Flowing Promises (Under Revision)

Chapter 35

The Unbreakable Pandora's Box

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Nagisa's POV

"Shiota? Hey, Shiota? Shiota!?"

A voice calling my last name was repeated three times, and I eventually heard it the last time. That was the time I realized that I was spacing out and I tried to get a grip to focus on eating my lunch with a fellow female teacher.

"Huh? Ahh, sorry about that, Sasaki. What were you saying?" I made an awkward smile as soon as I got a grip of myself.

"Good riddance, I knew you weren't listening. Are you feeling okay? You looked like you fell into an empty world." Sasaki twitched her eyebrows gently and looks at me like I'm weird.

"Sorry, my bad! I reflect on my actions, so please don't be mad at me!" I bow down my head to apologize by reflex.

"It's fine. You don't have to be formal with me all of a sudden. Anyways, about what I was trying to say earlier..." After ignoring my disrespectful behavior, Sasaki started to clear her throat.

"Shiota Nagisa, I'm deeply grateful for what you did. From now on, let's be close friends!" This time, it was her bowing down at me.

"Ehh?!? It's okay, it's okay! You don't have to mind about it that much! I was just doing my job, that's all!"

I was embarrassed by what she suddenly said and what she's doing. I immediately accepted her gratitude and tried to stop her from keeping her head down in such a long duration.

Eventually, she raised back her head to look at me with a relieved face and a smile. Were you that troubled after what I did??

"Thank goodness that you accepted. I look forward to being your friend from now on." She made a heartwarming smile.

After hearing what she said, I felt happy somehow. But to distract ourselves from this developing situation, I pointed at her meal.

"We should probably continue to eat our lunch. It's going to get cold, you know."

"Mhm~ I guess you're right." With that, Sasaki started to eat her meal again.

Feeling relieved now that all that embarrassment is gone, I decided to continue eating my lunch as well. Not to mention, this lunch was homemade, and by mom of all people. I guess she won't let go of the thought about me still being needed to look after like I'm still in high school. Oh how sweet but tragic.

But anyway, let me introduce to you. This here sitting in front of me at the same table is named Sasaki Hotaru, a Philosophy teacher, and a year younger than me. And yeah, remember that time when I decided to extend my time with Class 2A the other day? Yup! You guessed it right. She was the teacher I mentioned to you who was absent at that day due to being out in a cold, so I eventually covered for her in several days.

Taking me out to eat lunch together as a way for her to say thank you for that, I couldn't refuse her offer and decided to come along, but I didn't expect that it would be awkward from the start.

To be honest, I've never hanged out with another teacher before so things a little while ago were a bit uncomfortable. But now that we've come into terms, I can talk to her normally now.