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Chapter 111: Minami Shouji Absolutely Does Not Love Money
🕑 Added 2025-02-10 04:59:43 +0000 UTCOkano Ryoko.
The principal of Shuka High.
Minami Shouji was more than familiar with this woman.
After all, since Minami Shouji had enrolled, she had always taken great care of him.
Not only did she personally approve his full tuition exemption at Shuka High, but she had also helped push through his scholarship application.
Of course, a big reason for this was because Minami was ranked first in the entire grade and had even taken first place nationwide in the last national mock exam.
But gratitude was gratitude.
For those who helped him, Minami never hesitated to show his respect.
So, upon hearing her voice over the phone—
Minami straightened up a little, setting aside the book he had just opened.
"Principal Okano, what can I do for you?"
"First off, congratulations on taking first place in the grade again, Minami."
Okano Ryoko's voice on the other end of the line was warm and familiar, as if she weren't a school principal but an old acquaintance.
After all, she was fully aware—
With Minami Shouji's monstrous academic ability, he could attend nearly any school in Tokyo and still have his tuition waived as a special admission student.
After a brief pause, her tone became more serious.
"I won't waste time with small talk. I'm calling because I need your help with something, Minami."
"You need my help?"
That actually surprised Minami a little.
As the principal of Shuka High, Okano Ryoko was part of Japan's elite.
Her connections, resources, and influence were nothing to scoff at.
If even she couldn't solve a problem—what could he possibly do about it?
"Relax. I wouldn't be calling if it weren't something you could handle."
As if sensing Minami's thoughts, Okano Ryoko chuckled before explaining,
"You should be aware that every year during our school's cultural festival, we publish an issue of Shuka Magazine, right?"
"Yeah, I know about that." Minami nodded.
The so-called Shuka Magazine was a literary journal compiled by the school's classical literature club.
Although it was technically a student publication, its content focused primarily on literature, including novels, essays, and poetry.
Legend had it that this annual tradition had been ongoing since the Taisho era, passed down through generations.
"In the past, many articles published in Shuka Magazine won various youth literature awards. But in recent years..."
Okano Ryoko sighed.
"The content has been getting worse and worse—honestly, some of it is downright unreadable!"
As a symbol of the school's legacy, Shuka Magazine also represented Shuka High's reputation.
However, with the rise of smartphones and mass entertainment, interest in literary writing had dwindled,
Causing the quality of submissions to decline year after year.
It had gotten so bad that last year, the classical literature club failed to publish an issue entirely.
For a school that prided itself on well-rounded student development,
This was completely unacceptable.
"There are two weeks left until the cultural festival, Minami. You're an excellent student, so I'd like you to write an article to help enrich Shuka Magazine's content."
"That's all?"
"What do you mean, 'that's all'? You better take this seriously, kid!"
Okano Ryoko half-scolded, half-laughed before adding,
"This isn't just me asking, either. Some of the school board's senior executives are paying close attention to this year's issue as well."
"Is that so?" Minami replied absentmindedly.
Writing an article… sounded like a hassle.
But more importantly—
Minami instinctively glanced at his simulator's status panel.
[Name: Minami Shouji]
[Appearance: 9 | Athletics: 7 | Academics: 8]
[Skills: Learning LV4 | Writing (Romantic) LV4 | Cooking (Happiness) LV4 | Narcissism LV3 | Lying LV3 | Music LV2 | Initiative LV1 | Agility LV1 | Self-Discipline LV1 | Sincerity LV1]
[Simulator Evaluation: A rising young prodigy, beyond merely 'promising.' You are a highly sought-after individual among women of all ages—and even certain men with… unconventional interests.]
It had been a while since Minami checked his simulator.
And now that he did—he realized its evaluation of him had changed.
Before, it had labeled him "promising."
Now, he had officially "begun making a name for himself."
It seemed that the more skills he acquired, the higher the simulator's evaluation of him became.
But none of that mattered right now.
What really caught his attention—
Was the "Writing (Romantic) LV4)" in his skill list.
Yes.
