Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Feeling bewildered, the girl with glasses and a ponytail, who was being forcibly dragged away, was holding a book in her hand.

"White bird, white bird, let's stay away from him."

"Shiratori, you're that delinquent senior from the third year, right? Why are you so afraid of him? We didn't do anything to him. You're such a coward."

"I'm not being cowardly, I'm avoiding risks... He's hit girls before, do you only feel scared when he beats you up?"

"There's some truth to what you're saying."

"And what if he tries to chat us up and asks us to go out with him? I wouldn't dare refuse."

"..."

Upon hearing this, the bespectacled junior looked at her plain appearance and couldn't help but turn around to steal a glance at Shiratori Osamu, who was standing in front of the bookshelf. She immediately fell silent.

No, her friend is just timid yet confident.

Although the third-year student, Shiratori, has a notorious reputation for being fierce and has a long history of misdeeds, earning him the title of school bully, he is undeniably handsome and surrounded by stylish and beautiful girls. There's no way he would ever try to chat up a girl like them with bangs.

This kind of situation, where people try to avoid it at all costs, is common among students at Takeno High School.

Even first-year students, upon discovering Shiratori's presence, instinctively kept their distance, as the saying goes, "a person's name is like a tree's shadow."

It's possible for a snake to be non-venomous, but it's also highly unlikely that a snake is completely non-venomous.

Shiratori Osamu didn't care about everyone's respectful distance. He simply started buying books according to the recommendations in the academic enhancement plan, searching for books and looking through the table of contents.

Although national conditions differ and textbooks differ, the content of high school science courses is still very similar.

For example, in the series of books on mathematics I, II, and III, the main content of high school mathematics is still functions and calculus.

In fact, improving academic performance in Japan requires a significant financial investment.

High school in Japan lets out very early; students are free to do whatever they want from 4:30 pm onwards, with no evening study sessions, making it a very relaxed school year.

This kind of learning system may seem free, allowing students to freely celebrate their youth, but it is actually just the tip of the iceberg of capitalist countries.

Because teachers have limited time and energy, the knowledge and content they teach in class are not comprehensive enough.

For example, the school will only teach "Mathematics I" and "Mathematics II" and will never teach "Mathematics III". With this kind of textbook arrangement, the school can only help students lay a certain foundation and have a chance to get into university.

If students want to get into top universities, such as the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, and other first-class universities, they must spend money to attend off-campus cram schools or hire private tutors.

The streets of Japan are full of cram schools, and with fierce competition and continuous development, the industry has a very mature business model, working in conjunction with various schools.

As long as you have money, you'll have access to an excellent team of teachers who will do everything they can to help you quickly improve your academic performance and grades.

Of course, if someone is exceptionally talented and can become self-taught, they can save this money.

Shiratori Osamu was an excellent student before junior high school and worked hard for a period of time to prepare for the college entrance examination, so he was very familiar with the process.

That's why he was so grateful when he saw that Professor Dongyun had spent a whole day helping him plan a detailed and comprehensive academic enhancement program.

With a list of recommended books, Shiratori Osamu doesn't need to choose any books; he just needs to find the titles, just like completing a task.

Learning is a phased process of growth, requiring a significant amount of time and effort to make progress.

Mizuki Shinonome's recommended book purchases are divided into multiple periods, so you don't need to buy them all at once. Also, there are so many textbooks, which would cost a lot of money.

However, Shiratori Osamu had just earned 50 yen yesterday, so he wasn't short of money at all. Moreover, he was very confident in his learning efficiency, so to save trouble, he would just take any book on the list he saw.

Before long, Shiratori Osamu, carrying a tower made of more than thirty books, walked to the counter amidst the surprised, shocked, curious, and puzzled gazes of the onlookers.

"Check, please."

After placing the stacked books on the counter, Shiratori Osamu broke the book tower in two to prevent it from collapsing. He looked up and then down, meeting the female shop assistant's gaze before speaking.

"Yes!"

The slender, tall, and somewhat pretty female shop assistant, wearing a headscarf, was initially taken aback, but quickly understood the request and complied.

