Chapter 3: Group Study Gone Wrong
1331 Words
Saturday came faster than Chacha hoped. She stood in front of the mirror, fixing her uniform for the last minute, even though it was just a group study. Her reflection showed one clear thing—nervousness. It was the kind of panic that couldn’t be hidden even behind her usual bright smile.
“Grandpa, are you sure this is okay? They’re coming here, my classmates, and they’ll see… everything,” she said softly, biting her lip.
Her grandfather only chuckled from the kitchen. “Just act normal, Cha. Normal people don’t panic over toothbrushes.”
“Normal people don’t live with their teacher!” she whispered to herself, glaring at her reflection again.
Inside the house, Mr. Conan was quietly reading a book on the couch, completely calm. He looked too calm for someone hiding a secret that could end both their reputations.
When she saw him, Chacha stomped her foot. “Why do you look so relaxed?”
He looked up with a teasing grin. “Because I’m confident, Miss Yogiwara. Besides, we have nothing to hide… if we hide it well.”
“You call that reassuring?” she hissed, trying to hide the panic in her voice.
He laughed softly, setting his book aside. “Relax. I already cleaned my desk. No one will notice anything.”
“You sure? What about your marketing textbooks? Or your fountain pen collection? Or—”
“Already hidden in my room,” he said calmly. “Unless you want to check my drawers too?”
Her face turned red. “I—No! Just stay quiet, okay? No one must know you live here.”
Conan smiled again, this time softer. “Don’t worry, Chacha. I’ll stay invisible.”
But as soon as he said that, the sound of loud chatter came from outside.
“They’re here!” Chacha’s eyes widened. She rushed to the door, fixing her hair. “Oh no, oh no, oh no…”
When she opened the door, three of her classmates greeted her cheerfully — Mia, Lian, and Rico.
“Wow, so this is your place, Chacha?” Mia said with wide eyes as they stepped inside. “It’s so nice! Wait, is this your family’s house?”
“Ah, yes,” Chacha said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just me and grandpa here.”
Rico whistled. “Pretty fancy for two people.”
Chacha laughed nervously. “We, uh, like it simple.”
As the group entered, their eyes naturally roamed around. The living room was neat, almost too neat, with a soft sofa, books on the side table, and a faint masculine scent in the air.
Then Mia noticed something. “Hey, Chacha,” she said, walking toward the small bathroom door. “Why are there two toothbrushes? And two towels?”
Chacha froze. “Oh, that? Um… grandpa likes to keep extra things. For visitors! Yes, for visitors.”
“Visitors?” Lian grinned. “Like a secret boyfriend maybe?”
“What? No! I—there’s no—just focus on the project!” Chacha said quickly, waving her hands. Her heart was racing.
They all laughed and placed their bags on the table, still whispering and giggling.
As they began opening their notes, Mia’s curious eyes wandered again. Her gaze landed on a shelf filled with marketing books, arranged neatly beside a stack of professional notebooks.
“Marketing books?” Mia raised an eyebrow. “Wait, are you secretly studying for Mr. Conan’s exam? Or maybe you’re helping him with something?”
Chacha’s hand shook as she tried to flip a page. “N-no, I just… like reading. Marketing is interesting, right?”
“Yeah, but these are college-level books,” Mia said suspiciously. “And look at that fountain pen—it looks expensive.”
Before Chacha could think of a reply, Conan’s voice came from upstairs.
“Chacha, where’s my—”
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw them. Four pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Mr. Conan froze. The room froze with him.
For a moment, there was pure silence. Then he smiled quickly, pretending to be surprised. “Oh, you have guests! I didn’t know.”
Chacha almost dropped her notebook. “Mr. Conan— I mean—sir! Uh— this is my, um, uncle! Yes! My uncle, Conan!”
Her classmates stared.
Mia tilted her head. “Your uncle… Conan? Like Mr. Conan, our teacher?”
“Ahaha… what a coincidence, right?” Chacha said weakly.
Conan adjusted his glasses calmly. “Nice to meet you, students. I’m just visiting for the weekend.”
Lian elbowed Rico. “He looks like our teacher though.”
Rico squinted. “Yeah, same voice too.”
Conan smiled politely, placing a hand on Chacha’s shoulder. “Maybe I should go upstairs. I wouldn’t want to disturb your study time.”
“Yes! Please do that!” Chacha said quickly, her cheeks red.
When he disappeared upstairs, her classmates burst into giggles.
“Chacha,” Mia said, leaning closer. “Your uncle looks exactly like Mr. Conan.”
“Y-You’re just imagining things!” she said, laughing nervously. “Now let’s focus! Marketing strategy project, remember?”
But as they started working, Chacha’s hands trembled every time she heard a sound from upstairs. She could imagine Conan walking, talking on the phone, or worse—accidentally coming down again.
An hour passed, and everyone seemed to relax. They worked well together, discussing ideas, eating snacks, and even joking about Mr. Conan’s strict teaching style.
“He’s actually kinda cute when he smiles,” Mia said, scribbling notes.
Chacha choked on her drink. “Cute? Him? No way!”
Mia grinned. “Why, you don’t agree?”
“N-No, I just mean—he’s a teacher!”
“Uh-huh,” Lian teased. “You blushed though.”
“I did not!”
They laughed again, and Chacha sighed in relief when Mia turned back to her notes.
But the real trouble came when they decided to get more water.
Mia offered to help and went to the kitchen. While Chacha was distracted, she glanced around again, her curiosity growing. That’s when she saw a black fountain pen sitting neatly on the counter, engraved with elegant initials: C.S.
She held it up. “Hmm… this looks familiar.”
She quietly slipped it into her bag, eyes narrowing slightly. “Let’s see who this really belongs to.”
A few minutes later, the group wrapped up their study session.
“Thanks, Chacha! You really helped us a lot!” Rico said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Yeah, your house is amazing,” Lian added. “So cozy. But… kinda feels like it’s made for just two people, huh?”
Chacha forced a laugh. “Haha, yeah… grandpa likes things simple.”
When they finally left, Chacha closed the door and collapsed onto the sofa, burying her face in her hands.
“Oh my gosh, that was so close,” she muttered.
Conan came downstairs, smiling. “See? Told you I could stay invisible.”
“Invisible? You almost said your name!” she yelled softly.
He laughed. “But they didn’t catch on. You did great, Chacha.”
“Great? My classmates think I have a secret boyfriend living here!”
“Well, they’re not wrong,” he said teasingly.
“Mr. Conan!” she gasped, blushing.
He just smiled, walking past her with a smirk. “Relax. No one will ever know.”
But upstairs, Mia was already checking the initials engraved on the pen inside her bag.
“C.S.,” she whispered to herself. “Conan… Steinward?”
Her eyes widened in shock as realization started to form.
Meanwhile, in the townhouse, Chacha was still blushing and shouting softly at Conan.
“Noooo! It can’t be! This is a disaster!”
Conan just laughed gently, his voice calm and warm. “Welcome to chaos, Miss Yogiwara.”
- Writer
