I Was Hired As A Tutor By A Cute Little Devilish Junior - Chapter 31 Middle Schooler

There is a profession called a “tutor.”

A tutor who would teach students at home.
It would take too long to explain everything in detail, so I’ll save it for another time.

This spring, I started working as a tutor.
The person who hired me was a girl who was one year younger than me.

“Murakami-senpai, I’ve got a problem here~”

Her name is Shiina Azusa. She was a first-year who just entered high school this spring.
She was slim and had medium-length, shiny black hair that reached her shoulders.
She had beautiful skin, big eyes, and when she’s at home, she wore pink glasses.

“Senpai? Are you listening to me?”

She was always trying to mess with me, and sometimes she was not very straightforward.
But I guess the reason why I’ve continued to tutor her, despite everything, was because she was so cute.

“Senpai~? Did my charm make you swoon?”

She usually teases me, but when attacked, she would be surprisingly weak, or she would be naively sweet.
She was a kouhai who needed some help, but for now she was an important and cute student.

“Are you possibly…asleep while sitting?”

The time I spent with Shiina was very meaningful.
Of course, I could have made progress in my studies, but it was also true that I enjoyed spending time with her.
Just as Shiina needed me as a tutor, I may have used her as a source of support somewhere in my heart.

“After all, it takes a princess’s kiss to wake up Sleeping Beauty…Okay, it can’t be helped.”
“What can’t be helped? What are you doing?”
“Oh, Sleeping Beauty’s awake.”
“And what’s a princess’s kiss? Don’t take a famous fairy tale and turn it into a yuri.”
“I welcome a feminized version of Senpai.”
“I firmly refuse.”

She was the only student I would have this ridiculous exchange with.
Thanks to her daily studies, she was getting smarter, but I don’t think she’ll ever get over this stupid idea.

“I’m not interested in yuri-fying anything. It’s this problem, Senpai.”
“Where…”
“Here, here.”
“Yeah, this kind of problem has…”

And so the usual loose tutoring begins.
Shiina was still attached to me, and I didn’t try to shake her off, but continued to tutor her.

After all, about two months have passed since we started this life.
Every time I think back on it, I realize how fast time flies. It really flew by.

Time flies when you’re fulfilled in life, and time flies when you don’t think about anything in particular.
In my case, middle school life fell into the latter category.

I was a middle school boy with no special charms and normal friendships.
The only thing I could say was that I was a little good at studying, but even that was only in the upper-middle within my grade.

As for club activities, I was in the indoor computer club, and I always watched Satsuki playing tennis from the window of the classroom where the computer club was at.
Perhaps it was because I was in such a minor club activity, but I didn’t have many friendships with members.

On days when there were no club activities, I would relax in the library and read books or study.
After I entered high school, I didn’t read as much and go to the library as much, but in middle school, I was a student who got along well with the library.

“Senpai, aren’t you feeling a little uptight today?”
“Ahh, I’m sorry. I’m just a little lost in my memories of middle school.”
“Really?”

Shiina suddenly leaned forward and shouted.
Your face is too close, Shiina-san.

“Eh, no. Of course really. What’s wrong?”
“N-No… I’m just a little curious about Senpai in middle school.”
“I’m sorry to ruin your hopes, but he’s just an ordinary middle school boy who doesn’t really stand out.”
“That’s not true!”

Shiina interrupted my words again, raising her voice.
I felt that she was looking at me more seriously than usual, so I couldn’t help but shut up.
A little while later, Shiina made an apologetic face, as if she had misspoken.

“Well, umm. Senpai surely is great…since middle school, so please don’t think too poorly of yourself.”
“S-Sure. Okay, I’m sorry about that.”
“No…I was a little distraught too.”

And then the atmosphere becomes somewhat awkward.
I’ve always felt that Shiina doesn’t really like it when I have low self-esteem.

It was true that it was not good to be too negative.
When we went to the hot spring, Shiina said to me, “I respect you.”
Maybe I should have a little confidence in myself and live up to her respect.

“…Senpai.”

Shiina called out to me in a voice that was quieter and less enthusiastic than usual.

“What’s wrong?”

I tried to be as normal as possible and said something back.
But Shiina didn’t say another word.

Instead, her small hand grasps the hem of my clothes in a reserved manner.
With that, I strangely felt that I understood what she wanted.

I felt a little hesitant, but I boldly extended my arm to her shoulder.
Then, I gently embraced Shiina’s slender body.

“S-Senpai?”

Shiina spilled out a confused voice at my action.
I couldn’t think of anything good to say to her, so I just hugged her close.

“…Senpai, you’re getting used to dealing with me lately.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Lie. Because if you do this to me, I’ll…”
“…What do you mean, if I do this to you?”
“It’s nothing. You’re a real piece of work, Senpai.”
“Haa…”

Shiina was leaning on my shoulder and closing her eyes as she said this.
I don’t know if I was getting used to dealing with her, but at least I think I understand a lot more about her than I did at first.

I don’t know what she wants, what makes her happy, what makes her angry.
There are still a lot of things I don’t understand, but I never get bored watching Shiina like that.

“So much for the break, let’s continue.”
“But Senpai was the one who instigated the break.”
“That’s not the right way to put it. I was indulged in nostalgic memories.”
“Then at least a little…”

After saying that much, Shiina closed her mouth again.
Then she hugged my arm like a spoiled child.

After all, Shiina was a bit strange today. She seemed to have something on her mind, and it worries me.
In order to distract her, I told Shiina a story about my middle school days that she wanted to know, although it was not that big of a deal.

“When I was in middle school, I was the student who used to hang out in the library. I was a member of the computer club, but we didn’t have many days of activities, so I had a lot of free time after school.”
“A-Ah…I see. So, did you read in the library?”
“Yes, I read, but I also studied more. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t have any hobbies since then.”
“Right…”

Shiina replied with a hint of thought.
Maybe she’s imagining me in middle school… I’m a little embarrassed.

“Yes, yes. I went to the library almost every day, so I’ve learned a lot about the library committee and the people who often come to the library.”
“R-Really?”
“I was a regular there. I remember about three people who come every day like me.”
“Do you remember what they were like…?”
“I don’t remember for sure. I remember one girl studying diligently in the corner of the library, one boy who was always on the novel shelf, and one girl with long hair who read at the same desk as me. That’s about it.”

When I thought back on it again, I felt very nostalgic.
There were other people who came here and there, but those three were the only ones who could be called regulars.

“The girl with the long hair was especially memorable. She was always sitting in the same seat reading a paperback book, and her little smile left an impression.”
“S-Senpai, could it be that you’re a stalker…?”
“Hey. What’s with that look?”
“You’ve been watching her because you’re curious about her, right?”
“That’s not the point, but I wasn’t looking at her with an ulterior motive. I don’t even remember her face.”

I was a regular and I saw her often, but I don’t have a firm memory of her.
In particular, the girl at the same desk had long bangs and I couldn’t recognize her face.
The only thing I remember about her was that she was slim, wore glasses and had a cute little smile on her face.

“I’m kind of jealous of that girl. I wish I could see more of you then…”
“What are you talking about, you see me almost every day. I think you see your face more than my mom’s these days.”
“Yes, but…it’s not.”

I gently stroked Shiina’s head as she said sadly.

“Does Shiina really care that much about me as a middle schooler?”
“…Yes.”
“Okay. Then let’s go see it.”
“Heh?”
“Let’s go see me in middle school.”

I stood up and pulled Shiina’s hand.