Inlove with my Gangster Teacher

Chapter 48: Here we go again

Shin barely glanced up from his book, his eyes scanning the page with practiced focus. The girl beside him leaned in slightly, her smile wide and eager. "So, are you planning to become a criminal defense lawyer? You look so serious studying that stuff," she said, her tone dripping with curiosity.

He didn't respond, his attention firmly planted on the text in front of him.

Undeterred, the girl giggled and continued, "You must be really smart. Are you preparing for a big case study or something?"

Before he could even attempt to respond—or ignore her further—two more girls approached the table, their voices filled with excitement.

"Sawada-kun, I didn't know you'd be here!"

"Wow, criminal law? That's so cool! You must be aiming for something really impressive!"

One of them leaned forward, her hands clasped as if in admiration. "We should totally form a study group. What do you think?"

Another chimed in, "Or maybe grab coffee later? You've been working so hard. You deserve a break!"

Shin's patience was thinning as the girls continued their chatter. He closed his book with a soft thud and fixed them with his signature poker face. "What exactly do you want from me?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with faint irritation.

The girl who initially sat beside him beamed, taking his question as an opening. "We're throwing a birthday party for a professor this weekend! You should totally come. It'll be fun!"

"I'm busy," Shin replied curtly, his expression unmoving.

"But Sawada-kun!" another girl chimed in, "It's not just a party. Some really influential alumni will be there. You might meet someone who can help you in your career!"

Another girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Like, there'll be some big names in the legal field. One of them is Shinohara Tomoya—he's a well-known defense lawyer!"

At the mention of the name, Shin's eyes flickered with recognition. His interest was piqued, though his face betrayed nothing.

"Shinohara Tomoya?" he echoed, his voice still even.

"Yeah! You've heard of him, right? He's incredible. Everyone looks up to him because he's so brave!"

The girls leaned in, sensing his intrigue. One of them added, "You should come! It'll be a great opportunity to network. Who knows, maybe you'll get some tips or connections for your future!"

Shin considered this for a moment, his mind briefly wandering to Yankumi and her history with Shinohara. It's not like I'm going for fun... Just information, he reasoned.

"I'll think about it," he said at last, grabbing his book and walking away without another word leaving the girls exchanging disappointed looks and murmuring amongst themselves.

As he left the library, his expression softened slightly, the thought of encountering Shinohara unexpectedly stirring something unspoken within him.

Her first love, huh?

----------------------------------

"Achoo!" Yankumi sneezed loudly, startling the students nearby.

Odagiri, who had been quietly sorting through some paperwork, immediately turned his head in her direction. "Yamaguchi-sensei, are you okay? Did you catch a cold?" His brow furrowed with concern as he approached her.

Rubbing her nose, Yankumi waved dismissively. "I'm fine! Just a little sneeze. Nothing to worry about."

Odagiri didn't seem convinced. "Winter's coming. You should start layering up. It's getting colder every day."