Chapter 190

"Is that Teacher Hiratsuka next to her? Could that be the one she mentioned before?" Ebina Hina guessed.

"That's Hayato? Even Yukino Shita is next to him..." After the initial surprise, Miura Yumiko noticed a familiar figure. "Hey! Why Yui in there too?!"

"Haha... I don't think that's a girl." Hayama Hayato corrected Tobe with a wry smile, "Height aside, Teacher Hiratsuka probably already mentioned this morning that it's a boy, right?"

"Huh?" X 3

After his reminder, the others also recalled the event and exclaimed in surprise:

"Huh--?!?!" X 3

"It's a scam, isn't it?!" Miura Yumiko cursed. "What kind of guy is that?!"

"No, isn't Saika-chan?"

"Well..."

"Well, compared to Tottsuka, I think he has a more masculine aura. He probably just looks more androgynous," Hayama Hayato analyzed based on his earlier impression.

"Majiga! I almost attacked him in my head just now!" Habe Sho screamed, clutching his head.

"Are you out of your mind?" Miura Yumiko glared at him disdainfully.

"Hiss~ Hiss~ Hmph~ Hmph!" Ebina Hina's expression gradually twisted into a grimace, a layer of white light shimmering on her glasses. "Between him and Hayato, who's the submissive one?"

"Judging from his appearance, it should be him, but according to convention, those who appear weak on the surface are usually the real beasts in the dark!"

"So that means... pfft!"

She coughed up two streams of blood from her nose and leaned back.

"Ah! Hina!" Miura Yumiko quickly grabbed her to prevent her from falling, used a napkin to stop her nosebleed, and sighed with worry, "Really! You're such a beauty when you're quiet!"

"Can you tell us your destination now?"

As Hiratsuka Shizuka's spacious Land Cruiser slowly drove out of the school gate and headed towards the highway, Yukino Shita Yukino, sitting in the back, asked a question.

"Sure, it's not something I need to hide anyway." Sitting in the passenger seat, Sakurakoji Talent pulled out a pair of sunglasses from somewhere and put them on like Hiratsuka Shizuka did; the afternoon sun was strong, and she needed to protect her eyes.

Simply put, it's Tokyo.

"Tokyo?!" Yuihama Yui exclaimed, sitting next to her. "Why Tokyo?"

"Because you have to complete my request, you haven't forgotten, have you?" he reminded them.

"Of course," Yukino Shita Yukino pondered, "So, you're not a native of Chiba, but live in Tokyo?"

That's it.

"How did you manage to get to know Teacher Hiratsuka, given how far apart you are?"

"That's a long story..."

After driving for more than half an hour, they arrived at Shimokitazawa.

"Wow~ This is Shimokitazawa? This is my first time here." Yuihama Yui looked around at the many vintage and Second-hand Store shops in the area.

Shimokitazawa, as a paradise of subcultures, is undoubtedly famous within the subculture community, but it is far less well-known outside of it and cannot compare to Shibuya and Shinjuku.

But once you've actually been here, even if you're not interested in these things, you'll be amazed by the atmosphere.

Whether it's the countless Starry clothing stores, record stores, bookstores, Musical Instrument Store and other music-related shops, or the occasional live singers on the street, or the theaters, Cafe and bars for leisure and entertainment...

Although it appears crowded and outdated compared to other places, its unique leisurely and artistic atmosphere is still quite attractive to young people.

"Me too." Yukino Shita Yukino observed her surroundings with great interest.

The atmosphere here was completely different from what she had experienced in Chiba; it was like another world. The artistic and bourgeois atmosphere stirred up her hidden side as a literary girl (maybe), and her chest felt slightly excited.

If it were a holiday, she might happily spend the whole day here.

She probably prefers places like this to visiting historical sites during school trips, because it gives her a sense of exploring a new world.

Besides, she had already visited those places that are frequented on school trips every year many years ago.

"Does Sakurakoji-san live around here?" she asked Sakurakoji Talent was a couple of steps ahead.

"No, this is where I work." Sakurakoji Talent shook his head, turned to look at her, and asked with a smile, "How is it? It feels pretty good here, right?"

As the place he was most familiar with in Tokyo besides his home, he initially came here with a purpose, but recently he has gradually come to like it. Perhaps this is the feeling that band members like Ichiji Nijika have.

