DAZZLING CUPID

Hey, Teacher!

Hehe, Teacher!

What are you doing here at the school?

What a pleasure to see you so early in the morning!

Hey, Tia.

How many times have I told you not to bum-rush the Teacher like that?

You just gave him quite the fright.

Hehe, sorry.

My apologies, Teacher, but she's incorrigible.

No matter how many times I admonish her, it's no use. Please don't take it to heart.

Anyway,

what brings you h...

Okie-dokie!

Okay.

Hmm? What are you relieved about?

Hehe, sorry.

Did I startle you again?

You don't have to be so reserved, Teacher.

Tia, are you harassing Teacher again?

Hehe, guilty.

Oh, for crying out loud...

Anyway, I certainly didn't expect you to be our substitute teacher.

You can imagine how surprised I was to see you this morning.

I'm just happy that I can be around you more.

Tia, control yourself.

Teacher is here to teach,

not to horse around.

I know, but still...

Honestly, what am I going to do with you?

Actually, if I'm being honest, I'm also very excited that you're teaching our class.

With that being said, to celebrate you temporarily taking over our class, would you like to hang out with us, perhaps?

That'd be awesome!

C'mon, Teacher, let's go!

Hmm? What's going on?

There certainly seem to be more people than usual.

Super crowded.

There is?

Ooooh, what kind of event? I wanna see!

Oh my gosh!

They're letting people be cupids!

Huh? I don't understand.

They're having a competition,

and the prize for first place...

is a Love Arrow!

That's the legendary arrow used by Cupid to make people fall in love.

Even the slightest touch from the arrowhead

is enough to capture someone's heart.

With it, you can make the person you've dreamt of become yours.

With this arrow, they will become a slave to love.

Don't let this opportunity pass you by.

That's what the signs say.

A love arrow?

There's no way something like that actually exis...

I want it!

Fine, how do we sign up?

Any customers who make a purchase within the next 30 minutes will be automatically entered into the raffle.

I think the more expensive your purchase, the greater your chances of winning.

Are you going to participate, Teacher?

?

Teacher?

Tia, you have to read the whole thing to the end.

Huh?

Let's see...

The top prize will be granted randomly.

Oh...

Buying more items will grant you more tickets, which technically does increase your chances of winning, but at the end of the day, it comes to luck as to which ticket they'll draw.

I say that the three of us split up.

That way, we can cover more ground.

Huh?

What we each need to do is buy lots of the cheaper items.

That way, we'll be able to have more tickets in the raffle.

Got it?

Pit Boss?

What's with that sad look on your face?

You look like a customer who lost all their coins. Did something happen?

It's okay, you can tell us.

If there's anything we can do to help, we're willing and able.

Hmm... well, if that's what's going on, we can definitely be of assistance.

What if we share our items with Pit Boss?

Ah...

Are you sure about that?

Some props that we'll be using for our performance.

They aren't terribly expensive, and they're nice and portable, so take them.

If these are okay, please help yourself.

We can always pick other ones.

You also said that the students wanted to get in on this, didn't you?

Noir and I are fine with sitting this one out.

I just want the students to have a good time.

!

!

Once you're done with this subbing gig, be sure to visit Coin Rush.

As for now, we'll make sure your luck is fully charged so that you'll take home the top prize today.

Good luck with your teaching job too.

Luck charge!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. It's time to see who will be the lucky recipient of the Love Arrow!

Woohoo!

Whether you're married, dating,

or have got a crush on someone,

this wonderful item will give you the confidence you need to make the move!

Now, who will be the lucky winner?

I will draw a number, which one of you will have received today.

Here we go!

It's happening!

All right, I've got a number.

And the number is...

96! Congratulations to customer number 96!

I wonder who has it?

I'm so jealous.

Once again, whoever has 96, come on up!

Are you here?

Are they not here?

Are they going to redraw?

Teacher! Found you!

Oh, Teacher.

