Please Forget Me - Chapter 98
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
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‘Can I call her… young lady?’
I recognized her face from Johann’s school; she was a senior student.
“…My uncle from the city visited us recently and brought a lot of canned goods and biscuits…”“Really? That’s great!”
Even though she was still a young student, my heart felt uneasy, perhaps because I saw Dana in her. And maybe I wasn’t the only one who could see Dana in her.
“So you don’t have to bring lunch on Monday, teacher. I want to share the dish I made with you.”
It seemed that this student had feelings for Johann. Having been a student myself, I knew the atmosphere when a girl had a crush on her teacher. I may not remember it clearly, but I sensed it instinctively.
“Renata, your feelings are truly lovely and appreciated, but…”
But why was Johann smiling so tenderly at her? Did he think of Dana when he looked at her?
I watched them from two steps away, nervously picking at the hangnail beside my pinky. When they both broke into laughter at the same time, I could no longer hold back.
“Johann.”
I stood next to him, wrapping my arm around his. I gave a relaxed smile to the girl standing opposite us, then turned to Johann and winked.
“Is this a student? Please introduce me.”
Johann looked down at me with a suspicious expression. Why was I the one being suspicious? I blinked, and he pressed his lips together before letting them part.
‘…Is he holding back laughter?’
Do I look ridiculous right now? When I checked myself in my compact mirror before stepping in, my face and hair were tidy. Plus, I had put on blush today, so I looked healthier and prettier than usual.
…Could it be that I looked too flushed and like a drunken fool? I couldn’t pull out my compact again to check, feeling awkward as Johann placed his hand over mine.
“Rize, this is Renata Schultz. She’s one of my composition students.”
“Oh, I see.”
Was my appearance truly ridiculous? I took a moment to calm myself and returned to my purpose of interrupting their conversation and greeted her.
“Nice to meet you, Renata.”
I addressed her by her first name instead of ‘Miss Schultz,’ implying she was a girl, not just a woman. Meanwhile, Johann continued with my introduction.
“Renata, this is Rize Renner, my wife.”
“…Nice to meet you, Mrs. Renner.”
Her expression was far from warm.
Since the moment I linked arms with Johann, the girl’s face had been sour. She wasn’t looking at me but instead at the wedding ring on my left hand, which I had purposely placed on his arm to match her height.
Her eyes reflected shattered illusions and hopes. She must have known from conversations that her teacher was married, but seeing his wife in person was a different shock.
“Renata Schultz… Wait, I think I saw your name on the homework you brought home.”
At the mention of her homework, the girl’s face flushed bright red. To reassure her that there was no need to feel embarrassed, I offered a compliment.
“You have a unique writing talent! Such a gift is too valuable to waste in this countryside.”
“Th-thank you.”
Her expression brightened instantly. Encouraging the downcast girl, I asked,
“Are you planning to go to college in the city after graduation?”
“I’m trying to convince my parents.”
“I hope you can persuade them. If you ever need help, feel free to ask.”
I conveyed to her that she was just a student and child who would soon leave, while Johann was a teacher who would stay here, an adult with a wife. The girl seemed to understand, but I wasn’t sure how to convey the same to Johann.
There was no way to shield him from everything that reminded me of Dana.
As I looked at him, feeling lost, Johann glanced around at the guests mingling in the courtyard and said,
“Rize, let’s go to a corner.”
Why did he want to go to a corner?
“It’s not polite for the guest to be more beautiful than the bride… Ah, that’s also not polite. Please forget that, Renata. Have a great time.”
“Yes…”
Johann called me beautiful in front of someone who had feelings for him. Look at that—he’s really into me. My shoulders instinctively straightened, and I felt a sense of pride.
But as I confidently linked arms with Johann and followed his lead, my mood sank again. He took me behind a storage shed, away from people, and then lifted my hand deliberately in front of his face.
It revealed the signs of my worry, the hangnail I had been picking at. Johann asked my concerns with an air of disbelief.
