Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

Paramedics carried the five barely alive thugs onto stretchers, and the police took the remaining three away to the police station to give statements.

By the time the three of them walked out of the police station, it was already dark.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Jiangiao!" Fujii Haruo looked at the two with gratitude. "Um... thank you too, Kyushu-kun. You're amazing!"

"The police are aware of your situation. Fortunately, they only gave you a brief reprimand," Kyushu Makoto said, patting Fujii on the shoulder.

"Think twice before you act in the future, and don't be greedy for freebies that fall from the sky, understand?"

"Yes! I understand!" Fujii Haruo nodded quickly. "I will learn from this lesson!"

"Oh, right, there's one more thing," Kyushu Makoto added casually, "I hope you can write your experience into an article and have the news club publish it in the school newspaper."

“Besides you, there may be other students who have encountered similar situations. Your experience should serve as a warning and help them.”

"Hey! I'll do it!" Fujii Haruo bowed to the two of them again and ran off with small, quick steps.

Watching Fujii's cheerful and lively running posture, Kyushu Makoto stretched and said to Edogawa-sensei beside him:

"I hope Fujii-kun can perform normally on the next exam~ Then all three students' academic problems will be solved, and you'll have a good reputation too. It's a win-win situation for you, winning twice!"

"...Hmm..." Teacher Jiangniao had several band-aids on her face, and looked tired and frustrated.

"Don't give me that aggrieved look!" Kyushu Makoto raised an eyebrow: "How can this little wound compare to the students you've hurt before?"

"..." Teacher Jiang Niao whispered, "I know."

"This is your path to atonement, the punishment for being a 'moral teacher.' If you knew this would happen, you shouldn't have acted so recklessly in the first place." Kyushu Makoto gave her a cold stare, then turned and left.

See you tomorrow.

Teacher Jiangniao gazed at Kyushu Makoto's retreating figure with a resentful and timid look, but could only sigh helplessly.

Unbeknownst to her, Kyushu Makoto's gaze was equally solemn and filled with resentment.

Kyushu Makoto remembered that afternoon in the alley, he had pressed the tip of his umbrella against the man in the suit's throat and questioned him sharply:

"Is someone behind you? Death or something else, choose one!"

The man in the suit looked at him with pleading eyes, and after a moment of desperate struggle, he managed to squeeze out a name:

"Adachi...Shin."

70. Teacher Ushiwakamaru

Good morning, Kyushu-kun!

The next morning, when Makoto Kyushu entered the classroom, Haruo Fujii came up to greet him.

"Oh, good morning," Kyushu Makoto replied. "Have you told your parents about it?"

"Well, they didn't blame me; instead, they were very worried about my safety." Fujii scratched her head a little guiltily, then bowed respectfully.

"Um... I wasn't very nice to Kyushu-kun before, please forgive me! Please guide me in the future!"

"Please take care of me too." Kyushu Makoto nodded without minding and casually gave a lecture: "Remember to improve your grades, and also attend the brass band rehearsals. They're all planning to kick you out of the regular team, aren't they?"

"Hehehe~ Definitely, definitely!" Fujii nodded and bowed repeatedly, smiling obsequiously as he saw Kyushu Makoto off to his seat.

The surrounding classmates were all puzzled by this scene. When did Fujii, who was quite popular in the class, become so close to "Shujin the Mad Dog"?

"Hmph~ You're really charming, Kyushu-kun~" Koizumi-kun chuckled softly, flipping through her Tokyo University entrance exam preparation books at her seat and putting her thumb to her lips.

......

The second period this morning is history class. Today, the history teacher is sick, so the first-grade academic affairs vice principal is filling in.

The history teacher's name is "Niu Ruowan," a chubby old man with graying temples and a kind,憨态可掬 (endearing smile) demeanor. He's said to be a good-natured person who never gets angry. He's currently semi-retired, only coming to school three days a week, so the students rarely see him.

"Hmm...you've now learned about the history related to the 'triangular trade'..." Professor Ushiwakamaru picked up the book, squinting as she turned the pages:

"Speaking of triangular trade, I heard that recently a tourist from Wano Country was beaten up by a black man in the United States because when he said 'onagai', someone heard it as 'oniga'... If you are going to visit the United States, please be careful with your words and actions."

"Ugh~ The United Front is so scary..." a female classmate exclaimed, covering her mouth.

"But if you really encounter danger, your teacher will find a way to come and save you, hahaha~" Teacher Ushiwakamaru laughed heartily, tilting her head back.

"Alright, enough of the small talk, let's begin the formal lesson!"

......

After class, Kyushu Makoto got up to go to the restroom.

Just as he reached the classroom door, Mr. Ushiwakamaru suddenly called out to him, "Are you Makoto Kyushu?"

"Yes, may I ask what's the matter, teacher?" Kyushu Makoto nodded.

"Could you please come to the Academic Affairs Office around noon?" Teacher Niu Ruowan said somewhat seriously, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

During lunch break, Kyushu Makoto arrived at the first-year academic affairs office as promised.

"I heard about Mizuhashi's situation from other teachers a few days ago, and I've been wanting to find an opportunity to talk to you about it." Teacher Ushiwakamaru bowed deeply to Kyushu Makoto at a thirty-degree angle, his tone unusually somber.

