Chapter 4: You don't know what 3,000 yen is worth.

(Oh,..that was the classroom back then..)

When I stepped into my class, It was so nostalgic that I stopped moving for a moment.

Desks, chairs and this buzzing atmosphere. Yes, yes, this is a classroom, isnt it?

Later, Nihama-kun. Lets do our best again after school.

Eh,.?Ah, yeah. Okay, okay.

Shijoin-san said this as we parted at the entrance of the classroom, and although I replied anyway, I couldnt immediately remember what it was.

After school ? What the hell is after school?!

Well, its the job of the library committee!

(Thats right. The only reason I had any contact with her was because we worked together on the library committee.)

Its been a long time ago, so it takes time for me to remember.

To be honest, I didnt know where my seat was either, but fortunately I was able to find it because of the familiar gym uniform bag hanging down there.

HeyNihama

Eh. are you maybe, Ginji ?

The boy who spoke to me was my only friend in high school, Ginji Yamahira.

This was the only guy I had drank with several times after graduation.

What? What do you mean, Maybe? More importantly.What the hell is wrong with you?

What do you mean,.?

Dont play dumb! Its Shijoin-san, Shijoin-san! Why are you talking and going to school together!?

No thats,.I met her on the way to school in the morning, and she was carrying a lot of books that she borrowed from the library, so I brought them to the classroom for her.

Hahahahaha! Youre the one whos too shy to talk properly to pretty girls with a muffled voice! When did you start doing something like a good looking guy on shoujo manga!?

Its not that I did it consciously, it was just a habit from my days as a company slave.It would certainly be unbelievable behavior from me in high school.

I mean, isnt you different from usual? Your voice is crisp and the gloomy aura around you is goneMaybe you were reincarnated into another world and came back to earth yesterday after a long and painful journey?

Unfortunately, its not an alternate world reincarnation, its a time leap.

Ah, its a big hit, Ginji. I was actually in a different world until yesterday. I was captured by a horrible slave labor organization and forced to work from early morning until late at night while being subjected to personality denying abuse, and endured it for 12 years.

Haha, thats awful! Its a dark alternate world!

Unfortunately, its the harsh reality.

I know its a funny story to you who are still pure, but this is not a fantasy, its a demonic abyss that exists even in this day and age, Ginji.

Yeah, but , its been a while since Ive had a stupid conversation with this guy.

I feel more like Im back at that time.

Well, Shijoin-san is kind, So Its natural that shes open to people like us,.Dont talk to her too openly though, Both delinquent and top caste guys are aiming for her. Youll be strangled.

Wow, I didnt know that the word riajuu already existed in this age.

[TLN: riajuu person who is satisfied with their real (offline) life, normie.Its typically used by otaku]

Watch out for the guys on the top caste, because otakus like us have the lowest status in school. If you stand out a little, the top caste guys wont stay silent

(School caste,So this concept existed too.)

When I think about it now, I feel that it was a ridiculous unwritten rule for a group of kids to fight over top.

Well, even when you grow up, it doesnt mean that youll be able to disappear from the power struggle regarding which university you graduated from or how much money you make.

Well, Ill be careful. Thanks for the advice, Ginji.

Nevertheless Im going to cling on to this second chance, Regardless on whose attention I attracted.

Tell them there was no such thing as power harassment! Actually, I can even get the others to testify that you were the main culprit!

There were many ugly cases to remember, but the power of those in power who dominated the small world of the company was enormous, and I often drank myself to tears.

(Compared to that, hes just a kid with no power to penalize me. No matter how loudly he rants, it doesnt scare me at all.)

Look, whats the matter? You cant hit someone just because there are a bunch of people around? Dont tell me delinquents are scared of suspension or expulsion?

You fucking otaku! Dont fuck with me!

Hino reaches out for me.

It would have been convenient for me if he had punched me on provocation, but he was aiming for my wallet, which I had in my hand because I was just about to buy some juice.

He took my wallet with 3,000 yen in it that my mother had given me.

Ha! Ill take your wallet today for being so fucking cheecky! Well, whats in the wallet is ..! Its only 3000 yen!

Only 3000 yen.

Hahaha, only 3000 yen.

How dare you spout such childish bullshit in front of me. !

But dont think this is over! Im going to beat you up again. ?

Hinos words stopped midway.

I reached out with my arms and grabbed him by the chest.

What the fuck are you doing ?

SHUT UP, you little shit.

My voice was filled with anger and contempt, and it sounded more cold-hearted than I had ever heard it.

Hey, you think youre getting off lightly for doing this.

You were going to take the money, werent you?

A cold voice slipped out, surprising even myself.

Im asking, You said it was only 3,000 yen, and then you tried to take it away from me.

Ha! So what?

You want to get killed, you little shit! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!

When I shouted loudly, Hino and the students around me froze in disbelief.

Whats 3,000 yen only, you idiot? Do you have any idea how much work it takes to make that much money, Aaah!

I was completely pissed.

No doubt, Hino had never earned any money on his own.

He doesnt understand the weight and value of money at all.

I was incredibly angry that such a brat tried to steal my mothers hard-earned money.

Tapping away at the keyboard until my arms get carpal tunnel! Sometimes I have to bow down to crazy customers while they yell at me. If I make even one mistake, Im accused of being stupid, dumb, or dead! [TLN: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000433.htm#:~:text=Studies%20have%20not%20proved%20that,tunnel%20and%20lead%20to%20symptoms. Like me YAY!]

A kid who doesnt know how hard it is, to casually steal other peoples money is a crime that should be punishable by execution. It cant be forgiven even if hes is purged with a guillotine right now.

No matter how much you play delinquent, youre still an insignificant child whose parents feed and shelter! Next time you try to steal my parents money! Ill seriously kill you, ! Do you understand me?

Ah,,Uh

I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

ah,AH.

Hino replied with a sense of confusion, perhaps because of my anger at the idiot who was lightly looking at the money.

I removed my hand from the chest of the idiot who had fallen flat on his ass, retrieved my wallet and left, aware of the tremendous amount of attention I was receiving from the people around me.