As a teacher, Teacher Hamasaki had a general understanding of her students' family backgrounds.
She knew that Hoshino Jun was an orphan adopted by a kind aunt.
But she had always thought that the person who adopted Hoshino Jun was a wealthy individual.
She never expected that Hoshino Jun would actually need to work hard for his livelihood.
She didn't mean to discriminate, but she just hadn't expected someone who wasn't well-off herself to be able to support another person.
He was kind to the point of being foolish.
As for whether Hoshino Jun was lying, Teacher Hamasaki thought it was unlikely, because such a thing would be too easy to verify.
She felt that Hoshino Jun had no reason to lie to her about such a matter.
"Hoshino, even if it's for money, there's no need to work yourself to this extent."
"Every year, many people die suddenly due to excessive work intensity; do you want to become one of them?"
"Your body is your greatest asset. Look at you now, swaying like that—what a mess."
Hoshino Jun was indeed swaying, and his whole body was swaying, causing Teacher Hamasaki's cheeks to involuntarily flush a little as she lectured him.
In a daze, it gave one the impression that Hoshino Jun and Teacher Hamasaki were acting out a romantic scene.
As Teacher Hamasaki lectured, she felt her own body becoming somewhat warm and shot Hoshino Jun an annoyed glare.
"Sorry, Teacher, I'll definitely try my best not to work overtime so late in the future."
Hoshino Jun lowered his head, his tired face showing a hint of shame.
It was unclear whether his "sorry" included an apology for causing Teacher Hamasaki trouble.
But whenever she saw Hoshino Jun's innocent eyes, Teacher Hamasaki couldn't bring herself to lecture him again.
Just like when he was falsely accused of stealing money last week, Teacher Hamasaki supported Hoshino Jun in making a big deal out of it, but Hoshino Jun lightly forgave Takayanagi and Takasaki Yusuke.
She was very displeased but helpless. She worried that if she interfered too much, it would hurt the self-esteem of Hoshino Jun, an orphan.
It was the same now as it was then; whether it was about his part-time job or other matters, Teacher Hamasaki didn't want to argue with him too much.
'Forget it, he's so handsome anyway, and a clean, poor student. I'm not losing out.'
'I heard even the eldest daughter of the Yamada Family wanted to pursue him but was rejected.'
'An ambitious young man who wants to be self-reliant, and the school heartthrob.'
'It might even be me taking advantage of him.'
Hoshino Jun was somewhat surprised that the usually aloof Teacher Hamasaki didn't fuss about the physical contact with him; he had even prepared himself for a slap from this domineering teacher.
But Teacher Hamasaki didn't do that.
'She's surprisingly kind.'
This discovery sparked a bit of guilt in Hoshino Jun's heart.
Teacher Hamasaki had not been derelict in her duties as a teacher, nor was she his primary target for this visit.
So Hoshino Jun did not dwell on female charms and tried hard to squeeze outwards to give the kind Teacher Hamasaki more space.
But the train was really too crowded, making it impossible to move.
Instead, it forced Hoshino Jun to perform several standing push-ups against Teacher Hamasaki.
"I'm sorry, Teacher, I didn't mean for this to happen."
Teacher Hamasaki also realized that Hoshino Jun was trying to alleviate the ambiguous atmosphere between them, but it only made it more so.
"It's nothing, nothing."
Because he had just done a few push-ups, Hoshino Jun dared not squeeze out anymore. He braced his hands against the wall, pressed against her mature body, rubbing against her.
He could see that some of Teacher's long, black hair was already sticking to the edge of her forehead.
She was sweating.
Beads of clear sweat had seeped onto her delicate nose, which was adorned with gold-rimmed glasses.
Gradually, as time passed, the blush on Teacher Hamasaki's face deepened, and her hands, pressed against Hoshino Jun's chest and stomach, became weak.
Experiencing the young man's vigor for a long time, she seemed to have become somewhat excited herself.
Her long, slender, straight legs were pressed tightly together, and she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from losing face in front of her student.
The two of them, separated only by clothes, swayed flesh-to-flesh with the rocking of the train car.
Lowering his head slightly, Hoshino Jun's nostrils were filled with Teacher's scent.
Mixed with the softness of the flesh in his embrace, a fire seemed to burn within Hoshino Jun's body, growing hotter and hotter.
Fortunately, the train's speed wasn't too slow.
Five minutes later, it arrived at a bustling commercial district, and a large number of people disembarked, instantly freeing up more than half of the space in the carriage, greatly easing the ambiguous atmosphere.
"Hoshino~"
Perhaps because she hadn't fully escaped the recent ambiguity, Teacher Hamasaki's voice sounded somewhat alluring.
Even now, she could still faintly feel the lingering warmth of the young man on her stomach.
"Teacher, please speak."
Hoshino Jun took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness in his heart.
"Hmph~"
Adjusting the strands of hair stuck to her cheek, Teacher Hamasaki said:
"You just said you'd try not to work overtime so late, right? I think your wording is flawed. It shouldn't be 'try,' but 'absolutely don't overwork.' It's not a good habit."
"But—"
"No 'buts,' you should resign."
"Huh?"
Hoshino Jun's face instantly turned ugly. His lips moved, wanting to speak.
But Teacher Hamasaki didn't give him a chance to speak at all.
"Our school is hiring volunteers, specifically for cleaning the Chairwoman's office. A vacancy opened up last week when the person went abroad as an exchange student."
"I happen to be in charge of this recruitment. Today, when we go to school, I will personally recommend you to the Chairwoman."
As she spoke, Teacher Hamasaki habitually pushed up her glasses with her middle finger:
"Don't worry about the salary. The Chairwoman is quite generous; your remuneration will be more, not less, than what you get from your part-time job."
"Ah!!!"
Hoshino Jun's mouth gaped slightly, looking surprised as to why cleaning an office would pay more than a part-time job.
Looking at his bewildered expression, Teacher Hamasaki felt she had made the right decision this time. Good positions shouldn't all be given to top students.
Top students might not need them; it would be better to give them to those who truly need help.
"Alright, stop being silly. This morning, go to the infirmary and get some good sleep. At noon, come with me to meet the Chairwoman."
Teacher Hamasaki gave Hoshino Jun no chance to refuse, settling his career move in just a few short sentences.
And this was exactly what Hoshino Jun was aiming for.
Because the Chairwoman's name was "Yamada Ran."
Hoshino Jun's highest-level collection target to date.