Good-Bye Sengen - Chapter 6 Epilogue

It’s been about four years since I said goodbye to Nanase at the airport.

I’m now a teacher, fulfilling my dream. And it’s at my alma mater, Seiran High School.

After entering the University of Education, I had a lot of work to do, including university exams, reports, teacher recruitment exams and a graduation thesis, but I managed to graduate and become the teacher I’ve always wanted to be.

By the way, my subject was Japanese history.

Moreover, I have been assigned as a homeroom teacher since my first year.

Just before school started, the teacher who was originally supposed to be in charge of the class had a car accident and had to be hospitalized for a long time.

So I, who had never given any class before, was assigned to be the homeroom teacher instead.

…By the way, I haven’t heard anything about Nanase since we parted at the airport.

I’m sure she’s auditioning or something, but I don’t know what’s going on with her since she’s on the other side of the world.

But since it’s Nanase, I’m sure she’s working just as hard as she did in high school.

“It’s this house…”

One day after school, I was at the home of a student in my current class.

The student’s name is Tanaka Kenji-kun.

He had stopped attending school immediately after entering the school and had been withdrawn for the past two months.

The other teachers told me that I shouldn’t do anything unnecessary, but I forced the principal to allow me to visit him at home.

“Yes, who is this?”

I pressed the intercom and was immediately answered by someone who seemed to be Kenji-kun’s mother.

By the way, I’ve asked her permission to visit her home as well.

“Excuse me. I’m Kiritani, the homeroom teacher of Kenji-kun’s class.

“Ah… yes.”

Immediately after that, I couldn’t hear her voice over the intercom, and the front door opened instead.

“His teacher, is it? Please take care of my son.”

“Yes, I understand. Can I talk to Kenji-kun for a moment?

“Of course. Please do.”

Kenji’s mother then led me upstairs and we arrived in front of his room.

“Then leave the rest to me.”

“Sorry. Please take care of him.”

Kenji’s mother bowed her head and went downstairs.

After that, I tried to see if the door would open, but it was locked.

Well, yes, as it should…

“Kenji-kun. I’m the homeroom teacher for your class, my name is Kiritani Kakeru. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

I asked through the door.

Then.

“Shut up, I have nothing to say to a teacher.”

That was the reply I got.

That’s good. It’s better than getting nothing back.

“I’m not trying to force you to go to school. I just want to talk to you. So why don’t you open the door?”

“I don’t have anything to say to a teacher!”

Kenji shouted. He really didn’t want to talk to the teacher.

“All right. I’ll do the talking and you can listen to me from there. Is that okay?”

There was no reply to my question.

Still, I decided to start talking.

“I used to be a student just like you.”

I told him about my high school days.

I told him about my high school days, how I was living a boring life, and how my life was changed by a beautiful girl who wore a parka to school every day, which was against school rules.

She told me that being withdrawn is not in itself a bad thing.

She said that even if you are withdrawn, it is important that you are able to do what you want to do and live your own life.

When I told him this, Kenji replied with these words.

“But I don’t really know what it means to be yourself.”

“Don’t worry.”

I said to reassure his anxious voice.

“I’ll help you, and we’ll find something that’s you together.”

That’s why I became a teacher.

I’ll do anything to help my students live their own lives.

As I was thinking this, the door suddenly opened.

The person who appeared was a young man with shaggy hair and tattered clothes.

He must be Kenji-kun. But he looks like he could be a handsome guy if he was fixed up.

“Are you really going to help me find myself?”

“Kenji-kun asked me anxiously.”

“Of course. I’m your homeroom teacher.”

I answered with confidence.

Then, in a slightly subdued voice, Kenji-kun said.

“Umm… Can you come back tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

I responded immediately to Kenji’s question.

“Sorry for the inconvenience.”

After putting on my shoes at the entrance, I greeted Kenji-kun.

Kenji’s mother was not at home at the moment because she had to work urgently.

His parents both work and were away from home a lot.

“Kiritani-sensei, can I ask you a question?”

“What’s the matter? You can ask me anything.”

“Umm… What kind of person is that girl in the parka who changed your life that you were talking about before?”

“Well, she was the most problematic kid in school and did the most crazy things.”

“Ehh!? I see… So what does she do now?”

“Right now? Right now, she…”

I was at a loss for words at Kenji’s question.

I wonder what Nanase is doing now…

As I was thinking about this, my phone suddenly rang.

“I’m sorry.”

Apologizing, I checked my phone and saw that I had received a text message.

The sender was Shuuichi. Incidentally, he now runs his own restaurant in the city.

The subject line was “urgent.”

When I checked the contents, I found that the email said, “Look at this,” with a URL attached.

What the heck, I thought, and tapped the URL.

It took me to an online news site.

I was astonished by the headline of the news.

It was an article about a woman who had achieved her dream.

“…Good.”

I was so happy that I couldn’t help but gulp.

Thanks to this, Kenji-kun, who was standing beside me, looked at me strangely.

That’s right. I hadn’t answered his question yet.

“Kenji-kun, about what the parka girl is doing now…

“Yeah, what is she doing?”

Kenji-kun asked me curiously.

To which I replied with a smile.

“She’s a Hollywood actress.”

This has been the story of Kiritani Kakeru, who was dyed by a girl named Nanase Rena to live outside of a life of withdrawal and to find a life of his own.