He gazed at the seemingly unbothered family of Murdoch Swan and couldn't help but wonder what the heck that guy had done to them. The two daughters appeared perfectly composed, not a single tear escaping their eyes. As for the ex-wife, well, she was the obvious exception.
After patiently waiting in line to speak with the family, he finally got his chance.
"My deepest condolences, Lady Sumiragi..."
He offered a slight bow to the ex-wife. She smiled in return, and her daughter seemed oddly bashful, considering the sad occasion. But he also couldn't help but be weird at how on earth that guy had managed to land a wife like her back in the day.
"Thank you, and you must be Yanagi Minoru, the new teacher," she smiled. "I'm the CEO of Shuchi'in Academy, Sumiragi Rikka."
Rikka greeted him with a polite smile. She was a milf— cough! woman in her mid-40s with a sharp look, curvaceous body, hair in a ponytail with straight, white, long bangs on the left and the right bangs tied back.
She serves as both the owner and CEO of Shuchi'in Academy with an education division spanning from elementary school to university.
"It's an honor to meet you, ma'am. My name's Yanagi Minoru."
Rikka carefully observed him from head to toe, her thoughts wandering.
'Hmm... interesting. He's the youngest after Yuzaki-sensei who became a teacher, but he had a Ph.D. under his belt even before his twenties. This young man is also the one Shijo Makoto told me to look out for in secret... But it seems he's handling things just fine without my help.'
Internally, Rikka smiled while maintaining her outward composure.
---
On March 28, 2014, just four days before the school year was set to begin, Shuchi'in School was hit with shocking news – Murdoch Swan had tragically passed away in a car accident. Shuchi'in's teachers couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions about the situation.
'No matter how lacking in elegance he was, Swan was still a capable teacher in some ways, albeit a bad one in others. With him out of the seat, the school might finally have a chance to find a real talent for this position. The problem is, we lack elegant teachers for the Head of School Affairs...'
Henry scanned the faces of the teachers gathered in the meeting room, and his expression showed the exhaustion they all felt.
"Sigh..."
After returning from the funeral, they all seemed ready to voice their complaints.
Screw this shit!
Can't we just get back to work? I haven't even finished my lesson plan!
Darn it! The deadline was only two days away, and yet we were stuck here! And we need a break!
Henry could read most of them like an open book.
These teachers, who looked like zombies, would surely refuse to take on extra work to temporarily fill the role of Head of School Affairs. Whether they were senior or junior, no one wanted a job they couldn't handle. Henry had already faced some rejections from senior teachers himself.
However, amidst the sea of weary faces, three teachers stood out as unaffected by the situation.
There was Vice Principal Chabashira Sae.
'Hm... Chabashira-sensei is not only the Vice Principal but also responsible for the second-year teachers. If I asked her, she'd probably take on this job without hesitation. After all, she's eyeing the Principal's seat.'
Then there was second-year PE teacher Yor Briar.
'Briar-sensei has exceptional stamina, but she's still adapting and hasn't even finished her lesson plan. If she takes on this job, it'll be a disaster.'
Yor flinched and got nervous as Henry's gaze fell on her. And thanks to her insane stamina, she didn't turn into a freaking zombie.
Finally, there was second-year Math teacher Yanagi Minoru.
'I feel like he's the obvious choice...'
Henry cleared his throat.
"All the teachers are aware that there's a position that Swan-sensei left behind, and the school is currently unable to find a new teacher at this point. The CEO present here also shares this viewpoint..."
Henry's gaze moved from one face to another.
"Is there anyone willing to step up and fill this vacant seat?"
Much like students who didn't want to take on troublesome tasks, these grown-up individuals shared the same sentiment.
Why should I risk my career in that seat? It's a suicide!
The Head of School Affairs had a difficult position: responsible for handling the school's budget, planning important events, and, most importantly, acting as the right hand of the principal in maintaining discipline among students.
On the other hand, this role was so important that the principal, vice principal, and the Head of School Affairs would discuss together whether to expel students or not.
It wasn't a teacher that students liked, as it often involved approving budgets proposed by the Student Council – a task usually associated with stern and stingy teachers.
In essence, the Head of School Affairs was in charge of overseeing all student activities.
"Can I make a recommendation?"
Henry nodded to Sae.
"Please, Sensei..."
Sae turned her gaze to Minoru, who remained silent, as he took on the role of a junior who had just arrived and was letting the senior handle things.
"How about we choose Yanagi-sensei for this temporary position? Even though he's a new teacher, Yanagi-sensei is the quickest at planning his lessons, and I believe he can handle the job perfectly. We know there's also Yuzaki-sensei, but that's impossible since he has a government subsidy."
"Ohhh...! I see, I see, it's Yanagi-sensei."
"He's a young teacher, but I agree with Chabashira-sensei."
"It's unfortunate that Yuzaki-sensei isn't here. But we have a young blood here."
Everyone murmured in agreement with Minoru as they nodded at Sae.
Well, these people hadn't even finished their lesson plans, so it was only fair that they were eager to pass on the work to their junior colleagues.
Okay, what the fuck was this "Government Subsidy" all about?
To put it simply, it was a new government regulation aimed at increasing the declining population. Japan was pushing for its young citizens to start families and boost the birth rate. Since Nasa's wife was pregnant, he received special treatment, which meant he didn't have to take on too much work and received extra money to support his wife during her pregnancy.
As a result, the school couldn't burden Nasa with too much work while he was enjoying his special treatment.
'Yanagi-san... I hope he's okay...'
Yor glancing worriedly at Minoru. He seemed uneasy, and she couldn't help but worry. After all, they were putting a lot of pressure on him, and he was still a new teacher.
'Sigh... isn't this just too harsh for a newbie? I know he's capable, but...'
