That’s How Much I Like Her

Tomorrow, I plan to confess to Sensei. I don’t know how or when I’ll do it, but I will confess to her.

“Where are you going?” Karou asked.

“I have something I need to do.”

“Well, can you tell me what it is?”

“Sorry, but I can’t.”

“Oh. Is it dangerous?”

“Potentially, yes.”

“What!?”

“I’m joking.”

She began hitting me. “That wasn’t funny!” 

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

I wasn’t lying when I told Karou that what I was going to do was, to some degree, dangerous. If Sensei and I started dating, we would have to hide it from the world since it is seen as taboo for a teacher and a high school student to be in a relationship. We would have to lie to our friends and family. If we were found out, then our whole lives could crumble in an instant. Despite knowing the consequences, I knew that I couldn’t conceal my feelings any longer.

I arrived at the cafe.

“Kurosawa-san! Over here!”

“Thank you for waiting, Haruno-sensei.”

“I will say I was surprised when you asked me to meet you. Wait. Can it be? Are we on a date? Are you finally going to accept my marriage proposal?

“No.”

Haurno-sensei fell off her chair and onto her knees. “The pain!”

“Haurno-sensei, get up!”

“Fine. So, what is it you want to talk about?”

“It’s about Sensei.”

She took a sip of her coffee. “Ah, I thought so.”

“She confessed to me the other day.”

A burst of liquid erupted from her mouth as Haruno-sensei immediately spat out her drink, creating a dynamic splash on the window. “What!?”

“She said she liked me.”

“She did? Wow. I never thought she would be the one to confess first. So what happened? Tell me, tell me.”

“Before I could respond, she told me to take some time to think about it. And I did.”

“I see.”

“So I’m going to confess to her tomorrow after school.”

Another burst of liquid shot out of her mouth. “What!?”

“Sensei, calm down.”

“Are you insane!?”

“I might be.”

“Are you sure about this, Kurosawa-san? You do know what will happen if the school finds out, right?”

“I know. But I need to do this.”

“Well, I did say it was your obligation to tell her your response to her confession. But are you prepared for the challenges ahead of you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Wow. You really are a brave man, Kurosawa-san. I’m almost jealous that Sensei gets to have you all to herself. Go for it, Kurosawa-san.”

The day finally arrived. Earlier in the morning, I texted Sensei to wait for me in her office after school. Before today, I had never wanted time to go faster. But whatever happens, I’m sure that from then on, our relationship will change forever.

“Sozen, are you ready to go?”

“Sorry, Yoshi, Karou. I have a meeting with a teacher later, so I’m going to stay here.”

“A meeting? Did something happen?”

“No. They just want to talk to me about my future.”

“I thought those talks happened a while ago.”

“They did, but they just want to see me again.”

“Okay. See you then.”

After everyone had left the classroom, I went to her office. Haruno-sensei was standing outside the door.

“I’ll guard this place until you’re finished.”

“Thank you, Haruno-sensei.”

She pulled me close to her face by my collar. “If you hurt her, I will end you.”

“Understood!”

I entered the office. The soft golden light shone through the half-closed blinds, creating a gentle contrast between the brightened patches and the gradually deepening shadows. Sensei was illuminated by the dimming rays of sunlight, like she was in the middle of a spotlight.

“Thank you for waiting, Sensei.”

“Of course. Is everything okay?”

“There’s something I wanted to tell you.”

“Oh?”

“When I first met you, I thought you were just some regular teacher. But then I found out that you were the one who saved me from drowning. I had always wondered what my saviour looked like, but then I didn’t need to because you were already right in front of me. Before then, I was indecisive. I was afraid to let anyone else into my life. But I was also thankful. I was thankful that I was given another chance at life. You gave me another chance at life. You made me realise that I needed to change in order to become a better person. You showed me that I’m allowed to be happy. That’s why I want to make you happy as well.

Takanashi Riho. Sensei. You are more special to me than anyone else in the world. I realise that now. With all of my heart…

…I like you.”

Sensei’s eyes began to water. She was unable to hold back her emotions any longer. That’s what made this next part harder.

“But… I can’t go out with you. Not yet, at least. I want to be someone you can depend on. I want to be someone you can be proud to call your boyfriend. I want to give you everything that I am. But I can’t do that if it means our lives at this school could be ruined. I don’t want that for you. That’s why I’m asking you to wait for me. Wait a few more months until I graduate. When I’m no longer a high school student, I promise you I will make you more happy than you have ever been.”

I knew that I was asking a lot from her. To make her wait for me to graduate was something she might not want to do, but if we were going to make this relationship properly work, we needed to do it right.

“Then if that’s the case, can I ask you for something in exchange for my patience?”

“Anything.”

Sensei’s arms enveloped me in a tender embrace, her touch a comforting affirmation of her love for me.

“Kurosawa Sozen, I promise I will wait for you. Even if it takes a hundred years, I will wait. I love you.”

As her words settled in the air like a promise, my heart experienced a mix of happiness and relief.

From now on, we will move forward together.