We spent ages looking for you.

Haven't you looked at your phone?

Because you were too captivated by the event, right?

I should have known. Tia was the same.

It's too bad there isn't a winner.

Maybe no one got that number?

Or...

My apologies, everyone!

It appears there was an error in how the winning number was read,

so we will call out the number again.

The winning number is not 96, but 69. If you are here, please come up to the stage!

Yahoo! You did it, Teacher! Hurry and go up!

Congrats!

Are you the lucky winner, sir?

Congratulations!

You are the recipient of our top prize!

... cher... tea... uh...?

... cher?

Teacher!

Are you okay? Can you recognize us?

Phew, you're finally back amongst the living.

You don't remember anything?

You spaced out for a while.

Tia and I had to drag you in here like a sack of potatoes.

It was kinda nice being that close to you, hehe.

Must you vocalize every thought in your head, Tia?

Anyway, congratulations! I still can't believe you actually won the top prize.

Considering how loopy you were, I received the prize in your stead.

So this is the Love Arrow?

Seeing it in real life makes me want it even more.

Can I have it, Teacher?

Tia, Teacher won this fair and square.

You can't ask him to give it away.

I know it's his. That's why I'm asking for it.

Come on, Teacher, give it to me! Pleeaaaase?

It belongs to Teacher, so he can do whatever he wants with it.

...

*Sob*

Huh?

What?

How much more time?

Fine by me. Tia?

I really would like to have the arrow now,

but it belongs to Teacher, so okay.

But what's the catch?

Who do you plan on giving it to?

...

My goodness.

I didn't expect you to be so bold, Teacher.

I'll do whatever I can

to sway you during the time that's left.

So be sure to keep your eye on me, okay? Hehe.

We each want the arrow, don't we?

Then, from this moment,

you and I are rivals.

I wasn't,

not until you said you'd give it to whoever felt right.

I'll do whatever it takes

to get that arrow from you.

Wow... this is a whole different side of you, Naga... Cool!

Nevertheless, I don't intend on losing.

The competition starts tomorrow.

You're already here?

I admire your diligence, hehe.

Actually, I have a favor to ask of you.

Hehe, you look awfully curious.

Go ahead. Open it.

There's no need to be startled.

There are more than stockings inside that bag.

It's what you'll need to take care of Tia.

Tia and I are competing now.

I can't be looking after her.

You're the most reasonable replacement for me.

How cutthroat of you, Teacher!

We may be vying for the arrow, but Tia is still my friend.

We won't be rivals for forever.

I'm just a bit worried because Tia tends to forget various belongings.

So I was hoping that you could lend her a hand.

I knew you would understand.

Tia is always forgetting one thing or another,

so I'm worried about her.

I brought all the things she most often forgets.

I'm glad I'm able to trust you with this, hehe.

Thank you, Teacher.

Tia should be here any minute.

I better head into class.

Hi, Teacher.

I'm so glad to see you.

Um... I actually came here to get something from you.

Naga left some of my stuff with you,

didn't she?

I knew it.

Naga always takes care of me, no matter what happens.

She tried to play it cool this time, but I could tell she was up to something.

I figured that if I came to see you, I'd get to the bottom of it.

Hehe, Teacher.

What do you have behind you?

Don't tell me you're suddenly into collecting stockings?

As a matter of fact, those are the exact same stockings that I wear.

Naga gave them to you, didn't she?

Why don't you give me that bag?

I want to try taking care of myself.

If you end up choosing me,

I want you to reach that decision without me getting any help from Naga.

To be honest,

I'm a bit embarrassed about how much I pressured you about the arrow.

So I've made up my mind.

I've decided to compete with Naga on a level playing field.

Sooo,

I'll take that.

See you in class.

Toodles!

Yahoo!

Teacher, are you busy today?

There were a few parts of the lesson that I didn't quite understand.

I have a few more questions I'd like to ask you.

