My dear wife, I still love you more.

"All done, buckle up," Hiratsuka Shizuka said to Hasegawa Kenichi, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

As he pulled out his seatbelt and fastened it around his waist, Kenichi Hasegawa thought to himself, "Although Shizuka Hiratsuka seems a bit... well, a bit too masculine, she's still a pretty good teacher. At least she cares about her students and obeys traffic rules."

However, once the sports car sped off, Kenichi Hasegawa immediately dismissed his earlier thought. Hiratsuka Shizuka was really going for a high-speed chase.

……

squeak--

With a beautiful drift, the car came to a smooth stop, and Hasegawa Kenichi, pale-faced, scrambled out. He swore that he would never, ever, ever get into Hiratsuka Shizuka's car again, absolutely!

"Oh my! Hasegawa-kun got out of the sports car. Hasegawa-kun, are you being kept by a sugar daddy?!"

Just as Hasegawa Kenichi got out of the car, he heard a familiar voice. Although the voice was familiar and Hasegawa Kenichi liked to hear it, the words spoken by the voice made Hasegawa Kenichi's face turn black.

"Mrs. Yuihama, please don't talk nonsense." Kenichi Hasegawa looked speechlessly at Mrs. Yuihama, who was standing behind him, covering her mouth and looking surprised.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I, I just, I just—"

"Mrs. Yuihama, this is Ms. Hiratsuka Shizuka, my teacher at Soubu High School, and also Yuihama and I's homeroom teacher. Since Yuihama didn't attend class today, Ms. Hiratsuka came to visit us. I just happen to live nearby, so she gave me a ride," Hasegawa Kenichi explained earnestly to Mrs. Yuihama. If possible, Hasegawa Kenichi least wanted Mrs. Yuihama to misunderstand.

"Oh? I see. Hiratsuka-sensei, thank you for your hard work. You even made a special trip to visit my home."

"Well, it's alright, what can I do? I'm the teacher, after all. By the way, how is Yuihama-san? Is she able to go to school tomorrow?" Hiratsuka Shizuka was quite nonchalant.

"Thank you for your concern, Hiratsuka-sensei. Yui is fine now and can go back to school tomorrow."

"Oh, that's good."

Seeing that Hiratsuka Shizuka had already started talking with Mrs. Yuihama, Hasegawa Kenichi interjected appropriately: "Mr. Hiratsuka, Mrs. Yuihama, I have to go back now. I won't disturb you any longer."

"Okay, okay, go ahead!" Hiratsuka Shizuka waved her hand casually.

"Um, please wait a moment, Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yuihama's reaction was completely opposite to that of Shizuka Hiratsuka, and she quickly called out to Kenichi Hasegawa.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Yuihama? Is there anything else?" Kenichi Hasegawa stopped and asked with some concern.

"Um, actually, these are some sweets I made to thank Hasegawa-kun, so please accept them." Mrs. Yuihama handed over a well-packaged box. "Actually, I was going to give them to Hasegawa-kun, but I just happened to run into him on the way."

"I see. Thank you so much, Mrs. Yuihama." Kenichi Hasegawa smiled as he accepted the nicely packaged box.

Hiratsuka Shizuka watched quietly from the side, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes. With her woman's intuition, she felt that something was amiss. It seemed that things weren't as simple as they appeared.

"A neighbor? Apparently, they even helped? So Yui's mother seems to like Hasegawa too. So, this Hasegawa Kenichi has ulterior motives towards Yui, right? That's why he specifically got through to Yui's mother, reducing parental obstacles for their relationship. Damn it, that bastard! I thought he was alright, but I never expected him to be so cunning. Damn it, damn it, damn it! He's just a high school student, yet he's thinking so far ahead. Damn it, I'm so outstanding, and I'm still not married, I don't even have a boyfriend! Damn it, damn it!!!"

Hasegawa Kenichi suddenly noticed that Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression was somewhat ferocious, and her hands were clenched into fists, making a cracking sound. Hasegawa Kenichi instinctively shuddered.

Chapter Twelve: Madam, how could you do this?

Open the box, and inside are cute little snacks shaped like bears or other animals.

He pinched one out, put it in his mouth, and found it sweet and moderately flavorful with a hint of milk. While it wasn't exactly delicious, it was still quite tasty. A faint smile crept onto Hasegawa Kenichi's face.

