Of course, when Eiren Kanagawa said they could go sit at her place for a while, she was actually referring to the house she had rented.
Ever since deciding to resign from Kyoto University, the first thing Eiren Kanagawa had done was look for a place to live in Chiba City. Fortunately, in a major city like Chiba, renting a home was not particularly difficult as long as one was willing to spend a little more money.
As a fine arts professor at Kyoto University, Eiren Kanagawa had accumulated quite a bit of savings over the years. So when choosing a place, she did not care much about price differences of tens of thousands of yen. Once she found a house she liked, she simply paid the money and signed the contract.
As for Kyoto, the lease on Eiren Kanagawa's place there was due to expire at the end of the year anyway, and she had no intention of renewing it. So she planned to settle down temporarily in Chiba first. Once she had found a suitable place, she would pick a free day to return to Kyoto, pack up and organize her belongings, then have everything shipped to Chiba by courier.
Over the past few days, Eiren Kanagawa had barely gotten any proper rest. Most of her energy had gone into arranging her new home. Even though she was only renting, if she wanted to live comfortably, there were still some things she needed to adjust herself.
Eiren Kanagawa had also considered buying a home of her own, but after thinking it over carefully, she decided not to consider it for the time being. Housing prices in a major city were certainly expensive, but with the savings Eiren Kanagawa had accumulated over the years, she could still afford a down payment by taking out a portion of them.
It was just that Eiren Kanagawa was always thinking about marrying Hibiki Naegi. Even if they did not get married, Eiren Kanagawa still wanted to live together with her. Eiren Kanagawa did not have many requirements when it came to housing, so she wanted to ask Hibiki Naegi what kind of home she wanted.
But Eiren Kanagawa also knew perfectly well that, given her current relationship with Hibiki Naegi, if she truly asked something like that aloud, what would Hibiki think? There was simply no way she could ask.
Because of this, Eiren Kanagawa temporarily abandoned the idea of buying a house. Besides, there was no guarantee they had to buy one in Chiba City. What if Hibiki Naegi wanted to live in another city after graduating from university?
So Eiren Kanagawa decided to wait. For the next few years, she would simply rent a place in Chiba City. As for what kind of house to buy, where to buy it, and how to decorate it, those were things they could discuss after Hibiki Naegi officially became her girlfriend.
Eiren Kanagawa was utterly determined to have Hibiki Naegi. She firmly believed that Hibiki would inevitably become her girlfriend.
Hibiki Naegi, sitting beside her, had no idea that Eiren Kanagawa had already begun thinking about buying a home for the two of them. Faced with Eiren Kanagawa's invitation, Hibiki hesitated inwardly for a moment.
While they were eating earlier, Eiren Kanagawa had said:
"After I rented a place in Chiba City and got the landlord's permission, the very first thing I did was buy an entirely new set of painting supplies.
"My old supplies are all still back in Kyoto. Sure, I could have asked a friend to ship them over and saved the money I'd spend buying another set, but delivery from Kyoto to Chiba would take at least several days. I'm so obsessed with painting that I can't stand going even a single day without it, and I didn't want to wait, so I simply bought a new set."
Hibiki Naegi had first been impressed by Eiren Kanagawa's obsession with painting. No wonder Eiren Kanagawa had managed to become a fine arts professor at Kyoto University. So she had been diligently painting every single day. Hibiki Naegi asked herself whether even she would be able to continue painting every day once her art entrance examinations were over.
Meanwhile, Eiren Kanagawa had already become a fine arts professor at a prestigious university. Logically speaking, she no longer needed to use painting to advance her career.
Yet Eiren Kanagawa still painted every day. In other words, her dedication to painting was not because she wanted to achieve some particular goal through art. She genuinely loved painting.
Thinking about this, Hibiki Naegi could not help feeling somewhat ashamed of herself.
In reality, Eiren Kanagawa was lying. Although she did paint frequently, she certainly did not paint every single day. The reason she had said that in front of Hibiki Naegi was not only to earn Hibiki's admiration, but more importantly, to let Hibiki know that she had a complete set of painting supplies at home and could come over to paint whenever she had free time.
Eiren Kanagawa's plan was to bring Hibiki Naegi home with her frequently. Once it happened often enough, the relationship between them was bound to make some kind of breakthrough eventually.
While Hibiki Naegi was hesitating, the promise she had made with Seiko Kirigiri that morning suddenly surfaced in her mind.
She had already broken her promise once. Hibiki Naegi did not want Seiko Kirigiri to wait too long for her.
