When The Time Comes

Nine

"He surpassed me long ago though." Agari-san shrugged and said casually, as if it was not a significant fact.

Just... how old were these people?! She looked nothing like his teacher and he hadn't seemed to have aged in the past 20 years either.

I ended up looking at Chiyo. For how long has she been four years old then?

"You look very confused right now." Agari-san laughed. "What's on your mind?"

"Uh... No. I was just...So, you're his teacher?"

"Don't believe me?"

"Well, you don't really look like you could be his teacher..." I admitted meekly.

"I take that as a compliment." She smiled. "And I also take that Kou-chan hasn't told you everything."

"Agari. I am handling this." He gave her a look that made me recoil but made her laugh.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"

He glared at her.

"Okay. Okay." She put up her hands in surrender. "Akane-chan, you don't need to be worried either. You're in good hands."

I looked at Terasaki-san when she said that. No matter how dissatisfied with her presence he seemed, I could now see that they actually had a good relationship. It did bother me that she said that he hadn't told me everything but I had come to accept the situation and to trust in Terasaki-san in my own way. I felt that he'd tell me when I needed to know.

"Agari, I need to talk to you." Terasaki-san said.

"Mhm. So, my experience does matter to you." She smirked.

"There's something bothering me." He looked at her seriously. All I could do was look between the two of them.

"Akane-chan, why don't you go spend some time with Chiyo?" Agari-san addressed me, becoming serious again.

"Okay." I understood that they did not want me to hear this, so I went over to Chiyo. While the two of them talked about whatever it was that Terasaki-san wanted to talk to her about, I confirmed with Chiyo that Agari-san was the 'acquaintance' who helped them out with a lot of things and not just food. She was also the one who had helped Terasaki-san raise Chiyo. From what I could make out, she seemed to be their only trusted contact with the outside world.

"Chiyo." Agari-san called once they were done talking. "And Akane-chan. I'll be leaving now. This young man had the audacity to order me around. Since it's a matter of concern for the both of us, I decided to do him this favour."

I looked at Terasaki-san. "Is everything okay?"

"You don't need to worry about it now." He smiled softly as if to reassure me.

"You're going, Aga-san?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, I am." She nodded. "Kou-chan needs me to go."

"Aw." She said, clearly disappointed.

"By the way, she calls him Kou-chan because I call him Kou-chan." She added with a wink. "You can do that too."

"Agari." Terasaki-san called sternly.

"Okay. Okay. I'll be off then." She waved and left, the door opening and closing behind her despite no one lifting a finger. I could tell that she was the one who did that.

"Don't call me that." Terasaki-san stared pointedly at me.

"I-I won't." I shook my head. It felt weird- the very thought of my calling him Kou-chan.