Kapitel 10: Fake Hero and Spontaneous Outing

Yasushi made his way through the school's long, resounding hallways, a lone figure during a short break from his scheduled courses. Fully engaged in his own studies, he was surprisingly called upon by a nearby teacher to assist with something, the sudden request guiding him away from his chosen path.

Just one more class remained before the conclusion of the day, making the prospect of freedom seem incredibly near.

After he had delivered the requested help, he found himself in the faculty office, carefully placing the documents down as he was asked to. It was within this area of official business that he noticed the principal looking in his direction and beckoning him forward, the action coming across as somewhat strange and intriguing.

"Sir, is there something you needed?" Yasushi questioned, standing upright next to both the principal and the vice-principal, their presence suggesting a certain degree of importance.

"I happened to notice something interesting online," the principal began, his voice a combination of curiosity and slight amusement. "Have you been possibly causing a stir or starting up rumors with what you've been doing lately, young man?"

"Not particularly, no. Something took place last Friday, and Jishiha has chosen to turn over a new leaf and has left the school of his own accord," Yasushi clarified in a somewhat unclear manner.

The principal and the vice-principal gave each other a quick look that seemed to convey a shared understanding without the need for words, a silent exchange of knowledge. They chose not to ask him any more about the subject and instead directed Yasushi to go back to his classroom.

This was something he quickly did as he was very keen on avoiding any further observation. Leaving the faculty office behind, he took the same route he had previously taken back to the comfortable area where he learned.

As he came close to the door to his classroom, Yasushi saw a person who was well known by most people at the school. This student, named Tanaka, was popular for several reasons.

Tanaka had athletic talent and was particularly known for his skill at baseball where he played alongside his teammate Furuya. He had also previously been a member of the volleyball team, but had stopped playing for reasons that were unknown by the majority of students.

Furuya, a friend who was often around, would frequently mention how skilled Tanaka was in two different sports, usually focusing on his impressive pitching ability, while also bringing up the good connection that the two of them shared with each other.

When Tanaka spotted Yasushi, his eyes lit up with recognition, which resulted in a quick approach towards him, clearly excited about their chance meeting.

"Well hey there, Mr. Superhero! Whatever it is that you did, you were able to get Jishiha to leave, and that's put a smile on everyone's face. You're gonna be treated like royalty for a while," Tanaka exclaimed, playfully giving Yasushi a light tap on his shoulder.

Yasushi was taken aback by the sudden and unexpected interest he was receiving, and in response gave a somewhat uneasy reply. "I didn't really intend for that to happen, but I appreciate the acknowledgement I guess," he said softly.

Tanaka continued his brash line of questioning undeterred. "So come on, did you go up against him? Take on all of his people, and even the dog? It sounds like you really went all out," he questioned him, mixing playful joking with a somewhat rude tone.

Yasushi carefully thought about how he should phrase his answer, and in the end gave a somewhat ambiguous explanation. "Let's just say that there was some confrontation that took place, along with some negotiations. Would that be enough to satisfy your need to know?" he questioned. Tanaka let out a good-natured laugh and then gave Yasushi another playful hit on his shoulder.

"Who needs to actually know the details when we're able to come up with our own crazy ideas, Mr. Super-Secret Spy!" Tanaka yelled, his happiness spreading to others, as he quickly left, leaving Yasushi to think about the strange mix of respect and amusement that often seemed to come up during their interactions.

Yasushi let out a soft breath, a clear sign that he was slightly annoyed, as he shook his head in disapproval of himself. "I really don't like being called that," he said quietly to himself, a silent protest against the praises that he believed were unwarranted.

With a determined walk, he went inside his classroom, noticing the looks of curiosity that followed him wherever he went, however he chose to ignore them and not give them his attention.

After he sat down in his assigned seat at his desk, Yasushi's attention was drawn to a small note that had been carefully placed beneath his textbook.

His interest was now greatly peaked, so he picked it up and unfolded the paper in anticipation of what he might find. He was surprised to see the name "Jingliu" written on the paper, a discovery that sparked a degree of intrigue inside of him.

"I'm very interested in learning about this city. When you talked about being a person who has lived here his whole life, it made me want to know more. Would you be willing to give me a tour of the area, dear friend?"

Yasushi couldn't help but notice the emphasis that had been put on the word "friend", which caused him to give a small smirk. It was clear that Jingliu was purposefully trying to form a connection with him.

He looked over at her and saw her completely focused on her books, but she did spare a quick smile towards him before going back to studying. He did not overlook the subtle action, and it caused a sense of warmth to develop within him, as he thought about their forming friendship.

'Where exactly are we planning to meet?' Yasushi thought, his mind wondering about how vague her invitation was, as it did not include a time or location. He decided to just let things happen naturally and put the note into his pocket and refocused on his schoolwork, leaving it up to fate to decide when they would meet.