Would it be too much trouble to ask for some private tutoring?

Great! I'll be hanging out in the classroom.

Stop by if you're not busy.

Where are you off to, Teacher?

Well, once you're done,

wanna go get something to eat?

Okay! I'll be waiting at the Maid Cafe.

If I'm not at the school, that's pretty much where you'll always find me.

Keep me updated.

Teacher?

What are you doing here?

Ah...

Oh, right...

Jeez, I must have cobwebs in my head, hehe.

I heard Tia's voice in the hallway,

so I thought you had left with her.

...!

I don't know...

Just in case, I guess.

Oh, okay...

That makes sense, hehe.

I guess I misread the situation. It was foolish of me.

It's just that being left alone is really hard.

I'll have a greater appreciation for the time I get to spend with Tia from here on out.

...

Never mind. It's embarrassing admitting all of this.

Let's start the lesson.

Hey there, Master.

Miss Tia's sitting over there.

Teacher!

You okay? You look kinda funny.

You're not sick, are you?

Oh, okay.

Then it's a good thing I ordered my favorite from the menu!

Here's your Soft and Supple Cloud Souffle pancake.

Speak of the devil!

Sorry, not yet.

I didn't get a good picture of it yet.

Of course! This'll only take a minute.

Miss Tia's never satisfied until she gets the perfect snap.

There, done!

Sorry about that.

I know I kept you waiting.

It's just that the colors weren't coming out the way I wanted them to.

But look at this one. It came out nice, don't you think?

I gotta upload this to all my socials.

Okay, let's dig in!

Teacher!

What's got you looking so happy?

It's nice to see you smiling.

Hehe...

I certainly didn't expect you to say that.

I'm touched!

How come you're looking at the arrow?

Are you planning on giving it to me?

Aw shucks... too bad.

I'll have to keep trying to convince you.

How could I not?

They said it could help you capture the heart of whoever you were infatuated with.

I think almost anyone would want something like that.

The moment I get it,

I'm gonna poke you with it.

Then your heart will belong to me,

and me alone.

Hehe, you're cute when you're flustered.

Don't worry, I won't use it until I've been given it fair and square.

I'm a good student who follows the rules.

I even finished my homework all on my own!

Is that impressive, or what?

Yesss, another compliment!

To thank you for being so nice, let me take you out for dessert.

It'll make you even happier than you already are.

You can get to see me smile a whole bunch, too. How about it?

Woohoo!

Teacher?

Gotcha!

Say, this pose really suits you.

So cute.

You looked a little perturbed, so I wanted to lighten the mood.

Are you still worrying about that arrow?

Looks to me like you're still undecided on who to give it to.

Well...

It's a fascinating thing.

You poke someone with the tip of the arrow,

and then they fall head over heels for you.

Sounds like something straight out of a fairytale.

At first, I was content simply letting Tia have it.

But after hearing you say that you'd only give it to someone you liked,

I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of determination well up in me.

At that moment, I didn't want to lose this to anyone else.

I knew it wasn't about this cheap toy arrow.

So the only conclusion

I could come to was that

I didn't want to lose you to anyone else.

Hehe, how do you like that?

Here I am, always telling Tia that

having a few secrets can make a girl more alluring,

yet here I am blabbing about everything to you.

Oh my goodness!

You're not trying to seduce me, are you?

You say that, but you certainly sounded seducing me just a second ago.

Okay, fine. I'll stop here, or else I'll get myself in trouble.

Since you're here, why don't we go shopping?

One of my favorite shops is having a 50% off sale.

I'm sure I'll be able to find an accessory that suits you perfectly.

A quick response, I like that!

Sorry to bother you, Teacher,

but can you give this to Tia?

It's her dessert for today.

I feel like she's gotten a bit skinny lately.

Is she doing okay?

Okay, that's good. Well, I'll leave the rest to you.

Teacher,

did Naga leave something for me with you?

