Yukinoshita's Method of Correction Chapter 2

Returning to youth.

Dong Yunshan had hoped for it, but he had never thought it would really happen.

After seeing Shizuka Hiratsuka off, Dong Yunshan pulled out a long table and set it in place, warmed up briefly, then ducked under it. He hooked his hands over the edge with an overhand grip, straightened his body, and pulled himself off the floor, supporting his weight with only his fingers and heels.

Perhaps because an infant's body could not bear an adult's soul, his memories of his previous life had been nothing but fragmented dreams for a very long time, and only recently had he barely managed to piece them together.

A powerful body could house a powerful soul. Taking that assumption as his premise, Dong Yunshan began to keep up his training.

As his body grew stronger, the release on the level of the soul brought him an irresistible sense of exhilaration and accomplishment.

Tightening his core, he slowly lifted his heels off the floor. Dong Yunshan's entire body hung sideways beneath the table, parallel to the tabletop.

Along with the pump from his engorged muscles, he could clearly sense vitality surging through his blood vessels.

With a body this healthy, he probably would not suddenly drop dead again, right?

Slowly adjusting the angle of his force, Dong Yunshan pressed both hands onto the tabletop and raised his body bit by bit, standing in a perfectly straight handstand atop the long table.

Like cedar rooted deep in the soil... brimming with life.

P.S. New author, new book. Please take good care of me~

Please add to your collections, please recommend, please vote!

Completed works: Demon Slayer's Weeping Exorcising Demons Alongside Kikyo How to Raise a Background Character Wife The God of Death Does Not Die by Bare Hands

Volume One: First Meeting in First Year: Teaching a Man to Fish

"I was wondering why the name Service Club suddenly came to mind. So you were the one who mentioned it to me." Shizuka Hiratsuka's footsteps rang crisply across the waxed floor. "But this works out too. The Service Club has already been established, and all the paperwork is done. You can just join directly."

The girl in the school uniform walked beside Shizuka Hiratsuka, her black hair swaying with her steps, the red bow tied in it like a light butterfly.

"The gifted have an obligation to help the pitiful—that phrase of yours, Sensei, was my original reason for founding the Service Club, so you need not feel guilty for using my idea." The girl's cool, clear voice, paired with her ice-blue eyes, formed an almost tangible aura of snow and ice. "The more people who agree with those words, the better the world will become."

"Exactly. That's the idea." Shizuka Hiratsuka finally stopped guiltily avoiding the girl's gaze and turned to look at the most beautiful girl on campus beside her.

Class 2-J, Yukino Yukinoshita.

Sobu High School had nine regular classes and one international liberal arts class—Class 2-J, where most of the students had returned from overseas or planned to study abroad.

Yukino Yukinoshita was the particularly special one within that special class, Class 2-J.

Excellent grades. Whether on term exams or mock exams, she ranked first in the entire year.

Excellent looks. Crystal-clear, delicate skin, a dignified bearing, exquisite features, black hair that fell past her shoulders, and a face so cute it was practically unfair.

As for her personality...

"The prerequisite is that he understands the meaning of the Service Club and service activities." Yukino Yukinoshita's voice hardly rose or fell at all. "If he lacks the corresponding resolve, then the student currently carrying out service activities in the Service Club will be the first client I must face."

"You don't need to worry about that." The Service Club activity room was right in front of them, and Shizuka Hiratsuka raised a hand to slide the door open. "He truly does help others for plea—"

Her voice came to an abrupt halt. Reflected in her wide eyes was a... steel pole standing upright in the classroom.

And then, hanging from the steel pole, was the flag known as Dong Yunshan.

Dong Yunshan gripped the steel pole with both arms, his straightened legs perpendicular to the pole and parallel to the floor, swaying gently.

Shizuka Hiratsuka: "...sure."

Noticing the two who had come in, Dong Yunshan curled up his legs, wrapped himself around the steel pole, spun once, and landed steadily. "Hello, Sensei... Yukinoshita?"

He blinked, then showed a look of realization. "We finally have a request. Please wait a moment."

Dong Yunshan walked into the changing area partitioned off with a curtain in the corner of the classroom and changed out of the sweatshirt that had been soaked with sweat.

Only then did Shizuka Hiratsuka notice even more changes in the classroom. Leaving aside the conspicuous steel pole and the changing area in the corner, more than half of the junk originally piled here had disappeared, while the remainder had been arranged at the back of the classroom into a strange structure, something like a mash-up of a gym and a climbing wall.

"It's only been a few days..." Shizuka Hiratsuka held her forehead. "And you actually turned the activity room into this."

"Club members have the right to arrange the activity room within permitted limits." Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze shifted slightly. "Rather, Sensei, please knock before entering next time."

"You've completely started talking like the club president..." Shizuka Hiratsuka urged aloud, "Hey, are you not done changing yet?"

"Done, done." Dong Yunshan tugged at his white gloves and raised a hand over his chest. "Welcome to the Service Club. I am delighted to be of service."

