章 9: Chapter 9
In all fairness, Shuichi Chiba genuinely only wanted to check in and had no intention of avoiding the home visit.
In his previous life, he had seen this kind of thing happen often. Young newcomers, full of enthusiasm when they first start their jobs, would, within a few months, be overwhelmed by workplace pressure and end up crying to their parents.
Middle-aged men, ruthlessly exploited, silently bear the burden with their families, only to suddenly collapse in tears one day.
Being tormented 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 games 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 meters, 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 remembered from the records that Shuichi's home 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 me on a wild goose chase, don't bother—it won't work. I'm not going to let this go until I meet your parents. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I've got all the time in the world to wear you down."
Having experienced a teaching career with some mental games with students, Sumire Nagase had long come 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 home visit. It's just that since you're insisting on meeting 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 meet them, we'll need an international flight." Shuichi Chiba said matter-of-factly.
He then calculated the time, "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 home 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 time to sleep in at home, 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 message," Shuichi Chiba said, clearly noticing that she had given up on the unrealistic idea.
The young teacher's insincere demeanor 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 meet your parents, the home visit must go on. Let's head to your place and take a look."
She had hoped to see Shuichi Chiba show some 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 demeanor.
Sumire Nagase's unease grew as she sensed there might be some underlying scheme. This student was not as easily manageable as those she had dealt with before; he might actually have something 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 moment 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 demeanor, 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 summer." Shuichi Chiba replied, nodding slightly and leading her further into the area.
As they entered the management office for the shopping street, Sumire Nagase finally couldn't hold back. "Are you seriously telling me you live here? If I'm not mistaken, this seems to be the management office for renting and selling commercial 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 mentioned 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 home, having to live with her parents who constantly pressured her about marriage. Meanwhile, 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 mean you should slack off. Education isn't just about getting a job; it's also a crucial means of personal development. 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.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
200 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
10 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.
Goal refresh every week.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット