Chapter 494: Pretty Exciting

Vroom, vroom.

An Aston Martin roared down the street, its engine rumbling loudly as it flashed past, drawing countless envious gazes.

"Speaking of which, will this really work?"

Sato sat in the passenger seat, watching the scenery outside fly backward. After thinking for a long while, he looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka with a strange expression. Pretending to be her boyfriend and going to meet her parents was way too ridiculous, wasn't it?!

"Please!" Hiratsuka Shizuka, sitting in the driver's seat, turned to plead with him.

"Other than me, don't you know any other men?"

"I do know a few. I know several of the teachers in the office, but you know what those teachers look like. They're even bald on top!" Whenever this matter came up, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help feeling a wave of sadness. Her expression turned gloomy.

She had attended either girls' high school or a women's university from childhood until adulthood. Where was she supposed to get any male friends from?! Now she could only find one of her own students to stand in for her.

After letting out a sigh, she looked at the road ahead and said, "No matter how desperate I was for a boyfriend, I wouldn't choose someone who looks like that. Who would believe me if I brought them home?"

"Then I'm believable?" Sato's mouth twitched as he looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka speechlessly.

"You're different!" Hiratsuka Shizuka turned her head and glanced at him with satisfaction before turning back to the road. "Although you look a little young, your looks are more than good enough. I'll just call it a cougar trying young meat!"

"Ugh! Gross!" Sato looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka with disgust.

"Brat! I'm this beautiful, and I'm not good enough for you?" Seeing his reaction, Hiratsuka Shizuka gritted her teeth and reached over to smack Sato.

The corner of Sato's eye twitched immediately as he glanced at the road ahead. "What are you doing? You're driving! And who goes around saying they're beautiful?"

"Hmph! Don't worry! My driving skills are excellent!" Hiratsuka Shizuka kept a firm grip on the steering wheel with her left hand, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter with her right hand and tossed them to Sato. "Light one for me!"

"Smoking while driving isn't exactly in accordance with traffic regulations, is it?"

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!"

Seeing this, Sato sighed, lit a cigarette for Hiratsuka Shizuka, and handed it to her. After taking it, Hiratsuka Shizuka switched to holding the steering wheel with her right hand. She took a drag, then held the cigarette between the fingers of her left hand and rested it on the window ledge.

From Sato's side, Hiratsuka Shizuka held the steering wheel with her right hand and a cigarette with her left, her eyes calmly fixed on the road ahead. A few strands of her long hair that she had failed to keep in place fluttered in the wind, giving her an indescribable air of freedom and nonchalance.

If you changed her gender, then even if she were a little violent, there was no way she'd have trouble finding someone! Sato silently complained to himself as he looked at his teacher's stunning profile.

"Are your parents pressuring you pretty hard now?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the road ahead. "If they don't start pressuring me now, I'll really be thirty next year! How could they not be anxious?"

I'm anxious myself even if they're not! There was one more thing Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't say aloud.

"So you're not thirty yet?" Sato looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka in surprise. He had thought that she was already thirty.

The corner of Hiratsuka Shizuka's eye twitched. She said fiercely, "What makes me look like I'm thirty?"

After all, that short temper of hers did make it seem like she had already entered menopause, Sato muttered to himself inwardly. He was still a little nervous. Pretending to be his teacher's boyfriend and going to meet her parents was way too exciting.

"Can't I skip this?"

"No! I've cleaned up your mess so many times. What's wrong with you helping me out once?"

"Seriously? You're that petty?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka completely changed from her earlier pleading attitude and became assertive. She even started using a sarcastic provocation to goad him.

This woman really was thirty!

The corner of Sato's mouth twitched. Mimicking Hiratsuka Shizuka's tone, he said, "I'm just afraid certain someone will get fired from school."

"Heh heh, what's there to be afraid of?" Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at Sato with an ambiguous smile. "My family is one of the school's directors, you know that, don't you?"

Yep, as expected, she's loaded!

It wasn't strange for a Private Mixed High School to have a board of directors, and it wasn't particularly strange for the Hiratsuka family to be on that board either. After all, he knew that Hiratsuka Shizuka was a wealthy young lady.

Sato looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka with interest. "So if your parents take a liking to me, does that mean I've married into a rich family?"

"That's right! The kind where you'll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life! By the way, I'm an only child. If you marry into my family, you might even inherit my family's billion-yen fortune." Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her eyebrows and smiled as she tempted him. "Well? Are you tempted now?"

"I have to admit, it really is a little tempting." Although marrying Hiratsuka Shizuka would mean marrying into her family, the Nohara family wasn't exactly making big bucks to begin with, so he didn't care about that sort of thing.

