Kidnapping

“This is the right place… Why is no one here?”

I tilted my head upon arriving at the location Leona’s mother had described over the phone.

Why is there no one here? This should definitely be the right place.

She clearly said this park, but all I could see were fat pigeons waddling around – not a single person in sight.

…Hmm, strange.

I’m sure she said here. Did I come to the wrong place?

“Ah, ahaha… Leona. Looks like your mom went to the restroom. Let’s wait a bit, okay?”

If I told her we came to the wrong place, she might start crying.

Thinking this, I smiled and made an excuse to Leona before hurriedly pulling out my phone.

I should call again to confirm where they are.

…Just as I thought this, Leona’s voice reached me.

“This is the right place.”

“Huh?”

“I told you this park is correct. Phew, glad it worked out smoothly.”

“……”

The child who had been trembling with anxiety just moments ago was gone. Watching Leona sigh and stretch her neck, I sensed something was wrong.

…How does she know this park is the meeting spot?

That wasn’t the only suspicious thing.

The moment we arrived at the park, Leona’s demeanor completely changed as if her previous behavior had been an act.

From an innocent child to someone who’s seen everything the world has to offer.

“What’s your goal?”

After sighing, I looked at the girl claiming to be Leona.

She looked like an ordinary child, but appearances can be deceiving.

After getting used to Principal Veronica who looks like a child but has the soul of a grandmother, I could easily recognize the enemy before me.

If they wanted me dead, they would have ambushed me when there were no people around.

Clearly they had some purpose for capturing me alive to talk.

“You’re my goal.”

“…Me? Why me?”

Could she be a pawn from the criminal organization that heard the kids call me “Boss”?

But that’s just an empty title – Jane’s the real power behind everything!

What should I do about this?

As I pondered this, Leona stared at me as if asking if I really didn’t know.

“Do you really not know?”

“…I don’t. If you’re looking for the Boss, you’ve got it wrong. The real power is Jane…”

“I’m not interested in such people. What we want is Teacher Ophelia – you.”

“Huh?”

“Long time no see, Teacher.”

Leona’s frame began slowly twisting.

Her voice and legs subtly thickened, her soft-looking skin gradually became toned.

Watching Leona’s height slightly increase and hair shorten, my eyes widened to the size of lanterns.

“L-Leo…?”

“That’s right. It’s me. Teacher, I have so much I want to discuss with you. Let’s talk slowly…”

“Don’t move from there!”

“?!”

I urgently hypnotized Leo and hurriedly moved to escape the park.

How did he transform into a girl? And how did he even find me?

Though I had many questions, there was no time to ask.

The person claiming to be his parent was surely an accomplice, making this place extremely dangerous.

I needed to get to safety immediately…

“It’s too late for that.”

Clank, clank.

It happened in an instant.

Large iron bars blocked my path as I tried to leave the park.

When I tried to circumvent them, I had no choice but to stop.

The entire park had transformed into an impenetrable cage.

“Wh-what is this…?”

“You should give up, Teacher Ophelia. Even I can’t break through those specially made bars. Your hypnosis won’t help you escape.”

“Leo…”

“My, I never thought you’d try to run without hesitation… But this means we can have a proper conversation now.”

“…There must be other kids involved too.”

“Correct. But they won’t come here. They’re waiting in special isolation rooms prepared just for you.”

I avoided Leo’s accusatory gaze.

…Just how much preparation went into this?

This level of planning couldn’t have been done in a day or two.

While I was lazing around in the mansion, they’d been preparing this trap for me.

Cold sweat dripped down my back.

“…What do you mean by isolation rooms?”

“Since we don’t know the exact conditions for your hypnosis to work, they’re each in designated rooms with specific senses blocked, watching or listening to this place. If anyone gets hypnotized and leaves their room, the others will subdue them.”

“Th-thorough…”

…My hypnosis doesn’t work on people far away.

The dedication to eliminate every escape possibility made me feel dizzy.

I vaguely thought they were doing fine, but instead of being well, they went this far to capture me.

Creating a place where even hypnosis can’t escape, setting it up so no outside help can come…

Their persistence was almost frightening.

“I wanted to see you, Teacher. Not just me – the others too.”

Was it my imagination that Leo’s voice carried strange emotions?

No… it couldn’t be imagination…

“…If you’re going to kill me, at least make it painless.”

“Huh? Why would we kill you? We went through so much trouble to find you.”

“Huh?”

“It’s okay, Teacher. Explain everything. We can understand.”

I couldn’t comprehend what they were thinking.

After going through all this trouble to capture me, they don’t want to kill me but hear me out?

…With this level of dedication, staying silent for a few days wouldn’t faze them.

I couldn’t possibly starve myself to death, so I sighed.

“Fine, okay. What happened was…”

Ultimately, I had no choice but to explain everything.

From how I entered the Academy, to what hypnosis I used on students.

My relationship with the Bright Light Society.

…And that day.

The day I ran from the students. Why I tried to escape – everything.

I had to tell the complete story without omission.

Leo, representing the other students here, listened attentively to my explanation.

“…That’s how it happened.”

“I see.”

“Y-you believe me? Really?”

“Of course. If I don’t believe Teacher’s words, whose would I believe?”

He believes this? Really?

I stared blankly at Leo, completely unprepared for this reaction.

“I know there’s much you haven’t explained. Like why you approached us in the first place. Maybe Her Highness the Princess or the Watcher, but what about the other three? We weren’t particularly valuable targets.”

“That’s…”

“And your relationship with the Bright Light Society… There’s so much I’m curious about.”

Even if my mouth tore open, I couldn’t say it.

Should I tell them this world was originally a game world, and that I wanted to guide them to happy endings because I loved them?

They’d either think I’m crazy or a game addict.

I couldn’t bring up such an unrealistic story.

“But I won’t ask. Those things aren’t important.”

“……”

“What matters is that Teacher doesn’t hate us.”

“How could I ever hate you?!”

“But you said you hated us when you left.”

“Th-that was…”

Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn’t know what to say.

It was true. Though my actions were for the students’ futures, they were still hurtful.

They must have been wounded enough to come find me like this.

“Teacher. Please return as our counseling teacher.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not? Was the time we spent together a lie?”

“That’s… not it, but…”

I could keenly feel the students’ desire for me to return.

I never imagined they’d go this far just to talk to me.

…Still, I couldn’t return as their counseling teacher.

“I told you earlier. The Bright Light Society leader spread that I’m the mastermind. Whether true or not, people will talk. It’s better for you if I stay away…”

“Don’t worry. That information has been contained.”

“…What?”

“The Principal helped. It’s been dismissed as nonsense from a deranged terrorist, so people don’t even know what he said.”

The information was contained?

As I stood confused by this sudden revelation, Leo smiled.

…A slightly twisted smile.

“And did you really think you had a choice?”

“What do you m-…”

Clank.

Feeling something strange on my wrist, I lifted my hand to find handcuffs already fastened.

When I stared dumbfounded at Leo over this absurd development, he showed me the key triumphantly before tossing it outside the iron bars.

“Well, Teacher. Will you return to the Academy as our counseling teacher?”

I could only stare at Leo with my mouth agape.

Where had that pure, kind child gone?

Leo looked at me with a mischievous smile, clearly enjoying himself.

“Or would you prefer to live your whole life wearing those handcuffs?”

…There was no real choice.

With my former students’ enthusiastic support, I became the Academy’s counseling teacher once more.

By force.