Sasaki-sensei [Haise x Reader]

Part 15: I am panic

"This fish looks so stressed though," I pointed at a sad-looking puffer fish.

Haise's face lighted up, "Ah maybe it's stressed because of, you know, current events."

I looked at him.

"Get it, get it? Currents..."

'You're lucky that you're pretty...' I thought as I watched him struggle to explain his joke. Any other guy might have lost the girl's interest.

"One more stupid pun and I might punch this guy," Sougo said to me. "I'm leaving, my friends are going to the petting area."

With Sougo and his friends gone, I felt a little awkward left alone with the half-ghoul.

"You look happier now compared to this morning," Haise broke the silence.

I was a little surprised that he noticed.

"Did Sougo cheer you up?" He wasn't smiling when he asked this question.

"I suppose..."

"It's good then," Haise touched his chin a little, looking away.

"Er... I know some people might think that Sougo and I have a certain relationship, or that he likes me, but... it's not that kind of 'like'," I didn't want Haise to misunderstand. "Eversince his sister had to move away, Sougo lived alone and I kinda acted as a second sister. Sometimes he can be overprotective of me, maybe because he's afraid that I would be gone too."

"Do you 'like' him that way?"

"Please, he has the worst personality ever," I joked, "I couldn't believe they said that he's got a lot of fans. Teenage girls these days have weird taste."

Haise laughed.

"But Sasaki-san, you are very popular too, right?" I teased him. I was still a bit jealous of the girls surrounding him this morning.

"No way," he chuckled. "I'm just a bookworm with ridiculous hairstyle."

"It's not ridiculous! Besides, you kill monsters and stuff. That is pretty awesome."

"Then," Haise lowered his head to level with mine, "do you like me?"

His face was too close and his question made me panic even more. I didn't know what to do and by pure reflex, my mouth blew some air to his eyes.

Nooo! How did I mess up this potentially romantic moment??

Half-laughing, Haise cried out, "Ow!" and rubbed his eyes.

"S-sexual harrassment!" I shouted.

What. the. actual. duck! What the hell am I doing?

Haise couldn't stop laughing, "What was that?"

Other visitors around us were looking at us because of this incident. "Is everything okay?" "Did he do something?" Some of them were approaching us.

At this rate, Haise might get arrested. I don't know much about romance, but I don't think you're supposed to send your crush to jail. In addition, if they find out that he's a ghoul... I can't even imagine what would happen.

"No no no," I quickly explained, "We're just playing. He's my friend, don't worry."

"Are you sure?" They talked as though I was a victim who's too scared to report the abuser.

"Yes, sorry for the misunderstanding!" I grabbed Haise's hand and dragged him out of that place.

We were out of the aquariums and Haise still couldn't stop giggling.

"I fear for my safety!" the powerful one-eyed ghoul said.

"Aaa I'm so sorry! I...," I caught a glimpse of an ice cream truck near us, "uh, I'll buy you ice cream as an apology!"

"Now you want to poison me??"

I crouched on the ground and covered my face with my hands.

What is wrong with me?!

---

The second stop of our schedule today was a local newspaper producer. It's only a small factory; there were several office rooms and the rest was like a huge barrack with machineries running.

We're all marching together to observe the place. There were a couple of workers who explained about the factory and the mechanisms involved.

Haise was walking not far away from me. But everytime our eyes met, he would look away, occasionally covered his mouth with his hand, and tried to surpress laughters.

After a few times it happened, I couldn't take it anymore. I strode across to him, preparing to confront him.

But when I got close, he put his arms up and pretended to cover his head in fear, "Please don't hurt me!"

Some students saw this and wondered what was happening. Haise realized that he might have distracted them from the tour, so he apologized and told them to continue with the program.

"See what you've done," I whispered to him.

"Excuse me, I think we both know who's at fault here," he whispered back.

I couldn't believe his sass, "Oh, my apologies then, Sasaki-san. Do you still want that ice cream to make up for it?"

"No, please, I surrender," he giggled again. "It's cute how you call me Sasaki-san."

H-Haise you're such a flirt!

I wondered how long I could hold off telling my feelings to him. I felt like I wanted him to be mine right that moment.