How could she, who is still unmarried at this age, expect to meet a marriage partner through a trip?
It was unrealistic. If she truly wanted to marry, many capable men would probably line up for her to choose.
Yet she had remained single all this time, showing little idea about how to approach marriage. More likely, this was her mother's last wish.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, you still have more than a year. There will always be a way," Akira said slowly.
"Oh! Do you have any good ideas?" Shizuka Hiratsuka glanced at him.
"Not yet. However, this can be considered a commission from the Service Club. I'll try my best to come up with a solution. As for the reward for this commission…"
"If you can really find a good solution, I can give you ten million yen."
"I don't want your money. If possible, I want Yukino, Yui, and my to be your student," Akira said seriously.
Hiratsuka Shizuka stunned,
"....Okay. I promise you," Shizuka replied, after calming herself down.
...
After returning home, waking Yuigahama Yui, and having breakfast, Akira and the yawning Yui walked together to school.
Their teacher- Shizuka Hiratsuka had already left.
At school, they changed shoes in front of the shoe cabinet and entered their classroom. Akira sat down, thinking about Teacher Hiratsuka's commission.
Pretending to be her boyfriend? Impossible.
Helping her find a husband? That… would probably make her father furious.
From this perspective, Shizuka Hiratsuka's travel plan actually seemed more reliable. Akira had never really considered helping her find a boyfriend, and Shizuka would certainly never agree. He had already ruled that option out.
Perhaps… well, Hiratsuka-sensei was also one of the anime heroines that he had once liked.
As Akira pondered, class began.
He looked over at Shizuka Hiratsuka as she walked in.
"Huh? Saki Kawasaki isn't here?" Shizuka noticed the empty seat.
"I don't think I've seen Kawasaki-san," a classmate replied.
"Okay," Hiratsuka said without probing further.
Saki Kawasaki was a known problem student who had been late several times before.
Akira glanced at Kawasaki's usual seat. Her absence didn't seem ordinary.
As it turned out, Akira's intuition was correct.
Saki Kawasaki didn't arrive until the third class. She was late, but not excessively so.
Perhaps her family had intervened.
During lunch break, as Akira was about to head to the Service Club, his cell phone lit up. It was an unfamiliar number.
He hesitated, then answered.
"...Akira-kun, can you lend me one million yen?"
A familiar voice spoke on the other end.
"Kawasaki-san?" Akira recognized her immediately.
"Yes… I got your number from Saika Totsuka. We graduated from the same junior high," Saki Kawasaki replied, her voice faint and tired.
"Are you at the hospital?" Akira asked, hearing the background noise of someone calling a nurse.
"My mother is sick and needs to be hospitalized. The money I have now is only enough to cover the hospital bills," Saki said quietly. If there had been any other way, she wouldn't have called him.
"Send me the location. I'll request leave," Akira said after a moment of thought.
He didn't ask about her father. If he were around, Kawasaki would never have asked for help.
"...Thank you," she whispered softly.
Akira hung up and glanced at Yuigahama Yui. He walked over.
"I have some things to take care of, so I won't be having lunch with you and Yukino-chan. If she asks, just tell her I can handle it. It's no big deal."
"I… understand," Yui nodded obediently without further questions.
Akira patted her head and left the classroom.
He walked to the teacher's office, where Shizuka Hiratsuka was eating lunch.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I need your help," Akira said.
...
On the way to the hospital,
"You said Kawasaki borrowed money from you. How did you two know each other?" Hiratsuka asked as she drove, waiting at a red light.
"She wanted to attend college, so she worked secretly. I met her at Miss Yukinoshita's bar," Akira explained simply.
"Wait, why did you go to a bar?" Hiratsuka frowned.
"I was talking with Miss Yukinoshita, and she invited me," Akira said, shifting the blame onto Yukinoshita Haruno.
"You can't drink, understand?" Hiratsuka said sternly.
"I know. I won't do it again," Akira replied, looking out the window. Hiratsuka knew he was lying, but now was not the time to dwell on it.
"Saki Kawasaki's part-time hours must exceed Sobu High School's regulations. That's why she's always late," Hiratsuka remarked.
"She often comes home in the early morning," Akira said.
"You should have told me sooner. This kind of schedule will cause problems sooner or later," Hiratsuka said after a pause.
"I introduced her to a job, but she was wary of me. She probably thought I had ulterior motives," Akira admitted.
Hiratsuka looked at him, recalling the stories of Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuigahama Yui. Now there was another case: Saki Kawasaki.
Could it be that Akira really wanted…?
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please don't doubt my character. I truly have no feelings for Kawasaki," Akira said softly, sensing her gaze.
"Don't let me down, Akira-kun," Hiratsuka said lightly, withdrawing her eyes.
....
At the hospital,
They found Saki Kawasaki asleep against a chair, covered with a coat. Hiratsuka sighed and sat beside her.
"I'll check on the situation," Akira said, peeking into the ward and noticing Kawasaki's younger sister. She should have been at school by now.
He opened the door gently. Apart from her sister, only a middle-aged woman lay in the hospital bed.
Seeing Akira, Kawasaki's sister looked surprised and confused.
"Shh," he gestured toward the sleeping mother.
She nodded, eyes red from tears.
Akira patted her head gently. "Don't worry. They've just left temporarily. Your mother will be fine, and I'll be here with you."
"Thank you," the little girl whispered, wiping her tears.
"Have you had breakfast?" Akira asked.
"Not yet," she said, lowering her head.
"When Teacher Hiratsuka returns, I'll take you to lunch and bring some for your sister and mother too."
"Mhm," Kawasaki's sister nodded softly.
...
In a restaurant near the hospital,
Akira watched Kawasaki Kyoka eat lunch. Two packed meals sat in front of him.
After she finished, he handed her a tissue.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"You're welcome," he replied.
On the way there, he learned more about the Kawasaki family. Saki Kawasaki's father had worked as an accountant, while her mother had always been in poor health.
They had three children: Two girls and one boy.
Because of this, with three children attending school and their mother poor health, Saki had been working part-time since high school, often returning home in the early morning.
...
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