"I don't deny what I did." Shizuka Hiratsuka's voice was serious, completely lacking the ease she showed around Dong Yunshan and Yukino Yukinoshita. "Although I didn't expect things to turn out like this, I don't think it's a bad thing. The Service Club really is a suitable place for them."
"The Service Club? Under the noble banner of accepting students' requests and helping them..." Haruno Yukinoshita, reclining against the headboard, set down her book and shifted as she looked at the ceiling. "In the end, it's just an isolation ward that locks problem children who can't adapt to society together."
"...Perhaps." Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled. "But they're all interesting, and I like them—maybe I just want to keep people like that close."
"You're still doing something so pointless..." Haruno Yukinoshita raised a hand and gently rubbed the faint callus on her middle finger. "Because you can't hold on to the time that has passed, are you repeating things you did when you were young and pretending you're still young?"
"Urgh..." Shizuka Hiratsuka made a sound like she had taken a hit.
Those sisters really knew how to hurt people.
But...
"How rare." The amusement in Shizuka Hiratsuka's voice deepened. "There's such sincere resentment in the perfect young lady's voice. Looks like you've been through quite a few interesting things lately."
Haruno Yukinoshita lowered her gaze. "...Isn't this what you wanted to see?"
That's right... Shizuka Hiratsuka's thoughts drifted.
Back then, Haruno Yukinoshita had not yet become the perfect young lady she was now.
She had merely been a diligent, good student, clumsily hiding her helplessness.
But Shizuka Hiratsuka had not been the mature teacher she was now, either.
She had been unable to offer Haruno Yukinoshita the right kind of help.
All she could do was watch her gradually become more