Inlove with my Gangster Teacher

Chapter 36: Disappointment

"Looks like we've covered everything on our agenda."

The faculty meeting finally ended, and Yankumi stood up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head. The rest of the teachers filed out of the room, chatting amongst themselves, but Yankumi lingered, gathering her notes. Just as she was about to leave, the vice principal approached her, arms crossed and eyes narrowing behind his thick glasses.

"Yamaguchi-sensei," he began in that stern, no-nonsense tone she knew all too well. "About the upcoming student field trip. I expect you and Odagiri-sensei to handle it professionally."

Yankumi straightened up, blinking in surprise. "Of course! Odagiri-sensei and I will—"

The vice principal cut her off, raising a hand. "Don't mess this up. The students' safety is your top priority. One mistake, and the responsibility will be on you."

She forced a smile, suppressing a nervous laugh. "Hai, hai, I got it! Everything will be fine!" she replied, a little too cheerfully, as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

The vice principal gave her one last stern look before walking away, leaving Yankumi standing there, frozen. She let out a long breath. "Phew..."

From the corner of the room, Odagiri Ryu approached, his hands tucked into his pockets. He had been listening to the exchange, his expression unreadable.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us," Ryu said casually, though there was a glint of amusement in his eyes as he watched her scramble to keep calm.

"Yeah," Yankumi muttered, scratching the back of her neck. "But we'll be fine, right? I mean, what could go wrong?"

Ryu raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, simply giving a small nod.

"Let's make sure we don't mess this up, Kumiko-san," he said, his voice laced with quiet determination.

Yankumi shot him a grin, feeling reassured by his presence. "Right! We've got this!"

As they walked outside, the late afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the campus. The crisp breeze stirred the leaves at their feet, signaling the approaching change of seasons. They strolled side by side in comfortable silence when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and let out a loud sneeze.

"Achoo!"

Odagiri Ryu glanced over, slightly startled. "You okay, Kumiko-san?" he asked, his voice tinged with mild concern.

Yankumi rubbed her nose and laughed, waving off his concern. "Ah, don't worry! It's nothing. Maybe someone's thinking about me." She grinned mischievously, puffing out her chest playfully as if proud of the idea.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a sidelong glance. "Or... maybe it's just the weather," he said dryly. "It's getting colder. Autumn's almost here."

Yankumi blinked, her pretense deflating just a little. "Oh... right." She stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets, feeling the cool breeze nip at her skin. "I guess it has been getting chilly, huh?"

Ryu nodded, his gaze shifting to the trees nearby, their leaves already starting to turn shades of orange and red. "Yeah. It'll be colder on the trip, too. Make sure you're prepared, Kumiko-san." His tone was practical, but there was a softness to his concern.

"Thanks, Odagiri-kun. I'll be fine. It'll take more than a little cold to slow me down." Yankumi smiled. She tugged her jacket tighter around herself, her eyes flicking up to the sky as she tried to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine.