NOVEL WEB Chapter 19: Unseen Currents
They reached the staff room and opened the door cautiously. Sasuke remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning the room for any sign of Chiyabashira-sensei. Ayanokoji was the first to speak.
"Um, is Chiyabashira-sensei here?" he asked a nearby teacher.
"What? Sae-chan? She was here until just a moment ago," the teacher, with wavy, shoulder-length hair, responded casually. Her easy demeanor and use of "Sae-chan" suggested a close relationship with Chiyabashira. "Looks like she had something to do. Want to wait inside?"
"No, we'll wait in the hallway," Ayanokoji responded as Sasuke leaned back against the wall. He had no interest in indulging idle conversation.
The teacher stepped out into the hallway with a grin. "I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, in charge of Class B. I've been best friends with Sae-chan since high school! We're close enough to call each other Sae-chan and Chie-chan~."
Sasuke gave her a sideways glance, recognizing this over-friendly approach as a facade for fishing information.
"Ne, why did Sae-chan call you here? Ne ne, why?" Hoshinomiya chirped, leaning in with a playful smile.
"I don't know the reason either," Ayanokoji replied nonchalantly, clearly not interested in indulging her curiosity.
Sasuke, on the other hand, remained stoic. His mind was focused elsewhere, analyzing every move and expression the teacher made. Something about her was off.
"I don't understand. You were called out without being given the reason? Hmm? What's your name?"
" Ayanokoji kiyotaka"
"...Uchiha sasuke"
"Ayanokoji-kun? Uchiha-kun? You two have such cool names! I bet you're both popular with the girls, right?" she teased.
Ayanokoji denied it immediately. Sasuke, however, simply narrowed his eyes. "I don't care about things like that," he responded curtly.
"Eh? Really? No one you like?" she teased again, trying to poke at his cheek. Sasuke dodged her attempt to touch him without missing a beat.
"I don't like anyone and never will," Sasuke replied coldly.
Hoshinomiya giggled. "Aww, so cute! I would've gone for you if we were in the same class~. But maybe you're too innocent? Or a little tsundere?"
Sasuke ignored her, his thoughts drifting to why he was really here. The school had layers of manipulation, and this overly playful teacher seemed far too curious for her own good.
Just then, Chiyabashira-sensei arrived, hitting Hoshinomiya on the head with a clipboard. "What are you doing?"
"Oww! What'd you do that for?" Hoshinomiya exclaimed, holding her head.
"Leave my students alone. Come with me, Ayanokoji, Uchiha," Chiyabashira commanded, already walking ahead of them.
Sasuke followed without a word, while Hoshinomiya, ever persistent, trailed behind. "Why are you taking them to the guidance room, Sae-chan? You usually don't handle things like this so... personally."
"This is Class D business, not Class B," Chiyabashira said coldly, increasing her pace.
Hoshinomiya continued, unbothered. "Fufu, are you interested in younger men now, Sae-chan?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the absurdity of the conversation. *Younger men? What is this teacher talking about?* He wondered, but dismissed it as idle chatter.
As they continued walking, a pink-haired girl suddenly appeared, stepping in front of them. Her calm and poised demeanor was a stark contrast to the playful Hoshinomiya. It was Ichinose Honami from Class B.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you have time now? The student council has matters to discuss," Ichinose said, briefly glancing at Ayanokoji and Sasuke before turning back to Hoshinomiya.
Seeing this as her cue to leave, Hoshinomiya pouted, "Mou~ I guess I'll have to leave you two for now, Uchiha-kun, Ayanokoji-kun. See you around!"
Sasuke met Ichinose's gaze for a brief second. There was something about her—composed and observant, unlike many of the other students he had encountered so far. But he had no time to dwell on it as Chiyabashira motioned for them to follow her into the guidance room.
Once inside, Chiyabashira closed the door behind them. "Let's get to the point," she said.
Sasuke stood still, sensing the tension in the air. He didn't trust the casual atmosphere Chiyabashira was creating by putting on tea. It felt like she was preparing them for something.
"You two are smart enough to follow instructions, so listen carefully. Until I say so, don't make a move, don't make a sound. If you don't comply, I'll expel you immediately," Chiyabashira ordered.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. *Expulsion?* He didn't like being threatened, but he held back, understanding that Chiyabashira had a plan. He glanced at Ayanokoji, who seemed equally perplexed but played along.
Before they could ask questions, Chiyabashira shut the door, leaving them to wait. Moments later, they heard the door open again, and Chiyabashira's voice addressed someone new.
"Come in. What do you have to say to me, Horikita?"
Sasuke perked up, hearing Horikita's voice. Her straightforward nature was admirable, though predictable.
"I will ask you frankly. Why was I put into Class D?" she questioned directly.
Sasuke's lips curled into a small smirk. *Of course, Horikita would ask something like that.* She was sharp but focused on the wrong details. To him, the real intrigue lay in why the school was structured this way—how everything seemed like a game orchestrated by unseen hands.
Sasuke remained quiet, his mind analyzing every word exchanged. *This school…* he thought, *it's a web of manipulation. And those pulling the strings are hiding in plain sight.*
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but Sasuke knew one thing for certain: he wouldn't be a mere pawn in someone else's game.
---