Unable to Resist a Beauty's Kindness / My Story with Shirou
"You're too modest! I... I... I don't care anymore!" The female teacher suddenly lunged at Shirou's feet, hugging his thigh, her upper body pressed tightly against Shirou, her face against his ankle. Shirou raised her head high, her expression resolute as if facing death, and shouted, "Shirou- sensei! Master! If you don't agree, I won't get up like this, I really won't get up!"
"Wait! Teacher! Please have some self-respect!" Shirou awkwardly lowered and then raised his hands again, wanting to get away from the female teacher, but he really didn't know what to do. Shouldn't the teachers at this young ladies' school all be well-bred ladies? How come there are such difficult characters here?
Da Vinci sipped his tea leisurely and said with a smile, "Don't be in such a hurry. Isn't this a good thing? As an artist, one is supposed to display qualities that make people vie for admiration, like how many Kings and wealthy people have stirred up centuries of bloodshed over my bust. Congratulations, Shirou, you've begun to take your first steps as an artist."
"There's nothing to be happy about at all!" Shirou retorted, trying to lift his foot and pull away. But the cooking teacher clung tightly to his leg, refusing to let go even while being hoisted up. And... why are you blushing and panting, teacher? Someone save me!
"That's right! Principal! I'm resigning now! Please let Mr. Shirou take my place!" The cooking teacher turned to the white-bearded loli sitting on the sofa and said loudly.
"No, no, no! That won't do, absolutely not! What would I look like if other teachers resigned?" Shirou quickly grabbed the cooking teacher to stop her from handing in her resignation.
"Well, well, there's no rule about how many cooking instructors you need, so why not just hire them all at once?" Da Vinci shrugged and said nonchalantly. This wasn't Chaldea where you needed to be frugal or meticulous with your spending, because the director's salary was such a high percentage of his income that successive directors never lived very long.
"Hehehe, Da Vinci... no, the head teacher is absolutely right." Principal Attila munched on a golden sheep-shaped bun, smiling like Santa Claus as she agreed. Since she couldn't have Shirou as her personal secretary, having him stay at the academy as a teacher would be just as good.
"That's... that's wonderful! Master Shirou! We can work together now, so there's nothing to worry about! Don't worry! I will do my best to assist you!" The culinary teacher jumped up excitedly and grasped Shirou's hand tightly.
"No, no, I didn't agree to join the job, and... the other teachers will have objections too." Shirou looked helplessly at the enthusiastic cooking teacher, pulled his hands away from her flour-covered hands, and shook his head.
"Is that so? If all the teachers here agree, then you have no reason to refuse, right? Here's what I said, did you hear me clearly, teachers?" Da Vinci smiled, turning the notebook he was holding over. Unexpectedly, it was a tablet computer, which was making a video call with other places via Wi-Fi.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that more than a dozen people were curiously craning their necks in this direction, their eyes shining as they stared intently at the man through the screen.
"..." Shirou felt as if he had fallen into a trap set by Da Vinci and the headmaster from the very beginning.
The female teachers on the other end of the video chat didn't completely stick together; instead, they formed three separate groups and launched an attack on Shirou.
"Hi~! Handsome store manager, we meet again."
"Ah, hello, you look even more beautiful, Mr. Higashino."
"Haha, you're still as good with words as ever," the mixed-race beauty with long, curly blonde hair said with a hearty laugh.
"Greetings, Mr. Manager. My mother and I will be visiting your store during this holiday."
"Miss Fukuzawa, hello. My shop naturally welcomes distinguished guests. I will prepare your favorite pastries for you and your wife, and look forward to your visit."
"Yes, of course! No matter the wind or rain, earthquake or tsunami, I will go! I will definitely go!" the young lady in her kimono excitedly agreed.
"Mr. Emiya, do you remember the coffee I ordered today?"
"Ah, of course, a cappuccino with a teddy bear design is Libra's lucky charm today. And I forgot to mention, the new hair clip you're wearing today suits you perfectly too."
"Bingo, you got it all right! I didn't expect you to notice such a small detail, sir..." The fashionable woman in office attire pursed her lips, her expression a mixture of wanting to laugh and holding it back.
