Chapter 69: The Official Appointment of a Teacher
The next day was Saturday, meaning Sobu High only held a half-day of classes. Hachiman had already greeted Yukino and one other person early on, explaining that he had business to attend to and wouldn't be coming to the club.
Once the school bell rang for noon, Hachiman walked toward the gates alongside Chishima Akishin.
The gloom from the previous day hadn't resulted in rain. Today, the dark clouds had vanished completely, replaced by the return of the persistent sun. It was getting a bit hot, though not yet at the stage where it felt like the earth was being roasted alive.
Not many Sobu students were heading out with them; most were hunkered down for their afternoon club activities.
Akishin carried a small backpack, while Hachiman walked to his left, wheeling his bicycle with his school bag tossed into the front basket. There was only about twenty centimeters of space between them. To any passerby, they didn't look like a teacher and student—they looked more like brothers.
As they passed a vending machine, Akishin spoke up. "What do you want to drink?"
"Anything is fine," Hachiman replied.
Akishin fished out some coins and bought two cans of cold soda, handing one to Hachiman.
They continued walking, popping the tabs and drinking as they went. Akishin squinted up at the sky. The urge to buy a bicycle was becoming overwhelming; he decided he'd go out and get one tomorrow for sure.
"Hikigaya, what kind of people are your parents?"
Today was the day Hachiman's parents were scheduled to visit him—all for the sake of their son. That was why Hachiman had requested time off from the Service Club to walk home with Akishin.
Hachiman had already sent the location of Chishimaya to them. It seemed both of his parents happened to have the day off today, or perhaps they'd taken a half-day of leave from their respective companies.
Hachiman glanced at Akishin for a moment. After a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he said, "My mother is a working woman, and my father works as well. We don't communicate all that much, but they're very kind to me and Komachi."
In reality, Hachiman felt his parents harbored a clear bias toward their daughter over their son. The treatment he and Komachi received was like night and day. Even his father, out of an overindulgent love for Komachi, treated Hachiman with a sort of playful hostility, often dispensing terrible "advice" based on his own jaded experiences.
Things like: Be careful of honey traps, or Any girl who greets you on the street is definitely trying to force you to buy a painting, and the classic quote: If you work, you lose...
Of course, those were just the cynical grumblings in his heart. In the real world, he still had to maintain his parents' dignity in front of outsiders—and compared to family, Akishin was certainly an outsider.
Hachiman wasn't some ignorant brat who couldn't see the core of the matter. He understood that while they were eccentric, they had never neglected him. Whatever Komachi had, he had too. It was just that Komachi got a bit more in terms of material perks, but she was his little sister. As a big brother, how could he possibly be jealous of her?
"A working woman? I see."
Akishin knew that in Japan, many women became full-time housewives after marriage, with the husband working and the wife managing the home. However, society was slowly shifting; more women remained in the workforce after marriage. The so-called impact of women's empowerment was unfolding step by step.
Still, if both parents worked, the children often lacked sufficient care at home. This was likely why Hachiman's bond with his sister was so incredibly tight. Komachi had almost certainly been raised by Hachiman.
After meeting her, Akishin could see their relationship was exceptionally harmonious—far closer than your average siblings. There was no ulterior motive behind his questioning; he was simply curious.
"Don't worry, Sensei. My parents are very understanding people," Hachiman added, initiating the explanation because he was worried Akishin might be overthinking things.
During their practice sessions over the last few days, Akishin had mentioned that some parents had complained about his physical training being too grueling. Hachiman didn't want Akishin suspecting his parents were that type.
"What's going through that head of yours? I never thought your parents were 'bad' people. Quite the opposite—I'm sure they're interesting." Akishin smiled, reaching over to pat Hachiman's head.
Hachiman looked confused. "Why wouldn't you think that?"
Sensei shouldn't have met his parents yet. Could they have known each other before? That would make sense—it would explain why Sensei gave him so much special attention.
"What are you imagining now?" Akishin caught Hachiman's expression and could basically guess his train of thought. He patted his head again. "Don't overthink it. Your parents and I are strangers. I took you on as a student because I felt you were a good fit. There's a saying that a child is a reflection of their parents. Remember the first time you swung that wooden sword at my dojo?"
