But like, if he's not groping the girls in public, if he's not walking around hand in hand, even in a <50 population hamlet, you still wouldn't expect anyone to be thinking anything about it right? Isn't that the entire joke about the town gossip, someone so empty and vapid they collect every scrap of info on their neighbors to the point of deranged conspiracy theory, only someone like that being the kind of person to go making wild assumptions about random people... i feel like my world view is being challenged here. I just can't believe anyone would look at Janu being at the mall with a teenager as anything other than some dude and some chick. I get our heads can all end up in the gutter at times but there's usually a trigger, something that sends your head there, a word or phrase or something, said in normal speech that causes you to have the thought. No trigger, no thought... that's how my head works at least.
It's that he is a teacher with a student. They are in a small city where it would be easy to run into someone who would know this and then gossip about it. Furthermore several of the girls are behaving in a sexualized manner or are in love and acting like it which would be much worse then just holding hands.
I think Personas MC is acting in a normal rational way in this regard.
In most countries a Teacher in a relationship with a Student would result in gossip, social ostracization, possible legal issues and loss of job!
If you saw your 17 year old roommate/niece/sister/girlfriend hanging out with her older male teacher, being friendly and clothes shopping together would you honestly just let it be? I would definitely investigate further and that's considering that I love the Teacher-Student Power Dynamic and FANTASY.
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Do you see some 43 year old woman getting her hair cut and think "she's probably having an incestuous relationship with her son"? Or see some 16 year old dude working at McDonald's and proclaim he's quite likely giving regular head to his math teacher?
As for your examples, society views an older Female-Younger Male relationship quite differently. Just look at Music which often reflects societal norms. Van Halens "Hot for Teacher" (Male Student- "Way to go man") vs Stings "Don't Stand So Close to Me" (Female Student - Gossip and social ostracization). Both were #1 hits made at the same time yet portray societal standards quite differently depending on the sex of the student.
Loose talk in the classroom
To hurt they try and try
Strong words in the staff room
The accusations fly
It's no use, he sees her
He starts to shake and cough
Just like the old man in
That book by Nabokov
*Edited for spelling, clarification and to insert Bingoogus quote.