In the afternoon, under Hiratsuka Shizuka's lead, the class gathered outside the school building.
Another class was already in the middle of their graduation photo shoot. Everyone was standing as per the photographer's directions, with positions being adjusted as needed.
Standing beside Hiratsuka, Ichin glanced at the group ahead and asked, "Hiratsuka-sensei, we're up next, right?"
"Yeah, we're next," she nodded.
"Graduation photos, huh… This is the second graduating class I've led all the way from first to third year. That means I've been homeroom teacher for six years straight."
Hearing her sentimental tone, Ichin smiled and asked, "Doesn't it make you a bit sad seeing your students graduate?"
"It's not too bad. More than sadness, it's just a lot of emotion. I mean, among the students I've taught, there've been plenty of troublemakers who gave me headaches."
She punctuated her words by giving Ichin a light smack on the head.
"Like you and Utaha—you two gave me plenty of trouble too."
"Whoa now, don't go making stuff up, Hiratsuka-sensei! I'm a model student!"
Ichin declared righteously. "It's just that I started my business a little early, so I had to take the occasional leave. And honestly, with students like me who actually study well, you're lucky to meet one every few years. You should take notes from how the grade director and principal treat us!"
"Tch. Getting bold now, huh?"
Hiratsuka rolled her eyes, then let out a chuckle.
"But seriously, you and Utaha are probably the most outstanding students I've had in years. Once you get to university, keep up the good work. There are plenty of geniuses at Todai."
"Geniuses? I'm not scared of those."
Ichin said it with unwavering confidence.
Whether in the past or now, he wasn't being arrogant—he'd always been a genius. He never feared comparisons with others.
As for Todai's so-called geniuses?
Well, those in the computer science department were the only ones who might catch his attention. If any of them were really good, maybe he could even recruit them to his company.
Just then, Utaha walked over and linked arms with him.
"Ichin, what were you chatting with Hiratsuka-sensei about?"
"About her students, and what's ahead for us at Todai."
Seeing the two of them all lovey-dovey, Hiratsuka's face immediately twisted into an expression of disgust, and she scooted to the side.
Moments ago, she had felt a bit sentimental about her students graduating, but now? She couldn't wait to see them off—at least then she wouldn't be constantly subjected to this couple's public displays of affection.
Roughly ten minutes later, the class ahead finished their photo shoot, and it was Hiratsuka's class's turn.
Clapping her hands, Hiratsuka gathered the students and led them over. Under the photographer's guidance, they lined up according to height.
Utaha had originally wanted to stand next to Ichin, but since the boys were arranged in the back and the girls in the front, she ended up in the front row, beside homeroom teacher Hiratsuka.
As the photographer adjusted others' positions, Hiratsuka leaned slightly toward Utaha and teased with a smirk,
"What's wrong? Feeling a little disappointed you can't stand next to Ichin?"
"Just a little," Utaha admitted honestly.
"But only a little. This is a group photo for the entire class, so I won't make selfish demands over something like this."
"Hmm~"
Hiratsuka gave her a curious look.
"If this were two years ago—before Ichin showed up—you definitely wouldn't have said that. Tch, love really does change people."
Utaha didn't deny it. Her lips curled slightly into a smile as she stood quietly, waiting for the photo shoot to begin.
Soon, everyone's positions were finalized, and the photographer began taking the shots.
The school had hired a professional, and under his direction, it didn't take long to capture photos where everyone's smiles and expressions looked great.
After checking the results, the photographer nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, done. Next class!"
Hiratsuka let out a quiet sigh of relief. She was never fond of being in front of a camera.
Facing the students, she raised her voice.
"Okay, we're done here. Head back to the classroom! Don't rush off to your clubs just yet—I still have a few announcements!"
Everyone returned to the classroom. Standing at the podium, Hiratsuka looked around and said,
"With the photos done, we're one step closer to graduation. I know some of you took internal university exams and are still waiting for the results—don't worry, you'll get the news by the end of February, likely within the week.
"There won't be any more lessons, but you're still expected to come to school on time—no tardiness. There are some graduation-related activities coming up. If you need to attend interviews at the collages you applied to, come let me know first and take official leave. Got it?"
"Got it!!!"
After a few more reminders, Hiratsuka finally dismissed them for free time.
Utaha grabbed her bag and, just like in the morning, left the classroom with Ichin. They made their way to the Service Club room.
"Ichin, when are we heading to the office?"
Taking out his laptop, Ichin said,
"Let's wait a bit—until Eriri and Yukino finish class. Eriri mentioned yesterday that she wants to go work after school. And as for Yukino, her cat was brought to the office by Haruno this morning, so she's definitely coming too. Since they've got one more class, I'll use the time to start drafting the graduation speech."
It had been a while since Ichin last wrote a speech.
So before he began writing, he naturally opened his browser to search for well-written speech examples for reference.
Seeing that Ichin had started researching seriously, Utaha didn't bother him. She pulled her Switch from her bag, ready to play for a bit.
She was still hunting a shiny Gardevoir. She'd already spent several days on it and hoped today would be the lucky break.
A little after 3 p.m., class ended. Eriri and Yukino packed up and made their way to the Service Club room with their bags.
Opening the door, they found Ichin furiously typing away at his keyboard, while Utaha sat relaxed with her Switch, headphones on, clearly engrossed in her game.
Eriri let out a deep sigh.
"Every time I see them like this, I get so jealous."
Yukino nodded in agreement. After all, who wouldn't envy such a carefree life?
"If you want to live like this, just make sure you get early admission next year," Ichin said. "Then you'll be free too."
"And what about you, Yukino?" Eriri asked.
"Of course, I'm aiming for early admission too."
*