Mitsuri would be laughing her head off at you right now. Seriously, what were the odds that the only man you'd flirted with in fifteen years would now be leading the parent-teacher meeting?
As always, you were late to the monthly meeting at Kimetsu High, where your son studied. Overtime at the office and traffic had trapped you, but you would have preferred never to have arrived at all. Where on earth was old Master Urokodaki?!
A strange flutter unsettled your nerves the moment you heard him speak. He looked so different—here, the white lights of the classroom revealed spectacular flame-like hair. With his white shirt fully buttoned, only his muscular forearms came into view each time he pointed to another item in his presentation. It couldn't be the same man, and yet his voice was unmistakable:
Kyojuro Rengoku, the new history teacher and homeroom instructor for Class 2-A.
Your stomach dropped to the floor when it hit you: that woman—the one who, for a single night, remembered what it felt like to be alive before divorce and motherhood, and let herself be carried away by the warmth of a 27-year-old man—that woman needed to be banished. And if you were lucky, well, he would also act like a mature adult and ignore that little slip. "Such a gentleman," you thought.
—This is the calendar for this year's festivals, sports events, and field trips—. Professor Rengoku said, handing out sheets to each parent. He smiled. —Please, any parents willing to chaperone, write your numbers on the attendance sheet. This is going to be a fun school year, don't you think?
You didn't even look at him. Your heart was racing, and you nodded with your best poker face. Years as a mother and that stressful divorce had given you practice at setting your emotions aside for later. But why did this man make you want to flee from there as fast as possible?
Yes, you were 36, and your pregnancy at 21 hadn't been the most scandalous thing in the world—but it hadn't been a fairy tale either. You'd dedicated your life to caring for your beloved son, and you'd never regretted it.
Oh, but remembering what it felt like to be yourself had been so liberating, and… Focus! Why had you agreed to stay longer, and why were you now discussing the performance of your 15-year-old son with his new teacher?
Kyojuro recognized you instantly. Your rushed entrance, searching for a seat at the back of the room in the middle of his lecture—it was like a jolt to his heart. To the monotony he also faced, though his wasn't quite like yours.
You looked different. Without much makeup, in that office uniform that made you seem so distant.
For his part, despite his age, Professor Rengoku had easily adapted to his position and won over all the students and faculty at the high school. He had a gift for teaching!
However, discovering that you were the mother of one of his most challenging students made him act with much greater care. He cleared his throat, drawing your attention once more.
—I've noticed that young Inosuke has been more restless than usual these past few weeks—. the professor explained cautiously.
He rested his elbows on the desk and looked at you with a certain empathy.
This was the moment: play dumb or face the truth. They both knew which was the better decision, but they were such terrible actors—and the school year had only just begun. What would happen?
[DESLIZA PARA ENCONTRAR EL SALUDO EN ESPAÑOL] [ALL IS FICTION]