The real reason Minami hadn't agreed yet—
Was entirely because of that skill.
He had personally experienced just how dangerous it was.
Feeling romantic? That wasn't even the worst part.
The real issue was that when it activated—he turned into a confession-obsessed maniac.
Even with his strong self-control, he had barely managed to contain himself.
If he actually wrote something using that skill—
And it was published in a magazine read by a bunch of teenagers experiencing their first romantic emotions—
The consequences…
Ugh…
Honestly, Minami didn't even want to think about it.
This is gonna be a huge headache...
Thinking about the students at Shuka High,
Minami Shouji figured it was best to refuse.
With that in mind, he silently made his decision and spoke up.
"Principal Okano, while I really appreciate everything you've done for me, I'm actually not that skilled when it comes to writing—"
"Minami, if you agree to help us this time, the process for waiving your tuition fees… might move even faster."
Okano Ryoko's playful, fox-like voice came through the phone.
"This… uh… well… that's not really the issue, Principal Okano. You know I'm not the kind of person who cares that much about money…"
Minami shook his head.
As a man, if he had already made up his mind, was it really okay to change it just like that…?
"If your article wins a Youth Literature Award or something similar, the scholarship application you've been waiting on… could also be processed much faster."
Fully aware of Minami's difficult family situation, Okano Ryoko effortlessly continued her persuasion, her tone calm and confident.
"Principal Okano… I'm not that kind of person…"
For the sake of his fellow students, he shouldn't…
"There's also a writer's fee for Shuka Magazine, you know."
"…Sigh."
Minami finally let out a long, heavy sigh.
Just like how a camel collapses from one final straw,
He had reached the point where he could no longer refuse.
"Since you're asking so sincerely, Principal Okano, as a student of Shuka High, it's only natural that I contribute my efforts for the school. But please, in the future, don't insult my noble soul with money."
Then, after a brief cough, he casually asked,
"By the way, when exactly will this scholarship be deposited?"
"Next week."
Okano Ryoko's voice remained cheerful.
Next week?!
That's fast!
Normally, Shuka High's scholarships were only transferred at the end of each semester,
Processed through bank transactions and deposited directly into student accounts.
This kind of early payout was completely unheard of.
Minami suddenly felt wide awake.
As for his previous concern about "thinking of the students at Shuka High"—
That thought had completely vanished into thin air.
Screw that—
Was his scholarship more important, or were the students of Shuka High more important?!
This was cold, hard cash, and it was being handed to him for free by the school.
He'd be a fool to turn it down!
Of course—
"I'm definitely not changing my mind because of the money."
Minami tried to convince himself.
"If you really think about it, isn't a student's youth incomplete without experiencing an intense, unforgettable romance?"
A school life without romance was incomplete!
Besides, in Japan, there wasn't even a "forbidden early dating" concept.
Alright then! Let's do this!
With that thought, Minami cleared his throat.
"So, Principal Okano, what exactly do you want me to write? Just to be clear, I can't possibly fill the entire Shuka Magazine by myself."
Every year, Shuka Magazine had around 50 to 70 pages of content, printed on A4-sized paper.
No matter how talented he was, there was no way he could write that many pages of novels, poetry, and essays alone—
That was just absurd.
"Of course, we wouldn't ask you to write the whole thing."
Okano Ryoko seemed to have already prepared for this question.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll be accepting submissions from the entire student body. Anyone interested can submit their work. Also, don't worry—Shinjou Akane, the second-ranked student, has also been contacted. You won't be working alone."
"I see."
Minami nodded.
Usually, this task was handled entirely by the classical literature club.
But this year, the school administration was stepping in directly…
"That about sums up what I needed to discuss. Do you have any other questions, Minami?"
Okano Ryoko asked.
"Yes."
"Hm? What else?"
Okano Ryoko was a bit surprised.
Everything should have already been covered—why did Minami still have something to ask?
She sat up a little straighter.
Even though she never openly said it,
She actually valued Minami a lot.
"It's just… cough, Principal Okano, about that scholarship… is there any way it could be deposited even faster?"
