Work Text:
“Good morning, class.”
“Good morning, Niijima-sensei…”
Not one of the thirty responses Makoto gets from her students is at all enthusiastic. Most of them have their heads down while the others stare forward with half-lidded eyes. The groans audible from outside the door before entry had Makoto half-convinced she was walking into a room full of zombies. It seems like she is the only one with energy to spare this Tuesday morning.
She can hardly blame them, really. No one likes to come back to high school following a few weeks off, and the weather certainly isn’t helping. As if the chill that refuses to leave isn’t enough, the curtain of darkened clouds looming over the school holds a promise of rain sometime soon. It is a dreary backdrop that would put even most adults to sleep.
Still, Makoto has a job to do, and whether they want to admit it or not, the students need their education. For all of their sakes, she’ll try and keep her own energy up in the hopes of rousing her class.
“Welcome back from the break, everyone. I know it can be hard to get your minds in gear after having a vacation, so I’ll do my best to ease you all back into the material. To start, who remembers where we left off?”
Though it takes some additional prodding, eventually she gets a few students to help her get the ball rolling. They had just started discussing the second World War before the break, so the next hour and change will be dedicated to foreign relations and the tension of conflict between nations. Hopefully the latter half of that will energize the class a bit.
The first half hour or so goes normally. Makoto provides detailed explanations for every topic in need of covering, and though she still has to field a few questions, no one expresses any concern of falling behind. She even gets some engagement when it comes time to talk about the specifics of how war broke out in the first place. This is precisely where she feels at her most comfortable.
But school is still school for her students, and not everyone finds themselves swept up in the allure of world history. There are still plenty of blank faces in sight and an equal amount of kids just trying to keep their eyes open.
The significance of her job is not lost on her, but she can sympathize with the struggling teens. Not everyone has her drive for learning, after all.
“I know this may seem like a lot since you’ve all been off having fun until today, but please bear with me,” she says. “Everything you learn here has a place in your life, even if you think otherwise.”
In the middle of the classroom, Fukuyama yawns before he can get his remark out.
“You sound like Otsuka-sensei when he starts giving us weird math problems. There aren’t pop quizzes waiting after we get jobs, are there?”
“While you may not be quizzed on history facts in your future careers, understanding history is paramount to helping you navigate society and avoid the same mistakes your predecessors made,” Makoto replies. “We all have a role to play in our environment, and knowing the history of it gives you a leg up in a world that will continue to change drastically with each passing year. You will benefit from this class and all your others, I promise.”
“Sure, sure. But speaking of history,” Iguchi starts, and Makoto knows this isn’t going anywhere good if she has deigned to speak up, “can we talk about the history you’ve got with Amamiya-sensei?”
Makoto nearly drops the chalk from her hands. “Th–The what?!”
“Your history together! You must have some; you two are way too close to not have any.”
Kakihara nods his head conspiratorially. “Makes sense to me. Most of my friends say the same thing.”
Igarashi taps her fingers together without looking up. “I mean…they do both eat lunch together all the time…”
“See?” Iguchi says. “So, can you tell us about it, Niijima-sensei?”
Regardless of how this topic gets Makoto’s skin just the tiniest bit flushed, she isn’t in any danger of getting overwhelmed and blabbering on about her loved ones like she was prone to in her youth.
She is a teacher – a well-respected one, at that – and this isn’t her first time having to course correct a distracted class. No matter the amount of scheming looks directed her way all of a sudden, she won’t falter. She can handle a bunch of gossip-hungry teenagers.
“No, I will not discuss it when we have actual work to do,” she responds. “And even if that weren’t the case, there isn’t much to talk about. He and I simply went to high school together.”
Makoto intends for that to be the final word on it, but then Serizawa’s hand shoots up from her seat near the window. Makoto calls on her more out of reflex than trust that she’ll be the one to get things back on track.
“Were you two friends back then? You’re always talking a lot during breaks and after school, so you must be friends now, at least.”
Makoto sighs, fully turning around to lean against her desk on both of her hands. “Yes, we were friends. He had a larger friend group than I did, and when we began talking more regularly, I was brought in. I’m still friends with all of them to this day. Now, can we return to the lesson?”
