I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

Page 312

“His father used to be a firefighter, and he taught him that binding method.”

Chapter 350 This is too hard for me! (1/4)

The location of the fire has a connection with the deceased, Saburo Machida.

Long before he went to prison, his family would have a family gathering there every year.

While in the hospital, Kube Rokuro met with a woman who had previously worked there and was brought by the police. According to her, Machida Saburo's most frequent destination after his release from prison was that place.

After the injured man regained consciousness, the police learned the detailed events leading up to and following the fire; he had been rescued by Saburo Machida.

The deceased's father was a firefighter, and remembering the rescue methods his father had taught him, he rushed into the fire.

“Mr. Machida has stayed in that place all this time, and he still remembers what his father taught him. That’s wonderful…”

"The old lady's remains have finally been claimed and taken home. It's so good to be home..."

Kube Rokuro seemed to be hiding something as he kept talking.

He didn't really look that happy.

"Hey, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"

The truth about the fire was found, and a deceased person who had been a guest at UDI for two years was finally able to go home. He seemed to be saying something that could bring relief, but his words also seemed to be concealing something.

Kube Rokuro looked up, gave a wry smile, and, taking advantage of the fact that no one else was in the office, whispered to Aki Tomoya, "I'm sorry."

"...What's wrong with you?"

Aki Tomoya looked at him in surprise.

If it weren't for the fact that the investigation into this fire was conducted very quietly, and no inside information had been reported, it would have been difficult to understand.

Otherwise, Kube Rokuro's apology this time almost made him suspect that the guy had told the news to outsiders again.

"I...I feel like I really have nowhere else to go but here..."

Kube Rokuro's face showed bitterness, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of helplessness.

He ultimately chose to stay here, and because of this choice, he had nowhere else to go.

Under Aki Tomoya's persistent questioning, Kube Rokuro recounted what he had said to his father and how he was subsequently expelled from the family.

And it implied that they had severed ties with outside weekly magazines.

It is precisely because he has severed ties with the outside world that Kube Rokuro now has the face to apologize to Aki Tomoya, making himself feel a little better.

It's certainly a good thing that he has no entanglements with outside weekly magazines, but this person, who used to insist on choosing clinical medicine, decided to choose forensic medicine after being gradually influenced by the people at UDI. While receiving his father's approval, he was also expelled from the family.

"In that case, don't step into the house again."

Seemingly as a lesson to his disobedient and good-for-nothing son, Kube Rokuro's father hardened his heart and decided to let him experience the cruelty of reality.

What would it be like without everything at home?

"Kube-kun, while I really want to say that you have admirable courage, you need to start thinking about a lot of things now."

"...Please don't scare me, Aki-kun, your tone suddenly became really scary."

"Reality is cruel. May I ask, Mr. Kube, did you attend a private or public school?"

As for why there is no "national" option, it's because in Japan, having "national" in the prefix of a university is considered prestigious. The third-rate medical university that Rokuro Kube attended didn't have the possibility of being a national university.

"private."

"Is your family still willing to pay your tuition fees?"

"I only have this month's allowance left, and the money I saved from my previous part-time job."

Although puzzled as to why Aki Tomoya asked that question, Kube Rokuro answered honestly.

Aki Tomoya nodded upon hearing this, and then planned to settle accounts with Kube Rokuro.

"When I was in my second year of high school and planning to apply to medical school, I did a survey. Now, given your situation, Mr. Kube, if you don't consider changing majors, tuition fees will be the biggest problem for the next few years after your family's financial support is cut off!"

"Eh?! Eh?!"

Kube Rokuro's eyes widened; it seemed he really hadn't thought about this question.

Aki Tomoya chuckled and continued, "You know, studying medicine in Japan is very expensive, but it's great if you can get into a national university."

If you're studying medicine, the tuition fees for national universities and private universities are worlds apart, and Aki Tomoya hopes that Kube Rokuro is mentally prepared for that.

"For national and public universities, the tuition is uniform regardless of the department, so the tuition for six years is only about 3.6 million yen..."

"That is indeed quite cheap."

Yes, national and public universities have uniform tuition fees, so six years of tuition is cheaper, but Kube Rokuro needs to be mentally prepared for what he's about to say.