Hehe, I knew it. Thanks.

How is Naga doing, by the way?

I'm a bit worried 'cause she's been looking down in the dumps.

Oh? So she's doing well?

I'm glad to hear that.

Well, thanks for letting me know. See you later!

Naga?

Tia?

I thought it was just going to be you and me, Teacher.

Is this some kind of surprise that you've got planned?

That's cheeky of you, Teacher.

You tricked us.

That's fine, I guess.

If that's what you want, then I'm okay with it.

Oh, just look at all those adorable items they've got on display over there.

Let's go take a closer look.

Actually, I'd rather see the other side.

Can we go this way, Teacher?

Hehe, thanks.

...

Ooh, look at this one.

Look at this purple keychain shaped like a heart! Isn't it pretty?

If you ask me, I think it's...

Really?

Well, that settles it then.

I'm definitely buying it!

Hmmph.

I think the navy blue is better.

I'll take this, thanks.

Thanks for helping me choose, Teacher.

Woohoo! Thanks, Teacher.

...

Ooh, isn't this one just adorable?

It's a chameleon doll!

Oh my goodness, it can even blink!

And they've got stickers too.

Dinosaur stickers!

Come and look.

Nope.

I'm still thinking.

I can't decide between the iguana cup and the alligator toothbrush.

Hmm?

Where's Naga?

Did you buy anything?

Nothing.

If you're done buying things, let's go.

Going out after a full day of classes must be exhausting.

I can tell you're tired by looking at your face.

I'll go and get you something to drink. Wait right here.

I'll go buy something too!

Whenever you're feeling sluggish, nothing beats a dessert as a pick-me-up.

Here's your drink, Teacher.

And here's some ice cream!

Hehe, don't mention it.

I should be the one thanking you for getting the snacks ahead of time.

Just a minute!

Wait!

I can inhale this ice cream real fast,

then I can have some of your snacks.

Don't wanna miss out, especially when you bought them just for us.

Thanks，

Teacher!

Hehe, I knew you'd like it.

Enjoy!

Oh, and thanks for the snacks as well.

It's okay. Don't worry about it.

Those are all snacks that Tia enjoys, so she can dig in.

I'm pretty thirsty,

so just the drinks are fine.

So this is all for me?

Awesome! Thanks.

...

...

Yes?

What is it?

Doesn't look very fun to me.

What about that dessert stand over there? Don't the desserts look absolutely delicious?

How about we go check it out?

I'm sure he's had his fill by now.

You and I can go play the game, Teacher.

I didn't know about that.

You don't look so good to me. I think you should eat something sweet.

Teacher is a human, not a Nikke.

He can only eat so many sweets. You're gonna make him burst.

Teacher!

Teacher!

Here you are.

It's a complimentary gift that we're giving out to couples.

There's a surprise inside the box. You can open it and see what it is.

I wonder what it is?

The box is awfully pretty.

Oh my gosh!

You're giving this to me?

I'm so happy!

I wonder what's inside? My heart's pounding.

A pair of rings?

I suppose one is for me and one's for you.

Here you are, Teacher.

Let me put it on your finger for you, hehe.

I know those rings.

They were being sold as a limited edition at the jewelry store a few months ago.

Teacher! You can't do that.

I gave you that ring as a gift.

If you gave it to someone else, I'd be devastated.

...

Tia is right.

It's fine.

Are you sure?

Thank you.

Can I open it here?

Cookies?

Apparently freshly baked, at that. They're still warm.

Would you like to share them?

Here, I'll feed one to you. Don't want you getting your hands grubby, too.

Open up and say ahhhh.

That smell... I know that smell...

That's it! Are those from PAIK, the famous pastry chef?

Holy moly! I heard she was gonna be here today. She actually came...

I'd kill to have one of those.

Teacher, you can't do that.

This is a gift from me.

I meant for you to enjoy it,

and no one else.

...

Fine, go wild, Teacher.

