My name is Kojima Kana. I'm 23 years old, I've been working for two years now, and currently, I serve as the homeroom teacher for First-Year Class G.
Thanks to what some might call my overwhelming yami aura, the students have given me the nickname "Kojima the Demon."
Yes… the kind of teacher whose very presence sends chills down your spine and silences entire classrooms.
But the truth is... I'm actually super delicate and really gentle at heart! Like, super gentle!
Today was supposed to be a typical school day—but no. A very troublesome problem child left our class, and in their place, a new transfer student arrived. A very special one.
She had been through severe bullying at her previous school and had been a shut-in for over half a year. According to the documents, she had finally overcome her trauma and was ready to return to the world. And somehow, she was placed under my care...
As her homeroom teacher, I couldn't help but worry. The school year already began a week ago, and the students in Class G have already started forming cliques. You know how high school dynamics go—if you miss the opening game, catching up feels impossible.
And this girl had such a sensitive history… would she really be okay?
That's why I tried to take the initiative to help her make a few friends first. There were a couple of girls I had in mind—quiet, nice ones, easy to approach… but then—
"Last winter, the first time it snowed… I fell in love with his singing at first sight!"
That radiant smile. That spark in her eyes. That utterly pure and youthful declaration.
It slapped me like a gust of sakura-scented wind at full force.
Kani Nayuta, the girl in question, stood before me glowing with a surreal brilliance. Her cheeks were flushed, her voice crystal clear, her words unshaken. For a moment, I—Kojima Kana, the feared Kojima the Demon—was stunned into silence.
And then… BAM! BAM!!
An intense stench of youthful rabu rabu assaulted my innocent single-woman senses, giving me metaphorical slaps across the face.
Wait a second—
The fool here… is ME!?!
Did I just get flexed on? By a teenager?!
"…"
I, who have never had a boyfriend since birth, who still types 'lol' with proper punctuation… could only watch speechlessly as Kani Nayuta sparkled with overflowing adolescent energy. My lips twitched.
Yet—credit where it's due—her way of expressing herself was pretty artistic. Romantic, even. Like a shoujo manga heroine brought to life.
But seriously now— What the heck is "falling in love with a voice at first sight" supposed to mean?! Does that even count as love at first sight? …Yeah, she totally likes him.
Still, I'd never seen love bloom from a voice before. This was a first for me. Shocking!
I thought I'd seen everything in my 23 years of life… clearly, I was wrong.
"Honda-san… did you transfer here because Kasumigaoka-kun said he was at this school?"
I tried to keep my tone calm and collected, even though I was deeply rattled on the inside. As a teacher, I really shouldn't pry. If students want to fall in love and date, well, this isn't some strict prep school. Toyosaki Private Academy isn't against student relationships.
But this was different.
Kasumigaoka Touji already has a fiancée. And she's also a student here!
I really, really didn't want to see a love triangle explode on my watch…
"Ah, no… I heard it from Sawamura-san… that Kasumigaoka-kun goes to this school…"
Kani Nayuta replied, her tone dropping just a little with guilt.
The truth was: the day after she added Touji-kun on LINE, she had pestered him about where he lived and which school he went to. He didn't say anything. But last Saturday, she nagged Eriri Spencer Sawamura until she cracked, and once she found out, Nayuta immediately asked her parents to arrange a transfer.
Without even telling Touji-kun.
Her parents, naturally, were ecstatic about their daughter finally returning to school life, oblivious to the true motivation.
"Sawamura…-san? You mean… Sawamura Spencer Eriri?"
My eyes widened at the name. Hold up. Since when was Eriri involved in this? Do the three of them know each other?
"Mm… Sawamura-san and I are online friends," Nayuta answered vaguely, purposefully skipping over a few words.
I noticed, of course. But I didn't press her. Some things are better left unspoken.
(Unknown to me, she had promised Eriri to keep her doujinshi identity a secret. No one at school knew she was a legendary circle artist. Nayuta had no intention of spilling the beans.)
"Then there was a little unexpected… accident. That's how I found out they were in the same class and same school."
"So I asked Sawamura-san."
I almost tripped over my own feet.
You really came here using a third-party channel?!
Sighing internally, I straightened my back and looked at her seriously.
"Listen, Honda-san… you do know that Kasumigaoka-kun is the official child groom of the Kasumigaoka family, right?"
I know, I know—it sounds insane. But it's true. That boy's already taken.
There was no easy way to say it. As cruel as it might sound, some truths had to be voiced sooner rather than later. Better now than letting this turn into a full-blown school scandal later.
"His fiancée is a student here, too. A second-year and the school's top scorer. You remember the name I mentioned earlier—Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
The two of them have a really strong bond. They even went out on a date last Saturday…
I braced myself for tears.
But—
"Hmm, I know, sensei."
Kani Nayuta just smiled gently.
She understood perfectly well what I was trying to say. But there are some matters where advice simply won't stick. This was one of them.
On this matter—Kani Nayuta wouldn't listen to anyone.
Not even me.
She cast a quick glance toward the signboard of First Year G Class nearby. The bell was about to ring, so she leaned closer and whispered softly, as if sharing a secret:
"I knew Kasumigaoka-kun was the child groom of the Kasumigaoka family the moment we met."
"And on Saturday night, Kasumigaoka-senpai even sent me pictures… of the two of them… in a hotel room."
"..."
They even got a room? And she… sent photos? To you?
Wait a sec—you're in contact with Kasumigaoka Utaha too?!
...
Kojima Kana's mouth twitched. For the first time today, she was truly caught off guard. The whole situation suddenly felt like some convoluted love triangle—or maybe even a web of romantic chaos.
"Sensei," Kani Nayuta said as she adjusted the textbook in her arms, "I believe I have the right to pursue happiness… Besides, our country technically supports polygamy, doesn't it?"
With a polite bow, she flashed an innocent smile and darted into the classroom, leaving a trail of bewilderment in her wake.
Run now—before the teacher explodes!
But behind her, Kojima Kana wasn't angry. She simply stood there, watching her student disappear into the room, a complicated expression settling over her features.
This girl…
Is this what they call a hopeless romantic? Or just a plain ol' problem child?
Seriously, why are there so many troublemakers this year?
What a headache…
With a groan, Kojima Kana massaged her temples, feeling the dull throb of stress creeping in. As if on cue, the class bell rang.
It wasn't her period, so she turned and slowly walked away, muttering under her breath.
…
The first class of the morning wrapped up before long. Once the subject teacher left, some students shifted their gazes toward Kani Nayuta, curious glimmers in their eyes.
Before they could even begin whispering or teasing her with questions, she abruptly stood up. Her eyes sparkled with expectation as she crossed the room.
Without a shred of hesitation, she extended a delicate, fair finger and poked Kasumigaoka Touji's cheek.
With an excited, almost tearful expression, she exclaimed, "A-alive—!"
"…What kind of greeting is that? Was there a version of me that died?" Touji muttered, looking equal parts amused and weirded out.
All the students—except for Eriri Spencer Sawamura: "???"