjō-san.”

“Of course. I am an adult after all.”

“And yet, I’m the one who’s recovered.”

“Yuunagi-kun~”

Tenjō-san glares at me.

“Joking aside——Is there anything else you need?”

I also return to my serious nursing mode.

“I can take care of the rest myself. Oyasumi.”

Tenjō-san pulled the blanket back over herself.

I gathered the empty dishes and took them to the kitchen, quickly finishing up the dishwashing.

In this manner, the days as neighbors for Nishiki Yuunagi and Reiyu Tenjō continued with their relationship ebbing and flowing like waves, ambiguously transforming between a student and a teacher, a junior and a senior, then a male and a female—relationships that were both close and distant.

A call comes in on the smartphone I had placed next to the kitchen.

The displayed name is Nishiki Kaguya. (錦にしき輝夜かぐや)

She was my stepsister.

“…Just enjoy the family trip quietly.”

I made the excuse that my hands were soapy and, as usual, didn’t answer the phone.

The Neighbor Agreement decided between Nishiki Yuunagi and Reiyu Tenjō is as follows:

【Clause 1: The fact that we are neighbors is a secret just between the two of us.】

【Clause 2: In times of trouble, we help each other without hesitation.】

【Clause 3: Yuunagi Nishiki will prepare breakfast and dinner on weekdays. Reiyu Tenjō will contribute more to the food expenses.】

【Clause 4: The Neighbor Agreement can be terminated upon request by either party.】

【Clause 5: Additional rules can be decided upon as necessary through discussion.】

【Clause 6: Neither party shall have a romantic partner until graduation.】

On the last day of the Golden Week, Tenjō-san finally recovered.

Perhaps the accumulated fatigue had burst out all at once. Although she quickly overcame the peak of her high fever, the mild fever lingered for quite a while. Spending time leisurely in bed must have been a good rest for her.

Since she’s usually busy, it’s just right to take a good rest like this.

In the evening, I get a call from Sensei.

『Revival! Thanks for taking care of me. You saved me again.』

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

It’s a holiday, but since she just recovered, we applied Clause 2 of the Neighbor Agreement and decided to have dinner in my room.

『Let’s order pizza since it’s a special occasion.』

“Are you sure you’re okay with eating pizza after being sick?”

『I guess I’m craving junk food because I’ve recovered. Is there anything else you want to eat?』

“I’d be happy if there’s a seafood pizza.”

『Okay, I’ll order it. Let’s eat in your room when it arrives.』

So, we ended up having pizza for today.

While waiting for the pizza to arrive, I stand in the kitchen to prepare some simple side dishes.

Just as I’m about to make a salad, the doorbell rings.

“Huh, that seems a bit early for the pizza.”

It’s not yet the time Tenjō-san specified.

Well, it can arrive early sometimes, so I unlock the door without checking the peephole.

Standing there was a young girl.

A girl with glossy long hair, shoulders exposed as if anticipating summer, and a provocative short skirt. Her thin clothes that revealed her body lines gave off a gal-like impression.

For a moment, I couldn’t recognize who she was.

On the contrary, she raises her hand lightly while offering a bright and innocent smile.

“Yuu-kun, long time no see! Have you been well?”

I realize my mistake a beat too late.

And once opened, I couldn’t close the door again.

“Kaguya…”

Taking advantage of my stunned state, she immediately steps into the entrance.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget about me?”

How much simpler life would be if I could just forget her.

The visitor was Nishiki Kaguya—my stepsister.

My first sister who came into my life when my mother remarried when I was in junior high.

With a two-year age difference, Kaguya is now in her third year of junior high. She seems more mature than the last time I saw her.

The past I had distanced myself from suddenly appeared before me.

“You surprised me by showing up out of the blue.”

I suppress my emotions and try to remain as calm as possible.

“I was surprised too that you opened the door so easily. Here, this is a souvenir from our family trip. Savor it and feel guilty for your absence.”

Kaguya thrusts a paper bag filled with souvenirs at me, intending to enter the room right away.

“Hold on, don’t just come in.”

“I brought it all the way here. You could at least serve me some tea.”

Then Kaguya takes off her shoes as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I didn’t ask for any souvenirs.”

“You don’t have to ask for me to be considerate and buy them. That’s what souvenirs are for. You, Yuu-kun, should be grateful instead for brazenly skipping a family bonding event.”

Her argument is as one-sided as ever.

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“I told you I couldn’t make it.”

“Adjusting schedules is what true families do! I was really looking forward to it.”

Kaguya turns around and stares at me intently.

“I had important business to attend to.”

“Yuu-kun, you’re not as sociable as I am, aren’t you?”

She easily dismisses my vague excuse.

“So what if I’m not?”

“…Could it be that you got a girlfriend?”

“I don’t.”

“——It seems so. Yuu-kun, you’re bad at lying, so it seems like you wouldn’t be able to cheat on someone.”

Why do I have to face such remarks from my stepsister as soon as we reunite?

While irritated by my stepsister’s selfish attitude, I maintain my composure.

“My love life is none of your business.”

“I’d be shocked if you had a lover before me.”

“Don’t fuel some strange rivalry. You’re just a junior high schooler.”

“Ah, there you go treating me like a child again. Let’s treat each other as equals, okay?”

She sidles up to me like a cat and grabs my arm.

“The fact that you’re younger than me is just that—a fact.”

“I think it’s questionable to assert dominance based on age difference.”

