In all fairness, Shuichi Chiba genuinely only wanted to check in and had no intention of avoiding the ho visit.
In his previous life, he had seen this kind of thing happen often. Young newcors, full of enthusiasm when they first start their jobs, would, within a few months, be overwheld by workplace pressure and end up crying to their parents.
Middle-aged n, ruthlessly exploited, silently bear the burden with their families, only to suddenly collapse in tears one day.
Being tornted by pressure to marry, driven to despair by housing prices—it’s all too "normal."
However, Sumire Nagase didn't believe that her student could resonate with such feelings and thought Shuichi Chiba was just playing mind gas with her, so she brought back the school's seriousness.
With no further idle chatter, Shuichi Chiba idly observed his surroundings on the train and once again scrutinized Sumire Nagase.
The female teacher was tall, at least over 1.7 ters, with a striking leg-to-body ratio. Besides being a bit skinny, she had no other flaws.
Shuichi Chiba thought she could easily consider a modeling career.
After they arrived at the station, Sumire Nagase, who had been following Shuichi Chiba, noticed the train he intended to take and gradually furrowed her brows. She rembered from the records that Shuichi’s ho was not supposed to be in this direction.
Sumire Nagase crossed her arms and said, “What are you trying to pull now? Shuichi Chiba, if you plan to lead on a wild goose chase, don’t bother—it won’t work. I’m not going to let this go until I et your parents. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I’ve got all the ti in the world to wear you down.”
Having experienced a teaching career with so ntal gas with students, Sumire Nagase had long co to this realization.
“Well, you’re quite the free spirit, teacher,” Chiba replied. “But I suppose it makes sense; single people do have less to do on weekends.”
Shuichi Chiba made a quick remark and, before Sumire Nagase could glare at him, he explained, “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to avoid the ho visit. It’s just that since you’re insisting on eting my parents, we need to go to Haneda Airport to buy plane tickets first.”
“Haneda Airport?” Sumire Nagase was taken aback.
“Yeah, my parents work in South Africa. If you want to et them, we’ll need an international flight.” Shuichi Chiba said matter-of-factly.
He then calculated the ti, “From Tokyo, we’d fly directly to Dubai, then transfer to Johannesburg. It would take about twenty hours. The weekend—Saturday and Sunday—should be enough for a round trip.”
“.....”
Sumire Nagase stared at the serious expression of Shuichi Chiba’s face, her forehead twitching. Why on earth would a simple ho visit require a trip to South Africa?
“Do you really want to go, Ms. Nagase? I have to say, it’s quite a hassle. Being a teacher is tough indeed.” Shuichi Chiba remarked with a hint of malice.
Sumire Nagase’s teeth clenched in frustration. She was tempted to see it through and actually fly to South Africa, but the thought was quickly squashed by her laziness. She could use that ti to sleep in at ho, visit Akihabara, or get a couple more outfits.
With that in mind, she gave up on the idea, cleared her throat, and said, “Ahem, Shuichi, since your parents are busy abroad, it would be a bother to interrupt them. I’ll just give them a call later.”
“They don’t have great reception where they’re working, so they might not get the ssage,” Shuichi Chiba said, clearly noticing that she had given up on the unrealistic idea.
The young teacher’s insincere deanor was quite amusing, and he couldn’t resist prodding a bit more.
“I’ll just send them an email and wait until their reception improves to get in touch.” Sumire Nagase said through gritted teeth. To prevent Shuichi from continuing to tease her, she quickly shifted her strategy.
“Although it’s a pity not to et your parents, the ho visit must go on. Let’s head to your place and take a look.”
She had hoped to see Shuichi Chiba show so signs of panic, but was disappointed. Instead, he gave a small, calm smile and nodded, appearing completely composed.
“If you insist, I have no problem with it.” Shuichi Chiba said with a calm deanor.
Sumire Nagase's unease grew as she sensed there might be so underlying sche. This student was not as easily manageable as those she had dealt with before; he might actually have sothing up his sleeve.
However, she wasn’t going to give in. If she was seen as easily outwitted, how would she maintain her authority as a teacher in the future?
As they boarded another train, a sudden wave of apprehension hit her. If she had gone along with the plan and actually flown to South Africa, would she have ended up being sold off?
In a brief mont of unsettling fear, Sumire realized she might be overthinking things—perhaps from reading too many stories and developing a bit of paranoia.
But upon seeing Shuichi Chiba’s calm and composed deanor, Sumire Nagase felt as if she was being manipulated by her student, twisted and turned at his will.
This was really frustrating.
Shuichi Chiba had no idea just how much his teacher's imagination was running wild. After changing trains once, they arrived at the entrance of the Chikase Store Shopping Street.
“You live here now? I thought the address you provided in your records was different.” Sumire Nagase said, her suspicion evident.
“Yeah, I moved here during the sumr.” Shuichi Chiba replied, nodding slightly and leading her further into the area.
As they entered the managent office for the shopping street, Sumire Nagase finally couldn't hold back. “Are you seriously telling you live here? If I’m not mistaken, this seems to be the managent office for renting and selling comrcial properties.”
“Exactly,” Shuichi Chiba said, settling comfortably behind the desk. He gestured toward the street outside. “I’m in charge of leasing the shops here. Is there anything else you need to know, teacher?”
Sumire Nagase doubted her ears. She looked back at the street and the various shops they had passed, feeling a bit disoriented.
In disbelief, she turned back to Shuichi Chiba, hoping to catch a hint of a prank on his face, but instead found only sincerity.
Shuichi Chiba’s next words left her in a state of shock.
“As I ntioned before, I filled out my career survey very carefully and considered the practical aspects, Ms. Nagase.”
Sumire Nagase stood there, stunned, blinking her sore eyes for a while. Her mind started to churn with bitterness.
She worked so hard but couldn’t afford a ho, having to live with her parents who constantly pressured her about marriage. anwhile, her student owned an entire shopping street.
Life felt incredibly unfair. She wanted to cry.
It was all too overwhelming.
Sumire Nagase, feeling a bit deflated, sank into a chair. “Well, it seems your career survey was indeed filled out very thoroughly. I won’t pursue this any further.”
“That’s quite a relief.” Shuichi Chiba said with a smile.
Sumire Nagase quickly tried to regain her professional dignity. “However, this doesn’t an you should slack off. Education isn’t just about getting a job; it’s also a crucial ans of personal developnt. It helps you make friends with talented people and expand your network. These things are very important.”
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, teacher.” Shuichi Chiba nodded earnestly. He wasn’t just being polite; he genuinely agreed with her.
It was quite the responsibility of Sumire Nagase to discuss the importance of networking with her students. However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Shuichi Chiba was just humoring her and that she was being underestimated. The frustration of feeling belittled made her feel like she couldn't continue as a teacher for even one more day.
She felt like a complete failure.
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