Chapter 30: It Was Worth It!

Ms. Yamabuki used to always wear flat shoes, moving about without making a sound. However, after a morning of discussion, everyone already knew that today, their English teacher was not only wearing black stockings but had also uncharacteristically opted for high heels. It was this unusual combination that had sparked such heated debate. Naturally, the reason everyone was so fixated was that Ms. Yamabuki was the youngest and most beautiful teacher at Karasuno High. Had it been some sour, wrinkled teacher going through menopause, no one would have cared in the slightest.

"Click, clack, click."

The sound of heels drew closer. Under the gaze of the entire class, a graceful figure appeared at the front door. It was Yue Yamabuki. Her attire was not drastically different from before—her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, and she wore a long dress and rimless glasses—yet she felt entirely refreshed. High heels, as a staple of women's fashion, primarily serve to increase height and significantly alter one's posture. Beneath her black knee-length skirt, her slender, elegant calves were encased in black stockings, with black ribbons tied at her ankles, her feet tucked into closed-toe black pumps. Her outfit was modest, with very little skin exposed, a fact further emphasized by the stockings. Because of this, her swan-like, snow-white neck, her slender, delicate hands, and her exquisite, pretty face were all the more eye-catching. She was elegant, gentle, and noble, like a black lotus quietly coming into bloom.

"..."

Due to his best friend’s frantic hype, Ryuichi Sugawara had braced himself, knowing Ms. Yamabuki would be beautiful today, but seeing her appear before him, he was still completely stunned. If he had a camera in his hands, he would have undoubtedly captured the moment. He was not the only one; the rest of the class was equally bedazzled.

"Whoa..."

It was not until someone let out an involuntary exclamation that the silence was broken. Under the watchful eyes of all, Yamabuki stepped behind the podium. Hiding half of her body behind it, she scanned the room, finally letting her gaze rest on the class representative.

"Sugawara-kun?"

Seeing him lost in a daze, the corners of Yamabuki’s mouth curled up involuntarily, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she called his name, feigning confusion. Following standard classroom procedure, after a teacher enters, the class representative is expected to stand first, leading the rest of the students in a formal greeting. The teacher then walks to the podium during the greeting and asks everyone to sit. Caught under her smiling gaze, Ryuichi snapped out of it and stood up.

"Good morning, Teacher!"

Sitting in the front row, he could not see what was happening behind him and only spoke when he heard the collective sound of his classmates rising.

"Good morning, everyone. Please be seated."

Returning to the standard routine, Yamabuki gave a slight nod, signaling for them to sit. As he resumed his seat, the distraction allowed Ryuichi to fully collect his thoughts. "Has she always been this beautiful?" he wondered, his heart rate quickening as he looked at Yamabuki at the podium, feeling a sense of secret surprise. He had known before that she was beautiful—it wasn't just Shota Sato whispering in his ear; it was a plain fact for all to see. He wasn't blind; he knew how to judge beauty. But today, with her high heels, Yamabuki’s beauty surpassed his expectations.

"And that idiot Shota, calling this 'sexy'—it’s clearly just her natural aura." After his initial shock, Ryuichi thought back to his clumsy moment of being caught staring and having his name called, and he couldn't help but grumble about his friend in his heart. While black stockings were a fashion item often synonymous with sexiness, nothing was absolute. In Yamabuki’s case, the refined aura cultivated by her love for literature, combined with the modest knee-length dress, kept her looking anything but vulgar. While her legs in those stockings were indeed alluring, it was her temperament that truly captivated.

"Was Ryuichi staring at me just now?" Meanwhile, Yamabuki, who had begun the lesson and was writing on the chalkboard after asking the students to turn to page 64, felt her heart racing with joy. In reality, she had spent the entire morning nearly buried in shame. Her sudden change in attire had drawn widespread attention from the third-year students. The news had spread so rapidly that by the first period, the entire school, including the other teachers, knew about it—she had faced more than a few teasing remarks in the faculty office. She had been on the verge of regretting it entirely. She didn't even know why she had chosen the stockings and heels; she rarely wore them, and it had felt like an impulsive whim. But seeing Ryuichi so stunned that he forgot to lead the class in the greeting, her shame and regret were completely swept away. Even if it was embarrassing, seeing Ryuichi look at her with such wide-eyed wonder made it all worth it.

Because they were at school, and Ryuichi and Yamabuki were only fake lovers for a day—a rental arrangement—they had no further interactions. Furthermore, fearful of giving anything away, Yamabuki didn't even dare to call on Ryuichi to read paragraphs aloud as she usually did to check his English pronunciation, operating with the guilty conscience of a thief.

"Click, clack, click."

In the blink of an eye, the third period ended as the sound of Yamabuki’s footsteps faded into the distance. Once the teacher was gone, the lunch break officially began.

"How was that? Didn't I tell you? Ms. Yamabuki was super sexy today!" Seizing the opportunity, Shota immediately came over to Ryuichi, eager to exchange impressions.

"Yeah." Although Ryuichi felt it was Yamabuki’s aura that was truly stunning, he couldn't deny that she was indeed very sexy.

"Ryuichi, how about we go to the cafeteria to eat today?" Reaching a consensus was a joyous thing, and Shota laughed as he made the suggestion.

"Why go to the cafeteria?" Ryuichi didn't understand what had gotten into him today. They always ate in the classroom; he bought fast food on the way to school, and Shota had a bento made by his mother—there was no need for them to go to the cafeteria.

"Ms. Yamabuki always eats in the cafeteria. Don't you want to see more of her? If we miss today, she might go back to her old style tomorrow," Shota whispered, leaning in secretively after glancing around.

"..."

Hearing this, Ryuichi didn't know how to respond. If he went, it felt a bit lewd and ulterior to go to the cafeteria just for that reason. But if he didn't, and she reverted to her usual attire tomorrow, it would be a real shame to miss the chance.

"Besides, Ms. Yamabuki is so beautiful today, maybe some male teachers will pursue her. Then we’ll have a real show to watch." Seeing his hesitation, the clever Shota realized his dilemma and added this final push.

"Let's go take a look, then." Hearing this, Ryuichi found his excuse and made his decision.