Haruto smiled casually.
"I think you're a wonderful teacher, Hiratsuka-sensei. You're beautiful, dependable... and honestly, anyone would notice how attractive you are."
"...Y-You're serious?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka blinked in surprise.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks before she could stop it.
Ever since becoming a teacher, she had received compliments now and then, but none had been as straightforward or sincere as this.
Haruto met her gaze without flinching.
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
"..."
No.
His expression was completely earnest.
Even so...
"Haruto, get a hold of yourself."
She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.
"I'm your teacher."
"I know."
Haruto nodded with a smile.
"That's exactly why I'm saying this properly."
"I'd like to take you out for a meal sometime, Hiratsuka-sensei."
He tilted his head slightly.
"...What were you imagining?"
"W-What!?"
Shizuka's face instantly turned bright red.
She had completely misunderstood what he meant.
Seeing her reaction, Haruto couldn't help but chuckle.
"Let's leave that conversation for another day."
"For now, we should focus on the practical exam."
He naturally changed the subject before she could become any more flustered.
There was no need to rush.
Some things were better taken one step at a time.
Shizuka took a deep breath before finally calming down.
"...Fine."
She folded her arms and answered in her usual professional tone.
"The other examiner will be Kirisu-sensei."
"Kirisu Mafuyu, the homeroom teacher of Class 1."
Haruto raised an eyebrow.
"Kirisu-sensei...?"
He immediately remembered her reputation.
The cool, strict teacher who was famous for treating every student equally, without showing the slightest hint of favouritism.
A difficult examiner...
But perhaps that would make the upcoming test even more interesting.
A few moments later, another teacher entered the faculty office.
Haruto's eyes instinctively followed her.
She had clear sapphire-blue eyes and long cherry-pink hair that reached her waist. Neatly trimmed bangs framed her face, while two elegant braids rested over her shoulders.
Her tall, graceful figure was complemented by a well-tailored black business suit, a fitted pencil skirt, black tights, and polished heels. She carried herself with the quiet dignity expected of a teacher.
Noticing where Haruto was looking, Shizuka Hiratsuka felt an odd pang in her chest.
So... it's not just me.
He had looked at her the same way only moments earlier.
Now he was calmly admiring Mafuyu Kirisu as well.
For an instant, Shizuka wondered if he might suddenly say something outrageous again.
Thankfully, she knew Mafuyu far too well.
If anyone could shut down that sort of conversation immediately, it was her.
Clearing her throat, Shizuka spoke first.
"Kirisu-sensei, thank you for coming."
She gestured toward the student beside her.
"This is Haruto. Shall we begin the retest?"
Mafuyu gave a small nod.
"Very well."
Her sharp gaze settled on Haruto.
Unlike Shizuka, Mafuyu wasn't here out of curiosity.
She was here because she had doubts.
From her years of teaching, she believed that talent developed through consistent effort. Outstanding results did not simply appear overnight.
If Haruto truly possessed this level of academic ability, why had his previous grades been so ordinary?
It simply didn't make sense.
Her own students were proof enough that everyone had strengths and weaknesses.
Fumino Furuhashi possessed exceptional talent in Japanese literature and the humanities.
Her essays were so refined that teachers often praised them, yet mathematics and science remained her greatest weaknesses.
Even so, she dreamed of studying astronomy at university.
Then there was Rizu Ogata.
A natural genius in mathematics and the sciences, she consistently earned top marks in those subjects.
However, literature and social studies never came easily to her. Despite that, she wished to pursue a humanities degree.
Finally, there was Uruka Takemoto.
A gifted swimmer with the potential to compete at the national level, yet her academic performance struggled to keep pace with the requirements needed for a sports scholarship.
Watching students like them had taught Mafuyu one lesson above all else:
Talent alone could not overcome every obstacle overnight.
Because of that, Haruto's sudden improvement seemed almost impossible.
It was Mafuyu herself who had proposed the retest and volunteered to supervise it personally.
Before handing him the examination papers, she spoke.
"Before we begin, I have one question."
Haruto met her gaze calmly.
"Go ahead, Kirisu-sensei."
She hesitated for only a moment.
"...Did you obtain your previous score honestly?"
Haruto smiled faintly.
"Even if I answered yes..."
"...would it change your mind?"
The room fell silent.
Mafuyu's eyes widened slightly.
She wanted to deny it.
Yet she couldn't.
Deep down, she had already reached a conclusion before hearing his answer.
As a teacher...
That wasn't fair.
After a brief silence, she lowered her head slightly.
"...You're right."
"I shouldn't have asked that."
"My apologies, Haruto."
Haruto simply smiled.
"It's fine."
"Instead of words..."
"...let the examination results speak for themselves."
There was no resentment in his voice.
Only quiet confidence.
He accepted the examination papers from Mafuyu and looked up.
"Shall we begin?"
Mafuyu regained her usual composed expression and gave a small nod.
"...Yes."
The room fell silent as the retest officially began.
*****
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