Chapter 748: Common Sense
“Ding ding ding~”
In front of the desk, Fisher, who was dozing off, felt his eyelashes tremble slightly as the school bell rang, waking him from his slumber. He rubbed his forehead, sat up from the leaning chair, and rubbed his brow uncomfortably.
For some reason, he felt particularly tired after the lunch break, as if all the energy he had regained from a night’s sleep had been completely consumed in just half a day. His eyelids grew heavy, closing like a coffin lid, blocking out the light of the world and returning him to chaos.
Looking at the empty food container on his desk, Fisher couldn’t help but wonder if Hela had slipped him a sleeping pill in his meal.
But upon reflection, that didn’t seem to be the case, as fragments of memories invaded his mind, reminding him of more things about “Teacher Fisher.”
He could now even vaguely remember how he arrived in this country via a transportation method from another world called “airplane,” and how he became a teacher through an interview at this school.
The problem was that these memories did not originally belong to Fisher; he had never experienced such things.
It was like copying and pasting a segment of memory into a target folder, only to find that the file name had not been changed, making it appear startlingly out of place.
He realized this was the further erosion of himself by this world, namely the pollution.
Could it be because of what he said to Jasmine at lunchtime?
Because Hela planned to shatter Jasmine’s beautiful dream and release another incarnation hidden in her dream to separate the properties within Fisher, he decided to play it safe, without violating the identity he had in the dream.
What he told Jasmine on the rooftop obviously aligned with her wishes, which instead led to an increase in the intensity of the dream, causing him to remember even more details consistent with the identity of “Teacher Fisher.”
What if Fisher were to play his role as a teacher more rigorously?
It might not just be as simple as being trapped here forever. This dream wasn’t an ordinary dream; it was a pollution that could erode reality.
As he thought about this, Fisher silently closed the bento box in front of him, while in front of him, Hela’s desk was once again empty, and he had no idea where she had gone.
Fisher placed the bento box on her desk.
“Ding ding ding~”
The class bell still rang, like a bell opening the horse fence, returning those energetic high school students who had been in class all day to their freedom.
Fisher glanced outside at the sky stained with a clear orange hue, wondering if this scene meant Jasmine was in a good mood. Yet, looking at that sky, Fisher always felt that something about this dream had changed since he woke up.
“Knock knock knock”
A gentle knock echoed. After a few rhythmic taps, the person outside politely inquired softly,
“Hello, is Teacher Fisher here?”
It was Jasmine’s voice.
“.Please come in.”
In the next moment, the door opened to reveal Jasmine standing outside, holding a backpack, looking a bit shy.
In the hallway behind her, many classmates seemed to have additional activities, wearing athletic outfits and carrying instruments, paints, and other items, chatting and laughing as they headed in groups toward other directions of the school, while Jasmine, just like when she arrived in the morning, was clutching her backpack.
She smiled at Fisher, who looked calm in the office, yet her gaze inevitably flicked toward Hela’s empty spot opposite Fisher’s desk.
Seeing that spot was empty, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then her lips curved up, forming a sweet smile as she said to Fisher,
“Teacher Fisher, let’s go home.”
“.”
“Creak creak creak!”
The electric train tracks slightly curved, and the train compartment Fisher and Jasmine were in also followed the slight bend.
This was a conclusion Fisher drew as he stood in the middle of the compartment, observing the front compartment.
“Teacher Fisher, aren’t you going to sit for a while?”
The compartment was nearly empty; only on the way to the station did Fisher learn from Jasmine that although classes theoretically ended before four o’clock in the afternoon, most students joined some kind of club, so they would stay at school until around five-thirty.
Jasmine didn’t join any clubs, so she took Fisher home at this time. It wasn’t peak commuting hours, so there weren’t many passengers in the compartment. Aside from the sounds of the electric train friction, Jasmine’s voice stood out, sounding clear and pleasant.
