Yukinoshita Yukino finished her bath and headed to bed. She hadn't taken ho the wooden shinai that Chishima Akishin had given her.
Haruno walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, crossing her arms as she looked out over the city of Chiba at night. Her face no longer wore its usual friendly mask; instead, it radiated a chilling coldness.
After a few monts, Yukinoshita Haruno pulled out her phone and dialed a specific number.
"I need you to look into soone for ," she said. "Chishima Akishin. Currently a PE teacher at Sobu High. Lives at Chishimaya, Konishi Street..."
After hanging up, Haruno returned her gaze to the window. Beneath the dark night sky, the city's neon lights flickered like distant, uncaring stars.
The next morning, the sun rose, its golden light just beginning to illuminate the world.
Chishima Akishin woke up early—not because of an alarm, but purely due to his internal biological clock. He stretched his limbs on the bed before climbing out with sleepy eyes. He applied toothpaste to his brush, scrubbed his teeth, and splashed water on his face. Shedding his pajamas, he changed into simple, everyday clothes.
He headed downstairs to move the groceries delivered by his supplier into the kitchen, prepping for the shop's opening later that evening.
At seven o'clock, he prepared a bowl of breakfast ran for himself. The amount of beef in the bowl easily outweighed the noodles.
Once he finished the ran and washed the dishes, he did so basic prep work on the ingredients and tucked them away in the refrigerator. The clock showed seven-thirty.
At that point, Akishin swapped his slippers for running shoes, straightened his clothes, and combed his hair in front of the mirror. Grabbing his backpack, he stepped out of the house.
He set off for school, walking toward the morning sun to start his workday.
On the way, students on bicycles constantly zood past him. The occasional ring of a bike bell echoed through the air, and a few students who recognized him stopped to offer a greeting of their own accord.
Akishin always responded with a warm smile.
"Chishima-sensei!"
"It really is Chishima-sensei!"
Midway there, familiar voices called out. Akishin turned to see Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko. Both were on bicycles, the morning breeze fluttering their shoulder-length hair.
"Kondo, Kaiko. Morning." Akishin nodded.
"Is Sensei heading to school too?" the energetic Sakurai Kaiko asked.
Akishin nodded. "Of course. I am a teacher, after all. If I'm not going to school, where else would I be?"
Kondo Yuika shot a look at Sakurai Kaiko—that wasn't the kind of question you needed to ask!
Akishin checked in. "How are you two feeling today?"
Knowing he was asking if yesterday's work had been too exhausting, Kondo Yuika shook her head with a smile. "Don't worry, Chishima-sensei. Kaiko and I have been helping out at the izakaya since we were kids."
"Is that so? That's a relief, then. I was worried it might interfere with your studies."
They chatted for a few more monts, agreeing to et at the shop that afternoon. Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko then pedaled away on their bikes.
Chishima Akishin continued his leisurely pace, enjoying the brush of the morning wind, watching the roadside scenery, and observing the sun as it slowly climbed higher.
He had considered buying a bicycle for his commute, but after thinking it over, he'd scrapped the idea. A bike was fine for wandering around during his ti off, but for work, he preferred walking. He wasn't in a rush. On the way back, he could always just take the bus.
This kind of life was sothing he had once yearned for but found unreachable. Now that he had it, he cherished it deeply.
At eight o'clock sharp, Akishin arrived at Sobu High. He clocked in, walked to the faculty office, and took his seat. Hiratsuka Shizuka, whose desk was next to his, hadn't arrived yet, and only a few other teachers were present.
Gradually, people began filtering in, and occasionally a student would stop by to ask a question.
Since he had no imdiate tasks, Akishin pulled out his copy of Ye Cao and began to read. Sure enough, every ti he dove into its pages, he found a different perspective waiting for him.
At eight-thirty, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked into the office right on ti. A minute later, the bell rang.
"Hiratsuka-sensei," Akishin greeted her with a smile.
Shizuka pulled out her chair and sat down, then imdiately slumped forward onto the desk.
"Chishima Akishin... don't bother . I'm going to sleep for a bit."
"Looks like she was drinking again yesterday!"
Shizuka, still face-down, opened one eye to glare at Akishin.
Yesterday, she had been lectured by her mother for ages about why she still didn't have a boyfriend, and her mother was already dead-set on arranging another blind date!
Feeling depressed, she had accidentally overindulged, and waking up this morning had been a symphony of headaches.
Shizuka hid her eye again, her voice muffled by her sleeves. "If any administrators look for , call . If any students look for , call . Other than that, leave alone."
"Fair enough."
Akishin agreed with a resigned sigh; he could see that Hiratsuka Shizuka was genuinely exhausted.
