I Was Hired As A Tutor By A Cute Little Devilish Junior - Chapter 6 Day Off

The first weekend after I started tutoring Shiina came.

Shiina told me that she wanted tutoring on weekends as well, as long as I was okay with it.
I didn’t have any club activities, so my weekends were free.
There was no reason for me to refuse Shiina’s proposal.

After a long ping-pong sound, I made sure the door was unlocked and went inside.

“Welcome home, dear♪”
“Pardon my intrusion.”
“Hey, this is where you say, ‘I’m home, honey♡!'”
“Who am I to say that to? When did I become your darling?”
“Since three seconds ago.”
“That’s only allowed for friends in elementary school.”

It was ten in the morning.
I felt like it was very early, but Shiina wanted it that way and I didn’t have any plans, so I just went with it.
Besides, I thought it was good that she wanted to study so much.

Since Shiina’s studies were going well, we’d actually been studying a little bit further than the class.
That said, it was not good to be too far ahead.

That was why I’ve been studying myself lately.
I’m a tutor hired by Shiina, and up until now I’ve always been there for her.
However, as Shiina’s studies have become more relaxed lately, she has been encouraging me to study for myself.

I hadn’t thought about my own studies, but now that I think about it, I’d been neglecting my own studies in order to devote my time to Shiina.
In many ways, I was grateful that Shiina had told me that.

“Are you okay with tutoring today?”
“Yes, in the morning.”
“What are you going to do in the afternoon?”
“It’s a secret♡”

Shiina placed her index finger to her lips and winked.
I was annoyed at myself for feeling a little thrilled inside.

Naturally, I don’t show what was in my heart, and I replied with the usual salty “I see.”
When I responded in this way, Shiina, who always looked bored, seemed to have stopped minding it these days.
Even when I replied like now, she was still giving the same smile.

She had changed a little. I quietly tucked away the thought in my mind.
She hasn’t changed. This must be her true self. For some reason, I felt that way.

“Well, let’s start with a review of yesterday’s lesson.”
“Yes.”

Shiina replied, then quickly prepared the materials on the desk in the living room.
I went to use the restroom and then went back to the living room and sat down next to Shiina.

“Ehehe. Doesn’t Murakami-senpai like to study this way?”

She hugged my arm and asked me in a wicked way.
I responded, brushing off her hand appropriately.

“I have no choice but to do it because you won’t study unless we’re like this. I have no other intentions.”
“I see♪”

Shiina replied happily to my boring answer.
If I could, I’d like to teach her calmly without being hugged, but if I refuse, Shiina would be blatantly unmotivated.
As a tutor, I couldn’t refuse if she did that to me.

When I looked at Shiina’s face with a sigh, I noticed something.

“You’re not wearing glasses today?”

She smiled at me like usual, but there were no glasses on her face today.
Shiina always wore glasses instead of contacts when she was at home.
When I looked closely, I could see that her clothes were not as casual as usual, but more like something she would wear in public.

“Fufu, do you like me better with glasses, Murakami-senpai?”
“…I didn’t say that. Don’t you always wear glasses at home?”
“I usually wear them on my days off, but today is special.”
“Special?”
“Because I have plans this afternoon.”

Plans for the afternoon? Was it possible that she had plans to hang out with her friends?
I don’t understand why she would keep it a secret, but I didn’t want to pry, and so I didn’t question further.

From there on, it was business as usual. I taught Shiina while trying to avoid her being attached to me in any way.
After an hour or so, Shiina’s studies are complete. After that, after getting her approval, I started my own study.

“This kind of thing is good too~”
“Like this?”
“Yes, it’s the feeling of me and Senpai studying together.”
“Is that so?”

“It’s not like teachers and students, it’s more like high school boys and girls.”
“We are high school boys and girls.”
“That’s not what I meant. That’s okay. Anyway, I like this.”

After declaring that, she stuck to me and leaned her body on my shoulder.
I thought about avoiding her and letting her sleep with the carpet, but I thought about it for a while and decided not to.

What came to my mind was something that happened just yesterday. No, maybe it was every day since I started going to Shiina’s house.
But it was yesterday that I knew it happened for sure.

When I walked out of the door after tutoring her, I saw her face for just a moment.
I thought I saw a hint of loneliness on her face, but only for a moment.
It could have been my imagination, but I felt that it was definitely loneliness.

That day, Shiina had told me a little bit about her family.
She told me that she lived a little far away in the prefecture, and about her family structure.
I couldn’t ask her much, but I could tell by her expression and voice that she loved her family.

When I first met her, she told me matter-of-factly that she was separated from her family.
But…but still, she was just a first-year in high school. There was no way she could be okay with being separated from her family all the time.

Was she smiling brightly and cuddling with me to drown out her loneliness? That was what I thought.
It may be an unwarranted fear, but if that was the case, she may be hurt by my random actions.

I’m a tutor, and Shiina was my student. In my mind, at least, she was not just a random kouhai.
If there was anything I can do for her, I wanted to be proactive.

In conclusion, I chose to tolerate her leaning on my shoulder.

“Ehehe, it’s a relief. This feeling.”
“…I see.”
“Senpai? What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. Do what you want, Shiina.”
“Y-You’re being so honest all of a sudden, Senpai.”
“Really?”

Shiina looked a little embarrassed and gave me a questioning look.
I pretended it was nothing and looked back at my notebook.

“Fufu, you didn’t deny that you’re honest.”
“The other day, Shiina said I wasn’t being honest. And did you want me to deny it?”
“No, of course not. …So, can I be like this for a little while longer?”
“Do what you like.”
“Yes♡”

Shiina leaned into me without hesitation. I’m not sure what to make of this.
I proceeded with my own study in that state for a while. For another hour or so.

During this time, Shiina was hugging my arm, lying on my lap, and enjoying me to the fullest.
Before I knew it, she was once again sleeping on my lap.

I brought my left hand, which was on the desk, to Shiina’s head and stroked her hair just once.
I felt Shiina’s eyebrows twitch, and I quickly pulled my hand away.
A few seconds later, she got up, her face reddened for some reason.

“…Senpai is so naughty.”

My heart skipped a beat at Shiina’s unexpected words.
I almost shouted, but stopped myself just in time.

“…You’re awake?”
“Senpai, are you a hair fetishist?”
“Definitely not. I don’t have such a fetish.”
“But you were stroking my head the other day.”
“Were you awake then too…?”
“Well, I was just awake at the time, but I thought you liked stroking my head.”

Hearing that, I had an idea.
I’ve been a coward and an honest man for more than 16 years, and I couldn’t even hide it.

“…It’s not going to be an apology, it’s going to be more like an excuse, okay?”
“It’s fine. I just want to know about Senpai’s k*nks. You might like to attack people in their sleep.”
“Let me tell you something that’s definitely true.”
“Then what is it?”
“…I have a sister who’s always been a bit of a spoiled brat, always asking me to pat her on the head.”
“So it’s a habit, is it?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“…Is that so?”

For some reason, Shiina looked lonely and regretful.
I was not sure what that meant, but I remained silent.
And then, pointing at me, she proudly declared.

“Let’s go out, Senpai!”

“…What?”

Despite the fact that my brain was trying to tell her not to point at people, a pathetic single word popped out of my mouth.
Shiina’s eyes seemed to be motivated and sparkling.