Lending My Shoulder to Shimaura Hitomi

During the second class of the morning, it was Kiyoharu's turn to teach.

Kiyoharu, standing at the podium, seemed a bit distracted. For someone usually meticulous with his thoughts, he'd uncharacteristically made a mistake in a blackboard calculation.

"My apologies, everyone. I'll focus better from now on."

"Mr. Chihaya, we know you worked hard taking care of the young lady last night, so a small slip-up in your lecture is understandable!" a female student called out, sparking a wave of good-natured laughter.

In the students' eyes, Kiyoharu and Airi's union was a fairytale romance. Consequently, in Kiyoharu's classes, students often teased them about their loving relationship.

Kiyoharu offered a slightly shy smile to everyone, then tapped the blackboard. The cheerful atmosphere instantly ceased, and he resumed explaining the problem.

Everyone knew Chihaya Kiyoharu was an exceptionally gentle man, but he could also be terrifying when he lost his temper. Thus, Kiyoharu commanded great respect in his classroom, and even students from wealthy backgrounds were willing to listen to him.

After all, Kiyoharu's math lessons were top-tier; listening to him attentively was more effective than attending cram school. Students who could study at Chihaya Academy generally had aspirations for their future.

After class, Kiyoharu wiped a thin sheen of sweat from his forehead in the hallway.

The impending arrival of Kitahara Ayano truly put him under considerable pressure.

Leaning against the window and breathing in the fresh air, Kiyoharu summoned the system.

"Useless system, do you have any new intel on Kitahara Ayano?"

"Oh my, my dear host, didn't you think I was completely useless? Why are you suddenly concerned about me now~"

"Stop being sarcastic and give me the intel."

"My dear host, what kind of information do you need?"

"Anything. For example, any unknown background information on Kitahara Ayano, or the activation method and conditions for Time Stop..."

"I do have quite a bit of information, but it all requires Energy Points for calculation and revelation. I can't just tell you directly, my dear host~"

Listening to the system's smug tone, Kiyoharu felt an urge to punch it.

But he genuinely needed the information now. Otherwise, he'd be forced to passively react to Kitahara Ayano's offensive.

Last time, he'd accidentally gotten an erection in front of Airi and managed to play it off, but what about next time?

What if she embarrassed him in public?

Clearly, Kitahara Ayano was extremely dedicated to gathering material, even betraying her best friend for it. It wouldn't be surprising if she did something even more outrageous.

Gulp! No, please no!

If it happened on the podium... his teaching career would likely be over.

As for the system being useless, well, it was useless. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and it wasn't like he couldn't use it. What else could he do?

After considering his options, Kiyoharu asked, "System, if I want information on Time Stop, how many Energy Points would that cost?"

"The intel costs only 50 Energy Points~ It's a shame you never do missions, my dear host. Your current inventory doesn't even have 5."

"Fine, find me some simple missions."

Kiyoharu grudgingly submitted to the system.

This made the system ecstatic. Sniffle, after countless failures, it had finally won a round under the tyrannical oppression of Kiyoharu.

Flipping through the mission list, the system said, "The simplest mission available right now just popped up, it's about Shimaura Hitomi..."

"Wait, are you holding a grudge against Red-Eyed Devil's best friend? You have to target her acquaintances? Do you think my position in the family is that high?" Kiyoharu complained.

"H-how can you blame me? I'm still a weak, pitiful, and helpless Level 1 system! Level 1! It's good enough that I can scan for this cost-effective mission. Besides Shimaura Hitomi's personal questline, the others are from 'Dormitory Gunner,' which you explicitly said you'd never do!" the system whined pitifully.

"Fine, let me see the specific mission details."

[Mission Name: Shimaura Hitomi's Weakness]

[Mission Description: The renowned writer Fyodor Dostoevsky once said, "If you don't lose weight in spring, you'll regret it in summer." Shimaura Hitomi firmly believes this and has been strictly dieting and exercising recently. However, maintaining daily activities requires energy, and every afternoon, Shimaura Hitomi is troubled by weakness caused by hunger.]

[Mission Objective: Lend Shimaura Hitomi your shoulder to lean on, allowing her to rest peacefully.]

[Mission Reward: 50 Energy Points]

This mission seemed simple, but it was actually a huge trap.

Kiyoharu had no legitimate reason to have her lean on his shoulder. Shimaura Hitomi was a very proper girl. If Kiyoharu forced or tricked her, she would definitely report it to Airi, and then he'd face the Red-Eyed Devil's immense wrath.

It wasn't worth it for a mere 50 Energy Points!

"Sigh, what good is this system to me? Forget it, forget it. I'll consider the 'Dormitory Gunner' missions. Maybe if I design a stealth route properly, I might actually have a chance to complete it perfectly..."

"What? What? Host, are you really going to do that mission?!" The system immediately became excited.

"Prepare my ass! Didn't you hear me saying that out of frustration?" Kiyoharu was amused and annoyed. "Command you to go study 'Emotional Intelligence' again. Don't appear before me until you understand it."

System: ( T_T )

Surrender, I surrender! It really couldn't argue with this trash host, sob sob sob.

Thus, Kiyoharu's plan to obtain information through the system was temporarily shelved.

Just as he was about to return to his office, he received a call from the principal on his phone, asking him to come to the principal's office for an important matter.

"Mr. Chihaya, has your work been relatively easy and pleasant recently?"

Seeing the principal's smiling and amiable face, Kiyoharu immediately became vigilant. This kind of talk usually meant the boss was hinting that the employee's workload wasn't saturated, and the next step would be to assign more tasks.

"There aren't any particularly difficult students in the class I'm currently responsible for, so overall it's been quite relaxed. However, I still need to prepare my lessons thoroughly. Balancing my family life while ensuring the quality of my classes means my schedule is quite tight."

Kiyoharu gave a flawless reply, subtly deflecting the suggestion.

Trying to get me to work overtime?

Either the lesson quality drops, or I have less time for my family and offend the young lady. You choose, old man!

The principal, a shrewd old fellow, immediately understood the implication and burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha, I'm sure Mr. Chihaya's fiancée wouldn't object to you taking on this responsibility... In fact, it was the young lady herself who recommended you to familiarize Miss Kitahara Ayano with the campus."

Huh?

Kiyoharu was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that this arrangement was perfectly in line with the Red-Eyed Devil's style.

She was taking care of her best friend by using a familiar face, while also testing Kiyoharu's loyalty to see if he was truly uninterested in Ayano.

Damn it, this Chihaya Airi really can't stand a day without causing trouble. She must have been giving the principal instructions over the phone while eating breakfast Kiyoharu made for her!

Can you just be a decent person, young lady!

"There's about ten minutes left," the principal said, glancing at his watch. "Miss Kitahara's car will arrive at the school gate, and Mr. Chihaya can go to greet her."

"No problem, I'll handle it."

Kiyoharu accepted the clearly troublesome task with a blank expression.

Oh well, she's coming for me anyway, so there's no point in hiding. Might as well face her with a smile!

After all, I've got nothing to hide, so I'm not afraid of shadows. Yeah, that's right, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore.