Chapter 191: Momoko and the Parent-Teacher Meeting (Long Chapter)
"Kondo, Kondo-kun, good afternoon. And... Kondo-kun's guardian, good afternoon to you too. My, my name is Ueda Momoko..."
Ueda Momoko walked closer while fidgeting with her small skirt. She was a tiny, incredibly cute girl, standing at least half a head shorter than Soichi. She didn't really look like a fifth-grader; she looked more like someone in the third grade.
She was truly small. She didn't dare look Akishin in the eye, instead stealing glances at Kondo Soichi with a look of longing, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't muster the courage.
Soichi: "..."
Don't be so scared of me, I'm not going to eat you. This makes me look like some kind of thug; what if the teacher gets the wrong idea?
Akishin set Soichi down and offered a smile. "Hello, Ueda-san. I'm Chishima Akishin, Soichi's master."
Ueda Momoko looked puzzled. "Master? Not his parent?"
Akishin laughed. "A guardian, really. A master is a type of guardian, too. I'm Kondo Soichi's master. Ueda-san, would it be alright if I called you Momoko?"
Ueda Momoko nodded blankly. "Sure, of course. Please, feel free." Addressing someone directly by their given name was a sign of great familiarity, but the rules were different when an adult was speaking to a child.
"Well then, Momoko, are you and our Soichi friends?" Akishin pointed toward Kondo Soichi, whose face had gone dark.
Momoko immediately waved her hands in panic. "No, no, Kondo-kun and I... we aren't..." Yet her eyes instinctively drifted back to Soichi.
Akishin asked with a confused tilt of his head, "But Soichi said you were his friend. Is that not the case? Really?" He asked twice in a row, the words 'I am very confused' practically written across his face.
Ueda Momoko's beautiful cherry-blossom eyes widened in disbelief. "Is it true...?" She looked at Kondo Soichi with a hopeful gaze. "I'm really Kondo-kun's friend?"
She didn't dare believe it, but this was coming from Kondo-kun's master. It had to be... true, right? She hoped... it was true.
Akishin nodded repeatedly. "Mhm, of course. I'm Soichi's master; I almost never lie."
Almost never lying, of course, didn't mean never lying.
"No, I didn't—you and I—" Soichi started to protest, but he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. His hair stood on end, and he felt as though he were being watched by something terrifying.
Danger!!!
Soichi could almost see blood-red text floating above his head. Following a supernatural instinct, he turned and met Akishin's gaze. Akishin was smiling sweetly, a look that clearly communicated: 'Contradict me and I'll kill you~'
That was definitely, definitely, definitely what it meant!
Sensei, you're being very weird today. You've changed. You aren't the Chishima-sensei I know anymore. Waaaaah~, you must be an impostor. Give me back the real Chishima-sensei; my teacher isn't this scary...
Soichi felt like crying, but no tears came.
Momoko: "?"
Eh? What happened? Why did Kondo-kun's face go from dark to pale in an instant? Can Kondo-kun change his face?
Finally, Soichi buckled under the pressure of evil. "Hahaha... that... Ueda-san, I think we should be friends, right? Do... do you not think so?"
Damn it, that was so embarrassing. Why did I say that? If my subordinates saw this, my reputation would be ruined for life!
"No, no, it's not that. I, I..." Ueda Momoko was completely flustered, stammering out a few sentences with a face turned bright red, unsure of what to do. But seeing Soichi's restless expression, she subconsciously thought, 'Kondo-kun really does want to be friends with me. No wonder he saved me.'
She suddenly grew calm, a faint smile touching her lips. She looked at Soichi seriously. "Kondo-kun, I want to be friends with you, too. And... thank you for saving me. Here... please take this. It's... it's my thanks."
Ueda Momoko pulled two chocolate candies from her pocket and held them out to Soichi. Her cute little face was serious and determined, though a blush of shyness still colored her cheeks. She was incredibly precious.
"Mhm, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Momoko. You have to be strong. My mother always said that when someone helps you, you must repay the favor—especially since Kondo-kun has helped you more than once."
Soichi might have forgotten, but Momoko used to be one of the kids being bullied in class. It was worse than just being ignored; it had reached the stage of physical violence.
Fortunately, that period of bullying didn't last long because Soichi arrived. After he showed up, the bullying in their class vanished, then in their grade, and eventually throughout the entire school...
Soichi probably didn't remember the last time Momoko had been cornered behind the school building. Soichi had appeared with a few of his subordinates, surrounded the bullies, and slapped the leader right in front of Momoko's eyes.
That loud slap had terrified Momoko so much that she had been dazed for a long time. She hadn't clearly heard what Soichi said to her afterward, but days later, she heard from others that Soichi had told her to be strong... From that day on, Momoko had started secretly watching Soichi, observing him as he slowly took control of the school. She never dared to say hello out of fear, until today happened...
In truth, Momoko had fallen today because she was too busy watching Soichi walk in front of her.
"Ah! That... actually, there's no need to thank me. I didn't do it on purpose or anything..."
Faced with Momoko's earnestness, the turmoil in Soichi's heart strangely settled. Looking at the candy in the small hand reached out toward him, he hesitated for a moment before taking it. He looked at her seriously. "Thank you, Ueda-san."
Ueda Momoko's face flushed. She bit her lip and said, "Ueda-san... just Momoko is fine..."
"Ah! Right. Mo-Momoko..."
Soichi nodded awkwardly, his face also turning a bit red. Half of it was genuine embarrassment, the other half was pure irritation—Damn you, Sensei, you've definitely been replaced by someone else.
Akishin watched the scene with satisfaction; the kid was finally starting to get it. He patted Soichi's shoulder. "Haha, Soichi, you'd better protect Momoko well from now on." Then he turned to Momoko with a smile. "Momoko-chan, if you ever have any trouble, just find Soichi. And if you have time, come visit my place with him. I run an Izakaya; I'll treat you to some delicious food."
A person's words and actions reflect their inner heart. If Soichi really brought this girl over, Akishin would be more than happy to host them.
"Mhm, thank you... Master. Oh, that's right, Master... I don't have any more chocolate left, but... this is for you..."
Ueda Momoko nodded happily, but seeing her chocolate in Soichi's hand, she realized she had almost forgotten there was another person here. She quickly rummaged through her pockets again and, with some effort, found a fruit candy left over from yesterday.
She handed it to Akishin, shy but resolute.
Akishin was stunned for a moment before taking the fruit candy. It was a very ordinary candy with a cute, colorful wrapper; the kind little girls liked to collect.
He thanked her with a smile. "Thank you, Momoko. I like it very much." He glanced at Soichi, who was wearing a strange expression, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked with a grin, "Momoko-chan, I'm taking Soichi to the nurse's office. Do you want to come along?"
"Yes, yes... of course!" Momoko nodded like a chick pecking at grain, then lowered her head guiltily. "Kondo-kun got hurt because of me. I want to look after him..." She carefully explained what had happened, wanting to take responsibility for Soichi's care. After she finished, she looked at Akishin anxiously.
"It's fine, Soichi is a boy." Akishin reached out to pat Momoko's small head and smiled gently. "Helping people is just what you do, especially helping a friend. I'm not going to blame you, Momoko. It was just an accident..."
He could see the girl's anxiety; she was likely afraid of being scolded by him.
What a cute, considerate, and shy kid.
"No, you're wrong," Momoko suddenly countered. "Kondo-kun helped me not just because he's a boy, but because... because Kondo-kun is... he's a very good person..."
Akishin blinked, glared at Soichi for a moment, and then patted Momoko's head again as he admitted his mistake. "I see. My mistake. Soichi is a very good boy, and Momoko is a very good girl. Let's go!"
Akishin crouched down. Soichi hesitated for a second but eventually climbed onto his back.
After hoisting Soichi up, Akishin reached out his other hand.
Momoko looked at Akishin's gentle, smiling face, then at the large hand offered to her. She hesitated, but finally reached out her tiny hand to grasp it.
She felt that Kondo-kun's guardian was very gentle, just like her mother. No, even gentler than her mother. Without realizing it, a sense of fondness blossomed, and she squeezed his hand.
Soichi felt the same way. Sensei had changed a lot today, becoming softer, like a kind older brother from next door. But it was precisely because of that softness that the sudden transition into his murderous aura became even more terrifying!
He didn't know it was "murderous aura" specifically; he only knew that when faced with it, even the desire to resist simply vanished.
Akishin carried Soichi while leading Momoko along. On the way, he asked casually, "Momoko-chan, today is the parent-teacher meeting. Where are your parents?"
"Don't worry, Sensei. My mom is with the teacher. I told her I was going out to find a friend to play with, so she won't worry," Momoko said considerately, slipping back into calling him 'Sensei.'
Soichi, leaning against Akishin's back, looked at Momoko and added, "Momoko is ranked first in our grade."
Akishin commented with surprise, "Is that so! Momoko, that's impressive. You'll have to help Soichi out from now on, then. His grades are quite lacking." It was perfectly normal for a top student to interact directly with teachers.
Soichi protested indignantly, "Hey, Sensei! I'm ranked fifth in the grade! What do you mean my grades are lacking! Don't look down on me, Sensei. If I get mad... if I get mad, I'll... actually, I can't really do anything, can I~~"
Momoko defended him. "It's true, it's true. Kondo-kun is also very smart. Sensei shouldn't say things like that." Even if you were Kondo-kun's master, you shouldn't speak ill of him so carelessly.
"Oh~"
Akishin hummed a sweet 'Oh~' with a smile, its meaning entirely ambiguous.
"What do you mean 'Oh~'! Are you not acknowledging my abilities, Sensei!"