After eating a few snacks, putting the box away, and checking the time—it wasn't dinnertime yet—Hasegawa Kenichi sat down at his desk. Schools here in Japan, well, they really do favor a relaxed education approach. There's not much homework, and school hours are short. Not to mention the mornings, school ends around 3 PM. If you don't participate in clubs, the afternoons are quite leisurely; it's only a little before 4 PM now.

However, generally speaking, this kind of relaxed education is mostly only for people from ordinary families like Kenichi Hasegawa. Children from wealthy families, like those in China or even the United States, usually have to attend tutoring classes or learn other things almost every day.

Hasegawa Ken took out his notebook and pen and started writing his novel. As for the outline, he had almost completed a rough outline last night. Although it was only a relatively simple outline, it was enough. He could add more detailed outlines later.

The pen tip kept scratching on the paper, making a rustling sound. The sound was actually quite nice, but when Kenichi Hasegawa put down the pen, he couldn't help but rub his wrist.

"It looks like I'll have to buy a computer. Writing with a pen is not only slow, but also tiring."

Of course, given Hasegawa Kenichi's current financial situation, he couldn't afford a good computer. So his idea was to buy an old one first, one with no need for high-end specs; in fact, just something that could be used for typing would be fine. This level of requirement meant the price wouldn't be high, and even with Hasegawa Kenichi's current financial situation, it was perfectly acceptable.

However, Kenichi Hasegawa didn't know much about this area and wasn't very familiar with it, so he needed his friends' help.

Aki Tomoya, a guy whose personality is neither particularly extroverted nor introverted, should be able to easily find a cheap second-hand computer if asked for his help, given his personality and his experience working part-time.

Of course, if Hasegawa Kenichi himself hadn't been unfamiliar with this area and didn't know where to start, he wouldn't have wanted to bother Aki Tomoya, even though Aki Tomoya was also Hasegawa Kenichi's friend. But to be honest, the two of them had only known each other for one day; before that, they were the same Hasegawa Kenichi.

I emailed Aki Tomoya, asking him to help me find a cheap used computer. Aki Tomoya replied quickly, saying that it was no problem at all and that he would take care of everything.

Seeing Aki Tomoya's reply, Hasegawa Kenichi smiled: "Having a friend like this isn't so bad."

After taking a break and preparing dinner, Hasegawa Kenichi sat back down at his desk, picked up his pen, but this time, he felt a reluctance to continue writing: "The computer will be bought soon, maybe I should wait and use it to type after it arrives—"

In the end, Kenichi Hasegawa shook his head and continued writing. After all, although Tomoya Aki had promised to find him a suitable computer, who knew when it would be available? Besides, he was bored at home anyway, so he might as well continue writing his novel.

……

Good morning, Hasegawa-kun.

"Good morning, Mrs. Yuihama." Hasegawa Kenichi happened to pass by Mrs. Yuihama's house that morning and met her standing at the door. Mrs. Yuihama greeted Hasegawa Kenichi very warmly. Hasegawa Kenichi was in a very good mood to see this beautiful lady that morning.

"I never imagined that Hasegawa-kun would not only attend the same school as my Yui, but also be in the same class. I originally wanted Yui to go to school with you, but she seemed a little shy and left early," Mrs. Yuihama said with a hint of regret.

"Um, Mrs. Yuihama is joking. If Yuihama-san went to school with me, people might misunderstand. It wouldn't be a big deal for me, a boy, but it wouldn't be good for Yuihama-san," Hasegawa Kenichi said with a smile.

"Well, I think that although Hasegawa-kun isn't exactly handsome, he gives off a very reassuring vibe, so I wouldn't mind if it were Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yuihama smiled, looking like she thought highly of Kenichi Hasegawa.

Kenichi Hasegawa was completely bewildered. What was going on? Mrs. Yui wanted him to pursue Yui? Was he kidding? Although he looked young, his mental age was that of a middle-aged man, and—

"Oh, oh, oh, just kidding." Mrs. Yui covered her mouth and laughed at Hasegawa Kenichi's expression, laughing quite happily. "But if Hasegawa-kun really has such thoughts, that's fine too."

Hasegawa Kenichi waved his hand, indicating he didn't want to talk about this anymore. He thought the wife was quite nice, but instead she wanted to introduce his daughter to him. What kind of nonsense was that?

After a brief, casual chat, Kenichi Hasegawa said goodbye to Mrs. Yuihama and went to school.

When Kenichi Hasegawa arrived at the school, Tomoya Aki immediately ran up to him.