Not long after, the sound of Shizuka's rhythmic breathing filled the space, revealing a glimpse of her sleeping face.
Akishin glanced at the other teachers in the office. They only spared her a brief look before returning to their work; apparently, this wasn't Hiratsuka Shizuka's first offense.
But for Akishin, it was a first. He watched her face for a mont before returning to his book—beautiful, profound sentences on the page, and Shizuka's peaceful sleeping face beside him. He liked all of it.
When the first period ended, Shizuka woke up. There were obvious red creases on her face from where it had been pressed against her clothes.
The mont she lifted her head, she saw Akishin reading beside her. He looked calm and focused, his gaze serious, his short hair neat, radiating an aura that felt... different.
Shizuka stared at him, dazed, for two seconds. It wasn't until Akishin turned his head that she snapped out of it, her face instantly flushing a faint pink.
"Hiratsuka-sensei. You're awake."
"Ah! Yeah! I'm up! I'm going to the restroom to wash my face!"
Shizuka hurried out of the office.
Akishin blinked. Did I say sothing wrong?
The second period was Hiratsuka Shizuka's Japanese class, so she headed off to teach. At the sa ti, Akishin had his Mandarin Chinese lesson.
The bell rang, and Akishin carried his textbook toward Class 2-J with a relaxed gait. When he arrived, the students were already seated neatly.
Akishin caught a glimpse of Yukinoshita Yukino. She was the sa as ever; no change, at least on the surface.
The lesson proceeded quietly. Akishin gave them an assignnt to copy pinyin characters a few tis, then returned to the office.
Hiratsuka Shizuka was already back, busy grading papers.
Before long, the morning had slipped away. During lunch, Shizuka settled for bread and milk, while Akishin headed to the cafeteria.
As a high-level school, Sobu High naturally had a cafeteria. The prices were low and the food was decent enough. While it couldn't compare to his own cooking, Akishin wasn't particularly picky.
Japanese people seed to have a unique bento culture, so they rarely visited the cafeteria for lunch, often preferring to eat store-bought bread instead. That was probably why so many people in this country suffered from stomach issues!
However, as he was heading down the stairs, Akishin spotted Hikigaya sitting on the stairwell in the corner of the building. His signature ahoge swayed in the air; he seed to be enjoying the cool breeze. Akishin could feel the slight movent of the air currents—it was indeed quite comfortable.
"Hikigaya," Akishin called out from behind him.
"Chishima-sensei!!"
Hachiman turned around, startled, holding a piece of bread he was about to bite into.
"Is that all you're eating?"
Akishin looked at the yakisoba bread and milk in Hachiman's hands. He patted Hachiman on the head and said, "Wait here a second. I'm going to the cafeteria to get you so real food. Don't eat that bread."
Akishin ran off to the cafeteria. Hachiman looked at the bread in his hand, then quietly closed the packaging.
A short while later, Akishin returned carrying two steaming bento boxes. He handed one to Hachiman and sat down beside him.
"Ah... I... thanks, Chishima-sensei."
Hachiman accepted the box awkwardly.
"Why don't you eat at the cafeteria? The food is hot and it isn't expensive. The money you spent on that bread and milk is actually more than this bento cost."
"I'm just... not used to it."
Hachiman opened the box. Seeing the hot rice and side dishes, he really did feel out of place, but... he took a bite and chewed. It was surprisingly delicious.
This feeling... isn't bad.
Akishin offered a gentle reminder. "Try to go to the cafeteria more often. Hot food is much better for you than cold bread."
"...I'll consider it."
Akishin gave a thin smile and didn't push further; traditional mindsets weren't easily changed.
Teacher and student sat in the corner of the stairwell, eating their bentos and enjoying the breeze.
Students passing by occasionally gave them strange looks, but unfortunately for them, neither of the two was the type to care about the opinions of others.
Midway through the al, Akishin asked, "The [Breathing thod]—have you been practicing it at ho?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Akishin while chewing. "I've been practicing."
"How does it feel?"
"Very comfortable. I fall asleep fast, and I don't dream."
"Are you just giving a random answer, Hikigaya?"
"I can't help it. Sensei told to practice, but when I do, I just pass out. That's not sothing humans can control."
"Hikigaya, you're making excuses."
"You could say that!"
"Well, at least you're honest. Since I've only taught you the breathing technique so far, feeling comfortable is enough. You can use it when you're tired, too—it's great for recovery."
"I understand. Thanks, Sensei."
"Once you're used to the breathing, I'll start teaching you sword forms, and then I'll teach you the full [ditation thod]."
"...Can I opt out?"
"No."
"..."
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