Chapter 75: Part-time Job
Sato Shinichi still didn’t come to school the next day.
In his own words, for the sake of his health, his grandfather had specifically taken two days off for him.
Kazumi wasn’t entirely sure if Sato Shinichi’s health had any problems, but judging by the way he greeted her first thing in the morning, Kazumi knew the guy was probably fine. What happened to him being disciplined by his grandfather was his own business.
Casually replying to Sato Shinichi’s instructions, Kazumi put down her phone and got out of bed to wash up, preparing to go to school.
Thanks to the small amount of money Fukada Akihiko left her when he left, although it wasn’t much, it was enough for Kazumi to not have to eat that miserable plain rice ball for the next few days.
Especially since her cheap meal ticket wasn’t coming for a while, Kazumi, who had been craving food for her stomach, specifically bought a small self-heating bento on her way to school today, as a reward for not eating properly for the past two days .
……
“Ring, ring, ring, ring—”
Accompanying the melodious sound of the dismissal bell, Kazumi closed her textbook and wrote down the last sentence in the brand new notebook on her right. Then, she closed the notebook with satisfaction.
Today’s study tasks were a bit heavier than usual, so Kazumi spent a little more effort taking notes.
Of course, it wasn’t because the content of the class had become more difficult, but rather for someone, Kazumi had to take separate, more detailed notes.
Top students, or rather, academic gods, all had their unique learning methods. To outsiders, it might seem like they didn’t learn anything, but when the exam scores came out, they would always score better than you.
Kazumi was the same. With her exceptional thinking ability, she was also a bit whimsical in note-taking. Basically, the purpose of her study notes was to consolidate her thoughts at the same time. In other words, those mind-map-like notes she took in class were probably only understandable by herself.
However, for the sake of a certain idiot lying in the hospital who couldn’t come to class, our Kazumi could only reluctantly take these troublesome notes.
[This isn’t me caring about him! Isn’t this the best time to earn favorability points?!]
She hypnotized and comforted herself in her heart, but her notes were more detailed than anyone else’s, for fear of missing any knowledge points the teacher explained. She had even reviewed them in her mind, thinking about what she needed to explain to Sato Shinichi later.
In theory, based on their overall class ranking, Sato Shinichi’s grades were actually better than Kazumi’s. However, because the grades for the regular department at Shikoku Gakuin were calculated by combining cultural scores and practical scores, it was normal for Sato Shinichi, who could almost get full marks in practical skills, to be ranked higher in class.
But if you only consider cultural scores, Kazumi’s scores could generally rank in the top three in the class. As for why her overall ranking dropped to the middle level, it was still because of Kazumi’s thin and small body as a girl.
However, these were not overly fatal requirements. Although some highly ranked hero agencies now required their staff to be both literate and capable, there was still a way out for individuals like Kazumi who specialized in a single area, it was just that she couldn’t join first-tier agencies.
Moreover, in other words, if there were no opportunities for combat, and she was only responsible for logistics and coordination, it would actually be a better choice for most people. After all, the death rate for general support combatants had always been high.
Casually twirling the pen in her hand, Kazumi turned her head. The last row of the classroom was empty. Its owner should be in the hospital being taught a good lesson by his grandfather at this time.
Thinking of Sato Shinichi being scolded by his grandfather, Kazumi’s usually dead-like face showed a faint smile. Looking at the classmates around her who were playfully packing their school bags to go home, Kazumi took out her pure black-cased mobile phone from her bag and turned on the screen.
As expected, the screen was full of greetings sent at various times, from asking if she had eaten to complaining that she was bored alone in the hospital, and finally to complaining about how hateful her grandfather was and how he always punished her secretly during training.
Kazumi seemed to see a pitiful figure wrapped like a mummy, lying on a hospital bed with nothing to do, and being scolded harshly by her grandfather from time to time.
The faint smile on her face deepened again. Even Kazumi herself didn’t realize it, but as long as Sato Shinichi’s name was mentioned, her expression became more natural.
Not caring that it was already after school, Kazumi sat down at her seat, hung her packed school bag back on the side of the seat, and began to reply to the boy’s messages wholeheartedly.
Perhaps because she had to take notes, Kazumi basically spent her rest time organizing the materials in her hands. Furthermore, mobile phones were contraband in school. Kazumi only carried her phone in case someone needed her urgently. She didn’t even have time to take out her phone during lunch break, because at that time, Kazumi was busy organizing her thoughts on how to teach Sato Shinichi!
