Season 2, Chapter 2: The New Job

"Seven Stars?" said the woman in front of me, holding out a pack. I raised an eyebrow at her. Six years had gone by since we'd last met, and I'd be lying if I said she hadn't changed. Her face was subtly more experienced than before. I use that word in place of older, deliberately. She was still young, still every bit as beautiful as I remember her being. Just different. Her long hair was styled more neatly, combed to frame her face in long, smooth curtains. Her skin was brighter than before. Had she cut down on the smoking? Or was it simply from reduction in stress? And finally, she no longer wore a lab coat. Instead, she had on a slick grey two-piece suit. I say she was still young, but really, no human's immune to aging. That's just a fantasy. There were slight lines under her eyes. The planes of her face were a little sharper. But if anything, that only made the smile on her face more radiant. Back when I was a kid, I read a line in a book about the distinction between pretty and beautiful. I never properly understood that distinction until that day, my chance meeting with Hiratsuka Shizuka, my old teacher from high school, who I thought I would never see again.

I shook my head, a slight smile coming on to my face somehow. "I don't smoke." The smile on her face mirrored mine as she opened the pack, revealing it to be completely empty. "Neither do I," she said with a wink. I blinked a few times. The idea of someone carrying around an empty cigarette pack on the off-chance that she met someone she could use this one, very specific line on, was hilariously high-effort and unnecessary. Not to mention, the line itself was so ridiculously cheesy, on top of going out of her way to tell someone she didn't smoke.

I absolutely loved it.

I didn't even realize the moment the grin on my face had grown three sizes. This was exactly the sort of thing the Hiratsuka sensei I knew in school would have done. And it was exactly the sort of dramatic showing-off I loved about her. The only difference was, she genuinely had quit the habit. I couldn't smell any smoke from her. I couldn't help but nod my head slightly.

"So," she said, putting the prop away. "What have you been up to?"

I shrugged. Getting reminded of my situation didn't really do much for my mood. "Stuff. Things. Was working in Tokyo until yesterday."

"Was?" she asked pointedly.

I smiled wryly. "Yeah. I quit."

She nodded slightly. "I see. Things were that bad, were they?"

"They were."

"What job was it again?"

"I was an assistant artist for a manga that I won't name."

This time, she blinked, staring at me for a moment, as if trying to make sure she hadn't misheard.

"Wait, you landed a job as a mangaka?"

I shrugged.

"He actually did it," she said softly. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at me again. "It's what you always wanted, isn't it? Your dream job?"

"I thought so," I answered. "But… now I'm not so sure." I paused for a second. "It's just… I was there, but it wasn't what I thought it would be."

"And that was why you left?"

"Well, that and my boss was an absolute asshole."

She seemed almost relieved to hear me say that.

"Well, that's all right. You can send out samples of your work again. Apply to other places. There's more than one manga magazine in this country."

"Yeah, about that. I'm not sure how many people will want to hire me after I punched my boss and threw him on the floor of his own studio."

"..."

"..."

"...Oh."

The both of us were silent for a moment as she digested this piece of news.

"Well," she tentatively said. "Go out with a bang and not a whimper, right?" She added a laugh at the end, no doubt to encourage me. You had to admire this woman's sheer commitment to being a teacher, no, a good person, through and through. As much as I appreciated it, I couldn't muster anything more than a shrug in response. I realized I should have given a bit more of a reaction. I should be happier to see her. And, I was. After all, I didn't think I would ever meet her again, after our parting, way back in my second year of high school. It was just that the circumstances were, to put it mildly, pretty fucking shitty.

"Enough about me," I said, eager to change the topic. "What have you been doing all this time? That was a solid Batman-tier escape act you pulled by the way. Changing your number the very next day?" I said, sarcastically. "Did you think I was going to track down your SIM card?" She seemed a little embarrassed at my blunt statement, face slightly red as she looked away. I almost felt bad about bringing that up, after all this time. Almost.

"I'm sorry, Hikigaya," she said. "At the time, I just wanted a clean break from all of it. I just wanted to start again, start over. It doesn't mean I wanted to forget."

"Yeah, whatever," I said. I was aware that I was acting like an edgy teenager, but I didn't really care. Some of the shine of meeting her again was dampened by the memory of her departure, of the way it had happened. After our conversation on the final day of summer camp, I didn't see her again. I wanted to call, text, keep in touch some way or another. But that option had been removed for me. "What's done is done," I said. "What have you been up to these days?"

