CHAPTER 470: 220. LIVING WITH THE TEACHERS, STEPPING TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL_2

"Thanks, but no, the one I like is Mr. Xiaoquan."

"Ah—ah, ah! Hmm hmm hmm!" Akiko acted even more childish than Dubian Lian, throwing a tantrum and kicking her legs on the sofa.

Dubian Che ignored her and asked Xiaoquan Aonai, who was smiling:

"Mr. Xiaoquan, school doesn’t start until the 9th, so why did you come back today?"

"I have work to do," Xiaoquan Aonai replied.

"Work?" Dubian Che didn’t understand.

"Young man, don’t tell me you think that teachers don’t have to work when students aren’t around?" Miyazaki Mieko said.

"What do teachers do when they aren’t teaching classes?"

"The inter-school competition for monthly tests, the performance targets that are impossible to meet, complaints to deal with on top of grading, checking teaching materials, simulated teaching, never-ending teaching and research meetings, not to mention parent-teacher conferences," Xiaoquan Aonai complained.

Dubian Che had never seen Xiaoquan Aonai complain like this.

But it was normal for a teacher, a star, or any similar job to have two faces.

Take Akiko, for example. It’s said that she is very authoritative in second and third grade, but now?

Lying on the couch, bottom up in the air, pretending to cry.

Really wanted to take a picture and show it to her students.

"Are public schools a bit easier?" Dubian Che asked.

"Perhaps," replied Xiaoquan Aonai. "But teachers at public schools have to switch schools regularly. The three of us didn’t want to split up, so we all went to private schools. As for why we chose Goda, it’s just because I liked the name of the school."

"I’m reminded of when we first came to Tokyo," said Miyazaki Mieko nostalgically, "Back then, we didn’t live in Shinjuku and had to get up two hours early every day to catch the train..."

After half an hour at the teacher’s home, Dubian Che took his leave.

While changing shoes in the entryway, Akiko’s voice came from the living room:

"Dubian, Aonai sleeps in the innermost room, so don’t go into the wrong one if you’re planning a Night Attack!"

"Nonsense! I clearly sleep in the outermost room!"

"Ah, leh, leh, lei, so you’re actually looking forward to a Night Attack~~"

"Ah! Of course not!"

’They’ve started fighting in the living room; I kind of want to go back and watch.’ Dubian Che put on his shoes, said "Excuse me" out loud, and left Room 501.

The next day, Xiaoquan Aonai drove to help him move his luggage.

Actually, there wasn’t much, mostly clothes and study materials.

There was also a computer, game console, camera, an adult-sized Knight belt, and the likes, all bought purely for the sake of spending money.

Jiutiao Meijie’s stockings were also carefully packed.

At noon, while Dubian Che was pondering where to place his computer and whether to buy a computer desk along with a bed, Xiaoquan Aonai called him over for lunch.

"We three usually eat anything, so don’t mind," she said.

"I usually eat out haphazardly; this is already very lavish for me."

"Eating out is too expensive, cooking for yourself saves a lot of money."

"After all, you need to save up to buy a house in Shinjuku," Dubian Che said.

"Yeah, need to save up to buy a house in Shinjuku," Xiaoquan Aonai laughed in agreement.

After saying this, she went to call the two young women who were still asleep to get up.

Indoor heating was on, and the two teachers who had just gotten up were scantily clad.

Miyazaki Mieko was in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

Plump legs, perky buttocks.

In one word, not good for one’s health.

Especially since Dubian Che was an overly energetic sixteen-year-old boy.

Akiko wore long pajama pants and a long sleep shirt.

Nothing remarkable, except that her pajama neckline was sloppily askew, with buttons undone, revealing a little bit of white.

No good, no good, really no good.

Dubian Che sat up straight, determined not to look a second time.

For him, whose willpower was growing stronger, it was a simple task.

If he resolved not to look a second time, he wouldn’t, and up to now, this had only failed with Kiyono Lin.

’The most special is her, above everything else is her, my god, Kiyono Lin.’ At that moment, Dubian Che spontaneously came up with a prayer for the Kiyono Divine Sect.

"Wow! Sandwiches, fried chicken, tamagoyaki, bacon-wrapped asparagus, fried eggs, mushrooms, and a box of strawberries! Eating so well today?" Akiko immediately sat down, unable to wait.

"Basking in the light of youth, eh?" Miyuki Saeki joked with a tease.

