Chapter 5: Life is Woven from Countless Coincidences
As promised, Shizuka took on the responsibility of driving Hayashida home.
Arriving at the school parking lot, Hayashida watched as Shizuka stopped in front of a sports car, deftly pulled out her keys to unlock it, and rested one hand on the doorframe while motioning for him to get in. He couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.
He recognized Shizuka's beloved car—an Aston Martin Vantage, a dream car that one either had from birth or would likely never own in their lifetime. Priced at around 50 million yen, even with Shizuka's teacher salary, it would take her seven years of saving without spending a single yen to afford it.
Yet Shizuka had only been a teacher for a few years. Under normal circumstances, there was no way she could afford such a luxury vehicle.
That left only one possible truth.
"Rented?"
"Bought."
Shizuka's blunt reply shattered Hayashida's last shred of hope.
Damn, another capitalist rich woman.
Yukino was one, and now Shizuka was another.
It had to be said that good schools really were something else. Not only did they teach you the skills to survive in society, but they also gave you access to the upper class. If you could manage to snag one of them—or even just maintain a friendship—it would benefit you immensely in the future.
If you actually succeeded in snagging one, congratulations—it wasn't just about saving ten years of hardship, but a direct class leap. The value was practically maxed out.
Ah, if only I could marry one of them, I wouldn't even mind living in a mansion and driving a luxury car!
Folding his cane and placing it in the trunk, Hayashida settled into the passenger seat. To be honest, sports cars weren't particularly comfortable—they were designed for speed, not comfort. Even so, this was the first time in both his past and current life that Hayashida had ever ridden in one.
As the engine roared to life and the scenery outside the window began to blur, Shizuka kept one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested loosely on the gearshift. Glancing at the boy who was curiously examining the car's interior, she broke the silence first.
"I didn't expect you to get along so well with Yukinoshita. You've got some skills, you rascal."
To be honest, even if Shizuka wasn't his homeroom teacher, Hayashida would have thought she was just some unreliable big sister based on that comment alone. Wait—those two things didn't seem mutually exclusive.
"Just average. Is Yukinoshita-san supposed to be someone particularly hard to get along with?" Hayashida asked, puzzled.
"Well, it's not that she's difficult to get along with," Shizuka mused before continuing, "That child is just like her name—like snow buried deep underground. Beautiful, but out of reach for others."
"Admired from afar but not to be trifled with?" Hayashida provided an apt description.
"You clearly understand perfectly well, so why are your Japanese grades so terrible?" Shizuka couldn't comprehend.
Hayashida replied irritably, "Is it possible that what you call 'Japanese' is actually a foreign language to me?"
"Oh right, you're from abroad," Shizuka remembered the setting of the student beside her. But because Hayashida's Japanese pronunciation was so native-like, she had unconsciously assumed he was Japanese.
That said, Shizuka couldn't help but ask, "In that case, why did you choose the humanities? With your grades, you should've gone for sciences, right?"
"Because it doesn't matter. Whichever I choose won't affect my future education anyway. Plus, I've already mastered most of the high school science curriculum. So why not pick the humanities where there are more girls?" Hayashida answered.
"Special admission?"
"Something like that."
This brought up the topic of Hayashida's family background. In this life, although he had lost both parents, he wasn't completely alone—he still had a grandfather and many relatives.
The Hayashida's family had been a prominent clan since ancient times, and the branch he belonged to in this life was part of a large, historically significant family. With modern development, their family business had grown exponentially, with commercial networks spanning the globe—a true multinational giant.
Even after losing his parents, he could maintain a normal life thanks in no small part to the family's support.
Though he was only a collateral relative, every month his account received living expenses from the family trust. Combined with the house and inheritance left by his parents, he didn't have to worry about daily life—though obviously, excessive luxury was out of the question.
After high school graduation, the family would arrange his further education based on his wishes and actual circumstances.
When he first transmigrated, it happened to coincide with the original body's parents passing away. So when Hayashida learned he had a family behind him, he was quite worried about some uncle or aunt coming out of nowhere to take advantage of the situation.
After all, wasn't that how novels usually went? Parents die, the protagonist battles wits with relatives coveting the inheritance, then discovers the deaths were suspicious and embarks on a revenge journey, ultimately achieving vengeance, fame and fortune, surrounded by beauties...
Yet reality was that none of that happened. Instead, the family proactively provided targeted assistance—not only increasing his monthly trust dividends but even contacting the bank to pay off his parents' mortgage early. Hayashida could repay the family slowly after graduating and finding work, interest-free during that period.
In a way, Hayashida could be considered to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth in this life.
"We're here. Do you need me to walk you up?" Shizuka parked the car by the roadside and glanced at the young man in the passenger seat.
"No need to trouble yourself. There's an elevator," Hayashida replied.
The apartment his parents had left him wasn't the typical Japanese detached house but rather a luxurious condominium with elevator access, located in an excellent neighborhood complete with all amenities, 24-hour concierge service, and not too far from Soubu High School.
Seeing this, Shizuka didn't insist. She unbuckled her seatbelt, got out to retrieve the crutches from the trunk, and watched as Hayashida entered the building. Just as she was about to get back in the car to leave, she noticed a familiar figure approaching from not too far away.
"Yukinoshita?" Shizuka couldn't help but glance back at the apartment where Hayashida lived. Could it really be such a coincidence?
Yukino, who was almost home, had also spotted Shizuka. After all, the striking design of the Aston Martin was hard to miss, especially with a beautiful woman standing beside it, making it all the more eye-catching.
"Teacher Hiratsuka?" Yukino was puzzled. Wasn't she supposed to be taking Hayashida home? Why was she here?
Could it be...?
The quick-witted Yukino soon realized what might be happening and shifted her gaze to the entrance of her apartment building. Through the pristine glass windows, she could see the back of a figure leaning on crutches, with the building's concierge attempting to offer assistance, only to be politely declined by Hayashida.
Yukino pressed her lips together. What an incredible coincidence.