Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 32

Love was lost…
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Yankumi was excited as she walked home from school. She confident she was getting through to her new students. She had given them a great lesson in math this afternoon (with only a few students falling asleep), as well as a passionate speech about the importance of studying. There hadn't even been many fights recently, which she always thought was a good sign. Perhaps, if they didn't fight as often, they would forget how to do it and stop altogether! Also, she was sure if they just paid attention, they would really find math interesting. After all, to succeed in life all they need was to shed some hot tears and sweat and search for that bright shining sun togeth-

Wait! Was that Shinohara-san up ahead?

Yankumi grinned broadly. "Shinohara-saaaaan!" She called as she rushed towards him. Perhaps the luck she was having with her students would extend to her relationship with Shinohara-san! Ah, he would look so good in a white tux… carrying roses… picking her up and spinning around… walking towards him down the aisle! Yes! Her luck was changing! Things were good! Things were great! Everything was-

"Ah, Yamaguchi-sensei." He smiled at her as he turned around. "Heading home? How was school?"

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, and it was great. I'm very excited about what they learned today. Things have been going really well, and I'm sure that they'll just get better." She beamed at him, still imagining him in a pristine white tuxedo.

"Oh, you're a teacher! What subject?" Came a melodic voice from beside Shinohara.

"I am so rude! I forgot to introduce you. Yamaguchi-sensei, this is Yoshizumi Sumire." And it was only then that Yankumi realized there was a tall, gorgeous woman dressed in a floral shirt that matched perfectly with her pencil skirt, holding on to Shinohara's arm. How long had she been there?

"Sumire, this is Yamaguchi Kumiko, one of the most dedicated teachers I've ever known."

"Yamaguchi-sensei, it's so nice to meet you." The vision of beauty bent down in a graceful bow.

Yankumi swallowed. "Yoshizumi-san, it's… nice to meet you too." She had never been so aware of how short five feet and three inches made her. Standing next to Shinohara, whose height was perfect (like the rest of him) at six feet, and Yoshizumi-san, who was even taller than Fujiyama-sensei, and only a few inches shorter than Shinohara, Yankumi suddenly felt very, very small.

"We were just heading to dinner," Shinohara explained, and then glanced over at Yoshizumi with a small smile that struck Yankumi like a slap in the face. The way he looked at her… she looked at Yoshizumi, who was returning his smile with one of her own… and the way she was looking at him…

Yankumi took a step back. She was suddenly conscious of how short she was, how ridiculous her tracksuit must look, how childish her pigtails must seem, and how out of place she was standing next to such tall, beautiful people who were obviously in…

"Would you like to join us?" Yoshizumi-san asked in perfect sincerity and politeness.

"Oh, yes, please do." Shinohara smiled at her as an invitation, but this smile felt perfunctory and lifeless compared to the one just a moment ago.

Plastering on a polite smile of her own, Yankumi shook her head. "Oh, no, thank you, but I can't. I have so much work to do, and lessons to plan, and papers to grade…"

Shinohara looked perfect even when he was confused. "But it's Friday. Surely it can wait until-"

"So nice to-meet-you-bye!" Yankumi said in one breath as she turned and walked away as quickly as possible, trying very hard to keep her breathing under control.