novelraw Chapter 2: The Students Ran Away
Chapter 2: The Students Ran Away
Three days later, Yamazaki Kazukaze, sporting dark circles under his eyes, got into Inoue Keiko's car.
"He Feng, have you not been sleeping well these past few days?"
Keiko Inoue noticed that Kazuka Yamazaki seemed a bit listless.
"I've been preparing for the interview these past few days."
I am very interested in this job. I can earn a year's living expenses in just forty days, which is perfect for my current situation.
If I can get this job, I can focus on preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam after the summer vacation and no longer have to worry about financial problems.
"Haha, Kaze, you're as serious as ever. Don't be nervous, after all, you're very smart, you even got into Tokyo University while dating in high school... Ah, sorry, I said too much."
Keiko Inoue quickly apologized to Kazuka Yamazaki.
"It's okay, I stopped caring about these things a long time ago. She told me a long time ago that she was going to go abroad in the future. I knew then that we wouldn't go far together."
"Yes, if Kaze cared, she wouldn't have hung the self-portrait she painted for you in her room."
..........................
"I'm sorry, I just can't stop talking once I start this topic."
"Keiko-neechan, please drive."
"Wait a minute, let me buy you a bottle of coffee."
Keiko Inoue got off the bus and went to a vending machine on the street to buy a bottle of coffee for Kazufu Yamazaki.
"Please accept this as an apology for what happened earlier."
"Thank you so much, Sister Huizi."
"Don't be nervous, Kiyose-neechan is a very gentle person, the kind of traditional Yamato Nadeshiko."
Have you met her daughter?
"No, she's always alone. But I think someone as good as Sister Qingxue wouldn't raise a child with a bad personality."
Keiko Inoue drove Yamazaki Kazukazu to her employer's house.
As a landlady, Keiko Inoue has lived a wealthy life since childhood. After graduating from high school, in addition to collecting rent every month, she spends her time studying at the gardening club during the day, the yoga club in the afternoon, and writing novels for magazines in the evening.
Having never experienced the workplace, her words and actions revealed the naiveté of a student.
"We'll be there soon, Kaze!"
Half an hour later, Keiko Inoue drove her car into a residential area. As the car entered the alley, a girl, around 16 years old, suddenly rushed out from the blind spot at the corner.
Keiko Inoue quickly slammed on the brakes, nearly hitting the girl outside; both people inside the car jolted.
"Feel sorry!"
The girl outside the car shouted, then ran wildly toward the subway station without looking back.
"Are you alright, Sister Huizi?"
"I'm fine, their family lives right here."
Keiko Inoue parked her car in front of her employer's house, and Kazuka Yamazaki noticed the house number the moment he got out of the car.
"Hime, Himeno?!"
Yamazaki Kaze immediately stopped in front of the Himeno family's house.
His ex-girlfriend's surname was Himeno, and coincidentally, this family also had the surname Himeno. The surname Himeno is not common in Japan, and it seems that the eldest daughter of this family went abroad to study, just like his ex-girlfriend.
"Sister Qingxue, we're here."
"Huizi, you're here! I'll open the door for you right away!"
A mature woman's voice came from the intercom at the doorbell.
"It can't be such a coincidence..."
Yamazaki Kazuka's mind went blank until a young woman walked out of the door. She was wearing a light blue kimono, with fair and smooth skin, and a foxy charm in her eyes.
"This must be the older sister from the Himeno family."
When Yamazaki Kazuka saw her, he immediately felt relieved.
Unexpectedly, Keiko Inoue burst into laughter upon hearing this. Unable to control herself, she had to cover her mouth with her hand.
"Huizi, what are you laughing at all of a sudden?"
"I'm sorry, Qingxue-neechan. Yamazaki-sensei just said you're the older sister in the family."
Upon hearing this, Hime no Kiyoseki laughed as well.
"At my age, would anyone still mistake me for my daughter?"
Yamazaki Kazuka felt a little scared. The mother of two daughters looked to be no more than thirty-five years old. No wonder she was rich; she was very well-preserved.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Himeno."
"It's alright. I'm actually quite happy to be mistaken for my daughter. Mr. Yamazaki, please come in."
Himeno Kiyoyuki opened the door to welcome the two in. Stepping into the Himeno family's detached house, Yamazaki Kazukaze was awestruck by the spaciousness inside.
Japanese houses are generally space-efficient, and it's rare to find such a spacious layout.
"Mr. Yamazaki, what would you like to drink? I'll have the housekeeper prepare it for you."
"Black tea will do."
