Because of Decagrammaton's sudden attack, Himari, having gained a clearer understanding of its strength, decided to establish a new clubroom.
Once everything was prepared, the investigation into Decagrammaton and the Prophets naturally came to a temporary halt.
I heard that Hoshino, who could no longer use this as an excuse to trouble Kaiser PMC for the time being, felt quite regretful about it.
Then, time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several more days passed.
With August approaching, I finally found an opportunity to fulfill a promise I had made earlier with someone.
However, just as I had begun to worry, things were not going very smoothly.
"Gyaaah!!!! Hihi hihi hi!!!!"
"What's wrong? Can't get the key in? Hey, don't pull out a gun!" Having more or less learned to understand her strange cries, I hurriedly stopped her. "Check first if you took the wrong one, or if you're not aligning it with the keyhole."
Tsurugi, who had been making exaggerated expressions and was just about to resort to force to open the door, instantly turned back into a shy, quiet girl and said awkwardly:
"Ah, y-yes, you're right… I'm sorry, sensei, to make such a basic mistake… how embarrassing…"
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
After all, she was about to be alone in a room with the person she had a crush on. Given Tsurugi's pure-hearted nature, so different from her usual impression, it was only natural for her to get so flustered.
After hurriedly finding the correct key, Tsurugi successfully opened the door this time and stammered:
"P-please, come in… it's very… simple…"
Stepping into the dorm room, I was surprised to find it even tidier than Mari's.
Although Mari had been sick that day, it still showed that in her daily life, Tsurugi was not entirely enveloped in madness the way she was at work.
Her unexpected hobby was proof of that as well...
Watching movies, specifically romance movies, specifically romance movies between students and sensei.
As for how I knew…
Well, that was because I had just finished watching such a movie with her.
All I could say was that even though I had mentioned at the beach that I wanted to understand her interests if I had the chance, she was perhaps a bit too direct.
However, during the two hours of the screening, Tsurugi barely took her eyes off the big screen. The longing in her eyes almost overflowed, as if she had completely immersed herself in it.
She did not even notice when I casually took some of her popcorn.
Her love for movies continued even after the screening ended.
Things that most people would throw away after use, like ticket stubs and pamphlets, she carefully kept, saying she could not bear to discard them.
So, out of curiosity, after confirming that she had quite a collection of such items at home, I took the initiative to ask if I could come and see.
And that was how things ended up like this.
"I should have tidied up more, knowing sensei would come…"
Despite being the owner of the room, Tsurugi stood there stiffly, looking completely at a loss.
I was about to reassure her when she suddenly seemed to realize something and said awkwardly:
"Ah, now's not the time for that… um, I-I'll bring it right away!"
With that, she dashed off to another room.
After a series of clattering noises that made me a little concerned, Tsurugi returned carrying a cardboard box.
"That's a lot," I said in amazement. "It's really impressive."
"Y-yes. I've been collecting them… since a long time ago…"
Tsurugi seemed to remember something. "Ah, right… as you said, besides movies, there are other things too…"
She began rummaging through the box and introduced several representative items one by one:
"That one is a manga called Seafood Basket…
"Th-that one is 5 Centimeters per Lightyear… a sci-fi romance…
"And that is Totanic… it's an old movie, but it was recently re-released…"
As I listened, I suddenly realized that every single one of these collections seemed to be related to romance.
I never expected that Tsurugi, like Mimori, had already developed feelings for me before even seeing my handsome appearance and understanding my even more dazzling inner self…
In Kivotos, there is only one possible object of affection for students, namely me. So as long as they long for romance, it naturally means they like me.
Proof complete!
However, the more Tsurugi talked about her hobbies, the more excited she became, and her facial expressions began to spiral out of control again.
But through my filter, I found her rather cute, getting so emotional because she was sharing what she loved with the person she loved.
Noticing my gentle gaze, Tsurugi suddenly stopped mid-sentence and asked cautiously:
"Se-sensei… is something wrong…?"
"Nothing. I just think you really like it."
Romance-themed works, and wanting romance with me.
I sighed softly, then asked, "By the way, do you want me to keep this a secret?"
