Chapter 43: The Chairman’s Summons

Two days after the commotion had subsided and classes resumed.

—Crunch.

Ruah, as usual, was playing a mobile game under her desk while munching on butterscotch candy. Now that Himari’s situation was resolved, she was finally enjoying some peace of mind.

‘I should start training the girls again tomorrow, right?’

Ruah pondered while tapping away at the monsters on her screen.

‘Come to think of it, Himari practically completed her task…’

Although Himari had solved the problem with an aerial Battoujutsu, something Ruah hadn’t anticipated, she had undoubtedly performed the technique on an unstable platform.

The reward Himari had requested was to spend time with Ruah at the Sports Festival, but since things turned out the way they did, she had to offer something else instead.

‘Should I buy her a delicious meal… to celebrate her staying at the Academy?’

Remembering how Himari’s eyes had lit up when they ate chicken together, Ruah couldn’t help but chuckle.

—Buzz.

“Kyaa?!”

The sudden vibration of her phone startled her, and she bumped her head on the desk.

“Ouch… what was that?”

It was a message.

<Sender: 010-XXXX-XXXX>

<If you’re not busy, I’d like to see you.>

“…?”

Ruah tilted her head. A message from an unknown number suddenly asking to meet?

“It’s phishing.”

She was about to block the number as spam, but a sudden feeling of annoyance came over her. She had bumped her head, after all.

<If you want to see me, come yourself.>

—Buzz.

The reply came immediately.

“What the…?”

Ruah tapped on the keyboard again.

—Buzz.

<Excuse me, but is this Han Ruah’s phone?>

<What if it is Academy>

<This is Chairman Pyo Younghan.>

“?!?!”

—Thump!

Startled again, Ruah bumped her head. But this time, it didn’t hurt.

“W-What is this?”

Ruah quickly turned on her computer, went to the Felix Academy website, and navigated to the chairman’s introduction page.

“Zero-one-zero…”

She compared the sender’s number with the chairman’s phone number… They were exactly the same.

“Aaaack! Crazy!”

—Thwack, thwack.

Ruah hit her head in frustration. She wanted to hit her past self for thinking she wouldn’t need to save the chairman’s number.

—Buzz…

Before she could collect herself, a call came from the same number. After a moment of hesitation, Ruah answered.

“H-Hello…”

Her voice was barely a whisper.

<Is this Teacher Han Ruah’s phone?>

‘Should I say he has the wrong number?’

<Strange. I’m sure this is the correct number…>

“Y-Yes, it is.”

<What was that message about just now?>

The chairman asked calmly. Ruah wished he would just yell at her instead.

“Th-That, that was… I thought it was a prank… I-I’m sorry!”

<Would you come to the chairman’s office? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.>

“R-Right now? But, about what I just said, I’m sorry.”

<It’s not about the message. Or should I come to the infirmary?>

Ruah straightened up in surprise.

“N-No! I’ll go! P-Please let me come!”

<Alright, then come to the chairman’s office.>

“I’ll be there in f-five minutes…!”

The call ended.

“Gah…”

Sweating profusely from the short conversation, Ruah leaned on her desk and caught her breath.

‘Am I getting fired?’

It couldn’t be helped. If she wanted to keep her job, she had to go and grovel.

Ruah quickly changed into the cleanest and most presentable clothes she could find. She couldn’t go to the chairman’s office in her shabby white coat.

As she was looking for a bribe (?) to appease the chairman, someone knocked.

—Knock, knock, knock.

“Teacher, are you there?”

“Oh, Himari?”

The door opened, and Himari, in her school uniform, appeared. She had withdrawn her withdrawal request that day and hadn’t told anyone, so she seemed to have come to school as usual.

“W-What is it? Are you hurt?”

“No. I just… wanted to see you…”

“Uh… sorry Himari, but I have to go somewhere right now.”

Ruah took out a six-pack of vitamin drinks from the corner of the refrigerator and examined it. Fortunately, it was still good.

“What? Where are you going?”

“The chairman’s office.”

“Why…?”

“I-I don’t know either. Anyway, I’ll be back! Rest well!”

Ruah patted Himari on the back and hurried out of the infirmary. The chairman’s office was on the other side of the building, so she had to hurry to get there in five minutes.

—Slam!

“Teacher…”

Himari looked at the door closing behind Ruah with a dejected expression. She had rushed over as soon as lunch break started, hoping to see Ruah, only to be separated after a few seconds.

