Chapter 143 – Miss Takizawa
"Ah… could this be…?"
"That's right, it's that kind of could this be. Once you see this, there's no turning back. If you're ready, I'll show you."
At those words, Ryoutarou's Adam's apple bobbed as he nervously swallowed.
If it were just a regular photo, Yukino wouldn't be saying something so dramatic. Resisting a shiver, Ryoutarou braced himself and said to Yukino:
"It's fine. Show it to me already."
Yukino seemed to see his resolve and chuckled softly. "Nice look in your eyes. Alright, let's start with this one."
The photo she handed over showed Takizawa-sensei sending Hikigaya flying with a punch. Takizawa's face was cropped out of the photo and couldn't be seen clearly.
"This is… Hachiman, right? He really got launched far."
"As you can see, Takizawa-sensei, like Shizuka-sensei, frequently uses the Iron Fist of Justice. Though, I've never seen her get violent with anyone else."
"So you're saying I should be prepared to get hit?"
At that response, both Yukino and Yui had the same suspicious thought. Yukino was considerate enough not to say it, but Yui blurted it out:
"Wait… Klein-senpai, are you actually a masochist?"
"Of course not! I don't have any weird fetishes like that!" Ryoutarou paled and vehemently denied it.
"The way you're desperately denying it makes it more suspicious."
"Give me a break! I'm a normal person, really! Believe me!"
"You're the one who said you were fine with it," Agil said with a sigh.
"Well… I mean, if that kind of thing happens, it'd probably be my fault, right? As a man, I should take responsibility, reflect, and accept punishment without making excuses."
"That's definitely masochism."
"A hundred percent masochist!"
"Hopeless masochist."
"Ahhh, give me a break already!" Ryoutarou screamed, holding his head as the three surrounded and teased him.
Seeing his flustered state, Yukino smiled gently. "Just joking. Actually, I don't think Takizawa-sensei wants someone who simply obeys everything she says. If you ever have a conflict, it's better to communicate your thoughts clearly."
"I see…"
Ryoutarou engraved those words into his heart.
"Next is this one." Yukino showed another photo, this time of Takizawa raising a ramen bowl and drinking the soup boldly.
Once again, her face was hidden behind the bowl.
"This was taken during a school trip. We snuck out to eat ramen. Actually, it was the teacher who wanted to sneak out from the hotel, but we caught her and she took us with her to keep us quiet."
Ryoutarou's eyes sparkled. "So she's not always so serious! I love ramen too!"
Yukino added teasingly, "By the way, she got two extra servings of noodles."
"That's awesome! I love that kind of boldness!"
"I see… that's good," Yukino murmured, a bit impressed by his open-mindedness.
At that moment, Yui passed over another photo. "Yuki, we should show him this one too, right?"
"Definitely," Yukino nodded. This photo, in a way, captured Takizawa Shizune's essence.
"Klein-senpai, look at this! Ta-da—Takizawa-sensei's special grilled meat rice bowl!"
The photo showed a dish made by Takizawa: plain white rice topped with grilled meat and drenched in sauce. It was simple, yet somehow full of power.
"Looks pretty normal. What's special about it?"
"Even though it's just rice and grilled meat with sauce, it's crazy delicious!"
Agil asked hesitantly, "Can this even be called cooking?"
"If it tastes good, that's all that matters!" Ryoutarou responded completely differently.
"That may be true… but still, cooking!" Agil's expression twisted with complex emotions—as a professional chef, it was understandable.
"And there's no way she eats this every day, right?" Ryoutarou looked to the girls for agreement—but they had already turned their faces away.
"Wait… No way she eats this daily, right? Right?"
Seeing Ryoutarou's distress, Yukino kindly stepped in:
"If you switch the beef for pork and change the sauce brand, it counts as a new dish. No problem at all."
"Y-Yeah! That's fine, right?"
Mid-sentence, Ryoutarou suddenly realized what that implied, and he squatted down, holding his head.
After a few minutes under the warm gazes of the three, he suddenly jumped up, full of energy.
"I've got it! We can have a regular cooking-together day! If we cook together, even if it turns out bad, it's fine!"
"Haha, that's so like you," Agil laughed. Yukino and Yui were both surprised by his positive attitude—their impression of him greatly improved.
"What do you think, Yui?"
"Yeah, he passes! Let's help bring spring to our Takizawa-sensei!"
The two turned to Ryoutarou with a smile and started giving him advice:
"Sensei tries too hard to appear perfect and ends up making things awkward. If she insists on a fancy restaurant, stop her."
"Her emails try way too hard to sound mature and are super long. If you reply late, she'll send multiple follow-ups, so set some reply rules early on."
"She looks composed, but she's a total speed demon. Make sure to help her hit the brakes."
"She turns into a cranky old man when she drinks—don't get disillusioned."
"Whoa! I'm fired up now! Thanks for all the info!"
Burning with resolve, Ryoutarou etched every piece of advice into his brain. He felt like he was standing at a turning point in his life.
"And we have a final gift~ Check your phone! Komachi sent an email via Hachiman!"
As soon as he opened the attachment, Ryoutarou was completely stunned. It was a photo of Takizawa wearing a wedding dress, captioned: "Please take care of our teacher."
"...Agil… do I… really deserve someone like this?"
Ryoutarou stared at the photo, murmuring, face torn between joy and self-doubt.
Yui smacked him hard on the back. "Don't worry! I know it sounds bad, but the teacher's really easy to win over right now!"
"Easy to win over?"
"Yeah, I know it's rude to say, but she's actually super anxious about marriage lately. If you want to date her, now's the perfect time."
Yukino added, "We say she's 'easy to win over' because we believe you two would be happy together. Please forgive the phrasing."
"Klein, if you miss this beauty, you might be single for life. Be a man and give it your all!"
Surrounded by their encouragement, Ryoutarou reignited his determination.
'Even if I get rejected, I've got nothing to lose! I'm going for it!'
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Agil, help me record a video! I'm sending a message to Miss Takizawa!"
Later, according to Hachiman's account, when Takizawa watched the video, tears streamed down her face as she smiled—he said it was the most radiant expression he had ever seen.
Though spring was nearly over, in the world of Ryoutarou and Takizawa, a long-awaited spring was arriving at last—steadily and surely.