Anime Crossover: My Part-Time Job as a Giant of Light While Studying Abroad in Chiba

Duan Zilian was startled and quickly typed.

[Duan Zilian]: No, no, no! Teacher, I've already locked the door! Besides, it's not good for your reputation for you to come here so late, all alone, a man and a woman.

[Jing Ke'ai]: ...

[Jing Ke'ai]: The fact that you can still joke around means that nothing serious really happened.

[Jing Ke'ai]: When you come to school tomorrow morning, come to my office first. Don't be late.

[Jing Ke'ai]: Go to bed early.

The awkward concern was palpable between the lines.

Duan Zilian looked at the screen, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

[Duanzi Lian]: Okay. Since the teacher can't bear to part with me, I'll reluctantly live one more day. Goodnight, Hiratsuka-sensei! Smoke less, or you'll never get married.

[Jing Ke'ai]: ...Take back those words now if you don't want to die!!!

Looking at the string of exclamation marks on the screen, Duan Zilian threw her phone away and let out a long sigh of relief.

Talk to a living person and let him feel that he is still living in the everyday world.

The wound on my back was still throbbing, and exhaustion washed over me like a tidal wave.

He curled up on the sofa, too exhausted to even go back to his bedroom.

The second before he closed his eyes, the image of the man playing with marbles and soda flashed through his mind.

"The less you know, the longer you live..."

"What's with the arrogance... Anyway, thanks..." Duan Zilian muttered before drifting off to sleep.

That night, he had a dream.

There were no monsters or leather-clad men in my dream, only boundless, warm light.

Three enormous stone statues stood in the light, silently watching him, as if they had been waiting for thirty million years.

Chapter 4 A Grand Escape Amidst Pain

next morning.

"I'm late! I'm late! I'm late—!"

On a street in Chiba in the early morning, a figure was sprinting past at top speed.

Duan Zilian had a piece of golden-brown toast in her mouth, carried her schoolbag in one hand, and had her tie hanging crookedly around her neck.

This classic Japanese drama trope—"bumping into your crush while biting into bread"—that only appears in shoujo manga, is now awkwardly playing out in his life.

But this is definitely not a romantic comedy.

In Duan Zilian's opinion, this is a brutal and fast-paced movie, but with a hellish ending where the protagonist has no car and is badly injured.

"Ouch...it hurts!"

With each step, the muscles in my back protested.

That damn bruise from last night has been fermenting overnight and is now at its peak of pain.

He felt as if he had a scorching hot iron pot on his back, and even the slightest movement would cause him to scream in pain.

"Damn alarm clock...damn faceless pervert..."

Duan Zilian took a bite of bread and mumbled a curse.

He had nightmares all night, which made it difficult for him to get out of bed until the alarm rang three times.

There are still twenty minutes until the bell rings for the first class, and he is four kilometers away from Zongwu High School.

If he's late, Hiratsuka-sensei's lovingly firm fist will definitely make his already miserable back even worse.

To take a shortcut, he suddenly turned a corner.

This is a Lawson convenience store.

The automatic door opened just then, and the familiar "ding-dong" sound rang out.

Duan Zilian didn't have time to look inside; she swept past the doorway like a gust of wind.

But he didn't notice that a store clerk who was arranging magazines in front of the convenience store's floor-to-ceiling window suddenly stopped.

The clerk was wearing Lawson's signature blue and white striped uniform, but he was still wearing a cowboy hat, which was a serious violation of the employee dress code, but the store manager seemed to tacitly approve of it because he was too handsome.

Hong Kai was holding a fashion magazine, about to put it on the shelf, when his gaze pierced through the glass and landed on the back of Duan Zilian running past.

"Oh? You're quite energetic."

Hong Kai pulled down the brim of his hat, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

He recognized the figure from behind.

The boy who almost got mistaken for a midnight snack by aliens in an alley last night.

To be able to run so fast after suffering that kind of injury shows that the recovery ability of young people should not be underestimated.

"Welcome!"

Hong Kai lazily called out to the customers who had just entered, then continued to organize the shelves while humming an unknown tune.

When I reached the intersection near Zongwu High School, the red light came on.

Duan Zilian stood in front of the zebra crossing. Because of back pain, he could only hunch his back slightly, looking like a dejected old man.

Just as he was desperately hoping the red light would end soon, a gentle male voice came from behind him.

"Hey, what's wrong? You don't look well."

A hand reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

Duan Zilian turned around.

Standing behind him was a young man wearing a light gray jacket.