At that thought, Hibiki Naegi's wavering heart became firm, and she said:
"Kanagawa-sensei, please just take me straight home. If I get back too late, my little sister will worry."
"All right."
After hearing that, a trace of displeasure flashed through Eiren Kanagawa's eyes. However, she concealed it so well that Hibiki Naegi did not notice.
As she started the car and drove toward the Naegi residence, Eiren Kanagawa said half-jokingly:
"It's already getting a little dark at this hour, but it's still only evening. Your sister may be a girl, but she's in high school now. As a high school girl, she shouldn't be frightened just because she's home alone. When I was in high school, my parents were often away.
"Most of the time, I went home alone, ate alone, slept alone, set my alarm by myself, and went to school by myself. Then I repeated the same routine over and over. People are better off learning to become independent as early as possible."
There seemed to be another meaning hidden in Eiren Kanagawa's words. She was obviously somewhat displeased that Hibiki Naegi had refused to go to her place.
"My sister isn't afraid of staying home alone. She's worried something might happen to me on the way home. After all, when I left school today, I didn't tell her..." Hibiki Naegi replied quietly.
After hearing that, the corners of Eiren Kanagawa's lips curled upward, and she said with a meaningful smile:
"Now that you mention it, that's true. In that case, once you get home, you'll have to give your little sister a proper explanation as her sister~ Do you need me to go in with you and explain it to her? I'll tell your little sister, 'Ah, don't blame your sister. It's all my fault. I'm the one who insisted on giving her extra lessons.' I'm your sister's homeroom teacher now, so after she hears that, she should calm down, right?"
Hibiki Naegi hurriedly shook her head and said:
"This isn't your fault, Kanagawa-sensei. I'm the one who wanted to improve my painting!"
"Is that so? All right, then. Since that's what you want, we'll do it your way. I won't impose on your household tonight. Of course, if your little sister stays angry with you, just put all the blame on me. I'll play the villain."
Eiren Kanagawa spoke with a hearty laugh. Sometimes, the things she said and the way she behaved made it difficult to think of her as a professor or teacher at all.
But perhaps that was precisely why, even among students who had graduated from Kyoto University many years ago, if they were asked, "Which teacher left the deepest impression on you during your student days?"
Almost all of them would answer in unison with the same name: Eiren Kanagawa.
Faced with Eiren Kanagawa's suggestion, Hibiki Naegi rejected it without even needing to think, shaking her head as she said:
"I can handle this myself. I definitely won't trouble you with it, Kanagawa-sensei."
"What a good student, knowing how to take responsibility for your own actions. I really like that part of your personality. When someone begins learning to take responsibility for themselves, it means they're gradually growing from a child into an adult."
Eiren Kanagawa praised her. But after saying that, she reached out and stroked Hibiki Naegi's hair, speaking gently:
"But—you're still a high school student right now. You should be enjoying your school years with fewer worries. Don't constantly obsess over your future art entrance examination results. They're certainly important, but you've only just entered your second year of high school. There's still a moderate amount of time before you take the art entrance exams in your third year.
"Rather than spending all that time drowning in anxiety, why not relax those tightly wound emotions a little and properly enjoy high school life? Learning to shoulder responsibility yourself is certainly a good thing. I can tell you're a sister who takes very good care of her little sister.
"Children who are older siblings always mature emotionally a little faster. But ultimately, you're still a child. And since you're a child, you have the right to act spoiled with adults. If you're ever under pressure from life or your studies, you can always come to me and act spoiled."
"Kanagawa-sensei..."
Eiren Kanagawa's tenderness was like a kind of poison, gradually eroding Hibiki Naegi's reason and leaving her expression increasingly dazed.
Hibiki Naegi's rational mind clearly knew that she could not allow herself to become too deeply immersed in it, yet her thoughts were like a puppet that had broken free of the strings restraining it and suddenly gained life, running headlong toward Eiren Kanagawa's tenderness without the slightest intention of turning back.
It was almost as though, somewhere beyond perception, a voice had been constantly whispering to Hibiki Naegi:
As long as you sink deeper into this, even someone without talent like you can pass the art entrance examinations and become a student at a prestigious university. Once you become a student at a prestigious university, you'll have strong academic credentials, and after graduation, you'll be able to find a good job. Only by getting a good job can you give Seiko a better life in the future.
Throughout the drive, Eiren Kanagawa did not say anything else to Hibiki Naegi. She merely turned her head occasionally to glance at Hibiki, who sat in the passenger seat with a vacant, almost entranced expression.
