Episode Five: Valentine’s Day ―February 2033―

They call it the Law of Janney, apparently.

I’d heard that time passes more quickly as one grows older, and each year I feel it more keenly.

Arriving at work that morning, I found a famous Saitama confection, a manju, on my desk. Seeing me tilt my head in puzzlement, Professor Masuda from the next desk explained.

“From Mitoma-sensei. She said it’s because it’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Do manju have anything to do with Valentine’s Day?”

“Hehe, as long as it conveys our daily gratitude, anything will do. They’re delicious, aren’t they? I adore them.”

Receiving these manju, given in the spirit of a souvenir from a business trip or a small gift for neighbours, made me realise today was Valentine’s Day itself.

　For me, a working adult with no romantic interest or partner, it was just another ordinary weekday. Yet for the pupils, it seemed to be a slightly special day after all.

“…Therefore, the conjugation here is…”

Even during the lesson, the pupils all seemed somewhat distracted or absent-minded.

　I wouldn’t bother reprimanding them about their attitude now, but seeing their blatant behaviour made me realise they were still children, their emotions swayed by every little event.

After finishing the third period lesson in Year 2, Class 5, I left the classroom and was called back by a male student.

“Excuse me, Kakei-san?”

“Azuma-kun. What is it?”

“Well… I heard from Uehara-san that you’ll be supervising Japanese studies after school on Fridays… Might I ask for details?”

“Yes, of course.”

I was surprised, as no one had ever directly inquired about the weekly study session held every Friday.

Though a few students now attend each time, it’s hardly what you’d call a thriving session. Yet Uehara-san still seems to be recruiting for it.

“Well… for the study sessions Kakei-san runs, is there any set material we need to bring?”

I’d heard from his form teacher that Higashi-kun excels in science subjects but has a pronounced dislike for language and culture studies, particularly classical Japanese.

“Tablets, workbooks, anything is fine. My approach is simply to answer questions when asked, so think of it as supervised self-study.”

“Oh, I see… So it’s different from a cram school or extra tuition?”

“Yes. It’s open to any student with the desire to learn, regardless of year group or whether they’re in the arts or sciences stream.”

Higashi-kun nodded, looking satisfied.

“I see, thank you. …It’s after school on Fridays, right?”

“Yes. It’s held in the second elective classroom in the West Building. If you’re interested, please do come along.”

With a slight bow, Higashi-kun headed back to his classroom. I really hope those with a desire to study will join.

I’d be delighted if that study group sparked the students’ interest in Japanese, and I’m sure Uehara-san would also want the classroom filled with students.

There are no lessons scheduled in Uehara-san’s class today. …I wonder how she’ll spend her day.

She’s quite sociable, so perhaps she’ll organise some sort of ‘friendship chocolate’ event?

　Will she be pestered by male students for chocolate?

Come to think of it, will Sasaki-san end up giving Fuwa-kun her handmade chocolate after all? What sort of chocolate did she prepare?

…I felt embarrassed upon realising I’d been thinking about Valentine’s Day. It’s no wonder, really, being caught up in the high schoolers’ fervour.

It’s none of my business, after all.

　　　　　　　　　　◇

All the day’s lessons had finished.

　For me, today’s duties were drawing to a close, but for the students, the real action was just beginning.

Every class seemed to be buzzing with excitement. Some girls were exchanging chocolates, while others were going around handing out small chocolates to those who wanted them.

Ayagawa Minami High School has a relatively liberal atmosphere, and they don’t specifically prohibit bringing chocolates in for Valentine’s Day.

Enjoying the event… or, one might say, revelling in their youth. I returned to the staff room, watching them out of the corner of my eye.

Even the search engine on the computer I opened for work was Valentine’s themed, and the top ‘Trending Keywords’ on the news site were all Valentine’s related.

It wasn’t just the school. The atmosphere, saturated with Valentine’s Day everywhere, was making me feel suffocated.

I wanted to go home early. I thought that, but today was Friday. With the study session scheduled, I couldn’t simply leave. My feet felt heavy as I made my way towards the west building.

Well, surely no student would attend on a day like this. I’d resolved to leave immediately if no one was there.

The moment I saw her, my breath nearly caught in my throat.

Because there was just one student waiting for me in the classroom.

“Ah, sensei.”

Uehara-san’s face lit up the instant she saw me.

“…Er… Sorry I kept you waiting.”

“No, no, I arrived too early. Actually, it seems I’m the only one here today for the first time in ages. I’ve got you all to myself, then.”

—It’s Valentine’s Day today, you know? Was it really okay to prioritise the study session?

The question caught in my throat, but I swallowed it. If she had chosen to study, I wanted to teach her with even more dedication than usual.

“One-on-one means I can teach you thoroughly. Today, please do challenge yourself with some difficult problems.”

Uehara-san nodded obediently and immediately began solving problems.

We have a rule not to chat during study sessions. Uehara-san knows this too, so she faced the problems silently and diligently, saying nothing.

In stark contrast to my inner turmoil, Uehara-san concentrated firmly on her studies for the full fifty minutes.