Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Uncanny Her

Amamiya Momiji was by no means an unfamiliar name, because she was another key heroine from the original doujin.

The original male lead had been the type stacked with every adolescent trope in the book — a walking collection of protagonist buffs.

So whenever anything came up, he'd seek out Amamiya Momiji, his "dedicated" homeroom teacher, to confide in, to resolve things. It was through this repeated contact that their relationship gradually spiraled out of control, and certain things became unavoidable.

And in her route's Bad Ending, the male lead was murdered by Amamiya Momiji right there in the classroom.

As for the manner of death...

The body was left in the classroom, but the head had vanished — because Amamiya Momiji had taken it home and placed it on her nightstand. That way, Oreki Gen's eyes would only ever be able to look at Amamiya Momiji, and her alone.

Just thinking about that ending sent a shudder through Oreki Gen.

There was a slight deviation from the original plot, though. In the doujin, Amamiya Momiji had been the male lead's homeroom teacher from the very start — not a mid-semester transfer.

Not seeing Amamiya Momiji before had actually been a relief for Oreki Gen. But now it was clear... This doujin world was undergoing subtle changes. It wasn't just Sakuraba Mitsuki gaining a time-stop superpower — even this teacher's introduction had shifted.

"She's gorgeous..."

"No way — is my teenage fantasy about to come true? A bombshell homeroom teacher just appearing out of nowhere — is the universe telling me my life's about to change?"

Whispered chatter like this was inevitable. Even Matsuyama Shota nearby had his gaze frozen in place, wearing an expression that screamed lovesick fool.

Oreki Gen, however, had only one thought: keep his head down and pray this woman never had a reason to interact with him. He wanted his head to remain his own property, thank you very much.

Amamiya Momiji at the podium seemed deaf to the murmuring, maintaining her composure and professional poise.

"I'll take attendance now and get to know everyone."

"Yuuki Na..."

"Here!"

One by one, students raised their hands as Amamiya Momiji called their names, introducing themselves to their new homeroom teacher.

Perfectly normal — a new teacher had to learn her students' faces before she could get to work.

Soon enough.

"Oreki Gen."

Amamiya Momiji reached his name.

"Here."

Oreki Gen raised his hand calmly, without making any unusual movements.

But he noticed that Amamiya Momiji paused. She seemed to spend a beat longer studying him than she had the others. Sensing trouble, Oreki Gen lowered his head.

"Matsuyama Shota."

"HERE!!"

Oreki Gen exhaled in relief. Thank god it was just a lingering look. It hadn't blown up in his face, but even that slight extra moment of attention put the boy on edge. Between Eyes of Desire and the inherent magnetism of being the male lead, any point of contact could trigger consequences beyond imagining.

Attendance was nearing its end.

"Kazama Kawa."

No response.

"Kazama Kawa?"

Amamiya Momiji called the name again, but the students just looked at each other. Not a single reply.

The name Kazama Kawa was familiar enough to Oreki Gen. After a week in this class, he'd gotten a read on the basic dynamics.

Kazama Kawa was the class's resident delinquent — the kind who existed in every school, always hanging around with shady lowlifes, and rumored to have ties to actual organized crime.

The school had never been able to do much about him.

And while Amamiya Momiji hesitated, a figure sauntered through the doorway — tie improperly knotted, shirt hanging loose, one hand jammed in a pocket.

Clearly late, without the faintest hint of remorse. If anything, he wore a faintly contemptuous smirk as he looked up at Amamiya Momiji on the podium.

"Oh? A new teacher."

He strode into the classroom with brazen confidence, giving a careless wave.

"Sensei. Name's Kazama Kawa."

Then he headed for his seat.

"Hold on."

But Amamiya Momiji stopped him.

Kazama Kawa turned back with visible annoyance. "What?"

Amamiya Momiji's expression hadn't changed in the slightest. Her gaze was utterly composed as she looked at him.

"You're late."

Kazama Kawa scoffed. "Maybe. So what? New teacher's gonna punish me already?"

Amamiya Momiji replied evenly, "You may return to your seat. But because you were late, I need a written reflection from you before school ends today, detailing the reason for your tardiness. You'll also stay after school for cleaning duty."

The moment those words landed, Kazama Kawa — delinquent that he was — exploded.

SLAP! His palm crashed down on the desk of the student in front of him, startling the poor kid half to death.

He glared at the composed, mature woman.

"Are you kidding me? A written reflection? I've never written one of those in my life at this school! Lady, have you lost your mind?!"

It looked like things were about to escalate. Even Oreki Gen was wondering — was this sudden incident somehow a test aimed at him? Would it twist in some bizarre way and drag him in?

But Amamiya Momiji met the boy's eyes without a trace of fear.

"You're a student. A student's duty is to attend class on time, fulfill expectations, and show respect to teachers, parents, and elders. Am I wrong?"

Nothing particularly special about the lecture — it shouldn't have had any effect on a delinquent like Kazama Kawa.

But then something unexpected happened.

Kazama Kawa, fists already clenched, stood frozen in place for a moment. Then, instead of erupting further, he stammered out —

"Y-Yeah... you're right, Sensei."

Amamiya Momiji continued. "So you were late, which violates school rules and disrespects your teacher. I'm giving you a consequence. Is there a problem?"

"...No problem."

Kazama Kawa actually said that!

Amamiya Momiji adjusted her glasses in a leisurely, unhurried motion.

"Good. Remember to follow the rules from now on. Back to your seat."

"...Yes, Sensei."

Kazama Kawa just... walked back to his seat. The whole scene was bizarre beyond comprehension, yet Amamiya Momiji acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, returning to the podium to begin her lesson.

Oreki Gen caught the scent of something deeply wrong.

How could this have happened? He'd personally witnessed Kazama Kawa nearly come to blows with the head of their grade over his temper.

How had he just meekly gone back to his seat — looking like he'd suddenly transformed into a model student?

Oreki Gen glanced at Amamiya Momiji, who had already slipped seamlessly into teaching mode as if nothing had happened.

He couldn't help turning to Matsuyama Shota.

"That wasn't weird to you?"

Matsuyama Shota blinked. "What's weird?"

"Have you ever seen Kazama Kawa listen to a teacher like that? He's even cracked open his textbook and started taking notes."

Matsuyama Shota thought for a second. "Maybe that's just the power of a beautiful woman? I mean, if a teacher like her were personally tutoring me, I'd follow every word too. Amamiya-sensei, won't you boss me around a little~?"

Hopeless. This idiot was beyond saving.

But was it really just because Amamiya Momiji was an attractive woman?

Oreki Gen looked toward Kazama Kawa's seat.

The school's notorious delinquent had his textbook open, listening attentively to the lesson, pen in hand — and appeared to be earnestly taking notes...

The sight was beyond surreal.

No different from any horror movie.