Chapter 9: The Presence of the Physical Education Class
"Hachiman, Hiratsuka-sensei mentioned this morning that our class is getting a new PE teacher. She told us not to head down to the field yet and wait in the classroom instead! What kind of person do you think he is? The whole class is already buzzing about it."
A strikingly beautiful boy with white hair stood before the boy's desk. With a slight blush on a face more delicate than most girls', he offered a shy smile. He wasn't in the standard school uniform, but rather the green jersey of the tennis club.
Hikigaya Hachiman stared at the figure of Saika Totsuka before him, nearly letting the words, "Please, make me miso soup every morning," slip out. It took a monumental feat of willpower to turn his face away, which was now flushing a deep crimson.
"Hachiman?"
Receiving no immediate response, Saika Totsuka tilted his head in confusion.
Too cute. How can he be this cute?!
Hachiman almost screamed internally. In a moment of crisis, he coughed and managed to speak. "Ahem... let him come. Generally, PE teachers are just oversized athletes. Even if there are rumors about them being perpetually sickly, that's probably just an urban legend." Inside, however, he was thinking: It'd be nice if the teacher was a beautiful woman. Low odds, but a man can dream.
A faint, distorted smile crept onto Hachiman's lips. He glanced around the classroom. Sure enough, everyone was preoccupied with the topic of the new teacher.
The loudest, of course, was the class's premier "normie" clique, led by Hayato Hayama and Yumiko Miura. Bursts of intentional, performative laughter drifted over from their direction.
Those normies... they really should just go explode, Hachiman cursed silently.
"Hachiman?"
Saika's voice pulled him back again. Hachiman turned, blinking. "Ah! What is it?"
"That smile just now... it was a little scary, Hachiman."
Saika took half a step back.
Hachiman: "..." Ah! I've been hated by Saika. Oh, the humanity! How do I fix this?
If his inner psyche had a physical form, the "Little Hachiman" inside his heart would currently be clutching his head and rolling on the floor in agony.
Ring!
At that moment, the bell signaled the start of the period. Students scattered back to their seats. Saika Totsuka waved with a smile and returned to his spot.
...
In the faculty office, hearing the bell that marked the start of his session, Akishin Chishima offered a smile to Shizuka Hiratsuka, who was grading papers beside him. "Hiratsuka-sensei, I'm actually a bit nervous." It wasn't a lie; his heart was drumming twice its usual speed.
Shizuka looked up, surprised. "Haven't you been a teacher for a few years? Why the nerves now?"
"It's a new environment. Besides, Sobu High is on a completely different level compared to my previous school. I heard the students here are quite exceptional." Akishin stood up, clutching his teaching materials with a bright smile. He couldn't exactly admit that this was his first time actually being a teacher. During Hiratsuka's previous period, he'd been frantically panic-searching "how to teach in a Japanese school" videos for preparation.
Though, in the middle of that process, he had accidentally stumbled upon some rather... unhealthy videos.
Shizuka arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "It'll be fine. They're just kids." She didn't overthink it, assuming it was just standard "new job anxiety."
Akishin gave a small nod, stepped out of the office, and headed for Class 2-F. Shizuka had already pointed out the location during the morning tour.
Arriving at the door, he took a moment to double-check the class plaque, knocked, and pushed his way inside.
Akishin stood by the door first, scanning the room. Seeing everyone seated properly, he nodded with a satisfied smile and walked toward the podium.
But man, why is everyone's hair in this world so colorful? Looks good, though.
Hachiman looked up at Akishin. As expected, the teacher was a man. However, Hachiman sensed something was off. The first impression Akishin gave was fundamentally different from any PE teacher he had encountered before.
He couldn't quite put his finger on where the difference lay.
Hachiman, a self-proclaimed professional observer of people, was no exception this time. But even if he sensed a discrepancy, as a student, over-analyzing a teacher wasn't exactly productive.
Akishin set his materials down, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote his name on the blackboard. Then, he caught the whispers from the front rows.
"He's so handsome."
"This teacher has a really unique aura."
"Seriously, he's hot."
Akishin's smile widened. It turned out students were quite honest—unlike the world of adults, which was paved with falsehoods.
Tap, tap. Akishin waved his hand. Once he had the class's attention, he stepped aside to reveal the name on the board. With a warm smile, he spoke: "Hello, everyone. I am your new Physical Education teacher, Akishin Chishima. I look forward to us getting along well from here on out."
Clap, clap, clap...
A round of enthusiastic applause filled the room. Once it subsided, Akishin picked up the class roster. "Since this is our first meeting, I'd like you all to give a brief self-introduction so I can get to know you. I'll call a name, and you please stand up. You can talk about yourselves, or choose to say nothing at all."
"Chishima-sensei, are you sure you can remember all of us just from that?"
Just as Akishin was about to read the first name, a discordant voice rang out. A young man with somewhat long brown hair tied back with a band—looking every bit the class delinquent—raised his hand.
