Just like last time, it was very quiet when she went in. There was no one inside, and it didn't look like anyone would come by. It was as if everything that had happened before had been a dream.
Seeing that no one was there, Kirishima Ai felt a little disappointed at first.
But it had been the same last time. If she waited a little longer, maybe Miss Lily would show up.
She'd wait a little longer.
Kirishima Ai sat down in the dim Materials Room, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin lightly on her knees.
Time passed second by second. Outside the school, the sound of rain began at some point.
At first, the rain was light, but it soon grew heavy.
She hadn't brought an umbrella today. It would probably be a real hassle getting home later.
She'd wait a little longer, until the rain stopped.
That was what Kirishima Ai thought, but the rain never let up.
"..."
She waited like that for about half an hour, but Miss Lily still didn't come.
The Materials Room suddenly felt a little cold. She shivered, sneezed, and felt groggy, with every part of her aching terribly.
Kirishima Ai realized that she might have caught a cold today.
Thinking about it carefully, today wasn't even her day on duty, so maybe Miss Lily only showed up on that one day.
Besides, it was raining today, and Miss Lily probably needed to go home too.
Kirishima Ai's gaze dimmed.
Suddenly, the door to the Materials Room swung open. Kirishima Ai froze, then looked toward the doorway with a little excitement.
But the person standing there wasn't the Miss Lily she'd imagined. It was a woman about the same height as Miss Lily, but she wore glasses and had a gloomy, icy air about her.
The woman looked at Kirishima Ai in the corner.
"What are you doing?"
It was Teacher Haihara.
"I..."
Kirishima Ai didn't know how to explain.
But why had Teacher Haihara come to the Materials Room?
Teacher Haihara didn't wait for her to come up with an explanation.
"Whatever you're doing, I'm locking up. Hurry up and go home."
Teacher Haihara stood at the entrance to the dim Materials Room and jingled the keys in her hand, looking impatient as she shooed Kirishima Ai away.
So she'd come to lock the door that someone had forgotten to lock.
Kirishima Ai got up from the floor, but halfway to standing, she felt heavy and couldn't quite keep her balance.
She followed Teacher Haihara out of the Materials Room, then noticed that Teacher Haihara was looking at her.
"Your face is really red. Come here."
Kirishima Ai didn't know what was going on, but she still moved a little closer.
The other woman's not-so-warm hand rested against her forehead. After a moment, she pulled it away.
Haihara simply looked at her.
"You have a fever. Have you been like this all day?"
Kirishima Ai's face was still flushed an unnatural red. Looking confused, she nodded.
Haihara looked out the window. It was still raining heavily, with no sign of stopping. That morning, Kirishima Ai's hair had been soaking wet.
Thinking back, Kirishima Ai seemed to live alone, and she lived quite far from school. She usually rode her bike to and from school by herself.
"How are you planning to get home today?"
After locking the door, Haihara folded her arms and looked down at Kirishima Ai, who seemed to be in a terrible state.
"...By bicycle."
Kirishima Ai lowered her head without looking at her.
Haihara replied coldly,
"Call your parents and have them come get you."
The teacher's tone was as unpleasant as ever.
Kirishima Ai didn't know how to answer. Normally, she probably would have brushed it off, but today she just turned her head away and replied in an equally cold voice,
"They won't come get me..."
At Kirishima Ai's answer, Haihara furrowed her brow.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned cold.
After a while, Haihara took out her phone and seemed to type something, perhaps sending someone a text. Kirishima Ai stood there, feeling weaker and weaker.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now she really did seem to have a fever.
Then she heard Haihara say,
"Where do you live? I'll take you home."
Kirishima Ai looked up, confusion and uncertainty showing on her face.
She shook her head.
"I can ride my bike home..."
Haihara ignored her and simply put on the air of an adult.
Kirishima Ai didn't look like she had a low-grade fever. She had no umbrella, and she was still planning to ride her bike home. Even if nothing happened on the way, there was no way she'd be able to go to school the next day.
Besides, Haihara had been home alone with a high fever plenty of times before, and she had no desire to go through that again.
