Chapter 92 - The Calligraphy Plot (1/2)

The Calligraphy Plot

Our school gives a choice of an elective for students. You can choose your preferred arts subject among music, art, and calligraphy. The one that I chose was calligraphy.

Normally, there would be a specialized calligraphy teacher that led the class, but today was somewhat different.

“Iguchi-sensei is resting today, so today, I, Hiiragi Haruka, will be in charge of the class. Nice to meet everyone.”

After Hiiragi-chan made her greetings, she lowered her head.

Hiiragi-chan, can you really do calligraphy? Although, I guess your handwriting on the blackboard is usually quite neat.

“Sensei, do you actually know any calligraphy?”

A boy asked in a teasing manner, to which Hiiragi-chan went ahem, and held her chest high.

“Even though I look like this, I’m really good at calligraphy, you know? I got to the fifth level in calligraphy after all!”

That somehow sounds amazing… The around twenty students in the calligraphy room all had the same reaction as me. It sounded amazing, but no one had any clue as to the way in which it was amazing.

“If you were to ask how amazing it is, well, it’s good enough to open my own calligraphy class!”

““““That’s amazing!””””

“I know, right?”

Ahem, Hiiragi-chan who was making a smug face was cute. She was quite knowledgeable when it came to tea ceremonies, so maybe things along this line are part of the etiquette taught to a refined lady.

“I think it’ll probably be boring doing as the textbook says. Rather, Iguchi-sensei told me to freely have you guys write something. As such, the topic that you will write about is ‘something you like’.”

“Something you like”, is it…?

As if Hiiragi-chan had just thought of it, she took a side glance at me and our eyes met.

“Ah, Sanada-kun, it’s okay if you write my name, okay?”

Kusu kusu, the whole class had a good laugh.

Since I brought Hiiragi-chan as the “person that I like” in the borrowed item race, I have been teased by various people who had witnessed it. It was only ever meant as joking around, no one ever believed that I actually did like Hiiragi-chan.

More importantly, it was really convenient. The more people tease me about it, the more people recognize it as a joke.

“I won’t write that.”

“Weelll, that’s too bad.”

Hiiragi-chan smiled. The girls jokingly tried to comfort her saying stuff like, “Sensei was rejected,” or “Sensei, cheer up.”

…I was the only one that knew that she was seriously down after smiling like that though…

Taking the ink, I grinded it into the inkstone.

What should I write?

As I look around, there were some that wrote things about club activities, and even girls who straight up wrote ‘boyfriend’. Taking it further, there were even some people who were writing the names of their favorite anime character.

Of course, I won’t write girlfriend or anything like that.

“Sanada-kun, I heard from Iguchi-sensei that you were good.”

Hiiragi-chan came over to see how I was doing.

“I’m not that good.”

“Do you want to try writing a sentence? How about something like, “The smell of spring, the life instilling breath of April”? Isn’t that so elegant?”

Oooh… as expected of a Hiiragi-chan, who is at the fifth level. Such an elegant proposal.

“Then, I guess I’ll try it.”

“I’ll write it out as an example.”

As she holds my brush, she dips it into the inkstone, and wiped off any excess ink. Perhaps it was because of her splendid posture, Hiiragi-chan’s movements felt high class. Her eyes portrayed the definition of seriousness. Her bangs seemed to be in the way, so she brushed them off to the side and behind her ear.

This might be the first time I’ve seen such a serious expression from her.

She wrote down a couple of characters.

[I ♡ Seiji]

Please do this seriously.

I was just thinking that I would once again fall in love with her and then she does this. Still, her handwriting was quite pretty.

I crumpled the calligraphy paper and shot it into the trash can.

“Ah. That was really nice too, what are you doing?”

Pukuu, Hiiragi-chan pouted.

Me liking Hiiragi-chan is being treated as a joke, but it doesn’t work the other way around.

“Sensei, please properly write the example.”

“Okaaay.”

While being sullen she replied like a child and mumbled, “It’s fine if I do it, right?” and once again dipped the brush into the inkstone.

Hey, weren’t you the one that said that you would write it. Why does it feel like I am forcing you to do it?

Smoothly, she wrote out in beautiful handwriting, [The smell of spring, the life instilling breath of April].