The three idiots who couldn't become heroes are preparing a man's meal today as well. - Chapter 107

Episode 107. Nakajima

“””Thank you very much!!”””

“Yes, thank you as well. Now then everyone, do your best this afternoon too, okay?”

Just as I wrapped up class and tucked the textbook under my arm—

“Na-ka-ji-ma-sensei! What are you having for lunch today?”

“Are you joining the afternoon training too, Nakajima-sensei?”

The kids gathered around me right away.

As they all chattered noisily, I couldn’t help but let a smile creep onto my face, even though I thought, good grief.

But now I had a problem—I couldn’t get back to the director’s office like this.

Just as I was thinking that—

“Now now, everyone. You’re troubling Nakajima-sama, aren’t you? Also, there should be some of you on lunch duty today, right? Do you intend to keep everyone waiting? Time is limited, you know—don’t waste it.”

“””Yeeees.”””

Sister Kua, who happened to be passing by, poked her head into the classroom.

After clapping her hands together a couple times, the children obediently scattered and got moving.

As expected of her.

Even with that gentle expression, just one word from her was enough to get them to listen.

That alone speaks to how strict yet beloved she is.

“Thank you very much, Sister.”

“Oh, think nothing of it. But still, Nakajima-sama really is adored by the children. Out of all the teachers, I’d say they want to spend time with you the most.”

I tilted my head at her smiling words.

Was that really the case?

I mean, Kua-san, Annabelle-san, Hatsumi-san…

Even the Dwarves get along well with the kids, I thought.

“Oh, could it be that you hadn’t noticed? It’s true that you’re close with everyone in the ‘Hearty Eater’ clan, but when it comes to the children skipping duties and jobs just to spend time with someone—it’s probably only Nakajima-sama.”

“That’s, um… kind of embarrassing.”

“Not at all. It just shows how much they care for you. But, if I may—Nakajima-sama, you rarely scold the children, right? Or rather, you don’t really speak to them in a negative way. Is that a personal belief?”

“Ahhh, now that you mention it, I guess I’m not very good at scolding. It’s not really a principle or anything, but the teacher I admired was like that, so…”

“Oh my, sounds like there’s an interesting story behind that… You’ll have to tell me all about it over drinks sometime.”

“Hmm… I don’t think it’s that exciting of a story though?”

I started admiring teachers back in high school.

I went to a pretty decent academic school at the time, but bullying and whatnot—it’s something you’ll find anywhere.

Not like the twisted stuff you see nowadays, or the kind that drives people to suicide.

Back in my day, it felt like there was more physical violence.

Which is why, honestly, I just let it slide as something “normal.”

“A fight, huh? Young folks getting into scraps isn’t unusual, but isn’t it a bit mean to go overboard? C’mon now, you too. Of course getting hit hurts, but hitting someone hurts too, doesn’t it? Look at your hand—bleeding from the knuckles. Go on, get to the nurse’s office. Make sure you disinfect properly.”

To a textbook delinquent-type, she just waved them off like they were nothing and sent them packing.

I remember muttering things like, don’t come to a prep school looking like that about those punks.

And then—

“Oh dear, that was a rough one, huh? You okay, Nakajima-kun?”

“…Yes.”

When I took the hand she offered, she pulled me up with a firm grip.

Long story short—I was the one being bullied.

Every day, they’d pick a fight with me, punch, kick… and this teacher would be the one to help me.

She must’ve been pretty up there in age, and yet she’d always stop a punk’s punch with one hand while smiling.

And I never once saw her get angry.

In a way, she was terrifying.

“Um, Sensei.”

“Hmm?”

One day, like always, she brought me to the staff room to patch me up.

And I suddenly wanted to ask her—

“Sensei, why don’t you get angry? Why are you so strong? What can I do… to become strong like you?”

I clenched my fists tight as I asked.

But she just gave me that usual carefree smile and replied:

“Hmm, well, I guess all of those answers kind of come from the same place. But you know, Nakajima-kun, this is my answer, so you shouldn’t make it your answer. That’d be cheating.”

“Cheating?”

“Yup. That kind of thing—you’ve got to take your time, live a long life, and find it for yourself.”

Saying that, she put a band-aid on my knee, and gave the wound a light pat.

“Not getting angry is because it’s tiring. Getting angry doesn’t change anything, you know? It might feel better in the moment, but it doesn’t stick. Instead, it’s much better to make them think about what went wrong and how to make it right. That’s why I talk things through. We’ve got words, so we should use them—otherwise, it’s a waste, right?”

“Y-yes… But with people like those from earlier, who don’t understand words…”

“Oh, they didn’t understand, huh? Then I guess next class will be Japanese language lessons, huh?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant!”

Seeing me flustered, she burst into hearty laughter.

She always laughed so loudly and happily, it was contagious.

It was as though she viewed the troubles most people have as little more than insignificant.

“You’re such a serious one, Nakajima-kun. You think a lot about things, but sometimes it’s necessary to act a little foolish, you know?”

“Act foolish?”

“Yep, exactly. For example, what do you think it would take to beat those guys in a fight?”

“Uh, maybe… train my body?”

“Ah, I see. That’s a good idea. Why don’t you give it a try starting today?”

“Eh?”

I couldn’t come up with a proper answer, so I tilted my head in confusion.

“Whenever you think of something, just try it. It might seem silly to someone like you who’s always looking for the right answer, but you’d be surprised—it’s actually kind of fun, you know? Doing stuff like that.”

“Fun, you say?”