"Hmm... Hiratsuka Sato? That name sounds like some random passerby and a villain." He stroked his chin as he thought about it.

"Cough, cough..." Hearing Sato muttering to himself, Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had been smoking, suddenly choked. Her face flushed slightly, and she looked at Sato with a strange expression. "You've really started considering it?"

"Yeah. You were the one who brought it up, weren't you? After all, marrying you means I can save myself ten lifetimes' worth of hard work!" Sato smiled. "What? Doesn't that count anymore?"

"Tch! Brat, I'd believe you if I were a ghost!" Hiratsuka Shizuka's face reddened slightly as she turned her head away.

Sato continued asking, "But speaking of which, aren't families like yours supposed to care about things like arranged marriages? How come all I ever see is you going on blind dates?"

"Arranged marriage?" Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled her eyes. "I'm an only child. At most, an arranged marriage would mean making wedding clothes for someone else! Have you ever seen a family use their heir for an arranged marriage?"

"I see!"

Just as they were talking, the Aston Martin suddenly turned off the road and drove into an underground parking garage.

Sato looked up at the shopping mall beside them, a little surprised. He turned to Hiratsuka Shizuka and asked, "Why are we coming to the mall?"

"Of course we're buying you clothes! You can't go to my house dressed like that. Wouldn't we give ourselves away before you even opened your mouth? Don't worry, you don't have to pay," Hiratsuka Shizuka said without turning her head.

Both hands remained on the steering wheel, and excitement flickered in her eyes. Taking her student home to meet her parents, now that she thought about it carefully, it really was pretty exciting!

Chapter 495: I Didn't See Anything

"Pick out a suit for him. Something that makes him look a little more mature."

After parking the car in the underground garage, Hiratsuka Shizuka brought Sato to a luxury brand store whose name he couldn't make out.

The store was large, but there were only a few customers.

The warm yellow lighting gave the place a cozy yet luxurious atmosphere. Men's suits hung along the surrounding walls and on mannequins, each one looking understated yet lavish.

"Certainly."

The female clerk looked Sato over several times. When she noticed the conspicuous high school uniform he was wearing, her expression immediately became somewhat strange.

He certainly was quite handsome, but no matter how she looked at him, he still seemed to be a high school student, right?

So had he been taken care of?

A male escort?

Oh no, a teenage male escort?!

How exciting!

While marveling inwardly at how much rich people knew how to have fun, the female clerk went to look for clothes suitable for Sato.

A short while later, the female clerk came over carrying several outfits.

"This customer has a very good figure. He should be able to pull off most of the clothes in our store. I've picked out several of the better ones. Please try them on first."

Hiratsuka Shizuka casually picked up a suit and looked it over. She nodded in satisfaction, then selected one from the pile and tossed it to Sato.

"Take this one and go change first. Come out and let me have a look!"

Sato was against shopping.

Or rather, most men didn't like wandering around stores and shopping. When buying something, they just picked whatever looked good to them. Who had the patience to try things on over and over again?

When he heard that Hiratsuka Shizuka wanted him to try all these clothes on, Sato was filled with reluctance.

"Can't you pick one you like first?"

Sato looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka. He felt that changing clothes over and over would be troublesome.

More importantly, even if he tried on every single one of these suits, there was no guarantee that Hiratsuka Shizuka would be able to pick one she liked.

If that was the case, they might as well choose first.

Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled her eyes at him.

"How would I know if it looks good without seeing you wear it?"

"This is way too troublesome, Hiratsuka-sensei!"

Sato felt that he might collapse from exhaustion before he even got to meet Hiratsuka Shizuka's parents.

Sensei?!

The female clerk's eyes widened in surprise, followed by an uncontrollable surge of excitement.

Amazing!

So this was a teacher-student romance?!

A stunning female teacher turns the school into her own harem academy, with countless beautiful young men of all kinds submitting at her feet!

Amazing!

And she was so envious!

Unable to resist, she cast an envious glance at Hiratsuka Shizuka, which immediately caught Hiratsuka Shizuka's attention.

"Ahem, is there something you need, miss?"

The female clerk hurriedly put on a smile.

Anyone who could shop here was either rich or powerful. She couldn't afford to offend any of them.

Hiratsuka Shizuka slightly furrowed her brows and looked at her.

"I get the feeling you're thinking something rude!"

The cold sweat on the female clerk's forehead immediately broke out. She gave an awkward laugh.

"Perhaps that's just your imagination, miss."

"Is that so?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at her, then waved her hand.

"Go get me a few pairs of suit trousers as well."

"Of course!"

