That’s How I Met Sensei

Today was the first term of my third year in high school. The delicate green trees towered over me, casting a shadow that protected me from the bright sun. Passing by the local shrine, I caught a glimpse of locals engaged in quiet prayer and meditation, which reminded me to do my weekly prayer. As I clapped my hands twice and began to pray – I would thank God for giving me a second chance at life – I could hear the delicate tinkle of wind chimes and the trickle of water from the fountain, which provided a soothing background melody.

I continued on my journey to school while admiring the modern Japanese paths I walked along. I would usually walk to school with Karou, but she had gone ahead due to club duties. I enjoyed the peacefulness of my walk, but that would soon be interrupted by a rough tackle from Judo master Yoshi Muto.

I first met Yoshi in my first year of high school. We were paired up during PE, and while we disliked each other at first, we soon gained respect for one another after an incident that involved us saving a young girl from a group of good-for-nothing delinquents. I wasn’t as fit to fight as Yoshi was, but that didn’t stop me from joining in and protecting the girl. It was my first fight, and while I did get beaten up a bit, I had gained a new friend.

“Yo!”

“Good morning, Yoshi.”

“You seem tired.”

“Yeah, I am. I had to tidy up after my sister again.”

“I see. Didn’t Karou help?”

“She had to leave early due to her club duties.”

“You should have called me over. I could have helped.”

“Last time I asked for your help, you fell asleep on my couch and left me to do all the work.”

“Did I? My bad.”

“You’re here early today. You usually skip out on the opening ceremony.”

“You’re right. But I thought that I had to attend at least one of them. Right?”

Yoshi could be considered a delinquent himself, but in reality, he actually has a big heart and cares for those he cherishes. He is also the biggest otaku in our group. When he’s not at judo practise or getting into trouble, he’s at home playing dating games and fawning over 2D female characters.

The opening ceremony was the usual boring event that we had to endure early in the morning on the first day back to school. People were still in holiday mode, with one or two of them falling asleep. Everyone was grateful when it finally ended.

As we returned to our classes, I took notice of the new improvements to the building. While small, the newer details in the hallways made the place appear more modern and up-to-date. There were also some new teachers roaming around the hallways. But one of them caught my attention instantly. It was only for a second, but a woman wearing a white lab coat passed by me, her long black hair brushing past me and softly caressing my face. There was a delicate and enchanting fragrance that trailed behind her, reminiscent of blooming jasmine on a midsummer’s evening. I wasn’t able to get a proper look at her, but the presence she left behind as she walked by felt oddly familiar to me.

“You okay, Sozen?”

“Yeah. I just thought I recognised that teacher from somewhere.”

My school life continued as normal. One day, after our mathematics lesson, we had to do PE. Although it wasn’t my favourite subject, I always looked forward to it since it felt like a break from the hard work I had been doing in earlier lessons. The sheer fun of running around and playing sports was a thrilling experience. PE is usually a fun time until you get hit in the face by a speeding ball.

“Kurosawa-kun, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

I touched my forehead and found some blood on my hand.

“I’ll take you to the nurse.”

I hadn’t been to the nurse in a while. Ever since the incident, I was always careful to make sure the number of physical injuries I obtained lessened.

At some point, I must have blacked out because when I opened my eyes, I found myself on a medical bed. Slowly sitting up, I was met with a bright glow from the sun. Once it faded, I could see a figure standing in front of me.

“You’re awake. That’s good.”

She was the same woman that passed me in the hallway earlier; I could tell because she was wearing the same white lab coat. I also noticed that the coat had some red on it as well.

“You had a mild concussion, but you’ll be fine.”

I looked down at her lanyard and saw that her name was Riho Takanashi. That name wasn’t familiar to me. If I recall, the nurse’s name was Mika Yumoto. Did she replace Yumoto-sensei? I didn’t know that she had left.

Unlike the other teachers, she was quite young. I had been captivated by her luscious, long black hair that cascaded gently over her shoulders; the way it swayed as she walked was almost hypnotising. Her pale white skin was smooth and pure, without a wrinkle in sight. She wore round-shaped glasses with an aqua frame. Behind the delicate frames of her glasses, her ocean blue eyes sparkled with empathy and kindness. They were so beautiful that I had to stop looking at her eyes, or else I would have been lost in them. She was amazingly attractive for a nurse. Below her lab coat was a nice black polo, which only revealed her cleavage a little bit, and she wore long black pants to match. It was clear that she had a voluptuous figure beneath it, but she hid most of it under her clothing, which made me feel somewhat conflicted. My teenage hormones wished she showed a bit more, but I also respected the fact that she wasn’t like one of those girls who flaunted their large cleavage around trying to attract men. She was thin but well-endowed, which made her stand out more.

Her voice was quite mature, even though she looked the same age as me. Its coldness demanded a sense of superiority, but it also conveyed a sense of softness and kindness that reminded me of the mysterious angelic voice that saved me that day.

“Just lay back down and get some rest.”

“Okay.”

“I need to step out for a moment. Will you be okay here on your own?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Oh, and I’m new here, as you may have guessed. I’m the new school nurse, Takanashi Riho.”

“I’m Kurosawa Sozen.”

“Kurosawa Sozen. An interesting name. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kurosawa Sozen.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

And that is how I met Sensei.