“No, we’re way too curious now,” Hara exclaims. “What were you two like back in high school? Amamiya-sensei had to be totally cool, right?”
“I bet Niijima-sensei was mostly the same,” Tanezaki says.
“Yeah, she was probably like a teacher even back then,” Abe agrees.
“Do you think she ever scolded Amamiya-sensei?” Iwami asks. “She is older, after all.”
“Nah, he wouldn’t let her do that to him,” Takeuchi says. “I bet he never let anyone tell him what to do back then.”
Murakami claps her hands. “Ooh, now I want to see a picture of them together from back then!”
Makoto loses track of all the following statements as the room continues to fill with chatter. Somehow, her control of the situation has completely slipped through her fingers. Her intent to give just enough answers to satiate everyone did not achieve the results she wanted.
That’s what she gets for not listening to the voice in her head that sounds like Sae’s, the one that told her to put her foot down and demand that everyone fall in line. Then again, there is a reason her sister is in law and not teaching.
Now in a mess of her own making, Makoto’s sighs turn to groans. “You guys…”
Salvation comes in the form of knocking against the classroom door. Being easily distracted kids, the students actually quiet down for a change in order to focus on the newest thing to draw their attention. With any luck, Makoto can still salvage the rest of this period by diving back into the lesson right after she deals with whoever needs her now.
“Come in,” she calls out.
Rather than someone in maintenance or a student running an errand like she hopes, the person to slide her classroom door open is none other than Ren Amamiya, the very last person she needed to see right now. The room fills with hushed whispers as he gives the students a smile and saunters over towards the front desk.
“Good morning, Amamiya-sensei.” Makoto’s address is measured and even, professional despite their connection and the tiring day she has had thus far. “What can I do for you?”
By contrast, the look Ren gives her is anything but professional. His eyes soften around the edges the same way they always did whenever she or one of the other Phantom Thieves walked into Leblanc unannounced. There is relief in such a look, though Makoto could never understand why he got so much pleasure out of seeing her when their paths cross so often.
Well, she has an idea, but thinking about that right now will almost certainly lead her down a mental tangent that ends with her overheating. The once comfortable aegean blue sweater now feels like a trap around her upper body.
“Sorry to interrupt, Niijima-sensei.” Even now, Makoto can hear Ren holding back on using her first name. He never did like the feeling of adding distance to his bonds, even if it was only for appearances. “I’m meeting with the vice principal in a bit and I’m supposed to hand over some planning documents for the dance coming up. Ito-sensei mentioned that she gave them to you for some reason?”
“Oh, yes, she did pass those off to me – one second.”
The third folder in the stack on Makoto’s desk holds the sought-after documents right on top. She had arranged it that way for immediate access once school started, but all the disruption from her own class had gotten things a bit off track.
She hands them over to Ren. “Here you go. I believe she was running late to an appointment and assumed I would see the vice principal before her. It ended up not working out that way, though.”
“Ah, that makes sense. She may be the only person in school that runs around more than you do.”
Just before Ren can fully take the papers from her hand, she grips the edges and pulls back a bit, tugging him along with them. Her eyes narrow as she stares up at him.
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that you stay busy. And that you should probably learn to say no more often when people beg you for help.”
“Okay, you of all people cannot make comments about being busy. You have a new project going every time I see you.”
“Well, it takes one to know one.”
“That works both ways.”
“Look, all I’m saying is that the school can run just fine without you taking part in every little thing. Even though I’m sure the librarian appreciates you sneaking in and reorganizing the shelves for her when you have free periods.”
“Wait, how do you—”
Ren’s lips twitch upwards into a smirk, allowing Makoto to catch herself before she engages with his mischief. She knows his games too well to fall into old traps, and the last thing she wants is to have to stand here while he explains how she isn’t any good at being covert for the hundredth time.
“Never mind,” she says. “Maybe you should spend more time in your classroom and less time spying on me.”
“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think? I’m just looking out for a fellow coworker to make sure she doesn’t overwork herself.”
