Chapter 27: Really?

Yoji should have known it long ago.

He should have known it long ago.

Nishimura Tadashi, that old pervert and deadbeat scoundrel, somehow got hold of Kurosawa Shizuka’s photo in the original novel, while coincidentally learning about the secrets of the Kurosawa family, embarking on a series of outrageous actions driven by his own greed and lust.

Kurosawa Shizuka’s series of abnormal actions made the male protagonist realize something was wrong. As “him,” who had been oppressed by her older brother since childhood and finally managed to make a friend with great difficulty, she was willing to put in all her effort to hold onto her friend, engaging in clash after clash with the Nishimura family.

Yoji should have known long ago that the current Aikawa Ritsuki was no longer the Aikawa Ritsuki from the original story—she was no longer plain and ordinary, but possessed beauty that surpassed even Kurosawa Shizuka’s.

How could this old bastard not covet her?

Coming over now with that beaming smile asking for an introduction—wasn’t that blatantly intending to use the same methods he used on Kurosawa Shizuka to ruin her instead?

—Do you really want to die, Nishimura Tadashi?!

“…”

Phew, phew.

—No, calm down, calm down Luo Xiao. Right now is absolutely not the time to act on impulse. You cannot mess up the plan. Aikawa Yoji cannot have a conflict with the Nishimura family yet. You absolutely must not mess up the main storyline again, absolutely not.

Yoji bit down on the tip of his tongue, turned around, and slammed his teacup violently right at Manager Chigusa’s feet.

“Oh my, Manager Chigusa, why are you glaring at me? You made my hand slip!”

“Bang!”

It shattered into a floor full of debris.

“I’m really terribly sorry. Asagao’s dad, what did you say just now?”

“Yoji, you mustn’t be rude!”

This time even the teacher panicked. The previous series of overbearing behavior could be excused and smoothed over by Chigusa’s offensive apology; but now, right in front of the head of the Nishimura family while he was actively speaking, what was the meaning of smashing your cup? Raising a cup as a signal, is that it?

Wasn’t this purely slapping someone right across the face!

“Get up, apologize!” Teacher Jasmin grabbed Aikawa Yoji in one swoop, pressing his head down to bow toward Nishimura Tadashi. “Hurry up and apologize! It’s rare for the head of the Nishimura family to squeeze out time from his busy schedule to bring people over to apologize to you and try to make friends with you, and here you are throwing a fit? Huh?! Hurry up and apologize.”

“…”

Pressing down on the back of his neck, Yoji’s head was forced down.

“Hurry up.”

Shimizu stood behind the two of them, completely at a loss, caught in a dilemma: “Jasmin, Teacher Jasmin, don’t treat Yoji so roughly! And Yoji, you hurry up and apologize too!”

With his head pressed down, he couldn’t see any of their faces, only able to see the clean wooden floorboards of the frequently swept conference room without much dust, as well as those high-end leather shoes stepping over from beside the tea table.

A gentle voice emanated from those leather shoes, exuding good intentions: “It’s alright, it’s alright. It was our fault to begin with, and Yoji and I technically count as acquaintances anyway, so there’s no need for this. Just let Yoji sit back down.”

Looking closely, the tip of the leather shoes seemed to be caught with a few strands of black fur, though it was impossible to guess what small animal it belonged to from its length and thickness; but under what circumstances would there be no fur on his body or pant legs, yet a few strands of small animal fur were stuck specifically on the tip of his leather shoes?

Yoji swallowed down the metallic rust taste overflowing in his mouth, pursing his lips to force a voice out: “Alright, alright, alright, I apologize, I apologize. Saying sorry should be enough, right?”

“Yoji! What else do you want?!”

“Alright, alright, I accept! I accept Student Yoji’s apology, so that should be enough, right? Teacher Jasmin, let him stand up.”

“Phew, count yourself lucky.”

Jasmin released her grip, raising her head just as the gentle-faced Nishimura Tadashi walked over, intending to reach out and pat his shoulder.

Yoji took a step back.

“Eh?! Yoji, your mouth, why is it bleeding?!”

“It’s nothing, I’ve had some internal heat recently and got a mouth ulcer.” Yoji bent his index finger to wipe away the blood stain flowing from the corner of his mouth, bypassed Jasmin’s shoulder, and sat back down in the chair. “If you want to get to know that woman, go see her yourself. Why come looking for me? I’m not even familiar with that woman Aikawa Ritsuki.”

“Haha, how could you not be familiar? Yours truly actually approached Student Aikawa Ritsuki first wanting to chat and make friends with her, but she responded with, ‘My brother said not to let me talk to strange outsiders.’ Student Yoji really knows how to protect your younger sister, haha.”