“I’ve been sitting all day; I’d like to stand for a bit.”
“Then I’ll accompany Teacher Fisher. Hehe.”
Jasmine smiled slightly and tried to imitate Fisher by grabbing the overhead handle, but due to her height, it was a bit difficult. The vertical handles were too far away, so she tentatively reached out, tugging at Fisher’s sleeve to maintain her balance on the swaying vehicle.
“Creak creak creak”
The compartment swayed gently, causing the setting sun to flow like water over her smiling face. Fisher’s eyes twitched, and he couldn’t help but ask,
“Why don’t you join your classmates in their clubs? It seems like you don’t have any close friends in class either.”
“.”
Jasmine opened her mouth, seemingly taken aback by Fisher’s sudden question. She hadn’t prepared an answer and had to internally seek one, but received no response, leaving her in silence.
After a while, she smiled again, lifted her head to look at Fisher, and said somewhat shyly,
“How should I put it… Being with my classmates isn’t bad, but I always feel that a person’s good deeds in a lifetime are limited, so…”
“Good deeds?”
“Yes. It’s probably that good deeds are the blessings one enjoys in this life from the suffering and cultivation in the past life, so they’re limited. You see, Teacher Fisher, my parents love me so much, and you too… I’m not very smart or hardworking in this life, so I must have been like this in my previous life as well. Thus, I worry that if I enjoy too many good things, it will exhaust my good deeds, making me lose what I already have.”
While saying this, Jasmine’s tone was cautious, and the setting sun in the sky seemed to flicker shyly, looking particularly gentle.
Good deeds…
Fisher glanced at Jasmine, unsure if these were thoughts crafted by the dream or her thoughts together with Asuka.
Maybe Tang Zeming Asuka’s subconscious believed she had endured so much suffering that it had accumulated good deeds for Jasmine’s current life, allowing her to have loving parents and the chance to hold onto Fisher.
So within the dream, she still maintained Jasmine’s appearance rather than Tang Zeming Asuka’s because she didn’t want to taste that bitterness again.
Yet even in such an assuringly omnipotent dream, she remained cautiously reaching out, far from being in the realm of a “daydream.”
Just a normal family, just a normal school life, just a strong body, just a healthy mind.
“So that’s how it is.”
At this moment, looking at the bright sunset outside the train, a spark of inspiration flooded into his mind as it was completely governed by Jasmine’s dream.
Hela intended to destroy the dream to break away from the suppression of her incarnation; conversely, could Fisher use Jasmine, the master of this dream, to find or even destroy her incarnation?
This thought wasn’t hard to conceive. The difficulty lay in grasping the subtle nuances – how to ensure Jasmine’s beautiful dream remained intact while precisely capturing Hela’s incarnation.
Fisher stroked his chin, gazing out at the sunset that seemed conscious, unable to make a decision for a moment.
Starting with Jasmine was undoubtedly the right choice, but it could only rely on verbal guidance, which made Fisher a bit troubled.
“Creak creak creak!”
“Time to get off, Teacher Fisher!”
The electric train doors opened, revealing the scenery outside. Jasmine looked at Fisher, who was lost in thought, and couldn’t help but wave her hand in front of him. Then, puffing her cheeks, she said,
“Dad must have finished cooking; let’s hurry back!”
As she spoke, her face suddenly turned red, and she whispered,
“Oh, and tonight, Mom said you’d help me with my studies.”
Fisher had more or less understood English now; although he couldn’t say he understood everything, he felt it wouldn’t be a problem to help her after reviewing Jasmine’s test papers.
Even in the dream, her academic performance was still dismal; she really…
“No problem.”
Fisher agreed without much thought, focusing entirely on how to guide Jasmine verbally to manipulate the dream to catch Hela’s incarnation.
They walked back from the station to the temple where he had woken up in the morning. Just as Jasmine had said, when they returned, Gouwen had already prepared the meals, waiting for them to eat.