She was actually a graduate of Takeno High School last year, making her Shiratori Osamu's senior.

Even though she was a senior, she was still very afraid of Shiratori Osamu, the number one delinquent at Takeno High School.

Do you offer home delivery service?

While waiting for her to scan the items, Shiratori Osamu glanced at the books placed in front of him and asked a question.

He bought too many books at once. Although he is very strong, he would be taking the subway later, and it would be inconvenient to carry too many things.

"Yes, yes... but door-to-door delivery service requires an extra fee. Please fill in your address and contact information. Would you like that?"

"need."

"Ok."

After the question and answer, the female shop assistant hurriedly started working, afraid that she would be too slow and upset him.

These guests, who look intimidating, require extra caution when receiving them.

"The total is 58730 yen. How would you like to pay?"

In no time, the female clerk finished scanning all the books, straightened her back, forced a professional smile on her face, and cautiously asked.

Shiratori Osamu didn't say anything, but simply took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out six ten-thousand-yuan bills, and placed them on the table.

When he went home to shower and change clothes this morning, he had 10 yuan with him. It wasn't that he foresaw this moment, but he just wanted to carry more money with him so that it would be more convenient if he encountered any problems.

"Your payment has been received. Here is your change: 1270 yen."

"You have selected delivery service. Please fill out this delivery form."

"These books don't need to be delivered, right?"

"It will be delivered to Tokyo on the same day."

"Thank you very much for your patronage. We look forward to seeing you again. Have a safe journey."

The female shop assistant's entire process was a complete replica of the onboarding training she had ever undergone; she had never been so meticulous before.

Shiratori Osamu pulled out the math books separately and put them in his bag, then picked up his change and left.

"call……"

Only after watching his figure disappear from the bookstore did the female clerk breathe a sigh of relief.

She was almost scared to death after scanning all the books, because the prices were too high, and she felt that Shiratori Xiu would never pay them.

Unexpectedly, he bought them all.

"Mei-senpai, was that person Shiratori, a third-year student?"

Finally, the opportunity came, and a second-year junior came forward to strike up a conversation.

"Although he wasn't wearing earrings, it's still him... Also, keep your voice down and call him 'senior,' or it'll be a disaster if he hears you."

Mei Akiyama nodded, her heart still pounding wildly, completely terrified.

"Mei-senpai, did Shiratori-senpai really hit a girl?"

Just then, the girl with braids and glasses walked over and asked curiously.

"I'm not sure if he's ever hit a girl, I've just heard it from others, I don't know if it's true or not... But I've seen him fight with delinquents from other schools, he's a really good fighter."

"Mei-senpai, what books did he just buy?"

"Let me see... half of it is high school textbooks, and the other half is advanced science books."

Speaking of this, Akiyama Mei hadn't paid attention while frantically scanning books earlier, but now that she had a chance to look at her purchase history on the machine, she was immediately surprised.

The textbooks that Shiratori bought were very comprehensive, covering all the major subjects, and there were also many advanced science books that would give her a headache just by looking at their titles.

"He bought only textbooks?"

Do delinquents even read and study?

"Maybe he bought it for someone else, like a younger sibling or something. That's how it's always portrayed on TV, isn't it? The tough older brother may seem fierce to outsiders, but he's actually very gentle at home."

The students of Takeno High School were immediately surprised when they realized what kind of books Shiratori had bought at the bookstore.

"Uh...everyone has the right to read and learn."

Mei Akiyama was also surprised by everyone's discussion, but she didn't dare to comment. Instead, she brought up the bookstore's admonition.

Everyone has the right to read and learn. Even a homeless person in tattered clothes should be treated with respect when they come to the store to buy books.

Chapter 34 Minami Yamabuki's Second Invitation

Toshima Ward is one of the 23 most densely populated wards in Tokyo, with huge differences in housing prices. Its most famous commercial center is Ikebukuro.

Shiratori Osamu took the subway from Shinjuku back to his rented apartment in Toshima Ward. It was already 18:02 PM.

Tokyo's transportation is actually quite convenient, but he spent a lot of time looking for books at the bookstore today. The evening rush hour is quite troublesome, and the nearest subway station is a twelve-minute walk from his home.

