Chapter 4: The Chishima Residence
The afternoon sun was bright, and a gentle breeze played with Hiratsuka Shizuka's hair. It was a beautiful day. After a week of recovery efforts, the disaster zones in Chiba were mostly back to normal.
To help Akishin move out, Shizuka had taken another half-day off. She was wearing her usual suit, though she'd swapped her white coat for a long, flax-colored trench coat.
Following her out of the hospital, Akishin watched as she walked toward a sleek sports car—an Aston Martin. He couldn't place the exact model, but it screamed "expensive."
Hiratsuka-sensei is actually a rich lady! That was his first thought.
Shizuka pulled the door open, saw Akishin dazing out, and barked, "What are you standing there for? Get in. I'm driving you home."
Akishin snapped out of it and waved his hands. "Hiratsuka-sensei, really, it's fine. I've inconvenienced you enough. My place isn't far; I can walk."
"Stop complaining and get in. I already took the time off, so it's not like I can go back to work this early anyway." Her tone left no room for argument.
Akishin gave a sheepish smile and walked around to the passenger side. Over the past week, he'd learned her character: she had her quirks, but she was fundamentally kind. And most importantly, you didn't refuse when she was trying to do something nice for you.
"Address?" Shizuka asked as she set up the navigation.
Akishin buckled his seatbelt. "77 Konishi Street."
She plugged it in, the engine roared to life, and the car sped off, drawing envious stares from everyone nearby.
Inside the car, Akishin glanced at her profile. Her skin was flawless, her gaze focused on the road, and a stray lock of hair had fallen across her cheek.
He almost instinctively reached out to tuck it behind her ear.
Sensing his gaze, Shizuka glanced over and frowned. "What are you looking at?"
"Ah! Well..."
Akishin looked away, feeling a rare surge of panic. "I was just wondering... um, Hiratsuka-sensei, do you have a boyfriend?"
"..."
The atmosphere in the car shifted instantly. Akishin knew she didn't have a husband or a boyfriend—what kind of partner would let their girlfriend watch over a random guy in a hospital for a week?
It was a nervous, stupid question, and it seemed he'd stepped on a landmine.
After a painfully long silence, she finally muttered, "I don't."
"Oh."
The response slipped out before he could stop it. He didn't even notice the small smile forming on his face. Shizuka shot him a look and let out a soft "Tch."
She wasn't even sure why she was being so attentive to him. Bringing him to the hospital was one thing, but staying for a week and then driving him home?
She thought about it. The most likely answer was that the first impression had been too strong. Whenever she thought of that rainy night, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of "pity" in her heart...
The GPS reached its destination. The car pulled up in front of a small, two-story building. It was an old structure; the second-floor windows were dusty, suggesting it hadn't been lived in for a long time.
The first floor was an Izakaya. The sign was still there, though the doors were shut tight and covered in grime. The name: Chishima-ya. A perfect fit for a guy named Chishima Akishin.
Konishi Street was an old commercial district with a rich, historic feel. Shizuka's sports car looked wildly out of place parked in front of the quiet shop.
In reality, Akishin wasn't a "pure" orphan. Before he was five, he'd lived here with his parents. They'd both died in a car accident, and that was when he'd been sent to the orphanage...
This building was his inheritance.
Years ago, because of work and the painful memories of his parents, the original Akishin had moved out and hadn't looked back.
He'd only intended to return because Sobu High was nearby. He'd moved his stuff in, cleaned up a bit, then went out for a drink—only to die and be replaced by the current Akishin.
Of course, the current Akishin only knew the broad strokes. The System had only provided the essentials.
Stepping out of the car and looking at Chishima-ya, Akishin thought he might be at the wrong place, but the address on the door was definitely 77 Konishi Street.
Shizuka stepped out as well, standing beside him and looking at the building with surprise.
"This is your place?"
"Ah! Well, I haven't lived here in a long time. I only moved back recently because of the new job."
