Lin Qianshu, you still showing up to school like that? I do not remember you being that studious.
Hiratsuka Shizuka rubbed her temple and sounded genuinely exasperated. Had she been some sort of villain in a previous life, and cursed to meet a parade of problematic students? The last troublesome student who had turned "A High School Life Retrospective" into a manifesto had already given her a headache. Now here came Lin Qianshu.
Is this kid treating school like a battlefield? Come on, even on a battlefield you send injured soldiers back to the rear to heal.
Teacher, people do change, and putting class performance aside I think I am pretty studious, Lin Qianshu answered solemnly.
He did not pay attention in class, he did not study after school, and he often handed in perfunctory homework. Yet somehow his grades were good. Hiratsuka could not deny that: if being the top of the science department did not qualify as studious, then nothing would. Lin Qianshu's everyday behavior never matched his scores. Genius is truly impossible to understand.
A studious person would not fall asleep in class.
Maybe not, Lin Qianshu countered. Some people act like they dislike studying while doing nothing but cram hard at home. I call those people "study hypocrites."
Self-presentation?
Not at all. I believe in being consistent, whether at home or at school, he said, glancing down at his plastered left leg with a ridiculous air about him.
The class burst into low laughter. Even with a cast, Lin Qianshu kept an oddly steady vibe — part slacker, part confident. That combination somehow worked.
Hiratsuka sighed but could not help smiling at his cheeky calm. Then she remembered why she had come to the parking lot in the first place. She was there to drive him home, after all. Matching the student and teacher roles today had an odd feel.
Arriving at his apartment, Lin Qianshu stepped out. The house left by his parents was not the single family home common in Japan, but a fancy apartment with elevators and 24 hour concierge. The area was prime, and the building was luxurious. Given Hiratsuka's teacher salary, owning an Aston Martin would be absurd. Either it was rented or there was another explanation.
She asked, and the teacher answered plainly: bought.
Rats, another capitalist wealthy woman, Lin thought to himself. Yukinoshita counts as one. Hiratsuka counts as another. Good schools do more than teach you the future. They provide access to the upper crust. If you can win one over, you might shortcut ten years of struggle. If you could marry one, even better.
Lin put his crutch in the trunk and climbed into the passenger seat. The sports car looked made for speed, not comfort. Still, it was his first time sitting in such a vehicle across both his lives. The engine's roar faded as the city rolled by. Hiratsuka kept one hand on the wheel and the other lazily on the shifter, glancing at the boy in the passenger seat. She broke the silence.
I did not expect you and that Yukinoshita get along so well, she said. You have some skill.
What is the meaning of life, by the way? she asked casually.
To get a real answer to that would require a life of philosophy, thought Lin, but he played it light.
Some people are remarkable for their outward laziness and inner diligence. He gave a practiced answer, half teasing, half honest. Hiratsuka teased him back about liking older women, and Lin deflected. Their banter slid from jokes into curious conversation, and soon they found themselves near his building.
As the elevator doors opened he noticed someone familiar approaching outside. Snow, he thought. Snowy-white hair visible through the glass. The coincidence was a little much.
Yukinoshita Yukino was heading his way. Seeing Hiratsuka and the Aston Martin, she did double take. Snow's presence only added to the spectacle.
Hello again, Lin Qianshu, she said, entering the lobby.
He blinked. You also live here? he asked, surprised.
In that simple exchange, a new set of possibilities formed. Hiratsuka had been on her way to introduce him to something that fit his stated goal: helping others. If Lin wanted to be the kind of person who helped, the 'Service Club' would be perfect. The club existed to reach out to those in need. Yukinoshita had founded it with a lofty explanation about compassion and volunteerism, and setting up such a club was the reason the school had approved it.
So, want to join? Hiratsuka asked.
Maybe I will try it, Lin replied cautiously.
That was enough. The world had just handed him a small door to walk through.