The steamship drifted across the ocean as a vast snowfall fell silently. Geng Jing stood at the bow, looking out at the distant lights of countless homes, and fell silent.
The warm sunlight after the snow heralded the arrival of spring, and the students of this season were always full of vigor and vitality.
"Alright, class, today we are welcoming a new course and a new teacher."
The noisy classroom instantly fell quiet. The homeroom teacher nodded with satisfaction, completely ignoring the wails and groans of the students below, leaned forward, and waved to the person outside.
"Mr. Geng Jing, you may come in."
Ran Mouri stared in a daze at the strange man entering. Her dormant memories were awakened—his odd-colored eyes, unlike those of ordinary people, paired with a single black monocle.
"May it bring you good luck, kind girl."
A strand of black hair was mixed into his boundless white hair. His clothing and appearance were just as they had been years ago. The heterochromic gentleman glanced at the students in the classroom, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote his name on the blackboard.
"My name is Geng Jing. Starting today, I will be in charge of teaching your medical class. If you don't like listening to my lectures, you may leave. Of course, those of you who do enjoy them can consider yourselves lucky."
"Today's class will give you some time for questions. Naturally, I rarely assign homework; don't ask me what the homework is even during holidays—if you ask, there is none, and don't ask why."
Geng Jing spoke concisely and clearly. He didn't expect to pick out even a single student from this group to be his disciple; as the saying goes, teaching the apprentice starves the master.
"Then I'd like to ask you, Teacher, what is the point of you teaching us this medical class? Is it just going through the motions?"
The speaker was none other than the youth hailed today as the "Savior of Japan." A strong hostility filled his frowning eyes.
The homeroom teacher hadn't expected Shinichi Kudo to suddenly make trouble. Ran Mouri hurriedly tugged at his sleeve to signal him to sit down; though she didn't know why, she felt that the fox gentleman must have his reasons for coming here.
"Professor, please don't be angry. He's just like this; Shinichi Kudo has always been a bit mischievous."
The homeroom teacher persuaded in a low voice, supporting her forehead with a slight headache. This was a medical professor their principal had spent nearly ten years inviting, and if he were driven away in anger, she would have a hard time answering for it.
Yet mentioning Shinichi Kudo, he truly was a thorn in the side. Quite a few teachers had indeed been driven away by his anger, and she wondered if this one could be a bit more tolerant.
"Naturally, it is to teach you what constitutes kind words and harsh words, and how to take good care of yourselves. It doesn't mean eating and drinking well, but rather a health that money cannot buy."
Geng Jing gazed at him calmly, his indifferent eyes without a ripple. In his eyes, Shinichi Kudo was merely a cat with a little temper.
"I know many girls in this class try to maintain their figures at this time of year, and some even resort to fasting for that reason."
"Although the effects are indeed very good, the damage is mostly to your own bodies. Some girls even develop anorexia, and more severe still is hypoglycemia."
"Sometimes, simply missing breakfast leaves you dizzy, miserably uncomfortable, and even fainting and vomiting endlessly."
These words struck a chord with many of the girls. Most of the students in the class had similar experiences, and because the consequences of skipping breakfast were so severe, no matter what—even if it meant being late—they could not skip breakfast, or the only one who would suffer was themselves.
"To put it nicely, the medical class is to let you study medicine; to put it bluntly, it's for me to diagnose you. During this period, I will select one student to be my class representative."
"Girls who want pain-free weight loss had better work hard. After all, the class representative will get to know more easy weight-loss methods than you do."
"Of course, those who want to look prettier can as well."
That heterochromic gentleman leisurely added one more sentence. Just a few simple words won over the crowd; this condition was simply too tempting.
After Geng Jing left, the classroom instantly erupted into a commotion. Many girls discussed whether it was true, while the remaining boys gathered together, feeling that Geng Jing was just putting on an act and refusing to submit.
Shinichi Kudo was also pondering what background this new teacher could possibly have. Primarily, his appearance was too strange; he rarely saw anyone with black highlights.
Moreover, his eyes were two completely mismatched colors—one eye was greyish, close to pale blue, while the other was a pale red. He looked like the mad scientists often found as villains on television.
Achieving ends by any means, disregarding human relations and moral standards—typically reflected in being completely out of touch with him, like a square peg in a round hole.
"Teacher, may I ask where Teacher Geng Jing has gone?"
Ran Mouri followed the homeroom teacher to the back door and asked in a low voice. The teacher became interested and curious: "He's in the back garden playing with a child. Why? Are you interested in his medical class?"
"Yes, I have many questions I want to ask him."
Ran Mouri nodded with a hint of embarrassment, though she didn't deny it. Besides, she also wanted to know if Geng Jing was the fox gentleman who had comforted her all those years ago.
"Guangbai, come here."
In the back garden, Geng Jing bent down and cradled a ball of a small white fox. Ran Mouri looked at him in disbelief; that little fox was the same size as before, and even Geng Jing's appearance hadn't changed at all.
"Fox gentleman..."
Hearing the voice, Geng Jing was stunned for a moment. Holding Guangbai, he looked somewhat surprised at the high school girl emerging from behind the large tree; she still wore a white swamp lantern brooch pinned to her clothes.
"You've grown up, blossomed into a pretty young lady. Have you been doing well lately, kind girl?"
Although it sounded incredible, Ran Mouri was convinced that this medical professor was the fox gentleman of yesteryear. She nodded repeatedly, but seeming to think of something, she shook her head repeatedly instead.
"It seems something is troubling you. Can you tell me about it?"
Geng Jing sat down on a bench and patted the empty space beside him to signal her to sit, the little fox nestled between them.
"Fox gent... no, now I should change my address and call you Teacher. Teacher, I want to ask if you have any way to make my father quit drinking?"
Ran Mouri looked at him with a firm gaze, then explained the reason: "Dad always drinks. He's been to the hospital several times because of it, and he even gets a headache every morning when he wakes up."
"Judging by what you say, your father must be an old heavy drinker of many years. Making him quit entirely is rather unlikely, but I can help you moderate your father's drinking."
Geng Jing stood up with the little fox draped over his shoulder, and Ran Mouri followed behind him as he spoke.
"Alcohol isn't something that can't be drunk. In our language, the bottom half of the character for 'alcohol' is the character for 'medical science'. Drinking also requires rules: at what time drinking is most beneficial to health and longevity."
"The time your father finds to drink is likely that golden period most suited for drinking. That nourishing feeling is best for health preservation. I'll give you a menu."
"You can try it out on your father tonight."