Original Author: Korota
Date Submitted to Syosetu: 2016/12/03

I kept on running along the road illuminated by the setting sun.
Due to my lack of exercise, my legs almost gave out on me several times, but each time I reprimanded myself and continued running.
Despite my ragged breath and the unpleasant feeling of sweat running down my body, I proceed forward without slowing down.
I just broke into a run without thinking about where I'm going, but I'll go to her house for now.
My only guesses for where she might be are her own house or her friend's house.
So, please be at home. Even if it's just a minute or a second sooner, I want to see her.
I couldn't care less about the pedestrians staring at my frantically running figure.
My feelings are propelling me forward and my body is desperately trying to keep up.

---How much longer until I reach her house?
While I was running, I kept on thinking about Shiba.
From our first meeting last spring to today, we have shared so many memories together that I have I have a lot to think back on. I dug up those memories one by one. After I finished checking them, I carefully put them away.
Almost all the memories are of her messing with me and all the troubles she's caused me, but she was always smiling cheerfully during those times. I remember her smiling face from when she was having fun causing an uproar and her carefree smile when she was playing with her friends. When something good happened, she would smile happily.
Whenever I recall her smiles, which still remain vividly in my mind even now, I feel a strange sense of relief.
I now know the reason for that.
I always loved seeing her various smiles.

"...Haah... haah... I'm finally here."

I finally arrived at my destination, so I stopped running and stood thered.
I hold back my desire to meet her as soon as possible while trying to calm my ragged breathing.
If I meet her like this, I will not be able to talk to her properly and I will probably just end up startling her.
Besides, I was in a rush to get here so maybe I should fix up my appearance a bit. I'm drenched with sweat and I look for a handkerchief to wipe myself when I realize to my horror that I didn't bring anything with me. Aah, what do I do now? I want to meet her so bad that my heart is about ready to burst out, but I didn't bring my bag containing my makeup pouch. I didn't even bring my cell phone with me, even though Ms. Marudo just warned me about that today. What now? It's shameful to meet her in this state. I'd rather not go all the way back to my apartment, but after running like that, my hair is a mess, I'm sweaty, and I'd like to put on some makeup. Though I want to meet her...

"Oh, Ms. Ueda."
"Eeep!!"

The front door opened and Shiba's mother came out.
My breathing is still in disarray and I was surprised, so I let out a strange voice.

"What's wrong? You're breathing so hard..."
"Umm... well... there's something I wanted to... talk to Mitsuki... about."

I'm still desperately gasping for breath, so I couldn't talk normally.
On top of that, I'm feeling self-conscious around the mother of the person I love, so I'm more nervous than usual.

"Huh!? Did that stupid daughter of ours do something again!?"
"No, nothing like that. I just have something personal I want to talk to her about. I'm not here to perform my duty as a teacher today."

I immediately regret my honesty when the words leave my mouth.
What possible reason would I have to go beyond the realms of a teacher and get personal with a student? It's already too late, but I should have thought of an acceptable excuse.
Adding to that, I'm sure I couldn't fool anyone in my current unkempt state.
I'll just have to accept that I look completely suspicious, but Shiba's mother does not question me any further and returns to the house to fetch me a towel. She tells me to wipe my sweat and I graciously accept her kindness. The towel is fluffy and smells nice.

"I know you are in a rush to see her, but I'm sorry. Mitsuki has been out since this morning."
"She's not here?"
"Why not wait for her inside? I think she'll be back before the sun sets."
"Thank you for the kind offer, but I'll go to where she is."

I managed to catch my breath while we were talking. My legs can still move. I may have to slow down, but I can still run.
Even if I couldn't run, I could still walk. At any rate, I couldn't stay still.

"So where did Mitsuki..."
"My daughter said she was going to hit on some people and went out. She never said where she was headed exactly."
"..."
"Feel free to not hold back when scolding her."
"...Ahaha."

If she's trying to hit on people, she'll probably be in front of the train station or around the shopping district. There are a lot of people there and she could probably find someone looking for company.
In that case, I'll go to the train station first... no, I'm sure she was lying. She didn't want to tell her mother where she was really going so she made up that excuse. However, this is Shiba we're talking about. She might really just be trying to pick up girls, so I can't be too certain.

