Kissing My Student, It's Over if We're Caught-Chapter 4Volume 1 .2 - Trauma: Separation

I might be Exaggerating  a bit too much, but today’s okonomiyaki was absolutely spot on. The crunchy texture of the cabbage, the perfect ratio of squid to pork… and above all, the irresistibly tempting heap of sauce and mayonnaise that’s undoubtedly bad for the body.

It’s the kind of flavor that makes you crave a drink.

…At that thought, a silence fell over my mind reflexively.

My mood plummeted in an instant.

“What? Not again?”

“…Yes.”

I was still feeling down about the worst alcohol mishap, which was still fresh in my memory.

Me… with a student… with Kirihara… and not even remembering it…

Though no complaint was filed, the fact that I had broken the law weighed heavily, very heavily, on my conscience.

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“Gin, you’re too serious. It’s in the past, can’t be helped, right?”

“That’s not the point!”

I widened my eyes in protest, but Kirihara seemed unfazed, as if asking, “Really?”

“If you don’t get caught, it’s fine.”

“…It’s not about that. It’s a problem within me…”

Despite saying so, not wanting the okonomiyaki to go cold, I took another bite.

“I didn’t hate it, so it’s fine.”

Ever since that night, Kirihara has been in high spirits.

With summer vacation in full swing, and our roles as teacher and student reversed with more time spent at home, she’s been clinging to me to her heart’s content.

Moreover, it seems like she’s savoring the fact that we’ve crossed a line.

Previously, there was an air of desperation about her, as if she was trying hard to hold on to me.

That’s gone now.

…Specifically, she stopped saying she wanted to “go all the way” with me.

She occasionally mentions how happy she is without needing to do that. Coming home exhausted from unfamiliar training or a day as a substitute advisor, her cheerful welcome is something I’m very grateful for.

I’m happy too, but… the fact that this happiness stemmed from my worst behavior as an “adult” makes it hard for me to accept it openly.

I was feeling really conflicted.

“So, you hated doing that with me? That would hurt, you know.”

For the first time in a while, she pouted slightly, starting to sulk.

When it gets to this point, it’s troublesome, so it’s better to switch gears forcefully.

“…Sorry. My bad.”

“No worries. Thank you for the meal.”

Kirihara took the dishes to the sink, rinsing them lightly with water. Doing so makes the sauce stains easier to remove.

After finishing with the dishes, Kirihara kissed me.

“It was delicious. Thank you, as always.”

“…You’re welcome.”

I couldn’t help but think she was cute, which was the hardest part to deal with.

…What should I do about this?

“Speaking of the Obon holiday.”

“Hmm? Ah…”

“Today, I ordered something like this.”

She cleared a space on the table, where several brochures were spread out.

Information magazines about traveling, with covers featuring “Hot Springs,” “Beach Swimming,” “Gourmet Tours” prominently displayed.

“Uh… what’s this?” I asked candidly.

“Since we have the holiday, why don’t we go somewhere?”

“…That’s sudden.”

“It just came to me. It’s summer, after all. If we go far enough, we won’t have to worry about being recognized, and we can go on a date without disguises, don’t you think?”

Normally, whenever Kirihara and I go out together, we always disguise ourselves.

“It’s unavoidable, but it feels a bit suffocating,” we had discussed before.

Going to a distant place… I could understand the sentiment.

“Do you want to go?”

“Yeah. Booking an overnight stay might be too late now, but a day trip might be possible… What do you think? The trains won’t be as crowded as cars. How about this hot spring?”

She opened a magazine to a page she had bookmarked.

“It is recommended to stop by and enter the hot spring of any shop. It’s famous for being a cool getaway. Even just strolling through the souvenir shops can be a nice change of pace.

“Hmm…”

“Not interested? Want to relax at home?”

“No, it’s not that. We have a few days off for Obon, so I think it’d be okay to go for one day…”

There’s a fear of running into someone we know.

If anyone saw Kirihara and me together outside of school, it would be game over.

But Kirihara, looking hopeful, was waiting for my positive response.

“…”

“…”

“…I’ll disguise myself, but if that’s okay, then…”

Her face lit up with a smile.

“Then let’s book the train tickets right away! We’re going on a special express train with a view of the sea!”

Kirihara busily arranged the trip on her smartphone while browsing through the magazine.

Though it’s just a day trip, securing train tickets seemed to be almost all that was needed.

“What about food? Should we buy bento at the station?”

“Those things are usually overpriced for the amount they give, so it might be better to bring some onigiri.”

I had a bitter memory of a slight argument over this during a trip with an ex-girlfriend.

“Bento! That’s a great idea! It’s getting exciting! Hey, hey, hey, can I request fillings for the onigiri?”

“I like salmon.”

“I want tarako too!” (tln: salted pollock roe)

“…And umeboshi?” (tln : salted jp plum)

“I want! Can we also do tuna mayo?”

“Just mix tuna with mayonnaise.”

“Really? Then, what about…”

Kirihara’s requests for onigiri fillings continued for a while. Just discussing what to put in them seemed to make her incredibly happy.