Chapter 11: Loli x Teacher = Drinking Formula

Loli x Teacher = Drinking Formula

"Phew, I got it..."

I gave the paper bag in my right hand a slight rustle. A sound definitely came from inside, indicating the presence of the item I'd just purchased.

However, since it was an expensive item, I quickly stopped, hesitant to do anything if something bad were to happen.

I bought that expensive bag. Now that I think about it, my wallet feels so light. More than ten of the most important people in the banknote hierarchy have disappeared. Of course it's going to get lighter.

Well, thinking about it, maybe it's just gone back to normal. I don't usually carry that much money in my wallet. I had decided to buy this bag today, so I prepared that amount. I just gained weight for a moment and then lost it right away.

By the way, the store clerk didn't seem all that surprised when he saw me ask for it and immediately take cash out of my wallet. I'm a high school girl, after all. I think it's a bit of a stretch for a high school girl to spend. 

I guess in this world, people who have money get what they want. I'm jealous. Capitalism is awful. Other things are awful too.

Anyway, now all that's left is to wait for the Christmas party. We're planning a party at my house on Christmas Eve, right after winter break starts, and I'm feeling excited despite my age. And when I say "awful," I mean, I'm still a young high school girl. I feel like "young" and "high school girl" are kind of dead words, though.

The participants will be me, Karen, of course. Plus, Kikka. Just three close childhood friends. I guess a bond that's built over more than ten years really draws us to a sacred day like Christmas.

But, leaving aside my own personal opinion, it would be really weird for Karen and Kikka to have a Christmas party together.

I agree. Frankly, they're not close.

Personally speaking, Karen looks down on Kikka, and Kikka looks down on Karen. 

But surprisingly, our Christmas party with the three of us has become an annual tradition.

That's because Karen and I have been friends the longest, so we would normally have parties together. Kikka has been an incredibly serious girl since elementary school, and was the type to say, "Study, even on Christmas!"

Kikka's mother was worried about this, and thought that at least on Christmas, she should spend time hanging out with friends rather than studying, so she consulted my family and Karen's parents about it. She asked if we could let Kikka join our party.

Naturally, neither family had any reason to refuse. In fact, they were bothered by the fact that, despite being childhood friends, she was left feeling like an isolated animal. Even though Kikka had refused it herself, that was the case.

Besides, Karen today would probably refuse anyone who suggested a party with her, but back then Karen was in elementary school, and my training was still a long way off. I tend to listen to my parents quite a bit, so I nodded along to the suggestion.

As a result, our Christmas party together as a trio became a tradition.

Seriously, it's the best event of the year for me.

It's not for any festive reasons like, "It's Christmas, Merry Christmas!" or anything, but because I get to see Karen-chan and Kikka-chan interacting passionately right in front of my eyes.

They're not close, so without a reason like this, I don't know when they'll get involved. And even if they do, it's only for a moment.

And then those two spend the whole night flirting and fighting. Isn't it the best?

Karen-chan, who breathes her own selfish behavior, and Kikka-chan, who is angry and mad about it, can't stop. There were three of us, and they started arguing, putting me in the middle in order to win the majority vote, and the sight of them arguing was truly breathtaking.

Thank you so much for Christmas. Here's a toast to this sacred night. 

And at such an amazing event, you ask? This year, there's...

(There's this, you know~)

I glances back at the paper bag in my right hand.　

This was really expensive, after all.　

I'm sure Karen will be very happy. She looked so eager for it, and it's been making her excited for Christmas.　

On the other hand, Kikka. I wonder what kind of expression she'll make?

The present for Kikka isn't this expensive, so I'm sure she'll be able to tell the difference at a glance, even if she doesn't know the price.　

Will she be jealous of Karen's present? Or will she simply be surprised that it looks so expensive? Or will she be angry at the difference between her present and Karen's?　

I wonder~♪

But Kikka is such an earnest and good girl, so I'm sure she'll think, "How can I complain to something I received from someone else..." and try to hold back. Frankly, I think it's natural for her to be angry, even though it was a gift, when someone makes such a big difference, but she can't forgive herself for it. Kikka is Kikka, after all.

But, this Kikka-chan isn't the same Kikka-chan from last year, is she?

Has Kikka learned this year that she can do whatever she wants to people who do bad things to her? Has she learned what she can use to win against me?