"Kenichi, I've taken care of what you asked me to do yesterday. Look, this is a laptop. It's a bit old, so it can't play games other than the ones that come pre-installed on laptops. But it's fine for typing. However, there might be some lag if you're watching anime." Aki Tomoya actually took out a laptop bag and then pulled out a laptop.

"Huh? You already found it? I just told you last night. You found it so quickly, and even brought it to school. Tomoya, you're amazing." Hasegawa Kenichi looked at Aki Tomoya in surprise, and had a new understanding of Aki Tomoya's efficiency.

"Well, this notebook belongs to a colleague who works with me, so after I finished work, I went directly to his house to get it. See if it's suitable. If it is, it's 2,000 yen. If not, I'll take it back to him after school."

"Two thousand yen, that's cheap. And my requirements aren't high, just being able to type is enough." Kenichi Hasegawa took out the laptop; it was a bit heavy, a bit thick, and the model was a bit old. But it was still a Sony brand, so there were no quality issues, just like what Tomoya Aki had said.

Kenichi Hasegawa simply pulled out two thousand yen and bought the notebook.

"Kenichi, why did you buy a laptop? And such a worn-out one at that. If you could, I think you could work more part-time to save up some money and buy a better one, whether for watching anime or playing games." Aki Tomoya asked curiously as he put two 1000 yen bills in his wallet.

“That’s enough. Actually, I bought it to write novels.” Kenichi Hasegawa smiled as he put the notebook away.

"Eek???" Aki Tomoya couldn't help but yell, "Write—"

Before Aki Tomoya could even utter a sound, Hasegawa Kenichi quickly covered his mouth. If Aki Tomoya were to shout out that he was writing a novel, everyone in the class would know, and perhaps even the entire school would find out within a day or two.

While writing novels isn't anything shameful, a high school student wanting to write one is still a significant topic. A good novel could attract a lot of attention, while a bad one would be ridiculed for being presumptuous. Neither scenario is ideal for Kenichi Hasegawa, who doesn't particularly want to stand out at school.

"Keep your voice down, and keep this a secret for me, Tomoya." Hasegawa Kenichi regretted telling Aki Tomoya.

"Well, okay, if you don't want others to know, Kenichi, then forget it. But if you write it, you have to let me see it first. I'm a fairly well-known critic online, you know. I can give you some suggestions, and if the quality is good, I can even help you promote it." Aki Tomoya's eyes sparkled with excitement. Although he tried to keep his voice down, it still revealed his excitement.

"Uh, okay, I definitely will." Hasegawa Kenichi smiled and nodded as he looked at Aki Tomoya.

"It's a word."

Chapter Thirteen Clubs

Scanning the classrooms, I noticed one empty seat. If I remember correctly, that seat should belong to that unfortunate Hachiman Hikigaya, who was hit by a car on his very first day of school, before he even arrived, and had to spend some time in the hospital.

Aside from Hachiman Hikigaya, the remaining students in the class had formed numerous small cliques, chatting and laughing in twos and threes. Kenichi Hasegawa, however, was clearly excluded from these groups. Well, perhaps this was partly due to Tomoya Aki's influence.

Because Aki Tomoya's self-introduction was so passionate and impassioned, he became the target of almost all the classmates' rejection. Hasegawa Kenichi, on the other hand, was Aki Tomoya's friend, someone who could chat and laugh with him. In the eyes of the other classmates, he was just like Aki Tomoya—a complete shut-in. Naturally, no one approached Hasegawa Kenichi to form a group with him.

Kenichi Hasegawa wasn't actually opposed to this situation. To put it another way, although he looked sixteen, inside he was definitely a forty-year-old man, and he didn't think he'd have anything in common with other sixteen-year-olds. Since no one came to him, he was actually quite relaxed.

However, what made Kenichi Hasegawa frown was that he saw Yui Yuigahama.

Whether it was because of a family crisis or because she missed school yesterday, Yui Yuigahama was all alone, as if no one wanted to talk to her.

Yui Yuigahama, in particular, didn't seem to be in a good state. She wanted to end things with the other classmates, but she hesitated. Kenichi Hasegawa even noticed a hint of inferiority in her eyes.

To be honest, Kenichi Hasegawa was a little unsure how to handle Yui Yuigahama's situation. To be honest, Yui Yuigahama was just a classmate of his; if she weren't Mrs. Yuigahama's daughter, he wouldn't even bother paying attention to her. And if he were a girl, he could certainly befriend Yui Yuigahama, but he was a boy, and there's a difference between men and women.

Shaking her head, she realized that this was a situation that only Yui Hihama could resolve on her own.

