Chapter 35: Hajiyuki, You Brat!

Chapter 35: Hajiyuki, You Brat!

Perhaps in Sakuraba Yuki’s view, eating grilled meat together did not count as crossing any boundaries.

But from Yatsuno Gen’s perspective, wasn’t this a little too sudden?

Or was she really that happy to see him again?

What the young man cultivated was a cultivation method, not mind reading, so naturally he could not completely know what she was thinking.

Still, it seemed impossible to bluntly reject her enthusiasm at this moment. After all, recalling that period of time, they had indeed gotten along pleasantly, and it was also a deeply memorable chapter of his life. Time could not completely erase its significance.

Inside a reasonably affordable grilled meat restaurant, the atmosphere of everyday life rose all around them.

Even with the air conditioning running, there was still a somewhat smoky heat in the air.

As a result, Sakuraba Yuki had already taken off her suit jacket and set it aside. Beneath the white shirt she wore underneath, her beautiful figure was displayed without reservation.

The curve of her chest seemed ready to burst forth, the full peaks making people instinctively feel the desire and interest to climb them at first glance.

To be fair, Sakuraba Yuki was not an especially voluptuous type, but she certainly was not thin either.

She looked very healthy and still retained some youthful vitality at her age.

And in front of him, she seemed especially prone to making expressions that carried a child’s innocence, creating a striking contrast with her figure.

It could not be called incongruous. It only added further bricks and mortar to her charm. Otherwise, why would so many people be obsessed with the idea of a youthful face paired with a mature figure?

The ordered meat was quickly brought to the table. The grill was already hot enough, and Sakuraba Yuki voluntarily rolled up her sleeves and took responsibility for grilling the meat.

As for Yatsuno Gen, he sat there with the relaxed feeling of having nothing to do, which even felt somewhat unfamiliar.

It could not be helped. There was someone next door who always took care of everything, and his upbringing in the orphanage had made him accustomed to handling everything himself.

As the meat sizzled and released oil on the grill, the young woman, now with her long hair tied up, smiled and looked at Yatsuno Gen.

“Oh right, what is grilled meat without beer? Do you want some?”

“We’re drinking too?”

“Of course. Aren’t you already an adult?”

So adulthood was your only bottom line?

“I’m fine with it. It’s just that you...”

Hearing that, Sakuraba Yuki immediately turned around and called the server over to order several bottles of beer. She moved remarkably quickly, as if afraid Yatsuno Gen might change his mind.

After dividing the first few grilled pieces of meat equally, Sakuraba Yuki handed him a can.

She proactively raised her beer toward Yatsuno Gen and said with a smile,

“Come on, a toast to our reunion.”

“Cheers.”

Yatsuno Gen still did not refuse. After all, alcohol would not affect him.

The cans clinked together, producing a completely different sound and sensation from wine glasses.

Sakuraba Yuki took a large gulp. She seemed very familiar with alcohol and even let out a sigh entirely lacking in ladylike elegance.

“In weather like this... it has to be ice cold beer.”

Her actions and remarks inexplicably made Yatsuno Gen think of a gambler.

Yatsuno Gen looked at her with amusement.

“It seems Teacher Sakuraba drinks often.”

At those words, Sakuraba Yuki sighed.

“It can’t be helped. Ever since graduating and becoming a teacher, I’ve realized being a teacher is truly painful. The good students are fine, they don’t require much worry. But most are children going through their rebellious phase... they’re really a headache. Almost every day I worry about what method I should use to guide them.”

“Then a very experienced teacher told me that at times like that, I should go have a drink and then teach class normally the next day. She said: you’re a teacher, not their parent. What’s the point of worrying yourself sick? As long as you’ve done your best and have no regrets. If you try to worry about every student in the class, it’s simply impossible. Thinking you’re fully responsible for this period of their lives only adds unnecessary burden to yourself.”

Yatsuno Gen raised an eyebrow.

“So you followed that advice?”

Sakuraba Yuki shook her head and said somewhat bitterly,

“I did drink. It really did ease my anxiety quite a bit. But I still can’t help worrying. I still do my best to contact parents and discuss their children’s problems. But some parents don’t even care much about their own kids. They seem to think that raising them to adulthood is enough, that earning money to feed and clothe them is already an enormous kindness. In reality, they don’t understand what their children actually want. I’m still trying my best, but there is only so much I can do.”

