Chapter 32: You're the Last Heroine

You're the Last Heroine

"..."

I continue to idly tap away at the keyboard. I tell myself not to let my thoughts or emotions get in the way. If I do that, nothing will ever get done.

The struggles of being the homeroom teacher for Class 2-2, which I was appointed to in early spring, are long gone.

The seasons have already passed, and winter break is just around the corner. These days, I'm looking forward to the end of the year.

I endure my numb fingertips and immerse myself in my work.

"...Hm."

I continue to absorb the blue light, rubbing the corners of my eyes to hide my blurred vision. When teachers use computers for work, they don't use them for programming or anything like that, but rather for document creation and numerical manipulation. So, in the end, patience and time are more important than skill.

Efficiency is important, but perseverance is even more important.

Since I need to record grades for every student—not just the students I'm in charge of, but for every student in each class I teach—the absolute number increases indefinitely depending on the size of the school.

On top of that, I'm also required to create lesson materials and documents related to school management, and as a junior employee, I'm often given work that seems a bit excessive, assuming I'm already familiar with using a computer. Of course, I can't expect overtime pay. I'm a civil servant, after all. It's well known that civil servants are automatically signed up for overtime subscriptions.

And on top of all this work,

"Kamitsure-sensei, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"...Ah, yes."

While I was working, I heard a voice from above, and, with my brain slowing down, I replied a little late. Turning my eyes, I saw Yamanaka-sensei—the homeroom teacher for Class 3-1, who also teaches chemistry in my class.

"We did a simple experiment in chemistry class today, and some kid started messing around again."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry about that..."

"Well, I don't really want to say it, but I wonder how many times this has happened. I understand that this is a class for some problematic kids, but when it happens so many times... Right?"

"I'm sorry, it's because of my lack of guidance."

"Please be careful, okay? Even though it's just an experiment, there are times when it could result in injury or even death."

After that, she was constantly nagging and scolding me. Since I couldn't deny that I had been lacking in guidance to some extent, I couldn't argue back, so I just kept bowing and saying I was sorry.

After a while, he seemed satisfied and went back to his own work.

Lately, perhaps due to the pressure of being the homeroom teacher for the third-year students and teaching them exams, he's been taking out his anger on others at every opportunity.  Being petite, I was an easy target, especially since I was the homeroom teacher of a class with obvious problems.

"...Hmm."

But even so.

My workload, which was already uncertain whether I would be able to finish it, has increased even further.

I asked Yamanaka-sensei and he told me that the main culprits in this apparent commotion are Miyama Karen and Rindou Kazaha.

To be honest, I had no doubts about their names coming up. Rather, I could only feel a sense of exasperation, thinking, "That's what I expected, here we go again."

Around summer, Rindou suddenly stopped skipping school for some reason, which shocked all of us teachers. We wondered what on earth had happened to make that delinquent girl change so much.

And among them, I was one of the people who was particularly surprised and pleased. 

I'd been worrying about the misbehavior of one of my students for the past year, and I thought I was finally free from that torment. I thought I wouldn't have to go and apologize to the police or other schools from now on.

But those hopes were soon dashed.

Sure, she started coming to school, but her misbehavior continued. She wouldn't listen in class, she'd get in trouble, she wouldn't listen to what she was told, and all the trouble outside was now just happening inside.

And because of this, I've been in a bit of a predicament even among the other teachers.

Until now, any disputes would just be reported to someone at another school, who would tip me off, and I'd be sent over to apologize. So I'd received sympathy from the other teachers, who had nothing to do with the situation.

But it's a different story within the school, when the person who hit her turns out to be a cute student from my class.

I went from being a poor person who was unfortunate enough to have to watch a vicious dog to being a bad owner who didn't even try to discipline it. I wouldn't go so far as to say I felt any ill will, but it's true that I'm now viewed much less favorably.

And the workplace of a school teacher is a kind of independent society. Being disliked in that environment means being ostracized.

As a result, I was being prioritized for a huge amount of work, and dealing with student problems that would arise out of nowhere was added to my regular duties, and I was feeling overwhelmed by the ridiculous workload.

...My class was already full of problems. Starting with Miyama, there were hardly any students who could be called diligent, and they wouldn't listen to what I was told. It's not like this year marked the start of my higher-than-normal workload.

However, it's clear that I've crossed the line since the incident with Rindou this summer. I've gone beyond what I'm capable of handling.

To put it bluntly, I had reached my limit.

The enormous workload, the colleagues who treated me like a nuisance, and the students who wouldn't listen to me at all.

I know that I should never think like this in my position as a teacher, but I can't help but think about it.

What if Rindou had continued to miss school?

It's not just Rindou. For example, things were easier for me when Hanabi was absent from school, no matter what.

Perhaps because she saved her, Hanabi's love for Tachibana goes too far, and she often causes major incidents and problems related to it.

The other day, she used a fire extinguisher without permission and sprayed it at students from another class because she heard them talking bad about Tachibana.

Afterward, I conducted an interview and found that the gossiping itself was true, but that aside, this was clearly excessive behavior and naturally escalated to the point where the people involved, myself, the teacher from the other class, and even the parents of the people involved all had to take the stage.

Usually, when the parents get involved, it's a hassle, and they criticize our side for all sorts of problems, but that aside, the discussion of the case itself usually goes smoothly. When a third party, an adult, gets involved, they put aside logic and emotion and reach a compromise, regardless of friend or foe, in order to quickly resolve the issue.

However, that didn't happen in this case; instead, the problem escalated, like adding fuel to the fire.

Hanabi's mother was probably very grateful to Tachibana-san, who helped her daughter return to school, and she refused to compromise.

As a result, it took three times longer than expected to resolve the case, which caused a corresponding delay in work.

Unlike Rindou, Hanabi rarely causes trouble on her own, but that doesn't mean she's a student who never causes trouble.

Apart from that, Class 2-2 is still full of students who could be considered problem children. 

Private conversations during class drown out our voices as teachers, and if we let our guard down, problems arise, and even if we don't, incidents occur.

No matter what we do, it's impossible to repair the situation, and the other teachers don't want to get involved with the class, perhaps because they don't want the truth to leak out. Everyone is worried that if one of the problem children in the class were to find their own, their class might end up in a similar mess.

Even if the teachers want to scold them and give them some guidance, the fact that the biggest problem child is Rindou, who is related to the chairman of the board, makes them even more hesitant.

Class 2-2 has now become an isolated prison, and I'm expected only to play the role of keeping the problem children from escaping.

And that means I'll naturally be expected to play that role next year as well.

There's no hope of changing classes next year, and the homeroom teacher for that class is probably "the one who is most closely involved with the students in that class."

I, Kamitsure Sumire, will be appointed. The personnel changes haven't been announced yet, but everyone is certain.

In other words, I'm the sacrifice. It's been unanimously decided that I'll be handed over to the hectic minefield of being that class's homeroom teacher for another year.

It's already tough enough, but if I add entrance exam-related work to the mix, death from overwork won't even be a laughing matter.

And...

(I'm not the only sacrifice.)

It's true that most of the students in my class were problem children, but that doesn't mean that everyone was a problem child.

Since the class size is determined by dividing the number of students in each grade by the number of classes, it only works if the number of problem children exactly matches the class size.

Although there are a few, it's true that there are students who study hard and participate in club activities. However, it is also true that these kids are being added just to make up the numbers so that there is a single class.

If possible, I would like those students to be accepted into other classes from next year, but I am the only one who knows that they are good and diligent kids, having been closely involved with that class for nearly two years.

From the outside, they look like just another member of the problem class, and accepting such a child would be risky.

So such a request will never be granted.

(Tachibana-san...)

As I think, a cute, young girl's smile floats to my mind. A cheerful smile that would make anyone like her.

Since last year, I've been relying on her for help, and I can't look her in the eye.

She was always happy to help with regular class-related work, and when I consulted her about Hanabi, the class problem child, she came to me after school for a month to help resolve the issue.

She was also extremely bright and earned honors in regular classes.

She listened quietly, took notes, and worked hard at independent study, resulting in the highest grades in her grade.

I described myself as a sacrifice. I was the human sacrifice, an essential teacher needed to make a class for problem children work.

But if there is anyone who truly deserves the label "sacrifice," it is, without a doubt, her.

It all came about because of my own incompetence.

The class fell apart because I was unable to even scold. If I had dealt with all the private conversations, problems, arguments, and skipping instead of just letting it slide, things would not have turned out like this.

I never had to cause Tachibana-san this much trouble.

.....

.....

What if, what if?

Just for example.

What if Tachibana-san lamented the current state of the class, and felt sad about my current position?

What if she wished me to reform the class, to take absolute control?

"I must become a demon."