Shirou had to greet each of the teachers on the other end of the video call. These were all familiar faces, regular customers who frequented his shop. He never expected them to gather together like this.
The teachers seemed quite satisfied with Shirou's response, each wearing a smile that looked as sweet as honey.
"Speaking of which, I heard you two exchanged vows earlier, right? That's wonderful, something only married couples do," said the female teacher, who had studied in England, with a look of envy.
"Yes..." A dignified black-haired woman in a kimono on another hill nearby smiled and covered her mouth in agreement, but her eyes seemed to harbor murderous intent as she looked at the cooking teacher.
"Hehehe..." On the other side, a woman dressed in business attire and wearing glasses, clearly a shrewd and capable businesswoman, smiled without saying a word.
However, some teachers seemed quite interested in asking Shirou questions and didn't seem to care about their colleagues' opinions, so it seems this topic will have to continue.
"Yes, in China, this is also a wedding ceremony called the couple bowing to each other. You've heard of it, right, shop manager?" This time, the speaker was a beautiful woman wearing a cheongsam, a black veil, and a bun hairstyle. She was a Chinese language teacher who had studied abroad on the other side of the sea, and because of the rise of the other side, her courses had gradually become more important.
"Wow, so romantic! Shouldn't we kiss now, right, manager?" The blonde, mixed-race girl who taught English and studied in the US exclaimed, clapping her hands as she spoke.
"Harashu, should we choose a wedding dress or a white kimono? Which do you prefer, shop manager?" The brown-haired woman, who had studied in Russia, asked with a smile.
"..." Shirou, who was being relentlessly pressured, felt immense pressure.
Chapter 496 The Favor of a Beauty Cannot Be Suppressed
As the women continued their conversation, the other teachers' expressions changed repeatedly. Even though they were well-mannered and didn't easily reveal their true emotions, maintaining polite smiles, their brows still furrowed slightly.
The atmosphere around them grew increasingly oppressive...
Even though the two people having this video chat weren't in the same building and were quite a distance apart, Shirou still felt a kind of terrifying pressure. In short... women are really scary.
Those who chimed in were all people who had studied abroad, belonging to the same interest group as the cooking class teacher—those who had studied overseas. They had gone abroad to study around the same age and were senior and junior colleagues during their school days.
The four teachers are from China, Russia, the UK, and the US. Unlike the culinary teacher who studied in France and devoted herself to cooking, they are not in a hurry to get married and are already dating. After all, as international students, they are more likely to be well-connected and have more opportunities to make friends. So, they are mainly helping their old classmate get married.
"No, no! I'm truly unworthy of marrying Shirou." The cooking teacher, with hands clasped together in admiration like a devoted fan, exclaimed, "Shirou's culinary skills are simply divine! If I could just be his assistant and learn a few of his dishes, I would have no other desires in this life."
Shirou could only think of one thing to say, "Could you let go of my hand before saying that?" Even at this moment, the cooking teacher still held Shirou's arm and clasped her hand in the crook of Shirou arm.
"Hehehe, as expected of the Peng Guo, you really know how to joke. Such shameless things cannot happen in a sacred school, right, everyone?" The black-haired woman in a kimono opened her folding fan and spoke in a Kyoto accent, with the air of a local aristocrat.
"Hmm, I doubt the shop manager would do something like that." The female teachers, also dressed in kimonos, laughed and said. These elegant women secretly glanced in Shirou's direction and winked.
Shirou nodded helplessly to the teachers whose eyes met his, and muttered, "Thanks for your keen observation, that saves me the trouble of explaining. But if you can, please stop making sarcastic remarks and come help me!"
They are a traditional group, children of ancient families, descendants of renowned noble families, who studied under masters of various arts and achieved considerable skill. They are now teachers at the school, teaching art classes such as flower arrangement, Tea Ceremony, calligraphy, and embroidery.
The camera pans again, this time focusing on the group of professional women.
"Oh, we do think dating is a personal freedom, but it would be better to choose a different partner. Now get your hand off me!" The women dressed in office lady attire revealed their villainous faces and glared at the cooking teacher.
