Chapter 12: Hoshino Kirara, falls in love!
No denying it, the new teacher was seriously handsome.
His neatly styled, slightly wavy dark brown hair framed a face with a pair of fine-rimmed gold glasses perched on his nose. Behind the lenses, his deep brown eyes were both profound and gentle, paired with a perfectly warm smile. Every gesture radiated the charm of a mature man.
Or, as Dongfang Cheng would put it, flashy to the max.
Several girls in the class were already whispering, their eyes sparkling with excitement, cheeks faintly flushed.
“He’s way too hot! Wonder if he’s got a girlfriend?”
“The new teacher’s better looking than a celebrity…”
“That’s it, I’m swearing to actually study math starting today!”
Even the lofty heiress of the Hoshino Group, usually so haughty, dropped her airs. Her sapphire-blue eyes locked onto the man at the podium, glinting with a rare spark, her lips curving upward unconsciously.
Then, as if snapping out of it, she hurriedly pulled out her fancy folding fan from her bag, snapping it open to hide her blushing cheeks.
Lin Feng, single his whole life and considering himself decently good-looking, felt a pang of jealousy. He leaned in, muttering to Dongfang Cheng with a sour edge.
“Tch, so what if he’s got a slightly sharper look? Big deal! Women these days are so shallow. Right, Ah Cheng?”
“Shut up, I’m hitting the bathroom.” Dongfang Cheng stood abruptly, expressionless, kicking his chair back and storming out the back door.
He couldn’t stand the girls’ chatter, especially not thirty-plus of them at once. He’d rather splash cold water on his face in the men’s restroom.
Cold tap water hit his face, trickling down his jaw to his neck, as if washing away the irritation in his mind. Dongfang Cheng looked up, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
He couldn’t make sense of the intense, almost uncontrollable instinct he’d felt earlier.
The moment Dan walked into the classroom, it was like every nerve in his body snapped taut. Not disgust, but an unclear, almost hostile rejection—like he wanted to rush up and smash that smiling face.
Was he, like that idiot rich kid, just jealous and annoyed? No way. He wasn’t petty enough to get worked up over some good-looking guy with zero reason.
It wasn’t psychological dislike so much as a physical instinct, urging him to reject, even oppose, this guy.
If they were locked in a confined space together, Dongfang Cheng had no doubt he’d lose it within a minute and throw a punch.
But why?
The teachers he’d clashed with before were either incompetent posers or creeps harassing students. This new guy, at least on the surface, looked polished and proper, and they hadn’t even spoken yet.
Where was this irrational hostility coming from?
It felt like some ancient signal buried deep in his bones, warning him of danger.
Frowning, he couldn’t figure it out, completely unaware of the faint, breathing-like dark glow flickering briefly on the black contract terminal on his wrist before vanishing.
Morning classes ended, and it was lunch break.
Fengxiang Hong nibbled on her fried noodle bread, glancing with surprise at her desk neighbor—Hoshino Kirara, delicately eating her lavish bento, her face flushed with a suspicious blush and a goofy smile.
Miss Hoshino’s crush was a bit too obvious, especially since she didn’t usually make rookie mistakes like trying to drink soup with chopsticks.
“Kirara?” Fengxiang Hong finally spoke up. “You’re… really into this new Teacher Dan? Didn’t you always say guys are just immature brats who never grow up?”
“Ugh! Class leader, what are you talking about!” Hoshino Kirara’s cheeks flushed red, and she quickly denied it, though her eyes darted nervously.
“Dan… Mr. Dan’s different. He’s got this mature vibe, and his lectures are interesting… Sure, he’s kinda handsome, but I’m not, like, head over heels! This lady isn’t that shallow!”
“Right, right.” Fengxiang Hong gave a helpless smile at Kirara’s obvious tsundere denial, deciding not to call her out further.
“Speaking of which, that Dongfang Cheng’s too much!” Kirara huffed, suddenly indignant. “It’s Mr. Dan’s first class, and he just walks out in front of everyone? So rude!”
“Dongfang?” Fengxiang Hong glanced back at his empty seat. “Lin Feng’s not there either. Do those two usually go out to eat together?”
Lin Feng slipped quietly to the second-year teachers’ office but didn’t go in. Instead, he pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and a high-def feed of the office’s video and audio popped up.
Most teachers inside were busy grading papers or prepping for afternoon classes. His eyes zeroed in on the standout figure—Dan, the new math teacher, standing by Mizuse Kazuha’s desk with his signature gentle smile.
“Mizuse-sensei,” Dan’s voice carried a soothing, magnetic quality.
“You’ve been looking a bit pale lately. Overworked? If you don’t mind, how about letting me take on part of the class’s academic assessment report for next month? I’m their math teacher now, after all. It’s only right I get to know the students better.”
Mizuse Kazuha, caught off guard by his offer, paused before nodding. “…That’d be a big help, thank you.”
They chatted casually about teaching for a bit. As Lin Feng debated whether to barge in with an excuse, Dan suddenly tilted his head, his gaze locking precisely onto the security camera in the corner of the office ceiling.
His smile didn’t waver, but he gave the camera a meaningful wink.
Lin Feng froze. In the glint of Dan’s glasses, he clearly saw the man’s pupils narrow into vertical slits.
“…Tch, what kind of perception is that?”
The next second, Dan smiled at Mizuse-sensei, said, “I’ll step out for a bit,” and strode out of the office, stopping right in front of Lin Feng.
“Lin Feng, right?” Dan’s voice was clear and steady. “I’ve got something to discuss with you. Mind joining me on the rooftop for some fresh air?”
He turned to Mizuse Kazuha, who was casting curious glances from the office, and added just loud enough for everyone to hear: “I want to talk to Lin Feng about his friend, Dongfang Cheng. Students with… strong personalities like that require a bit more attention from us teachers.”
Mizuse Kazuha gave a wry, understanding nod. When she took over the class, the previous homeroom teacher had spent over an hour venting about Dongfang Cheng.
Lin Feng scoffed inwardly but put on a flattered student act, nodding. “S-Sure, Teacher Dan.”