"Clap."

He took out his key, opened the door, and entered the house without saying a word. He simply kicked off his shoes and socks and put on slippers.

He lives alone in this house. It's a 1LDK apartment that his parents rented for him after he got into a high school in Tokyo. There's no need for him to say anything extra like "I'm back."

His parents live in his hometown. His mother is a full-time housewife, and his father works as a section chief at a real estate company.

Because of his neglect of his studies over the past few years, and even because he got into fights outside, his relationship with his parents has deteriorated significantly after being notified several times.

Fortunately, they live separately, so he doesn't have to worry about arguing every time they meet.

After stepping through the entryway and urinating in the toilet, Shiratori Shu went straight back to his room.

His bedroom contained a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, a small round table, and a stereo. The placement and even the size of the furniture were just right, crammed full, making it look very cramped.

This feeling of confinement was even stronger after spending the night at Yamabuki's house last night.

To put it bluntly, Minami Yamabuki's bedroom is as big as his rented room... and many parts of it are not even used, it's very spacious.

After putting down his schoolbag, Shiratori Osamu rummaged through the drawer and found the air conditioner remote, turning on the cool air to dispel the sweltering heat accumulated by the summer sun throughout the day.

Actually, it was already evening, and even though Tokyo was very hot, you could cool off with a fan.

Even though electricity is expensive in Tokyo, he worked hard to earn 50 yen yesterday, so shouldn't he enjoy himself?

Having solved the indoor temperature problem, Shiratori Osamu ran to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, and gulped down a few mouthfuls to quench his thirst. He then returned to his room, took his schoolbag to his desk, and rummaged through it, finally finding his "Mathematics I" textbook.

Actually, this book is a standard math textbook for high school students, but it's for first grade. The textbook for third grade is "Mathematics II".

Because he was very rebellious during his two and a half years of high school, he threw away "Mathematics I" as soon as the textbooks were changed, so he had to buy the book from the bookstore.

Even with a teacher's instruction, a normal person cannot understand Mathematics II without thoroughly studying and mastering Mathematics I.

However, during class today, relying on his abilities of [Full Concentration] and [Desperate Counterattack], coupled with his past life as a college student, which allowed him to delve into his memories and unleash his full mental potential, he still managed to understand that math lesson.

He wanted to catch up with the school's teaching pace, and it would be best to quickly catch up on his high school math foundation.

Shiratori Osamu opened the textbook and glanced at the table of contents.

Numbers and expressions, quadratic functions, graphs and econometrics, and data analysis.

"That's more like it."

Upon seeing these unfamiliar yet familiar terms, Shiratori Osamu couldn't help but grin.

Compared to the differential equations taught in today's class, the content of Mathematics I is significantly simpler.

Turning the page again, Shiratori Shu immediately activated [Total Concentration] and entered a state of flow.

Getting into university, especially the University of Tokyo, isn't something you can achieve just by shouting slogans; you need real talent and knowledge.

Fortunately, he now has the talent rewarded by the system, and in his previous life he was a college student who had attended high school and a second-tier university... even if he had long forgotten the high school content, especially the difficult knowledge in mathematics.

However, having the experience of his past life, he doesn't need to start learning from scratch when faced with math textbooks.

Rather than saying he is learning, it would be more accurate to say he is reviewing and rehabilitating, rediscovering knowledge he once learned but had forgotten.

Compared to his math class in the morning, his reading and learning went much better this time.

Although he wasn't the type to understand everything at a glance, after carefully looking at the formulas and examples in the textbook and thinking about them, he was still able to understand the principles behind the formulas and apply them to the problems.

Moreover, when he studies in a state of flow, mathematical formulas and problems he has solved are imprinted in his mind like a brand. Even after flipping through several pages, they are still incredibly clear when he recalls them.

Shiratori Osamu was engrossed in studying "Mathematics I" and didn't know how much time had passed until a doorbell rang, waking him up.

"It should be bookstore delivery to your door."

Upon hearing the doorbell, Shiratori Osamu was momentarily confused as to why someone would ring the doorbell, but he quickly realized what was going on.