"Kyushu-kun... thank you so much!"

"Teacher...Teacher, what are you doing?" Kyushu Makoto was flattered.

"The students in my grade were all about to jump off buildings to commit suicide, and I, their teacher, only realized it too late." Teacher Niu Ruowan gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with remorse.

"As the deputy head of the grade, I have really failed in my duty!"

"It's nothing! It was just a small favor!" Kyushu Makoto was startled by the other party's drastic change in emotion and quickly gave him a way out:

"Everyone is safe and sound, and the two students have been expelled and punished. For now, it's a happy ending for all. However, I hope the school will learn from this experience, because not every tragedy will be resolved with someone coming to the rescue."

In Wano Country, the occurrence of school violence incidents cannot be entirely blamed on the inaction of teachers. Some teachers do want to intervene, but they often find it difficult to detect such incidents or find opportunities to get involved. Sometimes, they are even pressured by superiors who want to protect the school's reputation, and are forced to give the cold shoulder.

Moreover, the professional rules for teachers prohibit them from laying a hand on students under any circumstances. Even if a student hits them, they must endure it. If they dare to fight back, it is considered "corporal punishment of students" and they will be dismissed unconditionally.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness for your help, Kyushu-kun." Ushiwakamaru-sensei sighed, still somewhat shaken.

"I have indeed reached retirement age, and there are many things I can no longer do perfectly."

“But the teacher’s intention is enough.” Kyushu Makoto said with a smile, “Actually, the teacher has another chance to help Mizuhashi.”

"An opportunity to help her?" Teacher Ushiwakamaru asked, puzzled.

After a moment's thought, Kyushu Makoto told him about Mizuhashi's family situation.

"I see, it's a very traditional preference for sons over daughters..." After listening, Professor Ushiwakamaru shook her head helplessly.

“This kind of thing was common in my time, but the rule of ‘not letting her eat a third bite of food’ is a bit too much.”

“I want to talk to her parents.” Kyushu Makoto looked troubled. “But if it’s just me alone, her parents won’t take it seriously.”

"Would you like to have an elder with authority speak to them?" Professor Ushiwakamaru immediately understood Kyushu Makoto's meaning and readily agreed.

“Of course, no problem! I’ll talk to Mizuhashi-kun privately first, and then I’ll go for the home visit. If Kyushu-kun is worried, he can come with me.”

"Thank you very much, teacher." Kyushu Makoto nodded in satisfaction.

Unlike the undisguised coldness emanating from Professor Etori, Professor Ushiwakamaru exuded a sun-like warmth. Based on Kyushu Makoto's experience of living two lives, he felt that this person could be trusted for the time being.

Just as Kyushu Makoto was about to leave, Ushiwakamaru-sensei remembered something and asked in a serious tone, "Is your current homeroom teacher Etori-sensei?"

"Yes, that's right." Kyushu Makoto turned around: "May I ask what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just wanted to ask how she's been lately?" Teacher Ushiwakamaru waved her hand casually, "Is she treating you guys well?"

"It's about the same, I guess." Kyushu Makoto's answer was rather ambiguous: "Her class performance is pretty good, so she's definitely a good teacher for the school."

"I see..." Teacher Ushiwakamaru stroked her chin thoughtfully and sighed.

"If she does anything unusual, could you please let me know? I think you are a trustworthy student."

"Has something happened to Teacher Jiang Niao? You seem to know something about it?" Kyushu Makoto frowned, sensing that there was something more to the other person's words.

"..." Teacher Ushiwakamaru hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, it's not a big deal."

"Teacher, could you please tell me a little about the situation?" Kyushu Makoto's curiosity was piqued, so he lowered his stance slightly and pleaded, "You've said something so suggestive; I can't pretend I didn't hear it!"

"Well... fine." After hesitating for a moment, Teacher Ushiwakamaru had no choice but to agree: "Just consider this as me saying something offhand, but don't tell anyone else."

“No problem,” Kyushu Makoto nodded in assurance.

“Eton Yukiko joined our school three years ago. I was the one who interviewed her back then. I could tell she was a young person who was very passionate about education and loved children.” Ms. Ushiwakamaru’s gaze inadvertently drifted to the cypress trees outside the window, and she sighed.

“In her first year of teaching, some students dropped out of school. Later, after investigation, it was found that the reason for the students dropping out had nothing to do with the homeroom teacher, but she was still greatly affected.”

"I've always been worried about Ms. Jiangniao's situation. Aside from you, I privately inquire about her students every year, hoping she hasn't gone astray in her teaching career..."

"However, I am in charge of the first year, and I am now semi-retired. My understanding of the situation of you second-year students is also limited."

"Because her class performance has always been good, and she is highly regarded by the chairman, I have no right to criticize her." Ushiwakamaru clenched her wrist, trying to keep her tone as calm as possible:

"In short, it's good that she can continue to be a dedicated teacher."

"...I see." Kyushu Makoto seemed thoughtful, a deep look in his eyes:

"Thank you for your concern. I will keep an eye on Teacher Jiangniao's situation."

71. Today's meal at the Karasu family's house.

"Kyushu-kun, could you please give this to Karasukawa Sakifumi?"