She brightened slightly at that.

"Well, I did end up getting a new job."

"You're an editor at some big-shot publishing company?" I threw out.

"Ehehe… no, not quite. I did do that for a little while, but it turns out it wasn't for me."

"So? What is it then?"

"Well, I work in the Municipal Corp," she said. "Specifically, the Education Department."

"Wait," I said. "So you left your teaching job… for another teaching job?"

"I don't actually teach," she pointed out. "Hikigaya, you really should have paid more attention. All of this was covered in Civics back in school."

I brushed off her (valid) point.

"So? You're a board member now? You make the big decisions and everything? Forget about sticking it to the man, Sensei. I guess you are the woman these days."

"Ha ha," she retorted sarcastically. "I'll have you know it's a rewarding job that I enjoy very much. One where I haven't needed to punch my boss in the face yet."

She seemed to realize immediately after she said it that it was a bit of a low blow. Maybe I couldn't entirely hide my reaction.

"Hikigaya, I'm sorry-"

"Nah, it's okay. It's not like it isn't true."

A brief pause followed.

"So… do you have any plans for what's next?"

Ah yes, that.

"Not really," I answered. I wasn't really looking forward to going home. Explaining to my parents that I'd quit the job I'd "always wanted" after punching my boss in the face wasn't something I was looking forward to. Even worse, I'd have to explain to Komachi. Yet, I couldn't avoid it. If I was moving back in, I'd need to tell the truth. Urgh. Moving back in. I felt like I'd eternally lost the right to call anyone a loser.

"Let me guess: you haven't told your folks you're coming, have you?"

"That obvious?"

"Pretty obvious."

Before the conversation could continue, we were interrupted by a phone's ringtone.

"Ah, give me a moment," she said. "I have to take this."

Evidently, she was expecting the call, and it was important. Pulling out her phone quickly, she received the call and brought it to her ear. When she spoke, her tone was completely different from just a second ago.

"Yes, Hiratsuka here. Good day, Tousen san."

A pause followed, in which I could vaguely make out the person on the other end speaking, though not clearly enough to make out what they were saying. Hiratsuka frowned, her free hand clenching on the table.

"That's… a little bit of a problem, Tousen san. Will he really be unable to make it?... I see… yes, I understand. No! I'll handle it! It has to be done. For the sake of the students, and the school… yes, I'll take responsibility."

As she spoke, she glanced at me, and a glint appeared in her eye.

Oh no.

I knew that glint. I remembered that glint. It's the exact same glint that showed up right before she tried to strongarm me into joining the Service Club.

"Yes, I have someone in mind. I'll inform you, President. Good day."

The call ended, and I got up.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you again after all this time, Sensei. I have to go now. Take ca-"

"Hold it! There's something I need to tell you-"

"The answer's a no."

She winced.

"You've gotten cruel, Hikigaya. Turning a woman down immediately."

"Guess that makes us even," I shot back.

I almost regretted the low blow. Almost.

"All right, I might have earned that one," she said.

"You think?"

"Hikigaya, stop being a little bitch and hear me out! Please?"

I took a deep breath, and sat back down.

"Fine."

She heaved a sigh of relief before continuing.

"So, this might come as a bit of a surprise, but one of the schools I'm working closely with is Soubu High."

"No, that's not even a tiny bit surprising."

"The place has changed since the lot of you graduated."

"How so?"

It was at this point that the waiter finally arrived with our order. He put our respective plates down in front of us: fried chicken for Hiratsuka, burger and fries for me. Well, it was somewhat refreshing to see she hadn't become one of those people who eat like birds and pretend to not have an appetite. For the next few seconds, silence followed as we both took our first bites of the food. I was starving, and the burger felt better than any five star meal as I hungrily wolfed a large piece of it down. I hadn't eaten anything before getting on the first train to Chiba in the morning. As we ate, we looked across the street. The joint we were dining at was one of those outdoor cafes. Nice place, all things considered. As we looked on, a boy in a middle school uniform on the other side of the road flipped a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it up and taking a drag as he fiddled with his phone.

"Shouldn't you be doing something about him?" I asked Hiratsuka.