“Is that so? And why me over any of your other coworkers?”
“Ah, well…” Ren shifts to the side, leaning against the front desk with his free hand. His smile becomes noticeably more boyish as he says, “I do have my biases.”
For all her ability to maintain her dynamic with Ren, Makoto does have her moments of weakness. That teasing side of him with constant jabs and nonsensical defenses is one she can handle, but things always get difficult when he falls back into something more vulnerable – something that reminds her of where he started and how endeared she has always been to him. It really isn’t fair how quickly the tables can turn in moments like this.
But even if she had a surefire way to handle it, there is an added complication in play. The banter Makoto has adored for nearly ten years now is not isolated like it usually would be. This exchange has an audience, one that is visibly thriving off of the show like spectators at a stage play. Half the room is on the edge of their seats watching this whole thing play out, a far cry from how they were just minutes ago.
If only world history was this appealing to them…
It takes an immense amount of willpower, but Makoto denies the urge to lean into the comfort just a step away. The papers in her hand finally transfer over as she releases her grip, formerly tightened by all the runaway emotions needling her at the moment.
Ren seems to break out of the spell as well, straightening up and holding the papers close to his chest. The smile on his face remains, however.
“I…appreciate your concern,” Makoto says, ignoring the looks directed at her by her students. “And I’ll be sure to keep myself from taking on too many responsibilities at once. At any rate, be sure to tell the vice principal that he can contact me if he has any questions regarding those dance plans.”
“Really?” Ren turns the papers over in his hand. “What, did you spend last night reading over them just in case you got involved?”
The lack of a verbal response is as damning as anything else. Though Ren doesn’t outwardly laugh, his jaw shifts and his chest rises with the telltale signs of him holding back.
“Oh, that is so ‘you-core.’ Please never change.”
Makoto can’t help the slight crack in her voice as she rushes to speak. “If that’s all, Amamiya-sensei, I really should be getting back to teaching.”
“Of course.” He bends over slightly to bow to the students. “Sorry for taking your teacher’s attention, class. Be sure to listen closely to the rest of her lesson.”
It will take a lot to regain control after all this, Makoto knows, but it is possible. Once she and her students are alone once more, she can redirect their attention towards what they should be learning, and everything will be right in the world again.
For that to happen, Ren just needs to leave, and then—
“Amamiya-sensei!”
No such luck.
Both Ren and Makoto turn to see Takahashi waving her hand from the back of the class. This reeks of a last-ditch effort to keep the laid-back atmosphere that has soaked into the room at this point. It would be wise to just push Ren out the door and try to get ahead of it, but Makoto has always tried to assume the best of her students. For all she knows, this could be Takahashi bringing up something important, whether for class itself or something outside of it.
“How close were you and Niijima-sensei back in high school?”
One of these days, Makoto will stop being so trusting of these little rascals.
Unlike her, Ren takes the question in stride, leaning back with a hand in his pockets in the spitting image of himself at age sixteen. The chuckle that comes with the movement hasn’t lost any of its charm, obvious from how the class all relaxes just hearing it.
Makoto can’t blame them, it still works on her, too.
“Oh, she didn’t tell you?”
Every hair on Makoto’s body stands on end. She knows that tone, that damned lilt in his voice that gives away his amusement like a giant neon sign. Whatever is set to slip past those lips of his, she knows it won’t end well for her.
She hisses through her teeth, “Don’t you dare…”
But Ren has never heeded her warnings before, and today is clearly not going to be any different based on the full smirk he throws over his shoulder at her. It barely levels out by the time he turns back to the class and dooms Makoto with just two sentences.
“We had a fake relationship back in the day. She needed help with a student council issue, so I pretended to be her boyfriend for a little while.”
As expected, that puts the class into complete chaos. Questions fly in with every student speaking over one another, each desperate to pry more truths out of their loose-lipped modern literature teacher.
Thankfully, he doesn’t seem keen to go down memory lane completely. “Remember, we were only pretending to date,” he says, gesturing for the class to quiet down. “Outside of that, we were just good friends. Your teacher here was one of the few people to be nice to me in high school, and she’s still one of my best friends today.”
That gets a round of cooing from a majority of the class with a couple of squeals thrown into the mix. Suddenly Makoto feels like she’s back at a girls’ night with her friends, sitting in a heap of pillows and getting grilled over crushes of unspecified identity. She thanks her lucky stars that no other Phantom Thieves are teachers at Hajimari High – her hands are full enough with the one.
Her perpetual troublemaker has apparently decided that enough is enough, however. After quieting the room once again, he leaves them with one last statement.
“Now, I’m always down to share a few stories, but school comes first. Make sure to listen to Niijima-sensei, or that’s the last bit of inside info you’ll get from me. Understand?”
The class makes sure to voice their agreement together. The fact that they can agree on something so readily is an utter shock considering how long it took to settle on an activity for the school festival.
“Good. I’ll see you all later, then.” Ren heads to the door but pauses just before slipping out, turning back to seek out Makoto. “Oh, and Niijima-sensei?”
“Yes?”
“I meant to tell you sooner, but that sweater looks nice. It suits you well.”
It’s such a simple compliment. On the surface, it sounds impersonal, like something you’d say to someone in passing in a coffee shop or while waiting in a train station.
But to Makoto, who knows that nothing Ren says is ever that casual, it hits like being struck by lightning, and her body jolts in response.
She can hear the sincerity in the ease of his speech. She can see the way his eyes trace over her form just long enough to ensure she notices. The affection soaked in deep gray is so much more obvious without a pair of glasses covering his face.
And she is supposed to be the unsubtle one among them?
Facing the board does little to obscure his view of her rosy cheeks, but it at least keeps her students from witnessing his effect on her.
The battle against her own heart forces her to stutter out, “Th–Thank you.”
A satisfied grin stretches across Ren’s face as he finally makes his exit. With his departure comes an influx of air that Makoto desperately tries to force into her lungs. A decade of experience has done nothing to acclimate her to the breathlessness that comes from being around Ren Amamiya for longer than a few seconds.
In their first year of knowing each other, this would be the time that Makoto retreated to the safety of the student council room to get her bearings. She would bury herself in work to clear her head, or use the time to lie down on the couch and breathe until she felt normal again. She may have done more squealing and kicking her feet than controlled breathing on the odd occasion, but considering no one had ever caught her doing it, that was no one’s business but her own.
Suffice to say, Ren has always had a way of poking holes in whatever demeanor she is currently trying to maintain. He brings out the most lively parts of her, a fact that she both adores and bemoans depending on the day. Unlike many other adults her age, her friendships can never be called dull by any means.
Being a teacher in the middle of class means that she can’t indulge in anything like her high school days, however. With Ren gone and her temperature falling back to its usual resting point, it’s time to get things back in order.
“Okay, now we’ve all had our fun today, but we really need to get back on topic. I want you all to—”
Turning back to her class puts Makoto face-to-face with a crowd of imps rather than studious young adults like she was hoping. If she didn’t know any better, she would say Ren’s antics had infected the entire group.
“What’s so funny?” she asks. “Why are you all snickering to yourselves?”
Mizuno is the one to point out, “It’s just kind of cute how you seem so much younger around Amamiya-sensei.”
“Yeah, you can really see the ‘childhood friends’ thing between you two,” Hayashi says.
“Such a precious bond our teachers share,” Arai says with a soft smile.
“You’re sure you two never really dated, though?” Hamada asks. “I feel like there were some vibes there for a minute.”
Kamio quickly adds, “Yeah, if your relationship was fake, then why do you get so red whenever he compliments you?”
The kids all begin compiling evidence like the most eager jury in the world. Too convinced of themselves now, no one bothers to make their gossip quiet. At this point, nothing else matters to them outside of “Niijima v. Class 2-B.”
Makoto can admit to being a bit dazed earlier, but if these children think they can just walk all over her because of that, they have another thing coming. Managing a class of thirty is nothing compared to wrangling a bunch of Phantom Thieves.
