Outsider : Classroom Of The Elite

Chapter 4.6 - Cigarette

I was insomniac, and the idea of playing with my phone got boring real quick, so I decided to venture outside.

Although we were dissuaded not to wander around late at night for safety reasons, in reality there weren't any strict rules restricting us; except for the ban on circulation around the girl's floor after twelve.

It was some time around two in the morning. The pool area, which was crowded during the daytime, had grown silent, not a single soul was nearby. Only I was standing by the side of the pool on my lonesome.

That didn't bother me because I wanted to head somewhere with open air, but at the same time isolated as well.

"How convenient."

The school provided phones already had teachers’ contact information stored in them. Getting in touch with Chabashira was a relatively simple task. I decided to give her a call, asking if it was okay to meet near the poolside. Whether or not she'd come at such an hour was a different story altogether.

To my surprise, she arrived in a very short amount of time.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Chabashira apologized.

“It’s fine. It wasn't long before I got here as well."

I took a good look at Chabashira, who was wearing her teacher's uniform, even at this hour. At one glance, she seemed like the normal homeroom teacher I never got bored of seeing, but.. Even though it was dark, I could tell that she was paler than usual, as if she was deathly ill.

I also noticed her shivering, especially parts like her legs which were barely covered. Though it was still mid summer, we were still on the ocean, so the night wind that passed over the ship’s deck was quite chilly.

"Do you mind if we have this conversation somewhere else?" I asked.

Chabashira raised her eyebrows a bit before shaking her head, "I have no problem with that."

Thus, we changed the location to a spot with less wind flow. I also borrowed two chairs from a nearby restaurant so she didn't have any difficulty resting.

"Sorry to call you this late."

She sat cross-legged on a chair, revealing her black thigh highs in full exposure, “An instructor is obligated to consult with a student. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. Besides, this isn't the first time you’ve called me for odd requests.”

“You make it sound like we've been doing drug deals behind the scenes."

Actually...

Now that I think about it, back in the island, I do remember asking for a few medications because of Horikita's condition, so...

Technically we did?

Ahem...!

"By the way, you reek of alcohol, sensei. Just how much have you been drinking?" I remarked.

"Ara, you seem to know what alcohol smells like, Aozaki."

"If I'd ever smelled something even worse than rotten flesh, it'd have to be alcohol."

I had never actually tasted a single drop myself, but there were countless times when my guardian got drunk and whenever she did, she'd turn into the biggest nuisance in the name of existence itself. I had to take care of all the mess she'd made, so obviously at some point, I got accustomed to that stench.

"I find it hard to understand why adults would drink something that smells like actual horse crap." I commented.

"It's an adult thing, Aozaki. You just have to wait till you're an adult to understand."