"I'd like a cola, please. Thank you."
Uchiha Ryo sat down on the other side of Hiratsuka Shizuka. Both Hiratsuka Shizuka and Shirosaki Haruka on the other side quickly recognized him.
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Hmm? You... didn't you go to Toyogasaki as an exchange student? No, wait! Why is a young kid like you in a bar? Be honest with me."
As a teacher, although Uchiha Ryo was temporarily not at Shuchiin, Hiratsuka Shizuka was still very responsible.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, if you fuss over such small things, you'll never get married. This isn't school. And from my observation, I'm not the youngest person in the bar. Besides, I ordered a cola!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "What did you say?! Even outside, I am still your teacher! Remember that. It's only natural for a teacher to discipline a student."
Ijichi Seika looked curiously at this young and handsome guy who seemed to be Hiratsuka Shizuka's student. Wait... this kid is a student from Shuchiin? Then he must be rich.
"Alright, Shizu-chan. Anyone who comes here is a customer. Sir, would you like a regular cola, or our new product that just arrived? I personally recommend the new product."
Uchiha Ryo: "There's a new kind of cola? But I'll just have a regular cola."
Ijichi Seika had no intention of letting this opportunity to earn money from a Shuchiin student slip by.
"A large cola is 500 yen. As for the new craft cola, I'll give you a discount. How about just 999 yen?"
Uchiha Ryo raised his eyebrows. Does this person take me for a sucker? It was normal for drinks in a bar to be a bit more expensive, but what the hell was this 1,000 yen craft cola? Would it make his Sharingan glow if he drank it?
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "That's enough, Seika. He's a student I know. Don't try to pawn off your bar's unsold drinks on him. This is the brain of the top student in his year. What if it gets damaged?"
Uchiha Ryo nodded. As expected, Hiratsuka Shizuka was a good teacher. Although she seemed a bit unreliable at school and had a slight violent streak towards students, she was still willing to stand up for them.
Noticing Uchiha Ryo's approval, Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately smiled.
"But to meet is to be fated. How about this: you treat today, and we'll have a few drinks? Of course! We'll drink alcohol, you drink cola."
Uchiha Ryo: "???"
Shirosaki Haruka smiled. "You two, stop fooling around. I actually know this Young Master Ryo as well. I haven't had a chance to formally thank you for last time. Let me treat everyone today."
Ijichi Seika went to prepare the drinks. In any case, as long as she wasn't the one paying, she didn't care who it was. As long as someone paid!
Hiratsuka Shizuka, however, looked at Shirosaki Haruka curiously. "Young... Master Ryo? Strange, what connection could he have with you?"
Shirosaki Haruka then recounted the incident when she was a maid at the Shinomiya residence. It was very difficult to get into the Shinomiya family now, and she didn't want to lose this job.
Moreover, the maid job at the Shinomiya family was on a rotating basis. She went three days a week, and the money she earned was more than a hard week's work outside.
Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded. "A maid at the Shinomiya family, huh. Even if it's only three days, it must be very tiring. But this way, you can also make time to spend with Hana-chan."
"Mama~"
A childish voice came from behind. Just as Uchiha Ryo had said, he wasn't the youngest person in the bar.
A flower ornament in her hair, Shirosaki Hana, who had long, straight black hair since she was little, came to stand in front of Shirosaki Haruka.
"Wow, it's the big brother who's really good at shooting!"
Uchiha Ryo, who was drinking his cola, almost choked. He quickly put down his drink and said, "It was 'good at throwing kunai', okay?"
Shirosaki Haruka's eyes lit up. "So, the big brother who gave her a plushie at the mall last time was Young Master Ryo. Really, I must thank you on Hana's behalf."
At this moment, Ijichi Seika also brought over a glass of orange juice and handed it to Shirosaki Haruka. "This is from me, for Hana-chan."
Shirosaki Haruka: "It's fine. I said it was my treat."
Ijichi Seika waved her hand. "Of course, you adults have to pay. Hana-chan is on the house. Seeing her, I'm reminded of how Nijika was when she was little...."
Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her glass. "It's been hard on you. Seika, you're 12 years older than your sister, right? You're taking care of a child when you should be in your prime."
Ijichi Seika sighed.
"Yeah, what can you do when your parents pass away early.... I'm really being both a sister and a mother. It's gotten to the point where I have no time to think about my own affairs. But Shizu-chan, you don't have a child to take care of, and your family is harmonious. Why can't you find a boyfriend?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka—was struck right in her vital spot.
"Hehe, I'm not worried. But Seika, you still have to wait until your sister goes to college before you can think about your own life, right? What if your sister gets snatched away by a boy during her high school years? You won't be hiding behind the bar crying, will you~"
Ijichi Seika's hand, resting on the bar, tightened slightly. On the other side, Shirosaki Haruka couldn't be bothered with these two anymore. Just let them argue.
Shirosaki Hana, however, curiously came over to Uchiha Ryo's side.
"Are you a high school student, big brother? That's amazing... just like Sister Nijika."
Uchiha Ryo turned his head. "Is Hana-chan very envious of high school students? I, on the other hand, think that your age is the one that's carefree."
Hana-chan lowered her head. "Carefree? Is it because we can't do anything? We can't go out and work to earn money like Mama, and we can't strive for a dream band like Sister Nijika. When I get to high school, can I also fulfill my own dreams?"
Uchiha Ryo looked at Shirosaki Hana seriously.
"Hana-chan, do you really want to understand the world of high school students?"
Shirosaki Hana nodded seriously.
So Uchiha Ryo took out his phone, found the notes he had recorded, and then handed them to Shirosaki Hana. "These are my study notes. A top student's notes."
Hana-chan took it curiously, and then... the smile on her little face gradually disappeared.
That day... Hana-chan finally realized, a terror known as "functions," and the humiliation of being dominated by Newton and Faraday.
Shirosaki Hana: "Wh... what is all this?"
Uchiha Ryo: "This is the world of high school students. And this is just math and physics. There's also language arts, foreign languages...."
Shirosaki Hana fell silent. She was now a little glad that she was just an elementary school student. It's all math, and they're all number symbols I recognize. Why are they all stacked together?
At this time, Shirosaki Haruka was also curious about what Hana-chan was doing, so she walked around Hiratsuka Shizuka to Hana-chan's side, and then heard things like math... physics.
I see! Hana-chan is actually asking the big brother to teach her. Really... such a good child is so touching.
Shirosaki Hana handed the phone back to Uchiha Ryo. As soon as she turned her head, she found her mother squatting there with a very gratified expression, reaching out to stroke her head.
"Does Hana-chan want to learn from big brother? Then you must study hard, okay!"
To be honest, Shirosaki Haruka really wanted to be a stay-at-home mom who could be with her child every day and help her with her studies. But as a single-parent family, Shirosaki Haruka had to work so that Hana-chan could live without worry!
"Young Master Ryo, actually, Hana-chan is quite lonely usually. Although she seems to have found friends her own age recently, if Young Master Ryo is willing to teach her... Of course! I'll pay for the tuition."
Uchiha Ryo waved his hand. "It's no trouble. I don't have much to do usually. If Hana-chan wants to come and learn from me, I certainly won't refuse. As for the tuition, let's forget about it."
Shirosaki Haruka was very moved. "Thank you so much!"
Uchiha Ryo: "Please leave her to me without worry, Haruka-san."
Shirosaki Hana's little brain was somewhat offline. Learn? Learn what.... Functions! Newton! Faraday?!