Tuesday 30 April 1998.
Zaboru was on his way in his car, driving toward his old school, Hibana High School. The reason for this sudden visit was simple enough — the principal, Kaoru Sayama, soone he had known since his own high school days, had contacted his assistant, Yumi Ichijou. Yumi herself had once been a teacher at Hibana High, and she had passed along Kaoru's request clearly: Kaoru wanted Zaboru to co and give a speech to the students of Hibana High.
As he drove, mories naturally surfaced. Zaboru let out a small chuckle. "Well… it's been a while since I went back to school anyway," he muttered to himself. He had graduated back in 1991, accelerating through his final year of high school without hesitation. Back then, he had left school early with a clear goal in mind — to build ZAGE from the ground up. That decision had defined his life ever since.
Because of that, Zaboru didn't mind the visit at all. Especially when the request ca directly from the headmaster. Despite everything he had achieved, he still felt a quiet sense of pride toward Hibana High. Before he beca infamous, before ZAGE existed, it had just been an ordinary school — but it was the place where his path had truly begun.
Not long after, Zaboru arrived at the school grounds and carefully parked his Honda Civic in the staff parking lot. The familiar scenery instantly brought back old mories — the sa buildings, the sa corridors, only slightly renovated over the years. He stepped out of the car and walked casually toward the headmaster's office, keeping a low profile. Classes were still in session, and the hallways were quiet, so none of the students noticed that he had already arrived.
When Zaboru reached the headmaster's office, he knocked lightly on the door. A calm voice ca from inside. "Co in." Zaboru opened the door and stepped inside, where Kaoru Sayama was still busy reading through a stack of docunts. The mont she looked up, her eyes lit up in recognition. "Ho-ho, it seems our guest star has arrived," she said with a warm smile.
Zaboru chuckled and stepped forward, shaking her hand politely. Kaoru Sayama was now a woman in her forties, yet she still carried the sa composed beauty and sharp presence she had back in the late 1991s when Zaboru last saw her regularly. Ti had passed, but she had hardly changed — a detail that quietly impressed him as he stood there, back once again in the office of the school that had shaped his early life.
Kaoru gestured for Zaboru to take a seat, and he nodded before sitting down across from her. "Long ti no see, Headmaster," Zaboru said with a small, respectful smile. Kaoru returned the smile warmly. "Yeah… the last ti I saw you was at your graduation ceremony," she replied. She chuckled softly, then leaned forward as mories surfaced in her mind. "Do you rember what I told you back then? That graduating early might not be such a good idea?" she said with a teasing tone. "Back when you were so determined to leave school as soon as possible."
Zaboru chuckled and nodded without hesitation. "Of course I rember," he answered honestly. That conversation had stayed with him far longer than she probably realized.
Kaoru laughed again, shaking her head slightly. "It seems my prediction completely missed the mark, huh?" she said with amusent. "Just look at you now — already one of the richest n in the world." Her laughter carried no bitterness, only genuine pride, as she looked at the forr student who had surpassed every expectation she once had for him.
Zaboru, anwhile, only smiled and scratched the back of his head a little awkwardly. "Well… things just happened, I guess. I'm just lucky, it seems," he said modestly. Kaoru chuckled at his response. She had always liked this side of Zaboru — despite all his achievents, he never boasted or acted superior.
"Don't be modest, Ren," she said warmly. "The rumors about you say that you're insanely hardworking, and honestly? I think I believe those rumors."
Zaboru let out a soft chuckle when she called him Ren. It was the na most of his teachers used back then, short for Renkonan, simply because his full family na was far too long. Hearing it again sent a quiet wave of nostalgia through him, bringing back mories of classrooms, morning assemblies, and a ti when his life was still simple and uncertain.
Kaoru continued, leaning back slightly in her chair as her tone softened. "But thanks to you, this school has beco quite famous, you know," she said with a chuckle. "The infamous Zaboru Renkonan graduated from here — it really elevated the school's reputation even further."
Zaboru smiled gently at that. "Well, that's good to know," he replied, not thinking too deeply about it.
However, Kaoru's expression soon shifted into sothing more serious. "That fa cos with another problem, though," she continued. "You see, because you started your business so young after graduating, many students now want to follow in your footsteps. So of them have even decided not to go to college at all, simply because their idol — you — didn't go either." She let out a quiet sigh. "Especially among the recent graduates from this school, quite a few of them are convinced they can do the sa thing. And, as everyone knows, it's really not that easy."
Zaboru blinked in surprise. "That… really happens?" he asked, clearly taken aback.
He let out a slow sigh as the weight of her words sank in. Creating ZAGE at seventeen had only been possible because of circumstances no one else could ever replicate — because he was reincarnated, carrying knowledge and experience from another world. Expecting ordinary students to follow that sa path was unrealistic, and he knew it better than anyone.
Kaoru chuckled lightly, waving her hand in a reassuring manner. "But don't worry, it's not your fault," she said gently. Then, as if rembering sothing, her expression brightened. "Oh, and I heard you're married now — and you even have a child?"
Zaboru chuckled at the sudden change of topic. "Yes, I'm married," he replied calmly. "And my child's na is Zenshin."
Kaoru nodded with clear interest. "You married Ayumi, right?" she asked. Zaboru nodded in response. Of course, Kaoru knew Ayumi well — she had graduated from this school too, and her na was still rembered fondly among the teachers.
Zaboru let out another small chuckle, understanding where Kaoru's thoughts were heading. "I know your concern, and it's fine," he said honestly. "And yes, Ayumi is from a Yakuza family. But it really doesn't matter anymore. Her family has already gone completely legal, leaving their past behind."
Kaoru smiled softly and nodded in understanding, clearly relieved. To her, what mattered most was seeing two forr students build a stable, genuine life together, regardless of where they ca from.
The two of them continued chatting for quite a while, reminiscing and exchanging light conversation, until a sudden announcent echoed through the school. All students were instructed to gather in the school gymnasium for an important update. Almost imdiately, excitent spread across the campus as whispers quickly turned into cheerful chatter. The reason beca clear soon enough — the speaker would be none other than Zaboru Renkonan himself.
When Zaboru finally stepped onto the stage, the atmosphere in the gym shifted instantly. The students were visibly star-struck, their eyes fixed on him as if he were soone from a different world. His speech wasn't particularly long, but every word carried weight. He spoke calmly and sincerely, sharing brief thoughts about effort, choices, and responsibility, without glorifying shortcuts or pretending success was easy. The students listened intently, hanging onto every sentence.
As the session neared its end, Zaboru surprised everyone by bringing out an acoustic guitar. A soft murmur rippled through the gym before turning into excitent. He began singing Fukai Mori, his voice steady and sincere. Before long, the entire gym joined in, the students singing along together in unison. The performance created a warm, unforgettable mont — one that felt less like a formal school event and more like a shared mory being born.
With that, the performance ca to a close. Zaboru gave a small bow to the roaring applause before quietly leaving the gym. Not long after, he returned to his office, the echoes of the students' voices still lingering in his mind.
But he didn't yet realize that the problem Kaoru Sayama ntioned — many high school graduates choosing not to go to college because of him — was far more serious than he initially thought.
To be continue
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