Sorry for interrupting.

...

...

How about one last game before you go, folks?

We've got all sorts of great prizes waiting for you!

Hey, wait up, Teacher!

Slow down.

Step right up, folks.

Here you are, take this bow.

You see those balloons on the other side? All you've got to do is hit them with the arrows.

We'll give you a quiver of 10 arrows, and if you manage to hit 10 balloons, you'll get yourself this nifty dancing bear!

So cute!

It's certainly unique.

Yikes... why are you so bad at this?

I didn't know it was possible to be that bad...

Here, let me try.

I'm pretty sure that doll is the last one left, so I'm gonna try and win it.

...

...

Give me a bow.

Give me a bow.

Er... sure thing, right away!

I thought you would have slipped up by now.

I never make a mistake when I have a weapon in my hands.

It'd be nice if you didn't make mistakes or forget things every other time of day.

Please.

You're the one who always chokes in the heat of battle.

That's hitting below the belt!

You took it there first.

I don't intend on losing.

Neither do I.

What the...?!

Um... both of you hit all 10 targets.

C-congratulations!

But what do I do? There's only one doll...

Did you hear that, Teacher?

What should we do?

Looks like you'll have to decide for us.

Teacher!

Teacher!

I figured you'd be here.

Hey!

Are you all right, Teacher?

You look surprised.

You don't have much time left with us,

so I came to get some extra lessons.

I've already organized all the questions on the tablet.

Since the class is finished,

waddya say we go and get some dessert?

There are so many different treats that I want to eat with you.

Even if you're with us only for a little while more,

you're still our teacher.

Shouldn't your priority be to teach your students?

...!

Hehe.

Sounds good.

I suppose anyone who doesn't have any questions might as well show themselves out.

Ow... Yeah, I'm okay.

I was trying to whip out my tablet...

As a matter of fact, there are a few questions I wanted to ask you,

so I can join the lesson.

If that's all right with you, that is?

Hehe, how exciting!

... Fine.

I thought I'd be having a private lesson, but so be it.

If I want to be a good student, I should take any opportunity I can to learn more.

For once, you're saying something that I agree with.

Anyway, I'll ask my question first.

Teacher, here...

...

...

I'm not entirely sure about this part.

I know that you explained it earlier,

but I still don't think I understand.

Can you go over it one more time?

Hehe, thanks.

You've been watching me, haven't you?

Sorry to make you explain it again.

What's up, Teacher?

Did you come over because you were worried I wouldn't get it?

I was able to solve it just a while ago.

While I was listening to the explanation you were giving over there, it just came to me!

Thanks.

Teacher!

This is a real brain-buster.

Can you phrase it in a way that's easy to understand?

Preferably slowly, and step by step.

You're the best, Teacher.

Can you start from this part?

What's up, Teacher?

Did you want to see if I was having a hard time with the problem?

I was stuck on it for a while,

but I overheard the explanation that you were giving Tia, and then a light bulb went off.

Thanks to that, I was able to solve it.

I'm glad I decided to get extra lessons from you.

You've got a talent for teaching.

I got a lot out of this as well.

Thanks, hehe.

That'd be great!

We can go to the place I usually go to.

Well, I guess all of us going is better than letting just the two of you go,

so I'll come along.

Here we go again.

She always does this before actually eating the food.

She doesn't stop until she gets the perfect shot, which takes forever and a day.

You knew about this, didn't you?

No wonder you didn't seem surprised.

I'm getting jealous.

Really? I thought you knew.

I feel like I'm the one teaching you things now...

It's kind of a nice feeling, haha.

Judging by the amount of desserts on display, I think she'll be taking a while.

Would you like to watch a movie on my tablet while we wait?

All done!

All right, let's dig in.

Yep!

Teacher is probably starving from having to wait so long.

Oh, whoops! Sorry.

I know you must be famished,

but that doesn't excuse you from not using a fork.

