Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 4, Section 04: Chiba Shion

Chiba Shian.

Shin Higashiyama was a middle school classmate and a neighbor on the same floor of the same tower.

However, the two were not childhood sweethearts and had only been nodding acquaintances for a long time, like two satellites that were always silently orbiting in the same orbit, maintaining a very safe social distance.

For a long time, it could even be said that Shin Higashiyama was more familiar with Chiba's mother than with Shion Chiba.

Who could blame them? Higashiyama Shin, who was independent at a young age, polite, able to take care of his younger brother, had excellent grades, and was handsome, was practically the embodiment of Chiba's mother's perfect child, her dream boy. Sometimes, the family would send him some food or other necessities.

Shinichi Higashiyama also gave them a return gift, mainly dishes he made, but he didn't know if they would suit their tastes.

Higashiyama's declaration of being a kept man might have been inspired by Chiba's mother.

He hopes to find a woman like Chiba's mother who can feed him regularly and doesn't restrict him. Although, he is mostly just an accessory, Chiba's mother's favorite is Higashiyama Shin.

Despite this, Shin Higashiyama and Shion Chiba didn't really interact much. Most of the time, their eyes would just meet when they happened to leave at the same time, and they would nod slightly.

The turning point came during their second year of middle school when their seating arrangement was changed, and the two of them became desk mates, which gradually led to them starting to interact.

Chiba Shion is a typical girl with long, straight black hair. Not only is she outstanding in appearance and temperament, but she is also much taller than girls of the same age. Her legs are straight and slightly slender. Even when standing next to someone of the same height, you would immediately think that Chiba is taller.

However, she was extremely taciturn, and with a cold and aloof look that seemed to indicate a natural aversion to the world, she appeared indifferent to everyone when chatting, and soon people kept their distance from her.

She always carries pepper spray and a retractable iron rod in her bag. Her famous battle was when a delinquent from another class tried to take advantage of her, but before he could even touch her, she hit him on the nose with the rod, then sprayed pepper spray right next to his eyes, and finally pulled out a mini stun gun from somewhere. It was unclear where she shocked him, but it shocked the thug so badly that he lost control of his bladder and soiled his pants.

Therefore, she also earned a rather unrefined nickname—the terminator of sphincter muscles.

This smooth combo is enough to terrify any guy, and girls don't even have the courage to try it, fearing they might get hit on the head and lose control of their bladder in some alley and be picked up by a pervert to be used as sex slaves.

He still remembers how the two broke the ice when his younger brother was taken away by their father, who had just returned, to handle some paperwork.

However, he had already brought his lunch to school, and in the spirit of not wasting food, he saw during lunch break that Chiba did not seem to have brought a lunch and did not intend to go to the cafeteria, so he took the initiative to hand it over.

"Want to eat?"

He was just asking, and he was prepared to be rejected, but he simply didn't want to waste the opportunity.

Unexpectedly, Chiba Shion glanced at him, thanked him, and then accepted it.

Her eyelashes seemed to flutter as she took her first bite of the fried pork cutlet, which was covered in rich sauce.

In the end, the bento box was almost completely eaten, with only vegetables left.

"Why don't you go buy some bread if you're hungry?"

"I don't like it." Chiba Shion probably felt that such a reply was too little and might easily cause Higashiyama Shin to misunderstand, so she hesitated for a few seconds and added another sentence.

"It tastes bad."

Later, Shinji Higashiyama learned that Chiba's mother was currently in the prime of her career and was almost never home, essentially becoming Higashiyama's father's second version, which was why no bento box had been prepared.

Chiba Shion probably didn't want to go to the cafeteria or convenience store, and didn't like the food sold there, so she simply went hungry and bought a bento box from the convenience store on her way back, solving the problem of one meal a day.

Originally, Shinya Higashiyama only intended to give this one meal and didn't plan to interfere much. However, not long after, Chiba's mother came to visit with a lot of gifts and asked Shinya Higashiyama to make an extra bento for Chiba Shion in the future. She was very polite and even earnest, and she also gave a considerable amount of money for the meal.

Dongshan Shen was not short of money, but he felt at ease accepting the money.

So the two-person bento box became a three-person bento box, and the money earned from making bento boxes for Chiba was more than the money earned from doing odd jobs outside.

Although he doesn't need to do odd jobs.

When Chiba Shion was in her third year of junior high school, she would come to his house to have breakfast, and then they would go to school together.

He couldn't quite figure out whether Chiba's personality was aloof or outgoing. "Did you prepare a bento box today?"

"No."

"I only brought one portion. Shall we split it half?"

"it is good."

Sure enough, the concept of politeness didn't apply to her at all.

"Going back to the apartment today?"

"Not today, I'll go back tomorrow."

The two chatted casually and naturally; this was their way of getting along.

We can chat whenever we have something to talk about, and even if we're just sitting opposite each other reading, it won't feel awkward.

Chiba usually speaks very briefly, but he always answers questions.

As they were talking, Higashiyama Shin noticed something out of the corner of his eye and glanced at it a couple more times.

Chiba Shion keenly noticed the change in his gaze and followed it to find an ordinary-looking boy with glasses who had just arrived just in time and was sitting down, panting heavily.

The reason why Dongshan Shen glanced at him a few more times was because he "saw" a hint of impending doom on him. This was the power of Suyao Shi, who possessed the Spirit-Nourishing Fire Eye.

Looking around the whole class, he was the only one who was so unlucky; no one else had any special circumstances.

However, it's estimated that it won't be a major disaster, at most just a minor physical calamity, a minor misfortune.

Thinking this, three more students strolled in leisurely, their clothes unkempt, dressed like typical delinquents, and their faces were initially quite arrogant.

Until they saw Mr. Ikeda turn around, his fierce face, domineering aura, and mountain-like figure. His shadow enveloped the three of them, and the silent oppressive feeling made them all turn pale and involuntarily take a step back.

"Hello, teacher! Sorry we're late!"

The group shuddered and quickly bowed and shouted.

It's clear that the classroom is almost full now; they arrived a bit late.

Ikeda stared at them for a while, until the sweat on their foreheads was almost dripping down their chins, before he gave a soft "hmm" and nodded slowly.

The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon, breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly found their seats after signing in.

"Nobita, you dare to play us? You're dead."

The one who was leading them leaned in close, revealing his pale yellow teeth, and whispered something as he passed the ordinary boy who had come in before them.

The boy named Nobita lowered his head, adjusted his glasses, and trembled slightly.

Shinjiro Higashiyama finally knew where this guy's little devil came from.

"You know him?" Chiba suddenly asked.

"I don't know him," Higashiyama Shin told the truth.

Chiba nodded, didn't ask any further questions, opened his notebook, and began writing something with his head down.

"There are 36 students in total across three groups in the first year. Except for Muramasa Taki, who is on leave, 35 of you are here. Everyone is present. I am your instructor, and you can call me Mr. Ikeda. Now, follow me to the opening ceremony."

Ikeda was concise and to the point, without even offering platitudes like reminding them not to talk or to maintain order during the opening ceremony. But his face and physique, simply by their presence, were the most powerful silent deterrent.

(End of this chapter)