He gave a hurried explanation. He didn't know the full details himself, but he luckily hit on the truth.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, thank you for the ride. Please, come in for a bit."
It was a polite invitation—purely a formality, a habit from his previous lives. He didn't even know what the inside looked like. How was he supposed to host a guest?
To his surprise, Shizuka actually agreed.
"Alright. Don't mind if I do."
Akishin's expression froze for a split second before he managed a smile and led the way.
"Sensei, it hasn't been cleaned properly. My apologies."
"It's fine. I don't mind."
Shizuka was honestly just curious. Curious about Chishima Akishin, and curious about where he lived.
After a week of talking, she felt Akishin was a good guy: polite, knew his boundaries, and even when she was being abrasive, he always met her with a smile—a smile that didn't feel fake.
As a lifestyle guidance teacher, Shizuka's job was to read people. She'd seen plenty of "perfect" fake smiles; the best belonged to a former student of hers, Yukinoshita Haruno.
But Akishin's smile felt... understanding. In moments like this, she felt like he could see right through her.
She didn't hate the feeling. Having someone who understands you isn't a bad thing.
Akishin walked ahead, his head spinning. He didn't even have a key. He could pick the lock with a wire, but Shizuka was right behind him.
What do I do?
Keeping his face neutral, he scanned the building. Windows locked, door locked... He stepped on a dry, yellowed leaf, the crisp crunch echoing in the quiet street.
Suddenly, Akishin stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening.
Shizuka was looking around at the street. The atmosphere was pleasant; mostly elderly residents, no rush, just a warm, slow-paced vibe.
Because Akishin stopped so abruptly, she almost bumped into his back.
"Why'd you stop?"
"Oh, just... thinking about how to properly host you, Sensei."
"Hah, don't overthink it. A cup of tea is fine."
"You should at least have a meal, right? My cooking is actually pretty good!"
Akishin scratched his head, walked over to a flowerbed by the door, and pulled a rusty key from under a stone. He used it to unlock the main door of Chishima-ya.
The reason he'd stopped was that the Patch had sent him a notification, telling him where the key was and informing him that "Cooking" was finally available to be learned.
"I'll look forward to it, then."
Shizuka glanced at the sign one more time as Akishin slid the door open.
Akishin peered inside first.
An open-concept kitchen, eight tables for customers, and old hand-written wooden menus hanging on the wall. He'd expected it to be a disaster, but it was surprisingly clean. It seemed the original Akishin had done a deep clean before his untimely end. There were even two new fabric curtains near the door that hadn't been hung yet.
Akishin felt a wave of relief. If he'd invited her into a dustbowl, not only would she be annoyed, but he would have been mortified.
He remembered that Japanese people took etiquette very seriously...
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please, come in."
Shizuka followed him inside. Looking at the layout, she looked impressed. "Your family ran an Izakaya?"
"My parents did," Akishin explained. "I didn't take it over. It's been closed for over ten years." He walked toward the kitchen. To the left was a hallway leading to the living area.
The living room only had a table and an old, bulky CRT television. Fortunately, the floor was clean.
"Your parents..." Shizuka started hesitantly. "Your father and mother..."
"They passed away when I was very young."
Akishin said it with an air of indifference.
"I'm sorry," Shizuka said, her voice filled with guilt.
"It's fine. It was a long time ago. I've made my peace with it."
Akishin truly didn't care—they weren't his parents, and he'd never had any to begin with. But rationally, he knew he had to show some respect.
I should probably set up a memorial altar for the original Akishin.
The man was dead, and Akishin had taken his life. He was the only person left in the world who would remember him. It was a depressing thought. He'd make sure to pay his respects every holiday.
It wasn't for show; it was a debt of gratitude for the identity.
Shizuka, unaware of his thoughts, assumed he was just being stoic. She decided she'd look out for this junior of hers a bit more in the future.
And he was a junior. He was younger, and they were at the same school. A textbook junior.