...
This was Akishin's first time attending a parent-teacher meeting. Comparing it to his experiences and knowledge of meetings back in China, there were significant differences.
In a Chinese parent-teacher meeting, the ones who spoke the most were the parents of the top students. Their topics never strayed far from studying and grades.
But a Japanese parent-teacher meeting was different.
The parents who spoke up rarely mentioned studying or grades. Instead, they asked the teacher to reduce the amount of homework and brought up other trivial matters.
Akishin sat in the innermost corner of the classroom, listening with great interest. Beside him was the principal of Sakura Elementary, a kind old man with a slightly stout build. Occasionally, he would whisper a few words to Akishin, either introducing the school or praising Soichi...
Akishin replied in a low voice, his gaze mostly fixed on the teacher at the podium—Soichi had sprained his ankle, and the school nurse had already treated it and wrapped it in gauze. He was currently sitting with Momoko on small chairs in the very front row.
Today's meeting was primarily about the plan for the children's field trip, which was quite similar to the summer camp Rumi and the others had gone to.
First, they introduced the environment of the trip location, followed by the logistics of the food.
Soichi's homeroom teacher was a woman in her forties. Her glasses gave her a reserved appearance, but her way of speaking was very sharp.
She stated that the purpose of inviting the guardians today was primarily to ensure the children cooperated well with the teachers.
She mentioned that being in the wild was not like being at school. Bedtime had to be followed strictly by the students. She wouldn't be checking to see who was staying up in the middle of the night.
When bedtime arrived, she would close her door and sleep until morning. Only by getting enough sleep at night would she have the energy to organize activities during the day.
Hearing this, Akishin felt a bit confused. Didn't her words imply to the parents that she wouldn't be taking responsibility for the children's safety during the night?
He looked at the principal beside him; his expression didn't change. He looked at the other parents; they all seemed indifferent. He suppressed his bewilderment and decided to ask about it later.
Next, they discussed the food. She said that the meals this time would be prepared with the help of two upperclassmen. They were students working while studying. They were also just children, not professional chefs, so everyone needed to be prepared; as long as they were full, it would be enough.
Akishin was surprised once again. A teacher in China could never say something like that. However, he nodded slightly; he agreed with the sentiment—it was already good enough to have food when others were helping voluntarily.
Looking at the Japanese parents around him, everyone was calm and expressionless; apparently, all field trips were like this.
The location for the trip was a mountainous area, intended to give the students a taste of wilderness survival.
She said, "Since we are going to the mountain forest to experience survival, don't bring too much allowance, and don't bring too many snacks."
She scanned the room, pausing briefly on Akishin, then continued, "If anyone wants to give their child extra allowance, you can give it directly to me; I'll find a way to help spend it. If any guardian wants to give their child extra snacks, give those to me too; I'll find a way to help eat them..."
Finally, she added a special emphasis: "We have rented a brand-new large bus this time. To prevent the new bus from getting dirty and becoming a liability, eating and drinking anything is prohibited on the bus. I expect all students to comply consciously..."
Akishin felt very strange. It wasn't that these actions were wrong, but in a Chinese parent-teacher meeting, these words would simply never be uttered.
Looking at the other Japanese parents, they all had sweet smiles on their faces, showing a perfectly compliant attitude.
Akishin whispered to the principal, "Principal, I understand the rule about no snacks on the bus and will cooperate, but at least let the kids carry a bottle of water, right?"
The issue wasn't the water itself; he just wanted to ask why such a rule existed.
Hearing his words, the principal's expression turned a bit odd. The other parents nearby overheard and looked at him with sheer bewilderment.
Akishin: "?"
Did he say something wrong? I'm just a PE teacher, and I never went to school in Japan, so I don't understand the elementary schools here at all.
The principal hesitated for a moment and then smiled. "Chishima-sensei, I know you care for the children, but the purpose of the school organizing this kind of trip is to teach the children independence and resilience." He paused and said seriously, "The children won't die of thirst from not drinking for a three-hour bus ride, nor will they die of hunger from not having snacks. This is a good opportunity for the children to train themselves. I hope you can understand."
Though it was strange that someone as famous as Akishin would speak like a guardian from another country, the principal still gave a serious answer.
Akishin's expression turned complicated. After a few seconds, he let out a long breath and nodded. "Thank you for the explanation, Principal. I understand."
In Japan, if a child is given too much schoolwork and their brain suffers, parents will protest. If a child suffers to "train" themselves, parents are all for it—that was the difference between parent-teacher meetings in Japan and China. They prioritized student capability over mere knowledge.
Thinking about it that way, the Japanese notion that being bullied is actually the fault of the person being bullied—that distorted and morally bankrupt line of thinking—seemed... understandable in this context.
After all, this was a country where the Emperor's daughter could be bullied and the Emperor himself would be the one to come out and apologize...
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