Sorry I took so long with the photos.

I ordered the best things on the menu,

so enjoy!

How is it?

Glad you like it.

Don't forget to try the cream as well.

You shouldn't go overboard though. Too many sweets aren't good for you.

Here, let me try some first.

It's delectable, yes, but far too sweet.

I don't think you'd like it.

Try this cookie instead. It's not so cloyingly sweet.

...

If you're looking for something that's not as sweet, try this madeleine.

What do you mean?

This is about a third of what I usually order.

Don't worry.

There won't be anything left, I assure you.

Tia never leaves a delicious dessert behind.

I'll take that as a compliment, hehe.

Thanks.

W-well... it would stand to reason.

After all, we've known each other for years.

Besides, Tia isn't exactly too hard to figure out, hehe.

Wow...

You really took me by surprise with that compliment.

Thank you.

Always nice to hear a compliment from you, Teacher!

Hehe.

Desserts are one of my greatest passions in life.

I get a real kick out of uploading my photos to social media.

I also enjoy keeping my eyes peeled for the latest and more delicious desserts.

So you can believe me when I say I'll be doing this for a long time.

Thanks for the encouragement, hehe!

So this is where you are.

Teacher!

Ssssh, keep your voice down.

I think he's sleeping.

Ah, you're right.

Hehe, he's so cute when he's asleep.

...

Wow, you're right.

He must be having nice dreams. See? He's smiling.

I wanna pinch his cheeks so bad!

Don't.

Fiiiine.

Today is the big day. Teacher will be making his decision.

Are you feeling confident?

You know it.

I gave it my all, so I'm brimming with confidence.

I was honest with Teacher about how I felt. The entire way.

Mmm.

You were serious about him too, weren't you?

That's a secret.

All I'll say is that I have no plans of losing to you.

Hehe, it always sounds cool when you say that.

If this were any other time, I'd love to see that confident side of you,

but now? Not so much.

Why are you so confident, anyway?

How should I put this... you're kind of verging on being full of yourself.

Goodness gracious!

You really have grown up, Tia.

I can tell how seriously you're taking this battle of the heart.

You bet I'm taking it seriously.

So if you're not into this 100%, then you might as well give up now.

If I hadn't been,

why would I still be here?

Believe me when I say I'm taking this just as seriously.

Then why were you keeping it a secret up till just now?

That's not being straightforward at all.

I let you know just now, didn't I? I was just a little late in my response.

I'll never lose to a coward.

I'm gonna be the one chosen today.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch.

Otherwise, you may end up with a rude shock.

Whoops... I think we made too much noise.

We better wait outside.

Teacher?

Just a moment.

I'm in the middle of putting my hair up.

I didn't know you'd come here this fast.

If I'm being completely honest...

I wasn't sure if you would come at all.

What's going on?

My... my hands are shaking.

I guess I'm nervous now that you're here.

Am I just imagining it,

or is your voice shaking too?

...

I'm not sure

I have the willpower to look you in the eye, so

would it be okay if you just listened to my voice?

Thank you.

You're really special.

You've always been different from the other teachers.

Usually, they don't care all that much about the students.

Any improvements made on our part are strictly for military purposes. Sure, they usually provide a moderate amount of attention as needed, but not much more than that.

So, when I asked you about extra lessons, I didn't expect you to agree.

But you always made time for me.

Not only that, but you were glad to do it.

I think that was when

you had a special place in my heart.

It wasn't just me who felt that way, either. Lots of other students started gathering around you.

Seeing everyone else's reaction to you made me sure of my thoughts.

That you were real.

You were the perfect teacher that I had always dreamed of.

And now you've come to me.

So, it's safe to say that I'm rather nervous.

My hands keep shaking. I can't even tie up my hair.

Just a second...

Phew, okay.

Done.

What do you think?

Does it look good?

!

Hehe... I'm glad.

I put effort into trying to look my best.