Reaching into her bag for her notebook, Kazumi took two photos and sent them to Sato Shinichi with a slight sense of pride. After receiving his thanks, Kazumi’s eyes even radiated happiness, making it impossible to believe that she was the same cold-faced girl at school.
Then, Kazumi froze in place.
[What am I doing?]
[Why am I taking pictures for him? Is a child showing off their grades to their parents? Do I want praise?]
[Most importantly, I seem to be happy?!!]
Sitting there blankly, Kazumi suddenly didn’t know how to think. The instincts brought by her body were terrifying, always pushing her towards Sato Shinichi, and she seemed to be enjoying it. Only her remaining rationality reminded her at the crucial moment: all of this was fake, she was a **man**!
“Huu—”
Reaching out to pat her cheeks, Kazumi forced herself to calm down. Or rather, she had found a way to get along with Sato Shinichi?
As long as she could firm up her purpose, stabilize her mind, and avoid overly intimate physical contact, most importantly!! She must control the strange romantic fantasies in her head!!
This way, in a short period, reason could still play a leading role, and she could use Sato Shinichi’s feelings for her to achieve her goals.
However, she had to grasp the degree herself. Based on Kazumi’s experience in the past few times, if she wasn’t careful, she might end up giving herself away.
[Why don’t I lure him into doing something disappointing? Scumbags, even if it was the original Shimizu Kazumi who liked him, if he did something too excessive, she wouldn’t have that much goodwill, right!]
As if she had suddenly thought of something, the calmness in Kazumi’s eyes suddenly flashed with a glimmer of light. She casually sent a cute little emoji to Sato Shinichi, ending the conversation, and began to focus her brain cells on the feasibility of this idea.
Then she discovered…
“No way!!!”
Slightly dejectedly, Kazumi banged her head on the desk, letting out a cry of anguish. When she had this thought in her mind, the first thing that came to mind was the scene when Hishiyama Minako’s abilities went out of control, and Sato Shinichi firmly protected her in his arms. Such a behavior that disregarded his own life was simply a deadly bonus point!!
Quickly dispelling the images in her mind, she felt like she was about to revert to her romantic mode. Compared to that feeling of her body being out of control, Kazumi preferred the current state of being able to think calmly.
“This can be a backup plan. I will analyze its actual operability in detail when I get back.”
Silently opening the notepad on her phone, Kazumi wrote this down. She looked up at the dim yellow sky and the classmates who were almost finished leaving the classroom. She tidied up the things on the desk, picked up her school bag, and walked out of the classroom, heading home.
……
Casually having dinner at a small shop near her home, Kazumi walked out with satisfaction, squinting her eyes and looking contentedly at the sky that had completely darkened.
The neon lights at night probably had more of the flavor of a modern city. Between the towering and crisscrossing buildings were various signboards. Even at night, the streets were still crowded with people of all sorts: young people dressed fashionably, middle-aged couples making a living selling small stalls on the street, and pitiful office workers who just got off work and were on their way home for a drink at an izakaya as their only entertainment for the day.
In a society with heroes, it doesn’t seem to be any different. We are all just insignificant parts of this society, nothing important, nothing worth valuing.
Looking at the dazzling neon lights that made one feel a bit dazed, Kazumi seemed to recall her past life as a salaryman, and lost herself for a moment.
But Kazumi quickly regained her composure, smiled ambiguously, and glanced at the recruitment flyer in her hand. Regardless of anything else, she was different from her past life now, at least she had the power to control her own destiny!
“Star Bikini Supermarket, it should be here!”
Following the address on the recruitment flyer, Kazumi found this supermarket, which looked quite large and offered generous benefits. She nodded and cheered herself on before walking into the supermarket.
“Hello, excuse me, are you still hiring…”
With a slightly stiff, formulaic smile on her face, Kazumi put on what she considered the most friendly smile and walked into the supermarket.
But before she could finish her sentence, a cold baseball bat whistled through the air and stopped in front of her. Then, a somewhat young but exceptionally deep voice sounded in her ear.
“Sorry, we don’t hire women here!!”
(ps: Wuwuwu, don’t scold anymore, don’t scold anymore. Dried fish is wrong, no more abuse, no more abuse. Judging by the current feedback from senior brothers, I probably won’t get the Yan Emperor that big boss is talking about, QAQ. I’ll just follow my original idea and not abuse for the sake of abuse. So, please don’t abandon the book, everyone!! I bow apologetically [to the extent of revealing my chest])