In front of him, a handsome blond boy immediately turned around and gave him a hand signal, essentially telling him not to cause trouble.
The classic troublemaker type found in every class, Akishin thought, reminiscing about his own school days. Looking at Kakeru Tobe, he asked, "And you are?"
Tobe gave Hayama a 'don't sweat it' look, stood up, and answered, "Chishima-sensei, I'm Kakeru Tobe."
Akishin scanned the roster, finding Tobe's name in the middle with average grades. He looked Tobe dead in the eye. "Tobe-kun, you asked if I can remember everyone? That won't be a problem. My memory is quite excellent."
At that moment, everyone's eyes shifted between Akishin and Tobe. The atmosphere in the room shifted the second Tobe stood up of his own volition.
Tobe, under Akishin's gaze, felt a sudden, inexplicable surge of fear, even though Akishin's eyes were perfectly calm.
The smile on Akishin's face vanished. "However, I must say one thing. As a student, do not interrupt when a teacher is speaking. It is a matter of basic respect. Do you understand?"
Suddenly, the air in Class 2-F turned so cold you could hear a pin drop. To the students, the warm teacher on the podium had transformed. His appearance hadn't changed, but the "weight" he gave off was different.
It was like a small white rabbit suddenly turning into a massive dinosaur.
Whoa, you've got to be kidding me!
This new PE teacher is even scarier than Hiratsuka-sensei.
Hachiman lowered his head, using his textbook to shield half his face while staring at Akishin in shock.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed hard. Tobe snapped out of his daze and immediately bowed his head. "I... I understand, Sensei. I'm... I'm sorry."
"It's fine. It's good that you've realized your mistake. Please, sit."
Akishin's calm smile returned. The heavy atmosphere evaporated. The students let out a collective sigh of relief. Most didn't understand what had just happened; they only knew they felt lighter, as if a weight pressing on their chests had vanished.
"Alright, let's continue." Akishin looked at the now-quiet class and felt satisfied. He found these students easy to manage. He knew all about the "new official's three fires"—establishing authority early on.
Reflecting on his own student days, Akishin knew the type of teacher students respected. You couldn't be too soft, or you'd lose control, and you couldn't be too harsh, or you'd breed rebellion.
The best method was the "Carrot and Stick." Or rather, a reprimand followed by appreciation.
Even as a PE teacher, I need to build some prestige, right? Hehe. (Author: He actually just finds this fun. Akishin: Shut up!)
He looked at the list and read the first name: "Hachiman Hikigaya."
Surprised that his name was called first, Hachiman froze for a split second. He stood up so hurriedly that he knocked his chair over.
CLATTER!
All eyes fell on him. Hachiman's face burned with the discomfort of being the center of attention.
Akishin stared at Hachiman and nodded. He had noticed this boy with the dead-fish eyes and the prominent ahoge (cowlick) the moment he walked in.
In the middle of a crowd, he might blend in, but from Akishin's vantage point, Hachiman stood out instantly. He was unique, as if he existed on a different plane from the rest of the class—though, perhaps that was just Akishin's own unique observation skills at work.
Maybe because he was nervous, Hachiman didn't say anything. Akishin raised a hand, signaling him to sit, and moved to the next name. This list, provided by Shizuka, was sorted by Japanese Language grades. Hachiman's score was third in the year and first in the class.
"Hayato Hayama."
The handsome blond boy stood. "Hello, Chishima-sensei."
Akishin nodded. This boy was clearly the most popular kid in class; it was written all over the other students' faces. High schoolers were simple; their hierarchy was practically etched onto their foreheads.
"Yumiko Miura."
A beautiful blonde girl stood up. Akishin pegged her as the 'Queen Bee' of the class.
"Saika Totsuka."
A beautiful white-haired girl... wait, no, a boy stood up. Akishin blinked. He checked the roster—definitely listed as male. Yet, he was cuter than any girl in the room.
"Umm, hello, Chishima-sensei," Saika greeted shyly.
"Hello, Totsuka-kun. Please, have a seat."
Akishin smiled. The world is a big place. Truly, full of wonders.
"Hina Ebina."
"Yui Yuigahama."
"..."
The names continued. Intimidated by Akishin's earlier display, no one dared to give a flashy introduction. Finally, Akishin nodded. The students were a good bunch.
Next, Akishin had everyone change into their gym clothes, run a few laps, and do some basic stretches before granting them free activity time.
In Japan, the philosophy of "fun sports" was king. PE class was essentially a break. Students who actually wanted to train didn't do it during class; they joined clubs. After school was their real time to shine.
However...
Akishin was secretly tempted to implement the rigorous standards of a formal Chinese PE curriculum! But on second thought, he wasn't close enough with these kids yet. Too much intensity would just lead to complaints.
He decided that once he got a feel for the school leadership, he'd break out the standard training methods to ensure everyone's physical fitness actually improved.
It's my responsibility as a teacher, after all.
...
(Note: Newcomer author begging for support/votes! //?//)
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