“You’re back? Quickly, wash your hands and eat. Oh, Jasmine, go call your mom for dinner!”
“Mom!”
The entryway door opened to reveal Xu holding a broom. She glanced at Fisher and Jasmine sitting at the table, putting the broom aside and rolling up her sleeves to sit down.
Jasmine had already taken off her shoes at the entrance; now, sitting at the table, her long legs wrapped in black stockings swayed slightly beneath it. She distributed the chopsticks before noticing Xu placing a thick book on the table and asking Fisher,
“Teacher Fisher, could you take a look at this book? I found it in the shrine while cleaning today, and it’s full of foreign characters, so it shouldn’t belong to Jasmine.”
As she spoke, Xu glanced at Jasmine and added,
“Because Jasmine’s English is terrible, and she’s definitely not the kind of child who would diligently read English books in private.”
“Mom!”
Fisher looked at the book on the table and opened his mouth, then hurriedly picked up the book, saying,
“Exactly, this book is mine.”
He visibly grew excited, even his tone quickening a bit. There was no way he could be mistaken about this book—it was too familiar.
This was that brat Emhart!
But when Fisher turned the book over, its cover, which originally had an eye and mouth, suddenly appeared ordinary, as if this wasn’t the incredibly precious, conscious Tear of the Holy Drop from the original world, but just an utterly mundane book.
“.”
Fisher opened his mouth slightly, feeling a tad melancholy. He blinked, then opened the book, finding it filled with Nali language scrawled in a dense manner,
“Kill the thousand knives of Baemon. Kill the thousand knives of Baemon. Kill the thousand knives of Baemon. Kill the thousand knives of Baemon. Kill the thousand knives of Baemon.”
“.”
Reasonable.
Fisher closed the book, his expression black as he proficiently stuffed this not-so-big book into his arms, then thanked Xu,
“Thank you, Aunt Xu.”
“Not at all. But speaking of which, after dinner, please help me tutor Jasmine’s English because she really isn’t putting in any effort. She hasn’t even opened her books since coming back.”
“Alright, alright, the shrimp is here; let’s eat!”
Fisher smiled helplessly, watching Gouwen skillfully serve the dishes at just the right times, and couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up to this reliable man, whose status was consistent both inside and outside the dream.
Jasmine just pouted, but her face turned red and she smiled shyly, feeling happy.
Because a long time ago, she hadn’t heard even such words that sounded like reprimands but were actually concern.
Dinner was quickly finished. Gouwen went to chant the scriptures, while Xu handled the dishes and cleaning up afterward.
While Jasmine changed into her home clothes, Fisher carried her backpack back to the small room where he would rest, where the pajamas he had worn upon waking that morning were still present.
Fisher set down the book that had temporarily become a book from Emhart in his arms beside the bed, then took out the English textbook he might need later. He then sat on the tatami mat, pondering the question he just considered.
Unfortunately, Jasmine didn’t give Fisher too much time. Shortly after, a gentle knock came from the door.
“Knock knock.”
“Teacher Fisher, I’m here!”
“Come in, Jasmine.”
The sliding door opened, and Fisher looked up to see Jasmine standing at the entrance, now wearing a formal kimono. Her face was slightly flushed, and she held a plate of cut fruits and vegetables.
“Mom prepared these fruits for us. She said we could eat them while you tutor me later.”
Jasmine tiptoed, scattering her cotton shoes outside the door, and walked into the room barefoot, placing the platter of fruits on the table.
Fisher’s thoughts were momentarily interrupted, and he couldn’t think of a good way to consciously lead her to search for Hela’s incarnation. This kind of thing in the dream Jasmine created exceeded common sense and could easily make her feel a sense of incongruity.
If he mishandled it, he might even assist Hela, causing the entire dream to collapse.
Since that was the case, it was better to focus first on tutoring at hand and think carefully during the night break.
