Chapter 45: In My Next Life, I Want to Be a Bear!
In the end, they didn't stay by the shore for long. At 4:30 PM, Shizuka suggested they head back.
Akishin drove them back to Chishimaya, and from there, Shizuka took the car to go home on her own. He had invited her to grab a bite at the tavern, but after a few seconds of hesitation, she turned him down.
Watching the brown van disappear around the corner, Akishin pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and stared up at the twilight sky as he exhaled a plume of smoke.
Today had gone well, for the most part. He'd managed to get Shizuka to come along, their rapport had become a bit more intimate, he'd finished the kendo tournament registration, and they'd spent the afternoon together... It's just that, toward the end, Shizuka's mood had soured for some reason.
Akishin couldn't pinpoint the cause. Thinking back, it probably wasn't even his fault, but rather some internal issue of hers.
His understanding of Shizuka was still too shallow, after all. In total, they had known each other for less than two weeks...
Still, a faint sense of displeasure lingered. He hadn't expected Shizuka to respond to his teasing with an actual apology.
Why do you have to apologize to me?
I just want you to be happy.
For Akishin, who was utterly inexperienced in these matters, it was a frustrating sensation. In this world, for the time being, Shizuka was the only one capable of making him feel this way.
He stepped inside the house and closed the door, isolating himself from the street outside. This was Akishin's own private world.
He tossed the half-finished cigarette onto the floor and crushed it under his heel. In a slightly raspy voice, he spoke: "Patch, can I enter the training room for a fight?"
A blue screen flickered into existence.
Patch: [Affirmative. Until Chishima Akishin completes the relevant profession targets, training can be conducted—except on days specifically designated for promotion! Based on current detection, Chishima Akishin does not yet meet the qualifications to learn Master-level kendo.]
"Good enough for me." Akishin let out a faint, hoarse smile. "Enter."
Akishin's body vanished from the spot.
Patch: [Special warning: Chishima Akishin is forbidden from engaging in excessive combat training. If you lose your way, Patch will be unable to retrieve you.]
In the dim tavern, only the blue screen remained, displaying the text for a heartbeat before it, too, blinked out of existence.
The following day brought overcast skies and a misty, drizzling rain.
At 7:30 AM, having finished breakfast and donned his usual black athletic suit, Akishin left Chishimaya. He carried a grey umbrella as he made his way toward Sobu High.
"Chishima-sensei, good morning. Off to work?"
Mrs. Miyako, the owner of the clothing store next door, greeted him. She was a beautiful woman who was always seen wearing a kimono.
"Yes, good morning, Mrs. Miyako," Akishin replied with a smile.
"Good morning, Chishima-sensei!"
Uncle Daiki from the fried cake shop next door also chimed in. He was a jovial, stout man.
"Good morning, Uncle Daiki."
During his time here, even though Akishin hadn't gone out of his way to build relationships, he had become acquainted with several neighbors.
Partly because they were 'old-timers' on Konishi Street who remembered the original Akishin as a child, and partly because Chishimaya's sudden popularity had indirectly boosted their own businesses. The nearest izakaya on Konishi Street was over three hundred meters away, and given Chishimaya's small capacity, the impact wasn't large enough for anyone to come looking for trouble.
After exchanging pleasantries with the familiar faces, Akishin continued his walk. On the road, the number of students on bicycles had thinned, replaced by those taking the bus. Tires rolled over puddles, splashing water onto the roadside grass. Pedestrians kept to the sidewalk.
A fierce dog inside a cage let out a terrified whimper as Akishin passed by, as if desperate to escape its enclosure.
Akishin pulled his aura back under control. As he neared the school, he spotted Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko inside a passing bus. Both girls saw him and waved enthusiastically.
By the time he reached the school, the rain had stopped, but the sky remained heavy and the atmospheric pressure low. It looked like it would rain again before the day was half over.
The cherry blossoms along the road had all fallen, and the bare branches were beginning to sprout fresh green buds. This spring rain acted as a stimulant; in two weeks at most, the trees would be covered in a lush canopy.
Akishin entered the school, swapped his shoes for indoor slippers, and headed to the office. He was surprised to find that Shizuka had actually arrived already, dressed in her familiar white lab coat. Although she looked like she had only just gotten in, she was definitely there.
He immediately checked his phone to confirm the time: 7:50 AM. He hadn't misread it. He let out a sigh of relief.
Walking up behind Shizuka's chair, Akishin tapped her shoulder. "Shizuka-chan."
Shizuka jolted, a punch flying out by sheer reflex. Akishin caught it effortlessly and asked with a bewildered look, "What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's just you, Chishima-kun," Shizuka sighed in relief, rubbing her eyes.