All it takes is a sharp clap of her hands and a glare bordering on flame-inducing on her part. Basic parts of Queen’s repertoire are more than enough to put her at the head of the ship once more.
“The next person to bring up Amamiya-sensei or my past earns the entire class daily reading quizzes for the next week.”
As usual, the threat of excess classwork instills some much needed fear into the students. Each of them falls silent, going back to the withdrawn states they had at the start of class. For once, Makoto is glad to see them so tight-lipped. She’ll stand a much better chance at reclaiming her composure without any more verbal combat.
She smiles and picks up her chalk once more. “Thank you. Now, back to our lesson for the day. I advise you to take good notes; we’ll be moving rather quickly from here on to make up for lost time.”
The sound of so many pencils scratching against paper is almost satisfying enough to make today worth the slight interruption. Almost.
When Makoto makes it back to her apartment after too many after school hours, she isn’t surprised to find the kitchen already occupied. She isn’t the only one with a key to her apartment; her sister and boyfriend both carry one with them.
The smell of cooked seafood and boiling pasta gives away who is inside immediately. Sae would never be so adventurous to try out a recipe with as many flavors as those smells hint.
As predicted, Makoto enters to find Ren standing in front of a crowded stove. He has already abandoned his dark blazer and slacks in favor of a comfortable combination of sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt that’s just a bit too small on him. The muted colors of the outfit aren’t nearly as eye-grabbing as the bright bubblegum colored apron sporting a design reminiscent of Pink Argus from Featherman. Futaba’s birthday gift to him is still getting a lot of mileage all these years later.
The click of Makoto’s shoes against the floor of the entryway announces her arrival. By the time she makes it to the kitchen, Ren is already glancing back at her.
“Welcome home,” he says proudly. “Have a good day at work?”
The otherwise innocuous question makes every indignity suffered today come rolling back into Makoto’s mind like a low tide. Even if Ren is genuinely asking, Makoto has no intention of letting him off the hook for this morning. Tossing her bags and coat onto the couch, she stomps over to his spot and spins him around, backing him up against the counter with one hand on his waist and another pulling on the neck of his apron.
“You.”
Ren squirms just a bit without making a move to escape. “If this is supposed to be a punishment, I have to admit, it’s kind of giving mixed signals.”
“Did you really have to rile up my class that much? I had to threaten them with more work just to get us back on track.”
Laughter comes out of him so easily. “Admittedly, I did get a little carried away. But come on, Makoto, it was the first day back from break – they needed a little silliness to start their day. And can you really blame me for being so quick to talk about my time at Shujin? That was the most important year of my life.”
She knows what he means, but she still raises an eyebrow at the wording. “We didn’t start dating until halfway through college.”
“Okay, one of the most important years of my life. You’re just being snippy now.”
“I think I’m owed a little snippiness.” Makoto releases her hold in favor of bumping Ren to the side with her hip. “Where can I help out? You never leave me much to do when I come back late.”
“God forbid I want my girlfriend to take it easy when I get to come over.”
“I really don’t think you can play the saint now after pestering me at work.”
“Hey, it wasn’t like I didn’t have business coming to your class. What happened after I got there was just a…force of habit, let’s say.”
“I actually do believe that. You have a gift for pulling people into your orbit whenever you appear.”
“I guess so, if even the fearsome Niijima-sensei stops teaching just to get all chatty with me.”
Makoto’s retort comes in the form of another hip bump. It catches Ren off guard, sending him stumbling to the left for a moment. The small victory of one-upping him in any regard is something she does not take lightly.
Her following suggestion to focus on cooking is most certainly not a tactic to prevent his retaliation. No one else will finish dinner for them, after all, so they shouldn’t waste time playing around in the kitchen like children.
Makoto knows it will end up happening at some point later on, anyway.
Once Ren grudgingly accepts losing out on messing around, he ends up putting Makoto on seafood duty for her familiarity with it. Though true to her earlier claim, there isn’t much to be done. She is essentially just making sure that nothing burns at this point.
