April 14th. Monday.
The short two-day weekend was over.
Hirakawa Tetsuya was once again dragged out of sleep by his alarm.
His dry eyes slowly opened to the dim light of the bedroom.
He lay still for a few seconds, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Then he realized it.
He had to go to work.
A yawn slipped out. His eyes finally gained a bit of moisture as he forced himself to sit up, supporting his body with one hand. The alarm kept ringing, growing louder and more irritating.
He reached under his pillow, found his phone, and turned it off.
The room fell silent again.
He sat there quietly, letting the stillness of morning wrap around him. Only faint birdsong drifted in from outside. The world had not fully awakened yet.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
But he could not stay like this.
He threw off the blanket and left behind the warmth he had occupied all night. Letting out a long sigh, he once again dismissed his weekly thought.
Maybe I should just quit my job.
He was certain many students were thinking similar things right now.
Should I pretend to be sick today?
Catching a cold would be perfectly normal, right?
Monday mornings were always like this.
Full of weak and indulgent thoughts.
He scratched his messy hair, slipped into his slippers, and opened the bedroom door.
Then he noticed it.
A small white shape on the floor.
Looking closely, it was the cat.
It poked its round head forward, ears perked up, curiously observing the room.
Hirakawa crouched down and met its gaze.
"Good morning."
He reached out and rubbed its head. The soft touch made him instinctively relax.
"You got woken up by the alarm too?"
"Meow."
Hirakawa decided that meant yes.
Even if it did not, it did not matter.
He stood up and walked downstairs, the cat following closely behind.
When he entered the bathroom, the cat stopped at the door and stared at him.
Hirakawa quietly closed the door.
This cat's curiosity was a bit too strong.
After finishing his morning routine and washing up, he stepped out again.
Breakfast was simple.
Porridge, a bit of pickled vegetables, and a boiled egg.
The porridge had been prepared with a timer the night before.
The pickles were from his parents.
The egg had just been cooked.
He ate quietly under the cat's watchful gaze.
Time to go.
He returned to his room, changed into his teacher's uniform, then came back downstairs.
At the entrance, he put on his shoes and reached for the door.
Then he paused.
Turning back, he saw the white cat sitting on the step, watching him.
Its amber eyes were clear and bright, like polished gems.
"I'm heading out. Don't run around."
He spoke without thinking.
As if the cat could understand.
He grabbed the door handle.
Then stopped again.
Annoying.
He sighed, took off his shoes, and put his slippers back on.
Walking back inside, he bent down and rubbed the cat's head again.
The cat protested with a dissatisfied meow.
Ignoring it, he went upstairs.
He checked every window.
Closed the balcony door.
Then went downstairs and checked again.
Only after confirming everything was secure did he return to the entrance.
The cat was still there.
Waiting.
"I'm really leaving this time. See you tonight."
"Meow."
This time, he opened the door.
Cool April air brushed against him.
Birdsong echoed clearly.
Above him stretched a bright blue sky.
His mind felt refreshed.
Now it truly felt like a workday.
Less than twenty minutes later, he arrived at the school gate.
Morning sunlight bathed the campus.
The words "Private Moritani Girls' High School" shone brightly.
The cherry blossoms were almost gone, most having fallen over the weekend.
The ground was still covered in soft pink petals.
Groups of girls in uniform stepped across them, chatting energetically.
Working at an all-girls school might seem unusual to others.
But to Hirakawa, students were just students.
Like patients to a doctor.
Gender made no difference.
This school simply had more girls than usual.
That was all.
Still, among so many girls, a young male teacher naturally stood out.
Especially one who looked decent.
When girls occasionally whispered that he was handsome, it was nothing unusual.
They would forget him the moment they saw someone better.
With that thought, he walked calmly into the school.
From the field came loud shouts.
The energy of youth.
Sports clubs were truly hardworking.
Then, faintly, he heard music.
Wind instruments.
He listened for a moment and nodded.
It was the brass band.
As their advisor, he took several seconds to confirm something that should have been obvious.
He felt a bit embarrassed.
Maybe he should visit the club today.
No, he was busy.
Even if he did not know with what.
He decided he would go in the afternoon.
Just then, a voice called from behind him.
"Hirakawa-sensei."
For a moment, he thought it was Tsutsui Shiori.
He instinctively tensed.
But when he turned around, he relaxed.
It was Rainomiya Yoru.
"Good morning."
In her uniform, she looked obedient and gentle.
"Good morning, sensei."
"What is it?"
"The cat is at your house now, right?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to ask if you've been taking good care of them."
Hirakawa recalled the weekend and answered confidently.
"Of course."
Except for one thing.
A secret he would never admit.
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