Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 52: A Smile at the Corner of His Lips

"Ahem, um, Higashiyama-kun."

Class representative Oda Kuranosuke awkwardly interrupted the conversation between the two.

"Is there something you need, Class Representative?" Higashiyama Shin replied with a smile.

He's not someone who hates communication; as long as it's not just endless chatter, he can accept it.

Therefore, during middle school, his reputation was completely opposite to that of Chiba. One was Shin Higashiyama, who was like a gentle breeze and a "flower" on a high mountain; the other was Shion Chiba, who was as cold as winter and a lotus among thorns.

This aligns with his core philosophy of valuing harmony.

What if we disagree? Then we'll beat you until you kneel.

In his world, peace is paramount, and "I won't kneel before you" is a complete phrase.

However, he is definitely not a pushover. He is very careful about his actions and will make the other party pay a certain cost, even if it is a small matter to him. This makes people more grateful.

However, it also depends on the matter. If it is a good thing and does not harm others, he will naturally be happy to help.

"Um... I'd like to ask you some questions about the daily routines and things to keep in mind for the class representative," Oda said somewhat embarrassedly.

It's clear that he really wants to be a responsible class monitor.

Higashiyama Shin was pleased to see this happen.

So he nodded, took out his teaching tablet, and casually sent a document to the other party.

"This is a summary of my daily work over the past three years of middle school. Mr. Oda is always meticulous, so you will definitely be able to do a good job."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Oda was overjoyed. He took out his tablet, clicked to receive the message, and then said with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, "I heard there's a good family restaurant near the station. Are you and Chiba-san free today? My treat, let's go try it together."

Higashiyama Shin politely declined, and Oda didn't dare to insist. He could only return to his seat with some regret and carefully look at the document.

“He’s a fan of yours. When he was in his third year of high school, someone said bad things about you, and he almost got into a fight with that person at the door,” Chiba suddenly said.

"I never thought I'd become a role model one day." Higashiyama Shin paused for a moment, then smiled and didn't seem to care much.

Chiba's eyes were serious: "You always underestimate your own excellence."

Shinichi Higashiyama: "."

Uh, am I really that good?
Yeah, whatever, that's just like me!

The last class of the day was Japanese by Ikeda Rui. As the school bell rang, he had just finished explaining the last point of knowledge.

"When school is over, try to avoid reporters and parents. Getting entangled with them will not do you any good."

"Yes."

"stand up!"

"Thank you for your guidance."

"Everyone has worked hard."

Ikeda Rui nodded, packed up his presentation materials, and left.

He returned to his office in silence, and the previously natural conversation inside immediately subsided.

After he returned to his seat, the other teachers quickly and quietly packed up their things and left the office one after another.

Ikeda Rui silently wrote something, and after more than half an hour, he got up, got a cup of tea in the empty office, stood by the window, and calmly looked at the parents and reporters gathered at the school gate.

Principal Asano, along with the school security team and instructors, cooperated with the police to stop those people and prevent them from harassing students leaving school.

After observing for a while, he returned to his seat, picked up his briefcase, left the office, and walked out of the school.

"Minister, I'm going home now."

The video game club had set up a recruitment area that looked like a temporary game demo room. Higashiyama Shin, who was in charge of guiding new recruits, saw Ikeda Rui walking out of the teaching building and said goodbye to Kanai, the club president.

Kanai checked the time; it was almost five o'clock. They had basically attracted everyone they could. The rest were mostly super-popular people who didn't play games and weren't "charmed" by Higashiyama Shin, so there was no need to recruit them. "Ah, okay, okay, that's about it."

Higashiyama Shin removed his "village chief" NPC badge, called Chiba who was sitting on a chair not far away reading a book, and the two of them walked out of the school gate one after the other, keeping a safe distance of about ten meters from Ikeda Rui.

The noise at the school gate was quite loud, but it was much better than when school had just let out.

"Principal Asano, I heard from a funeral home employee that the deceased had marks on his wrists from being bound. Is there some kind of shady dealings within the school?!"

"I heard that the teaching building where the student was killed has been abandoned for three years without any physical barriers or electronic surveillance. Does the school admit to any negligence in security management? Can you provide the building's security inspection records for the past three years?"

"Principal Asano, as the legally responsible person for safety, have you considered resigning? Has the school board initiated accountability procedures against the management?"

"Officer, the parents have accused the school of negligent homicide. When will the prosecution intervene? Are there any teachers or staff involved? Will they face criminal charges?"

The reporters were like tireless repeating machines, constantly asking the principal and the police questions, even if the principal kept a straight face or said no comment.

The victims' families sat at the school gate, spreading out a large white cloth, holding white banners, and carrying portraits of the deceased. Some bowed their heads in silence, some were emotionally distraught, and some silently wiped away tears.

"It's you! Ikeda! Did you kill our child?!"

A sharp female voice instantly drew everyone's attention. Among the family members, a woman with red and swollen eyes from crying stood up unsteadily and pointed at Ikeda Rui, who had just stepped out of the school gate.

Ikeda Rui looked at the woman, his eyes flickered slightly, and then silently shook his head.

"It's you! Murderer—give me back my son's life!!"

In the crowd, mixed among the reporters, a middle-aged man with a vicious face and bloodshot eyes pushed through the crowd and rushed towards Ikeda Rui with quick steps, the cold light of a knife flashing in his hand.

"Be careful!!"

One of the policemen's expressions changed drastically, and he shouted.

About ten meters behind Ikeda Rui, Higashiyama Shin shielded Chiba behind him, his expression knowing.

The reason he left school with Ikeda Rui was because he saw that Ikeda Rui had a minor ailment displayed on his profile.

This level of ferocity will not endanger life; it will only result in minor injuries, not even considered serious.

Therefore, he had no intention of taking action.

"Ah!"

Many people in the crowd covered their mouths, staring in astonishment at the scene before them.

The man's knife had already been thrust out, but it failed to pierce Ikeda Rui's abdomen. Incredibly, Ikeda Rui managed to grab the section of the blade near the guard.

Blood dripped from Ikeda's hands, but his face remained expressionless.

"Your children's deaths have nothing to do with me."

His voice grew colder.

The middle-aged man's eyes widened as he realized that no matter how hard he tried, the knife wouldn't budge.

The next second, he was pinned down by several police officers who finally reacted, and handcuffed.

Reporters swarmed forward like sharks that had smelled blood, their flashes going off incessantly.

The woman who had just stepped forward to accuse Ikeda was also surrounded by a large number of reporters.

"You accuse Mr. Ikeda of being involved in your child's death. Do you have any direct evidence or leads to provide? Have you submitted any relevant materials to the police?"

"Ikeda's disarming skills were very proficient. Did you know he used to be involved in violent gangs? Do you suspect he has a criminal record?"

"Did your son leave a will before he died? Did he have any threatening text messages from Ikeda on his phone? Could you disclose those messages?"

The woman covered her face, seemingly frightened by the scene.

But Higashiyama Shin saw that there was something lingering at the corner of her mouth.
It was clearly a smile.

(End of this chapter)