"It's quite cheap. As for private universities, six years would cost anywhere from 20 million to 80 million yen."

"Aha?!"

Kube Rokuro's eyes widened. He had never known how much money his family had spent on him.

Just kidding, in Japan, a family that can support several brothers to successfully complete medical school would be short of money?

Moreover, the tuition difference between public and private schools is just too outrageous!

"Among private universities, Jundai is the cheapest, followed by Keio University. Of course, this is only what I knew back then. I don't know much about the situation at Kube-kun's school. Anyway, Kube-kun, you have to work hard!"

Aki Tomoya patted Kube Rokuro's shoulder reassuringly, then laughed sympathetically.

Kube Rokuro was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.

He needs to really understand what's going on at his third-rate medical university.

"The better the university, the better the policies and the more government subsidies it receives. Conversely, some third-rate universities are ridiculously expensive!"

Of course, since it is a medical university, even if it is a third-rate university, the common point with other third-rate universities is that the tuition fees are extremely expensive.

"Of course, this is just tuition. Last year I spent 450,000 yen on books alone. Kube-kun is currently on leave from school, so we don't need to worry about that for now. However, as for other expenses, given Kube-kun's situation, aside from academic matters, we also need to consider food, clothing, and accommodation..."

Kube Rokuro closed his eyes and suddenly collapsed, his movements quite exaggerated.

He was dying, and only after Aki Tomoya gave him a proper breakdown of the costs did he realize just how difficult it was to study medicine.

Especially now that he has been "kicked out of the house," he seems to see the look in his father's eyes that seemed to have foreseen this all along.

"To my shame, that's why I worked so hard to get into Tokyo University, hehehe..."

What motivates Aki Tomoya to work so hard?

poverty?!

Although his family wasn't poor at all, and in fact, they were considered quite well-off among ordinary families in Tokyo, the financial burden of sending him to a private school would be unbearable.

This is why Japanese scholarships include a loan program, also known as a student loan.

Chapter 351 Let's Try to Live On (2/4)

For example, if Sayaka Kudo's novel is published, and its sales are satisfactory, she can make money and receive royalties. But the happiest thing is not having money, but not needing to take out student loans.

And she doesn't have much money left to keep for the time being.

Although I attended Keio University, one of the top private universities in Japan, and with various policies and subsidies, the tuition for the Faculty of Letters still amounted to more than ten million yen over six years.

Attending a private university in Japan is not an easy task for the average family.

Scholarships are not easy to obtain; most people receive student loans, and for several years after graduation, their first thought is how to repay those student loans.

Many Japanese students who choose to pursue higher education want to attend national universities not only because of their prestigious reputation, but also because national universities are significantly cheaper than private universities.

Therefore, according to Aki Tomoya, Kudo Sayaka is quite happy that she doesn't have to apply for student loans.

Without such great financial pressure, one feels much more relaxed.

You should know that I had already experienced financial pressure when I was in high school and was taking tutoring classes at a cram school.

"A thousand yen an hour is not enough to survive in Tokyo. Kube-kun should think about whether he should prepare a second part-time job."

Aki Tomoya wasn't sure if Kube Rokuro had been completely "abandoned" by his family, but if it was the worst-case scenario, Kube Rokuro certainly wouldn't be able to survive on his part-time job at UDI.

A part-time job paying 1,000 yen per hour, you could probably only find that at UDI in Tokyo.

Working as a waiter at an izakaya or washing dishes at a restaurant earns more than this.

"Stop talking, let me have some peace and quiet..."

Kube Rokuro covered his face. He had already decided to stay at UDI and pursue a career in forensic medicine.

But reality is not so kind. When the harsh realities were laid bare, he had to seriously consider them.

He's not allowed to step into the house again. Without the family's financial support, it will be very difficult to rely on himself for everything.

So why didn't you just take the exam for a national or public medical university out of spite?

At least that way, tuition fees wouldn't be such a headache.

For top private universities like Keio and Jun University, the tuition for medical school is around 20 million yen over six years, which is already the cheapest option.

Of course, this is just tuition; there are other miscellaneous expenses as well, and Kube Rokuro also has to consider other factors related to living independently.