Chapter 466: Shizuka Hiratsuka's Wish, Yakumo Yukari Departs
While the girls upstairs were lost in the vibrant world of video games, the atmosphere downstairs was just as lively, though the conversation had taken a decidedly more adult turn.
Sengoku Chihiro and Hiratsuka Shizuka were both pleasantly tipsy. The beer wasn't particularly strong, but they had been drinking steadily, their spirits high from the delicious food and good company.
"So, Shizuka," Sengoku Chihiro began, her words slightly slurred as she leaned forward, "be honest. Are you hoping to slack off a bit by coming to Koyo Academy?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka met her friend's gaze with a knowing, mischievous smile. "I am! And what of it? It's exactly why I've always been so jealous of teachers at public schools…"
Lucifer and the others exchanged puzzled glances. Cerberus voiced their shared confusion. "Why would you admire someone for going to a public school?"
Nakiri Mana and the others also leaned in, curious for the answer. Sengoku Chihiro took a long swallow of beer before explaining with a grin, "Because in Eastern Japan… public school teachers are required to regularly transfer to other public schools. It's a huge hassle…"
A wave of understanding passed through the group. Courage, however, turned to Mana with a confused look. "Lady Mana, aren't you from Eastern Japan? How come you didn't know that?"
Nakiri Mana flinched as if struck. "Excuse me!" she retorted, her voice sharp with indignation. "I attended Totsuki for elementary, middle, and high school! Totsuki is the quintessential private institution!"
Sōryūin Shion chuckled softly. "She has a point. Basically, all the best schools are private, and they're all exceptionally well-funded. Take Kirari's Hyakkaou Private Academy, for example. Students there gamble away fortunes on a daily basis. And my Koyo Academy is a complete school, but every single one of its programs is above average, if not outright excellent."
Sengoku Chihiro nodded in agreement. "Mhm… The equipment in your art department is better than most specialized art universities… I'm seriously impressed."
This came as no surprise to Lucifer and the others. Koyo Academy's status as a high-level member of the Kengan Association spoke volumes about its resources and quality. Simply covering the gym and training expenses for its student body was a feat most schools could never hope to afford.
Hiratsuka Shizuka chewed thoughtfully on a piece of meat, her voice muffled. "But the most crucial thing is… I can't stand that feeling of leaving…"
Her words hung in the air, causing the lighthearted chatter to pause. Ren, who had been quietly reading nearby, turned a page in his book and spoke without looking up, his voice soft. "It's the inability to accept it, isn't it? The feeling of students you've poured your heart into teaching, students you've grown fond of, suddenly disappearing from your life to go somewhere else."
Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes widened slightly. She looked over at Ren, a genuine, appreciative smile spreading across her face. "Heh… Mr. Ren, you really do understand a woman's heart."
Ren simply smiled and shook his head, offering no further comment. Shizuka's feelings were perfectly normal; they were a clear sign that she was a person who valued her connections deeply. People like that were never truly bad.
Sōryūin Shion let out a soft sigh. ", the teachers who land positions at private schools are all highly capable. The benefits are better, and you don't have to deal with the transfer system. At least, Koyo Academy doesn't require it."
Hiratsuka Shizuka propped her chin on her hand, a lazy, alcohol-induced haze settling over her. "Why are we suddenly talking about this…? Eh? Shion, do you have any wishes for the new year?"
Sōryūin Shion shot her a grumpy look. "Isn't that something you ask on New Year's Eve? Fine, fine… you're impossible. My wish for next year, huh… I suppose I just hope everything goes smoothly."
Shizuka blinked, then waved a dismissive hand with a grin. "That's such a perfunctory wish, Shion."
"Then what's your wish, Shizuka-senpai?" Shion challenged.
Just as everyone expected her to lament her single status and wish for a boyfriend, Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression softened. A gentle, earnest smile touched her lips. "I hope… I hope my students' grades and their lives improve."
A stunned silence fell over the table. Even Amou Kirukiru, ever the stoic observer, spoke up, a rare hint of confusion in her voice. "You don't want to find a partner anymore?"
"One person's wish is just that—one person's," Shizuka explained, her voice clear despite the alcohol. "But a wish that can help make many people's lives better? That's the optimal solution. As for finding a partner… I haven't given up hope! I'm sure I'll find someone eventually! Besides… I'm a teacher."
Lucifer and the others nodded slowly, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time. Sōryūin Shion broke the silence with a warm smile. "As expected of you, Shizuka-senpai… You can deliver lines straight out of a manga with a completely straight face."
"Of course!" Shizuka declared proudly.
Sengoku Chihiro said nothing, merely taking another sip of her drink. Her thoughts, however, were much the same as her friend's.
"Alright, that's about enough," Sōryūin Shion announced, clapping her hands lightly. "This is pretty much what I expected. You two senpais always get completely wasted around ten o'clock."
Hiratsuka Shizuka's face, already flushed from the beer, turned a deeper shade of red. "I'm not drunk!"
Sengoku Chihiro slammed her mug down in solidarity. "Me neither! I'm not drunk… hic…"
Shion sighed, the sound laced with weary affection. "Right, right. Look at the state of you two. You can't have another drop. It's not like you can't come back another time."
Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at Shion for a long moment, then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I want a boyfriend, too!"
"Okay, okay, you'll get one, you'll get one!" Shion placated her, patting her shoulder.
"Really?"
"Really, really! Just go home, get some sleep, and you'll have one by tomorrow morning."
"Mmm… Home!"
Shion nodded emphatically. At the mention of going home, Sengoku Chihiro's internal support system gave out, and she slumped forward onto the table.
Shion sighed again. "You two are unbelievable… Ren, the bill!"
"Two thousand six hundred."
Hiratsuka Shizuka's head snapped up. "So cheap!"
"See? I told you it was a great deal."
"Mhm… Shion… I want a boyfriend, too…"
"We're back to this again?!"
Amou Kirukiru placed the money on the counter before heading upstairs to retrieve Sōryūin Akemi and Shiina Mashiro. Mashiro, who had been mashing buttons with little understanding of the game's mechanics, had still found the experience thoroughly enjoyable.
"Sora, I'm going home now."
"Mashiro-nee, Akemi, goodbye!"
"Mhm!" they both replied.
After Sōryūin Shion, practically dragging a Shizuka who was now loudly proclaiming her desire for a boyfriend, and Amou Kirukiru, who was supporting the near-unconscious Sengoku Chihiro, finally departed with their group, a comfortable quiet settled over the restaurant.
Ren closed his book and gazed at the messy tableware, a faint smile on his lips. "They truly are two interesting people. It seems Koyo Academy is quite an amusing place."
Lucifer grumbled from behind the counter, "You're just happy you dug up some of their embarrassing history, aren't you?"
"Eh? Am I that kind of person?"
"Yes!" came a chorus of voices from his staff.
Ren sighed dramatically. "Why is it that when you all say it in unison, I suddenly feel a pang of guilt?"
"So you admit it?!"
"I never denied it."
"At least you're true to yourself!" they chorused again.
On the other side of the room, in a corner that seemed to exist in its own separate space, Yakumo Yukari slowly stood up. She stretched, rubbing the back of her neck with a sigh of finality.
"Ran! Get ready. We're leaving."
Yakumo Ran was quite certain it was the most spirited "Yes, my lady!" she had ever uttered in her entire existence.
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