Chapter 20: Wealth and Poverty
Strength, Agility, and Constitution had all increased by two points. This jump was even more significant than when his cooking hit Master level. But what was up with this Charisma stat?
Why did it go down instead of up?
And what did "(Needs improvement)" even mean?
Akishin stared at the Charisma value of 10 with total confusion. He touched his face—it felt exactly the same! No scars, despite having his face slashed several times during the Ronin bouts.
"Patch, what's the deal with Charisma?"
Akishin was the type of "good student" who asked questions when he didn't understand.
[Patch: Charisma is the combined attraction of physical appearance and temperament toward other living beings. Currently, Chishima Akishin is saturated with a murderous aura. Any ordinary creature looking at Chishima Akishin will instinctively feel primal fear.]
Murderous aura?
Akishin looked at the broken blade in his hand, his own blood still flowing, and smiled.
Aura, huh?
He felt like he'd seen it before—that white-haired man who could make people tremble just by glancing at them.
[Patch: Once Chishima Akishin adjusts his mentality and conceals his aura, Charisma will rise to 16 points.]
So it was a two-point increase after all. How could a man who practiced the sword not look cool?
"Patch, can I go out now?"
Akishin slotted the broken blade back into its scabbard, then placed the hilt section back where it belonged. His expression was solemn; he didn't look like he was storing a broken weapon, but rather like he was tending to the remains of a fallen comrade. Blood seeped through the scabbard—a funeral for a sword.
After finishing, he respectfully placed the sword back across his knees.
[Patch: You may. However, it is recommended that Chishima Akishin meditates for a while longer. Perform a full adjustment before exiting to ensure you can adapt to reality.]
"Understood."
Akishin closed his eyes. His breathing became rhythmic; his mind went blank. Gradually, a deep red longsword appeared in the dark space of his mind. It was no longer the black, guardless sword from his previous life, but the very sword sitting on his knees...
Silence—
After an unknown amount of time, Akishin opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and said in a raspy voice, "Exit."
The blood-stained sword vanished, followed by Akishin himself.
Back in the dark bedroom, the muffled sounds of the street outside filtered in. Drunks were still carousing at all-night Izakayas, socialites were trading jibes, and shop workers were calling out in weary voices...
Akishin reappeared instantly on his bed. His condition was exactly as it had been when he vanished.
He listened to the sounds muffled by the walls—sounds one only hears if they listen intently. A thought crossed his mind: I'm... back.
He checked his phone; only five minutes had passed. He felt a fresh wave of awe at the sheer terror of the "Patch" and the system.
Wasn't distorting time a bit overkill?
It wasn't a hallucination. Akishin was certain of that.
He raised his left hand. By the dim light of the phone, he could see the wound in his palm—it looked like it nearly split his hand in two. The blood had clotted enough to stop the flow. The pain, which was far from mild, stimulated his brain. Compared to the agony of life-and-death struggle, this was merely an itch.
However, it served to ground his mind in reality.
Click.
He hit the switch by the bed. The bright electric light flooded the simple room. A bed and a wardrobe—that was the extent of the decor.
Akishin got up. He washed his face with his right hand, then found a clean white cloth to wrap his left hand, preventing the wound from being bumped while he slept.
The bleeding wasn't a huge deal; he was just worried about waking up to bloodstains on the sheets. It would be a pain to clean—he used to get nosebleeds as a kid, and waking up to a ruined pillow was the worst.
With everything settled, he opened the window to watch the crowds begin to disperse. The thick atmosphere of everyday life washed over him, making him smile unconsciously.
It felt like a lifetime had passed. That was the only way Akishin could describe it.
He went back to bed and slept. Tomorrow he had to meet those "sweet" students, and of course, Hiratsuka-sensei.
—Did Zhuang Zhou dream he was a butterfly, or did the butterfly dream it was Zhuang Zhou?
...
"Youth is a lie and a form of evil.
People who celebrate youth are constantly deceiving themselves and those around them.
They always face their surroundings with a positive attitude.
Even a fatal failure is rebranded as a 'symbol of youth' and becomes a past worth remembering.
...
You fools who enjoy youth—just go die!"
Akishin read the essay in his hand. The more he read, the wider his grin became. By the end, he couldn't help himself—he slapped his leg and let out a boisterous laugh. "Hahaha! Hikigaya-kun, you are exactly as I thought. Truly fascinating."
"Oi, oi, Sensei... is 'fascinating' supposed to be a compliment?"
A certain Hikigaya Hachiman, standing before two teachers and wishing to remain nameless, stared at the delinquent P.E. teacher with his dead-fish eyes. "Besides, we only missed one night, but it feels like you've changed, Sensei."
"Changed how? Did I get more handsome?"
"...No. You got more shameless."