"Waaah...!" This time, the cooking teacher was startled. She was a coward when it came to things other than cooking, and she quickly let go of his hand.
The woman in the office lady outfit changed her expression again, smiling as she looked at Shirou. She took off her glasses, tossed her hair, and, along with her friends behind her, winked at Shirou, saying, "So~~! Right, Manager Emiya ~!"
"Thank you for your concern, teachers. I will definitely make amends to you next time. I have other things to do this time, so I'll take my leave now." Shirou didn't give any reply, but instead chose to leave, quickly picking up his basket and preparing to escape this place of trouble.
Shirou felt immense pressure from these female teachers; he simply couldn't handle it. It was just a private school, yet the teachers' differing ideologies had created their own little cliques. It was practically akin to the three major factions in the Clock Tower: aristocracy, democracy, and neutrality—these power struggles and backstabbing organizations.
If it's just a clash of philosophies on teaching and nurturing students, that's perfectly acceptable; even if it's for their own benefit, that's understandable.
But... why unite against him?
Shirou felt utterly exhausted. He knew it was best to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible. He quickly handed the bento to the blonde girl and headed back.
"Wait! Don't go! Manager!"
"Your Emiya, please wait! We have something else to discuss!"
"Wait! Don't run away without saying anything! What about compensation? What about compensation? At least promise us you'll get a job at the school!"
The female teachers then realized they had gone too far and hurriedly called out to the camera, stopping Shirou was about to slip away.
Fortunately, at that moment, a small silver figure appeared at the doorway first, blocking Shirou's steps towards the door.
"Hehehe, Shirou, you haven't finished speaking yet. I can't just let you leave like this," Principal Attila said with a hearty laugh.
"Even if you say that, things that can't be done still won't work," Shirou said helplessly.
In general, Shirou's previous considerations were not wrong, but he overlooked the fact that humans are a contradictory species. Some say friends are worth a thousand pieces of gold, while others say money is worthless, and still others say that beautiful flowers are stuck in cow dung.
Nothing is absolute, only relative, especially when a person is caught in the whirlpool of love, and may exhibit fervor and blindness.
Love stories of men and women from mismatched family backgrounds, yet still garnering public sympathy, have existed since ancient times.
Romeo and Juliet, two rebellious teenagers who disregard their families' hatred, fall in love during their teenage years. The story involves multiple crimes, including manslaughter during a duel, poisoning, kidnapping, and abduction. However, because all those involved are minors under the age of sixteen, none of them will be held criminally responsible.
Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai were a poor scholar with prosopagnosia and a rich girl with cross-dressing who became sworn brothers. They were harassed by their classmate, a rich second-generation, and the man died of depression. The woman committed suicide on her way to her wedding to follow him. In the end, the sky collapsed and two butterflies flew out from the ground.
The story of Xu Xian and Bai Niangzi, a marriage between a human and a scaly creature, is fraught with obstacles. This time, they face no opposition from their elders, but instead encounter a meddlesome animal rights activist monk who proposes a rare animal protection law. He insists on imprisoning the white snake, who can transform into a human, in a tower to protect her from the desecration of evil humans. Ultimately, due to mismanagement, the zoo's tower collapses.
Billions of people around the world grew up listening to these stories.
Moreover, for these young ladies, money is no longer an issue. Their boyfriends may not have money, but they do. At this point, love becomes even more precious. Do you love me, or do you love my family background? Do you love the inheritance I've received? At this moment, Shirou's behavior earns him even more points.
They were all vying for attention, flirting and exchanging knowing glances, clearly interested in Shirou. Because they were together, their daily lives inevitably intersected, and it was precisely because of this that they all formed some kind of 'connection' with men.
Shirou, who had been stopped, had no choice but to turn around, smile at the female teachers, and say earnestly, "Thank you for your kindness, but I am just a poor boy who can cook a little. I come from an ordinary background and don't have a good education. I really can't work with you, who are elites from all walks of life and are also graduates of this school."
As it has developed to this point, there are all sorts of overt and covert methods and rules.
