"This uniform's so thin… Forget bulletproof, it can't even stop a knife."
Wearing the black mandarin-collar uniform prepared in advance, Rinji stood in front of the full-length mirror, examining his appearance.
He actually looked like a student.
"Rinji, are you ready?"
Kaya's voice came from outside the room, urging him to get moving.
"All set."
Rinji nodded, grabbed his schoolbag, and headed out.
Kaya was already dressed in her teacher's outfit, waiting at the entryway.
"Alright, let's go."
"Wait a second."
She stopped Rinji, stretching out her hand in front of him.
"Hand it over."
"Hand what over?"
"You're a student now. No contraband allowed."
"Of course. I never carry contraband."
"Hmm?"
"..."
Seeing her glare, Rinji sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun, placing it in her hand.
"GLOCK 17… What am I even supposed to say to you?"
She skillfully removed the mag—yep, fully loaded.
"Aunt Kaya, can I go now?"
"Hold on. That's not all, is it?"
"..."
Knowing he couldn't fool her, Rinji reluctantly laid out everything he was carrying.
Two pistols, five grenades, three flashbangs, and a strip of C4.
"…All confiscated."
"At least let me keep something!"
"Shut up! Good thing I have experience dealing with you or you would've gotten away with it! What do you think Japan is!?" Kaya clutched her forehead, her face twisted in frustration. "Why did I take on this awful job…"
"If it's too much, tell Uncle Sagara to send me back to Afghanistan?"
"No! You're here to fix that twisted personality of yours!"
"...Fine, I won't bring anything. Just gonna feel a little unsafe."
Rinji hung his head, shouldering his schoolbag as he tried to slip past Kaya. But she reacted quickly, grabbing the bag and unzipping it.
Clatter!
Something dark and heavy hit the floor.
"…And what's this?"
"German-made HK MP5 submachine gun."
"How the hell did you even smuggle this into Japan!?"
"I have my channels."
"You… forget it. All of this is banned at school. Absolutely banned!"
"..."
"Don't look at me like it's the end of the world! I'm the one suffering here!!"
---
Sitting in the car, Takamine Rinji slouched with his head down, gazing out the window.
Following his father's wishes, he was sent here to temper himself—to get familiar with the environment and survive on his own. At the time, he accepted gladly.
He couldn't help but recall what his father said to him three days before he arrived.
---
"Son, you're not a kid anymore. It's time you go out and see the world."
"Sure, no problem."
"But to stop you from being lazy and just enjoying life, I can't give you too much pocket money."
"!?"
"For five years, I can only give you 100 million US dollars as living expenses."
"One hundred million US dollars!?"
Takamine Rinji stared at his father in shock.
"How is that any different from turning me into a beggar!?"
"The money may seem little, but as a man, you need to learn how to make your own living. You should find a way to grow that money."
"…"
"That's all there is to it."
"I didn't even say yes yet!"
"No need. My agreement is enough. Good luck, I believe in you."
The last thing he saw was his father giving him a thumbs-up.
Then… twelve-year-old Takamine Rinji was airdropped into Japan.
…Flashback ends…
---
"Looks like I really do need to find a way to make money."
"Having a goal is good, but I need to remind you of one thing," Sagara Kaya said while driving. "No shady business, no dangerous weapons. I'll be supervising you strictly during your stay in Japan."
"Yes…"
Private Shuchiin Academy, based in Tokyo's Minato Ward, is an integrated institution with education from kindergarten to university.
Of course, outside admissions are allowed, provided your grades are outstanding.
At this moment, Takamine Rinji was sitting in the principal's office. Sagara Kaya stood in front of the desk, speaking with the principal.
"In short, this is Takamine Rinji, recommended for admission. He's an American-born Chinese (falsified, in truth stateless), transferred here to study due to certain reasons."
"I've looked at his grades—no issues as an external applicant."
As the principal said this, Sagara Kaya averted her eyes.
In truth, Takamine Rinji hadn't taken any exams to get here. No one actually knew what his grades were like.
Though Shuchiin Academy was seen as an elite school, it had plenty of internal issues.
The high tuition fees, donations, and bribes formed a de facto barrier.
Someone without test scores could still be admitted by bribing internal staff to edit records or skip the exams altogether.
There was no doubt someone had made a large donation on Takamine Rinji's behalf.
"I understand the situation... Sagara-sensei, may I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"This kid… what exactly is his relationship with that person in your family?"
"He's indeed connected to IW and spent time in war-torn regions. But I'll keep a close eye on him, so there's no need to worry."
"Say no more—I get it."
The principal smiled and turned to the wary-looking Takamine Rinji.
The principal of Shuchiin Academy wasn't Japanese but a Western-looking Frenchman named Adolf Pescarolo.
"Takamine-kun, you can sit a little closer."
Takamine Rinji was currently sitting in a chair he had moved to the corner of the room.
"Principal, I must remind you of something," he said seriously.
"Huh?"
"Your seat is flanked by windows, and both curtains are open. With high-rise buildings within a kilometer of Shuchiin, this is ideal for snipers."
"Huh?"
The principal looked utterly confused, and Sagara Kaya facepalmed.
Takamine Rinji continued earnestly.
"Also, if I sit face-to-face with you, I'd be exposed to sniper lines of sight and have my back to the door. This kind of—"
Whack!
Before he could finish, Sagara Kaya's fist landed squarely on his head.
"Apologies, Principal. This kid's brain is a bit messed up."
"No no no... I understand completely."