The fitted black tailcoat was filled out by his broad shoulders, then visibly tightened at the waist. Paired with Dong Yunshan's upright posture and elegant smile, he really did have a bit of the air of a professional butler... No!

Coming back to herself, Shizuka Hiratsuka felt utterly exhausted. "What's with that outfit?"

"To do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools," Dong Yunshan replied. "I have a friend who works as a steward in the household of a British diplomat, so I asked him to help me make a set—it fits pretty well, doesn't it?"

"It does fit very well, but isn't that the basic requirement for something custom-made? No..." Shizuka Hiratsuka was almost led off track. "I mean, what are you wearing that for?"

"For service activities." Dong Yunshan looked as if it were only natural. "When you mention service, the first things that come to mind are maids and butlers, so I put a little extra thought into the outfit."

"A little extra thought..." Shizuka Hiratsuka only felt the veins on her forehead throbbing. "Why didn't you order a maid outfit too, then?"

"I did." Dong Yunshan pulled a maid outfit out of the changing area. "I was too embarrassed to wear it out."

Shizuka Hiratsuka: "..." So he had secretly worn it in private, had he?

No!

Shizuka Hiratsuka could no longer remember how many times she had reminded herself not to let her thoughts wander.

The more serious problem now was...

"Dong Yunshan," Yukino Yukinoshita said, staring at Dong Yunshan as if she had spotted something filthy, "what exactly do you think the Service Club is?"

Dong Yunshan said, "A club."

It had begun... Like a referee who had just announced the start of a match, Shizuka Hiratsuka took one step back and yielded the battlefield to the two of them.

"The excellent have an obligation to help the pitiable, to assist them out of hardship, to teach them how to fish rather than simply give them fish. Written as 'service,' read as 'service,' but in truth, it is volunteer work." Yukino Yukinoshita lifted her fair, delicate chin slightly. "Extending a hand to those in trouble—that is the Service Club."

Her icicle-like gaze stabbed straight into Dong Yunshan's face, and as Yukino Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes, the icicle grew even sharper. "Not some superficial roleplay."

It had to be said, Yukino Yukinoshita like this was still quite intimidating—to a high school student.

To Dong Yunshan, who had worked for many years, the type with a calm attitude was far more intimidating.

For example...

[I can't help you with much. All I can do is try not to ruin things for you.]

[I don't decide your salary. I can only influence your salary.]

[I'm not making things difficult for you. It's just that you need some training.]

"So the key is the heart that serves others?" Looking at the maid outfit in his hands, Dong Yunshan realized what he had been lacking. "So even the part of the heart that feels shame has to be put toward helping others—wait a moment, both of you."

"You wait a moment first!" Yukino Yukinoshita frowned. "This has nothing to do with what you're wearing. The problem lies in your overly shallow understanding of the Service Club's service activities."

Dong Yunshan raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think my understanding is shallow?"

Yukino Yukinoshita said, "Because of what you're wearing."

Dong Yunshan said, "Wasn't I just about to go change?"

"If you don't understand the true meaning of service activities, then changing into any number of outfits will be useless." Yukino Yukinoshita lightly pressed a fair hand to her chest. "But that's all right. I will correct your problem—welcome to my Service Club."

A clash of principles!

Shizuka Hiratsuka folded her arms in front of her chest, admiring the tense, drawn-sword atmosphere of the moment.

Though both of them were helping others, Dong Yunshan and Yukino Yukinoshita had completely different starting points, and their principles were worlds apart.

Just what sort of sparks would these two young and reckless people create when they collided?

As a mature adult, Shizuka Hiratsuka looked forward to it very much.

"Oh." Dong Yunshan held the maid outfit up in front of Yukino Yukinoshita. "Then you wear it."

Shizuka Hiratsuka: "..." Faced with such a blunt rejection from someone his own age, that was Dong Yunshan's reaction?

No! This was an even more advanced tactic of retreating in order to advance.

By handing over the maid outfit that represented the Service Club and service activities, on the surface he seemed to be yielding his position as club president, but in reality, he had set a trap.

If Yukino Yukinoshita accepted the maid outfit, then although she would obtain the position of club president, she would also be acknowledging the significance of the attire and overturning her previous conclusion.

But if she did not accept the maid outfit, it would be equivalent to refusing Dong Yunshan's transfer of authority, and she would not obtain the position of club president.

A thoughtful look appeared in Shizuka Hiratsuka's eyes.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, how would Yukino Yukinoshita respond?

"This is precisely what I was worried about." Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at the maid outfit, and an almost sinister anger surfaced on her face. "A shallow person, with shallow understanding, offering shallow help in a shallow way for shallow reasons—this cannot solve problems, nor can it save anyone."

Straight for the throat!

Faced with Dong Yunshan's trap, Yukino Yukinoshita broke through with sheer force, completely denying both the meaning behind Dong Yunshan's act of giving her the maid outfit and the club president position he possessed, elevating the match to a higher level.