“Yeah, fun. You could work on strengthening your body to win, or maybe take up martial arts. Or you know, it could even be the right answer to run away instead of fighting. In that case, you’d need to be fast. How about trying running?”

“Uh…”

By the time the conversation started to jump all over the place, I wasn’t sure where it was going anymore.

But once again, she smiled at me.

“See, Nakajima-kun, your answer isn’t fixed. My answer is to overpower with overwhelming power and make the opponent feel like they can’t win. And then, just treat them with a smile, and they might actually calm down. I’m a teacher, but I’ve never been a fool. If I ever thought ‘what if?’ I’d just go ahead and act. That’s what I’ve done since forever. And this is the result.”

Saying that, she spread her arms wide, showing herself off.

There, in front of me, was a perfectly ordinary teacher.

She was always smiling, kind, and always helping others.

But behind her “ordinary” appearance, I could feel the incredible effort it took to keep that up.

To always be smiling—what must she have done to manage that?

What kind of mindset does it take to be so kind to everyone?

And how much training must it have taken to stand confidently before any opponent and help someone like me, someone so weak?

Back then, I couldn’t even imagine such a high bar of “ordinary.”

“I… I want to be like you, Sensei.”

“You really mean that, Nakajima-kun? Well then, you’ve got to work hard. You’ve got plenty of things that make you way better than me, I’d be surprised. But there’s just a small part where you’re a bit lacking. So, maybe you should put some effort into improving that little part when the mood strikes? That way, you’ll become a better man.”

Saying that, she roughly patted my head.

“You’re saying I should train, right?”

“Training’s not bad, no. It’s actually pretty good. But what I’d recommend is sometimes just acting a little foolish. Forget about thinking and just throw yourself into whatever you want. You’ll find your body keeps up with you surprisingly fast.”

“That might be a little too hard for me…”

“Ha ha! Still so serious, huh, Nakajima-kun?”

She laughed heartily, and years later, she retired from being a teacher.

“That said, the story goes that until the very end, she was surrounded by her students…”

“Wait, wait, hold on a second! This is too sudden—why did she quit teaching? Was there some problem, or did she fall ill or something?!”

With a drink in hand, I got bombarded with a barrage of questions from Sister Kua.

We were currently at a drinking gathering.

The members of the Hearty Eater group, except for the direction crew, were all there, enjoying drinks.

“No, there wasn’t really any ‘big reason’ for her retirement. That’s just how she was. When I went to say my goodbyes, she told me that children should be encouraged rather than shut down, and I’ve carried that lesson with me. She was someone who always smiled, right until the end.”

“Eh… eeeeh?!”

Kua-san slumped in disbelief, and I couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly as the Dwarves around us burst into laughter.

“Well, I’m glad it didn’t turn into a sad story! Drinking while hearing about people’s histories is also quite enjoyable!”

“If it became a bit of a snack for the drink, I’m honored.”

I replied with a smile, but then I was nudged lightly from the side.

“Lie, there’s still something… No, maybe ‘there was nothing’—because there was nothing I could do, you just gave up, right?”

Shiro-san whispered those words to me.

In a voice so quiet that no one else could hear, she spoke softly.

That’s why…

“Life is full of things, isn’t it? For her, for me, and of course for you, Shiro-san. After all, we were all part of the ‘other side’ of society. Well, even students must have their fair share of struggles. But it’s the past now. If we’re going to look back, we should focus on the happy memories, don’t you think?”

“…Mm, I understand.”

She just said that and turned back to face the front.

I must have made her worry a bit.

A little apologetic, I also silently tilted my glass.

“Ah, but…”

“Hm? What is it?”

When I raised my voice, everyone seemed to get interested, expecting the continuation of the story.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but lower my brows in exasperation, but I also couldn’t stop my smile from appearing.

“Well, in terms of people I admire, the members of the Hearty Eater group come to mind. Like when I was getting harassed by punks in an alley, and Azuma-san saved me—he looked like a savior. I was scared afterward, though, with that armor he wore.”

“I get that. When it was Kita for me, it was genuinely terrifying.”

Talking with Shiro-san like this, the group burst out laughing.

Ah, it’s so fun.

When I first came to this side, I was filled with despair, but now I’m able to live so happily here.

In fact, I’m much happier than when I was on the “other side.”

“Alright, let’s set a goal before the leaders come back.”

“Oh? What kind of goal?”

Airi-san, who seemed a bit tipsy, turned to face us with a flushed face.

Ever since that letter arrived, she’d become much brighter.

Well, I guess it’s the same for everyone else here, including me.

“I’ll get faster than Nishida-san.”

“Naka-san, are you already acting foolish according to her teachings?”

“Well… I’m fast enough already, but surpassing Nishida-san is…”

Everyone showed a hesitant expression, but I decided to give them a big grin.

“If you give up from the start, you’ll never win. ‘Try it if you think of it,’ that’s the lesson. Besides, I’m supposed to set an example for the kids, you know.”

Saying that, I took a hearty gulp of my drink.

Just because I’m happy now doesn’t mean this will last forever.

That’s exactly why I need to get stronger.

I can’t leave behind regrets like the ones from the ‘other side,’ and I want to make sure the kids graduate safely from here.

I believe that’s the reason I was called to this side, and now I think so too.

Please, watch over me, Sensei.

I will become a teacher as wonderful as you.

But… from now on…

It seems I won’t be able to visit your grave.

Though it’s from a distance, I’ll pray for your peaceful rest.