Minami shamelessly made his request.
"..."
Okano Ryoko fell completely silent.
After a long pause, she finally let out a half-exasperated laugh.
"I know your family's situation isn't great, but the fastest I can get it to you is three days! If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up now!"
"Wait, Principal Okano! There's also the tuition exemption—"
Beep!
This time, Okano Ryoko hung up the call without hesitation.
"That kid."
Staring at the name "Minami Shouji" on her phone screen, Okano Ryoko couldn't help but chuckle.
But after laughing, she let out a small sigh.
"That boy's financial situation… is just as bad as ever."
She thought back to the first time she had met Minami Shouji.
Back then—
He had just entered Shuka High.
And he had approached her directly.
"If I can maintain first place in the grade every time, I hope Principal Okano can waive my tuition fees."
That clean-cut, refined young man had walked into her office and said those words.
At the time, Okano Ryoko had been puzzled, wondering where he had gotten such confidence.
But…
"I never expected him to actually pull it off."
She sighed in admiration.
If the world were divided into geniuses and hard workers,
Then Minami Shouji was both at the same time.
Okano Ryoko continued flipping through his student records.
For someone from his background to stand firm in a massive city like Tokyo all by himself—
That was far from easy.
Meanwhile, on Minami's end, he remained calm as ever.
However, tonight, instead of his usual study routine,
He hesitated for a moment—
Then took out his phone and dialed his home number.
"Hello?"
"Ah… is this Yuko-nee?"
"Yeah, it's me, Minami."
Minami stretched his body slightly, listening to the voice on the other end of the line.
With a warm smile, he responded, "Nothing much, I'm doing well in Tokyo."
"Cold? Nah, nothing to worry about. Don't worry, I'm taking care of myself."
"Huh? Naomi-nee is there too? Alright, you guys don't need to worry. No smoking, no getting into trouble."
"The weather's been heating up since autumn started, right? It's probably the same in Akita. Make sure you both stay cool."
"Send me money? What for? I have enough. Don't worry about me."
Minami took a sip of water, patiently listening to his two older sisters before speaking again.
Unlike many reincarnated protagonists in anime or light novels who never had to worry about money,
Minami Shouji's real-life family situation had always been difficult.
To support his education, his two older sisters had dropped out of school early—
Quitting after middle school to work and earn money.
Giving up education to work—
It sounded simple in words.
But in a society like Japan, where gender bias still lingered,
No one could imagine how much effort it had taken for them to gather the money just to let their younger brother continue his studies.
As for Minami's parents—
They worked in the fields during the day,
And took shifts at convenience stores and factories at night.
Minami knew all of this very well.
That was also why—
When Okano Ryoko mentioned "tuition waivers" and "scholarships,"
For the first time ever, Minami had hesitated.
Not just because he wanted money—
Okay, maybe a little bit.
But more importantly—
"In three days, the first installment of my scholarship should be deposited into our family's bank account."
Minami told them over the phone.
"Me? I'm doing fine, everything's fine."
Minami pushed open the window,
Taking in the bright city lights of Tokyo,
Then glancing at the cramped, simple furnishings of his tiny rented room.
He continued speaking.
"Keep the scholarship money for yourselves? What would I even do with all that money?"
"Come on—Tokyo's cost of living isn't that different from Akita's."
"Nee-san, both of you, stop worrying so much about me."
"Buying clothes for me? No, forget it. I still haven't worn the ones you got me last time. They're too childish. My school uniform is enough."
"Huh? You both want to come visit me? …That train fare is insane, though."
After another round of casual conversation, Minami finally hung up the call.
Stretching his arms, he felt refreshed.
Alright!
Family matters—handled!
Now, what was next?
Minami pushed aside the textbooks on his desk, deep in thought.
Then, grabbing a grid-lined sheet of paper, he muttered to himself—
"Guess I should start figuring out what to write for that Shuka Magazine article."
Yes.
Since he had already decided to do it—
Then he had to do it well.
Minami Shouji was also curious to see what kind of article his LV4 writing skill could produce.
