Who on earth could that perceptive girl be?
That’s right, it’s me.
I had been listening to Saya talk about her problems while I was eating my bread, but of course, I had been aware of her true motives. Going out of her way to speak to me about her troubles with Sheila’s smoking must have been part of a bigger plan.
Given her position, it would obviously be quite a difficult thing for Saya, the pupil, to directly admonish her teacher, Sheila.
And knowing that, this perceptive girl immediately went to see a certain person.
I had to at least put in the work equal to the bread I had received, after all.
“Good afternoon, Miss.”
Wham! I opened the door at the inn.
“Oh, Elaina. Good afternoon.”
Miss Fran, who had been relaxing in her room, greeted me with a smile upon my sudden visit. “Please remember to knock,” she reprimanded me, still smiling.
Setting that aside—
“Please hear me out, Miss. The fact is that recently, one of my friends has been at her wit’s end dealing with a certain problem.”
“Oh my, is that so? What kind of problem?”
I said, “Apparently, she’s suffering because whenever she’s near her teacher, she gets chest pains.”
Since this was my teacher, Miss Fran, whom I was talking to, I figured she would probably demonstrate her quick wit and grasp everything I was trying to say just from this little bit of information.
“I see…”
However, contrary to what I had imagined, Miss Fran reacted strangely. “…By the way, would that friend of yours happen to be you yourself, Elaina?”
“Huh?”
What are you talking about?
“Substituting a friend for yourself and watching the reaction of the person you ask for advice. It’s an old trick when you want advice on a topic that’s difficult to ask others about.”
“Is it, now? That’s not what’s going on here, though.”
“Oh, but your chest hurts whenever we’re together…? In other words, you hate being with me, Elaina, is that what you’re saying…? How heartbreaking for your teacher…”
“Incorrect.”
“Oh, I’m wrong? Well then, that means your chest is hurting for a different reason…?”
“No, um, Miss, the person who needs advice isn’t me at all…” Perceptively, I picked up on her extreme lack of understanding and the fact that a strange atmosphere was starting to fill the room. Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. “Saya is having trouble with her teacher, Sheila.”
“My goodness.”
I’m sure now that I’ve explained this much, I can expect her to understand what I’m trying to say.
That’s what I thought, but a moment later, my teacher defied my expectations.
“That must mean… What are you trying to say, Elaina?”
You don’t get it, huh?
I guess I shouldn’t behave like I’m so clever and dance around the issue.
“I want you to tell Sheila what we just talked about.”
“I see… Passing along your own opinions through a third party. An old trick for when you need to convey something that’s hard to talk about.”
“Righto.” I nodded roughly.
Please just help me.
“I don’t mind talking to her, but…but are you sure it’s all right? It won’t cause problems if I tell Sheila about this conversation?”
Saya’s already in enough of a bind to come ask me for advice, so I don’t think it will cause any more trouble.
Besides—
“That’s what she wants.”
When Sheila smokes around her, the smell sticks to her clothes, and it has an effect on her health. There’s nothing good about it. It really does a lot of harm with no benefit.
“I see… If that’s the situation, then I understand. I’ll try to help.”
My teacher nodded gravely, taking the responsibility very seriously for some reason.
“Sheila… So you are guilty, I see.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Huh?”
I was in my room smoking my pipe after lunch.
After knocking hesitantly on the door and opening it slowly, Fran came in wearing a serious face and said to me, “It’s about your pupil, Saya. Don’t you think she’s been acting strangely lately?”
“…?”
Since she asked, I tried to think back on my recent conversations with Saya. But she was always acting strangely anyway, so to put it another way, I could say her behavior had never not been unusual. In other words, normal.
“Nah, she’s been the same as ever.”
“Huh… Are you sure that’s true?”
As if she wasn’t satisfied with my answer, Fran sighed dramatically and looked up at the ceiling.
“What is it?”
“Sheila, will you keep calm and listen, please?”
“Sure.”
“Apparently, recently, when Saya is with you, her chest hurts.”
“Her chest hurts…?”
What are you trying to say?
I cocked my head, and at that point Fran repeated herself.
“So you are guilty, Sheila…”
That’s what she said.
“…Huh?”
When she said her chest hurt, that’s what it meant? Not that she was physically in pain but that she was hurting because of psychological causes? Seriously?
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that…” Thinking back on things, she had never acted that way toward me, and she was always talking about Elaina and nothing else, so I’d been sure she had those feelings for Elaina, and I had never given it any more thought.
I was bewildered by this sudden discussion, and Fran nodded with a know-it-all look on her face.
“People are quick to fall in love, after all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You often hear of people who consult with a close friend on matters of love, then inadvertently fall for the friend who they were consulting with…”
“Wait, I’m not her friend, I’m her teacher…”