But even something as mundane as monitoring shrimp sizzling in a pan is a treasured experience when she does it with Ren. Sharing a space with him in any capacity puts her at ease, and it is in quiet moments like this that she finds herself immensely grateful to still have a place in his life. Ten years is nothing short of impressive for maintaining a connection, especially in the world of adults where isolation has seemingly become the norm. She can’t ever imagine distancing herself from Ren.
If her stance in front of the stove ends up pushing into his side just a bit after thinking about that, he doesn’t mention it. That might be because he has something else to say to her, however.
“I am sorry for distracting your class, though. I got a bit too excited when I realized I would get to see you this morning.” Ren lowers himself until his lips touch the top of her head. “I went all weekend without you.”
Makoto feels more like the melting butter in the pan below her than a human. “Well, I’ll apologize for being absent. There was just so much to get in order before school started again. All these new hires and faculty reassignments have the front office scrambling.”
“Which you wouldn’t have to deal with if you weren’t so amazing that everyone wants you around.”
“Not how I’d put it, but…more or less.”
“It’s okay. It’d be a waste not to put that genius brain of yours to work.” He taps her forehead lightly for emphasis. “And it’s not like I can protest everyone taking you from me without basically outing us.”
“Right…”
Makoto might have done her fair share of griping about all that had happened today, but at the moment, even she is struggling to hold fast to the ideals of her past self.
She and Ren had decided to keep their relationship private almost right from the start. College kept the both of them busy, and a good majority of the people they spent their time around would have only been larger nuisances had they known about the two dating.
When they both took up jobs teaching at Hajimari, it only got worse. The old guard of the school were notorious gossips, and unlike college where the only roadblocks were ostracization and some pointed remarks, the high school’s staff members actively looked down on people who weren’t “taking their jobs seriously.”
It was a ridiculous notion, and Makoto hated buying into it at all, but being new teachers and wanting to establish themselves had forced her and Ren to simply maintain the course after doing so in university. The less feathers they ruffled, the better.
But Hajimari has gone through a lot of changes since their arrival. Most of the older staff members have retired, and while the new hires like to gossip for days, none of it is malicious or ever carries intent to bully any coworkers.
With all that in mind, for whose sake is it that Makoto and Ren are still hiding?
Ren’s voice draws her from her thoughts. “We should be used to this by now, but I always catch myself wanting to do normal couple things with you in public.”
“I understand,” she replies. “Even though I do my best to remain inconspicuous, I don’t like having to pretend that you don’t mean more to me than most.”
“Same here.” Ren drags Makoto’s hand away from cooking, raising it until it cups his jaw. “Sometimes I wish we taught little kids. They’d only care for a day or two and then it’d be back to normal.”
Makoto doesn’t entirely agree considering how much smarter children are becoming with each passing year. Though the idea of them “ooh-ing and ahh-ing” every time Ren came into her classroom is an extremely cute thought.
“You know, it’s going to get harder to hide us when we move into our new place. Only a few more months before then.”
He adds that small reminder as if she hasn’t been counting down the days. She’ll concede that it is a valid point, though.
“Well, we can explain away a shared commute and arriving together if need be. Our colleagues will talk, but they already suspect something between us.”
“True. But there’s no explaining away the moment you come in with a different name.”
The heart in Makoto’s chest skips several beats upon hearing that. For something that is becoming less of a fantasy with each passing day, she really has not done a good job in preparing herself for it. Though she supposes there is a certain kind of magic in a lack of preparation, as well.
“I’m pretty sure you skipped a few steps in your imagination,” she says. Her left hand rises into the space between them. “Don’t you have something to give me before any potential name changes?”
Ren merely takes her hand and places a kiss on her knuckles. “If you’re trying to get information about the proposal out of me, don’t bother. We may have talked it through, but you promised to let me handle the when and where. I haven’t forgotten about it.”
“The thought never crossed my mind. I was just curious.”
“Uh huh.”
“I’m serious!”
“I don’t think Niijimas have the capacity to ‘just be curious.’ It’s in your blood to solve mysteries when they’re right in front of you.”
Makoto shakes her head, focusing on the pan in her right hand rather than her boyfriend. “I wouldn’t go that far…”
“Makoto, you found your own surprise party hours before me and the team finished setting it up all because you got suspicious. Twice.”