Hehe, hehehe!

Ah, I can't wait! It looks like something completely different from last year is going to happen!

Until now, I've only enjoyed watching the two of them 'get along', but this year, maybe I'll even be able to participate. An event isn't worth it unless you take the initiative to get involved, right?

Ah, I wish Christmas would come soon.

"Huh?"

I was heading home in high spirits when, halfway through, I stopped in my tracks, thinking I'd caught a familiar figure in my field of vision.

It seemed a rather small figure... huh?

Why is that person with a police?

"Oh, Kamitsure-sensei! What a coincidence, eh?"

"T-Tachibana-san!"

I considered ignoring her and heading home, but I'm no demon.

As soon as I called out to her, sensei clung to my waist, tears welling up in both her eyes, and she looked at me as if pleading for help.

But I couldn't afford to pay attention to sensei like that right now. I turned to face the police officer. 

"Hey, do you know this girl?"

"I wouldn't say I don't know her, I mean... she's my homeroom teacher."

Wow, his surprised face looks like it says, "Really?"

It's like he's painted it directly on his face.

I know, this little girl really doesn't look like a working adult, right?

Can't you see it? I was a little surprised myself, but she's not only short, but she has a baby face, too. And from what I saw earlier, she doesn't seem to be wearing a suit today. It's a holiday, so she's probably wearing casual clothes, but if you didn't know her, you might think she was just a kid.

"See, see? I told you! I'm a teacher!"

"Uh, no. Um... sorry..."

The police officer bowed his head, seemingly lost in thought. Sumire, on the other hand, was more excited than I'd ever seen her. Judging by this, I wonder if she'd been held captive for quite some time?

...Huh? 

"Sensei, sensei?"

"Yes, yes, what is it?"

"Excuse me for asking this, but where's your ID? If you just take it out, it'll be clear in a snap."

I felt like I heard a crack, as if something had frozen solid.

Sumire, who had been jumping around in excitement a moment ago, suddenly stopped all movement and looked off into the distance.

"Ah, um... well... my ID, you mean? That's right... ID, ID..."

Her gaze was constantly moving, never focusing on one thing, making her the very definition of suspicious.

I hope this suspicion is more like "I didn't think of it." I hope so. No, I hope she thought of it. As a teacher at a school, I hope she thought of it.

Huh? I don't really want to think about it, but this suspiciousness... 

"If only I had it... that would have been nice, but... right~?"

"Don't go 'right~' on me!"

I thought she was a normal teacher, but maybe she's weirder than I thought, forgetting her ID and going out?

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•

"Come on, Tachibana-san! Eat all of your favorite foods! And you've completely forgotten everything you saw today!!"

"Ah, okay..."

We moved to a nearby family restaurant. We'd just parted ways with the police officer.

According to what he said, the officer had clearly called out to the child because she was trying to go into the bar alone.

Apparently, the officer thought sensei was just a child, so he didn't ask for her ID or anything.

And yet sensei insisted that she was a working adult and a school teacher. It was this strange combination that led to the strange situation mentioned earlier. 

How can I put it? Both of them made huge communication mistakes. It feels like a human error.

And so, to keep me quiet, sensei ended up treating me to a meal at a nearby family restaurant, and that's how it's been up to now.

"You really saved me! If we had continued like that, nothing would have happened."

"That's good, but it's mostly your fault, so be careful, okay? Like forgetting your ID."

"When you point that out, I can't say anything..."

Her appearance and the way she muttered, having been hit in a sore spot, made her look like a child being scolded by its parents.

Feeling like I'd done something wrong, I averted my eyes and stared at the menu. 

"Well, I've always owed you a lot of favors even outside of school. So just keep eating and don't worry about it."

"Thank you."

Apart from this, you mean various things at school. My actions on campus are always with my future in mind, so I feel a little guilty when someone calls me to thank me. I guess it's polite to just accept something they offer.

These days, ordering at family restaurants is all done via tablet. While there are still some places where you order via smartphone, tablets seem to be the norm. It's a bit sad that so few restaurants still have those ping-pong buttons. I suppose this is due to technological advances, though.

I checked the seasonal pasta menu and handed the tablet to sensei. It was winter, so I chose a cream-based one.

I don't feel like cream really has a season, but I guess it's wintery. 

