Alex Brim, Hero for Hire

Chapter 2.1

The Principal gulped. Applying to the admission tests of all the High Schools and getting the highest score on all of them was not a simple task. Having such a student attending his School would also be good for him, not only to increase the status of the School, but because he could also brag about having an amazing student under his care.

“I see… I thank you for that choice, and I hope we don’t make you regret it. It will be an honour to have you here, and I do hope we can help you in your future when you graduate.”

“As do I, Principal. By the way, I may need to be absent one or two days every week because of my part-time job, but I will compensate with my grades, don’t worry.”

“Well, we are a little lenient with allowing students to have part-time jobs instead of concentrating solely on their studies, but I hope it doesn’t make you fall behind in classes.”

Sakamo shook his head with a serious look. “It won’t. You don’t need to worry. Besides, if I didn’t have a part-time, I couldn’t attend School, considering it is how I earn my money for my daily expenses because I live alone.”

“You don’t have family in Tokyo? We have some students also in that situation, but they have family nearby.”

“No, I am all alone. My family is in Nakanojo, in the Gunma district. A little far for help, if it’s not an emergency, but I can manage. It will also be easier to study, because there are no family members to distract me, like some of the other students.”

The Principal intertwined his fingers over his desk and leaned forward a bit. “Yes, you have a point. And that student outside, he is your friend?”

“I hope he will become one. He is my guide for today. I meet him today when I was coming here, and he offered to show me around before classes started because I missed the reception yesterday.”

The Principal got up with a smile. “I shall not take any more of your time, then. Enjoy your tour, and if you have any doubts or problems, my staff and I are at your disposal.”

He quickly continued, when he saw Sakamo rolling up his eyes. “As we are always at the disposal of our students, of course!”

“Of course… Thank you for understanding my situation. I shall take my leave and let you work.”

Sakamo exited the office, leaving behind a smiling Principal that was already thinking about the amount of prestige such a student would grant his School.

Takechi got up as soon as he heard the door opening and asked, “All done? Because we have little time to look around. It’s probably better if I show you where the cafeteria is, the library, and the Gym, considering those are the most important ones. After the Gym, I can take you to your classroom, just to make sure you don’t get lost. Perhaps you could look at the map that I gave you while we walk so that you get used to the corridors.”

“As you wish, Takechi-sama! Please, lead the way to this humble servant of yours, oh Great One!”

Takeshi Hito laughed when he noticed the surprised look the woman behind the desk was making. “Ahahah! Yes, I will allow you to worship me like that! Continue, worship me more!”

Sakamo opened the door that exited to the main corridor and made a deep bow while pointing with his open right palm. “Guide me through these unknown corridors, Takechi-sama! This humble servant will follow you anywhere!”

“Ahahah! This is funny! Ok, the cafeteria is over there.”

Takechi noticed that there were groups of girls giggling and staring at them as they walked, and he lowered his voice, “See what I told you, Sakamo-kun? All the girls go nuts with you!”

“I still think it’s because of you. I once saw a pop-idol that looked just like you. Maybe they are your fans.”

Takechi frowned a little. “Yeah, that would be cool, and if you were not so good-looking, I could be the target of their interest. I am feeling a sudden urge to squeeze your neck…”

Sakamo placed his right arm over Takechi’s shoulders. “Don’t threaten me, Takechi-sama, or you may find yourself looking at a pool of your blood on the floor!”

Takechi glanced at Sakamo, and saw him making a big smile but with a scary glow in his eyes, that made him ask, “You… are joking, right?”

“Probably, but you were also joking, right? Save your rage for your enemies, Takechi-sama. You don’t need to pick a fight with me. Unless you want me to remove your heart from your dead body and eat it!”

Takechi Hito gulped. “Sometimes you say things in a way that I don’t know if you are joking or talking seriously…”

Sakamo made a big smile. “You are the one at fault, you teased me first. Next stop, please!”

They walked along the several corridors of the School, with Sakamo greeting with a smile every time a girl looked at him, making them turn bright red and wave back with an even bigger smile. Every time he did that, Takechi grunted, receiving a tap on his back from a laughing Sakamo.

When they were in the Gym, the bell rang and Takechi dragged Sakamo out from the pull-ups bar where he was hanging upside down by his legs. “Let’s go, or we are going to be late! Our classrooms are on the other edge of the School, I totally lost track of time!”

Sakamo ran after Takechi, having to slow down a lot because Takechi’s short legs didn’t grant him enough speed to win against the speeder Sakamo.

Takechi stopped in front of a door and pointed at it while trying to catch his breath. “This… is yours… class 1-A. I am… two rooms… ahead, class… 1-C. Try… to make some friends… Ok? I will… come to see you at the break…”

“You need to train more, Takechi-sama. You are almost dying just for this small run. Thanks for your help, we will meet later.”

