I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 6 Escape to a Place Where He Is Not
The midday sun was even more dazzling.

The hallway was quiet. At this moment, most students were taking their lunch break, either in the classroom or the study room, or some were going straight home.

After all, the tuition for this private high school is not cheap, and most of the students who can afford to attend this high school come from wealthy or influential families.

Meanwhile, in what should have been an empty office, Yamazaki Jihei sat in his seat, looking at the sweet girl with her head down in front of him with a gentle smile.

"It's just you and me here, so you can relax. The teacher didn't call you here for anything else, it's just about your studies, so don't be nervous."

“I know, Mr. Yamazaki.”

Kazama Sakura lowered her head, her expression a mixture of shame and guilt.

His hands were tightly clasped together at his abdomen, his fingers intertwined.

Seeing the other person's expression, Yamazaki Jihei's smile became even gentler, which would probably seem like a warm breeze to many people.

It's no wonder he's one of the most popular teachers at the school.

He pulled his chair closer and could faintly smell the fragrance emanating from the young girl.

"You know your grades are much worse than when school started. Did something happen? Or did you spend too much time on things you shouldn't be focusing on?"

Upon hearing this, Kazama Sakura's face turned pale.

Her lips trembled slightly.

"That's impossible. I'm just a little behind in my current learning pace."

She knew perfectly well that this wasn't the case, but she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

Yamazaki Jihei leaned back in his chair, watching the girl with ease. Her expression was clearly conflicted, and she could hardly hide her feelings.

He first picked up his water glass and took a sip.

Then, looking gently at the girl, he said softly, "Is it because your parents have been arguing at home lately, and even discussing divorce, that it has affected you?"

"How do you know?"

Kazama Sakura looked at Yamazaki Jihei in surprise.

Indeed, the constant arguing, which even escalated to the point of smashing and throwing furniture, made things even worse for the already struggling family.

Moreover, she also carries the expectations of her family, and her mother's constant nagging makes Kazama Sakura feel suffocated.

She almost didn't want to stay in that home where they were only superficially close. It was as if only by coming to this school and seeing that boy every day could she feel a little more relaxed, as if there were no stones weighing on her back.

Yamazaki Jihei smiled. "You forgot, I have your parents' contact information. I know a little bit about them. Actually, I understand this kind of problem. It's common for family issues to affect a child's studies."

As he said this, his gaze shifted slightly downwards.

Subtly admire the girl's naturally beautiful figure.

Among her peers, she is indeed outstanding. What's most attractive is probably her family background, which ensures she has no worries about her family's future.

When he looked up again and met the other person's wavering eyes, he once again transformed into that patient, kind, and approachable figure.

"While I understand, given your current grades, it's difficult for me to include you in the list of recipients of the grant."

"A subsidy? But teacher, there probably isn't anyone in the class who fits this description better than me, right?"

Zhao Ri Private High School receives substantial subsidies each year, which students from families with average financial means can apply for to offset the high tuition fees.

This is very important to Kazama Sakura because, given her family's current situation, her parents are already overwhelmed by these arguments, and her mother has even told her that she is prepared to work two jobs to support the family and her.

Both her mother's expectations and her willingness to give everything became a burden on Kazama Sakura's shoulders.

How could she lose her school grant under these circumstances? How many jobs would her mother have to work to afford the tuition?!
Yamazaki Jihei sighed regretfully.

"Unfortunately, it seems that's not the case. Quite a few students are still applying for this scholarship, so I'm sticking to the school's principle of considering academic performance. Don't be discouraged, though. I can give you extra help with your studies. I can tutor you individually on weekends when I have time."

Immediately, Kazama Sakura sensed something was wrong.

She noticed that Yamazaki Jihei had unknowingly moved his chair very close to her.

She instinctively took a step back.

"Give me private tutoring? That's not really appropriate, Mr. Yamazaki. Besides, my family probably can't afford that kind of tutoring fee."

Yamazaki Jihei saw the other party retreating.

He wasn't worried about any extreme reaction from her; he knew her situation very well, and besides, he wasn't in a hurry. So he slowly picked up his water glass, took another sip to moisten his throat, and said with a smile.

"As a teacher, helping students is my duty. Why would I charge you for tutoring? Besides, as I said, academic performance is only one part of the subsidy consideration; the most important thing is your attitude, right?"

manner?

What exactly is this so-called attitude? This seems to be a very mysterious question.

However, Kazama Sakura was never overly naive; her declining grades did not mean she lacked intelligence.

She saw the desire hidden deep within the other person's seemingly kind eyes.

His words were vague and ambiguous, making it easy for people to misunderstand his meaning, but based on her female intuition and her sense of covetousness, she felt that she understood what he meant.

Kazama Sakura felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

"Mr. Yamazaki, are you implying something to me?"

"Hints? What nonsense." Yamazaki Jihei smiled; the girl's reaction was exactly what he expected.

He was very experienced in dealing with girls like this. Of course, as a male teacher who was able to enter this private high school at such a young age, he was also confident enough to deal with any possible counterattack from her.

"I only have expectations for you. Please don't misunderstand what the teacher means, and don't go around talking about our conversation. After all, slandering teachers is a very serious matter, and I think your father and your mother, who have high hopes for you, would not want to see you expelled because of these things."

"Expel me? Are you threatening me?"

Kazama Sakura blushed and clenched her fists.

But Yamazaki Jihei simply took a sip of water and glanced at the other person indifferently.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can leave now. Think about what I said before, whether it's tutoring or your scholarship, consider it carefully. Your teacher is waiting for your reply."

"Of course, if you lose your scholarship and can't afford the tuition, your teachers will support you in changing schools. It's just that your mother seems to have a lot of expectations for you, haha."

Kazama Sakura walked out of the office, looking dejected.

She felt as if the glaring sunlight outside had turned gray.

It felt as if all strength had been lost, whether it was to fight against reality or to muster the courage.

She was quite certain that everything Yamazaki Jihei had just said in the office was implying something, but how could she deal with it?

Jihei Yamazaki is no ordinary male teacher. The fact that he was able to get a teaching position at this school already speaks volumes, not to mention his young age, which further suggests that his background is complex.

The fact that he dared to hint at these things to himself clearly shows that this wasn't the first time he had done something like this, and that he was confident enough not to make a mistake.

She could, of course, ignore it and turn a deaf ear to such hints.

But the result?
The scholarship is impossible to keep, so staying at this school is a pipe dream.

Is leaving this school and this threat the only option?
But then what about the parents' expectations, their hopes for me, and the boy I want to see every day?
A deep sense of powerlessness welled up inside her, and her steps became aimless, like those of a walking corpse.

She felt as if her life was slowly rotting away, from the inside out.

But she was powerless to change this situation until she saw those eyes.

"Hey Yue, Tsukino?"

The familiar, handsome young man leaned against the edge of the corridor, calmly gazing at her.

It was as if power had returned to her body.

But right now, I can't get close to the other person at all. There are so many things I want to say, but they can only get stuck in my throat.

Tsukino Gen walked towards her, but at that moment she wanted to run away.

"Snapped."

With a swift movement, Tsukino Gen grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stand directly in front of him.

The boy smiled and said, "I'm right here. Where would you feel safe running off to?"

Sakura Kazama looked up in surprise and stared at him blankly.

Until I felt nothing, the broken pearl slid down my cheek.

……

(End of this chapter)