"I wonder what Tachibana-san ordered...oh, are you being shy?"

"No, I will have dinner at home later, so this is more than enough for me."

"Oh, I see. Sorry about that. If it had been lunchtime, You could have ordered a steak and smashed my wallet."

"I'm not really a big fan of meat."

"Oh, really? Not exactly surprising, but quite a surprise."

"Is that so?"

Sensei nodded and tapped the touchscreen on her tablet. It didn't look like she was looking over the menu, so I wonder if she comes to this restaurant often. Or is she checking the menu on the tablet?

"Tachibana-san isn't the type to go out of her way to do things, but she often helps me and the other teachers. That's why I think she's a lively, strong girl."

"I see, so that's what you think."

"Yeah, that's right."

Sensei continued tapping the screen over and over again.

...Hasn't she been pressing the screen too hard for the past few minutes?

"Sensei, sensei?"

"Yes, yes, sensei is here."

"You've been ordering quite a lot lately, is that okay?"

Sensei looks like a child, or rather, a small person, but is she actually a big eater? I've never heard such rumors on school.

Thinking about this, I asked her, "Can you eat all of it?" with a look that expressed my feelings.

Sensei laughed at my question, saying, "Ahaha, no, not that." 

"Then what?" I had a bad feeling, but sensei continued.

"It's not food, it's all alcohol."

"What are you doing!?"

I was convinced. This woman is, shall I say, quite strange.

"You don't have your ID, do you, sensei?! If you order alcohol in that state, it'll be a repeat of what happened last time, or maybe even worse!"

"Wow, I've never heard Tachibana-san speak that loudly before."

Why is she acting so nonchalant...? Does this guy really understand the situation?

Student-teacher meals together are a bit of a gray area, and it's not surprising if she'd be accused of favoritism or something.

Add to that the scandal of underage drinking and not having ID and getting the police involved, and it's no laughing matter. 

(...Ah, I see.)

Then I noticed something.

It was the way sensei had been ordering earlier. As soon as I handed her the tablet, she ordered smoothly, and according to her, she was tapping on the drink.

If she was so skilled at it...

"Sensei, are you perhaps a regular here?"

I came to a conclusion and spoke it out. The reason why sensei had been able to act so rashly.

Hearing this, sensei smiled brightly and nodded her head once in a pleased mood.

"Hm, you see, I come here three times a week to drink."

"Oh, I see... That's how it was. Don't surprise me like that."

"Haha, I'm sorry."

I see, I see.

Certainly, seeing someone with her appearance drinking alcohol would be enough to warrant a warning, as mentioned earlier.

However, once she's drunk, it becomes common knowledge within the establishment that she's old enough to drink. The image that a tiny person like her is actually an adult will likely remain strong.

The supermarkets and convenience stores that sensei frequents probably don't check ages either. After all, if someone dressed like this were to buy alcohol, the incident would be etched in the store clerk's memory.

"That store we just went to is one I saw online the other day. They say they have a wide selection of delicious alcohol, but no one could prove for me that I was an adult."

Sumire-chan sensei laughs, "Hahaha."

What's with this guy? I'm starting to get a little scared. Why live life on the edge like that?

Well, I've done some pretty embarrassing things myself, and I feel like I live a pretty fleeting life.

"These days, you can pay with your phone, so I've gotten used to not carrying a wallet or bag."

...You've just added some scary information.

I could tell at a glance that you weren't carrying a bag, but did you mean your wallet too? Is it not in your pocket or something? Didn't you say that the restaurant you were planning to go to today was a new place you'd never been to before? Didn't you have a safe plan or something? Oh, you didn't, I see.

Correction. Kamitsure Sumire-sensei wasn't a particularly weird person. She was a really weird person.

...I didn't want to know this new side of you. 

•

•

•

"First of all, I'm a respectable member of society! I pay taxes! And yet police officers are just civil servants, you tax thieves! I'm an adult!"

"When a teacher says that, it's no laughing matter... I've had enough, you're drunk."

I really didn't want to know.

In the end, I caught a taxi for sensei and arrived home just before eight o'clock. Damn it.

Author Note:

It seems that, although there's no particular reason for it, impaired judgment and thinking ability, as well as alcohol dependence, can occur when you're under a lot of stress.

That's scary.