Takechi raised one thumb while forcing a smile and walked to his classroom door. Sakamo took one deep breath and knocked, receiving an order to enter after a couple of seconds.

When he opened the door, he saw a Teacher standing near his desk at the front, looking at him with a puzzled look. He looked as if he was forty years old, or a little more, dressed in jeans and a light blue shirt untucked.

Sakamo took a quick glance at the other students, and they were all staring at him. He entered the room and after making a deep bow, he said, “I am sorry for my delay, sensei. I arrived early, but I had a meeting with the Principal then I went for a quick tour of the School, and I was at the Gym when the bell rang. I am Sakamo Ryu, nice to meet you.”

The Teacher raised one eyebrow at that name, and the other students whispered. Sakamo could hear small bits, and he remained still, looking at the Teacher. “No way… he is that guy, the one with a perfect score… he didn’t come yesterday… he is beautiful… such long hair…”

The Teacher looked at the list of names that was on his desk and nodded. “Yes, you are in the right class. I just finished the calling, and I thought you were absent. Try to be on time, from now on. There is an empty desk over there, near the window.”

Sakamo did another deep bow. “Thank you for understanding, sensei.”

Sakamo went to the desk that the Teacher pointed out, and as he was walking there, all looks were upon him, together with the sighing of the several girls in the class.

Sakamo kept on smiling while looking at his colleagues and after seating, he took out his books and notebook, staring at the blackboard, where the Teacher was already writing his name and some equations. “My name is Kaishu Katsu. You can call me Kaishu-sensei. I am responsible for teaching you all, the amazing world of Mathematics. For your first assignment, I want everyone to copy these equations and try to solve them. I need to evaluate your knowledge, to know from where I must start.”

A boy complained, from the centre row, “Kaishu-sensei, equations right on the first day of School? Can’t we relax for a bit and talk about us, for example?”

Kaishu Katsu looked back with a slight smile and said, “You are free to do that, as I am to evaluate you on your conversation instead of your Math knowledge. Right from the bat, I can say you will fail this class, just by hearing your annoying voice instead of the noise of your pencil, solving these equations.”

The boy gulped and grabbed his pencil in a hurry. At the back, Sakamo finished the equations and was whispering to his notebook, “This was way too easy. My father warned me about this, maybe I am really ahead with my knowledge for a normal High School. Now, what do I do… I wait for everyone else… or…”

Sakamo wrote a quick and very long equation in his notebook and began solving it.

Kaishu Katsu was walking among the desks, looking at the work of his students, and he noticed how Sakamo was so concentrated on his work and went to him. He stood right next to his desk, looking at the notebook, and frowned.

After a few seconds of waiting for his student to notice him, Kaishu Katsu asked, “What are you doing? Those are not the equations on the board.”

Sakamo looked up with a surprised look. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there, sensei. I already finished those equations, and I was getting bored.”

Kaishu Katsu raised one eyebrow and pointed at the board. “Really? Then you won’t mind going to the board and show everyone how to solve those equations.”

Sakamo blinked and looked around. “But… did everyone finish? The equations were supposed to let sensei know what the knowledge of everyone is, right?”

“That is true, but I never liked know-it-all students. You could have gotten the highest score on your admission tests by pure luck. I want to check correctly your amount of knowledge.”

Sakamo answered in a low voice while getting up, “Sensei, it will be a bad idea to underestimate me. You know nothing about me, and it will be terrible for your image in front of everyone if you make a fool of yourself. I will do my best not to embarrass you during class, but don’t test my patience.”

Kaishu Katsu frowned at the way Sakamo was speaking and how he looked at him from the corner of his eyes. Sakamo went to the board and quickly solved all four equations. He then faced his Teacher and waited. Kaishu Katsu frowned and said, “That is correct. Now sum the first results, divide by the square root, multiply by the sum of the last two results and divide by pi up to the thirteenth number.”

Sakamo sighed and faced the board again. He jotted the new equation and began solving it. When he finished, he looked back at the Teacher again, just to hear him saying, “Now, divide the result by…”

Sakamo faced the board and wrote a small equation. He then put down the chalk and said, “Now it’s my turn. Solve this ‘Poincaré Conjecture’ and give me the result for ten to prove that you deserve to be my Math Teacher. I solved this when I was twelve years old. If you can’t, don’t bother me again.”

Sakamo walked to his place again, before the dumbfounded eyes of his classmates. Kaishu Katsu gulped and said, “That is… an extremely advanced equation… one of the most difficult mathematical problems… How do you know it… and… you solved it?”

Sakamo lowered his voice when he was near his teacher, and while sitting on his chair again, he said, “I warned you. Leave me alone and go try to pick up your pride again.”