Today was another peaceful day. Shin spent nearly the entire day studying and chatting with Megumi Kato.
Interestingly, Akagi didn't come to bother him today. It seemed Akagi was anxious about his date tomorrow; seeing his expression made Shin feel amused.
Such peaceful moments were what Shin needed—a break from the tension he felt in the Dragon Ball and JoJo worlds. The tranquility here allowed him to unwind a bit.
If he were fighting in the Dragon Ball world, then fighting in the JoJo world, and still had to battle in the real world, who could handle that?
"By the way, are you free this weekend, Shin-chan?"
As the school day was ending, Megumi Kato turned around to ask Shin.
Since the weekend was just around the corner, many students in the class were already making plans to hang out.
With his enhanced senses from "Ki," Shin's hearing had also significantly improved. Even without trying, he overheard various classmates' plans to go out and have fun over the weekend.
However, what surprised him a bit was that Megumi Kato also asked if he was free this weekend—was she planning to invite him out?
Shin stroked his chin, realizing he was getting more chances to interact with girls lately.
That "angel of Healing" in the online game could also be considered a girl, and she was planning to ask him to play games over the weekend—even if it's just for gaming, it's still a date, right?
"Well… I do have some things planned for the weekend."
Unfortunately, while Megumi rarely invited him, Shin's weekend was already booked with Yukino Yukinoshita.
Although he was closer to Megumi than to Yukino, he had already agreed to help Yukino, and he wasn't one to go back on his word. This weekend, he'd let Yukino take the lead.
"Do you need something, Megumi? If you need help, I might be able to find some time on Sunday."
Of course, Shin wasn't sure if Megumi was asking because she needed his help, so he added the offer.
Saturday would be packed, but on Sunday, he'd only be going to the kendo dojo with Yukino, which shouldn't take too long.
If he wanted, he could still make plenty of time to spend with Megumi on Sunday.
"I see… If you're busy, that's okay. Maybe next time."
Megumi's expression remained calm; it didn't seem like she was too disappointed about not being able to meet up with Shin—but what she truly felt was anyone's guess.
Before Shin could exchange more words with her, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who routinely came to the classroom to make announcements after school, spoke up:
"Shin, come to my office after school."
"Huh?"
Shin was caught off guard. It was his first time being singled out by Shizuka Hiratsuka.
Normally, he kept a low profile at school, and even if a girl confessed to him occasionally, his responses were always mild.
If he had to define his role, he was a reasonably handsome, above-average student—nothing extraordinary.
Although Shizuka Hiratsuka cared about her students, it wasn't enough to meddle in the life of a student who stayed out of trouble. So being called in like this was unexpected.
…
"You're here."
After school, Shin opened the door to the teachers' office, finding Shizuka Hiratsuka waiting for him.
"Yes, I'm here. Is there something you need, Ms. Hiratsuka?"
Shin nodded, glancing around the room. Other than Shizuka Hiratsuka, the office was empty. It looked like the other teachers had gone home.
Some teachers also worked as club advisors, so they might have gone to their clubs.
On his way to the office, Shin had tried to recall if he'd done anything recently that warranted being called in, but he couldn't think of anything.
He believed he'd acted normally and hadn't written any overly sentimental essays or anything.
Shizuka Hiratsuka was a caring teacher, but Shin didn't think he was someone she'd need to single out for special attention.
"You and Yukino have been getting along lately?"
With Shizuka's question, Shin immediately realized why she'd called him in.
It was about Yukino Yukinoshita.
While Yukino was an excellent student, her personality had always been a concern for Shizuka, so she'd kept a close eye on her.
Seeing Yukino's solitary behavior, Shizuka had thought of many ways to help her, but nothing seemed to work. Recently, however, she'd heard that Shin and Yukino were spending time together.
Although she knew the soccer team guys probably exaggerated, they likely hadn't made it up out of thin air.
So, Shizuka had called Shin here to understand what was going on between him and Yukino.
"Oh, so that's what it's about."
Shin understood and, without hiding anything, explained how Akagi had brought him to the Service Club, and how Yukino had roped him into her scheme.
After listening to Shin's story, Shizuka understood the situation better.
As she suspected, the soccer guys had exaggerated. Shin and Yukino weren't quite at the "about to start dating" stage they'd hinted at.
To Yukino, Shin was more like a temporary assistant helping her fulfill her club requests.
"While Yukino's intention with the Service Club is to help others, she doesn't mean to manipulate everything herself…"
Shizuka understood Yukino's character well. She was perceptive about people, and Yukino's older sister was also someone she had ties with.
"This plan is less about helping Akagi pursue Tamiya, and more about nudging them to change their personalities."
Hearing this, Shin pondered for a moment. It made sense.
Yukino's goal seemed to be less about achieving specific outcomes for others and more about helping them grow along the way.
The final outcome of Akagi and Tamiya's relationship might not matter as much to Yukino. What she truly cared about was whether they could overcome their self-limiting behaviors during the process.
"…But Yukino has her owan personality issues to deal with, doesn't she?"
While Shin now understood Yukino's deeper intentions, he couldn't resist making a comment.
She was trying to help others grow, hoping that Akagi and Tamami would open up more… but wasn't she the same way?
"That's why I'm concerned about her relationships."
Shizuka nodded, agreeing with Shin's observation.
To others, Yukino's solitary behavior made her look like an aloof beauty. But to Shizuka, it was simply a self-defense mechanism for someone with a solitary personality.
"Though, it seems like you and Yukino get along well… nothing like the issues I'd anticipated."
Glancing at Shin, Shizuka's face held a hint of approval.
"If she were paired with someone with a similar temperament, they might argue more often. But you… maybe your personality complements Yukino's."
To be continued…
Guys, I locked in again today and translated 25 more advance chapters of the novel. Now, 50 advanced chapters are up on my Patreon. The upcoming world is Fate/Zero, and there is considerable development in Dragonball World in the forthcoming 50 chapters, so do check em out on my Patreon.
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