“It will cost you in the future if you don’t learn how to speak properly.”

“Someone like me being a bit cheeky is actually found cute and endearing.”

“I don’t find it endearing.”

Regardless of my wishes, Kaguya proceeds down the hallway and tries to enter my living space.

“Now, let’s see if you’ve been living a debauched life during the Golden Week all by yourself? I’m going to look for signs of a woman.”

Kaguya hums to herself, clearly interested in love stories.

“I have not!”

I break free from her grip and stand in front of her.

I had been nursing my neighbor and spending my time leisurely. It was a very wholesome and peaceful holiday.

“Hey, I’m hungry by the way. Might as well feed me dinner too.”

Kaguya casually makes lays out her demands one after the other.

“Don’t be so selfish.”

“Your cute little sister came back from her trip and came straight to her beloved Onii-chan’s house. Ah, this is a sister who cares for her brother. Doesn’t that just make you want to welcome me with open arms?”

“You should have gone straight home to rest from your trip You have school tomorrow, right? Why did you come here?”

“Do you have a reason not to let me in your room?”

“My room is messy.”

“Okay, that’s a doubt! Yuu-kun, you’re diligent, so you must have done at least the minimum cleaning. I’m coming in!”

She pushes me aside and slips through.

Damn, it’s troublesome when she’s got a grasp on my living habits.

“Hmm. Doesn’t look like there are any women’s clothes around.”

Kaguya suddenly opens the closet and checks its contents.

“Hey, don’t rummage through my room without permission.”

“I was asked to check on Yuu-kun’s life by our mother. Or what, do you have something to hide?”

“I’m the owner of this room. Don’t do as you please.”

“Oh, no need to be so stiff about it.”

Since there’s nothing weird in particular I’d be troubled to have her see, I give up and sit down at the edge of the bed, letting her do as she pleases.

No matter how much I warn her, Kaguya shows no signs of listening to me.

In the end, as her older brother (ani), I just have to put up with her.

It’s always like this.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything interesting…”

She checks for a while and, seemingly satisfied, sits down next to me as if it’s natural.

“Why do you come next to me when there’s a lot of space in the middle?”

I send her a dubious glance.

“It’s hard to talk when we’re far away, right? Hey.”

She smirks like a devil without any sign of remorse.

“Every time, nothing good happens when you get close to me.”

“You’re being too cautious with you stepsister.”

“Then act appropriately as a stepsister. Barging into a guy’s room and doing as you please is too annoying.

“I used to go to Yuu-kun’s room to play at home thought.”

“That’s because you’d make a fuss if I refused.”

“In the end, you go along with me. That’s why I like you, Yuu-kun.”

My stepsister cunningly spreads her charm. Her sweet poison was of such poor quality that those inexperienced in love would instantly misunderstand her.

“Hey-hey, why didn’t you come on the trip?”

“It’s embarrassing for a high school student to go on a family trip.”

“Liar. You definitely don’t think that way.”

She easily sees through my act.

“…Are mom and stepdad doing well?”

Instead of answering, I ask a question.

“They’re doing fine. Both of them are getting along well. I’m also getting along well with stepmother.”

I’m somewhat relieved by my stepsister’s report.

“I see. Well, thanks for the souvenir.”

When I express my gratitude, Kaguya grins.

“You’re welcome. Make sure you appreciate it when you eat it!”

Kaguya suddenly hugs me around the neck.

“Idiot, don’t cling to me! Get off!”

“Is Yuu-kun embarrassed? Cute~~”

“Stop sticking to me so casually! Learn some restraint! You’re too close.”

“Do you hate me?”

Leaning against my body, she whispered into my ear.

“It would have been easier if I could just hate you…”

I glanced at Kaguya and muttered as if talking to myself.

“What do you mean by that?”

Kaguya pouts her lips.

“You have no sense of personal space. Have some restraint.”

“There’s no problem because I like Yuu-kun.”

“That’s a big problem.”

Then, there was a rustling sound of something falling to the floor.

Looking down, it was a box of pizza. It seems the pizza delivery was completed while Kaguya and I were causing a commotion.

The person who received it had brought it to my room.

When I looked up, Tenjō-san was standing there.

“Oh my, Yuunagi-kun. Having a good time flirting with a girl in your room, I see.”

I froze as if time had stopped.

I forgot to breathe and couldn’t move.

Tenjō-san had a perfect smile on her face, but don’t be fooled. I could tell she was secretly furious.

True, Tenjō-san and I are not dating.

We’re not dating, but she’s definitely misunderstanding this as cheating.

Cold sweat trickles down my back.

“Who is that Onee-san? Don’t tell me Yuu-kun, you really are living a debauched life?”

Still clinging to me, Kaguya innocently asks without noticing the tense atmosphere emanating from Tenjō-san.

“I guess eternal love is just an illusion after all.”

Tenjō-san murmured as if lamenting the transience of the world.

Suddenly, her expression went blank, and her eyes swirled with emptiness.

Far from shouting in anger, her emotions seemed to have cooled off in an instant.

Of course, it would make her look so despairing if you show a scene that digs into Reiyu Tenjō’s trauma.

She then attempts to silently leave the room like a ghost, leaving the pizza behind.

This person tends to flee at the first sign of panic!

But there’s no way I can let our neighborly relationship end with such a stupid misunderstanding.

I shouted with all my might at her departing back.

“This girl is my stepsister!!!!”

***

TL: Hiraeth