Chapter 229

She had seen Miss Lily many times already.

Although Miss Lily never promised her when she would come, Miss Lily would be waiting for her in this place whenever she felt sad.

This time... it will definitely be the same.

But today, it's Teacher Haihara's here.

She certainly didn't dislike the teacher or not want to see Teacher Haihara; it's just that she couldn't talk to Teacher Haihara about Silver Feather.

Therefore, coupled with the fact that she has been unable to transform into Silver Feather since yesterday, Kirishima Ai's panic and anxiety have reached their peak. When facing Haihara, she feels even more helpless and unable to confide in anyone.

Kirishima Ai lowered her head.

Then, Haihara opened her mouth slightly, then quickly closed it again.

She then spoke in a tone very similar to when she used to talk to Kirishima Ai:

"There's no such teacher. I've never heard of one, and there aren't any teachers on this floor with that strange name."

Actually, there are some differences.

However, when Kirishima Ai heard Teacher Haihara say this, she instinctively felt that it was a bit too much.

So, she adopted her old, argumentative tone:

"That's not surprising at all..."

After speaking, Kirishima Ai realized that her tone had sounded a bit defiant.

She paused for a moment, realizing that her tone had been terrible when speaking to Teacher Haihara.

But Teacher Haihara's reaction remained as calm as ever.

"Yes, it's not surprising at all."

She nodded instead.

After that, the air fell silent and became awkward, just like before.

This atmosphere was ended by Haihara, who was an adult.

She patted Kirishima Ai's head, then said in that cold yet gentle voice:

"It's getting late, and they're locking up soon. Hurry home."

Kirishima Ai felt Haihara's gentle hand on her head, her eyes instinctively felt a little sore.

This is just too strange.

What is she thinking?

Kirishima Ai herself didn't know.

She said "I'm sorry" to Teacher Haihara, then picked up her schoolbag, said goodbye to Teacher Haihara, and left the school on this snowy night.

Haihara locked the Materials Room door alone. Just before locking it, she glanced at her usual drinking spot, but that glance quickly faded, and the door closed behind her until darkness fell.

Then, the lights in the corridor were turned off one by one.

Haihara the last person to leave school tonight.

After returning home, Haihara lay on the bed, hugging her blanket without covering herself, as if she were hugging someone, her face pressed against the pillow.

Her gaze rarely shifted; she quietly stared at a corner she wasn't actually looking at, so she was actually daydreaming.

Right now, the only one who noticed her like this was the little dog.

Cangyue Yuri Aozuki noticed that the lady of the house, Haihara, didn't seem to be in a good mood today.

A while ago, a man named Suzuki invited Ms. Haihara, and Ms. Haihara seemed happy and was in a good mood for several days. However, she has been sullen ever since she returned home today.

She really wanted to know who had upset Haihara- san.

Unfortunately, she's just a puppy now and can't say anything to comfort Haihara.

So all she could do was move closer to Haihara, nuzzle her face against Haihara, and then try to hug Haihara.

After that, Haihara reached out and hugged Cangyue Yuri back, holding the puppy-like girl in her arms. Her expression was gloomy and low as she lowered her head, gently resting her chin on Cangyue Yuri's head.

Cangyue Yuri naturally noticed her forlorn expression.

It turns out that Haihara- san, who always seemed aloof and quiet, could also make such an expression.

Why is that?

Haihara, her heart heavy, hugged the little dog that might belong to her, remaining unchanged, yet, just as before, she seemed somewhat defeated as she said:

"As expected... it's still different."

She didn't know why she suddenly felt so bad, or why she was throwing a tantrum like a child.

However, just like having a cold and fever, she couldn't help but complain about everything in the empty room.

No matter what, it's still different.

Haihara has always been very willful.

So she always doubts herself and then feels disappointed.

"... That's really stupid."

Chapter Thirty-Four: Ms. Suzuki's Birthday

Kuroki Yuka is facing a big problem today.

Having stayed indoors for a long time, she was told by her Aunt a few days ago that she would be taken to visit the city museum, specifically the Witch- themed museum exhibition, which was officially open today.

Although her Aunt had always been very kind to her, and today was her Aunt's birthday, the things her Aunt told her in the past made her feel a sense of fear.

That is— my Aunt said she was going to bring her colleagues from school along.

This terrified Kuroki Yuka.

What she least wants to encounter right now is anything related to school, especially teachers. Although she's heard that teachers' lives are very different from their school lives... her Aunt said that this particular teacher was a Chinese literature teacher.

There was nothing she could do, so she cut her hair a couple of days ago and started getting ready early this morning, changing into an outfit that she felt ready to go out.

