Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Early in the morning, Lu Shu got up from his tatami with a stretch. He spent the night before learning by rote a huge pile of materials given by Taniguchi Bunndai about important figures in the Collection of Gods and the remaining forces of the Conservatives.
Now, he had had a more comprehensive understanding about the tragic plight the Conservatives were in. According to the information from the Heavenly Network, as Kiriharas’ maid, Taniguchi’s knowledge on the Conservatives was comparatively detailed and dependable.
In contrast to a total of over ten thousand Jingoists, the Conservatives only had slightly more than one hundred under its lead…
In the past, Lu Shu had expected better, given the fact that the Conservatives still had the courage to fight with the Jingoists, openly and in secret. Judging from now, it seemed like a downright joke!
Of course, another reason for their feeble yet sustaining existence was the missing high-end Class B fighter that belonged to them. He was their strongest card, but Lu Shu could not be any less interested in a collaboration with them.
After washing up, Lu Shu stood in the yard. The simple wooden design and the pebble path made him feel clean and fresh. The care that the previous owner of the yard had put into it was apparent in every detail.
In the past, Lu Shu found it difficult to understand how the white paper pasted on traditional Japanese wooden frames could be maintained clean. Now he noticed that everything, at least in this yard, was totally unblemished.
Taniguchi Bunndai walked out from another room. She made a gentle bow to Lu Shu and said, “Your breakfast is ready. However, I made Japanese dishes because I am unfamiliar with Chinese-style food. Please let me know if it does not suit your taste. Moreover, I have prepared your lunch bento. So do remember to bring it with you.”
Honestly speaking, it was Lu Shu’s first time to be served and it felt kind of weird.
Only the night before, Taniguchi had asked him about the lunch box. Lu Shu wanted to cook it himself but then he realized a problem…
It was not his laziness, but that he did not know how to cook Japanese food.
That would result in the following situation. During lunchtime, other people opened their lunch box to see onigiri or unadon.
But for Lu Shu, there would be shredded pork with garlic sauce, sour and hot potato shreds and chicken cubes with peanuts…
Nonsense! His identity would surely be exposed on his first day as an undercover agent…
Taniguchi Bunndai sat straight at his side, her hands resting gently on her knees. Out of curiosity, Lu Shu asked, “How long have you been here?”
“21 years. I followed my father here when I was 9 and I have never left since then. I did not know my true identity until seven years ago,” Taniguchi replied warmly. Her good-natured smile reminded Lu Shu of the legendary Yamato nadeshiko [1. a Japanese term meaning the “personification of an idealized Japanese woman”]. She seemed even more conservative than most Japanese females nowadays.
Truth be told, she could not be considered pretty and wrinkles had long since crept onto the corner of her eyes. Undeniably, though, she was indeed a demure and composed lady.
Lu Shu asked after some hesitation, “You didn’t answer my question yesterday. Do you miss home?”
“I did.” she smiled. “But my friends are all here and I have no family in China. Now, the only thing that gives me the motivation to live is my father’s last wish. A few years ago, I would secretly sing our national anthem when I was alone in my room. It might even move me to tears. But, I no longer do that in recent years. I have become used to here. Heavenly King Nie once asked me whether I was willing to go back and live a normal life, but I feel that my current life is normal enough. This is the life I know.”
All of a sudden, Lu Shu’s heart was filled with awe. This world has never known true peace, and many were born with a certain fate to uphold the order of the world so that the majority can live in tranquility.
Thus, people like Taniguchi Bunndai deserved Lu Shu’s respect, though he knew he could never do the same.
After breakfast, Lu Shu changed into Kirihara Yousuke’s uniform and went to school with his schoolbag. The education system in Japan was very much different from that in China. Usually school started at 8.30am and ended as early as 3.30pm, followed by co-curricular activities after school. A heavy emphasis was placed on holistic development.
But that did not translate into an easy curriculum. Many students had to attend external tuition classes so as to secure a place in a good university due to the stressful academic competition.
But Lu Shu did not have to worry about that. In any case, he was not here for university and extra lessons would only be an additional burden.
Admittedly, streets in Japan were free from dirt. As Lu Shu walked, girls in short skirt uniforms went past him occasionally. Their cheerful laughter often drew Lu Shu’s eyes to their legs…
Although there was no direct link between cheerful laughter and legs… Lu Shu did not really care.
In Nishinokyo, walls closer to the streets were relatively short. Thus, Lu Shu overheard two boys jubilantly discussing about a swordplay club. Speaking of which, the swordplay club of Beika High School was going to have a competition with Shiyoge Girls High School, which had consecutively won over a few swordplay masters from other high schools recently.
Lu Shu listened for a long while before realizing that this match was free of Practitioners.
These students were unable to become Practitioners due to their lack of cultivation aptitude. Yet, the onset of the cultivation era had brought with it renewed popularity of martial arts. In the past, the main themes of Japanese campus festivals had been centered around spectator activities such as art exhibitions, mock trials, concerts, blood donation corners, various model stalls, pharmaceutical or botanic workshops and auctions. At current times, however, student interest had shifted towards martial arts.
In fact, on average as many as 60% of the entire boy population of a school were involved in its swordplay club, which was very impressive. Talented swordsmen and swordswomen were like school celebrities, since those with cultivation aptitude had already been recruited by the Collection of Gods.
But to Lu Shu, Practitioners and commoners belonged to different worlds. So such news was irrelevant to him.
According to the information given, Kirihara Yousuke was awfully quiet. He would not even attend music and physical education lessons, let alone co-curricular activities.
In Japan, music and PE lessons would never be taken away by other subject teachers. Furthermore, students had special sports attires for PE and designated rooms for music classes.
How could this be possible in a normal high school in China? Before the start of the PE lesson, your form teacher would walk in first with a stack of scripts. As for musics lessons? Ha, they did not even exist in Chinese high schools…
In Grade 12, if you told your form teacher that you wanted to play basketball during your PE lesson, your teacher would reply – that’s a load of balls!