+-+

After the bell had rung and the hallways became empty, Yasushi chose to stay behind for a little while, his mind still occupied by the events of the day amongst the usual end-of-day confusion. He briefly saw Furuya rushing out, who was clearly eager to practice for this year's games, before the noise and chaos of the school day turned into the more peaceful environment of the classroom.

Jingliu, the mysterious person among the now almost empty room, got up from her desk with an aura of determination. She put her bag over her shoulder and looked directly at Yasushi, locking her eyes on his as if she was drawn to him by some invisible force.

Before Yasushi had time to say anything, Jingliu spoke, her voice clear and unexpected. "So it's a date then," she stated, her words both light, yet also coming across as a friendly challenge. Yasushi attempted to say something back, however he was interrupted by her next words, delivered in a teasing manner that took him by surprise.

"I'm only joking around, my good friend Yasushi," Jingliu continued, her smirk indicating that there was more to her words than what she was actually saying. "However, I am being serious about my request. There's still some daylight left, and we should take advantage of it. Let's go out."

"You tend to talk in a strange way from time to time," Yasushi commented as they began to leave the school grounds, walking alongside Jingliu.

The school, now free from the large groups of students, allowed them the chance to have a conversation without any interruptions. Jingliu, sounding somewhat excited, suggested that they go to the bakery. "I need to buy a few things," she mentioned.

Yasushi shrugged it off, not putting too much thought into it. "Sure, is it that you like to eat sweet things a lot or something?" he asked, to which Jingliu responded by nodding, and then gave some information about her past.

"That's right," she confirmed. "As a kid, I had a big fondness for sweets, but my grandparents were very strict and didn't allow me to eat them. It was only after they passed away and when we began to travel around a lot that I was able to have them more often." Her words painted a scene of a somewhat sad journey that involved a mix of longing and freedom.

"Is that how it is?" Yasushi commented, not sounding overly interested. "I've recently begun to get into baking, so maybe I can use you as someone to test my food on," he added, trying to sound laid back, although Jingliu's interested look made it clear that she was intrigued by his offer.

"Do you mind being one?" Yasushi questioned, sounding a bit unsure.

"People don't often refuse the offer of free food, do they?" Jingliu responded, her words conveying a hint of a challenge wrapped inside of amusement. Yasushi let out a laugh and shook his head.

"You're absolutely right. However, my food might not be as good as the things you normally eat," he admitted, with a smile that showed he wasn't taking himself too seriously.

Jingliu was silent for a brief moment as she thought about her answer before shaking her head. "It is necessary to make sacrifices in order to learn. I'll support you as you learn more, and once you become better at it, I'll be happy to enjoy the food that you make. Does that sound like a fair deal?" Her words showed a certain determination, and a readiness to stand by Yasushi as he worked on his cooking abilities.

"That sounds acceptable to me," Yasushi replied, as their back and forth continued, while they made their way toward the bakery that Jingliu had been talking about.

Once they were inside, Jingliu began to move with clear intent, selecting a variety of breads, pastries, and other sweet treats that caught her eye before quickly paying for them.

Yasushi was very surprised when Jingliu gave the cashier a black credit card. The cashier was also shocked, and handled the card with a nervous respect, almost as if they were handling some ancient and powerful item.

Once they were back outside, Jingliu noticed the confused look on Yasushi's face. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, clearly puzzled by his reaction.

Leading the way, Yasushi couldn't help but ask about it. "You... you have a black credit card?" he questioned, sounding very uneasy.

"It's the Centurion Card from American Express. My father gave it to me, although there are limits to how much I can use it, which I almost never reach. There's really no reason for you to be worried about it," Jingliu said casually, not at all bothered by the interest that her card had caused.

Yasushi's disbelief was very clear as he repeated what Jingliu had just said, with a voice that showed his shock. "No reason to be worried," he mumbled quietly, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to process what he was hearing. "There's no regular teenager who has something like that," he added, his tone full of doubt as he gestured for them to start walking again.

"I'm not exactly normal though, and neither are you, Yasushi," Jingliu commented casually, while taking a slow bite of her bread. Her words hung in the air and were clearly said with amusement.

She moved the bread towards him, in a playful manner, and Yasushi, not really thinking about it, leaned in and took a bite of it.

"How does it taste?" she questioned, her eyes showing her curiosity.

"It's good…or maybe I should say, it tastes the same as always?" Yasushi responded thoughtfully, a hint of remembrance in his voice. "I often go to that bakery and eat their food, so I've become used to the way it tastes. They do sometimes offer new food options though, so I would suggest that you try them out. However it can be a bit hit or miss," he explained, with a hint of caution.

Jingliu nodded to show she understood, her face showing her happiness. "I'll keep that in mind. So then, where should we go next, my good friend?" she asked, her eyes showing her excitement, as if the whole world was open for them to explore.