Chapter 82: Targets, Goodwill, and Vigilance
"Hehe, since you know you'll care, do you know what you have to do?"
"Become great enough. Great enough to bear the title of [Chishima Akishin's Disciple]."
"Please, elaborate."
"..."
"Hahaha, Hikigaya, even you can talk nonsense. How about I give you a few targets?"
"Please go ahead, Sensei."
Hachiman put his phone down and sat upright on the bed, facing Akishin with a serious expression.
Akishin crushed the empty beer can in his hand until it was flat, then glanced back with a thin smile. "Make sure you're actually willing to do it, okay? Once you agree, there's no room for regret."
"...I'll do it."
Akishin's words carried a teasing tone, as if saying I'm going to prank you, you know. Hachiman had a bad feeling, but after two seconds of hesitation, he still agreed firmly—at most, it would just be more training intensity, not a huge deal.
"Alright." Akishin tossed the beer can into the trash bin three meters away with pinpoint accuracy and nodded in satisfaction. "Then first off, Hikigaya, you need to get your grades up! In the future, you must at least get into the University of Tokyo (Todai) or Waseda. Only then will you be worthy of my name."
Hachiman's Japanese scores were indeed excellent, but his other subjects were unsatisfying—especially Math and History, which he barely ever passed. His total rank in class was in the lower-middle tier. Let alone a top-tier university, even a regular one would be a struggle.
Japan was a country that placed immense value on academic pedigree. Therefore, the first thing to do was raise those grades.
Hikigaya: "???"
"Wait, wait, wait, Sensei, isn't what we're training in Kendo? What does that have to do with school subjects?"
This... this seemed even harder than physical training.
"Stupid, you are Chishima Akishin's disciple." Akishin feigned anger and slapped the chair, making a loud bang. "If people want to mock you, the first thing they'll compare is your grades. If your grades are bad, they'll naturally be delighted. Are you going to let their wishes come true?"
Yes! Hachiman wanted to answer that, but it stayed strictly in his head. Facing Akishin's suddenly cold expression, he immediately cupped his hands and shouted, "Of course not!"
"Good. Then starting from when we return, Hiratsuka-sensei and I will be monitoring your grades. There are two months left this semester. By the final exams, your Hensachi must reach at least 60. Next semester, 65. And by your third year, it needs to be over 70."
Hachiman's current Hensachi hovered around 55, not even enough for a decent university. Meanwhile, the lowest acceptance standard for Tokyo University was 74. If a Hensachi hit 71, one could already get into Nagoya University.
Even Yukinoshita Haruno, who attended Chiba University, only had a Hensachi of 60.
"Sensei, I think you're joking." Hachiman stared with one of his dead-fish eyes half-open, patted his own cheek, and said, "60 is something I can consider, 65 is a target I can chase, but over 70..." I wouldn't even dare to imagine that in a dream.
In the entire grade, probably only Yukinoshita Yukino and a few others could reach that.
The so-called Hensachi was a relative deviation score against the average—a calculation formula used by Japanese people to judge a student's intelligence and academic ability.
Whether entering high school or university, the Hensachi was what mattered. It felt extreme because it ignored moral, physical, and artistic aspects.
The average Hensachi was 50, the lowest was 25, and theoretically, the highest could reach 100, though no one had ever achieved it. Reaching 70 already categorized someone as a genius.
Akishin stared at Hachiman seriously and said, "I'm not joking. There's no punishment if you don't reach it, but you yourself already agreed, and I don't want you to break your own promise."
"..."
I did agree to do it, but I didn't agree to go that far!
Hachiman locked eyes with Akishin. One held a doubtful gaze, the other a searching one.
Finally, Hachiman accepted it. "I understand, I will study hard." He didn't want to break a promise, let alone disappoint both of his teachers.
"The parts you don't understand, you can ask me. I am a graduate of a prestigious university." In his past two lives, he had indeed been a top graduate from a renowned university.
Hachiman didn't buy it, grumbling internally: If you're really a graduate of a top university, why did you end up as a PE teacher?
Akishin held up two fingers. "Now, the second condition."
"...Please say it."
Hachiman felt that nothing could be harder than raising a Hensachi to 70.
"Since you're learning Kendo from me, you naturally have to excel in Kendo. For the Gyoku-ryu-ki tournament at the end of July, I want you to lead a few members of the Kendo Club to participate. Strive for the championship, or at the very least, a Fighting Spirit Award."
Akishin didn't make the championship mandatory. There were countless geniuses in this world. Hachiman had only been training Kendo for a full month. Even if he waited two more months, it wasn't guaranteed he could beat geniuses who had been training since childhood.
His teaching method for Hachiman was extreme—constantly slamming him into the floor, even breaking five Shinai, and using various words to toughen Hachiman's mental state. Thus, in just one month, Hachiman's Kendo had already shown quite impressive results.
Based on his assessment, Hachiman was already stronger than the kids in the Kendo Club. He just hadn't been through a real test yet, and the Gyoku-ryu-ki tournament was the perfect stage for that.
"Sensei, I feel like you're joking again."
This time, Hachiman didn't even bother opening his dead-fish eyes; he just closed them and stared at the ceiling.
"It seems you lack awareness of your own Kendo abilities. When we get back, I'll take you to challenge the Kendo Club."
"..."
"Agreed or not?"