"I'm sorry. Our daughter has always been causing you trouble, Ms. Ueda."
"Ah, no, that's not true. Mitsuki has also been a huge help. Besides, I showed up here completely unannounced today so it's my fault."

While Mrs. Shiba bows her head to apologize, I do the same.
This strange bowing contest repeats several times before Mrs. Shiba mumbles "ah" and takes out her cell phone.
She presses a few buttons and looks at the screen for a while, but frowns before putting the phone back in her pocket.

"She's not replying to my texts and not answering my call. What exactly is that girl up to?"

She usually responds right away, so Mrs. Shiba looks worried.

"I'll look around for her. I'll make sure to contact you if I find her."
"Thank you... I'm really sorry that things are always like this."
"I'm doing this because I want to."

Those are my true feelings, so those words naturally flow out and I end up unconsciously smiling.
Mrs. Shiba looks at me puzzled before letting out a small chuckle.
Then her face changes to show her motherly concern.

"Please take care of Mitsuki. I'm sure that girl needs you right now."

I was startled. I wonder exactly how much she knew.
I set aside my curiosity and wonder how I should respond.

"Ever since that girl entered high school... since she met you, she has changed."
"Changed?"
"Mitsuki has always been a bright and boisterous girl, but up until the end of middle school, she wasn't the kind of kid who caused problems at school."
"...Eh?"
"Back then, she was quite a diligent and smart girl."
"..."

In other words, Shiba turned into a troublemaker due to me being a bad influence on her.
Even though I had just wiped off my sweat, I feel myself beginning to break into a cold sweat.
I did not realize I had such an active metabolism.

"Aah, I didn't mean to blame you, Ms. Ueda. In fact, I should be thanking you. There aren't many people who would properly look at her, think about her, and scold her."
"Is-is that so?"

I don't remember doing anything that's a big deal. Though some of my personal feelings might have been mixed in when I was with her.
More importantly, why did Shiba suddenly start causing problems?
Did she find it fun? Was she feeling rebellious? I don't think she would do that for such a simple reason though.

"I don't know the reason for her change, but perhaps she's always messing around with you to get your attention like a kid that teases the person they like."
"What!? The person they like!? Th-th-that's..."
"Haha, I'm just joking."
"Ye-yes, of course."
"Fufufu. However, there is no doubt that girl has a special fondness for you, Ms. Ueda."

Is that so? In that case, I'm glad.
My heartbeat which has calmed to a steady rhythm has become slightly erratic again.

"I know it's not good that she's causing trouble and bothering others, but as her parent, I'm happy about how she's changed. Change is proof that girl is trying to live."
"Proof that she's... trying to live."

Mrs. Shiba adds that she won't hold back in disciplining her if she does anything wrong with a smiling face while clenching her fist.
I wonder what kind of discipline Shiba has to go through. It's a bit scary to imagine, so I won't try to think about it.

"If that girl is up to something again, feel free to give her an earful."
"...Yes."

I bow my head, thank her, and start running again.
Mrs. Shiba may have noticed that Shiba is trying to do something.
She may have realized there was an important meaning behind her actions and decided to not say anything.
I'm not sure how much she knows, but her love for Shiba is genuine.

Now, where should I go from here?
Should I believe Shiba and look around the station or should I trust my own intuition and head for her friend's house?
The sun is going to set soon, so I'm limited by both time and my remaining stamina. I can only check one location.
There's also a chance that she's at neither location, but those are the only two choices I could think of. In that case, I should bet on the location with the higher odds. If it doesn't work out, I'll give up for today.
I decide to trust my own intuition and head for the home of Ayu, who Shiba is always with.
Even if Shiba isn't there, her closest friend might have a clue about where I can find her.
After deciding on my destination, I speed up a bit... I still have work tomorrow, but my muscles are probably going to be sore so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it to work.

"Ah, it's Ms. Ueda. Hello."
"Eh!? Ah, hello... Hayase."