The female clerk breathed a sigh of relief as though she had just been pardoned.

In the blink of an eye, she disappeared in a flash.

Hiratsuka Shizuka turned around and pinched the bridge of her nose with a headache before speaking to Sato.

"I overlooked something. You need to be more careful about how you address me."

She naturally realized that Sato's way of addressing her had caused the problem.

"How I address you?"

Sato nodded thoughtfully.

"That's true. So what should I call you?"

"Shizuka? Shizuka-chan? my cute Shizuka?"

Every time Sato said one of the names, Hiratsuka Shizuka's face became a little redder.

Wh... What kind of names were these?!

Hiratsuka Shizuka muttered inwardly.

But she couldn't deny that every single one of those names made her unbearably embarrassed. She even felt a fine layer of goosebumps rising over her skin.

"Which one do you like, Sensei?"

After trying out the names for a while, Sato looked up at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then noticed that her face had turned slightly red.

Hmm?

Sato froze and subconsciously asked, "Are you embarrassed?"

"No!"

The iron-blooded female teacher's expression remained calm, and her tone was equally composed.

Really that calm?

Sato muttered inwardly.

"Shizuka-chan."

He cautiously tried it out. The other party remained completely unmoved and even gave him a disdainful glance.

Sato narrowed his eyes, then continued with a grin.

"Shizuka."

"..."

"My Lovely Shizuka."

"..."

"Darling."

"Brat, are you looking to die?!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka had managed to hold herself back at first.

But as Sato's forms of address became increasingly intimate, her face grew redder and redder. In the end, she could no longer hold back. Embarrassed and angry, she reached out with both hands and grabbed Sato by the neck.

Her eyes, shimmering with watery light, glared at Sato. Her shy expression was like a water lily too delicate to withstand the cool breeze.

"Cough, cough, Sensei! I'm going to die!"

"Hmph! You're S-rank! You're not going to die that easily!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka rolled her eyes and spoke without the slightest bit of courtesy, shaking Sato vigorously while still gripping his neck.

Sato put on an expression that said he was about to die.

In the end, Hiratsuka Shizuka released her grip.

Sato rubbed his neck and looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka helplessly.

"Didn't you tell me to pay attention to how I address you? If I don't call you by a few different names, how are you supposed to figure out which one you like?"

"For example, right now I still don't know which one you actually like. You have to make up your mind first. Do you prefer Shizuka-chan or Shizuka, or maybe my beloved Shizuka, or..."

"Whatever you want!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka glared at Sato in embarrassment and anger. She felt that her lifelong reputation was going to be ruined by the brat standing in front of her.

"If that's the case, how about Shizuka? It's more intimate than Shizuka-chan and more mature than Sweet & sour Shizuka."

Sato rubbed his chin thoughtfully while watching Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression with a smile.

"I said, whatever you want."

Hiratsuka Shizuka noticed Sato's gaze and instinctively turned her reddening face away.

"Sir, I've picked out several pairs of suitable suit trousers for you. You can try them on with these suits."

At that moment, the female clerk from earlier came over carrying several pairs of suit trousers.

Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced over, casually picked out a pair she thought looked good, and tossed it to Sato.

"Take this one."

"Okay, Shizuka!"

Sato accepted it with a smile.

"Hurry up!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka, embarrassed and angry, kicked him lightly in the calf.

The female clerk cautiously looked at the two of them. Seeing how intimate they were, she hurriedly lowered her head.

I didn't see anything!

Chapter 496: Meeting the Parents

Near a villa not far from the city center.

After parking the car, Hiratsuka Shizuka took a deep breath and looked at Sato.

"Do you remember your identity?"

"Of course. I'm twenty-four this year, graduated from Kyoto University, and joined Private Mixed High School a few months ago. As soon as I started working there, I fell for you, and then..."

Sato's expression became strange as he looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Then I pursued you, and after I kept pestering you relentlessly, you finally accepted me..."

Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded in satisfaction.

"Exactly!"

"Speaking of which, Sensei, do you have no shame?!"

Sato couldn't help complaining, looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka in disbelief.

What kind of ridiculous setup was this?!

How was it supposed to be that I relentlessly pursued you and you were forced to accept me? Your setup makes absolutely no sense!

With your personality, if someone kept pestering you like that, you would have already beaten them up with your iron fists. By now, the grass on their grave would probably be taller than a person. And you expect us to have a happy ending?!

"Why are you worrying about so much? Just help me bluff them!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's face reddened when she heard that, but she quickly composed herself and glared at him.

"Fine!"

Sato stared at her for a long while before finally sighing and nodding helplessly. After all, she had helped him out so many times. He couldn't exactly refuse her now.

