"One minute. You're exactly one minute late."
She didn't need to shout. Her voice just slid out, rough and quiet, sharp enough to slice right through me. Her glare alone sucked the air out of the room. I felt like I'd just walked into a vacuum.
"Punctuality isn't optional, Romi. If you want to be my assistant, that's the bare minimum. You've already blown it."
She took a slow, precise step forward. I tried to calm myself down from yesterday's events. And now I'm back with her again, in this cramped room, with the same scent from her body as yesterday. I could barely breathe. "Maybe you need a lesson in what 'early' actually means."
"I'm sorry! Really, I swear, I didn't mean to be late." My mouth ran ahead of my brain, my heart thumping so loud I worried she could actually hear it. "I won't let it happen again!"
Sensei's eyes narrowed, sharp and dangerous. She moved in closer, close enough I could see little flecks of gold in her eyes. "Promises are just noise. I care about what you do to make it up."
She grabbed a red pen—the kind teachers use to bleed all over your work—and started tapping it against her hand. The rhythm was steady, almost soothing, it felt like a threat. "Since you don't value my time, I'll be taking an hour of yours. You're going to organize these student files. Do it right."
This wasn't just a punishment. She wanted me to know she owned every second I spent in this office.
"Fine," I muttered, trying to steady my voice. "As your 'assistant,' where do I even start?"
Her lips twitched, maybe with satisfaction. She shoved a mountain of papers at me, an avalanche ready to bury me alive. "Alphabetical. Student records go in the blue folder, disciplinary notes in the red. No mistakes."
She didn't back off. She hovered right over my shoulder, pointing down at the first stack. I could feel the heat from her skin, like an exam supervisor waiting for me to cheat. Suddenly, the air conditioner in this room feels useless. Wait, is there even an air conditioner in this room? "Don't think I won't check every single page. Mess up once and you're here till sunset."
Her finger traced the edge of a document, just barely touching my hand. Electricity. "Begin."
I started sorting, hands shaking. Homework files slipped into my lap, and my stomach dropped.
Homework…
I'd completely forgotten about the book she gave me yesterday. Panic crept up as I tried to sneak a look over my shoulder. Too late. She was right there, eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.
She hovered behind me, her breath hot against my neck. She'd been waiting for this, I could tell, the way her eyes sparked, ready to pounce.
"Something wrong?" Her voice was soft, almost gentle. The calm before the storm. She leaned closer, her blouse brushing my shoulder. Her scent swirled around me, dizzying, and I couldn't tell if I wanted to run or just collapse. "We talked about that homework yesterday. Maybe you need a reminder of what happens when students ignore instructions?"
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
The red pen kept time.
"N-nothing! I know the rules," I stammered, praying she'd just move on. My eyes darted to my bag. Please, not now.
She caught the look. Her smile crept across her face, slow and dark. "Let's see it. Now."
No way out. She blocked my only exit, closing in with the fabric and her breasts.
"I'm waiting."
She stepped in so close, I could feel her breath on my ear, and just like that, my thoughts scattered. My chest tightened, part panic, part something messier I didn't want to name. She reached right past me, pressing her window on me, and grabbed my bag. No rush. She took her time, unzipping it so slowly it was almost torture.
"I hope you're ready for what will happen when I see the contents of this bag."
Sweat prickled on my forehead. Was it fear? Or was it just the fact that she was right there, inches away? My hands shook as I fumbled out the book.
Hasegawa's eyes went wide, then turned icy. The silence in the room got so heavy I almost couldn't breathe.
"Empty." Her voice was calm, but it rattled me. She flipped through the blank pages on my book inside the bag and slammed it on the desk. "Apparently, detention isn't enough for you."
She leaned in again, close enough to block out everything else. "You're going to finish every page. Right now. Before class."
She pinned me to the chair with a look. That red pen of hers kept tapping, ticking off the seconds. "And after that… we'll talk about the other consequences."
"But what about the files?"
Hasegawa's mouth twisted into this dangerous little smile. She shot me a sharp, annoyed look—like I'd screwed up, but maybe she'd wanted me to. "Multitasking, huh? You'll finish these files and your homework. Mess up either one, and trust me, you won't like what comes next."
She shoved the homework over and jabbed her finger at the pile of paperwork. Her blouse slipped open a bit, and I tried not to stare.
"Start. Now."
Her voice dropped, almost a growl. She kept tapping that red pen, never missing a beat. "I'm watching. Don't even think about slacking."
The whole office felt suffocating. Like just being in the same room with her squeezed the air out.
"Fine!" I snapped, finally losing it. "But, Sensei, do you have to stand so close? Your chest… it's right against my shoulder…"
Hasegawa froze. Her eyes went huge, and this red flush crept up her neck. She jerked back, almost tripping. "My—my proximity has nothing to do with your work," she stammered, her voice suddenly high and shaky.
She fumbled with her blouse, trying to fix the buttons, hands shaking. For a second, she looked completely thrown—a crack in her usual cool. "Unless you're saying I'm distracting you. Is that it?"
I couldn't look at her. I just shook my head, hoping she'd let it go.
Her blouse stayed open, almost on purpose, like she wanted to see if I'd keep my eyes to myself.
"I want your full attention. On both things. Get to work. Now."