CHAPTER 485: 226. RESTLESS VALENTINE’S DAY (5)

February 12, Saturday.

Dubian Che returned from spending the night in Chiyoda and, in the lobby of the apartment, ran into Xiaoquan Aonai who was about to head out.

"Mr. Xiaoquan, good morning."

"Good morning." Xiaoquan Aonai had lost the awkwardness from watching the movie the day before, "Did you just come back from morning exercise?"

Dubian Che hesitated for two seconds before nodding, "Yes, I just came back from morning exercise."

Having said that, he asked with slight curiosity, "Why are you alone, Mr. Xiaoquan? What about Akiko and Mr. Miyazaki?"

Usually, the three female teachers would go out together.

"They’re off today, still sleeping. I’m headed to school to set up the examination hall for tomorrow’s entrance exam," explained Xiaoquan Aonai.

"No wonder they earn six million yen a year, and you earn ten million yen."

Xiaoquan Aonai burst into laughter, "This kind of manual labor doesn’t come with much of a bonus; it all depends on you being the top student in the country, Dubian."

"No, no, no," Dubian Che exaggeratedly demurred, "I only got first place because you taught me well."

"You’ve always scored full marks in English, and I haven’t taught you that."

"Mr. Xiaoquan, you’re so good-looking. Just thinking I’ll see you gives me the motivation to get up for school even on cold winter mornings."

"Are you saying that, as a teacher, being good-looking is my only merit?" Xiaoquan Aonai pretended to stiffen her face.

"Yes, that’s why I love you the most, Mr. Xiaoquan."

Dubian Che often used this phrase, and Xiaoquan Aonai had heard it many times.

Under normal circumstances, she would have been used to it, but the ambiguous scenes from last night’s teacher-student movie flashed in her mind, causing her cheeks to redden slightly.

"Stop talking nonsense," she scolded.

Her tone was just like that of a coquettish girlfriend.

Xiaoquan Aonai herself realized something wasn’t quite right, adjusted the strap of her bag upward, and changed the subject:

"If you’re free today, why don’t you come and help?"

"Sure, how much an hour?"

The two of them walked together toward the apartment’s parking lot.

"Charging money, huh?" Xiaoquan Aonai asked with a laugh.

"Of course," Dubian Che retorted. "By the way, unlike previous years, the minimum hourly wage has risen to 985 yen."

"That’s expensive."

"Ms. Xiaoquan, you’re a millionaire in Shinjuku District. Don’t haggle with a student working a part-time job, especially since I do home visits."

"Home visits? What kind of part-time job are you talking about? Not studying well."

"I’m talking about a moving company."

They got into the car, fastened their seat belts, and drove towards Goda High School.

The sky in front of the windshield was a brilliant blue, and the sunlight was dazzlingly bright.

Xiaoquan Aonai was focused while driving, constantly watching to the left and right.

Dubian Che rested his hands behind his head; the glass shielded the cold wind, and the winter sun made him drowsy.

Music played inside the car.

Dubian Che had never asked Xiaoquan Aonai the name of the song, and because the sun was so comfortable at the time, he only remembered a few scattered lyrics after listening once:

"And that little store we often went to after school, each visit to the pastry shop,"

"And the ceaseless nagging, the mornings I got scolded,"

"Unknowingly, time has flown by, today is the day of graduation,"

He only remembered these lines.

When they reached the school and got out of the car, the normally packed student bicycle parking lot was empty, with only two or three bikes.

Few cars, yet quite a few people on campus.

Middle school third graders, wearing various uniforms from different schools, came today to visit the examination hall.

Their faces were childish, filled with excitement, anticipation, and anxiety.

Dubian Che looked at these people; though only a school year separated them from first-year high school students, they seemed much younger.

It wasn’t that Kiyono Lin and Jiutiao Mei had aged, but that these middle schoolers were just too young; Dubian Che wasn’t Humbert, and he had no interest in twelve-year-old Lolitas.

"Last year today, you were also in the crowd, Dubian," Xiaoquan Aonai said with a smile.

"Yes," Dubian Che nodded.

It was his first time coming to Tokyo; a year had passed, and he had not yet become a Tokyo handsome guy.

Every day, he spent his time in the Human Observation Department, sparring wits with two beautiful girls.

The teacher and student walked to the academic building and entered the teachers’ office.

On Saturday, only the third class’s history teacher was there, instructing two students from the third class.

While Xiaoquan Aonai watered the succulents on her desk, Dubian Che glanced over; the two students were the couple known as the blackboard eraser lovers from the third class.

These two, they weren’t pretending to help, were they? Actually coming to school to date?

Xiaoquan Aonai and Dubian Che divided the tasks; she went to inspect the examination hall.

The desks had been arranged by the students after school on Friday; she needed to check again: the placement of the desks, if any textbooks had been left behind, etc.

Dubian Che went around campus setting up signs.

The character appearing next had something to add to Dubian Che and Kiyono Lin’s high school life, although unimportant, her introduction should be given a bit of ceremony.

At that time, Dubian Che was placing a ’do not enter’ sign in front of the club building, walking in the corridor between the club building and the academic building.

A petite, slim girl with short hair, wearing a white sailor uniform and small leather shoes, briskly passed by him.

"Senpai!"

Dubian Che, carrying the ’F examination hall’ sign, didn’t stop.

No one had ever called him senpai before.

Before coming to Tokyo, even his first-grade little sister called him Che.

If she had called out ’handsome guy’ then, Dubian Che would have stopped immediately to see if she was calling him—he was still self-aware about that.

"Dubian Senpai!"

This time, Dubian Che stopped and turned around.

It was only a couple of steps, but the short-haired girl came running.

"Dubian Senpai! It’s me! It’s me!"