After Hanako left, with nothing else to do, I followed her suggestion and changed my target.
"Hey," I quickened my steps and caught up behind the girl walking alone with her head down, tapping her shoulder. "Koharu."
"Eh? Sen-sensei?"
Startled by my sudden approach, Koharu stiffened for a moment, then quickly turned around. Seeing it was me, she let out a relieved breath and immediately complained without any courtesy.
"Geez! I thought it was someone else. What is it, calling me out like this in front of everyone? Wait, don't tell me…!"
Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something, she let out a small cry and fell silent. She just stood there, pressing her lips together, staring at me with eyes narrowed into thin vertical slits.
Finding her reaction amusing, I stayed silent as well, smiling as I met her gaze.
Koharu's cheeks gradually turned red, and her pink eyes became more and more moist.
This silent staring contest went on for quite a while, and before I realized it, only a few students remained around us.
"There are hardly any people left now," I finally couldn't help but point out.
However, Koharu suddenly stepped back in alarm and looked around.
"Y-You were waiting for this kind of moment, weren't you! P-pervert! Calling someone out in a place like this! I knew you had bad intentions!"
…I don't know exactly what she's imagining, but I can say for sure it's something very questionable.
I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible.
"Leaving everything else aside, isn't this a public place?"
"That's exactly why!" Koharu panicked. "Even if ordinary students don't know, I've read it in books as an elite! Crowded places aren't absolutely safe! There are people who get even more excited in public places…!"
"Though I really want to ask you which book said that, there's hardly anyone around now anyway."
"That's exactly why there aren't people!" Koharu grew even more agitated, contradicting herself. "I've also seen this kind of thing in books! Empty classrooms, desks… even by the window…!"
Hearing that, I was about to retort that no one would do something like that, but then I suddenly remembered my first time with the current student council president of this school.
An empty tea party room, on a desk, even by the railing… and it was during the third makeup exam at the time…
"W-Why aren't you saying anything? Could it be I was right!?"
Koharu's voice trembled.
"A-are you planning to drag me to some empty gym storage room right now?!"
Thinking about it, I replied gently.
"Is it possible that you're the one leaving me speechless?"
"Y-You're saying you have nothing to refute?!"
In a better light, this could also be interpreted as her being overly happy to see me and letting her imagination run wild.
"Such thoughts cannot be taken lightly."
The pink-haired girl stared at me warily and said sternly.
"If it weren't for an elite like me who can read sensei's thoughts after extensive reading, then other students would have already fallen into your clutches! No, wait… could it be…? You actually want me to see through it so that you can proceed despite my resistance…?!"
Her imagination had already developed to a point where it could remain logically self-consistent from any angle.
How annoying.
Without arguing further, I asked instead.
"If that's the case, what would Koharu do?"
Koharu's face changed dramatically.
"Eh!? W-wait!? Y-you really plan to do something like that?!"
What was more surprising was how she only now realized she had been wildly speculating without evidence.
I gave a light laugh and waited to see what kind of reaction this self-proclaimed Justice Task Force elite would have next.
After hesitating for a while, Koharu took a few deep breaths, her eyes growing determined.
"I understand everything now. This is an order from the Justice Task Force. I must protect everyone from sensei's evil hands…!"
The Justice Task Force would never issue such an order. This is clearly something she read in a book and mixed with reality.
In any case, as if talking to herself, the pink-haired girl nodded firmly.
"Yes… that's right… I've decided! No matter how difficult the mission is, I… I…!"
"Um, Koharu, just let me ask you something."
I couldn't help but say.
"Have you been using me as material recently?"
Koharu instantly blushed furiously, her head almost steaming.
"W-what are you talking about!? I haven't been doing it often… n-no, I mean, only a few times…! I've never done anything like that at all!"
"Calm down first."
I soothed her, who was getting flustered after being exposed.
"What I mean is, if you really want to learn… about adult things from me, I actually quite like Koharu, you know."
"Uu…!"
The arrogant Koharu from earlier immediately deflated, flustered yet trying to act calm. It looked extremely cute.
And I had already quietly turned on the recorder.
This was a small device I got from Millennium, originally prepared for Misono Mika after cooperating with Seia's dream-link ability.
Now it seemed its applications were far wider. I had been careless before and missed quite a few things worth keeping. I should pay more attention in the future.
"Hmph! I-I don't want that at all! Sensei, you're the one projecting! I-I'm just… doing it to protect everyone, that's all…!"
So she does want it after all.
Just as I was successfully collecting material for future playback, a familiar voice came from the side.
"Eh? Sensei, Koharu, what are you two doing?"
"...!!! Hasumi-senpai!?" Koharu immediately panicked. "It's not what you think!"
Hasumi blinked, confused.
"Huh? Not what? I just asked a normal question…"
Realizing her admired senior had witnessed everything, Koharu's expression changed rapidly. Finally, she let out a desperate cry.
"It's not like that!!!"
With that, she screamed and ran off without a trace, leaving only the helpless me and a confused Hasumi standing there.