Shiro agreed, providing I paid for the food. Damn him. I gave him a card that only paid for that shop, any other shop he had to pay for. Thankfully, the shop in question only sold raw produce, so you could make good meals from scratch, which Shiro did and taught Aoi that way too. I could only guess what he did with his own money, and I didn't think it was good. Aoi seemed to be happy though the times I checked up on her. Aoi didn't know that the shop was hidden realm produce and kept buying there out of habit, but she used her own money, not mine. I guess she thought that the card was defunct now Shiro was dead.

I watched her grow up.

I became her 4th-grade primary teacher to ensure that she was being treated properly by Shino and checking on his education.

Aoi was such a delight to teach. I watched as she became friends with Yuri and Sandy, new girls in the school, according to my colleagues. It seemed that they, too, could see the ayakashi like Aoi. They always seemed to be playing with the little harmless ones.

Aoi did exceptionally well this year. I noticed her affection for me grow over the year I taught her. Whenever she wanted something explained or she was frightened, she would run over and hug me. I had to be careful with her, as although I had promised her I would marry her, her innocent moves made me realise I could not continue teaching at her primary school.

At the end of the year, she said to me, knowing I was leaving, "I love you, Mr. Akutski."

As it was inappropriate for a teacher to have feelings like that for a student, I just smiled and said, "Take care, Aoi, continue to do your best."

She was kind to the ayakashi even then, with her two friends.

In middle school, I tried again as her sports teacher this time. I had to quit that job sooner than I wanted as my own feelings became a problem with her body changing towards being the beautiful adult she would become. I did, however, help her and her two friends establish a physical routine to help them grow best.

Again, when I left, she pronounced her love for me and that she was sad I was going.

In High school, I became her chemistry teacher. Initially, she failed the class, but I gave her extra lessons, which enabled her to pass with flying colours. Her two friends were no longer with her. She was by herself the majority of the time.

When I was tutoring her, I often looked up into her mesmerising eyes and saw her affection for me. However, by then, she was well aware that student/teacher relationships were a no-no. Instead, she did little things that showed me that she loved me. Her most common thing was to bring me a bento box for my lunch as she noticed I had not been eating. I fell in love with her cooking then, as it always invigorated me.

As I only saw her one class a day for four days a week, I was able to stay teaching her for the entire two years of high school. My teaching enabled her to get the best mark she could. I actually don't remember having any of those kids fail on me. It was a first for the school. They were sad I left when I did.

She was accepted into a good University, and I cheated by using my Ogre flame to see what electives she was doing, and I saw one that I had not done that looked interesting. I pretended to be a student alongside her, doing this elective.

I was surprised. Again, my little Aoi fell in love with me. She would flirt with me as that student. Others did too, but I only accepted her teasing. I was able to complete a joint project with her before "moving away" ... I actually had enough. I could see she had grown enough to take her to my realm as my wife, but I also knew she would resist me, but it did not stop me from hoping that all the time she had crushed on me would remain in her memory...

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