Story:

Peach was still lost somewhere between two worlds—when the teacher walked in, and Miffy's voice cracked across the classroom first.

"Eh~? Mikami-sensei? Have you become our class master sensei?!"

The teacher in question was indeed Mikami-sensei, and her entrance had already done its usual damage to the classroom's collective composure:

Tall and gorgeous, about twenty-eight, the kind of woman who entered a room like the room had been waiting for her.

Still rumored to be single, still the number-one dream date target of the school's entire male population—and, judging by the immediate, synchronized, very slight straightening of every boy's back, also the number-one target of considerably less presentable fantasies that no one would ever admit to out loud.

She was their wellbeing class teacher. She never appeared for morning class affairs. Her showing up at the head of homeroom was already a full event by itself.

Mikami-sensei cleared her throat, entirely aware of the effect and entirely unbothered by it.

"Sato-sensei has an urgent family issue he needed to attend," she announced, "so I will be assuming the class master teacher role for 2-A until further notice."

The classroom's reaction split perfectly down the middle: the boys' side erupting in restrained cheering, fist-pumps hidden under desks, whispered jackpots; the girls' side exchanging looks of shocked gossip-fodder delight.

Peach clapped along on autopilot, her mind still half in Yamato.

And then, into the tail of that commotion, Mikami-sensei dropped the second bomb with the casual timing of a professional pitcher.

"Also—we have two new transfer students joining 2-A this autumn term."

The room went from loud to louder. Transfer students?! A full term after the school year had already commenced? In what world did transfers happen in October? The awed murmurs ran around the desks like spilled water.