Sakatu Izaru was the kind of teacher everyone adored. He never raised his voice, and on the rare occasion he did, he would apologize afterward—leaving his students feeling guilty instead of scolded.
Today seemed like any other day. Izaru strolled into class with his usual bedhead, as if life itself wasn't worth stressing over. He smiled lazily at his students.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Sensei!" they chorused back, voices bright and united.
The mood was cheerful—until he dropped the bomb."Surprise test."
Groans echoed around the classroom.
Sasaki Jumpei, the class clown, shot up from his seat. "Sensei, let us live a little! It's always the students who get summoned to another world, not the teachers. If that happens, we'll be stuck fighting some Demon Lord while you sit back and chill!"
"Focus on the test, Sasaki-kun!" snapped Fujimoto Aika, the strict class president. "Your grades are terrible because you spend too much time reading those fantasy mangas!"
Izaru cleared his throat, and silence returned. Then he smirked at Aika."Aika-chan~ you say that like you weren't caught reading a romance novel last week."
Her face went crimson, steam practically rising from her head."S-S-Sensei!!! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!!!"
The classroom erupted into whispers.
"Didn't know our class prez was a romance novel addict," muttered Hoshizaki Yuna.
"I'm not!!!" Aika shouted back, flustered beyond recovery.
Izaru folded his arms, feigning seriousness. "Isn't it unfair for Sasaki to be the only one teased? Especially by you? Not very president-like."
Then he turned back to Jumpei. "Don't worry, Sasaki-kun. I, Sakatu Izaru, your favorite teacher, believe in you. Even if you were summoned to another world, I know you'd survive just fine."
Jumpei's eyes welled up, his lips trembling. "Sensei~!" he whimpered like a puppy about to cry.
It was a wholesome scene. Heartwarming, even.
…Until glowing magic circles appeared beneath every student.
The floor lit up as the students floated into the air. A serene, otherworldly voice filled the room:
"Dear Chosen Ones, you are being transported to another world. Please, lend us your strength to defeat the Demon King."
Panic exploded.
"I jinxed it!!!" Jumpei wailed.
"I'll never forgive you, Sasaki-kun!!!" Aika shouted, tears in her eyes.
"Calm down!" Izaru yelled, raising his voice for once. "It's not Sasaki-kun's fault. …Okay, maybe it is. But listen—I believe in all of you. Do what you must, and come back safely, alright?"
Endo Hikari, brimming with reckless confidence, pumped her fist. "Don't worry, Sensei! We'll beat that Demon King to a pulp!"
Everyone stared at her like she had lost it."What? Say something!" she barked.
Makoto Iida, the resident coward, burst into tears. "Easy for you to say! You've got a hero complex—I don't even wanna go!!"
The summoning circles flared brighter, pulling them away.
"Bye, Sensei!" Aika called out, her voice trembling.
One by one, the students vanished—leaving only the faint sound of Iida sobbing into nothingness.
Izaru stood in the now-empty classroom. The silence was heavy. He exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck.
"…Now what?" he muttered, staring at the ceiling.