Chapter 8: Sobu High School
That evening, Akishin bought a new mattress and sheets. He did a full sweep of the house and decided to settle in peacefully.
The house was massive. The second floor had six rooms. One was a study, which contained a small Buddhist altar (butsudan). Enshrined within were the parents of the original Akishin Chishima: Tsukiko Chishima and Tsuyoshi Chishima!
Akishin offered a sincere bow, explaining his origins in detail and promising that he wouldn't use their son's identity for anything evil.
He didn't have any incense for now, but in a few days, he would also add the name "Akishin Chishima" to the altar.
The other rooms were standard bedrooms.
It was an old house. During the baby boom era, families had many children, so old houses with numerous rooms like this were common. Despite its age, it was very well-maintained.
In a location like this, a house this size was worth quite a bit, but very few people were willing to sell such properties.
While he didn't know if the original Akishin had any close relatives—unlikely, since the original phone only had school colleagues listed as "Sensei"—Akishin wasn't worried. If any kind relatives of the original Akishin did show up, he would repay their kindness. To those who didn't care, he would simply let them remain indifferent.
The first floor, aside from the izakaya and living room, had a very large warehouse and a dark room with a basement underneath for storing liquor. The upper part was for mixing, the lower for storage.
The warehouse was almost empty. Akishin planned to clean it out and use it as his private dojo; after all, he was a future Grandmaster of Swordsmanship.
At the very top was a completely empty attic. Aside from dust, there were only a few vintage manga books.
Behind the house was a yard. He wasn't sure what had been planted there before, but now it was just waist-high weeds.
Overall, he was very satisfied. A house like this in modern Japan couldn't be bought with just money; you needed someone willing to sell and the right connections.
A large portion of the middle class in society were people like this: no mortgage, owning their own home, and possessing an ancestral business. They just ran their shops every day, and their rental income could surpass that of a Tokyo University graduate.
If his parents hadn't died when he was young, the original Akishin likely wouldn't have become a teacher. He would have inherited the izakaya as the head chef (taisho).
And just as his career was taking off, he died from over-excitement while drinking.
One could only say that human fate is truly unpredictable.
Sitting inside his own shop, the streetlights outside began to flicker on, signaling the start of the lively hours! The Chishima residence, which had been shuttered for over a decade, was bathed in light once more. A few regulars on the street looked over repeatedly, wondering if the place was reopening.
However, since the front door was tightly closed and there was no business sign yet, no one dared to come and ask.
In front of Akishin were a few bottles of drinks from earlier that day, a bowl of soy-braised beef, and a plate of fried peanuts. He had already finished dinner; this was just his pre-sleep entertainment. Listening to the bustling sounds of the street outside, he raised his glass, took a satisfying gulp, then popped a piece of beef into his mouth with an expression of pure bliss.
The beef had been bought that afternoon and prepared immediately to be the main highlight for the opening the day after tomorrow. The liquor had also been ordered and would be delivered on time.
The assets of the original Akishin Chishima obtained from the bank amounted to over three million Yen, which was a significant sum. Likely his entire savings since graduation.
However, that afternoon, Akishin had discovered a serious problem. Opening an izakaya in Japan came with a lot of regulations:
First, the qualifications needed:
* Food Sanitation Supervisor: To open a food stall or restaurant, aside from staff with "Chef" or "Nutritionist" qualifications, there must be one "Food Sanitation Supervisor." That person must attend a one-day culinary management course at a prefectural government agency and pay a fee of 10,000 Yen.
* Fire Prevention Manager (his small shop didn't need this).
Then, the documents and procedures:
* Register the "Food Sanitation Supervisor" at the local health center (Hokenjo) and the "Fire Prevention Manager" application at the local fire department (Shofusho). Additionally, fire extinguishing equipment must be prepared and a permit for its use applied for.
* If the shop provides alcohol late at night (after 00:00), it must be reported to the Japanese police station (Keisatsusho). If it involves adult entertainment, additional reports are required.
* Register the sole proprietorship with the tax office.
* Arrange industrial accident insurance with the labor standards inspection office.
* Arrange employment insurance with the public employment stability office.
* Handle social insurance procedures at the social insurance office.
...
These procedures usually need to be started two months before opening and completed at least ten days prior.
...
When he first read through it, Akishin thought he was going to fail. But upon closer inspection, he found that the original Akishin had surprisingly taken care of everything two months ago. It seemed that when he returned, he was indeed prepared to reopen the shop.
As for the chef's license, the original Akishin had obtained that a long time ago. It seemed he really didn't want to let go of his ancestral heritage.
Akishin felt relieved that he didn't have to worry. (Of course, didn't the author help smooth things over for you?)
As for that first qualification... it looked like he would need to hire a permanent worker.
Akishin prepared to print out a job opening notice tomorrow and hang it on the door. The salary... would be calculated based on a profit-sharing system.
After drinking until he was slightly buzzed, Akishin tidied up the dishes, took a bath, and headed upstairs to sleep on his new mattress, looking forward to tomorrow.
Tomorrow would be his first experience as a teacher. He didn't know what it would feel like. As a child, he had dreamed of being a teacher and imagined how he would educate students, but after seeing so much of the world, he understood that teaching and molding human beings wasn't that simple...
Akishin fell into a deep sleep amidst countless drifting thoughts. The pure white moonlight filtered through the window, catching the slight curve at the corner of his lips...
As for the swordsmanship upgrade... Eh, whatever. He had been drinking tonight, so it wasn't a good time for combat. Tomorrow would do.
Facts proved that the "lazy" (salted fish) nature was an original sin embedded deep within his genetics.
The next morning, Akishin woke up early, showered, ate breakfast, and put on a brand-new suit in front of the mirror—he had to make a good impression on his first meeting with his future employer.
His hair was slightly messy, but beneath it was a pair of sharp, black sword-like eyebrows. His eyes shone with spirit, his jawline was firm, and his tall, sturdy build exuded a masculine authority. Yet, his aura felt warm, like a trustworthy older brother.
It had been a long time since he'd really looked at himself. Seeing his reflection, even Akishin was a bit surprised; he was actually quite handsome.
Right, if a score of 10 was the average for attractiveness, his was a 14. That meant he was four points above average!
Once fully dressed, he grabbed a backpack containing the sportswear he'd need for P.E. lessons. Everything belonged to the original Akishin and had been washed spotlessly clean.
Akishin rode the bicycle he'd bought yesterday toward Sobu High School. As soon as he saw the school gates, he pulled out his phone to call Shizuka Hiratsuka.
After a wait of more than ten seconds, the call connected. Akishin said, "Is this Hiratsuka-sensei? I've arrived at Sobu High."
A voice full of disbelief came from the other side. "Akishin Chishima?"
"It's me!"
"What the hell is wrong with you? Look at what time it is! Even if you're eager to report for duty, you don't need to be this early."
Akishin could hear the massive irritation in Shizuka's voice. He checked his watch and said hesitantly, "It's... seven o'clock."
"You know it's seven o'clock! Whatever, I want to sleep a bit longer. Since you're already at school, just go inside first. I'll call you when I get there. Bye."
Shizuka hung up immediately. Akishin listened to the busy tone with a bewildered look—What's the deal? Was I not supposed to come at seven?
At that moment, his bike reached the gate of Sobu High. He looked inside; not a soul was in sight! A few sparrows were hopping around the field, and some dry leaves lay lonely on the grass...
Ring ring ring!
The sound of a bicycle bell rang out. An older man in a security guard uniform, riding a vintage-style bike, stopped in front of the gate. He stared at Akishin for a moment before pulling out a key to open the gate.
Akishin had considered everything, but he had forgotten the simplest thing: the timing in Japan!
School hours in Japan usually start at 8:30 AM. He had arrived at 7:00 AM, just as the security guard was starting his shift.
Erm...
Akishin recalled his previous life; waking up at 6:00 AM for a morning run, then early morning study, followed by breakfast. By 8:30 AM, the first period was usually already halfway over.
But Akishin didn't think the Japanese system was necessarily better. For an orphan like him, learning as much as possible was the most important thing. China was very responsible regarding the education of every student.
In Japan, however, if you really wanted to learn well, you basically had to go to a cram school (juku). School lessons in Japan were very relaxed, but university entrance exams were notoriously difficult, so children from ordinary families often stopped their education after high school.
The reason why most Japanese light novel protagonists are high schoolers probably had something to do with this.
But since he was already here, he went inside to look around.
Akishin approached the guard, identified himself, and showed his teaching certificate and recommendation letter. The guard didn't block him and let him in kindly, even offering a compliment: "It's been a long time since I've seen a teacher show up this early."
Akishin smiled and chatted with the old guard for a bit. The two found a spot away from the CCTV cameras to share a cigarette, and their relationship became friendly instantly.
Declining the guard's offer to show him around, Akishin wandered the grounds alone. The school in the morning was still shrouded in a thin mist—there was no mistake, this was the top private school in Chiba. Every corner screamed luxury. There was a track field, a soccer pitch, basketball courts, and more...
Akishin circled the buildings, admiring the opulence of Sobu High, then sat on a park bench not far from the gate. He waved at the security guard while waiting for Shizuka Hiratsuka.
At 7:30 AM, other teachers finally started trickling in, followed by a few sporadic students. Most of them were carrying equipment besides their school bags, likely club members.
Shizuka Hiratsuka arrived at 8:00 AM. Usually, she arrived exactly when work hours started, but today that tradition was broken by Akishin.
She complained to him a bit, telling him not to come this early in the future, and even if he did, not to disturb her sleep—yesterday after work, her family had pressured her to get married again, putting her in a foul mood and leading her to have a few drinks.
"Chishima-sensei, the administration staff isn't here yet. I'll show you around the campus first. I checked the schedule yesterday; some of the classes I teach are under your responsibility, and your desk is right next to mine."
Saying this, Shizuka smiled. She felt this was a good stroke of luck. She was popular at school but didn't have many close friends, and now Akishin could be one of them.
"That's great then."
Akishin smiled back. He observed Shizuka closely; she was wearing a formal woman's blazer with a long white coat over it. Although it was a simple outfit, on Shizuka Hiratsuka, it had a distinct, mature charm.
Next, Akishin followed Shizuka through the school buildings. She introduced the locations for the three grade levels and the differences between the International Education Class and the regular classes...
Finally, at 8:30 AM, she took Akishin to the administration office to report, meet the principal, and receive his locker key and teaching materials.
By the time everything was done, it was exactly 9:00 AM.
The two returned to Shizuka's office. Akishin placed his materials on the desk next to hers, letting out a relieved sigh with a smile he couldn't hide.
Staring at the clean white office desk, the new computer, and the list of students in his classes, he realized it was official. From today on, he, Akishin Chishima, was officially a new teacher at Sobu High School.
...
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