Yui Yuigahama was a little hesitant and subconsciously looked in Hasegawa Kenichi's direction. They made eye contact, and instantly Yui Yuigahama's face turned bright red. She quickly lowered her head, looking shy and unable to meet Hasegawa Kenichi's gaze.

Kenichi Hasegawa shook his head as he looked at Yui Yuigahama. She really did look like someone you'd want to bully. It seemed he'd have to keep a closer eye on her; otherwise, if she really encountered school bullying, she'd probably just have to silently endure it.

……

"Everyone, please be quiet." A person stood on the podium, clapping his hands to attract everyone's attention.

Hayato Yamaha, with his long blond hair and handsome appearance, always wears a sunny smile, making him very easy to like. He also seems to be athletic and academically excellent, reportedly ranking second in the entire first-year class upon entering university. His interpersonal skills are undeniable; the largest social circle in the class is built around him.

It's fair to say that Yamaha Hayato seems like the perfect male protagonist from a novel, completely different from someone like Hasegawa Kenichi, who has an ordinary appearance. Furthermore, Yamaha Hayato was also the class representative nominated by the majority of the students in the class.

Hayato Yamaha's influence was quite strong; soon, the class quieted down, and everyone was looking at him.

"I'm very happy to be classmates with you all, and that we'll be spending three years of high school together... Today, I'll mainly be talking about clubs. I'm sure you've all been looking forward to it. Now, I'll hand out the club application forms. If you have any clubs you'd like to join, you can fill out the form and give it to me. Of course, since you've just entered the school, you don't know much about the clubs yet, so you can spend the next week researching the clubs that interest you before making a decision..."

Soon, everyone had one or more club application forms in front of them.

Looking at the club application form, Kenichi Hasegawa felt quite strange. After all, aside from university clubs, elementary, middle, and high schools practically didn't have any clubs. And university clubs were pretty much the same.

Kenichi Hasegawa was very curious about the clubs at Japanese high schools. Perhaps because he had to go home to write novels every day, he didn't have much time to participate in clubs, but he still wanted to see what the various clubs at school were like.

So after school, Kenichi Hasegawa delayed going home a little and went to check out the clubs at school that he was interested in.

The clubs that Hasegawa Kenichi was relatively interested in were naturally those that had already become skills in his system interface, such as novel writing, music, drawing, and kendo. Although the levels of these skills varied depending on the magnitude and type of his interests, Hasegawa Kenichi didn't mind going to the school to see what these clubs were like.

Of course, unlike Hasegawa Kenichi, Aki Tomoya ran off as soon as school was over. Clubs and the like were simply not his cup of tea. If there were any anime or otaku clubs at school, he might have joined, but unfortunately, the general public looks down on otaku, so naturally, there are no otaku clubs at the school, at least not at this high school.

First, there was the light music club. Hasegawa Kenichi checked it out. The club didn't have many members, and most of them were girls. Each member owned their own instrument, playing various instruments and singing. The atmosphere seemed pretty good. Also, because some first-year high school students were visiting, the club was quite busy, and Hasegawa Kenichi, being an ordinary-looking, truly unremarkable junior, naturally didn't attract much attention.

So Kenichi Hasegawa glanced at it, then turned and left.

Next was the art club. As soon as I entered, I saw a group of people gathered together. In the very center was a blonde girl with twin tails. She looked quite pretty and seemed to be very good at drawing. Everyone's attention was drawn to her. I vaguely heard that her name was Sawamura Spencer Eriri.

Chapter Fourteen: Busujima, the Kendo Club Senior

Kendo Club. Kenichi Hasegawa's final destination.

To be honest, if possible, Kenichi Hasegawa would love to join the kendo club. Well, on one hand, he's relatively interested in kendo. Men are generally interested in fighting and killing, especially with a system at his disposal. His future in kendo is definitely bright; he might even become a swordsman or even a sword saint, like those in novels or anime.

On the other hand, Hasegawa Kenichi's current living space is too small. Although he can practice kendo, it feels restrictive and he can't fully utilize his skills. While his kendo proficiency will increase, there's always a sense of unease. Therefore, if possible, Hasegawa Kenichi wants to join the school's kendo club, not for the sake of socializing with others, but simply to find a place where he can practice kendo.

When Kenichi Hasegawa arrived at the Kendo Club, he found that there were quite a few people in the club, even more than in the clubs he had visited before. Moreover, he noticed that most of the people in the Kendo Club were boys.