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Chapter 27: The moment of confession Part 3 ### Shiori’s POV I am Shiori Hoshino, your typical working adult. Last year, I graduated from Yokohama University and started teaching at a local high school here. I don’t have any happy memories of my childhood. My parents divorced when I was young, and neither of them wanted to take me in. In the end, my grandmother on my father’s side stepped up and decided to take care of me. Because of this, I was bullied in elementary school. The whispers, the teasing, the constant isolation—it was enough to make me withdraw from people entirely. By the time I got to middle school, I decided that staying distant from everyone was the safest option. High school and college were no different. I stayed in my own world, studying hard and avoiding people. When my grandmother passed away, my world fell apart. She had been my only support, the one person who cared about me. After her death, I was truly alone. To cope, I buried myself in online gaming. That’s when I discovered **SFO**. It became my escape, my sanctuary. Grinding late into the night, leveling up, dominating the leaderboard—it all made me forget, even if just for a little while, how empty my life felt. But then, through the game, I met Haru. He’s the only light in my otherwise dark life. He’s kind, funny, and understanding—everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s the reason I wanted to become a teacher. I don’t want any students to experience the kind of loneliness I did. Some of them think I’m strict, and maybe I am. But that’s only because I care. And now, Haru is the most precious person in my life. I can’t let anyone take him away. --- Back to the present. After my talk with Shino, she left the room. I hesitated, standing there in the quiet faculty office. Her words replayed in my mind: *"Your dear boyfriend is in some sort of danger."* What did she mean? I wasn’t sure if she was being serious or just messing with me, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. I decided to go to the rooftop. When I arrived, I saw him—Haru—standing there with a girl. She looked familiar. Yuna, right? The girl from Class A. What could she possibly want with him? I was about to step forward when I heard Yuna’s voice, clear and nervous, cutting through the air. "Haruki Mishizaki, I like you. Please let me be your girlfriend!" The words hit me like a punch to the chest. I froze. My heart felt like it was breaking into pieces, one shard at a time. I wanted to intervene, to stop them, but my feet wouldn’t move. I stood there, hidden, paralyzed by the fear of what Haru might say. And then the thought crept in—maybe she’s right for him. She’s young, pretty, normal. Unlike me, his teacher, someone he can never have. Maybe being with her is what’s best for him. Tears blurred my vision as I turned and ran. I didn’t care if anyone saw me. I just needed to get away. The pain in my chest grew heavier with each step, and by the time I reached my apartment, I was a mess. I locked the door behind me and collapsed onto the floor, crying harder than I had in years. --- ### Haru’s POV As soon as Yuna called me to the rooftop, I knew something was up. Shino’s warning had me on edge, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t going to be just a casual chat. "Yuna, get straight to the point. Why did you call me here?" I asked, crossing my arms. She stepped closer, her cheeks flushed. For a moment, she hesitated, like she was gathering all her courage. And then she shouted, "Haruki Mishizaki, I like you! Please let me be your girlfriend!" I blinked, taken aback. So Shino was right. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. There was no need to think about my answer. I already knew what I wanted to say. "I’m sorry, Yuna-san," I said, my voice steady. "I already like someone else." She looked stunned, her face falling. But to her credit, she didn’t cry. Instead, she asked quietly, "So, the one you like... is it Tria?" I nodded. "Yes. I love her." Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she let out a sigh. "Fine. But if Tria dumps you, don’t come crying to me." With that, she turned and walked away. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺 I stayed on the rooftop for a while, staring at the sky. Too many things had happened in such a short span of time. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Yuna, but my feelings were already set. Tria—or rather, Shiori-sensei—was the only one I cared about. Eventually, I made my way to the school gate, where Shino was waiting for me with her usual mischievous grin. "Yo, Haru! My dear childhood friend!" she greeted, waving. "You’re waiting for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Of course! I have something to tell you," she said, falling into step beside me as we walked. "What is it?" I asked warily. "Remember how I said I’d help you?" she said, smirking. "Well, I wasn’t talking about Yuna. I meant I’d help you with Shiori-sensei." I stopped in my tracks. "What did you do, Shino?" "Relax," she said, patting my shoulder. "I may have... hinted to her that you might be in danger on the rooftop. You know, to get her to come see you and Yuna’s little confession drama." "What?!" I shouted. "Shino! What the hell is wrong with you?" She just laughed. "Chill, Haru. I’m on your side here. Anyway, if she saw what happened, she’s probably at her apartment crying her eyes out. You should go to her." I didn’t wait to hear more. I broke into a run, heading straight for Shiori-sensei’s apartment. My heart pounded in my chest, not from the exertion but from the fear that she might have misunderstood everything. When I reached her door, I tried the handle, but it was locked. I knocked urgently, shouting, "Shiori-san! Are you here? It’s me, Haru!"