"Then let's go once you're ready!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka also took a deep breath. Her gaze toward the villa ahead was filled with determination, like a soldier about to head onto the battlefield.

She wore a white shirt and black vest, while her waist-length black hair cascaded down her back. Her figure was tall and slender, with an indescribable heroic air about her.

Sato got out of the car from the other side, his face likewise filled with determination, as though he too were a soldier about to enter battle.

He was now wearing a pristine white shirt, a black suit and black suit trousers, along with a dark blue tie. His posture was straight, and he exuded an air of sharpness.

People said that clothes made the man, and after changing into this outfit, Sato seemed like an entirely different person. He had gone from a handsome young man to a dashing young professional.

"Not bad!"

Standing in front of the car, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked Sato over from head to toe, apparently quite pleased with her own taste.

Sato raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading across his face.

"Come on, Shizuka. Link your arm with mine!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression froze.

Her gaze slowly fell upon the arm Sato had raised. After glaring fiercely at him, she walked over and stubbornly linked her arm through his.

...

Only after walking closer did Sato realize just how enormous the villa was.

Behind the imposing black iron gate was a cobblestone path stretching from the entrance all the way to the expansive main villa in the distance.

A fountain stood in the center of the path, with broad stretches of lush green lawn on both sides.

There was a guardhouse near the entrance, where a bodyguard dressed in a suit and sunglasses was on duty.

When he saw the two of them, his expression visibly froze.

The same was true of a maid dressed in a black-and-white maid uniform.

When the two of them reached the entrance, the maid had been trimming the bushes there. Seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka and Sato approaching, she froze for a moment, her gaze somewhat blank as she stared at Sato.

Is that... a man?!

She had no time to process her shock and hurriedly bowed to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Young lady, you're back!"

"Mm."

Hiratsuka Shizuka calmly held onto Sato's arm.

"Mom and Dad are home, right?"

"They are. And this is..."

She cautiously glanced at Sato, who gave her a friendly smile.

"My boyfriend."

Hiratsuka Shizuka casually explained, then said to Sato, "Let's go. We'll head inside first."

The bodyguard hurriedly pressed the switch and opened the gate.

The maid stared blankly at Hiratsuka Shizuka as she walked away.

A moment later, she suddenly exchanged a glance with the bodyguard in the guardhouse. They could both see the shock in each other's eyes.

The young lady has a boyfriend?!

The bodyguard suddenly became solemn. He picked up the internal telephone in the guardhouse and, after the call connected, said, "Emergency situation. The young lady has brought her boyfriend home!"

...

"Huh? Fujiwara, what are you talking about? How could the young lady possibly have a boyfriend?!"

At the same time, in a side building of the villa.

A burly man lying on a sofa couldn't help bursting into loud laughter when he heard that.

There were many other burly men sitting around him. Although every one of them was dressed in suits, their exposed skin was covered with fierce, menacing tattoos.

When they heard the news, all of them burst into laughter as well. The uproarious noise nearly seemed capable of lifting the roof off the building.

"Why would I lie to you? They've already gone inside!"

"Bro, it's true!"

Someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder and pointed at a screen in front of them.

The screen was divided into dozens of images, monitoring activity in every corner around the villa.

When they saw the familiar figure on the screen approaching the villa with an unfamiliar man on her arm, everyone present suddenly fell silent as if their throats had been seized.

Their laughter stopped abruptly, and they stared blankly at the screen.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed with difficulty and murmured incredulously, "Someone actually managed to subdue the young lady?!"

...

"Young lady!!"

A deafening chorus rang out as a row of men in black bowed before Sato's eyes.

His expression froze slightly as he stared blankly at the imposing men before him.

More than a dozen burly men stood on each side of the entrance, respectfully bowing at a ninety-degree angle. Sato could see genuine respect on every one of their faces, as well as...

Admiration?!

What the hell?!

Although Sato had sensed that there were many people inside the villa before entering, he hadn't expected to be greeted in this manner.

And furthermore...

Sato narrowed his eyes slightly as his gaze swept across the necks of several men, where tattoos could clearly be seen.

Were these people members of the yakuza or bodyguards?!

He couldn't help transmitting to Hiratsuka Shizuka, "Sensei, is your family actually legitimate businessmen?"

"Legitimate? Are there any legitimate businessmen in Japan? Before he made his fortune, my father was involved with the yakuza!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's calm voice entered his ears.

The corner of Sato's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He continued transmitting, "Why have I never heard you mention that?"

"Does it make any difference to you whether I tell you or not? Don't tell me you're afraid of the yakuza?"

Sato: "..."