Like a hunter examining prey that was about to fall into a trap, the curve of Eiren Kanagawa's lips gradually deepened. She gave a soft chuckle, seemingly delighted by how smoothly everything had gone today.
At this very moment, Eiren Kanagawa increasingly felt that resigning from Kyoto University and coming to Sobu High School had been an extraordinarily correct decision.
Because only at Sobu High School could she see Hibiki Naegi at any moment.
As they approached the Naegi residence, Eiren Kanagawa gradually slowed the car. By the time they reached the front of the house, the vehicle had come to a complete stop.
"Hibiki, we're home."
Eiren Kanagawa softly called Hibiki Naegi's name. Only then did Hibiki, who had been lost in a daze for a long while, finally come back to her senses and apologize somewhat awkwardly:
"Sorry, Kanagawa-sensei. What happened to me just now? I wasn't even thinking about anything, but somehow I spaced out for so long."
"It's fine, it's fine. You probably spent too long listening to my lesson this afternoon, and everything I taught you was practical and information-heavy. Although you'll benefit tremendously from it afterward, understanding all of it while listening requires a lot of mental effort. It's perfectly normal to zone out when you're tired. Back when I was studying abroad, there was a professor whose classes always left me staring blankly into space for a while afterward too."
Eiren Kanagawa waved it off and spoke with considerable understanding.
"Kanagawa-sensei, thank you so much for being willing to tutor me. I don't even know how I can express my gratitude."
Whenever Hibiki Naegi thought about a fine arts professor from Kyoto University tutoring her without charging a single yen, she felt excited and found the entire situation almost unbelievable.
In the past, even in her sweetest dreams, she could never have imagined something like this happening.
When Eiren Kanagawa heard those words, it was as though she had finally heard something she had been waiting a very long time to hear. The smile on her lips grew even broader:
"Don't worry about it. Your perseverance and determination moved me. If I can successfully get you into Kyoto University's fine arts department, I'll experience a sense of accomplishment I've never felt before as well. If you really want to repay me, hehe, then work hard and practice your painting properly. But while practicing, remember to balance work and rest. Spend this weekend relaxing first. When school starts again next Monday, we can discuss when to schedule our next tutoring session."
At the same time, Eiren Kanagawa secretly thought to herself, Besides, I'm about to receive the reward I want. And the reward I want is you.
"I understand. Thank you, Kanagawa-sensei!"
Hibiki Naegi once again expressed her gratitude solemnly.
After saying goodbye to Eiren Kanagawa, Hibiki Naegi got out of the car, took out her key, and walked into the house.
The moment she stepped inside, she saw that the lights in both the living room and kitchen were on, while the loafers Seiko Kirigiri wore to school were quietly resting where she had left them.
Seeing that Seiko Kirigiri was already home, Hibiki Naegi breathed a slight sigh of relief. She had originally been thinking that if Seiko still had not returned, she would ride her bicycle back to school to look for her.
Hibiki Naegi had actually wanted to call Seiko Kirigiri while they were eating at the restaurant, but Eiren Kanagawa had stopped her...
Still, no matter what, Kanagawa-sensei is a good person. She tutors me and teaches me how to paint without charging me a single yen. Meeting Kanagawa-sensei is truly the greatest stroke of luck I've ever had. Once the art entrance exams are over, no matter what the result is, I'll bring Seiko with me and properly thank Kanagawa-sensei... Hibiki Naegi thought.
When she entered the kitchen, she found that the dining table was already covered with finished dishes. Seiko Kirigiri had not even taken off the white shirt of her school uniform. She was wearing an apron over it and standing in front of the stove, stir-frying another dish.
She had probably taken off her school uniform jacket the moment she got home, put on an apron, and immediately started busying herself in the kitchen.
As Hibiki Naegi watched Seiko Kirigiri's back while she worked at the stove, an inexplicable sense of guilt welled up inside her.
"Seiko, I'm home... Sorry. We clearly agreed that we'd come home together after school..."
Hibiki Naegi walked into the kitchen and apologized to Seiko Kirigiri.
"Onee-chan."
Seiko Kirigiri spoke calmly as she slowly turned around. There was not a trace of unnecessary expression on her face:
"You don't need to give me some elaborate explanation. Just watching you stumble over your words like this makes me think you look a little pitiful. All you need to do is tell me, truthfully and word for word, everything that happened after school."
Before her words had even fully faded, Seiko Kirigiri turned back around and continued cooking, as though nothing at all had happened just now.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven