We're staying at the school gate right now.

First, it's because it's easier to send, and secondly...

"It's almost time for Ibuki-sensei to come."

"Yes."

It's really time to come.

Looking at the number on the watch, and then at the cherry blossom path leading to the outside of the school, many residents of the town have come to visit at this time.

This so-called "say Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrived", just when we were discussing when Ibuki Sensei would come, Furukawa found a familiar figure walking in front of him.

"Ibuki-sensei!"

Hearing Furukawa's shout, Fengzi, who had been sending starfish in front, suddenly stopped.

When we ran over to greet us, we saw a woman with beautiful short hair.

"Good afternoon, Miss Childe."

"Teacher, I'm so happy to have you here."

"Good afternoon, Nagisa and Okazaki." Ibuki-sensei smiled and nodded at Furukawa, then looked at me curiously, "Who is this?" ”

"Hello, Ibuki-sensei." I nodded politely to Mr. Ibuki, and I introduced myself, "I'm Izumi Scarlet, who transferred from another school this year, and I heard from Furukawa what they said about you, so I'm here to greet you, Sensei." ”

"Hehe~ Hello, Izumi-san, thank you so much." After listening to what I said, Mr. Ibuki smiled happily, "I'm sorry, but I'm late?" ”

"Nothing."

"I haven't been here in a long time, so I'm a little nervous." Looking around, Mr. Ibuki said with some nostalgia, "It's still the same place, but it seems to be another school." It's because they're all students I don't know. ”

Well, that's right, after all, the students you've taught have all graduated now. If it weren't for Furukawa's special case, there might be no students in this school who would know you.

"Hehe, so I was a little relieved just now." Ibuki-sensei shrugged his shoulders as if he was relieved and looked at us with a smile, "When I saw the three of you. ”

Huh? Three... Three?

I, Okazaki, and Furukawa all looked at each other in a bit of a daze, all with expressions of disbelief.

How could it be three? Isn't there still a man standing among us? No matter how short Fengzi is, she shouldn't be forgotten! But as far as I've seen, Ibuki-sensei shouldn't be a joker, and besides, it's a cruel joke.

"This..."

"Just because I can't see..."

The lonely side face of Fengzi flashed in his mind.

「… Because I can't hear it, that's why Fengzi will do such a thing."

The figure of the lonely girl standing in the aisle with a starfish in her arms.

「… Because nothing else can be done."

So, are you sending starfish with such an awareness? Even if you can't see it, even if this longing can't be transmitted, do you have to continue to work hard? But this... It's just too cruel, it's really too cruel.

"Excuse me, what's wrong?" Seeing that neither of us spoke, Mr. Ibuki asked puzzled, "Nagisa-chan?" Okazaki-san? Izumi-san? ”

"No, it's rude." I felt my nose turn sour, which wasn't like me at all," we were a little distracted. ”

"Do you know such a rumor?"

"Rumors?"

"Said Fengzi is in this school now." Mr. Ibuki looked at the students performing on the open-air stage in the square not far away, and said with some melancholy, "With my friends, run around in a healthy way." ”

"Ibuki-sensei!"

As if he couldn't hold back any longer, Furukawa interrupted the teacher's narration with a loud voice. But as soon as he shouted, he was grabbed by a pair of small hands next to him, and he couldn't say anything more.

"Of course, I know it's impossible." As if to understand Furukawa's cry as a means of comforting herself, Ibuki-sensei shook her head with a wry smile, "Because I watch her fall asleep every day." ”

"Even if it's just in a dream, I'd be happy if she had so many friends around her."

"If all she could do was dream... Then I hope that at least in my dream she will be able to run around with her friends. Ibuki-sensei looked up at the sky and smiled comfortably as if she had thought of something happy, "If she comes to this school, will Okazaki-san, Izumi-san, and Nagisa be her friends?" ”

"Yes, I do!"

"If it's Miss Childe's sister, it will definitely be a very cute child, and she must be working hard, so people can't let it go, and it's very fun to be with her!"

“…．．”

Okazaki and Furukawa expressed their wishes, but for some reason, after listening to what Ibuki-sensei said, I couldn't open my mouth or spit out a word, and I just felt something stuck in my throat and stopped my pronunciation.

"Izumi-san?"

“……”

"Hey! Izumi," Okazaki gently touched my arm with his elbow, "You can say something too." ”

“… I'd love to. I clenched my fists, and in order not to let the teacher hear anything strange from my voice, I lowered my voice, "After all, it's such a considerate girl, I think we'll definitely become friends!" ”

"I'm glad to hear you say that." Hearing my words, Ibuki-sensei smiled comfortably, "Because she is not good at socializing with people, and she has few friends." ”

"So please be sure to stay with her until the end of the dream."

"Childe-sama, this kind of thing is not appropriate for me to say..."After hesitating for a moment, Okazaki looked up at Ibuki-sensei as if he had made up his mind, and said, "Please marry your boyfriend!" ”

"Your sister must have hoped so, too."

“……”

Listening to Okazaki's words, Ibuki-sensei lowered his head with some hesitation.

"I—I think so too!" Furukawa also joined the group to encourage teachers to get married.

"If you make your sister hesitate whether to get married because of your own reasons, your sister will definitely be sad!" Seeing that he had supporters, Okazaki continued to make persistent efforts, "Even if it's for my sister, please be sure to marry your boyfriend." ”

"That's right, the happiness of the teacher is the happiness of oneself!" Furukawa looked at the teacher with tears in her eyes, "She must have thought so." ”

"The words of you two are incredible." Mr. Ibuki looked at us with a smile, "It makes me feel like that kid really thinks that." ”

"I hadn't thought about it that way until now." The teacher's expression darkened slightly, "Leave the wind behind, and I'm the only one to get happiness." ”

"You're a bit of a self-inflicted thought."

"Maybe that's the case." Mr. Ibuki looked at us as if he had made up his mind, "I'll make myself happy." ”

"Miss Childe, your sister will wake up one day, right?"

"That's what I believe."

I looked at Ibuki-sensei who was smiling knowingly, and then at Kazeko, who was smiling at my sister's face as she stood aside, and I couldn't be silent any longer.

"That, Ibuki-sensei!"

"Well, what's the matter? Izumi-san. ”

"You... Are you really invisible? ”

"Huh?"

"That's it! In front of you is not... Huh! ”

Just when I couldn't help but say it, Fengzi stretched out his hand and pulled my sleeve.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Ibuki looked at me with some concern, "Izumi-san, your face is very bad, are you uncomfortable?" ”

"Miss Childe, don't worry." Okazaki hurriedly walked to give me a round before, "This guy has been busy with cultural festivals for the past few days, maybe he's too tired." ”

"That's the case, Izumi-san, please pay attention to rest, it's not good to exhaust yourself."

“… Yes, thank you for your concern. ”