“Don’t get it wrong. Those exact words were just Mom spouting nonsense like, ‘Don’t talk to men other than Yoji carelessly.’ That’s all. I don’t have the slightest bit of interest in her private life. If you can’t get anywhere, go find my dad. Didn’t you say you have a pretty good relationship with him? Get him to introduce you.”

Nishimura Tadashi pursed his lips in a bitter smile: “Yoji, you also know that your parents can’t be reached right now, didn’t they go to ‘that’ place? Just treat it as helping out your uncle, introduce us, won’t you?”

Yoji crossed his legs coldly, saying nothing.

“I can give you a D-rank special ability potion as a reward, you know.”

Yoji remained silent, but Teacher Jasmin furrowed her brows: “Head of the Nishimura family, is there any deeper meaning behind your obsession with Aikawa’s younger sister, an obsession with a student of our school?”

“Haha, isn’t that obvious, Teacher Jasmin?” Nishimura Tadashi raised his head and looked toward the setting sun outside the window, lamenting, “We are the setting sun about to fall, but isn’t Ms. Aikawa Ritsuki the early morning rising sun of us humans?”

“The hope of our Tokiwa City, a rare S-rank special ability talent. I, too, want to come take a look at her and help her grow up big and strong.”

“Is that so? Haha, the head of the Nishimura family truly embodies great righteousness! Haha.”

“Haha, what great righteousness could I possibly embody? I just want to see if our Tokiwa City can produce another genius. If she truly grows up to become a hero-level figure, then maybe in the future she might still remember our family.”

“Then, Teacher Jasmin, are you willing to help me persuade Student Yoji to give an introduction? I am also willing to donate a C-rank special ability potion to your school.”

Jasmin’s eyes widened instantly: “So generous, Head of the Nishimura family! Hahaha, that you possess such goodwill truly moves our school.”

“It’s quite alright. Chigusa! Go right now to the car and fetch that…”

“However!”

Before the head of the Nishimura family could finish his shouting, Jasmin cut him off, walking in front of Nishimura Tadashi with her hands behind her back and a light laugh.

“The head of the Nishimura family’s thoughts indeed move me.”

“However, the core education implemented by our school since its founding is that we will never force our students.”

“That their growth concerns the future of human survival is indeed true, but before that, they are students, and even more so, children who have just grown up.”

“We will never force a child’s choice. Even if… he is our Aikawa Yoji.”

“…”

“…”

“If there are no other matters, please take your leave, Head of the Nishimura family. We still need to continue with class.”

The smile on Nishimura Tadashi’s face finally wavered, his lips trembling without a word coming out.

The entire conference room fell into a dead silence.

Aikawa Yoji raised his head and looked toward this ordinary special ability class teacher, unable to avert his gaze for a long time.

The setting sun spilled over her body, cloaking her in a golden robe.

…

…

…

On the way back to class with Shimizu accompanying Yoji, she was still saying something.

Blinking her eyes in somewhat of a puzzle: “So, Student Yoji, why didn’t you introduce Ritsuki to him? Didn’t he just want to make friends with her, probably to nurture her a bit? Jealousy? Student Yoji, you shouldn’t be the type of person who would be jealous over this kind of thing, right?”

‘What kind of form of address is “Student Yoji”? Big sister, we are really not familiar, really not familiar, alright, don’t shout randomly.’

“Just treat it as me being jealous then. Why should that woman be able to get so many benefits, with the Nishimura family willing to come over and nurture her, while I can’t? Hmph.”

“Hmm, jealousy is not a very good emotion, Student Yoji.”

“…”

“Mind your own business.”

In the hallway connecting the conference room to the teaching building, there were usually many students walking back and forth, but today it was strangely quiet, leaving only Yoji and Shimizu.

Lazily riding the moonlight by the window, feeling the cool breeze outside fluttering the loose hair by his ear, it felt especially comfortable…

Wait? Moonlight?!

Instantly, a stormy wave surged in Yoji’s heart. He looked in astonishment at the endless hallway in front of him, a red light flashing across the corner of his eye.

‘This, this is…’

Swallowing down his throat, Yoji took a deep breath, maintaining his usual relaxed pace.

“Hmm, speaking of which, there’s another matter I’m very curious about.”

The cute Teacher Shimizu bounced in front of Yoji, overflowing with her gentle smile, her eyes filled with tenderness.

“Speaking of which, Student Yoji, how did you recognize the head of the Nishimura family at first glance?”

“The person Teacher Jasmin introduced first should have been Mr. Nishimura beside him. How did Yoji address the real head of the Nishimura family right off the bat?”

With her hands behind her back, her light red thin lips opened and closed, as if breathing out a cloud of white mist that seeped into one’s heart.

“I am… very curious.”

“…”

Aikawa Yoji’s eyes lost their focus, muttering to himself.

“I just saw Nishimura Tadashi on television before.”

“Hmm~ Really?”

Yoji pierced the palm of his hand with his fingernails.

“Really.”