Teacher Chazhu's Talk

[First-year Class D students Mu Tianchen and Ayanokouji, your homeroom teacher Chazhu has something to discuss with you. Please proceed to the faculty office.]

Repeating: first-year...

The classroom broadcast came through in a flat, emotionless voice.

Mu Tianchen froze for a moment, but still got up and left, with Ayanokouji following close behind.

"Huh? Mu Tianchen? Do we have someone by that name in our class?"

After hearing the broadcast, Ike seemed a bit puzzled; the name probably didn't ring a bell for him.

"He's a good-looking guy sitting next to Takagahara. Apparently he transferred in, just like Wang Meiyu," a female student reminded him.

"Oh, right. But why doesn't he ever talk in class?"

"Maybe he's just a bit of a loner."

"Could be..."

Mu Tianchen left the classroom and headed straight for the faculty office. He didn't want to waste time on this.

"Hey, wait up."

Ayanokouji's voice came from behind. Since the broadcast had called him too, Mu Tianchen decided to stop and wait for him.

"Mu Tianchen, do you know why Teacher Chazhu wants to see us?" Ayanokouji asked directly once he caught up.

"Huh? No idea. Do you have any clue?"

This was clearly a probe—he wasn't stupid.

"I don't know either," Ayanokouji replied.

"Then let's go see what's up."

"Fine."

Well, that conversation ended way too fast, no cracks showing at all.

They walked side by side for a while before Ayanokouji spoke again:

"Hey... did I meet you somewhere when we were kids?"

"You must be mistaken. I stayed in my home country the whole time as a kid, only transferred here recently to study. By the way, I usually see you getting along pretty well with your desk mate Horikita. Are you two dating or something?"

"No way, we're just desk mates. Not even friends, really."

He really was from that room—good memory too, since they'd only met that one time.

"Haha, everyone seems to suspect something between you two, since Horikita only ever talks to you."

Ayanokouji: "..."

Before they knew it, they'd reached the faculty office door.

"Excuse me."

Mu Tianchen knocked first. After getting permission, they both entered.

But judging by the voice that answered, the person inside wasn't Teacher Chazhu.

The office wasn't very big—two desks, one empty, and at the other sat a female teacher looking into a mirror. Teacher Chazhu was indeed not there.

Mu Tianchen glanced at Ayanokouji, who took the hint and spoke:

"Um... excuse me, is Teacher Chazhu here?"

"Huh? You're looking for Saeko? I think she was just here. Maybe she stepped out for something."

The teacher who turned around had slightly wavy hair and a pretty face, though she seemed a bit listless.

"I see. Then we'll come back later," Mu Tianchen said, patting Ayanokouji on the shoulder.

He immediately turned to leave the office too.

"Wait a sec, don't be in such a hurry. Let's chat a bit—Saeko will be here soon."

Since the teacher was asking them to stay, they couldn't very well refuse, so they turned back.

"I'm Chie Hoshimiya, homeroom teacher of Class B. Your teacher and I were best friends in high school, and we call each other 'Saeko' and 'Chie,' you know."

"Oh," they replied in unison. Though honestly, they both thought she'd just shared some pretty useless info.

"So, why did Saeko call you two out? I'm really curious—can you tell me? Pretty please?"

"Well, we don't know either." Seeing Ayanokouji stay silent, Mu Tianchen answered directly.

"What, you don't know either? Saeko's so mean... Well then, what are your names?"

"I'm Mu Tianchen."

"I'm Ayanokouji."

"You're both pretty handsome. Must be popular with everyone, right? Got girlfriends or anything?"

This teacher was way too familiar. Such a contrast to Teacher Chazhu—no idea how they normally got along.

"No," Mu Tianchen replied flatly.

"And what about you?" Teacher Hoshinomiya turned to look at Ayanokouji.

"I haven't either."

"Teacher, he's lying to you. He's really close with his deskmate, almost like they're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Is that so?!" Teacher Hoshinomiya seemed to have heard something quite shocking.

"Mu Tianchen, please don't joke around. Teacher Hoshinomiya, Horikita and I are just deskmates—we're not even friends, and I'm not popular in class." Ryoji refuted.

"Really? I honestly couldn't tell. Handsome guys like you—if you were in my class, I definitely wouldn't leave you alone, you know."

What did she mean by that? Mu Tianchen felt this wasn't just casual conversation; there seemed to be an underlying meaning.

"Hoshinomiya, what are you doing to my students?"

Teacher Chazhu suddenly appeared from the office doorway, swiftly came up beside Teacher Hoshinomiya, and smacked her head hard with the lesson materials in her hand, producing a loud thud.

After being hit, Chie Hoshimiya immediately crouched down, clutching her head as if in great pain.

This scene left Mu Tianchen and the other a bit stunned, as if to say, "Is this what Teacher Hoshinomiya meant by being on good terms?!"

"That hurts... Saeko, what are you doing?!"

"It's because I caught you harassing the students in my class."

"This isn't harassment at all! Saeko, you're too much. They came looking for you and didn't find you, so when they saw me, they pestered me to chat with them to pass the time."

Teacher Hoshinomiya put on a very aggrieved expression.

She was the one who came over to talk to us first, wasn't she...

"Then just ignore them. Enough of that—you two, follow me to the guidance office!"

Teacher Chazhu shifted her tone, her sharp gaze fixed on Mu Tianchen and the other.

She was the one who was late, yet she acted like we were the ones who did something wrong. It was all that Teacher Hoshinomiya's fault—we were truly wronged.

"Can't we just do it here? You say go to the guidance office... did we do something wrong?"

Ryoji asked with a pitiful look.

He was probably faking it, right? Mu Tianchen decided to back him up.

"I'd prefer to stay here too."

"Shut up! Get over here now, or I'll have you expelled!"

Although they didn't believe Teacher Chazhu, as a homeroom teacher, had the authority to expel students at will, they still obediently followed.