That’s How We Nearly Got Caught

Matsuura Katsumi was a girl in my middle school. We were in the same class. She used to be a quiet kid who would read her book in the corner of the room. I was intrigued by her since she was always alone, so from time to time, I would interact with her. We connected by talking about our favourite books, and we enjoyed each other’s company. But then she got involved with some delinquents, and she completely changed. From then on, she was the complete opposite of her former self; she was more ruthless and angry, and she would barely talk to me.

That was until she asked me out. Due to my deep feelings for her, I accepted, and we began dating. But our relationship was not like the one Sensei and I have now. For a time, I was her possession. I belonged to her. She would order me around and make me do things I hated. It was only with the help of Yoshi and Karou that I was able to be freed from her. They had found evidence that the delinquent group she was part of was illegally selling drugs. She managed to avoid imprisonment with her father’s influence, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t punished. The next time I saw her, she was back to her lonesome self, but there was still hatred in her eyes.

After graduating from middle school, I thought I would never see her again. But I met her again, and we were going to the same university. The mere sight of the person who once exploited me ignited an old fear that I thought I had buried long ago. It caused my stomach and body to ache; it was so bad that when I bumped into Sensei in the hallway, I immediately collapsed from the nausea.

When I woke up, I found myself lying on a sofa. I looked around, and it seemed like I was in an office.

“You’re awake.”

I looked above me to see Sensei’s upside-down face. “Sensei…?”

“Are you okay? You collapsed right in front of me. I was so worried.”

“I’m fine.” I felt something cold on my forehead. “Is this a cold compress?”

“When you collapsed, you hit your head on one of the lockers. You got a bruise, so I gave you an ice pack.”

“I see.”

“Lift your head for me.”

She placed an extra pillow below my head.

“Can I take a look at it?”

I removed the cold compress from my head. Sensei took a dry cloth and gently cleaned the wetness off my forehead. She then kissed the bruised spot. Slowly, she began descending my face until our lips were near one another.

“Sensei…”

“Um, what did I say you should call me when it’s just the two of us?”

“Riho… we shouldn’t.”

“We’re alone right now.”

She slowly drew her lips closer to mine. But before we could make contact, we heard the door suddenly open, causing us to separate as quickly as possible.”

“Sozen!” A distressed Karou cried out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now.”

“Sensei texted me that you had collapsed.”

”I was just feeling nauseous.”

“Is it because of Matsuura-san?”

“Who’s Matsuura-san?”

“Karou…”

“Did this Matsuura-san do something to So—Kurosawa?”

“A long time ago, she did.”

“What? What happened?”

“Karou, that’s enough!”

It was unusual for me to raise my voice, especially at Karou, which is why the girls were surprised when I did so. I apologised for raising my voice.

“Nishida-san, may I speak with Kurosawa alone?”

Karou left the room without a word. Sensei sat next to me. With concern in her voice, she asked me who Matsurra Katsumi was. I relayed my past with her: I told her how Matsuura-san and I used to date, the way she treated me more like a pet than a boyfriend, and her eventual downfall. My dark past with Matsuura-san was so heartbreaking to Sensei that she instantly hugged me as soon as I finished speaking. The hug exuded a sense of comfort and sympathy. She asked me to tell her if she ever tried to abuse me again, and she promised that she would protect me if she did try to hurt him.

A couple weeks passed. I barely saw Matsuura-san in the facilities, but when I did see her, she would smile at me like we were old friends. There was still an underlying fear that she would try to bring up bad memories again, but luckily I had my friends and Sensei by my side.

One day, Sensei and I were on our way to her apartment after a date when we almost bumped into one of her coworkers. We managed to remain undetected by hiding behind some bushes. Despite almost getting caught, we couldn’t help but chuckle.

We stopped by a corner shop to buy some ingredients for dinner. While Sensei was paying, I came across one of those holiday pamphlets in a shop. I took one and presented it to Sensei when we arrived at her apartment.

“A hot spring?”

“Yeah. We could go during Golden Week.”

“I don’t mind, but it’s very far.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that.”

“I have a relative who owns a hot spring resort not far from here. How about we go there?”

“You have a family member who owns a hot spring resort?”

“Yeah. I’m sure they would give us a discount.”

“I don’t mind going there, but what will you tell your relative when she asks who you’re going with?”

“I’ll just say you’re the son of my one of my friends that I’m taking care of.”

“Your excuse is that you’re babysitting an eighteen year old?”

“I’ll figure it out, okay? Now come help me prepare dinner.”

Sensei had offered to cook me dinner. This would be the first time I tasted a meal created by her own hands. After dinner, I was completely full; it was so delicious that I could not stop eating.

“That was delicious! Thank you, Riho.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

She began to wash the dishes.

“Oh, Riho. Let me wash the dishes.”

“No, it’s fine. You just sit there and rest.”

Although she insisted that she wash the dishes, I decided to get up and help her by wiping the plates she had cleaned.

“Oh, thank you, Sozen.”

I felt her slowly come closer to me until our shoulders touched. Her adorable face showed a hint of embarrassment and love behind her actions. After washing the dishes, we sat down on the sofa and watched TV. We settled in close, finding comfort in each other’s arms.