Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -rj01292809- May 2026

And for the first time in weeks, Akira Sugimoto let their eyes close. The red pen rolled off the desk and onto the floor. The clock ticked. The wind brushed against the windowpanes. And Haruki Saito sat in the fading light, watching over his tired teacher, keeping the world at bay.

The voice was soft, almost a whisper, yet it made Akira flinch. They looked up to see Haruki Saito, a student from Class 3-B, holding a stack of returned library books. He was a quiet boy, the kind who vanished into the background, but his eyes… his eyes had always seen too much. Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -RJ01292809-

They hadn't heard the door open.

He picked up the fallen red pen and placed it carefully on top of the unfinished stack of essays. Then he stood, bowed his head once, and walked silently out of the library, leaving Akira alone with the lingering warmth of a grey cardigan and the memory of being seen. And for the first time in weeks, Akira

The words hung in the air. Is it okay to rest a little? The wind brushed against the windowpanes

Haruki’s lips curved into the faintest, warmest smile. “Then sleep. I’ll wake you in thirty minutes. I promise.”