The grade six teacher’s relationship with Soubi is one of the more entertaining to follow in the story, partly due to her own unique personality. Upon their first meeting, Soubi is very straight forward with her. He tells her that if someone like her fell in love with him, it would only be bothersome. It is rather amazing how Soubi at first sight got the hint that Shinome-sensei was already in the process of falling in love with him. Before this meeting, Shinome-sensei, standing behind the window a few floors up in the school building, had actually already seen him standing in front of Ritsuka’s school.
When Shinome-sensei becomes a victim of the two Zero, Natsuo and Youji, Soubi appears to rescue her by commencing a spell battle with them without Ritsuka. As Natsuo and Youji were initially out to fight Soubi, he declares afterwards that him saving her has nothing to do with the whole matter. When Shinome-sensei then notices that Soubi is wounded from battle, she starts feeling guilty. But Soubi only says that she must’ve misunderstood, as if he would have gone through something so painful just for her sake. He coldly asks her to leave and not touch him. When she still insists on taking him to the hospital, he replies that she shouldn’t be so full of herself, and that his business has nothing to do with hers.
After hearing these words, Shinome-sensei starts crying and loses her composure. She yells at Soubi, saying that it’s so frustrating, the whole situation. He obviously saved her, but still he keeps on saying these terrible things. She shouts at him, saying he’s a stubborn person and the way he behaves will make him lose all of his friends one day — as if Soubi would care? Indeed not, he answers that it’d be fine for him if he ended up all alone, because he only wishes to receive orders from one person. Whether or not Soubi truly means what he says, is something to keep in mind. The day after this incident, Shinome-sensei wonders why Soubi won’t tell her anything or let her know what he’s thinking.
Soubi has his own reason to behave like a butt pain in front of Shinome-sensei. He has had his share of teachers and their ’goodwill’. Due to his experiences with Ritsu-sensei, Soubi does not think very greatly about teachers in general. When Ritsuka is confined to his own house by his mother and doesn’t show up at school, Shinome-sensei is concerned. Upon advice and request of Yuiko, Shinome-sensei finds the courage to phone Soubi. Her intention is to ask if Soubi knows more about what is going on with Ritsuka.
Once Soubi picks up the phone, he plays a cruel trick on her and tells her straight up the truth about Ritsuka and his violent mother — how she is responsible for the wounds Ritsuka shows up with now and then at school. He then reasons that nothing can be done anyway about it since it is something outsiders can’t involve themselves in. As a matter of fact, when Shinome-sensei discussed this with her colleagues at work, they all said something similar. Soubi expects Shinome-sensei will pull back after hearing this.
Instead, Shinome-sensei states that if children need help, then adults should help. Especially because, in this case Ritsuka is in her class and she has seen that he’s a good kid, intelligent and resolute. She has seen how Ritsuka began to smile again and started making friends after his school transfer. Shinome-sensei wants to help him to keep that smile and she would confront his mother, even though she knows inside that she is afraid. Upon hearing her reaction, Soubi’s cold attitude starts to melt. He says that if she is willing to help Ritsuka out like this, he will protect her. He even admits that he has never met a teacher like her before; it’s a first time for him and it has made him like teachers better now because of her. And there you go, another person who has introduced a new spark of light and understanding into Soubi’s life.
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