Listening to her talk about these things.

Yatsuno Gen thought for a moment and ate a piece of grilled meat.

“You really shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. Of course, I also believe that Teacher Sakuraba wants to become a good teacher not because she wants recognition from others, but because of her own sense of responsibility.”

“Why do you think that?”

Sakuraba Yuki asked curiously.

Yatsuno Gen smiled.

“After all, what university student doing practical training would bring a huge bag of snacks, books, and stationery to the orphanage every day to hand out to the children? You were always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Back then, I already thought Teacher Sakuraba would definitely become a good teacher someday.”

This was not entirely flattery, brown-nosing, or politeness.

Starting something with enthusiasm was not difficult.

What was difficult was persisting like that.

And Sakuraba Yuki had done it for several months. Even after her practical training ended, she still frequently visited the orphanage to see the children. She was completely different from those who merely went through the motions to complete their coursework.

Of course, that also meant she was destined to become very tired and place invisible pressure upon herself.

Sakuraba Yuki revealed a gratified smile.

“It’s good that you still remember those things... By the way, why are you still calling me teacher? You should call me big sister.”

She put on a stern face and spoke with feigned dissatisfaction.

Yatsuno Gen said irritably,

“Because you are my teacher now.”

“That’s at school. We’re eating grilled meat together. If you keep calling me that, it’ll make me feel pressured too!”

“Fine, fine, Big Sister Sakuraba.”

“Why do you sound so unwilling? Make your voice sweeter and put a smile into it. Say it again.”

“That’s enough already.”

“Hahahaha, you’re so cute. Even when you’re angry, Yatsuno, you’re adorable. Come on, cheers!”

“...You’re really something.”

Yatsuno Gen helplessly picked up his beer again, and the cans collided once more.

The alcohol fizzed inside as it flowed down his throat.

Looking at the very happy Sakuraba Yuki in front of him, Yatsuno Gen actually did not find this reunion troublesome.

It was not a burden.

Besides, there was nothing wrong with his taste.

Having such a charming woman in front of him and still finding it troublesome would be a little too ungrateful.

Oh right, he was exactly that kind of ungrateful person.

In that case, never mind.

“Two more beers!”

“Hey, are you an alcoholic?”

“Oh right, Yatsuno.”

“Hm?”

Sakuraba Yuki had already drunk quite a lot, yet she still seemed very interested in chatting. Her delicate face was flushed with the redness of alcohol, giving her the seductive charm of a fox spirit.

Even her gaze had become somewhat unfocused.

“Yatsuno, you’re so handsome now, and your grades are so good. There must be lots of girls chasing after you at school, right?”

Why was it this kind of question again?

Sigh. I really don’t want to be this handsome.

He had no idea how many times he had made that observation recently. He should probably say it less often.

There would likely be plenty of opportunities in the future.

“Not really. Not that many.”

This was pure modesty.

He still remembered that not long after entering school, if he failed to clear out his shoe locker every two days, it would become stuffed with confession letters.

And not only from girls.

There were even some from boys.

This was not an exaggeration at all.

There had even been outrageous posts on the school forum before.

[Girls, if you never put a confession letter into Yatsuno’s locker, can your high school life really be considered complete?]

[I have tissues that Yatsuno used to wipe sweat. Selling cheap, first come first served. Note: they contain slight traces of my own use.]

He was practically becoming a tourist attraction.

Only after reaching his second year and making it widely known that he would not accept any girl’s confession did the situation improve somewhat.

“You’re definitely being modest. I remember even back at the orphanage there were quite a few little girls who secretly liked you. Wasn’t there also a girl from outside who often came looking for you? What was her name again...”

Just then, the server happened to bring over the beer.

Yatsuno Gen, who normally did not advocate excessive drinking, now only wanted to get her drunk so she would talk less.

“Come on, come on, let’s drink. Stop talking.”

Pop.

Sakuraba Yuki laughed.

“Why are you still getting embarrassed over that?”

“What am I embarrassed about? Mainly because I don’t remember.”

Yatsuno Gen said against his conscience.

Then he picked up his beer and proactively clinked cans.

Clink.

The newly opened beer produced the same sound before being poured into different mouths.

The flush on Sakuraba Yuki’s face became even more obvious.

