Uncle Hikigaya is Forever Young [32]

Kirisu Mafuyu had prepared for a very, very long time—but the interview ended very, very quickly.

Having applied for the position of World History teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu felt thoroughly dejected. Coupled with the fact that this was her first-ever job interview since graduating, she felt like all the bones in her body ached.

Even when she’d been a figure skater, she’d never felt this tired!

Yet, she clearly felt she’d performed her absolute best.

But exams were just like this—sometimes, your own performance didn’t matter as much as how well the other candidates had done!

Besides herself, two other candidates were obviously older and more experienced members of society.

She had absolutely no advantage!

Only three people had passed the specialized knowledge test. For a rookie fresh out of university who’d decided halfway to become a teacher, Kirisu Mafuyu’s result was already impressive enough.

It wasn’t that she didn’t try hard—her opponents were simply too strong.

One was a veteran teacher with five years of experience, whose trial lecture was smooth and engaging, balancing professionalism and charisma perfectly.

Mafuyu had previously thought her own teaching abilities were pretty decent, but after watching from the observers’ seats for about ten minutes, she felt her lecture was full of flaws in comparison.

And as for the other candidate...

Even more irritating!

During his self-introduction, he’d openly said he’d never taught before!

She’d thought she’d have one less opponent to worry about, but...

Yet when he started his trial lesson, he was absurdly skilled—far too skilled for someone claiming no teaching experience!

Although the transitions in his lecture content felt somewhat odd... and his teaching approach and methods deviated slightly from standard procedure...

If these were still somewhat within acceptable bounds, then the unique historical insights he’d shared with the evaluators afterward were practically of an academic caliber.

Even more annoying was the fact that he was a graduate of Tokyo Gakugei University—and on the spot had established alumni camaraderie with the principal of Teitan Junior High, who sat in the center of the evaluation panel.

This made Kirisu Mafuyu question her decision to apply for a teaching job in Tokyo; after all, she'd only graduated from an ordinary teachers’ college, not even considered prestigious.

"That bastard old man named Hikigaya Ryōhei! Pretending to be harmless, but clearly playing a wolf in sheep's clothing. So what if you’re from Tokyo Gakugei University?"

In the waiting lounge, the pink-haired university graduate nervously awaiting the results still maintained the strict, dignified composure of a teacher outwardly, but her eyes sneaked towards the casually relaxed figure of Hikigaya Ryōhei with clear annoyance.

Hikigaya Ryōhei had absolutely no idea he'd unintentionally become a major source of distress for a certain fresh university graduate entering society for the first time.

When he sensed a peculiar gaze directed toward him, he subconsciously turned his head and locked eyes with the girl applying for the same position.

She hastily corrected her expression and withdrew her gaze.

Ryōhei paid it no further attention.

He was someone who had never cared what others thought of him, anyway.

After about ten more minutes of waiting, a member of the administrative staff arrived at the lounge to officially announce the results.

Kirisu Mafuyu’s heart pounded heavily. She brushed aside a lock of pink hair hanging down her forehead and quickly approached the results board.

Sure enough, she didn't make it!

Middle schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area really weren’t easy to enter.

Huh! That old man didn't get selected either! Suddenly, Kirisu-san’s first interview failure didn’t seem as bitter anymore.

She couldn't resist glancing over to see the expression of defeat on that old man's face—but froze in place.

Hikigaya Ryōhei showed almost no visible reaction. He calmly signed the results document, turned back to his seat, collected his satchel, politely congratulated the successful candidate, and left.

The mature composure unique to an adult man who remained unfazed by setbacks momentarily made the inexperienced Kirisu Mafuyu feel ashamed of her own emotional turbulence.

...

“I really need to adjust my teaching habits after all. Next time will definitely go better. I have to find a new job within two months!”

Hikigaya Ryōhei wasn’t particularly surprised by this outcome. If nothing else, his age alone was sufficient reason for any junior high school to reject him outright.

With the economic crisis hitting and unemployment worsening, jobs weren’t exactly easy to come by nowadays.

Honestly speaking, just having a convenience store part-time job with a steady paycheck was already better off than many unemployed people.

"Hikigaya-san! Please wait a moment!"

Ryōhei had just walked out of the dignified yet modest main building of Teitan Junior High when a secretary-like staff member hurriedly caught up to him.

"Is there something else you need?" Ryōhei asked.

"It’s like this—our principal greatly admires your talent, but your age and lack of teaching experience truly were difficult hurdles to overcome. Of course, our principal had no doubts about your capabilities, but the others on the panel were simply too conservative. Please forgive us! This is a recommendation letter from the principal; you might try applying to this other junior high."

Life was just like this—when one door closes, perhaps (emphasis on perhaps!) another one would open for you.

...

The interview ended at midday.

Since the school was located in Beika-chō, Tokyo—quite far from Chiba—Hikigaya Ryōhei decided to eat lunch first before returning home.

He couldn't afford a pricey restaurant, so he had to find a cheap local eatery for a quick bite.

Such places naturally weren't located on the main streets, so Ryōhei chose a small alley that seemed to have a fair number of people.

Strangely, it felt a little familiar.

Before Hikigaya Ryōhei could properly savor the odd familiarity in his heart, an exaggerated voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Well, if it isn't Hikigaya-san! Uh—you—you've come to pick up the photos of your wife with another ma—Ahem! I mean, you must be here for the photos, right? Rest assured, I, Mōri Kogorō, stake my detective's honor that I've organized them all neatly—exactly 66 pictures! If only I hadn’t lost contact with you, I would have personally delivered them straight to your doorstep, ha! Haha!"

Ryōhei jumped in fright, turning around to see a sleazy-eyed middle-aged man around his own age, still holding a can of beer.

He quickly realized this must be someone who knew the original "Hikigaya Ryōhei."

"Ah... y-yes, that's right. I'm here to..." Ryōhei felt a headache coming on. The absolute last people he wanted to meet right now were acquaintances of the former "Hikigaya Ryōhei."

So troublesome!

"Pardon my rudeness. Please come with me!" The sleazy middle-aged man suddenly lowered his voice, saying this to Ryōhei while raising his eyebrows meaningfully in an "I understand" sort of way.

Sinful bastard! What do you even understand?!

Recalling the man’s earlier words, "Your wife and another man..." and the implied "detective" profession, Ryōhei felt an ominous premonition.

It couldn't be that the previous Hikigaya Ryōhei had actually commissioned this utterly unreliable-looking detective to investigate his ex-wife, Tōma Kazusa, cheating on him, right?

This deeply sinful woman!

How was it that he could randomly stroll down a street and still bump into scandalous news about her?!

At that moment, Hikigaya Ryōhei looked up to see a modest three-story building, obviously built in the '70s or '80s, with large, poverty-stricken lettering on it:

[Mōri Detective Agency.]

---

A/N: This was adapted from my own real-life teaching interview experience. At that time, I foolishly turned down appreciation from a powerful figure, fully convinced I could find a better job. But I only ended up worse off the following year!

Youthful ignorance! Otherwise, I’d probably be teaching in Hangzhou’s best high school right now!

Only recently has my luck turned around. I've finally found a similar-level job again, though sadly, I couldn’t stay in Hangzhou.

T/N: MORIIIIIII CALLIOPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE anyway detective conan and the girl from we never learn

This is a fan translation of 比企谷大叔永远年轻 by Stargazer All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!