These aristocratic daughters, who belong to the traditional school, dressed completely differently from ordinary people. They wore traditional clothing such as kimonos as their standard attire for daily outings. Kimonos evolved from Gofuku a type of traditional Japanese clothing) and have been passed down to the present day. They have developed into many different types, each with its own purpose: casual wear at home, formal dresses for banquets, and special styles for visiting guests and celebrating holidays.
But at this moment, it was the leading Japanese woman who decisively refuted Shirou's statement.
"No, absolutely not! Shirou is undoubtedly a noble person. I can clearly feel the elegance in his bones, which is far superior to the so-called younger generation of nobles. I have only felt this in my grandfather."
"Huh? Indeed, Teacher Tachibana's maternal grandfather was the successor of the Fujiwara Hidesato-ryu Kyudo— Master Fujiwara the Ninth Dan." A colleague who knew about it said in surprise.
"Yes, my feeling is right. Lord Emiya undoubtedly possesses the qualities of a top-tier archer. (Monthly membership group 694936135)" The female teacher nodded and said.
"I feel that I can have common topics with Mr. Shirou when it comes to art," the flower arrangement teacher said.
"Yes, I also like the carved Mount Fuji coffee that Lord Emiya makes," said the female teacher who teaches Japanese painting.
"So please, please don't say anything that belittles yourself anymore!" The women in kimonos looked at Shirou with their bright, watery eyes, their gazes filled with a mixture of resentment, indignation, and sincerity. It was as if Shirou's derogatory words had also affected them, hurting their hearts.
Shirou, feeling their gazes, couldn't help but look away, unable to meet their eyes. This is probably what it means to be overwhelmed by the kindness of beautiful women.
Those love stories that are considered classics, that have survived to this day, and that are still loved by the public, are generally touching stories. However, in previous eras, they were actually despised.
Take ancient China, the birthplace of Confucianism and Daoism, which is inherited by Japan in ancient times, as an example. Since the Yuan Dynasty, the requirements for women have become increasingly strict. The Ming Dynasty prohibited women from remarrying, and the Qing Dynasty did not allow daughters of the Eight Banners to marry into Han ethnicity families. Morally, women were required to be loyal and chaste.
What is chastity and martyrdom? It means that after her husband dies, she does not remarry or elope, but remains a widow to this day. This is 'chastity'. If she hears that her husband has died, she commits suicide to accompany him in death. This is 'martyrdom'.
Or, if a woman is raped by bandits, she should commit suicide before being robbed in order to preserve her chastity; this is considered heroic.
If a woman commits suicide after being raped, it doesn't count as heroic. At most, it only elicits a sigh. Although the woman's courage is commendable, she died too late, bringing shame and disgrace to her husband's family, so she doesn't deserve praise.
Even worse, seducing innocent young men is a serious crime. Of course, there are often tricks involved, because according to the principle of piston movement, the part that moves is the rod, but at the same time, there must be a part that is being inserted; both are indispensable. Those who uphold and maintain all of this are not only the men who support the family and are responsible for external affairs, but also the women who manage the head of household and take charge of internal affairs.
For example, Lady Wang in Dream of the Dream of the Red Chamber dotes on her own son, Second Master Bao, but in reality, she keeps everything under her control.
For example, when Second Master Bao was too close to the feisty and straightforward Qingwen, Lady Wang starved the seriously ill Qingwen for five days and then kicked her out of the Jia Mansion. This is the kind of treatment that is meant to destroy you.
Of course, there was a balance. To satisfy Second Master Bao, Lady Wang then found the more obedient Xiren and had the twelve-year-old Xi Ren experience her first sexual encounter with the ten-year-old Second Master Bao. Everything was under this woman's control. After that, any maids like Fangguan Guan, who Lady Wang didn't like, were all dismissed.
For example, the disobedient maid Bihen took a five-hour bath with Second Master Bao, but Second Master Bao was afraid of being beaten by his family if he told anyone, so he took advantage of her and didn't say anything.
Originally, it was all a matter of half-hearted consent, but Second Master Bao chickened out, and no one could be saved, so it was all the maid's fault.
