Mash-Up: Anything for Money

Hakuto watched as Rikka's figure disappeared into the distance. Then, he turned to Hiratsuka with a teasing remark.

"Looks like Sensei has something important to tell me, huh? You even went as far as kicking her out."

"Explain yourself."

Hiratsuka pulled out the cigarette she had just put away. A second later, wisps of white smoke escaped her lips, as if she were exhaling her worries along with it.

Hakuto instinctively stepped aside. Though he didn't particularly mind the smell of smoke, secondhand smoke was still harmful. Better to inhale as little of it as possible.

"Explain what?"

"You know exactly what."

Of course, Hakuto knew what she wanted to ask. He was just playing dumb.

"Sensei, do you know what Rikka went through during middle school?"

Hiratsuka frowned slightly. Though she was Rikka's homeroom teacher, they had only been acquainted for a little over a month—there was no way she could know about her past.

Seeing her puzzled expression, Hakuto sat back down on the bench and no longer cared about the lingering secondhand smoke.

"Sensei, you should know—I absolutely hate fighting."

"Hah?"

Hiratsuka would sooner believe Hakuto had a lucky charm stuffed between his ears than buy into that nonsense.

"Sensei, with Rikka's personality, you should be able to guess what kind of things happened to her in a school full of questionable people."

"School bullying…"

Hiratsuka exhaled a puff of smoke and calmly muttered those two words.

She wasn't particularly surprised.

Bullying in Japan's schools was so common it was practically routine. Schools were nothing more than miniature versions of society, and in any society, nothing was ever truly surprising.

No matter how prestigious a school was, no matter how high its university acceptance rate, there would always be students who broke the rules.

And bullying was one of the frequent offenders.

Hiratsuka had witnessed it more times than she could count.

She wanted to do something, but there was only so much she could do.

Maybe she could intervene in the cases she personally encountered—but even then, she was only scratching the surface of a much larger issue.

That was precisely why, despite Hakuto being at the school for only a month, Hiratsuka had been so protective of him when it came to fighting.

Because he was right.

Some people deserved to be beaten.

And, honestly? Hiratsuka kind of liked that about him.

"Yeah… bullying."

"Then Sensei, you should also know what the best way to deal with bullying is, right?"

If she had been asked this question a few years ago, Hiratsuka wouldn't have hesitated to answer: Tell a teacher or Call the police.

But now?

Reality had worn down her idealism.

Of course, she couldn't just say what she was thinking out loud—not as a teacher.

"What exactly are you getting at, Shiratori?"

Hiratsuka put out her cigarette and flicked the butt into a nearby trash can.

"When someone starts regretting their actions, it's not because they've changed. It's because they're afraid…"

"Even the fiercest beasts tremble in the face of a firearm."

Hakuto raised his hand, forming the shape of a gun with his fingers, and pointed it at Hiratsuka with a bright, almost carefree smile.

Hakuto continued speaking.

"And my role is to become that 'firearm.' Even if I never pull the trigger, just my presence alone can serve as a deterrent…"

"At the very least, if there's someone like me around—someone completely unhinged—those people will think twice before trying to bully anyone."

Hiratsuka found it hard to believe.

If Hakuto really went through with this, it would be the same as branding the word delinquent on his forehead.

In just one month, that label would follow him through his entire three years of high school, and if he wasn't careful, it might even stick with him into college.

And the reason he was doing all this… was merely to scare off the bullies?

"Didn't expect you to have such a meticulous side to you, kid."

By this point, Hiratsuka had pretty much figured out what Hakuto was trying to say. And because of that, her impression of him had shifted significantly.

"But… why go this far?"

"This is about the promise I made with Rikka."

As Hakuto recalled that rain-soaked girl standing in front of him, a rare look of nostalgia appeared on his face.

"But what about Sawamura Eriri?"

"That's a different promise."

"Oh, I see how it is—you're two-timing?"

"Sensei, for that to be the case, wouldn't both boats have to actually be under my feet?"

Hakuto grumbled in dissatisfaction. After all, his relationship with Eriri was purely transactional.

But with Rikka, it was different.

Even if Rikka stopped hiring him with money, Hakuto would never forget the tear-streaked face of the girl who begged for his help two years ago.

"My agreement with Eriri has already expired, so there's no need for you to dwell on it, Sensei."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on!"

"Even though you're being all vague about it, am I right to assume that you just… gave up on something you've been holding onto for two years?"

"No, no, no, Sensei, you've got it all wrong. I wouldn't use the term gave up—I already told you, the agreement expired."

"Would you say throwing away an expired piece of bread is wasting food?"

Hiratsuka wasn't trying to convince him to change his mind or anything. She was just… surprised.

From any perspective, Hakuto walking away from Eriri was a good thing.

As a teacher, she was glad her student would now have more time to study or participate in extracurricular activities.

And even if he didn't do either of those, at least he'd have time for a proper lunch break and maybe even a quick nap.

And as a friend? Even better!

"Sensei, class is about to start. I'll be taking my leave."

"Wait, kid—are you sure you're okay?"

Hiratsuka wasn't being nosy; she was genuinely worried he had taken some kind of emotional hit.

"Relax, Sensei. Just think of me as one of those tragic souls who could never obtain the love they desired and had to exit the stage in regret."

Because of his contract with Sayuri, Hakuto couldn't disclose the real reason behind his arrangement with Eriri. So, this was the best excuse he could come up with.

His smile was stiff—forced, even.

He wasn't very good at lying.

But then again, not many people ever seemed to notice when he did.

Hiratsuka stared into his eyes for a long moment.

Only after making sure there was nothing truly wrong did she finally let out a quiet sigh.

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