Chapter 21: F*ck This Job, I Quit
A luxury apartment in the Minato district of Tokyo.
On the 30th floor, the situation had become a little hard to control.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting its glow on the boy's face—an exquisitely handsome face so striking that just one glance would etch it into memory forever. His skin was flawless and fair, and in his hands were a pen and paper with a meticulously drafted teaching plan.
He was, more or less, perfect. Anyone meeting him for the first time would probably think so.
And yet now, such a good-looking young man was sitting in silence, staring downward.
Below, scattered books and notes were visible in the distance. If he hadn't taken the test papers out earlier, things might've turned out even worse.
"Sakurai-san, Nino didn't mean it." Nakano Yotsuba was apologizing on her sister's behalf.
(ó﹏ò｡)
For a moment, Yotsuba didn't know how to explain: "She just…"
After throwing the bag, Nino had gone straight back to her room, giving no chance for reconciliation. Even Yotsuba couldn't think of a way to fix this.
Sakurai Saki said nothing. He simply took out his phone.
He opened Line and messaged President Shirogane, informing him that he had decided to withdraw from the assignment.
"It's just textbooks. No big deal," Sakurai Saki said to Yotsuba.
His face was calm, like nothing had happened. "I mean, I'm just a scumbag who changes girlfriends five times a week—of course she's on guard around me. You too, Yotsuba—better stay away from me."
With that, he walked to the sofa and picked up the test papers. "It's getting late. I won't bother you guys anymore."
A bunch of teen girls acting like they're the center of the universe. Seriously, what a pain.
Haizz. I must be out of my goddamn mind to come here and tutor them.
"( – ⌓ – )
After packing up, Sakurai stood.
"Are you really just going to leave like that?"
Nakano Itsuki suddenly spoke up. She had witnessed the entire thing earlier—after all, the noise had made it impossible for her to study.
"Sorry, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm too lazy to cater to a bunch of high-maintenance girls."
"I'll go resign tomorrow. At first, I thought I could handle this job. But thinking about it now, I was just being naive," Sakurai Saki said with a bright smile.
"Anyway, it's still early in the semester. I hope your dad can find a tutor with more patience and competence—someone who isn't me."
He'd prepared so many plans, even carefully made a test. Was it really okay to just give up like this?
Nakano Itsuki thought this to herself, but in the end, she didn't say it out loud.
Like he said, maybe someone else would be a better fit. And it was his own decision, so she didn't really have a reason to stop him.
"Saki-kun, you promised to play games with me last week…" Miku pouted her adorable cheeks.
( ,,⩌'︿'⩌,,)
"Sorry."
Sakurai Saki walked to the door, firmly shut it behind him, leaving only the sound of the heavy door slamming and the sight of his fading silhouette.
...
Downstairs in the open lot, he found his bag. Casually, he picked up a few scattered books, brushed the dust off, and mounted his bicycle to head home.
Passing by a convenience store he often visited, Sakurai Saki stepped inside to grab a few things.
He usually didn't cook dinner. Even though he considered himself a decent cook, he rarely had the time—he only bought ingredients and cooked on weekends.
Grabbing some snacks and a few cans of coffee, Sakurai Saki headed to the register.
Back at his apartment door, he scanned his face to enter.
The unit he rented was a single-person apartment, around 50 square meters, with a living room, one main bedroom, and a dining area. It didn't feel cramped for one person. If he got a girlfriend in the future, maybe he'd consider moving.
But for now, there was no need. Sakurai Saki was a pragmatic person—"just enough" was good enough.
Changing his shoes at the entrance, he glanced around the room layout. Nothing had changed since he left that morning.
He'd once thought about raising a dog—though honestly, he preferred cats.
In the end, he gave up on the idea. Too much hassle. And the cost of keeping a pet wasn't cheap either.
At school, playing around with Fujiwara Chika—who was as adorable as a puppy—was enough to satisfy his pet-owner fantasies. So he didn't feel like he was missing anything.
Chika: ૮⍝• ᴥ •⍝ა woof~~~
"Spending an hour making a test... what a damn waste."
