Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -rj01292809- May 2026

It was such a simple, kind question. And for some reason, it broke something small inside Akira. The forced smile faltered. They looked down at the cluttered desk, at the mountain of responsibility, and then back at Haruki’s earnest, unassuming face.

“Just for a few minutes,” he insisted gently. “The essays will still be here. You won’t be able to grade them properly if you’re running on empty.” Sensei- Chotto Yasunde Ii Desuka -RJ01292809-

“Sensei?”

And for the first time in weeks, Akira Sugimoto let their eyes close. The red pen rolled off the desk and onto the floor. The clock ticked. The wind brushed against the windowpanes. And Haruki Saito sat in the fading light, watching over his tired teacher, keeping the world at bay. It was such a simple, kind question