"Save?" Dong Yunshan raised an eyebrow. "You mean to say that, under the excuse of saving me, you're going to deny the efforts I've made and steal my Service Club?"

What a brilliant move, taking words out of context!

Dong Yunshan stripped away Yukino Yukinoshita's resolve and reasoning entirely, leaving only the action on the surface, thereby turning the higher-level clash of principles back into a low-level power struggle.

"First of all, saving you is not an excuse. It is my decision." Yukino Yukinoshita pressed a hand to her temple as if she had a slight headache. "Second, you changed clothes because of my arrival, so my subjective feelings are the objective facts. As for whether your efforts were effective, I have more right to speak on that than you do."

"Lastly, this so-called Service Club of yours was my idea to begin with." Yukino Yukinoshita's gaze shifted slightly toward Shizuka Hiratsuka. "I am taking back what belongs to me."

"Hm?" Dong Yunshan fixed his eyes on Shizuka Hiratsuka. "Teacher, aren't you going to explain?"

What a brilliant move, diverting disaster eastward and shifting the topic to a third party... Huh?

Shizuka Hiratsuka's inner commentary came to an abrupt halt. "How did this get dragged over to me?"

This script was wrong!

From ancient times to the present, when the justice of two sides clashed, weren't they supposed to prove their own correctness through a duel, like in a traditional shounen manga?

How had it suddenly fast-forwarded to both of them forming an alliance against an outside enemy?

"Yukinoshita isn't wrong. The Service Club really was her idea..." Shizuka Hiratsuka muttered. "But Yukinoshita, didn't you also say just now that what I said was the original reason you founded the Service Club? So it's not a problem if I hand the Service Club over to Dong Yun."

"I also said just now that the prerequisite is that he understands the meaning of the Service Club and its service activities." Yukino Yukinoshita half narrowed her cold eyes. "If he lacks the corresponding resolve, then the very fact that he controls the Service Club is itself a mistake that needs to be corrected."

"What needs correcting even more is that self-righteous attitude of yours." Dong Yunshan took off his glove. "From the very beginning, you got one thing wrong."

Ohhh! Here it came, here it came. Shizuka Hiratsuka's eyes lit up.

Throwing down a glove to signal a duel...

Dong Yunshan tossed the gloves onto the desk. "I never needed this Service Club in the first place. If you want it, take it—I'm done."

Shizuka Hiratsuka: "...Huh?"

Here I was, getting all fired up with my explanation, and you say you're done?

What I wanted to see was Ripple Overdrive, not you driving off!

"I only stayed in the Service Club to satisfy your needs, Sensei." Dong Yunshan spread his hands. "And now, instead of bringing in a client, you brought in someone here to wreck the place. You're the one who overturned your own needs, so I..."

His gaze swept across Shizuka Hiratsuka's face, and Dong Yunshan suddenly fell silent.

"Running away?" Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head. "Fine. For someone with no self-awareness, realizing you're outmatched counts as progress."

"What a low-grade provocation." Dong Yunshan chuckled. "Then I'll play along a little longer—you said just now that because I changed clothes for you, you had the most say in whether my effort was effective. That understanding is fundamentally wrong."

"Someone as shallow as you..." The corners of Yukino Yukinoshita's mouth lifted slightly, but there was no trace of amusement in her eyes. "And you still want to discuss essence with me?"

"I put on professional clothing for the client, and you are not the client, so you have no say." Dong Yunshan tugged at his collar. "What's wrong isn't my method, but your identity. You examined my correct effort from an incorrect position, so naturally you arrived at an incorrect conclusion."

"You've finally learned to see the essence through the phenomenon." Yukino Yukinoshita lightly stroked her long hair, each fine strand refracting the sunlight and rippling with a hazy glow. The sense of accomplishment that surfaced on the girl's face made her smile even more dazzling. "If you had focused on the essence sooner, this process could have been shortened a little more."

"So this is all so-called true service amounts to." Dong Yunshan sighed in considerable disappointment. "Guiding others through words into saying what you want to hear is nothing more than a boring word game at best. You can call that correction?"

"The fact that you can ask that question means you've already learned to grasp the essence, which proves my correction was a success." Smiling elegantly, Yukino Yukinoshita looked like an angel radiating light. "From now on, carry your gratitude toward me with you, apply this kind of thinking to your actions, and carefully savor the life you have after being saved."

"I'm not so helpless that I need a meaningless debate to decide the direction of my future." Dong Yunshan put the gloves back on. "The Service Club can't be handed over to someone like you. Just how many people have you helped with this farce of a method? Before they fall, I'll have to give them real help through real service activities."

Yukino Yukinoshita's expression stiffened.

"Ohhh?" Dong Yunshan revealed a predator-like smile. "Don't tell me there hasn't been a single one?"

Yukino Yukinoshita glared at Dong Yunshan. "Of course there has..."

"I don't count." Dong Yunshan wagged his finger. "Other than me, have you helped anyone else?"