"Hey~ it looks pretty good, worth exploring." She admitted frankly.

"It's a lot of fun to come here for treasure hunting on your days off. There are Second-hand Specialty Store that have many rare Limited Edition Records and cheap musical instrument accessories, as well as some secondhand clothing stores that are surprisingly cheap but have pretty good quality and design."

"There are also many ceramic and craft home decor items here, as well as vintage comic book stores, classic bookstores, and brand-new Musical Instrument Store."

"If you enjoy watching performances, there are plenty of livehouses and street performers here, and you can also leisurely while away the time in Street Corner Cafe."

Like a host, he introduced the place to the newcomers.

For ordinary people, it might just be a matter of visiting a few times and getting acquainted with the place, but for a fanatic like Yamada Ryo, he would go out on a solo adventure at least once or twice a week.

Therefore, she also knew some hidden gem shops, which she shared with him and Ichiji Nijika.

What they were most proud of was that they managed to find virtually brand-new Effects Pedal and tuners for less than a third of the price of what they would have paid elsewhere.

Or he could buy a decent set of clothes at a secondhand clothing store for two or three thousand yen—if clothes weren't such a common thing in his house, he would have liked to go and browse around.

This price is absolutely outrageous!

"Hey~ So Sakurakoji-san has a part-time job, what's it like?" Yuihama Yui stared curiously at his profile.

As she looked at it, she blushed and quickly looked away.

"It's a night shift job, usually starting near dusk and lasting until night."

"What are the job duties?" Yukino Shita Yukino asked.

"My main job is to prepare snacks and Drinks in advance. Sometimes I also work as a cleaning waiter, sound engineer's assistant, temporary lighting technician, instrument mover, human translator, novice band trainer, nanny for the boss's sister, free massage therapist, and sucker who lends me money..."

"Simply put, they're like Firefighter Captain, going wherever they're needed."

The light faded from his red agate eyes, and he turned his head to look to the side, saying with a look of utter despair.

"It sounds amazing and tough!" Yuihama Yui swallowed, unsure how to comfort him.

"You're still doing this kind of work that violates labor laws?" Yukino Shita Yukino also somewhat astonished and incredulous.

Although I don't know the specifics, it doesn't sound like this is a task that one person should be able to complete.

No, the real question is, is it really possible for one person to hold so many positions simultaneously?

Her opinion of him had changed somewhat; perhaps he wasn't the kind of habitual truant who only knew how to indulge in pleasure as she had thought.

She looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka beside him and sincerely suggested, "Teacher Hiratsuka, rather than taking care of us, I think your top priority right now is to rescue this high school student who has been exploited to the extreme from that wicked shop."

"Tsk tsk, you've asked the wrong person, Yukino Shita." He shook his index finger, giving her a look that said, "Do you know what the owner there is like with Teacher Shizuka?"

"What's the relationship?" She tilted her head.

"They're best friends! Best friends! Best friends who can sleep in the same bed at night! Asking her to fight that Ochanomizu Great Demon King is a complete misjudgment! Pfft--!"

He clutched his abdomen halfway through his sentence, bent over in pain, and was temporarily interrupted from casting the spell.

"You see... I told you you chose the wrong person, didn't I?" He forced his head up, Yukino Shita Yukino a weak smile, her expression desolate.

"Don't listen to his nonsense," Hiratsuka Shizuka frowned and shook her fist, surprised that the kid's stomach was so hard. "Although the mission was indeed a bit complicated, it didn't take him much time at all, and there weren't any special circumstances every day."

"Don't let his appearance fool you, this kid is very capable; he can get the job done quickly anywhere. Most importantly, his salary is quite generous."

"As for exploitation, that's utter nonsense. I heard from Hoshika that you took the day off again last night, didn't you? Tell me honestly, where did you go gallivanting off to this time?"

She pulled him up, used her arms to lock his neck, and subjected him to "torture."

However, whether the intimate physical contact, resulting in the soft and voluptuous feel of her body, can be considered torture is unknown.

"W-Why does even you, who's all the way in Chiba, know about this? Don't I have any privacy left?"

"Hmph, if you don't want others to know, then don't do it at all, kid!" she said, increasing the pressure.

However, the complex and delicate fragrance emanating from him, and the comfortable feeling of his soft hair and supple skin, suddenly made her feel like she was taking advantage of him. Her face flushed slightly, and she released him.

"It's nothing, just some urgent business, nothing serious." After getting away, he touched his neck, offering a perfunctory explanation.

"You brat, stop making excuses! You don't even go to class, what could you possibly be doing every day?!" Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed helplessly. "Are you going to save the world?"

"I'm very busy too, Teacher Shizuka. I have a lot of other projects to handle. You don't think I only work part-time here, do you?"

He didn't really save the world; he only saved himself.

... It's pathetic. Isn't he way too far behind the average Japan high school student?

"Huh? What do you mean? You're working other jobs too?" Hiratsuka Shizuka stared at him in astonishment, somewhat incredulously. "Hey, I did say you're very capable, but aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"

"Can your body handle this?"

Chapter 242 No one will be happy anymore

She had just been criticizing him for being too lazy and willful, but after hearing this, she immediately changed her tone.

"Women are so fickle," Sakurakoji Talent remarked.

But those words warmed my heart, so I decided not to criticize her.

"It's alright, I know what I'm doing." He indicated that he was fine, and continued walking towards the Starry. "Unless there are special circumstances, I've been getting more than seven hours of sleep every day, so it's okay, it's okay!"

"Seven hours isn't that much, is it?"

"Yes, yes! I need to sleep at least eight hours every night, sometimes nine!"

"Compared to some high school students, this is probably considered quite well-off."

"By the way, what other jobs do you actually hold? Are they serious?" Hiratsuka Shizuka still hadn't dispelled her doubts.

"I think the closest I came to a dishonest job was working in that dark underground space of 'STARRY' every day until the nightlife started," he complained, his eyes downcast.

"Haha, you're right!" Thinking of Starry's environment, she chuckled. "But why do you take on so many part-time jobs? Are you short of money? You don't seem like it."

"Well, for various reasons." He walked while rapidly tapping the screen of his phone.

To reassure her, he went on to explain, "Don't worry, it's nothing illegal."

"It's just writing Light Novel in my spare time, drawing illustrations and character art, designing and making beautiful and cool clothes, playing games with like-minded people, assisting Underground Idol with their performances, managing daily affairs for a band, writing songs, helping children who lack love with their emotional support... that's all, nothing special."

This is after he recently relinquished most of his company duties, leaving financial operations and physical business management to Sakurakoji and the people from the Okura Family.

He only retained the basic design drawings for the design and sewing work at Sakurakoji Clothing Studio, turning down everything else.

His most important task now is to focus on recuperating – a consensus shared by everyone there, including himself.

"... Are you out of your mind? Is this what you call out of your mind?" Hiratsuka Shizuka was dumbfounded and didn't know what to say.

If he's lying, then his jokes have gotten a bit more sophisticated; if he's telling the truth... how has he even survived this long? Is he even human?

Compared to all of these, Starry's work is exceptionally kind.

She finally understood why he hadn't been going to class every day—how could he possibly have time to go to class when it was so beautiful?!

The three people behind him also showed the same shocked expression as Hiratsuka Shizuka, looking at Sakurakoji Talent as if he were a monster.

Hikigaya Hachiman's forehead was covered in cold sweat. His usually indifferent, dead fish-like eyes were suddenly shaken out of their usual state, and his evaluation of him changed again.

This isn't just some Normie, popular guy; this is the Part-time Emperor (monster) of the corporate Corporate Slave World!

Besides his good looks and talent, does he really have such a full and dedicated daily schedule?

This is way too much effort... no, this goes beyond mere effort, it's practically risking your life. Is it really necessary?

Is this what they mean by someone more talented than you working even harder than you behind the scenes?

Having lived for over a decade, this was the first time Hikigaya Hachiman had grasped the core meaning of that statement so profoundly.

He glanced at Yukino Shita Yukino, who was biting her lip and trembling, with pity, feeling her resentment and sorrow.

Give up, Rayquaza. Your opponent is Arceus Sakura, Creator God with clones in every universe, a multiverse-level being. You, who only lord it over the Earth's Atmosphere, cannot defeat him.

Yukino Shita Yukino clenched her fists, her pale blue eyes fixed on his back.

To be honest, she didn't quite believe that anyone could actually go to such lengths, but he didn't seem like the kind of person who would elevate himself by lying...

If this is true, then--