"Like it'll make any difference. Stop him now, and he'll just do the same thing again later when you aren't around."

"So we should just leave things as they are?"

"You know the answer to that as well as anyone, Hikigaya."

I grit my teeth in silence.

I knew, of course. It was part of the reason I'd quit my job.

"And that actually brings us back to what I was saying," she continued. "Soubu's changed. The school isn't what it used to be. It's a long story, but here's the gist of it: the land it's on is highly sought-after. Big-shot company out there wants to acquire it."

"They can't do that," I countered. "There's rules against that."

"Enforced by the Municipal Corp. Except, they approached us first. Much as I wish it was otherwise, not everyone working here is clean. And they're offering a lot of money for that land."

"That's…"

I stopped short of saying "bullshit". As impossible a situation as it sounded like, something straight out of a Ryu Ga Gotoku game, I'd been in enough crazy situations myself to know that life could rival any fiction when it came to strangeness.

"It's not just that," she went on. "They've been pressuring the school board directly and indirectly too. A lot of the teachers simply chose to quit and go elsewhere. I can't blame them: they've got their own families and safety to think about. But what that means is that the school's understaffed. Severely. We've barely got enough people to handle all the classes, and that's with everyone handling at least three times the normal workload. It's unfair, and I don't want to push them. Everyone still at the school is there out of choice. That's the only thing keeping the place afloat."

I took all this in.

"I'm guessing this is where I come in, somehow."

She sighed.

"I'll get straight to the point then. We got lucky when a new guy applied. We couldn't really afford to be picky. He got the job. Except, he was supposed to show up today, but cancelled at the last moment. And now… we're short one teacher again. I can get a temp to fill in for today, but per regulations, if we don't get someone to fill the regular spot by tomorrow, the school will be forced to officially declare the situation to the Corp."

"... And that's when the shit hits the fan?"

"To put it mildly. Look, Hikigaya, it's only for a while. Until we can find someone to take the position permanently."

"You want me to be a teacher?" I asked incredulously.

"You have the knowledge," she countered. "I know you got your grad degree in Literature. And I know what kind of student you were back in the day. The material hasn't changed much since then, you could handle it easily."

"That was a long time ago," I muttered. "Besides, don't you need a specific qualification to be a teacher? Some kind of Teaching Proficiency or something?"

"Technically, yes. But we can bend the rules."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Hikigaya, please. You know you can handle it. Since when was it more about rules and less about helping people?"

I looked away.

"You know that's not fair…" I muttered.

"Hikigaya…"

"Did you know that's exactly the kind of thinking that landed me in the mess I'm in right now?"

I looked her in the eye.

"No matter what I did in high school, I'm not immortal, and I'm certainly not invincible. Learned the hard way that I can't solve every problem by punching it in the face."

"You don't need to," she said gently. "Hikigaya, you've already fought more than enough. I'm not asking you to fight again. Just… to be there for some people who really, really need someone."

Unbidden, words from long ago played out in my head again.

"When I really needed a friend, someone was there for me. He saved my life."

I sighed.

"Fine," I said. "I better be getting paid in full for all this."

"Of course," she said, brightening up immediately. "You'll officially be a full-time teacher at Soubu High, and that means the same wages and benefits as all other members of staff."

I had a feeling I'd just bitten off more than I could chew, but it was too late to retract my word now. Besides, it was a job. At the moment, I was just relieved that I wouldn't be sitting on my ass, unemployed. Even so, there was no denying that it was an unusual arrangement. Definitely not one my parents would buy. Nor Komachi. Somehow, I got the sense that telling any of them that this was essentially a grey job where I was a teacher without actually being qualified for the job would not make for a peaceful environment at home. With that in mind, I decided to quickly strike while the iron was hot.

"While that's all well and good," I said, "There is one other thing I need. And that is, a place to stay. That better be part of the deal."

Hiratsuka winced slightly.

"Hrkk… you drive a hard bargain…"

"Take it or leave it."

"... Fine. The teachers' accommodations were unused anyway."

"Teachers' accommodations?"

"Yeah, Soubu had those. Of course, most of them are empty since more than half the staff quit. In any case, almost no one used them anyway. Most people had their own living arrangements."

"Well, that takes care of that then."

"Guess so. You're supposed to start tomorrow, then. Show up at school by 8 AM. We'll take care of the paperwork then directly. And try and look the part, will you?"

"You speak as if I'm some kind of thug."

"Maybe you're not a thug, but you were sure as hell a delinquent back in the day."

"... Point taken."

"Well, no point sitting around then. I better show you to your new home base."

The two of us finished our meal and I picked up the bag which constituted the entirety of my luggage before we headed out. As it turned out, she still had the old Aston Martin that I'd seen once or twice back when I was in school. The ride passed by in silence for a good while. Once upon a time, I'd fall asleep in the car. Now, all I could do was wonder how things would turn out.

Just what am I doing with my life?

"I didn't think we'd meet again," I threw out suddenly, without thinking.

"Neither did I," she answered as she drove.

Silence again, for a brief while.

"I can understand avoiding your parents, at least for now. But you will be seeing Yukinoshita and Yuigahama again, right?"

"..."

So that finally came up, did it?

I wasn't really sure how I was supposed to show my face to the two of them again. I knew it wasn't something I could avoid forever. And… I wanted to see them. It had been two and a half years since I'd last seen them. Love is supposed to be eternal, but in reality, time and distance matter. That was a long time to be apart. And this wasn't exactly the way I was supposed to return.

"Hikigaya?"

"I heard you. I… need to think about it."

"You don't need to face everything alone, you know?"

I nodded, but didn't say anything.

Shortly afterwards, we arrived. This is normally the part where I'm supposed to describe the place where I was going to be staying, but such a paragraph would be a major shitty fucking waste of time and most of you would gloss over it anyway, so I'm going to skip it. All crunch, no fluff, as they say. It was a good enough place to put up, clean and not cramped. That was more than enough for me. Also, no roommates either. Had the entire place to myself.

"Well, this is where I leave," Hiratsuka said. "Remember, tomorrow, 8 AM. Don't be late. Also, before I forget, here."

She reached into her suit pocket and brought out her phone. It took me a while but I realized what she was saying, and handed her mine. It felt strange doing this now. Once upon a time, I would have done anything to have her new number, to be able to stay in touch with her. Well, I'm making it sound like I wasn't happy to be able to do so now. I was. I simply wasn't 17 year-old Hikigaya Hachiman anymore, that's all. Time passes, and people change. The ones we used to be don't come back.

The exchange of contacts taken care of, she handed me back my phone.

"Tomorrow then."

"Yeah."

She left, and moments later I heard the roar of her car's engine as she took off. As for me, it was still only afternoon, but I simply flopped down on the futon and closed my eyes. Within moments, I fell asleep.

…

This is where I'm supposed to describe some deep, meaningful dream I had. After that, there's a waking up sequence and I point out mundane things about having breakfast or taking a bath to occupy some lines. But again, fuck that shit. This is my story I'm telling you here, and even I'll admit it's getting a bit depressing. But didn't I tell all of you way back in part 1? If I didn't, I'll tell you now: stories are supposed to be fun, because fun is the highest purpose of life. And boy oh boy, was my life about to get crazy.

I slept, woke up, showered, ate, got dressed and headed out. A short bus ride later, I found myself once more outside a place I thought I'd never see again: Soubu High. I still had a few minutes to spare, but I decided not to push it. Not really sure where I was supposed to go, I decided to enter the front lobby, a place I'd never really needed to enter as a student. Turns out, reception was given the heads-up about my arrival, and they told me to head to the staff room, a place I'd been many times before.

Once there, I had to wait a while. Evidently, Hiratsuka wasn't in the room. A woman who could only have been three years or so older than me, probably one of the other teachers, told me she'd gone to get coffee, and should be back soon. I decided to take a seat. As I waited, I looked around. They'd installed a TV in the staff room. Wasn't sure whether regulations actually permitted something like that, but given the kind of pressure the teachers here were under, a little bit of entertainment probably helped keep them sane, so I couldn't really fault the arrangement. A sports channel was on at the moment, and as I looked on, it showed highlights from a recent MMA bout.

Of the two fighters on screen, one of them was a little on the shorter side for a heavyweight. His official profile put his height at 5'10. His opponent was a little taller than him. This was just as well, because that was the only advantage he had over the guy. At 5'10, weighing over 100 kg, there was only one fighter in the world with a physique like that. The amount of lean muscle he was carrying was closer to an elite bodybuilder or powerlifter, though his build was subtly different. Sleeker. His posture more relaxed, his centre of gravity lower. Neck length, untidy dark hair, and a grin on his face.

