Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 370: Elegant! So elegant!

He knew that Ping Yingzi lacked a sense of security, and if someone had died at the school, the little girl's fear and anxiety would probably be even more intense.

Thinking of this, Fushimi Shika helped to find a way out, saying, "Could it have been an accident that happened on campus?"

The teacher in charge knew what he meant and nodded solemnly in agreement: "Of course not, please rest assured, our school has very strict security and discipline. We are also very saddened that Mr. Chiba had an accident off-campus..."

Fushimi Shika nodded repeatedly, then casually touched Hira Sakurako's hat: "In that case, I'm relieved."

The latter relaxed slightly, at least not shaking as violently, but still clung to Fushimi Shika's clothes.

The teacher who received them exchanged a few more polite words, smiling as she remarked that the young lady was quite shy; Fushimi Shika nodded in agreement, spouting nonsense as he claimed that Hiraoko was two-faced and particularly liked to bully those in her own backyard.

The two chatted as they walked upstairs to the registrar's office reception room. The teacher who greeted them poured them a cup of tea and asked Ping Yingzi which elementary school she planned to transfer from, whether she had a letter of introduction from a teacher or principal, and the specific reasons for her sudden transfer...

Fushimi Shika answered truthfully, saying that Sakura had never been to school and was usually home alone. He was not Sakura's father, but her half-brother. Recently, she received a tuition allowance after being commended by the police, so he planned to send her to school.

"Ah, I've read that report too. Your sister is such a kind and good child."

The teacher who received the student praised him a couple of times, then said that the transfer student's situation was special and that he needed to consult the principal and the school board... He went on and on about how he could not accept the student.

Fushimi Shika didn't want to play games with him. What if he said he'd have to go back and wait for further notice? Wouldn't he have to make several more trips? It would be best to settle this matter today!

He fully utilized his social charm, explaining the pros and cons through psychological counseling, claiming that accepting a student like Ping Yingzi would enhance the school's reputation, and that if it were considered a long-term investment, the returns would be considerable. If Ping Yingzi ultimately succeeded, her inspirational story would be the best advertisement...

Afterwards, he struck up a conversation with the teacher who received him, chatting about the recent pressures on teacher employment, the bottlenecks in school development, and the schools that went bankrupt along with the economic bubble. He also subtly mentioned his status as a civil servant, implying that he didn't need to worry about tuition fees since the government would reimburse him...

The teacher receiving him nodded repeatedly. More than an hour later, he slapped his thigh and said he could help ask the principal for his opinion.

Upon hearing this, Fushimi Shika knew that things were almost done. He had done all he could, and the next step would probably be to examine Hira Sakurako herself. If she was a student with a very unruly personality, a physical defect, or poor grades, she would probably be rejected.

After the teacher left the reception room, Fushimi Shika gave a few words of advice, telling Hira Sakurako to be more attentive and perform well in order to be admitted.

The latter took a deep breath, hid his left hand in his sleeve, and pinched his fingers hard, trying to calm himself down.

Fushimi Shika glanced at her, then looked away, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

He paused, then added, "They should be afraid of you."

Upon hearing this, Hira Sakurako's fingers trembled slightly, and she let out a long sigh, truly calming herself down. She looked up at Fushimi Shika, whose collarbone was faintly visible, and softly reminded him, "It's showing."

Fushimi Shika fastened his collar and criticized, "Children shouldn't look at adults with such strange eyes."

Hira Sakura wanted to tell him he was sick, but then she thought that she was about to have an interview and needed to get into a good mood as soon as possible. She couldn't lower herself to the level of joking around with Fushimi Shika.

She straightened her back, put her legs together, and placed her hands flat on her thighs, imitating the posture of Gentamako when receiving guests.

A few minutes later, the principal pushed open the door and entered. He noticed Hira Sakurako at first glance. She was calm and composed, with perfect posture. He could tell she was well-mannered and perhaps even from a prestigious family. He had taught many students, but none of them were as calm and reserved as Fushimi Sakurako.

On the way here, the teaching assistant gave a general explanation of the situation.

If the principal thinks there are no problems with the family environment and tuition fees, then he needs to consider the student's academic level and personality traits... The former can be seen by simply writing a few test papers, while the latter requires him to judge by his own eyesight.

In his eyes, recruiting special students is like gambling on stones. If there is no chance of finding a rare gem, he would never allow outsiders to take shortcuts to enter the school.

The primary school has an entrance exam (admission test), but the number of places is extremely limited and the competition is fierce. The primary school admission rate is usually less than 10%. The secondary school has an even lower admission rate because it includes internal transfer places. Countless aristocratic families have tried desperately to transfer in, but he has rejected all those who were not capable.

He came for the interview mainly because the teaching assistant strongly recommended him.

Fushimi Shika took the initiative to stand up and shake hands. After introducing themselves, the principal, whose name was Ando Meitaro, was a middle-aged man in his fifties. He was a bit overweight and wore glasses that were as thick as the bottom of a beer bottle. He spoke with a smile and looked very kind.

"If you don't mind, I have a test paper here. It's about simple graphic recognition and memory... It's not difficult, just a simple test."

Principal Ando took out two small notebooks, which were filled with various circles and rectangles, with fine lines dividing them into tiny fragments and filling them with various colors.

