Several days had passed since that chance encounter by the riverbed. The profile of Kitazawa that evening still caught on something, somewhere. Saaya pushed it to the edge of her mind and checked Rihito's school bag for today's parent-teacher conference. Communication notebook, homework sheets, water bottle. Everything was there. "[serious]Rihito, there's a parent-teacher conference today, so I'll pick you up from after-school care when it's done," "Okay," A short reply. Rihito held a croquette sandwich in both hands, munching away. This child really did have stable moods from morning to night—it was a relief. The walk to Kasumigaoka Elementary was now completely familiar. Late May, and the sunlight was warmly seeping in. Out of Kasumigaoka Housing Complex, down the slope, across the railroad crossing, twelve minutes. After seeing Rihito off at the main gate, Saaya headed to the daycare center, finished her morning work, and returned to the school in the early afternoon. The parent-teacher conference reception was at the gymnasium entrance. She lined up with the other 3-2 class parents. When her turn came, she received a simple grade report sheet. The math scores had gone up slightly from last month. Thinking of it as the result of continuing Kitazawa's method at home—checking one problem at a time—she felt a small swell of pride. As she walked down the hallway, someone called out to her. "[gentle]Ah, you're Rihito's mother, aren't you?" She turned around. By the hallway window stood a tall male teacher. His short hair, a bright shade of brown, caught the afternoon light and gleamed slightly. Beige shirt, black slacks. When he smiled, a dimple appeared on his left cheek. Somehow, despite being put-together overall, he had an approachable air about him. "[gentle]I'm Tajima, the homeroom teacher for 5th grade, class 1. I run into Rihito in the hallway pretty often. He's always so energetic, that kid," "Oh, nice to meet you. Um... thank you for always taking care of him," Teacher Tajima. Now that she thought about it, Rihito had mentioned this teacher a few times. As Saaya gave a light bow, she thought to herself, (He's really easy to talk to.) Completely different from Kitazawa. He spoke first before she could open her mouth, so there was no pressure. "You have the conference today, right? Do you have a little time? There's a nice coffee shop nearby. Would you like to grab some tea?" For just 0.5 seconds, Saaya's mouth stopped. (Wait, what did he just say?) Tea. From a teacher she'd just met. Out of nowhere. "Ah, um, that's..." She was about to decline. She really was. But then, footsteps came running from the direction of the after-school care facility. "[excited]Teacher Tajima!!" It was Rihito. For some reason, he'd already come out of after-school care. He ran down the hallway at full speed, his school bag swaying, and hit the brakes hard beside Tajima. "[excited]When we met in the hallway earlier, you said my free research project was amazing! Right, teacher!" "[gentle]That's right. The one where you tracked the beetle's metamorphosis for 80 days—you put it together so carefully. You've got good observation skills, Rihito," Rihito's face lit up. Saaya saw that face and thought, *ah*. How could she coldly refuse someone who'd made her child so happy? Some part of her as a mother was being pulled in that direction. "...Then, just for a little while," She'd nodded vaguely, and it was entirely Rihito's fault. (Definitely his fault. Not mine.) Making that excuse in her heart, Saaya followed Tajima. * * * "Kissaten Akatsuki" was tucked just off Shiina Street. It looked like a classic Showa-era coffee shop. When she pushed open the wooden door, an old doorbell chimed with a soft *karan*. The interior was dimly lit, with the rich aroma of coffee hanging in the air. A white-haired master stood behind the counter, and when he saw Tajima, he gave a small nod. "[gentle]Can we use the second floor, Saegusa?" "Please do," Master Saegusa said only that, quietly. He looked to be around seventy. His expression didn't move much. But his movements had no wasted motion, and there was something reassuring about the way he carefully wiped cups behind the counter. Upstairs, there were three semi-private booths. Guided to the corner seat, Rihito sat by the window, swinging his legs while gazing outside. Tajima opened the menu and offered it to Saaya. "The blend here is delicious. What about a lemon squash for Rihito?" "[excited]I'll have it!" An instant answer. He was already planning to drink it before they even ordered. Master Saegusa slowly climbed the stairs, set down two coffees and one lemon squash on the table, and silently descended again. Tajima began talking naturally. About Rihito's class, this year's events, gourmet spots in Yanagi City. The topic transitions were smooth, and before she knew it, the conversation was flowing. Saaya laughed several times as she listened. There was something in Tajima's way of speaking that seemed to put people at ease. If Kitazawa was someone who chose his words carefully, Tajima was someone who let them flow—that was the feeling she got. "Rihito's mother really does pay close attention to your child, don't you? The numbers on that report sheet from the conference went up from last month, right? You've been continuing the practice at home?" "Yes. We started having him say each problem out loud and check it, and it seems to be sticking a bit," "[gentle]But that's the hardest part to keep up with, isn't it? I think Rihito is really lucky