These ideas are now considered outdated in most countries, but for a period of time in the past, they were indeed regarded as universal truths, and for hundreds of years.
However, the fact that these classic stories have survived from that era at least proves that there were many people who yearned for this kind of freedom in love and sympathized with couples who were bound by social status.
Throughout history and across cultures, who are most easily influenced by these stories and most likely to yearn for them? That's right, it's teenage girls in their adolescence. To some extent, these stories, back then, were a voice for those young ladies and women confined to their homes, unable to leave their homes.
Like the foolish and cowardly Second Master Bao in the Grand View Garden, who had the advantage of timing, location, and people, not to mention the many maids he had taken advantage of, he also had ambiguous and unclear relationships with many of his childhood sweethearts.
He even used his little yellow book to tease and joke with the artistic young girl, Sister Lin, and exchange inner feelings. After all, he was a man who had already experienced the pleasures of love at the age of ten.
In this private school where young men are scarce, Shirou stands out even more. He was already naturally attractive to women, and now he is getting even more attention.
You could say he's Jia Baoyu in the Grand View Garden right now. No matter how badly Shirou performs, he can't possibly be inferior to a Second Master Bao.
Chapter 497 The Story with Shirou
"Um... Your Emiya Wei."
"Yes?" Shirou answered, looking at the kimono-clad female teacher who had called him.
"I still hope you can come and teach at the school, is that alright?" The black-haired woman in the kimono asked Shirou pleadingly. Although she had never mentioned it to anyone, she and Emiya shared a secret, and it was the only one they had.
It was noon one day before school started. The black-haired woman who was on duty at school suddenly had a whim to take a walk outside the school during the lunch break.
She had her hair tied in black pigtails, wore a black and red kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, the cuffs were embroidered with her family crest, and she wore matching black and red straw sandals. She was holding an antique-style oil-paper umbrella and strolling gracefully.
It was already noon, and school was closed, so there were no students around. The surrounding houses were also closed for the day, and there was no one on the road. She enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the cherry blossoms in early bloom all by herself, walking down the slope and feeling the elegant charm of being one with nature.
Inspired by the natural scenery, the woman couldn't help but open her arms, wanting to embrace the world. Her hands fluttered like butterflies, transforming her into a fairy in the cherry blossom forest. Her toes touched the ground, and she spun around, the hem of her kimono swaying and fluttering.
But her good fortune didn't last long. Her straw sandals malfunctioned; one of the ropes snapped, and she lost her balance, falling towards the ground due to inertia. The black-haired woman was very flexible and agile; before falling, she managed to brace herself with her hands, so she wasn't injured.
The black-haired woman thought regretfully, 'How shameful... I really shouldn't have done such an indecent thing! Surely no one saw me, right? Otherwise, I would have completely disgraced my family, and as a teacher, I would have lost all face.'
But unfortunately, someone else still saw this embarrassing thing.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" At this moment, another young man's voice came.
'I just want to find a hole to crawl into...' The black-haired woman blushed and whispered, 'No... I'm fine...'
"That's good, I'll help you up now." As he spoke, a strong arm draped over the black-haired woman's arm and lifted her up. He then pulled out a wooden chair from somewhere and made her sit down.
"Um..." The black-haired woman was naturally taken aback. She seemed to have never seen anyone who could help others so naturally before.
After settling the woman down, the man knelt down, picked up the black-haired woman's feet, and examined them closely.
"Wait! What do you want to do!" the black-haired woman exclaimed. A pampered young lady, she had never experienced anything so shocking and was nearly fainting from fright.
"I'm helping you manage your injury. If you feel any pain, just say so," the man said, gently twisting the woman's foot with one hand.
"Hmm..." The black-haired woman blushed, remained silent, and let the man do as he pleased.
"Hmm, looks like you didn't sprain your ankle. It's just that your straw sandals look to be torn. Okay, wait a moment." The man said, then ran up into the wooden house that had been built sometime earlier.
"It'll be fixed in no time. Okay, give it a try!" The man put the repaired straw sandals back on the woman's feet, helped her put them on, and then looked up at her with a hearty laugh.