With that thought, he temporarily decided to set aside the burden in his mind and turned to open the book on the table, speaking softly,
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. If you’re uncertain, we can start with vocabulary.”
“Are we starting now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Fisher nodded, just about to ask her questions about English, when he felt her delicate arm suddenly wrap around him.
Fisher was mildly startled, turned his face, and saw her face drawing closer until it completely covered his.
“Pop.”
A long, excessive request left Fisher’s brain momentarily blank. He didn’t resist; he was just filled with confusion. After pausing for a moment, Fisher gently held her face, leaning her back slightly, looking into Jasmine’s big, watery eyes that widened in surprise after he acted this way, appearing even more confused than him.
As if asking, “What’s wrong, Teacher Fisher?”
This reaction surprised Fisher slightly; thus, he asked directly,
“Wait a moment, Jasmine, weren’t we supposed to tutor English? If Aunt Xu hears this later…”
But hearing Fisher’s words, Jasmine’s confusion deepened.
“But aren’t we learning English?”
“Wh-what?”
Fisher found himself at a loss while Jasmine blinked her eyes and even reached out to touch his forehead, looking even more puzzled.
“Didn’t catch a fever, yet why is Teacher Fisher saying so many strange things today?”
“Strange things?”
“Yes, because this helps me learn English! The closer I get to someone I like, the more effective my learning becomes. Isn’t this common sense?”
“Common sense?”
This isn’t common sense from any normal world?!
Fisher’s mind went blank, feeling slightly overloaded, but then he suddenly recognized another major blind spot.
He realized that since this morning, whether it was other teachers or classmates, no one had shown any doubt about him living in Jasmine’s house or having an allegedly ambiguous relationship with her, as if this were perfectly natural.
No one opposed a student being so close to a teacher; it was inherently unusual. And now, Fisher finally began to feel that something was off.
This world, or rather this dream, wasn’t entirely replicating normal logic!
At least in certain aspects, like the relationship between Fisher and Jasmine.
Moreover, Fisher felt that the “common sense” that intimate contact could make learning English more effective shouldn’t have existed this morning because they had only engaged in shallow contact and she had still been shy, appearing unaccustomed to intimacy.
And now in the afternoon, suddenly this became common sense?
Fisher quickly realized that perhaps what he said at lunch had caused trouble.
Could it be that his words at lunchtime touched Jasmine’s heart and deepened her feelings within this dream?
In simple terms, while Hela’s actions to disrupt the dream made her feel uneasy and out of place, what Fisher did at lunch today made her too content.
This too could change the dream and even alter such common sense, but in a way she herself was unaware of?
“.”
It felt like he suddenly grasped the blind spot, and Fisher stood there with his mouth agape. Jasmine, seeing his unresponsive expression, puffed her cheeks, then frowned and pressed down on Fisher’s chest.
In that moment, Fisher felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, leaving him nowhere to hide.
“Boom!”
Of course, this was merely a metaphor; in reality, he felt the entire dream was preventing him from going against Jasmine’s will, making it impossible for him to escape or hide.
Jasmine wanted to eat, so she would eat; he couldn’t refuse, not even articulating a denial that might make her feel uncomfortable.
“Why is Teacher Fisher always saying strange things today? Isn’t this common sense?”
This statement seemed self-evident, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Feeling the entire dream forcefully complying with Jasmine’s wishes, Fisher instantly froze. After a moment of hesitation, he softly said,
“Indeed, it is, Jasmine.”
In that instant, the weight pressing down on him disappeared, replaced by her soft body that felt like cotton candy.
She gently leaned against Fisher, and upon hearing him say this, finally smiled. Then, she climbed up around Fisher’s neck, looking very serious as she said to him,
“It’s all Mom’s fault, always wanting me to improve my English, so… I have to trouble Teacher Fisher. After all, this is common sense, right?”
“.”
Fisher innocently blinked, genuinely unsure of what to say.
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(The End)