Akishin invited her to sit in the living room. He rushed to the kitchen, found a tin of tea he'd spotted earlier, and used a new, unopened kettle to boil some water. He brought two cups into the room.
Shizuka was sitting in a formal seiza position on a cushion, scrolling through her phone. She put it away when he entered.
He set the tea before her and took his own seat on a cushion opposite her.
Shizuka picked up the cup but didn't drink yet. "Chishima-sensei, are you reporting in tomorrow?"
"Yes. I plan to head to Sobu High tomorrow morning."
"I'll let the office know today, then."
"I appreciate it, Sensei."
"..."
The conversation died out, and a bit of awkwardness set in.
Shizuka realized this was her first time in a single man's home. And for Akishin, while he could handle business meetings, he had no idea how to entertain a guest in a personal setting.
Shizuka felt she couldn't stay much longer and prepared to leave. Akishin checked the time on his phone. "Hiratsuka-sensei, it's almost lunch. I'm going to run out and grab some groceries. Please, stay and eat before you go."
Shizuka sat back down.
Akishin looked a bit flustered as he left the room. She heard him heading upstairs—probably to get some cash.
She realized she'd been paying for everything for the past week.
Akishin ran to the master bedroom on the second floor. The room was clean but unorganized, with several large suitcases on the floor.
On the desk, he found his documents: car registration, teacher's ID, and a set of seals...
And his wallet.
Akishin opened it and stared. There were over twenty bills with Fukuzawa Yukichi's face on them—over two hundred thousand yen.
Why did the original guy keep this much cash in his wallet?
He didn't know, but the timing was perfect.
Akishin headed back down. The first thing he did was pull out sixty thousand yen and hand it to Shizuka. "Hiratsuka-sensei, this is for everything you spent. Thank you for taking care of me."
National health insurance in Japan is incredibly robust. Most patients only cover about 30% of the cost. With insurance, you don't even have to pay upfront; the hospital doesn't worry about the bill, and neither does the patient.
Akishin was a teacher, so his insurance was top-tier. Combined with the police report, the hospital had covered the bulk of it. His injuries were serious but straightforward: stitches, blood loss management, and IV fluids.
Shizuka took the money without any fuss.
Sixty thousand was actually a bit much, but neither of them brought it up. That was just how etiquette worked. She could pay him back in other ways later—buying him dinner or something.
She didn't mind being friends with him. Talking to Akishin was... comfortable.
"Please wait a moment, Sensei. I'll be back with the groceries."
Akishin left the shop and headed for the market he'd seen earlier.
Shizuka sat back, pulling out her phone to read some manga. She reflexively reached for a cigarette but remembered she was in his home and tucked it away.
She took a sip of tea. She wasn't worried about Akishin having any bad intentions. For one, a week of interaction told her he wasn't that kind of guy. For another, she was very confident in her own fighting skills.
Just then, her phone rang.
Seeing the name on the screen, Shizuka's expression shifted, but she answered.
"Moshi moshi? Is this Shizuka-chan?"
A melodious female voice drifted from the speaker.
"Haruno," Shizuka replied flatly. "What is it?"
Yukinoshita Haruno was driving while on the phone. "I have a few favors to ask, Shizuka-chan. Let's talk in person. Are you at school?"
"...No. I'm at a friend's house."
After a momentary hesitation, looking around the unfamiliar room, Shizuka decided that was the best way to put it.
Haruno's car seemed to drift for a second as she let out a mock-gasp. "Shizuka-chan actually has friends?"
"Haruno, that's enough."
Shizuka's annoyance was clear. Haruno chuckled. "Alright, alright, just kidding. Where are you? I'll come to you."
"..."
The silence on the other end made Haruno's expression turn playful.
"Oh? Don't tell me Shizuka-chan is at a boyfriend's house?"
"Just a friend."
Hearing that, Haruno's smile grew even more suspicious.
"Fine. Address?"
After a pause, Shizuka finally gave her Akishin's address.
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