to have a mother who does that much for him," She was happy. To be honest, she was happy. Because it happened every day, she'd stopped seeing it herself, but hearing someone else say it made her realize she was doing it right. But. Tajima set his coffee cup on the saucer and leaned forward slightly. "[gentle]I actually come here pretty often. I'm a regular with Saegusa. How about next time we bring Rihito along too? He liked the lemon squash, didn't he?" Rihito answered cheerfully, "Yeah!" Saaya kept smiling, but something inside her paused for just a moment. (That was too smooth.) The next invitation. And using Rihito to make it harder to refuse. She understood there was no malice in it. She believed Tajima's affection for Rihito was genuine. But this person—he was practiced at this kind of invitation. That intuition ran through her. (Kitazawa would never say something like that.) The moment she thought it, she was a little surprised at herself. Why was Kitazawa coming to mind now? "[gentle]Thank you. Rihito is happy about it too... if the opportunity comes up again," She smiled vaguely and brought the coffee to her lips. * * * About an hour later, the three of them left the shop. When Tajima told Rihito, "I'll say hi if we meet in the hallway again," Rihito responded with "Yeah! Promise!" and eagerly asked for a handshake. Tajima laughed and obliged. Saaya watched their exchange from the side and was about to head down the interior stairs when her eyes caught on the window. From the small window on the landing, she could see down to the first-floor counter seating. There—was a familiar back. Black-framed glasses. Beige shirt. A book open, holding a coffee cup quietly. It was Teacher Kitazawa. Saaya's feet stopped for a moment. "[gentle]Oh, Teacher Kitazawa is here. Should we say hello?" Tajima said it casually. "[serious]That's okay," The words came out faster than she expected. Tajima's expression became slightly puzzled. But it quickly shifted to "oh well," and he went outside first. Saaya followed, pushing open the door. The evening air touched her face. (Did he see me?) Kitazawa had been reading. He didn't seem to notice her. Probably, he hadn't seen her. But "probably" was already unsettling. There was nothing wrong with what she'd done. She'd been invited by Teacher Tajima and had tea. There was nothing problematic about a teacher and a parent having tea together. And yet, why. That single point—that Kitazawa might have seen her—caught somewhere in her chest and wouldn't come loose. (Why am I even worried about this?) With no answer to that question, she took Rihito's hand and began walking. * * * Back home, she made dinner. Today she grilled mackerel she'd bought from Sengyo Otsuka. Rihito said "I love mackerel!" and ate two pieces. While cleaning up after the meal, Saaya casually brought up the topic. "[gentle]Hey, I had tea with Teacher Tajima today," "[surprised]Huh? With Teacher Tajima? Lucky! He's a fun person, isn't he?" "Yeah, he was easy to talk to," "But I think Teacher Kitazawa is nicer. Like, even when I get something wrong, he doesn't get mad. Oh, which one does Mom like better?" Her hand, returning a bowl to the shelf, stopped. (This kid asks scary things so casually.) "Both teachers are wonderful," "Hmm. Then it's okay to like them both!" No hidden meaning. He simply said that and disappeared into his room. He had homework, apparently. Saaya stood in front of the sink for a while without moving. (Like them both, huh.) Rihito's words were simple. Because he was a child, he could make that kind of clear distinction. But for Saaya, that single phrase seeped in slowly. After putting Rihito to bed, she stepped out onto the balcony. Toward the Nishina River at night. The lights along the riverbank visible from Kasumigaoka Housing Complex were scattered like small dots. The sky was cloudy, and almost no stars were visible. Teacher Tajima was—an easy person to understand, she thought. He was good at expressing his affection in words, and it was pleasant to talk with him. Even if she sensed that his way of inviting her was calculated, that didn't make it wrong, and she believed his feelings for Rihito were genuine. Teacher Kitazawa was—she still didn't understand what he was thinking. He spoke little. But when she remembered the handwriting in the communication notebook, when she remembered that observation journal, there was something that seeped in slowly. (Why didn't I want him to see me with Teacher Tajima?) That question surfaced again. She went back inside and opened the communication notebook. Kitazawa's meticulous handwriting lined the page. "Rihito, based on today's conference, we will add kanji reading practice starting next week. We will continue at the pace of one problem at a time." That was all. A single short sentence. Saaya stared at those characters for a while. She wanted to know more about this person. That much was certain. And yet, why did it feel so frightening? Her feelings toward Teacher Tajima were light. Her feelings toward Teacher Kitazawa were—heavy. She still couldn't put the nature of that weight into words. She closed the notebook and turned off the light. In the darkened room, the profile she'd seen through the window of Kissaten Akatsuki and Tajima's smile floated up alternately, appearing and disappearing. After a while, heading toward the bedroom, Saaya thought of something. If someone had seen her with Teacher Tajima today—the "someone" who came to mind first was Kitazawa. That alone felt like it was enough.