Chapter 342

A sweet, clear voice, as if someone was still eating, appeared behind Haihara.

Upon hearing this voice, Haihara froze.

She pretended she hadn't done anything, turned around, and then saw Takanashi Shiori biting into a cream-filled sweet bread.

She nibbled on it in small bites, but cream still got all over her face.

A hint of curiosity crossed his face.

Haihara noticed that she was holding a pale yellow sign with writing on it between her fingers.

"Let's see how many banners we've hung up. It would be a bit embarrassing if our class had a lot of banners."

As an adult, Haihara is very quick-witted and soon regained her composure, calmly answering Takanashi's question.

Takanashi seemed confused and didn't seem to care much about it.

"Yeah?"

She replied calmly, then held the small lottery ticket in her hand, looking up to see where she could hang it.

The girl's gaze began to rise, getting higher and higher.

I've heard that such wishes are more likely to come true if you hang them high up.

However, her height is only average.

Only 164.

"Teacher," Takanashi suddenly called to Haihara, looking at the woman with bright eyes, "Could you help me hang it a little higher?"

She handed the colored cards in her hand to Haihara.

Haihara looked at the colored card for a while, then took it.

She stared at it intently for a while before raising her arm and hanging it high up.

It looks like a height that even a Takanashi could never reach in its entire life.

"Alright."

Haihara clapped her hands.

Just then, she suddenly saw the girl in front of her holding the cream bread and offering it to her.

The crispy bread had already been bitten several times by the girl, and rich cream was seeping out from the uneven crumbs.

Then, the Takanashi and said in a crisp voice:

"Hard."

She blinked her docile, innocent eyes, like a tranquil stream.

This means that Haihara should take a bite.

Haihara glanced around but didn't see any other students.

Without wasting time, she lowered her head and took a bite.

There was more cream than she expected, and it even leaked out, but thankfully it wasn't too greasy.

She was about to get a tissue to wipe her mouth.

The next moment, she felt herself being hugged by the girl in front of her. It wasn't a quick process, but it was still so sudden that it was hard to react.

Takanashi hugged her, his thin, frail arms tightening slightly, and he buried his head in her chest.

Haihara was momentarily bewildered.

This isn't the weekend... it's school.

If someone were to discover that she was being hugged like this by one of the girls she was teaching, her teaching career would probably be over.

"Someone will see it."

She gently patted the Takanashi's back.

However, when she saw Takanashi's raised face, Haihara's words came to an abrupt halt.

It was only then that she realized the little girl looked excessively anxious, as if she were afraid of getting lost.

She heard the girl whisper to herself:

"Then hurry up and bring it back, then I'll let go."

The girl, who was usually somewhat sensible, was now revealing her rebellious nature.

Haihara had no way to help.

Slightly helpless, she stretched out her arms, hugged Takanashi's head, and patted the girl's hair.

At this moment, the unease in Takanashi's eyes began to melt away.

A slight smile appeared on her lips.

Then, standing on tiptoe, she laboriously used her arms to pull Haihara's head down, bringing the woman's face close to hers.

This contact lasted for a while.

After letting go, Takanashi licked the cream clean and released Haihara contentedly.

"Thank you, Mom. I'm going to play with my classmates now."

She waved to Haihara, then ran off.

Haihara was left alone, touching the wetness at the corner of her mouth, lost in thought.

That kid is quite the lecher.

Snowflakes landed on Haihara's head, burying or melting in her hair, which exuded the fragrance of a mature woman. Haihara blinked, thinking that since she had already achieved her goal, she could deal with the rest later.

Just as she was about to leave, another girl's figure approached from not far away.

The response also stalled.

She was a girl with black hair, fair skin, and a beautiful face. She gave the impression of a quiet and slightly melancholic well-behaved girl.

However, the reality is quite the opposite.

"Hello, Teacher Haihara. Haibara."

Kirishima Ai walked towards the Christmas tree, holding a small sky-blue sign in both hands.

After seeing Haihara, the girl couldn't hide her attention as she stared at Haihara standing by the tree.

This made Haihara wonder what was wrong with these Magic girls today.

No... what happened last night?

Compared to the cunning Takanashi, Kirishima seems much more down-to-earth.

She obediently walked to the tree, found a branch by herself, and then somewhat awkwardly hung up Christmas decorations.

However, she did not leave after hanging up.

The girl stood there, somewhat like she was being punished, but she was actually preparing and building up to something, though her movements were incredibly clumsy.

After a while, she reached out her hand and cautiously yet boldly took Haihara's hand.

"Merry Christmas, Teacher Haihara."

This bright, top student is now racking his brains to utter clumsy words.

Haihara appears unmoved:

Christmas is the day after tomorrow.

This almost made Kirishima Ai bite her tongue.

She shook her head, pretending to look around, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

Only after she regained her composure did she lower her head and try to ask more directly.

"What kind of Christmas present would you like to receive, Teacher Haihara?"

This is truly flattering.

Haihara never imagined she would receive a gift from Problem Child.

She pinched her chin, even seemingly pondering the question seriously.

However, no good result came of it.

"It's the thought that counts."

Haihara looked at Kirishima Ai and said.

Kirishima Ai responded with an "oh," but clearly, this answer did not reassure her.

Then she tentatively asked:

"Can we send some now?"

A little?

Haihara, recalling her recent experience, suddenly became wary.

This child probably wouldn't resort to sneak attacks like the little filial daughter, right?

She instinctively took a few steps back, then nodded somewhat uncertainly.

Then she saw Kirishima Ai take something rectangular out of her cotton coat.

It was wrapped very delicately with ribbon.

So she was just overthinking it...?

Then, in front of her, the girl presented the gift box to Haihara, saying:

"... I've been learning to bake chocolate lately."

The oven was borrowed from my mother.

She tasted it several times before packaging it, so it shouldn't be too bad.

It definitely looks like chocolate.

After realizing she was just overthinking things, Haihara looked at the gift, which still held a girlish sentiment. At that moment, Kirishima Ai's face was flushed, whether from the cold or the heat, it was hard to tell.

"Thanks."

Haihara accepted the gift gracefully and even reached out to pat Kirishima Ai's head.

"I'll return the favor later, go have fun."

---Although she knew that Kirishima Ai didn't have any friends to play with.

Kirishima Ai seemed content as she watched Teacher Haihara accept her gift.

Just like with Takanashi before, after settling down, the girl left Haihara.

No sooner Kirishima Ai left than Haihara turned around.

Then, she picked up the sign that Kirishima Ai had just hung up and began to spy on the students' little wishes.

Let's take a closer look at what's going on.

After memorizing Kirishima Ai's wish, Haihara seemed to remember something and turned her head to look around again, as if she had anticipated it.

As expected.

In the distance, the figure of a girl, slightly smaller than the average student, was walking this way.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a young idol.

She was also holding a small colorful sign, but it was pink.

As soon as she arrived, Sakaki Chika noticed that Teacher Haihara was standing there waiting, as if she had known she would come all along.

She blinked, looking slightly confused.

"Teacher, I..."

The little girl had barely begun speaking when Haihara said:

"Where do you want to hang it? I'll help you."

This surprised Sakaki Chika somewhat, but also pleased her.