Yamazaki Kazuka looked up. The most eye-catching furnishing in the room was the calligraphy hanging on the wall. On the precious Xuan paper, the two characters "benevolence and righteousness" were written.
The bold, sweeping strokes of ink not only highlight the value of this calligraphy but also reveal the subtle connection between the Hime family and the Yakuza.
Besides this calligraphy, there are also many Western oil paintings hanging on the wall.
I am very familiar with them; I witnessed their creation firsthand in the art studio when I was in high school.
"Mr. Yamazaki, do you appreciate oil paintings?"
"I don't really understand."
"There are oil paintings hanging in Yamazaki-sensei's room, and they look exactly the same style as the oil paintings on the wall."
The oblivious Keiko Inoue was completely unaware that something was amiss.
"These are my daughter's paintings, and they've all won awards!"
Hime no Kiyomichi wore a proud smile.
"The painting in Professor Yamazaki's bedroom was a gift from her girlfriend."
After realizing she had been too talkative, Keiko Inoue gave Kazuka Yamazaki an apologetic look.
"It's normal for girls to like Mr. Yamazaki, who is very handsome. My daughter Natsuki is like a nun; she has only known how to study and draw since she was a child, and she has never been in a relationship even though she is not young."
Actually, your daughter has dated before, but she just didn't tell you.
"If she can find someone as outstanding as Mr. Yamazaki, I will have no more worries about her."
Kanazuki told me that her family would absolutely never approve of me being with her.
"I really envy your girlfriend. Graduates from Tokyo University have such bright futures. It's a school that even princes can't get into."
"It is precisely because Natsuki devoted her energy to painting that she has achieved so much."
Hearing Yamazaki Kazuka defend his daughter, Himeno Kiyoyuki shook her head with a wry smile.
"Sigh, for Japanese women, finding a capable husband is more important than anything else."
From her own perspective, Himeno Kiyoseki believed that this was the right path.
It seems your daughter hasn't told you about her plans to immigrate.
"Mrs. Himeno, are both your daughters home?"
"Natsuki went to Europe and never came back. We only keep in touch by phone. As for Saki, she's still sleeping!"
Upon learning that Himeno Natsuki was not home, Yamazaki Kazuka breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Kiyoyuki Himeno had the housekeeper wake up Saki Himeno, while she herself entertained the two in the living room.
"This is Saki's report card, Mr. Yamazaki, what should we do with it?"
Yamazaki Kazuka took the report card from Himeno Seiyuki and saw many incredible scores.
【国文：96、英语：94、数学：21、化学：12、物理：8】
When he was studying in Hokkaido, Yamazaki Kazufu had never seen a score in the single digits. In the words of his teacher from his previous life, even if you put the answer sheet on the ground and stomped on it twice, you wouldn't get such a score.
"Judging from her grades, Himeno Saki is very good, but her science grades are very poor. Even if she chooses humanities in her second year of high school, math is still a required subject. I don't know which university would accept a student like her."
"Let's not talk about university for now. Her most important thing right now is to pass her make-up exams after the holidays. Otherwise, she'll be expelled!"
"What type of high school does Hime-san attend? Is her deviation score high? The higher the deviation score, the higher the passing score."
"At Yucheng Junior High School, you need a score of 68 to pass."
"Hey, Mr. Yamazaki, you used to go to Onari High School too?"
[Keiko-nee, please say less. If this continues, Mrs. Himeno will really find out about my secret with Natsuki.]
"Really? What a coincidence, Yamazaki-sensei, Saki is your junior."
"Judging from her grades, it's not that Hime-chan lacks talent, but rather that she simply doesn't study science subjects. I need to talk to her first."
Yamazaki Kazuka looked up at the nanny who was knocking on the door. She had been knocking for a while, but Himeno Saki had not responded.
"Madam, Miss hasn't responded at all."
"I see."
Himeno Kiyoyuki's face darkened instantly. She went back to her bedroom, took out a set of keys, and then stormed towards Himeno Saki's door.
"Himeno Saki, I'm counting to three. You'd better come out right now. Three, two, one!"
Himeno Kiyoyuki's anger increased exponentially with each count. Seeing that Himeno Saki Ryo hadn't opened the door yet, she simply took the key and pushed it open. If there weren't outsiders present, she would have put on a grand show of maternal love and filial piety.
"what!"
Himeno Kiyoyuki let out a scream as she entered the room. The room was empty; only Himeno Saki's messy bedding was on her bed, and the window was wide open.
Clearly, his daughter chose to escape through the window to avoid class.
Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, Hime no Kiyoseki collapsed to the ground, unable to catch her breath.