"Let's get to the point. I've read your essay, Hikigaya-kun. It's excellent! Both the flow and the prose are outstanding. You truly deserve that third-place ranking in Japanese for your grade."
"Ah... you really think so? Thank you very much."
"I do. Especially the message—it speaks to my very soul! What's so great about high school life? Do you people even know what 'youth' is? My high school years were like dog shit."
"Really? What was your high school life like, Sensei? Is it okay to share?"
"Why not! Back then, I was weak and constantly picked on by the 'normies' in class..."
"And then?"
"And then! I sent every last one of them to the hospital. One time, they called me out again for a beating, but I'd had enough. I fought back. Left hook, right hook—they were all flat on the ground."
"Sensei, I feel like you're lying."
"That's not the point. The point is, Hikigaya-kun: when you're bullied, you can't just keep avoiding it. That only invites more. You have to be brave enough to show your fangs. Only then will they know you're not an easy target, and only then will they stop."
"I see. Thank you, Sensei. I'll keep that in mind."
"..."
Chishima Akishin and Hikigaya Hachiman were chatting with such enthusiasm they looked like old friends reuniting. Meanwhile, a certain Hiratsuka-sensei in her white lab coat stood beside them, gritting her teeth so hard a vein practically popped on her forehead. She was fuming—both at being ignored and at the words being exchanged.
The other teachers in the office couldn't help but shoot them weird looks. Oi, are you really a teacher? Is it appropriate to say that to a student?
Snap!
The pen in Shizuka Hiratsuka's hand broke. The teacher and student, who were currently deep into a discussion about college life, simultaneously felt a chill run down their spines.
"Hi... Hiratsuka-sensei."
Hachiman finally remembered they had official business and turned toward her. Akishin felt a sudden breeze, and a beautiful fist appeared before his eyes.
"Chishima Akishin!!"
"Present! Hiratsuka-sensei, what's up?"
Akishin obediently raised his hands. (High Quality.JPG!)
"Shut up for a second. And don't you dare say stuff like that to students ever again."
"Understood. Not a problem. Guaranteed."
Shizuka took a deep breath to steady herself. She looked at Hikigaya Hachiman, snatched the essay from Akishin's hand, and asked, "I say, Hikigaya! What was the assignment I gave in my class?"
Hachiman looked away, his voice laced with guilt. "An essay with the theme 'Reflecting on High School Life'."
"Then why did you write this trash? What is this! How can you write something like this?" Shizuka felt a headache coming on as she looked at the paper.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I have to disagree. This essay is clearly a masterpiece..." Akishin chimed in for Hachiman's sake.
"Chishima—Akishin."
"Present! I'm shutting up now." (Obedient.JPG).
"Good grief."
Shizuka fixed her hair, looked at Hachiman again, suddenly realized something, stared at him for a few seconds, and then said, "Follow me for a bit."
...
A corridor, windows, and storage rooms packed with items on either side. This was the same hallway Akishin had passed through yesterday.
"By the way, why are you following us?" Shizuka glanced at Akishin.
Akishin waved and smiled. "Don't mind me. It's not like I have anything to do, right? I just want to look around."
Hachiman walked behind them, watching the two figures. A small smirk played on his lips—they've totally got something going on!
Finally, the three of them stopped in front of a classroom door. Akishin looked up and frowned; it was the "Service Club" he had seen yesterday, the place Yukinoshita Yukino had emerged from.
Shizuka didn't care for his reaction; she pushed the door open and walked in. Akishin and Hachiman exchanged a glance and followed.
A gentle breeze, curtains fluttering, a few stray cherry blossom petals drifting in... and a beautiful girl sitting by the window with a book, the wind playing with her long black hair.
Even Akishin couldn't help but admire the sight for a moment. He glanced at Hachiman; the kid was completely mesmerized.
Sensing a presence, the girl looked up from her reading.
"Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Yo! Yukinoshita."
"May I ask what this is about?"
Shizuka pointed at Hachiman. "He wants to apply to join the club. You've met before."
What followed was a verbal spar that felt like a formal debate. Eventually, Hikigaya Hachiman was successfully left behind in the Service Club.
Akishin and Shizuka stepped out and leaned against the corridor wall, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
"The wealthy helping the poor with a heart full of compassion... that is called volunteer work. Lending a hand to those in trouble..."
Akishin listened to those words, looking back at the three characters for "Service Club." So that was the meaning! Hehe, truly the perspective of a child.
How do you even define who is 'wealthy' and who is 'poor'?
"Hiratsuka-sensei, that student Yukinoshita is also quite fascinating, haha."
"You think she's 'fascinating,' meanwhile I've had a headache over her for a full year." Shizuka pressed her hand to her forehead, shooting a sharp glare at the man who was clearly enjoying himself at her expense.
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