"I remember."
"Did you finish the set?"
"...I did."
"Then there's no problem. I chose you then and there, gave you a few more tests, and you passed. Besides, I needed something to fill my spare time, so I took you on."
"So in Sensei's eyes, I'm just a time-killer." Hachiman grumbled, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He really had suspected Akishin had some hidden motive involving someone else, which would have made him feel like he'd been tricked. It wasn't resentment, just the natural defensive instinct of someone like him.
As they chatted, the familiar Konishi Street appeared before them. If one looked closely, the triangular roof of Chishimaya was already visible.
Hachiman's mother was a woman who wore glasses and looked remarkably young—almost as if she were in her thirties. She shared a seventy percent resemblance with Komachi, sporting shoulder-length black hair and the exact same "idiot hair" antenna that both Hachiman and Komachi possessed. Her name was Hikigaya Hachiko.
His father was a man in his forties with slightly hollow cheeks, the face of a man who worked frequent overtime. He looked rather serious. Komachi had come along too, sitting cross-legged and obediently beside her mother.
Inside the living room, the atmosphere was heavy with tradition.
Akishin sat in formal seiza on one side, while Hachiman's parents and Komachi sat opposite him, a table acting as the boundary between them.
"Please, have some tea."
Hachiman brought out three cups, placing one before each of his parents and one before Akishin. Looking at the scene, he hesitated for a second before sitting down formally to Akishin's right. His eyelids drooped halfway, and he instinctively began practicing his Breathing Method.
Hachiman's parents watched their son with a mix of wonder and joy. He really had changed; even that gloomy aura of his had dissipated. Komachi also watched her brother secretly. Having not paid close attention for a while, she felt like her big brother had become a bit of a stranger.
Then, Hachiman's father turned his gaze toward Akishin. He studied this rising star of the Kendo world—someone far younger than himself yet possessing immense status—and bowed. "Chishima-sensei, I have heard much of your name. Thank you for looking after Hachiman."
As he spoke, he pushed a gift across the table: a tin of tea leaves. The container was made of beautifully carved wood; it was hard to put a price on it, but it certainly wasn't cheap. Hachiman's mother followed with a similar greeting.
This was a very formal occasion. His parents had come with serious hearts, knowing this would greatly affect their son's future. Akishin returned the bow and accepted the tea as a sign of his consent.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hikigaya. I am Chishima Akishin, and I also serve as a teacher at Sobu High. Let us speak openly and honestly. I wish to officially take Hikigaya on as my disciple. I would like to know if you both agree?"
The opening statement cut straight to the point. The matter was already common knowledge to those involved, so there was no need for fluff.
The parents shared a look, then turned to their son. "Hachiman, what do you think?"
Hachiman hesitated for only a second before answering seriously. "Mom, Dad... I want to be Chishima-sensei's disciple. It's an honor for me. Sensei has been very good to me."
"Very well."
His parents nodded gently, then turned back to Akishin with smiles. "Chishima-sensei, we have no objections. Hachiman has always been independent. If this is his decision, we trust him."
"..."
Things went remarkably smoothly. His parents were indeed very understanding. Akishin also explained the risks associated with learning Kendo under him. After hearing that Yukino was also training and was doing fine, they didn't raise any concerns.
Since formal master-disciple ceremonies weren't really Akishin's style, they skipped the theatrics. The focus was simply on making it official in the eyes of the family.
The parents also offered some money. The amount wasn't huge, mostly because Akishin refused the bulk of the original sum. The remaining money was earmarked for Hachiman's shinai, though it likely wasn't actually enough to cover the cost.
Later, Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko arrived. Akishin prepared a full table of delicious dishes to host the Hikigaya family.
The following day, Sunday, was a day of rest. Akishin took Hachiman to the Kendo Federation to collect his Kendo Passport, where he successfully attained the rank of Shodan (first dan). Akishin's own rank was set at Sandan (third dan), which the Federation had fast-tracked for him. While it was a bit outside the usual procedure, no one dared to protest.
While they were out, Akishin finally bought a bicycle for himself.
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