Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter SS6

Parent-Teacher Conference

“Mom, Dad, please, PLEASE don’t say anything embarrassing.” Those words echoed through an evening-lit corridor of the school.
“Come on, Hajime, what are you so worried about? It’s just a parent-teacher conference. We’re just going to talk about how you’re doing at school and stuff.”
“Seriously, what a worrisome child. Just because your homeroom teacher’s a legal loli doesn’t mean we’re going to mess with her or anything.”
“That’s EXACTLY the problem! Please don’t use words like legal loli in front of my teacher. Seriously, no one else’s parents are like that. Please, I’m begging you, just hold it in, okay?” Hajime looked surprisingly serious. But his mom, Sumire, and dad, Shuu, were just grinning like little children.
“Did you hear that, Sumire? He said no one else’s parents are like this.”
“I did indeed. To think he thought of us as such special people... Dear, I don’t think I’ll be able to let him go when the time comes for him to become independent. Ufufu.”
“That’s not what I meant! Quit interpreting things however you want!” Hajime’s parents just ignored him. Today was the scheduled day for his parent-teacher conference. Because he knew how crazy his parents could be, Hajime was very worried they might mess everything up.
He was suddenly reminded of the disaster that had been his middle school conference. He was snapped out of his musings by the sound of someone’s footsteps coming down the hallway. The teacher who came out to greet them was none other than Aiko Hatayama. Standing only 140 centimeters tall, baby-faced Aiko resembled a baby squirrel more than teacher with the way she always ran around doing her best to help, but ultimately making things worse.
The interview started innocuously with Aiko talking about Hajime’s grades. Shuu and Sumire nodded exaggeratedly as she went over his test scores and the like. They were clearly just acting the part, so Hajime grew increasingly more concerned.
“Umm, so basically, Nagumo-kun is doing fine academically. Though me and some of the other teachers are concerned about his chronic habit of sleeping during class...” Aiko smiled awkwardly, and Hajime smiled back much the same. Then, reluctantly, she opened her mouth and tried to deliver her next lines as tactfully as possible.
“Also, well, Nagumo-kun’s interpersonal relationships are a bit...”
An image of Hajime sitting alone during lunch flitted through Aiko’s mind. Though his isolation worried Aiko, Hajime himself seemed to not be bothered by it at all. He had even told Aiko not to worry about him, so she wasn’t sure how to address it. However, Shuu dismissed her concerns offhandedly.
“Both me and my wife are aware of his lack of friends, Sensei. And neither of us particularly mind.”
“B-But...”
“It’s fine, Sensei. Our son may be a little passive, but if the time comes when he needs to step up, he will. Me and my husband have discussed this at length already... and if the time ever comes that our son needs to run away, we’ve already prepared several options for him!”
“U-Umm I’m not sure running away is...” Aiko was amazed at how unconcerned Hajime’s parents were with his school situation, and that they were even willing to help him run away if he felt like it.
Sumire suddenly turned serious. Thinking her previous comments must therefore have been a joke, Aiko too grew serious. She was prepared for Hajime’s mom to ask her what she as a teacher was doing to rectify the situation, but what Sumire asked was completely unexpected.
“By the way, Hatayama-sensei, are you dating anyone right now?”

“...Come again?” Aiko opened her eyes wide, metaphorical question marks floating above her head. An interrobang was floating above Hajime’s head, though.
“I asked if there’s a guy you’re dating.”
“N-No, there isn’t, but...”
“Then is there a girl you’re dating?”
“Of course not! What on earth are you saying!?” Aiko cried out in alarm. Hajime’s expression underwent a rapid transformation.
“I see. I’ve heard that teaching is quite a demanding profession. Also, my son says you even give up a lot of your free time to help the students... Frankly speaking, we’re worried about your marriage prospects.”
“Th-Thanks for your concern! So, why exactly did you bring this up?”
“Well, I was just thinking... why not marry our son?”
“Seriously, what on earth are you saying!?” Aiko exclaimed.
“What the hell! Mom, dad!” Chaos engulfed the classroom. Shuu and Sumire continued to fluster Aiko even further, while Hajime desperately tried to stop his parents’ rampage. However, it only got worse from there.
“Huh? But isn’t Hatayama-sensei totally your type?” Shuu asked.
Flustered, Aiko couldn’t muster much more than a “Hawawa.”
To which, Sumire commented, “Wow, I finally heard someone go ‘hawawa’ in real life,” while nodding in satisfaction.
“U-Umm, that’s everything I wanted to discuss...” Aiko slumped tiredly over the desk she was sitting on.
A few seconds later, she got up and tottered unsteadily back toward the teacher’s office. Dealing with Shuu and Sumire together drained a great deal of mental stamina. Hajime was in the middle of thinking up an appropriate apology when Aiko suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned back to them. There was a faint blush spreading on her cheeks.
“N-Nagumo-kun! I’m your teacher, so we can’t be in a relationship, okay?” She then turned back and vanished into the teacher’s office.
“Mom, Dad, how am I even supposed to face my teacher tomorrow?”
Hajime’s parents just gave him a thumbs-up.
“With a smile, right?” They both said that simultaneously. For the first time in his life, Hajime felt like he wanted to kill someone.