He was probably around 24 or 25 years old, with regular features and a three-dimensional face, giving people a very comfortable and approachable feeling.

Especially those eyes, clear and warm, reminding one of the sky on a sunny day.

For some reason, the moment Duan Zilian saw this person, her tense nerves inexplicably relaxed.

"Ah, I'm fine," Duan Zilian replied with a smile, but the pain in his back made him gasp.

"hiss……"

The man keenly sensed his unusual behavior:

"Are you alright? You look terrible. Did you hurt your back?"

"It's nothing, I just... accidentally rolled down the stairs yesterday."

Duan Zilian told a lie, a helpless smile on her face:

"I guess I've been having bad luck lately; even drinking cold water is causing me problems."

The man paused for a moment, then broke into a hearty smile.

"That's really bad luck. But young people recover quickly, they'll be fine in a couple of days."

"I am Daigo Madoka."

The man actually took the initiative to introduce himself, pointing to a jeep parked not far away with the words "TPC Transport Department" printed on it, "I work over there."

"Judging from your school uniform, you must be a student at Soubu High School, right? Be careful, this area hasn't been very safe lately."

His tone was calm, yet carried a hint of seriousness.

"I am Duan Zilian."

Duan Zilian nodded inwardly, but things weren't going well; she almost got killed last night.

"TPC? Is that the Earth Peace Alliance that was mentioned in the recent news?"

"Yes, although it's currently just a transportation and logistics department."

Daigo scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly:

"Anyway, the weather's been really messy lately. Go home early, take care of yourself and get some rest. Um... good luck, Duan."

The green light is on.

Daigo waved and turned to walk towards the jeep.

Duan Zilian waved back to him as a sign of respect.

After a near-death sprint, the gate of Zongwu High School finally came into view at the edge of the horizon.

Duan Zilian glanced at her watch: 8:20.

Thankfully, I made it to base safely.

He stopped at the school gate, hands on his knees, panting heavily. Then he straightened up abruptly, feeling the soreness in his back, and tried to use magic to fight magic.

"Hey, isn't this Duan Jun?"

A flat, monotone voice came from the side.

Duan Zilian turned her head away.

Standing there was a boy with the same backpack, hands in his pockets, and eyes that looked just as lifeless as his—Sakuta Azusagawa.

Sakuta Azusagawa was one of his friends at the school, someone he could talk to about a bit. They shared the same sense of death and that same witty banter.

To meet such a companion as a stranger in a strange land is probably what it means to find a kindred spirit in humble surroundings.

Good morning, Azusagawa.

Duan Zilian let out a long sigh and caught her breath: "That expression of yours, did you step in dog poop this morning? Or did you get rejected by your girlfriend this morning?"

"No, I just feel that waking up early is an anti-human design."

Sakuta looked Duanzilian up and down, his gaze lingering on her back.

"But you're standing unusually tall today. Have you finally realized your dream of becoming a model?" Sakuta reached out and patted him on the back seemingly casually.

It's just the usual greeting between friends.

But the shot was taken precisely in the bullseye.

"--hiss!"

Duan Zilian's face instantly crumpled, and she jerked back half a step as if she had been electrocuted.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Azusagawa, are your hands made of iron?"

"Ok?"

Sakuta withdrew his hand, a hint of scrutiny flashing in his eyes that only a clever person could detect:

"Such a strong reaction? Looks like it's not just a stiff neck, he got beaten up?"

"Life gave me a beating."

Duan Zilian rubbed her back and laughed it off with a wry smile, "I slipped in the shower last night and hit my back on the edge of the bathtub. I suggest you experience that kind of ache."

"I'll pass. Let's leave this clumsy trait to transfer students like you as an endearing trait."

Sakuta didn't press further, he just shrugged.

Just then, the previously noisy school gate suddenly fell silent for a moment.

An overwhelming aura caused the surrounding students to unconsciously step aside, making way for a passage.

A black luxury car slowly drove away, and then a petite girl walked over.

She had long, obsidian-black hair tied with a red ribbon, and her ruby-like eyes reflected no one around her.

The air around us seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

Kaguya Shinomiya, the student council vice president of Shuchiin Academy and the heiress of the Shinomiya Foundation.

She walked past Tanzi Rei and Azusagawa Sakuta without looking to either side, followed by her blonde personal maid, Hayasaka Ai.

Good morning, Kaguya-sama.

Students passing by greeted her in hushed tones, but Kaguya merely nodded slightly, her icy demeanor seeming to say, "I'm in a hurry, commoners please make way."