A/N: howdy! I've been playing TokiMemo for around 7+ years now, and recently have been replaying Himuro's routes (he's my ultimate fave T_T). Sadly, the content out there for him is very few and few between, so here's my shot at making some myself! The "chapters" will mostly be short and sweet and will not be in any particular order (probably won't be updating a lot either T_T)

Also just prefacing that I don't condone adult/minor relationships irl, I'm just having fun with my favorite characters :) Thank you for your interest!

"Himurocchi!"

That title slipped past her lips and brought his attention back to reality. Himuro blinked a few times before turning to look towards the source of the sound, and there she was. Waving, the student smiled brightly as she sped over to him in an almost reckless manner.

"Don't run," he quickly admonished, out of habit, but the reproach is lost in his tone, making it sound rather... fond, instead.

He was a fool.

Briskly brushing these thoughts away, he feigned composure and cleared his throat before gruffly saying, "What is the matter? For you to be in such a state... It's unbecoming of a student your age."

Again, he hedges distance between them with that simple word. He pretended not to see her face fall for a split second, and ignored the twisting in his chest. He had failed her.

However, what he said wasn't wrong. She was his student, and he, her teacher. He was once again reminded of this terrible knowledge when he remembers that they were standing by the school gate, just a few meters shy of being off grounds.

"I just finished my last class," she started, smiling again. "Would you like to go home together?"

Himuro fails her again when he agrees. He comforted himself by maintaining the fact that her house was near his anyway, and it was his responsibility to ensure his student's safety. It was nearing a chilly autumn night, and she would have caught a cold if she had walked. He was simply doing his duty as her teacher.

These useless reasons swam around his head as he watched her get into his car, and he wrapped his hand against the wheel tightly, out of fear that it might do anything untoward. He would do everything in his power to not lose her trust and to protect her, especially from himself.

"Ah, is that a new jacket, Himurocchi?"

He snorted softly and looked away from her perceptive gaze.

"It's gotten colder. You should be wearing more as well."

His tone was not as cutting as he wished it to be, and he was rewarded with a small laugh beside him.

"Himurocchi, you always nag, you know that?"

The insolence of that cheeky remark creased his forehead, and he opened his mouth to berate her-

"But that's what I like the most about you! You're actually very caring, even though you get mad a lot," she cut in playfully.

Eyes widening involuntarily, Himuro cleared his throat, attempting to salvage the remains of his composure. A minute goes by before he was able to spit out, "That was unnecessary. Of course I do my job perfectly."

He hoped she couldn't hear the tremble in his voice, and for once, he was grateful the night settling in around them could mask his burning face. How could she say words like that so easily and be completely fine? Saying "like" without any thoughts towards its effects..!

What a foolish girl.

She continued chattering on next to him unwittingly, smiling and laughing like usual. Completely radiant, unaware of the effect she had on him, definitely out of reach, yet close enough to touch. Every time she met his eyes, he felt so much of... something, so much so that he felt he could burst. It was a cold autumn night, with the city flying past them in varying shades of grey, but to him it felt so very bright, and he realized he had not felt a warmth like this in a very long time.

In all his years on this earth, Himuro Reiichi had never understood what the poets meant when they yearned and longed for someone in the words they spun, but perhaps now he had a faint idea.