[KARMAGISA] Not Your Average Teacher's Love Story

Chapter 6 - Two Stalkers

"How was your day today?" Nagisa asked.

     "It was normal." Izumi scoffed.

     School had ended sooner than anticipated, with all the students and teachers scattering out of the building in a hurry. Nagisa had arrived at the cafe later, since he was a teacher. Izumi was already there before him, sitting at a table for two while reviewing through his homework pages. Nagisa didn't know that Izumi could act like such a goody-two-shoes when needed to.

"Anyways, do you have any clue how I can give out homework where students can answer with ease?" Nagisa asked. Izumi shook his head. "I'm just a student, Shiota-Sensei."

"Come on! I know that you've probably got something in that brain of yours!" Nagisa whined.

"Shiota-Sensei. Sorry to ruin your dream, but I'm a student and I doubt that I can help you think of homework. That'd be considering it as me cheating." Izumi nudged his rectangular glasses further up his nose. "I'm not letting you write down the questions. Only write some ideas for how I'll be presenting the homework. Like will it be a slideshow? Or just paper? Et cetera." Nagisa sighed.

"You should know that my brain is as useless as a rock." Izumi groaned.

"Rocks aren't useless!" Nagisa frowned. "They help us develop new technologies and believe it or not, they are used in our everyday lives, such as building materials, cars, roads, and even more!"

"That's not the part you need to deny!" Izumi grouched.

"Even if you are faking as a nerd, I believe you are smart." Nagisa grinned. "WHAT!" Izumi jumped out of his seat, slamming both the palms of his hands onto the surface of the table, gaining a shock from Nagisa and many disturbed recoiled expressions from nearby customers. "Keep it down, Izumi-san," Nagisa brought a finger to his lips as Izumi settled back down onto his seat.

"Didn't you know? I could tell right away that you're wearing fake glasses. There isn't even the glass sheet." Nagisa grinned. Izumi gasped. "How... How perceptive are you?"

"Not that much, to be honest." Nagisa said. "Now come on! Help me out. Our next assignment will be focused on writing short stories in English."

     Izumi didn't move. Instead, he took off his fake glasses, shoving them away into his backpack. "Shiota-Sensei, why are you relying on me like I'm helpful? I'm part of Class 3-5, the worst class. I got bad marks and tried to hide them from my parents. I even got myself fake glasses to look smart in front of them. But the truth is that I'm dumb. I took advantage over my parents because they're rich and wealthy, smart and diligent. Eventually, they'll figure out that I'm not what I seem and be disgraced of me."

     "Then wouldn't it be right to gain knowledge now and show them how smart you are later in the future?" Nagisa asked, tapping lightly but impatiently on his keyboard with his index finger. "I mean, just because you're in Class 3-5 doesn't mean your future is decided."

     "My future isn't decided?" Izumi questioned.

     "Yeah. Your future isn't decided yet. I totally thought I would end up as an adult living in the slums, but here I am being a teacher. Either way, it's my responsibility for your education and partly for your future. So lighten up and help me here, or your future won't change!" Nagisa joked, a small grin on his lips.

     Izumi chuckled, feeling a weight pulled off his shoulders. "You're right."

Nagisa noticed Izumi brainstorming a few ideas, sometimes tapping his pencil on a page, as if that'll cast a lucky charm onto him. A grin spread wide on Nagisa's face as he watched his student working hard. He was lucky to have a such hardworking student. "Izumi-san, do you ever take notes for class?" Nagisa asked. Izumi had stopped writing, leaning forwards to look straight in Nagisa's eyes.