Ping Yingzi knew that these were test questions used to test whether children were mentally disabled. Schools usually require students to do these kinds of questions when they are recruiting transfer students. She had some mental problems, but her intelligence was normal. She finished filling them out in a few seconds.

Principal Ando glanced at her to make sure she wasn't colorblind or intellectually disabled before explaining the details of the 'entrance exam'.

The entrance exam is generally divided into two parts: a written test and an interview. The written test for primary school students only requires two subjects: Chinese language and arithmetic. Parents do not need to participate. The interview assesses etiquette, expression, and logical thinking skills. Parents need to participate so that the school can understand the alignment between the family's educational philosophy and the school's.

Fushimi Shika smiled and said, "As expected of a prestigious school," but in his heart he was thinking, "This lousy school has so many trivial matters."

"For the sake of the children, we can't afford to waste a single day. If possible, we can conduct the written test now so that we can give an accurate answer as soon as possible." Principal Ando was telling the truth. He didn't have that much time to waste on admissions. Generally speaking, teaching assistants could screen out 90% of transfer students, regardless of whether they were from wealthy or prestigious families. If they were not qualified, they were not qualified. Unless they donated a building to the school, they couldn't expect to cross this threshold with just a pittance.

Of the remaining 10% of students, 5% will be directly screened out by him, such as those from middle-class families, families without educational philosophy, or families centered around their parents... He can basically tell these people out at a glance.

Fushimi Sakurako is a special case. She is an orphan and receives government subsidies, so the school definitely has a greater influence on her than her family.

If she is a rough gem, then she is worth carving.

Fushimi Shika had no objection; he was eager to finish as soon as possible and indicated that he was ready to start the exam at any time.

The teaching assistant brought the test paper, without asking Fushimi Shika to leave. He mainly wanted to see if the child could maintain a calm and composed attitude under the dual pressure from the principal and parents. Some students usually perform well, but falter during crucial exams—the child's resilience is also part of the assessment.

The coffee table is quite low, so you have to bend over to write on the exam paper.

Ping Yingzi stood up straight, mimicking Minamoto Tamako's sitting posture, smoothing her non-existent skirt, and knelt by the coffee table, her back still straight, just enough to maintain a proper writing posture.

'grace!'

'It's so elegant!'

Principal Ando inwardly praised the child, thinking, "Such excellent upbringing! She must come from a prestigious family! And Fushimi, as her brother, must also be a gentleman who upholds proper etiquette..."

His gaze shifted, and he saw Fushimi Shika secretly picking at his toes.

"..."

This isn't really Fushimi Shika's fault. His wound was scabbing over and healing, and it was extremely itchy—to be precise, it was both painful and itchy, making him want to scratch along the edges of the wound.

Principal Ando pushed up his glasses, thinking that since they were from different families, it was understandable that their lifestyles were different.

He didn't interrupt, and everyone waited patiently. The only sound in the reception room was the scratching of pens.

A dozen minutes later, Ping Yingzi finished the test paper, gently pushed it forward, and sat back down in her original seat without saying a word.

Principal Ando was very satisfied with her demeanor.

He put away the test paper, took out the answers, compared them with the scores, and gradually frowned.

Fushimi Sakurako scored exactly 60 on both of the 100-point exams, just enough to pass.

At this level, they're definitely qualified for elementary school, but what kind of school are they? The "Intended Establishment Statement of Waseda Vocational School" from its founding in 1901 already stated:
"In today's world, we must abandon empty rhetoric, focus on practical knowledge, and cultivate talents who can govern the country and benefit the people!"

How could someone with such talent for governing the country and benefiting the people only score 60 points in Chinese and arithmetic?
Principal Ando sighed inwardly. This child was kind-hearted, polite, brave, and strong, but unfortunately, he wasn't academically inclined—his score of 60 was just average. He had no choice but to refuse him.

However, he was not the kind of teacher who measured a student's worth by exam scores. This child had a good personality and was talented; he might become a skier in the future. He planned to write a letter of recommendation, suggesting that Fushimi Shika take his younger sister to Yanagisawa Elementary School, a school with a strong tradition and resources in sports.

When Fushimi Sakurako enters junior high or high school and achieves good results in competitions, she can still come to Waseda Vocational School for an interview—he is willing to make an exception and admit students with special talents and abilities.

Principal Ando had made up his mind. He prepared his speech, interlaced his fingers, cleared his throat, and was about to speak when his teaching assistant suddenly whispered in his ear, "Principal, you've got the wrong test paper. This isn't the second-grade elementary school test..."

He frowned and reprimanded in a low voice.

He hadn't looked at it closely before, only roughly checked the answers and calculated the score. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized that the test paper in his hand was for the second year of junior high school.

This……

You can't be wrong...

An absolute genius!

Principal Ando's eyes lit up, then he suddenly realized something and couldn't help but look up and carefully examine Fumi Sakurako.

From the moment he walked in, the expression on the child's face never changed.

He had a vague suspicion in his mind, and to verify whether it was true, he personally took out the second-grade test questions from the elementary school and asked Fushimi Sakurako to do them again.

"Sorry, I took the wrong test paper. Please do it again..."

(End of this chapter)