Bab 10: Chapter 10
Relative silence made the atmosphere a bit awkward, at least from the perspective of Sumire Nagase.
She felt it was the most unsuccessful day of her career, as she was schooled by her own student.
Sumire Nagase awkwardly broke the silence, "The achievements of your parents were hard-earned. You should inherit their spirit of hard work and not slack off..."
"Uh..." Shuichi Chiba raised his hand and gently interrupted her, "Sorry, Teacher, but this street wasn't earned by my parents. It was actually mentioned in the previous survey form."
Sumire Nagase suddenly remembered Shuichi Chiba's first choice— inheriting the fortune of a wealthy distant relative—and immediately understood.
I can't believe there's actually a scenario like this, straight out of a TV drama.
Naturally, Sumire Nagase felt even more envious.
Why didn't she have a wealthy distant relative to leave her an inheritance? If that were the case, she could go wild buying outfits—get as many as she wanted.
Seeing that the teacher seemed a bit disheartened, Shuichi Chiba gently asked, "Are you interested in opening a shop here? Maybe a small private tutoring center or something? The rent comes with a discount."
He assessed the situation, and according to the system's standards, Ms. Nagase seemed like she could be an excellent shopkeeper. Since she was already here, it would be a waste not to try and recruit her—especially with the opportunity to get a raise.
"I think I'll pass. The work at school is already giving me a headache."
Sumire Nagase declined decisively. Besides the reason she gave, she also felt it was awkward to take advantage of her student—even though Shuichi Chiba wouldn't mind at all.
"However, I have a friend who might be interested. Would the discount still apply for her?" Sumire Nagase suddenly changed her mind, thinking of a particularly regretful classmate and couldn't help but ask.
"If your friend is as beautiful as you are, then that would be no problem." Shuichi Chiba said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Sumire Nagase gave him a sidelong glance. "Even if you flatter me like that, I won't give you extra points on your grades. And as for looks, I can't compete with her."
"I didn't mean anything like that. Even if I fail, it's no big deal to me." Shuichi Chiba shrugged, though his curiosity was piqued.
Peeling away Sumire Nagase's somewhat unflattering facade, her looks were actually quite striking. If it weren't for the comparison in body type, she could easily rival the two Mrs. Ogawas. Yet, she claimed she couldn't compare to her friend.
What kind of beauty must her friend possess?
"Don't make it sound so easy. If you fail, my teacher evaluations will be affected too. Please, take it seriously." Sumire Nagase exclaimed in frustration.
"I'll do my best." Shuichi Chiba said, casting a sympathetic glance at the poor teacher. Being a corporate worker must be tough; fortunately, he'd never have to go down that path again.
Sumire Nagase felt hurt by his look, feeling pitied and rather upset. Was she really that pathetic?
"It's getting late. I should head back," She said, rising with a sense of defeat. "I'll ask my friend and let you know."
"If she decides to come here, remember to look after her for me. In exchange, I can offer you free tutoring after hours."
"There's no need for that. I help others without expecting anything in return."
Shuichi Chiba declined the tutoring offer with polite indifference. Although life at this school was quite interesting, tutoring was simply not his cup of tea.
In Japan, cram schools were far more advanced and competitive than in other places, with a well-established industry covering everything from elementary school to university.
His lack of interest was obvious, and Sumire Nagase finally regained a bit of her teacherly confidence. It turned out there were things even he was wary of.
"It's settled then. She's a pitiful person, so don't you dare bully her."
With that, she didn't wait for Shuichi Chiba's response and hurried off.
Shuichi Chiba sighed to himself. To be dealing with cram schools in a second life? That's something.
It was a pity that Sumire Nagase didn't teach English; otherwise, he might have looked forward to it.
At that moment, Sayuki Ogawa walked in with her sister and greeted him, "Chiba-san, do you usually finish school this early? Don't you participate in any club activities?"
"I'm in the camping club. Our activities are infrequent and mostly during vacations," Shuichi Chiba explained. "Has the renovation team arrived? I noticed they seemed to have started when I passed by just now. Are you satisfied with their progress?"
Sayuki Ogawa gave a thumbs-up. "I'm extremely satisfied. The price is fair, the designer is highly skilled, and communication has been very smooth."
"Glad to hear that," Shuichi Chiba nodded, then turned his attention to Fumika Ogawa, who had been keeping a low profile since entering. Her face was obscured, but her red ears and fidgety hands revealed her embarrassment and unease.
He decided to take another look to gauge her feelings more accurately.
Fumika Ogawa soon felt uncomfortable under Shuichi Chiba's scrutiny. The memory of him accepting her gift—her stockings—made her want to flee on the spot out of sheer embarrassment.
Sayuki Ogawa, observing the scene with a smile, asked, "Did you like the gift from this morning, Chiba-san?"
Shuichi Chiba withdrew his gaze and looked at her, responding casually, "The taste was quite good."
"Oh?" Sayuki Ogawa raised an eyebrow, surprised by his bold comment. Fumika Ogawa's heart began to race wildly.
Did Chiba-san really like that kind of thing? When he said the taste was good… what did that mean?
"The cookies taste quite good." Shuichi Chiba said with a smile.
Fumika Ogawa let out a quiet sigh of relief, though she still felt a twinge of disappointment.
"Does that mean you didn't like the gift I gave you?" Sayuki Ogawa squinted slightly.
"If I said I didn't like it, would you send something else?" Shuichi Chiba's glance at Fumika Ogawa was subtle but telling, his eyes continuing to survey her.
His words were cleverly phrased, neither confirming nor denying his preference, but subtly suggesting—more would be appreciated.
However, it could also be interpreted as a polite way to express that he found the gift unusual and would prefer something more conventional, like snacks or towels, without causing offense.
Sayuki Ogawa's attempt to press Shuichi Chiba failed, and she couldn't help but pout, "Cunning."
Shuichi Chiba feigned ignorance, looking at her with a bewildered expression, which made her roll her eyes.
However, Shuichi Chiba then added, "Since using honorifics makes it hard to distinguish between the two of you, could I call you Fumika-san and Sayuki-san instead?"
"There's also the option of using names with honorifics, you know." Sayuki Ogawa huffed.
"Using honorifics seems a bit distant, don't you think, Fumika-san?" Shuichi Chiba's gaze was intense as he looked at Fumika Ogawa.
The latter, her face flushed, looked at Shuichi Chiba's charming smile and felt a bit dizzy. Her hazy eyes lost focus, and she instinctively nodded more vigorously.
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