"Agreed."
Hachiman lowered his head, opened his eyes, and stared at Akishin with resolve—a look that wouldn't regret even dying a hundred times, a courage forged from being struck down repeatedly and rising every single time.
Usually, this look only appeared when he held a Shinai.
...
Early the next morning, Akishin's group returned to Chiba. Various media outlets and Kendo enthusiasts in Chiba, who had heard the news early on, had already gathered in front of the station. As Akishin stepped out, the crowd erupted into a roar.
Over the past two days, Chishima Akishin had become truly famous in Chiba. Anyone who read the news or the papers knew him.
Those who came to pick them up included the Principal of Sobu High and a line of teachers, while the Board of Directors waited back at the school.
On the first night back in Chiba, the Kendo Federation held another lavish banquet. This time, Akishin went alone; Hachiman had to go home to rest, while Shizuka was called by her parents the moment she stepped off the train, told to come home immediately.
Most likely, they had seen their daughter on television or in the newspapers.
In the afternoon, after school hours at Sobu High ended, Kondo Yuika and Sakurai Kaiko, knowing Akishin was back, immediately rushed to Chishimaya.
Akishin gave them the souvenirs he had bought in Tokyo; most were food items: Shiroi Koibito cookies, Tokyo Banana, Jaga Pokkuru, Yoku Moku biscuits, Baumkuchen... as well as some Tokyo-specific handicrafts.
Sakurai Kaiko was so moved she nearly cried, declaring that Chishima Akishin was truly the best boss in the world and that she was willing to work for him for the rest of her life.
Kondo Yuika, her face flushed, tried to decline, but under the barrage of words from both Akishin and Kaiko, she eventually thanked him and accepted.
Yuika usually only saw these items on the internet or in magazines; she knew the prices were far from cheap. Her and Kaiko's combined wages for two weeks probably wouldn't be enough to buy them.
Afterward, they were held back by Akishin to have dinner together. The two girls each carried a large bag of items as they walked home.
On the way back, Kaiko noticed Yuika's anxious expression. She leaned in and asked, "Yuika, are you worried because Chishima-sensei is being too good to us? Are you suspicious, or do you just feel guilty receiving so much goodwill without knowing how to pay it back?"
The two had grown up together. As Yuika's protector, Kaiko understood her deeply. Just by looking at her expression, she basically knew what her friend was thinking.
Yuika turned to look at her best friend, hesitated for a moment, and then sighed. "Maybe both. Chishima-sensei is too kind, so kind it feels unrealistic. Whether it's the wages, the gifts, or the care he's shown... Grandma told me not to accept too much kindness from others."
Yuika was a very traditional Japanese girl. She had suffered a lot of hardships in her childhood, though she later found warmth.
She was soft-hearted and kind herself. Even though her family didn't provide a wealthy life, she never lacked for care.
But precisely because she had suffered in her youth and her family wasn't rich, behind Kondo Yuika's gentleness and kindness lay a layer of vigilance.
Aside from her family and Sakurai Kaiko, there were very few people Yuika trusted completely.
"Yuika, that line of thinking is correct, but this time I think you're wrong." Kaiko patted Yuika's small head, then shook her own head with a somewhat serious expression. "Yuika, Chishima-sensei is a very good person. His kindness is sincere and natural; he's good to us just because he wants to be, with no other motives mixed in.
Maybe in your eyes, Chishima-sensei is giving a lot, but in my eyes, for Chishima-sensei, these things might just be insignificant.
While our hourly pay is indeed high, the net profit of Chishimaya every day is at least seventy or eighty thousand yen. Sensei won't care about that, and these souvenirs are just a small amount of money to him.
Chishima-sensei once said he opened the Izakaya more as a hobby and for fun; money is secondary.
And that care you feel from Sensei, it's just because Chishima Akishin is a gentle person. The person he's actually pouring his real energy into is his disciple, that Hikigaya-senpai..."
Yuika stopped her pace, staring blankly at her friend.
Kaiko continued: "Yuika, you understand that there are many bad people in this world, but you also have to understand that there are good people too. Besides..."
At this point, Kaiko flashed a mischievous smile, reaching out to pinch Yuika's soft cheek. "Our Yuika is indeed cute and pretty, and many people like her. But I don't think Chishima-sensei is interested in Yuika. I'm not saying Yuika isn't attractive, but rather, Chishima-sensei already has someone he likes."
"Who?" Yuika swatted away her friend's playful hand.
"Yuika, how deep are you buried in your studies!" Kaiko laughed helplessly. "It's that Hiratsuka-sensei from school, the beautiful teacher who often wears the white lab coat, the one who came to Chishimaya to have dinner with us..."
"Oh, Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Now you know, right? Yuika, being vigilant is a good thing, but toward those who truly care for you, you shouldn't be guarded—or at least don't show it so obviously, because that indirectly hurts them.
Yuika needs more friends too, friends who can help you when you face difficulties you can't get through alone. The part I can help you with isn't much..."
"Don't say that, Kaiko... Then, about Chishima-sensei..."
"Just act as usual. We work hard, just like before. This is just my opinion, so just listen to the parts that make sense. If you still feel guilty, you can repay Chishima-sensei's favor later when you're able, or just talk to him about giving you more work, though he probably won't do it... Don't worry, Yuika, I'll always be by your side."
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