Her eyes had already begun to wander.

With a dreamy expression, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Yatsuno Gen.

“You definitely haven’t forgotten. You... you seem cold and distant, as if there’s always a wall between you and other people. But once someone becomes your friend, you definitely won’t forget them. Did something happen?”

“You make it sound like you know me very well. Nothing happened.”

“Hoh. Is that any way to speak to your big sister? I... I know you fairly well, don’t I? Not completely, of course. But Yatsuno, do you know something?”

Yatsuno Gen glanced irritably at the woman who had begun pointing fingers at him.

Clearly, the alcohol had already gone to her head.

“That you’re drunk? Yes, I know.”

“Not that!”

“Then what?”

“It’s that...”

Sakuraba Yuki’s rosy lips parted and closed gently.

Accompanied by such carefree and relaxed movements, they created an irresistible urge to take a bite.

Or rather, she herself, from head to toe, resembled a delicious feast.

Anyone capable of resisting the urge to taste it was perhaps not especially close to being a god, but had already become quite distant from being human.

“The more you’re like this, the more it makes people want to understand you... So... probably, uh... that’s why I paid so much attention to you back then.”

“You were completely different from the other children... They were always thinking about when they’d be adopted, when they’d have a real family. There was nothing wrong with that. But you seemed to only want to grow up quickly and leave that place, no matter where you went... I thought they were abandoned little birds, while you were an eagle waiting to spread its wings.”

Yatsuno Gen almost felt his old face turning red from the praise.

“As expected of a teacher. That’s an embarrassingly flattering comparison.”

“I’m amazing, right? Hehe.”

Most of the grilled meat and side dishes on the table had already been eaten.

The table was covered with empty beer bottles.

Looking at the woman in front of him, who was now wobbling while pointing at him with one finger, Yatsuno Gen felt that no matter how one looked at it, this meal had reached its end.

“All right. We’ve eaten enough. Let’s head back.”

“Eh? No more drinking? I haven’t had enough yet.”

“That’s enough from you. Get up, we’re going to pay.”

“How mean... making a girl pay.”

she muttered.

“Aren’t you my big sister? Shouldn’t the older sister pay?”

She examined the young man in front of her like an innocent child.

“Oh right, you’re the little brother. Then big sister will pay.”

The moment she stood up, she nearly stumbled to the floor.

Fortunately, Yatsuno Gen had been prepared and directly caught the swaying, unsteady Sakuraba Yuki.

“Forget it. I’ll pay.”

Why did this feel like a scam?

Looking at the empty bottles on the table, if there hadn’t been no wine available, Yatsuno Gen would have suspected she was some kind of drinking shill.

“N-no... We agreed I’d pay...”

Yatsuno Gen could not be bothered arguing with a woman who could barely speak clearly anymore.

By the way, how could she be so comfortable getting this drunk in front of him?

Or was this simply her normal state?

Yatsuno Gen did not know.

He went and paid the bill himself.

Sakuraba Yuki, who had still been struggling to pay a moment earlier, blinked and looked at the young man with innocent eyes.

“You really paid?”

“What else was I supposed to do? I was afraid you couldn’t even count anymore.”

“Oh. It’s okay. Later... I’ll treat you to a big meal.”

Trying to trick me again!

“Sure, sure. Let’s go first.”

Supporting the woman whose fragrance was mixed with the smell of alcohol, he led her out of the restaurant.

The sky outside had already gone dark.

Yatsuno Gen glanced at the woman beside him.

“Can you get home by yourself?”

Sakuraba Yuki nodded seriously.

“O-of course I can! Let go...”

Yatsuno Gen cautiously released his hand.

The next moment.

Thud.

Sakuraba Yuki performed a beautiful and elegant spin worthy of a ballet dancer.

Then came a completely failed ending.

She directly collapsed onto the roadside guardrail.

“...Sleeping isn’t allowed here.”

Exasperated, Yatsuno Gen wrapped an arm around her slender waist, which was narrow enough to grasp with one hand.

Sakuraba Yuki raised her head to look at Yatsuno Gen and revealed a somewhat silly smile.

“Hehe, I was playing a game with you... You caught me. The game was a success!”

“Game my ass. All right, tell me where you live. I’ll take you home.”

So this was your so-called sense of boundaries?

He had been tricked again.

Hajiyuki, you brat.