It's actually happening...

The Love Arrow...

I can't believe how it stirred up so much jealousy in me before.

When you said that you wanted to give it to someone who felt right,

it was as if all your feelings were tied to this arrow.

I don't want to see you with anyone else.

Will you give me your hand?

Now that you've been touched by the arrow,

that means your heart belongs to me from here on out, doesn't it?

Can we stay like this?

Just for a moment.

*Sob*

*Sob*

*Sob*

Teacher...

He's late.

Maybe he has a lot of work today.

He's not answering any of my messages or calls.

...

Or... Perhaps...

Did he... go to Naga?

...

*Sob*

That hurts.

Gotcha!

I want to surprise you.

Is this why you came here?

To give this to me?

Oh my gosh... I'm so happy!

Is it okay if I use it now?

I just can't wait!

Ready or not, here it comes.

Now that I've pricked you with this arrow,

you're mine, got that? Hehe.

Hmm?

Oh no, no no no.

Follow me.

Right this way.

There is a chair here, so come in slowly.

And take a seat.

Well done, Teacher.

Promise me you won't open your eyes, okay?

All finished!

Okay, you can open your eyes.

A dessert feast that I made just for you.

How do you like it?

I gathered as many delicious treats as I could.

It wasn't easy to make, I can tell you that.

I'm the one who's moved. You brought the arrow here, after all.

Here, take a bite.

Open up and say aahhhhh.

Huh? What photo?

Oh!

You mean a photo of the dessert?

No, it's okay.

This is all meant for you, not me.

Now open up.

Hehe.

I'm glad you like it.

It's worth all the hard work.

Seeing you this happy makes me happy.

I'm so glad that

you take an interest in the things I like and the things I do.

Especially when I'm taking photos of desserts.

You never get angry or complain. Most people usually just leave.

But not you. You always waited patiently for me and never uttered a word of protest.

That makes me admire you even more.

That's how a real adult should act.

So for once, I wanted to give you that same feeling.

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment.

Eons, an eternity... no.

Words cannot describe

how excruciatingly long I've dreamt of this moment.

Now it's really happening, and I couldn't be happier.

It's sweeter than any dessert I've ever eaten.

Today will be the sweetest day of my life.

Just a moment.

I'll go get the rest of the desserts, okay?

Of course!

I brought enough to last us the entire night.

...

...

He hasn't looked at his phone.

And he hasn't shown up...

I suppose he went to see Tia.

...

It hurts more than I thought it would.

...

*Sigh*

...

...

I suppose I should head back now.

Darn, I forgot my stockings.

Hmm?

Put those on.

??

Argh, missed the target again.

I can't keep making mistakes like this...

!

A thank you for the stockings.

...

...

*Sigh* I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

!

!

All right,

let's shake hands.

Let's make up and put this all behind us.

I'm sorry for being so childish.

I was just as insufferable. I was stubborn, a nag... and...

Forget it. You don't have to keep going.

Great!

... Heh... hehe.

Hahaha.

Just so you know, this doesn't mean I'm giving up.

Me neither. I can't pretend that my feelings for Teacher don't exist.

Even so.

Yeah, even so.

I don't want to be fighting all the time like this.

Me neither.

My goodness, what a relief!

Actually, I'm still a little bit frustrated.

What for?

I feel Teacher still treats us like we're silly little children.

Maybe that's how we appear to him.

How can you say that?!

I know what you mean.

But there's nothing we can do. We may be in the graduating class, but the fact is that we are still students.

You're right, but...

I can't help but feel a bit sad sometimes.

What's there to be sad about?

You mean you're not?

We're still young.

After we graduate, we'll have to become adults.

When you become an adult, everything will be just as grand as you expect it to be.

So let's do our best and focus on becoming good people as adults.

There's no need to be sad.

Okay?

You always know what to say, hehe.

You and I are in this together, Tia.

I'm always here for you, Naga.

Always!