Tsurugi hesitated. "Ah, th-thank you for considering it… but I haven't really tried to hide it… it's just that no one usually asks, and I don't really bring it up myself…"
Given her intimidating appearance, it was true that most people would keep their distance.
And sometimes, it was not even a misunderstanding.
Thinking of that, I awkwardly scratched my nose.
"Before, on days off, I went to the cinema with Hasumi, but she seemed to fall asleep halfway through… thinking about it, forcing others to accompany me is a bit… so after that, I mostly went alone…"
Ah, I have an idea. If I buy Hasumi two big buckets of popcorn, she definitely won't have time to fall asleep.
"…Um, s-speaking of that." Tsurugi suddenly panicked. "Does that mean I caused trouble for sensei too!? Asking sensei to watch a movie with me… D-did sensei only go along with it because you're kind!? I-I-I what have I.... Gyaaah—!"
"Calm down, Tsurugi."
I placed both hands on her shoulders as she was about to spiral out of control. Her whole body immediately stiffened, her exaggerated expression rapidly shifting before settling into deep embarrassment.
"Y-yes… I'm sorry…" she apologized sincerely, her voice barely audible. "I started overthinking again… I made you worry again, sensei…"
The more time I spent with her, the more I realized that beneath her sometimes unsettling exterior, Tsurugi was simply a delicate, sensitive, pure, and kind girl.
She was also an important student to me.
So rather than saying something like "it's fine, don't worry," there were more suitable words to say to her right now.
"I think today's movie was really interesting."
At first it felt a bit strange, but overall, it was indeed a novel experience.
And aside from the viewing experience itself, I felt like I had gained something from it. Even though many parts were dramatized, there were also quite a few scenes that seemed useful for future reference.
"So next time," I asked, "when we have time, I'd like to go to the cinema with you again."
"…Huh?"
Tsurugi stammered, "N-next time? To the cinema? You mean… sensei didn't dislike it? I can… watch a movie with sensei again…?"
"Of course. As long as you don't mind."
"N-no, of course I wouldn't mind…"
"Then I'll leave it to you to choose the next movie?"
"Okay! Kihihihihi... since sensei found today's movie interesting, then next time we'll watch the same type… of…?"
Just as she was about to lose control again, Tsurugi suddenly froze, her eyes going blank, as if she had thought of something important.
I asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
"Ah, sorry. Um, sensei, let me just ask…"
She tapped her index fingers together, her gaze darting wildly.
"You… you said today's movie was good… you still remember what it was about, right…?"
What kind of question is that?
Does she think I was just being polite?
"Of course. Since I wanted to understand your interests, I watched it carefully from beginning to end. If you don't believe me, you can quiz me on the plot."
"N-no, that's not what I meant! I mean… after watching it, did you really find the story interesting…?"
She continued hesitantly, "I mean… that kind of relationship between sensei and students… d-did you find it interesting…?"
I finally realized what she was really concerned about.
I cleared my throat and answered tactfully:
"Well, it's not illegal in Kivotos. And everyone is so cute. Including you, Tsurugi."
"S-s-so that means sensei wants to with me... " As if her rationality suddenly snapped, Tsurugi let out a piercing scream, "Gyaaah—!"
Even though she did not finish her sentence, I could already guess what she wanted to say, which only deepened my shock.
How did her thoughts suddenly become so off-putting!? Who taught her that?
After the scream, Tsurugi began to giggle, then burst into wild laughter, and finally started running around.
In the not-so-large dorm room, her laughter, filled with overwhelming excitement, echoed nonstop. From time to time, loud crashing sounds of her sturdy body knocking things over or breaking them rang out, making it sound like a construction site.
Holding the box filled with her collections, I pressed myself against the wall, keeping my distance from the girl venting her joy, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
Not just because of her state.
But also because of the heat rising from my chest.
I silently let out a sigh.
…Pretty off-putting, isn't it.
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(TL/N: Bro, literally someone reviewed that I'm trash, this fic is trash, and my Ptreon is more empty than the sahara dessert like bro.
I'm not trying to shout "goto my P for more content" for every chapter anymore since there's a few people that I'm really grateful for the support and dunno if I really wanna know annoy every dude who comes to read for free but if you really want, then I'll do it for you bro.
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