I knew him quite well, of course. There wasn't a fighter or fight fan in the world who didn't.

This was the infamous Sura Shen, the man some called an actual demon. And he was the reigning, undefeated champion of the world.

Looking at the highlights, it was easy to see why.

I'll give credit where it's due: the other guy wasn't bad. In a different world, he could well have been champion. But he was up against someone out of his league.

Feinting with a right jab, he attempted to shoot for a takedown, only for Shen to sprawl and stuff it effortlessly. From that position, it was possible to go for a guillotine choke. Probably realizing the risk of this, the opponent chose to back away instead of continuing to grapple. Shaken, he attempted to keep his distance and engage with jabs and leg kicks. None of them connected, of course. Shen slipped all the former with head movement, and checked all the kicks with his own leg.

As all of this was happening, all of a sudden, his opponent hit the ground, out cold. I actually gripped the armrest of my chair harder. I hadn't been able to see what happened at all. As the slow motion replay began, my eyes widened.

The opponent had begun to jab. As his arm came in, instead of dodging as before, Shen simply threw out his own left, and connected first.

He… knocked him out with a freaking jab?

I found myself shaking my head. I'd been in my fair share of fights, but the world of pros really was something else. With the fight over, the final highlights showcased Shen helping his opponent back up to his feet before immediately leaving the octagon, declining the usual post-fight interview. I'd seen quite a few of his bouts before, and this was a habit of his. Unlike many big-name fighters, he never engaged in trash-talk, and avoided talking to the media in general. Needless to say, the silent treatment annoyed his opponents to no end, especially coupled with his confident, ever-present grin, but he was immensely popular with fight fans. I guess everyone likes the silent, badass type. Can't blame 'em.

There are some genuine monsters out there, huh?

At this point, I was brought back to the current situation by a familiar voice.

"Ah, Hikigaya. You made it."

Turning, I saw that Hiratsuka had finally arrived, two cups of coffee in her hands. She handed one to me.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"Save the wise-ass comments for later. Here, fill out these papers."

As I did so, I noticed the conspicuous absence of any sections in those forms asking for my teaching qualifications. There were sections for academic qualifications, but that was it. Well, no point thinking about it. I knew what I was signing up for. I'd only be holding this job for a few months at most. I had a bit more clarity now, having slept on the matter. For now, this would get me some money while I looked for work elsewhere. Once I did, I'd move on. I never said I'd be staying here forever. Besides, the entire purpose of my being here was to be a substitute until they got a real teacher to take the spot. Having filled out the forms, I handed them over to Hiratsuka, who looked through them at lightning speed before looking up with a grin.

"Nice! That takes care of the formalities. Let's go see your class."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now," she said. "Homeroom is the first lesson of the day. Don't you remember how this works?"

"Wait, I'm the homeroom teacher."

"Homeroom and Literature, yes. Here's your schedule. I'll have all other material you'll need ready on your desk before I leave. Now come on."

Mind racing to keep up with everything, I followed her. It seemed I was being thrown into the deep end right away. Oh well, it wasn't exactly the first time that had happened to me. Might as well roll with the punches.

That was what I thought at the moment.

Of course, I had no idea what I was in for.

As we walked, Hiratsuka sensei briefed me a little on what to expect.

"Hikigaya… just a little warning: your class might be a little… challenging."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see. You might see some familiar faces. And a few unusual ones. Good luck."

With that, before I could ask her anything further, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing in front of a classroom door.

3F, huh? Well, might as well go in.

Opening the door, I walked in. I didn't really have any confidence issues. No, if I had to say, then the problem I was expecting was lack of communication. For the moment, I decided to start by introducing myself. To that end, I kept it simple. Turning to face the class, I spoke, loudly and clearly.

"All right, settle down."

A few voices that had been whispering shut up.

"As you might know, you're a homeroom teacher short, and missing a Japanese Literature teacher too. So I'll be taking over those duties. My name is-"

For the second time that day, a familiar voice interrupted me, and as seemed to be the pattern, it came from someone I had absolutely never expected to see again.

"Hachiman!?"

I almost choked, barely believing my eyes as I looked at the one who had spoken.

"Rumi?!"