"No, it’s the first day back, so why not have something good to eat?" Even if it weren’t Kiyono Lin, the other three seated there knew that Xiaoquan Aonai was lying.

"Let’s eat!" The four clasped their hands together.

"It’s incredibly delicious!" Dubian Che praised.

"Mmm, it’s tasty, tasty!" Akiko placed her right foot on the chair, with the sole pressing against her left thigh.

"Young man, you can come for every meal," Miyuki Saeki said.

"I permit it too!" Akiko spoke with her mouth full of fried chicken and strawberries in hand, "But remember to chip in for meals, we split the cost here."

The three exaggerated their expressions, and Xiaoquan Aonai, though partly helpless and partly pleased, was praised.

"Do you have to be so dramatic? Doesn’t Mr. Xiaoquan usually cook?" Dubian Che asked curiously.

"A curry meal, eaten for three meals," Miyuki Saeki said.

"Or we order takeout," Akiko answered.

"Who would eat three meals that extravagantly, stop talking nonsense!" Xiaoquan Aonai retorted with a slight blush and a coquettish tone.

"For the sake of your healthy diet, teachers, I’ve decided to come for every meal!"

"The meal cost per person..."

"Akiko!" Xiaoquan Aonai pressed Akiko’s outstretched hand back down with dissatisfaction, "Cooking for three or four people is the same, besides Dubian is our student, how could we take his money?"

"He’s your student, he only listens to you..." Akiko mumbled under her breath, but seeing Xiaoquan Aonai gearing up to scold her, she quickly changed her tune, "No payment then, no problem. This kid won the national first prize, so he’s got plenty of prize money for you."

"How about this," Dubian Che said, "I’ll do the dishes from now on."

"That’s settled then!" Judging by the speed of response, it was usually Miyuki Saeki and Akiko who did the dishes.

In the afternoon, Dubian Che went out to shop.

Sofa, coffee table, kitchen supplies, refrigerator, and even a 1.16 million yen white bed—big enough to fit about six people lying side by side, quite soft.

Dubian Che used to prefer a firmer bed without much care for size, but having slept with Jiutiao Meijie for so long, he had gotten used to the softness and size of her bed.

This time he decided simply to buy one like that.

The setting sun cast its dying light over the woods of the Shengong Outer Garden, and Dubian Che was taken by the three teachers to buy groceries.

For dinner, they had delicious anglerfish hot pot.

The days before school started were recorded in his journal like this:

Morning, running in the Shengong Outer Garden—indeed, professional athletes come here for morning jogs;

Forenoon, wandering around the neighborhood, I found three bookstores, my regular is "Chengshan Bookstore"—but I still prefer Shinbashi;

(Before reading, I would ask Kiyono Lin about her recent reads; after finishing, I would share some of my reading thoughts, often to be mocked, hoping for a day of praise)

Afternoon, strolling in the Shengong Outer Garden with the teachers, looking at the 300-meter ginkgo-lined boulevard—occasionally boating on the lake;

Evening, if not at Jiutiao Meijie’s, then at home playing video games with Saito Keisuke and the others, sometimes playing board games with the teachers.

Mayi Asuka hadn’t moved in yet, when Dubian Che chatted with her over the phone, she mentioned she would only be able to move out from home during the spring break.

The winter break flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the third term started.

January 9, Goda High School, shoe locker area

"Mr. Kiyono, haven’t seen you in six days."

"Is that so." Kiyono Lin took her shoes out of the locker.

"Today’s high is 16°C, the highest temperature of January, it’s a good day for reunions."

"Mr. Dubian, are you a dragonfly with only eight months to live?"

"What do you mean?"

"Reunions refer to friends or relatives meeting again after a long separation." Kiyono Lin stood up, looking at Dubian Che, "If six days count as ’long,’ then I think you must be a dragonfly."

Without waiting for Dubian Che to respond, she added:

"Sorry, I didn’t consider the possibility of you being a fly, given the noise you make, you’re more likely to be a fly."

After closing her locker, Kiyono Lin had one last thing to say before walking away:

"From the looks of it, you probably don’t know that a fly only lives for a month."

"..."

Who exactly is the noise-making fly here?

Could it be that after not seeing her for six days, Lord Kiyono missed her only follower?

Dubian Che leisurely changed his shoes, not hurrying to follow her.

After all, starting today, they would see each other every day.