Sakurai Saki put down his bag and hung his uniform on the standing rack.
Then, he took the test paper out of the bag and tossed it into the trash.
For Sakurai Saki—someone who usually only spent two hours a day studying—devoting an entire hour to making a test was a real effort. Not to mention, the detailed study plans he'd prepared for quintuplet sisters had already consumed several of his free days.
And in the end, it was all just a one-man delusion?
Even a clown at the circus wasn't as pathetic as he was.
He'd kept a calm face and attitude when dealing with them, and what did he get? One girl cursed him out as a "pervert" the moment they met, one refused to listen and blindly trusted her sisters, giving him a contemptuous scolding, one only cared about Japanese history, another was just plain dumb, and the last one… didn't even show the slightest interest in talking to him.
They didn't want to study? Then he won't teach. To force myself to keep going would be degrading.
If he had a little sister to take care of at home, or if his parents were in poor health, maybe Sakurai Saki would've reconsidered. He might've swallowed his pride and stuck with this job, keeping his head down and quietly doing the work, coaxing them along with the silver tongue of someone half full of lies.
Something like: "Please, if I lose this job, I won't be able to eat!"
⚫█▀█▄▄
Haa. How ridiculous.
"Reng~!"
His phone rang.
Sakurai Saki took it out and saw it was a reply from Shirogane Miyuki—regarding his earlier resignation message.
Sakurai had asked him for his thoughts at the end of the message——
[Shirogane Miyuki: Sakurai, if you want to quit, go ahead. I have no reason to interfere with your decision, and there's no need to explain anything to me.
As for what I'm about to say next, you can treat it as a personal request—maybe even a selfish one—but if possible, I'd like you to try helping them one more time. Those five girls aren't bad people. I've checked their middle school grades—not top students, but good enough to get into Shuchiin. They're not as hopeless as they think.
People who have already given up on themselves, who've only taken half a step into the abyss, are the ones who need saving the most. If it's you, I think you can sense that. So please, help them. I believe in you.]
"..." Sakurai frowned.
I knew it. Ask him something like that and this is exactly the kind of answer I'd get.
That guy's just a do-gooder to a fault.
Sakurai Saki let out a long sigh.
[Sakurai Saki: What if I just don't want to? Honestly, this has nothing to do with you. I'll explain the cancellation to the principal myself.]
"Reng~"
Instant reply——
[Shirogane Miyuki: If you don't want to, I'll take responsibility. I was the one who gave you this job in the first place!]
So… you wanna do it yourself? Sakurai scratched his head, looking gloomy.
Ten hours of studying a day, and on top of that tutoring a bunch of rich dumb girls—is this guy trying to courting death?
"Maybe I should just drop it." Sakurai glanced at the trash bin where the test was.
He thought for a moment.
Then looked back at the Line chat screen.
[Sakurai Saki: You're such a good person. An extremely good person.]
"Reng~"
Instant reply.
[Shirogane Miyuki: Thanks for the compliment!]
I wasn't complimenting you, dumbass.
Putting the phone down, Sakurai collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes.
In his mind, he recalled an image of himself from a year ago——
A boy uninterested in anything, drifting meaninglessly through class, not joining any clubs, no plans to make money, living like a soulless husk.
At that time, a persistent boy kept coming up to talk to him.
Again and again, for over a month.
The one who kept coming back after nearly a hundred cold shoulders… was Shirogane Miyuki.
"Since you said all that… I guess I'll give it one more shot." Sakurai Saki opened his eyes.
After all—
A pyschic doesn't give up that easily!
But who should he use as the breakthrough point?
Itsuki? She was quietly focused on her books earlier, seemed serious, and didn't storm off.
૮₍ ˶>⤙<˶ ₎ა
Miku? Although she was familiar with him, their relationship wasn't exactly close.
(,,¬﹏¬,,)
Yotsuba was like central air conditioning—well-liked at school and the kind of kid who had no problem turning down requests.
ヾ(＾ ∇ ＾).
This… is going to be tough.