Shizuka's eyes grew sharper as she glanced at the other teachers.
'Shameless bastards, avoiding risky positions and making the junior do all the work. I would have taken this position, but I'm already swamped as the Guidance Counselor.'
As Shizuka seethed with anger internally, Sae couldn't help but smile in her inner world.
'Hmmph... The school is about to start in just a few days, and there are so many problems that Swan didn't finish. There's no way he can handle all this work perfectly. If he takes all the blame, then the principal position is mine.'
She intended to use this strategy to crush the super newbie and stay on track with her goals.
'Ah, shit... my ass hurt again. I ain't expect Ai to slap me on the butt before I left. Hm, I guess I was too harsh on her last night, and now she's getting her revenge...'
As they had clarified that they were both lovers and Ai had started acting like it without hesitation.
Minoru knew that Ai was essentially a gym fanatic since moving into his penthouse. He provided her with the best supplements and a top-notch diet program, resulting in her improved physique compared to before. Her hand muscles were now a potential threat in his current situation.
Nonetheless, Minoru patiently waited for the principal to say something, knowing that the decision rested with him and the CEO, who was seated next to Henry.
"I see..."
Henry nodded. After all, it was just a temporary position to stabilize the school during this time, and Minoru wasn't currently doing much except helping Yor with her work as he finished his.
'These fuckers are dumping all the work on me as they're scared shitless to take this seat, but this is exactly what I've been looking for. And I never expected Chabashira to recommend me as the temporary School Affairs. What the hell does she want?'
Minoru chuckled inwardly, wondering what the vice-principal was scheming.
Even if it was temporary, he knew that if he did the job better than his predecessor, they would offer him the position permanently.
"CEO, may I inquire about your thoughts on this matter?"
Henry asked as she nodded in Minoru's direction.
She wasn't sure if he could handle the temporary position, but she was curious about why Shijo Makoto was interested in him. If the Chairman of Shijo seemed to want Minoru on his side rather than teaching here, there had to be a reason...
"Hmm~ Since we're in a tight spot, why not? I agree if Yanagi-sensei is willing to take the job. So, Yanagi-sensei... have you accepted this?"
Minoru prepared himself to say some bullshit to them.
"It might be too much to say that I'm a capable person since I've just arrived here..."
The other teachers burst into laughter, thinking he was pulling some joke.
But he wasn't.
How could they laugh when he said it with a straight face?
"If it's for the sake of the students, I'm happy to take on this temporary job."
---
'A whole goddamn month...'
Sumiragi Rikka, the owner of this academy, had only given him a month to prove himself. It was a temporary job, a last-minute hire because they were scrambling to get ready for the school year starting in just a couple of days. Unfortunately, Swan had left Minoru with a mountain of unfinished work, and he was starting to realize just how bad the situation was.
'There's a shitload of unfinished tasks, and that new student candidate, Ishigami Yu, is still on hold thanks to Swan. But, most importantly, there are a bunch of events where I can get in touch with the student council…'
Minoru skimmed through the documents and began to see that he could handle this, especially with an important annual event that aligned perfectly with his plans.
'There are three main events this semester that I should be responsible for as the head of school affairs, and two of them are in April. First is Shuchi'in's Welcome Ceremony on April 1st, and then at the end of April, there's a Banquet for Shuchi'in Academy's Sister School from France. After that, there's the Survival Camp in Hokkaido, right after the midterms in May. Yet, I've only got a month to prove myself...'
The Shuchi'in Welcome Ceremony was a big deal, a chance for all divisions from Elementary to High School to come together in one auditorium. And, in keeping with tradition, Shuchi'in High would be responsible for organizing the event.
'This is my job now. In a way, I'm not that different from the school's manager. Haha, what a shitty twist.'
"Yanagi..."
Shizuka called him, and he looked at her with a questioning expression.
"Ahaha, sorry... I was going to invite you for a smoke break, but I forgot that your job just got a whole lot busier all of a sudden. Sigh, Chabashira is still in a meeting with the CEO, and Yuzaki is working from home, tch! tch! I hate those coupl— ahem! It's just you and Briar here right now, and it feels so empty, you know? By the way, Briar doesn't smoke, ugh! Why am I always alone again!"
She threw an irritated uppercut jab, her stress from the job exploding, and dark circles were visible under her eyes.
Meanwhile, Minoru could hear someone sobbing to his right.
"I apologize, Senpai. I'm still working on my lesson plan... sniff... maybe this job really isn't my thing. Can I even finish this before the deadline?"
Yor wore a sullen expression as she typed, looking like she might burst into tears at any moment.
"You can do it!"
Shizuka gives her a thumbs up.
Then, Shizuka looked at Minoru again as he pored over the documents with a focused gaze. He glanced at Hiratsuka with an apologetic look.
"Hm, it's a tempting offer, Hiratsuka-san. But I'm in a tight situation right now. Let's do it later..."
In truth, he could feel his butt twitching from the pain as he fixed in his seat. Hiratsuka nodded and waved as she left the teachers' room.
"Oh, Yanagi. Hahaha, sorry again. But there's a scary lineup of students who want to meet the new Head of School Affairs."
Shizuka peeked her head at the door, grinning like a delinquent.
"Uh... do we look that intimidating?"
"Sensei~! We're not scary at all~"
Minoru could hear them chatting behind her, and he nodded his approval.
"Let them come. Thank you, Hiratsuka-san."
She gave him an okay hand gesture. Three students walked in, as he expected. They were none other than the full members of the Student Council.
"We apologize for interrupting your work, Sensei."
The blonde with sharp blue eyes, bowed his head, with the two girls on either side of him doing the same. Minoru nodded as he removed his glasses, ready to hear what they had to say.
"We have an issue we would like to discuss with you, Sensei," said Shirogane Miyuki.