"Don't throw a tantrum like a child. I'm not your mother."
Looking after students was, more or less, part of her responsibilities as a teacher.
Her supply of teacherly virtue was still running high today.
"..."
Kirishima Ai fell silent.
Her mother wouldn't care about her anyway.
At the entrance to the school building, the teacher and student stood facing a school shrouded in rain. It was empty and quiet, with nothing but the rain swallowing the whole city and the honking of cars on the street.
Haihara slowly opened her umbrella, sheltering herself and Kirishima Ai. She tilted it slightly toward Kirishima Ai to make sure the girl wouldn't get wet.
"Come closer. Don't get soaked. You can probably hold on a little longer, right?"
Taxis in Neon were pretty expensive.
It would cost a lot to get from the school to Kirishima Ai's home.
So Haihara had borrowed a car.
After a while, Kirishima Ai edged closer to Haihara. Because of their difference in height, she ended up pressed against Teacher Haihara as if snuggling up to her.
At that moment, Kirishima Ai suddenly realized that Teacher Haihara really was an adult.
Mature and dependable.
Even if she was usually cold and distant.
The two of them slowly crossed through the rain and reached the school parking lot. It was a little cold, but Kirishima Ai had barely gotten wet.
Kirishima Ai spotted a car that looked like it was from a pretty good brand.
It seemed familiar.
It looked like the car of their young, beautiful principal.
She was a little confused, but she felt so awful that she didn't bother trying to figure it out.
Haihara took out the car key and unlocked it, then opened the back door and let Kirishima Ai get in first.
Afterward, Haihara got into the driver's seat and inserted the key rather awkwardly, starting the car one step at a time.
The engine came to life. Haihara waited for a moment, then glanced at the various controls in the car.
"...I haven't driven in a long time. You'd better pray we don't get into an accident."
Kirishima Ai thought Teacher Haihara was actually pretty funny sometimes.
But she didn't feel much like laughing right now.
The car soon started moving. Haihara wasn't very practiced, and it took her a while to even find the windshield wipers, but at least the rain was no longer falling on Kirishima Ai.
The car seemed nice and warm.
Haihara drove slowly through the crowded, chaotic streets, facing the falling rain. After a while, the car stopped again at a traffic light.
From the back seat, Kirishima Ai could see Haihara's back, and she could also see Haihara's almost expressionless face in the rearview mirror.
The rain continued to fall.
Who knew when it would finally stop...
A Woman Alone with a Young Girl
After getting stuck in traffic for more than ten minutes, the two of them arrived at the place where Kirishima Ai currently lived. Haihara got out first, opened her umbrella, then opened the back door and found that Kirishima Ai had fallen asleep inside.
Haihara gently patted Kirishima Ai, who woke up and saw Teacher Haihara standing outside with an umbrella.
Once again, she ducked beneath the other woman's umbrella.
At last, the two of them arrived at the place where Kirishima Ai currently lived.
Kirishima Ai took out her key and unlocked the door.
Beyond it was a small rental apartment, fairly tidy but cramped with all the stuff piled up inside.
It was quite a bit smaller than Haihara's place, probably about the size of two college dorm rooms.
This was where Kirishima Ai lived.
After entering the room, Kirishima Ai lowered her head and opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. After a while, she finally spoke in a quiet voice.
"Um... Teacher, thank you."
"Do you have any medicine at home?"
Haihara looked at Kirishima Ai.
"...No."
She hardly ever got sick. Even if she was injured, she was a magical girl, so she recovered quickly.
This was the only time she'd gotten a fever from being out in the rain.
"What are you planning to eat tonight?"
Normally, Kirishima Ai would cook for herself, but she didn't feel like making herself dinner today.
She'd probably go hungry all night.
"I have leftovers."
Kirishima Ai glanced away.
Haihara looked at her.
"Liar."
Whenever this kid said she'd forgotten her homework, she made the exact same face.
"Stay here. Is there a pharmacy nearby? I'll go buy you some medicine."
Before you continue