“Those were both accidents! I am perfectly capable of letting some things remain unanswered.”
“Sure you are. That’s why your homeroom is full of kids who are just as desperate for answers as you get.”
“I—”
The natural refusal dies on her tongue. For once, her failure to rebut her boyfriend does not stem from him charming her, but rather from the fact that he is, regrettably, correct.
The events of this morning alone more than prove his point. While the subject matter may differ in terms of curiosity, there is no denying the matching drive in gaining knowledge shared by the teacher and students of Class 2-B.
“Oh my god, I’ve corrupted them all.”
Ren puts a light kiss to her temple as he moves to grab some seasonings from an overhead cabinet.
“In fairness, most of them were pretty nosy to begin with,” he says. “But having a history teacher who emphasizes never settling for vague explanations or being dismissed definitely made them worse.”
Well, now she knows how her teachers felt whenever she badgered them for more details during class than they were willing to provide. She doubts the fact that she only did so out of a desire to better herself mattered much to them at the time.
“They’re all going to see through us before the year’s over, aren’t they?”
“It seems likely.” That easygoing smile on Ren finally dims a bit. “But if them knowing really bothers you, I can be less…me.”
She doesn’t need to give that more than a second thought. If it’s a choice between having any less of the love of her life or maintaining an asinine work practice, there really isn’t a choice to be made.
Honestly, she should have put her foot down ages ago.
“No, that would be worse than anything else,” she replies. “I think I let myself get too comfortable with secrecy. I’d rather it not have any place in our relationship now.”
When she turns to gauge Ren’s reaction to that, she’s treated to one of the biggest smiles she’s ever seen on him. If there was any doubt to her decision just now, it has been thoroughly obliterated by such a striking sight.
“So that’s it, then?” he asks. “Just like that, we’ll be open about it?”
“Just like that,” she answers. “No need to make a show of it.”
“Hey, who do you take me for?”
“The single most dramatic person I know.” Makoto turns the heat off on the stove before reaching up and brushing some stray hairs from Ren’s face. “And just so you know, our relationship being public will not give you free rein to flirt with me inside my classroom while I’m teaching.”
Ren’s eyes fall shut as he smirks. “The thought never crossed my mind.”
“Uh huh.” Makoto’s sigh this time lacks any of the fatigue from earlier. “I do wonder how the students will take the news, though.”
“It’ll be fine. Honestly, they’ll make less of a scene than Ann and Ryuji did when they found out. And I doubt any of them will cry as much as Haru did.”
Makoto chuckles at that memory. “She was so happy for us. I think I didn’t do a good enough job hiding my feelings for you back then.”
“Well, good thing we’ve got nothing to hide now, right?” Cooking momentarily forgotten, Ren slips both his hands into Makoto’s and squeezes them gently. “No more holding back.”
Makoto gives a squeeze in return. “Yes, no more holding back. Well, within reason, obviously.”
“Right, right, no flirting on duty. Can I at least leave you little love notes on my blackboard for class changes?”
“As cute as that sounds, I’m not directly after you when you leave, remember? You’d be leaving love notes for Otsuka-san.”
Ren’s face shrivels up like Ryuji’s after a cup of coffee. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just sneak notes into your lunch.”
“I think I’d love that. Now, shouldn’t you be putting your attention on our dinner rather than me?”
“Well, I doubt the shrimp could pull off that sweater better than you do, but I guess we do have to eat. Back to cooking?”
Makoto rises on her toes to leave a kiss on Ren’s cheek. She holds there for a few seconds longer than usual before letting herself back down. There is no need to hide the lovestruck look on her face as she does so.
“Back to cooking,” she agrees. “I love you, Ren.”
“Love you more.” His hips sway from side-to-side as he sings, “And now everybody at school’s gonna know it too.”
Maybe Makoto has been worried about the wrong side of this the whole time. Her students’ rowdiness will pale in comparison to Ren getting to be a boyfriend unrestrained for the first time.
She finds that thought one she doesn’t mind too much.