As I was running along a quiet residential area, I happened to run into one of my students, Hayase, so I stopped to greet her.
There is a beautiful woman next to her, so I greet her as well and she returns my greeting with a slight bow.
Hm? I have a feeling I've seen this woman somewhere before.
Let me think... ah, that's right. She was the one who came to pick up Sekiguchi with Hayase when we were drinking together that day.
She looks just like an older Tsubaki Kurasaka so I thought she was her older sister, but I never confirmed that.

"I am Hayase's homeroom teacher, Shino Ueda."

After I introduced myself, the woman seems to have remembered our first meeting since she responds with a small "ah".
I was drunk and staggering back then, so it might have been better if she had forgotten that shameful first impression.

"We have met once before, haven't we? My name is Hiori Kurasaka."
"Kurasaka... So you're Tsubaki Kurasaka's sister after all?"
"I'm her mother."
"Eh!?"

For a moment, my head becomes completely blank. Mo... mo... mother...? She's a mother!?
Instead of being Tsubaki Kurasaka's sister, she is her mother!?
Hayase looks at the woman and tries to hold back her laughter, but she gets found out immediately and receives a light pinch on her cheek.

"Umm... pardon my rudeness. So you were her mother. You looked quite young, so..."
"No need for apologies. People make that mistake pretty often, so please don't worry about it."

I assumed that she was around the same age as me.
She looks so young and beautiful that it's hard to believe she has a daughter in high school.
I can see why others made that mistake as well.

"By the way, where were you running off to, teacher?"
"Ah, to tell you the truth, I'm looking for Shiba."
"If you're looking for Mitsuki, we saw her at the river bank earlier. She said something about catching eels."

Eels?
Did she give up on flirting and decide to catch eels at the river instead...
No way, that's absurd. I'm sure that's just another lie. I wonder what Shiba is really doing.

"Did Mitsuki get in trouble again?"
"No, it's not like that... I just wanted to talk to her a bit."
"I see. I think she should still be there, but you better hurry."
"Ah! Thank you! In that case, see you later, Hayase... and it was a pleasure meeting you again, Kurasaka."
"Likewise."

I've finally managed to get a lead, so I can't waste this opportunity.
After saying our goodbyes, I head for the river bank where she was said to be.
But why were Hayase and Kurasaka's mother together?
They were also together when they came to pick up Sekiguchi. Did they get along well?
It's not that strange for acquaintances to be together, but I was kind of curious.
However, those small questions soon disappear and my mind becomes occupied by Shiba again.

That's why I didn't notice...

"...I wonder if she'll be okay."
"I'm sure she will be."

Their gazes as they watched me run off.
And their worried murmurs.

I only focused on running straight ahead and couldn't notice anything else.





＊





"I think it's about time for me to go home."



The sky is still lit, but I should probably go home before it gets dark since my parents will be worried if I'm out too late.
Besides, I'm quite exhausted today. I'm so exhausted that I could do nothing else but vacantly gaze at the river flowing by.
It probably made more sense for me to just go home and rest instead of wasting my time idling like this, but I needed a change of pace.
After making an excuse to my mother, I first went to President Levatille's place. Somehow I managed to obtain his cooperation and thanks to his swift response, the plan has been proceeding smoothly. It didn't even take half a month before we reached the stage where we could carry it out.
Even if I knew the Kashima Group inside and out and shared that information, I did not expect the preparations to be ready so quickly.
This must be the power of a major international company. Even without me, Levatille may have been able to easily destroy the Kashima Group. I laugh to myself when I remember the self-important woman who used to stomp around one of the Kashima Group's companies like a big shot.
Now then, the plan will be executed the day after tomorrow. Though Levatille's people are already working behind the scenes and the Kashima Group has already been surrounded. This is the beginning of the end.
The day after tomorrow, the various injustices the Kashima Group has committed will be made public. That was my original duty. I have to do that myself and can't hand that over even to Levatille. This is my responsibility.
The price for their help is that I have to give up on my dream for the future that I envisioned, but it's a cheap price for their support. I should be thankful that's all I had to pay.