Himari began to tidy up the mess Ruah had made in her haste. She thought Ruah would be happy to see it when she returned.

She closed the open refrigerator door and put the overturned pencil holder back in place. Then, she hung the “Out of Office” sign on the door.

“And this…”

Himari picked up the white coat Ruah had discarded. It was still slightly warm. She felt the remaining warmth with her hand and then unconsciously brought it to her cheek.

“…!”

A comforting scent, like Ruah’s embrace, wafted into her nose.

‘The clothes Teacher wears every day…’

“Oh?”

Lunch break.

Yoo Juju, a first-year special class student, tilted her head in surprise when she stopped by the infirmary.

A handwritten note was attached to the door.

“It’s rare for Teacher not to be in the infirmary…”

Juju scratched her head. She had only come to share a bun she accidentally bought an extra of at the store, not because she had any injuries that needed treatment. She could simply turn back.

“But since I’m here, I should at least see Teacher’s face.”

Since the note said it was okay to use the bed, it would be alright to take a short nap.

—Click.

Juju entered the infirmary and closed the door. The room was unusually tidy.

“The weather is nice, perfect for a nap—”

Muttering to herself, Juju confidently pulled back the curtain around the infirmary bed.

—Swoosh!

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

Unfortunately, the bed was already occupied.

Himari was lying there, her face buried in Ruah’s white coat.

“…”

“Ah… Juju… th-this is, um!”

Himari hurriedly hid the coat behind her back, but it was too late.

“Himari… isn’t that Teacher’s coat…?”

“N-No! It’s mine!”

“It’s obviously not your size.”

“Ugh…”

Himari finally confessed. She had come to the infirmary, but Ruah had left immediately. While cleaning, she found the coat, and its pleasant scent made her unconsciously bury her face in it.

“P-Please don’t tell anyone. I’m begging you.”

Himari blushed and bowed her head to Juju, who sat down next to her on the bed.

“Alright.”

Only after receiving Juju’s assurance did Himari let out a sigh of relief and neatly fold Ruah’s coat.

“…It’s the first time I’ve seen you so flustered, Himari.”

“What?”

“You always seem so calm, no matter what… I didn’t know you had this side to you. Hehe.”

Juju said, scratching her head awkwardly. Himari looked at Juju, thought for a moment, and then spoke.

“Juju, I consider you my closest friend. How about you?”

“Huh? Of course, I feel the same way.”

“Um, in that case…”

Himari hesitated.

“Could you… help me a little?”

“With what?”

After several attempts to speak, Himari finally closed her eyes and confessed.

“I, I want to… get closer to… Teacher.”

—Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

Chairman Pyo Younghan of the Felix Foundation lowered the volume of the classical music playing throughout his spacious office as he heard the knock.

The door opened, and the petite school nurse hesitantly peeked her head in. For some reason, she was dressed in an ill-fitting office outfit.

“Um… H-Han Ruah…”

“Come in, please.”

She seemed to shrink even further, her small frame appearing even smaller. The school nurse closed the door with stiff, robotic movements and walked inside, sitting in the armchair Chairman Pyo offered.

“U-Um, this…”

“?”

The school nurse placed a box of vitamin drinks on the table.

“What’s this?”

“A g-gift…”

From her message reply earlier to her current actions, her behavior was quite peculiar. Chairman Pyo chuckled and took out two drinks, placing one in front of Ruah and one in front of himself.

“Thank you. I was just feeling parched.”

“He, hehe.”

The school nurse smiled bashfully. Seemingly relieved, she twisted the cap of her drink to open it—

“U-Ugh.”

but couldn’t. Chairman Pyo watched her struggle with the cap for a few moments before finally opening it for her.

“Thank you…”

Ruah gulped down the vitamin drink. Chairman Pyo waited for her to finish.

“I-I apologize for earlier.”

Ruah bowed her head, her gaze fixed on the floor.

“I thought it was a phishing message…”

“Ah, it’s alright. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t have my number.”

“Ugh…”

Chairman Pyo smiled softly and leaned forward. It was time to get down to business.

“Teacher Han Ruah. Do you know why I called you today?”

“N-No, I don’t.”

To the anxious school nurse, the chairman spoke quietly.

“I know that you were the one who persuaded Hoshikawa Himari to stay, Teacher Han Ruah.”

“…!”

“I’m curious to know how you convinced the Head of the Family, so I called you here.”