["Good evening, viewers!
Welcome to the weather forecast.
Most areas of Tokyo will continue to experience moderate to heavy rain for the next two days.
Citizens are advised to carry umbrellas or rain gear when going out to avoid getting wet and catching a cold. Tomorrow's temperatures…"]
Sasaki household, living room.
Glancing sideways at her lover, who was eating while scrolling on his phone, Sakuragi Otome picked up the TV remote, turned the volume up just a little, then leaned close to Rinka again and continued whispering things that made their faces flush.
Listening to the weather report in the background, Sasaki tapped the screen with one hand and replied to Sasaki Yukari.
[Just got home. Went out for dinner tonight and didn't check my phone.] 20:22 「Read」
After sending the message, Sasaki swiped upward, scrolling back through their chat history.
In the morning, it had been fine, since he had an exam, she hadn't sent many messages.
Just some words of encouragement.
But starting from after the afternoon exam ended, the frequency of her messages had become ridiculous.
At first it was two or three messages per hour, but by evening it had become five or six every half hour…
And after he started drinking and got "controlled by his little Sasaki" and stopped replying, it turned into one message every minute.
All saying things like "What are you doing right now?", "Are you busy?" "Have you gone home yet?", and so on.
If it were just two or three, or even four messages, it would be nothing, perfectly normal.
He used to be her student after all; a little concern was understandable…
But this… wasn't this a bit too much of a concern?
Her near-bombardment message frequency made Sasaki feel faintly uneasy.
Remembering the incident last weekend when he seemed to have encountered something like a "yandere stalker"… he stared at the endless stream of caring and worried messages on his phone screen, and the suspicion in his heart grew even stronger.
The 'yandere stalking' incident had just happened suddenly, and she had also suddenly contacted him…
Combined with this extremely abnormal level of concern.
Her suspicion was very high…
But why?
He hadn't done anything at all, and they hadn't seen each other for more than ten years…
Why…
Just because of that childhood promise?
But who in the world would take the words of a six or seven-year-old child seriously?
And be this persistent…
After more than ten years, she still managed to find him.
Sasaki's long, ink-black eyebrows knitted tightly together, his face full of confusion.
Before he could think deeper or try to match brainwaves with this potential yandere,
Just four or five seconds after he sent his message, her reply came in.
[Ah~ so you went out for dinner.
Even though it was pouring rain… You're so playful, huh? Who did you go with? Did you have fun?] 20:22
He was now basically certain that she was the one who had been stalking him.
Naturally, Sasaki could not allow such a mentally unstable person to keep hovering around him.
Although being loved by a Yandere, who only has you in their mind, seemed like a good thing, that's only in novels and other fictional stories.
In the real world, whether she's a possessive lover or a hidden bomb depends upon her level of mental instability.
Even if he didn't care about himself, he had to think about the girls around him.
They were often intimate with him; there was no guarantee she wouldn't discover it…
If those intimate actions or words stimulated her and caused her to do something irrational…
Although the girls had his "enhancements" and could protect themselves or fight back in dangerous moments,
It was still best not to joke with their safety.
If nothing happened, fine, but if something really did…
Sasaki shook his head, dispelling the bad thoughts rising in his mind.
Looking at the message she sent,
He decided to test the waters and see if he could lure her out to meet.
With a plan in mind, he set down the spoon in his right hand and typed with both hands.
[Had a lot of fun. Sorry I haven't replied to you much lately, Sasaki-sensei. (scratches head apology.jpg)] 20:23 「Read」
Just as Sasaki expected… she clearly cared a lot about who he had gone out with.
[It's fine, it's fine. As long as Sasaki-kun had fun with your classmates. But still, don't stay out too late in the future, okay~ Your family will worry.] 20:23
[Mm… Those girls staying out too late isn't safe either. Sasaki-kun has to be a gentleman and remind them to go home early, okay~] 20:23
Since she wanted to know who he had dinner with, Sasaki naturally wasn't going to hold back.
[I will! But this dinner wasn't with my classmates.] 20:24 「Read」
After waiting a moment and seeing he wasn't continuing, Sasaki Yukari quickly asked:
[Not with classmates?] 20:24
[Nope. It was with teachers.