"Hyup!"

I toss a small rock into the river and it makes a splash before the ripples spread gently.
I watch the waves go against the current until they disappear and then stand up. When I turn around, I have to squint when faced with the radiant setting sun.
---Oh yeah, I ran into Hinatan and Hiori Kurasaka here earlier.
I came here to calm my heart and I didn't think I would end up disturbing it even further.
I tried to act cheerful like usual and make up an excuse, but I don't think it went well.
After all, I doubt I fooled them by telling them I'm trying to catch eels when I didn't even bring any equipment with me. I'm sure they were suspicious.
I'll leave the excuses and apologies for later. I'll think about that after everything is over.

Just as I turn my back to the river to head home, the cell phone in my pocket rings.
I open my phone to find a message from Hinatan.
"Let's have a tea party with everyone sometime". Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
The sweets Hinatan makes are so delicious that if she ever opened a store in the future, I'd love to invest in it.
My cheeks relax when I remember the sweet and delicate taste of her cookies.
Now that I've calmed down, I set out for home but my feet stop.
I had to stop because someone ran right in front of me.

Why...

"...Teacher."
"Hello, Shiba."

Why is she here?

Teacher looks like she's having a tough time since she's breathing heavily, but she smiles happily when she sees me.
Why are her eyes sparkling like a child who discovered treasure when she looks at me?
Her eyes are so dazzling that it's difficult to meet her gaze, but I can't bring myself to look the other way.
I want to run away so badly, but my feet are stuck to the ground and I can't move.
What's happening to me? Did teacher learn some kind of magic? How do I dispel this?

"I finally found you. I've been looking for you."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to see you and talk to you. Hey, Shiba, are you really trying to bring down the Kashima Group?"

After catching her breath, teacher looks at me with a serious expression. She's a bit flustered and didn't waste any time cutting to the chase.
I wonder if she heard about the situation from Masayuki Kashima. If so, he noticed way too quickly. I don't think that's going to be a hindrance to the plan, but I'll dig a bit deeper.

"I already told you before, didn't I? I'm serious about this. I'm sure you'll hear something from Masayuki Kashima soon, or has he already said something?"
"No, I haven't heard anything from Kashima. However, someone I know has told me that the Kashima Group will soon be taken over."
"Ah... I see, so you heard from Marudo. I told her not to say anything. She tries to look cool and intelligent, but she's quite sentimental. She's also really fond of cute things."

In addition, she's quite clumsy and makes small mistakes at crucial moments. She has a caring personality and looks after others. She's too honest and sucks at lying.
It's only now that I notice all these things about my former subordinate.

"So, did you come all this way to complain because your marriage is in danger of being canceled?"

Well, there's no guarantee that their marriage will be canceled. Kashima might force it through anyway in a futile attempt to resist.
However, I am sure teacher resents me since I'm scheming to take the person she's trying to marry down. She wants to be happy so badly that it's natural for her to hate me. It's painful being hated by teacher, but this is also part of my retribution.

However, teacher shakes her head sadly.

"No. I did not come here to complain about small things like that."
"Small things?"
"I don't care about that marriage anymore."
"You don't care!?"

Hm? That's odd.
She had been so deadset on getting married and being happy. When did she stop caring about that? Just what kind of change of heart did she go through?

"I came here to ask you what you want to do."
"What I want to do... I should have already told you before. I'm going to destroy the Kashimas because I hold a grudge against them."
"Why do you hold a grudge against them? Is it because they killed you?"
"!!"
"Answer me honestly, Shiba... no, Mitsuba Kashima."
"..."

Did she figure it out herself or did Marudo tell her everything?
Regardless of the details, Shino Ueda now knows that Mitsuki Shiba has the memories of Mitsuba Kashima.
Then I guess there's no need to hide it anymore. This is a good opportunity. I'll keep her company until she is disillusioned.
I am not as upset as I thought I would be. My heart is still calm. It might be because I had been meditating while staring at the water's surface earlier.
Looks like I'll be able to talk to her properly.

"I don't