Considering that the museum wasn't far from her apartment, Kuroki Yuka planned to cycle there early in the morning.

When she went outside, she found that Haihara- san had also gone out, and she was dressed more beautifully than ever before.

It's really beautiful.

This was the first time Kuroki Yuka had ever seen such a beautiful and feminine short-haired woman. Moreover, Haihara- san's skin was already delicate and fair without makeup; in fact, she needed makeup to add a touch of color.

After they met outside, the two looked at each other.

Haihara said curiously:

"It's rare to see you go out."

Afterwards, she looked Kuroki Yuka up and down and noticed that Kuroki Yuka was dressed very cutely today.

The gray cardigan she was wearing suited her very well.

It's fair to say she has a bit of the pretty high school girl vibe she had when they first met.

It's a shame there aren't any JK skirts, but Haihara thinks it's strange to wear skirts in winter, even though many women around her don't care about the cold and still wear skirts.

"Miss Haihara, are you leaving so early today?"

Kuroki Yuka looks well-behaved and polite, showing no trace of the gloomy, reclusive girl she was a while ago.

The person in front of him nodded.

"You're going to visit a museum in the city. Where are you going?"

Haihara gave a casual reply.

After she finished answering, Kuroki Yuka showed a slightly surprised expression.

After a while, Kuroki Yuka replied:

"... I'm also going there with my family."

Haihara pondered for a moment after hearing this.

That poor kid, staying home all day with no one to take Haihara makes Haibara think she's an orphan like herself.

Now that I think about it, I realize this child did have a family.

And they're in the same city.

I really don't know what my family is thinking.

As a teacher and a mother, Haihara couldn't understand why Kuroki Yuka had fallen to her current family situation, but since it was someone else's business, she couldn't criticize too much.

Since it was such a coincidence that they were both going to the museum, Haihara thought that if no one was going to pick her up, she might as well take her there herself.

"Is someone coming to pick you up?"

She looked at Kuroki Yuka until she saw her shake her head and say that she would ride her bike there.

I never knew this little girl could ride a bike.

After all, in Haihara's memory, apart from today, Kuroki Yuka usually wears very long skirts, so it's hard to imagine her riding a bicycle.

"I'll give you a ride, but I need to pick someone up, so I'll have to take a slightly longer route."

If you're driving, it won't take long to pick up Ms. Suzuki, and the whole trip to the museum will only take about ten minutes, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Besides, the weather has been getting colder lately, so taking a car is much more comfortable than riding a bike.

Kuroki Yuka's eyes widened slightly, but then she suddenly felt a little happy, after all, someone was willing to drive her, and it was Haihara no less.

"Thank you, Haihara."

Kuroki Yuka happily moved closer to Haihara.

On the other side, just as Haihara was about to close the door, the little dog inside barked forlornly at her.

Haihara then squatted down and patted the puppy's head, making the puppy wag its tail.

"You stay home obediently, I'll be back this afternoon."

On the other side, Kuroki Yuka also bent down to look at the beautiful little dog.

She had a pretty good impression of the puppy.

Because she is very pretty, well-behaved, and intelligent, but a little too quiet, she gives off a shy and reserved vibe.

After that, Kuroki Yuka into Haihara's car.

She noticed that it appeared to be a luxury car.

Well, although she doesn't know much about cars, this car definitely gives off an expensive and high-end vibe.

Was Haihara- san really that rich?

She was filled with curiosity about Haihara, but the car soon started moving.

Then, perhaps because she was thinking about what she would be facing at the museum later, Kuroki Yuka chatted with Haihara for a few minutes every now and then.

With Haihara- san around, going to the museum later will be a bit more reassuring, since Haihara- san might be nearby while they're there.

This idea came to an abrupt end once they arrived on land.

After Haihara met the person she had mentioned, an eerie silence fell over the car. Both Ms. Suzuki and Kuroki Yuka looked dazed.

Although the explanation had already been given, it wasn't until quite some time after the car started moving again, while Haihara was waiting at the traffic light, that Ms. Suzuki finally spoke:

"Haha, what a coincidence...!"

Ms. Suzuki, who had dressed up carefully, couldn't help but smile after thinking about what had just happened.

To be honest, she was indeed stunned for quite a while after seeing Kuroki Yuka in Haihara's car.

However, although it seems too coincidental at first glance, it actually makes perfect sense upon closer inspection.

The apartment that Suzuki rented for Kuroki Yuka was located near Kaedehara High School, where many of the Kaedehara High School's teachers lived. Suzuki chose this apartment specifically for Kuroki Yuka.

It turned out that her niece had been living next door to her colleague all along.