Since we had exams today, after the tests ended, the teachers had to organize the papers, so I helped out. Afterward, they said they wanted to treat me to dinner.] 20:25 「Read」
In an apartment building about two blocks away from the Sasaki household, Sasaki Yukari, dressed in pajamas, her coffee-brown long hair loose, lay on her side on the bed, holding her phone in both hands.
Although the pleasant patter of raindrops hitting the window glass outside was soothing, it still couldn't dissolve the worry and unease knitted between her willow-like brows.
Coming home late was one thing, but going out to dinner; dinner was one thing, but with female teachers; female teachers were one thing, but specifically *them*…
Maybe she was overthinking…
But the moment she imagined her "marriage partner" sandwiched between mature women, a wave of panic surged through her.
Compared to the inexperienced girls living in his house or next door, who didn't dare take the initiative,
Those mature women clearly had both the ability and the courage to "devour" her husband.
If they seized the initiative first, then what advantage would she even have?
She hadn't felt any real crisis from those "little girls," but this particular dinner gathering had left her heart in turmoil.
Sasaki Yukari rolled over on the bed, carefully choosing her words before timidly asking:
[Sasaki-kun, are you very close with your teachers?] 20:25 「Read」
Her slender fingers lightly touched the screen, and with a soft "whoosh," the message was sent.
The other side didn't make her wait long; at the instant her message went through, it turned to "Read."
Then, at the top of the chat interface, the nickname she had set for him—"Darling" changed to "Typing…"
Although she was very happy that he would reply the moment he saw her message… Sasaki Yukari still wished he would reply a little slower…
Because replying so quickly almost proved that he was very close with those teachers…
And for her… that was absolutely not good news.
And Sasaki's reply confirmed her anxiety.
[Yeah, we're pretty close. That's only natural, right? Otherwise I wouldn't have helped.] 20:26
Even with the bright phone screen illuminating her face, the light in Sasaki Yukari's downcast eyes looked even dimmer and murkier.
Just as she was thinking in her heart whether she should take some more aggressive measures…
Sasaki's next message followed right after.
[But compared to you, Sasaki-sensei, they're still a bit lacking, because…] 20:26
Her dark red eyes caught the light as her eyelids lifted.
Sasaki Yukari opened her eyes wide and hurriedly asked:
[Because what? (laugh.jpg)"] 20:26 「Read」
After sending the message, she stared expectantly at the phone screen, waiting for his next words, waiting for his answer.
It seemed like he was hesitating—Sasaki's next message only came after one or two minutes.
And what he sent was not what she wanted to hear.
[Nothing.] 20:28
Her willow-like brows lifted slightly. Sasaki Yukari felt a bit annoyed at her own slowness; she should have just asked directly earlier…
From his reaction, it seemed he did remember.
With a soft sigh over the missed opportunity, she felt a brief moment of disappointment before quickly regaining her spirits.
It didn't matter if the chance was lost, as long as she could eventually get the answer she wanted.
From the current signs… the probability looked very high.
As her heart rippled with the sweet joy of her wish about to come true, she curved her eyes and hinted:
[You can just say whatever you want to say~ Sensei will answer properly.] 20:29 「Read」
[Really? Then… does Sensei have time this weekend?] 20:29
This… was he asking her out?
She never expected that he would be the one to bring up the meeting first.
However, when he did, the delight flowing through Sasaki Yukari's heart instantly overflowed, spreading warmth throughout her entire body.
Although she wanted to roll around happily on the bed, she knew her "fiancé" was still waiting for her reply.
If she made him wait too long because she was too excited, it might make him anxious.
If he gets too nervous… he might back out at the last moment…
That absolutely could not happen!
The longing to meet him quickly overpowered her happiness and overcame her feminine reserve, and Sasaki Yukari gave a very direct answer.
[Yes~ Sensei only just arrived here not long ago and doesn't have a job yet, so I have plenty of time~] 20:29 「Read」
[Then, if it's not too much trouble, could we meet this weekend? It's been such a long time since I last saw Sensei…] 20:30
Just as she had hoped, her "fiancé" had extended a "date" invitation.
Feeling that he also held her in his heart, Yukari happily agreed:
[No trouble at all, no trouble~ Sensei really wants to see Sasaki-kun too~ (happy.jpg)] 20:30 「Read」
[Then it's a date. The place can be… let's say 10 a.m., is that okay?] 20:31
She had come all the way from Yokohama to Tokyo; location didn't matter to her at all, and neither did the time.
[Sure!] 20:31 「Read」