In Tokyo: They are heavily dependent on me

Chapter 93. Lonely People

"Wow...it's so big..."

"Shoko-sensei's house."

Ms. Shoko lives alone and shares a room with a strange man... Although the two are only in the position of 'student and teacher', Kaoru instinctively feels nervous after seeing the women's underwear hanging on the balcony.

So, how did things develop to this point?

Could it be that... things have developed to this point simply because Ms. Shoko casually mentioned, "I have something important to do and need to go back first. It might take some time. Hoshino-kun, please wait upstairs for a bit."

not understand.

In the air-conditioned living room, Kaoru began to observe her surroundings.

The surrounding rooms appear to be furnished as a 1LDK (one-bedroom, one-kitchen) apartment. Although it is a single-person residence, the surroundings are surprisingly clean and tidy, as evidenced by the neat row of women's shoes displayed in the shoe cabinet.

"Hoshino-kun, there are cold drinks in the refrigerator."

Shoko-sensei's voice came from inside the bedroom, which had the door tightly closed.

Feeling quite thirsty, Kaoru went to the refrigerator and opened the door.

The cold air kept hitting his cheeks, and when he saw the scene inside the refrigerator... he froze in astonishment, completely forgetting what he should do next.

Does Ms. Shoko, who seems so gentle on ordinary days, actually have this side to her?

Kaoru glanced at the canned beer that took up almost all the space in the refrigerator, and casually picked up a can...

This isn't the low-alcohol pineapple beer you can drink like a beverage; the beer in the fridge is the high-alcohol kind.

From what I remember, it was a favorite among office workers who frequented various izakayas.

Although there were an absurd number of beers inside, Kaoru still noticed the canned cola placed in the corner that looked out of place.

With a "click," he pulled the tab and took a sip.

The cool liquid slid deep into my throat, completely clearing away the lingering heat in my stomach.

That comfortable feeling...it's absolutely the best...

Click—the bedroom door, which had been closed, opened.

Shoko carefully peeked out and, taking advantage of Kaoru's inattention, quickly closed the door behind her.

The sound of the door closing made Xun look in her direction.

When she returned, Ms. Shoko was still wearing her teacher's uniform, but now she had changed into more casual clothes, and her hair, which had been tied up, was now loose. Because of these changes... she looked significantly younger, appearing to be a university student.

"Hoshino-kun...you noticed, didn't you?"

Shoko-sensei appeared before Kaoru in a completely new guise, nervously fiddling with the earring hanging below her earlobe, staring blankly at the ground beneath her feet... She displayed a shyness beyond her years.

"If you're referring to the fact that the teacher likes to drink, then I've noticed that."

It's something that's out in the open, how could anyone not notice it...?

"After seeing that kind of thing... what did Hoshino-san think?"

It's perfectly normal that this kind of thing doesn't require anyone's permission and doesn't matter, but Ms. Shoko gives people that wrong feeling right now.

If Kaoru says something like, "How awful, a teacher who drinks alcohol," Shoko-sensei will feel embarrassed and will not hesitate to correct this habit that she considers bad.

Kaoru doesn't have any particular feelings about drinking... so this kind of thing is no problem at all.

"It's nothing, right? Drinking isn't a bad habit. If you'd like, teacher, I can have a drink with you."

He spoke his mind naturally.

For a moment, Shoko's face showed a look of being flattered, but she quickly returned to normal.

"That kind of thing... no, Hoshino-kun is under 20. Let's talk about it again when you're 20."

"What's the big deal? Anyway... never mind, I get it."

Once the words "I've done it" are uttered, and it's clear that she has touched upon a taboo subject, Ms. Shoko will instantly revert to her extremely strict demeanor towards students at school.

That version of Shoko-sensei was very mature, but Kaoru still prefers her as she is now.

"Has Ms. Shoko always lived alone? Doesn't she live with her parents?"

Xun asked casually as she drank her cola.

"Oh, this..."

Shoko opened the refrigerator, her fingers touching the canned beer inside. After hesitating for a moment, she reached for the coffee placed behind the beer.

With a "click," she pulled the tab, put in a sugar cube, and gently shook the liquid in the can with what would be considered quite sexy by onlookers.

"How should I put it? My parents have never supported my career as a teacher. They said things like I wouldn't make any money and there was no future in it. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to live according to other people's ideas. Because of this, I inevitably had a big fight with my parents. After that, our relationship completely dropped to a freezing point. Hoshino-kun should be able to understand, right? Living in that kind of environment was like living through a year, so I simply moved out."

Shoko stopped shaking the coffee, tilted her head back, and let the icy liquid slide down her throat into her stomach.

She continued speaking with a sigh.

"Housing prices in Tokyo are shockingly high. After deducting expenses, there's hardly any money left to save. The teaching job is also much harder than I imagined. Just dealing with those troublesome parents is exhausting... Sometimes I really want to give those troublesome people a piece of my mind! I just want to vent all my frustration!"

"Even so, Shoko persisted...that's amazing."

This was the first time Kaoru had witnessed Shoko-sensei express so many thoughts at once. She listened attentively and did not interrupt her as usual, only speaking at the very end.

Hearing Kaoru's praise, a tender light appeared in Shoko's eyes.

"Does Hoshino-san think so? I'm not the gentle type that everyone imagines. Sometimes I can't control my temper and I can't help but say some curses after hanging up the phone. I'm even more terrible when I'm drunk. Anyone who sees me when I'm drunk will inevitably distance themselves from me."

"Has anything like what the teacher described actually happened in real life?"

Since Ms. Shoko said that, there is a high probability that something similar has happened before.

Upon hearing those words, Kaoru instinctively thought...

Perhaps feeling that it would be too embarrassing for her to say the answer herself, Shoko had no intention of speaking, and the topic was subtly steered in another direction.

"Hey, Hoshino-kun, do you know?"

An expectation for something appeared on her face.

"Teacher, I... am actually quite lonely."