"Did you drink too much again yesterday?" Akishin sat at his own desk and looked her over.
"I accidentally went a bit overboard last night, and then I set my alarm wrong. So, I decided to come to school early just to get some sleep. Chishima-kun, keep an eye out for me, will you? Same as usual—don't wake me up until the first period is over."
Shizuka slumped over, even pulling a stack of assignments to use as a pillow. Some poor (or lucky) student's workbook was now serving as her headrest.
So you came to school early just to sleep!
Akishin stared at the sleeping profile of Hiratsuka Shizuka and let out a small smile. Their relationship remained unchanged.
He pulled out his copy of Zhao Hua Xi Shi and began reading intently. His first class was during the second period with Class 2-J. Since the weather was like this, he'd have to keep the lesson indoors; basketball or badminton seemed like good options.
> "Animals, by nature, live in groups. Carnivores have a hierarchy; if you can't be the leader, you'll be oppressed until you die. Even herbivores must face the dilemma of sacrificing a friend to survive a natural predator's attack. That is why being part of a group provides no benefit to the individual. Therefore, I choose the path of the bear, an animal that never lives in groups. Bears are solitary creatures that feel no anxiety from being alone, and they also hibernate—it's truly magnificent. If I were to be reincarnated, I would definitely want to be a bear."
>
This was the second interesting essay Akishin had come across since arriving at Sobu High. The author was the same as the previous one: Hikigaya Hachiman.
During the third period, Hikigaya Hachiman was once again summoned by Hiratsuka Shizuka to the office.
"Praising bears to high heaven, are we?" Shizuka snatched the essay from Akishin's hand and waved it in front of Hachiman's face.
Hachiman glanced at Akishin, who was watching with a smirk, and then said, "Aren't you a Modern Japanese teacher, Sensei?"
Shizuka shot back, "I am a guidance counselor. Since the biology teacher handed this essay to me, of course I had to come find you."
"Put that aside for a moment..."
Shizuka pointed at the 'bear' essay on the desk. "In what world is this supposed to be about the ecology of wild animals?"
Hachiman replied flatly, "It is a firm opposition to the group-oriented society of wild animals."
"Don't give me excuses."
Akishin spoke up in Hachiman's defense. "Shizuka-chan, I actually disagree with you. What Hikigaya wrote is correct; it's just not quite the whole picture."
"Chishima—Akishin." Shizuka balled her hand into a fist.
"Fine, fine! I'm shutting up."
[Akishin_Obedient_Version.JPG, Limited Edition.]
"Hmph!" Shizuka let out a breath and turned her attention back to Hachiman, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "You really view the nature of groups as a sin, don't you?"
Hachiman was staring at Akishin with a bizarre look—Shizuka-chan!?
Hey, hey, Chishima-sensei, just what is going on between you and Hiratsuka-sensei?
Subconsciously, he blurted out, "Sensei, aren't you an individual yourself... a single, un—"
In the next heartbeat, Shizuka's fist slammed into Hachiman's stomach. Hachiman clutched his gut with a distorted expression—though it was clearly exaggerated; the kid was mostly acting.
Shizuka continued, "Anyway, did that request from the other day get settled?"
She was referring to Yuigahama Yui. Hachiman answered, "Yeah, pretty much. She feels okay about it herself."
"Speaking of which, what about that 'duel' you mentioned, Sensei?"
"Oh, that!" Shizuka remembered the bet they had made. She spun her chair around and grinned. "The winner and loser will be decided by my own personal judgment and bias, so don't worry!" She thumped her chest confidently. "I have my own criteria."
"By the way, what do you think of Yukinoshita Yukino?"
Hachiman answered hesitantly, "An annoying person."
Shizuka sighed. "Is that so? Even though she's an extraordinary student, extraordinary people have their own problems. Truthfully, she's a very kind girl. Kind, and always right. But this world is neither kind nor right, so she must find living quite exhausting! Both of your personalities are so twisted, I was worried you wouldn't be able to integrate into society properly. That's why I wanted to put you both in one place."
Hachiman commented sarcastically, "Do you view that place as a rehabilitation center?"
"Maybe!" Shizuka laughed loudly. "But I don't have to worry about you anymore, since you already have a 'tutor.' Still, watching you two is quite entertaining. Haha, maybe I just wanted to keep you both somewhere within my reach."
Hachiman reflexively looked toward Akishin. He saw Akishin mouthing the words: 'Next period, bring your armor. Practice. Don't run away!'
Hachiman's face, which had briefly looked moved by Shizuka's words, instantly turned grim.
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