Report 16

Plot
Ms. Amatsu scolds Arata in the staff room, telling him to stop smoking now or he'll regret it as an adult. Arata asks about her age, and finds out she'll be 25 this year – which means she's younger than him by a few years. Understanding the harsh realities you have to accept as an adult and remembering himself still lazily going to the university at 25, he tells her he respects her for taking her job so seriously at her age.

Arata's comment makes her happy, as her youth is usually a reason for others to look down on her inexperience, and this was what she expected Arata also had on his mind asking about her age. Arata is reminded of someone from his adult life thanking him for something, saying people usually look down on her for being a woman. Ms. Amatsu interrupts his flashback by assigning him a reflective statement to write on his smoking, ending the discussion.

Having left the staff room, Arata reflects on how hard Ms. Amatsu's position in the school must be. As he does so, Chizuru leaves the staff room behind him, again bluntly recognizing him as 'the cigarette guy'.

Trivia

 * The events in this chapter took place on April 8th, 2013.