Chapter 497: Terrible Parents

Although Sato admitted that Hiratsuka Shizuka had a point, being afraid was one thing, and actually saying it out loud was another.

He looked up at the scene before him and felt as though he had walked straight into a wolf's den.

He had originally thought she was merely the daughter of a wealthy family, but it turned out she was not only the daughter of a wealthy family, she was the daughter of an underworld family!

No wonder she was so violent!

Just as he was thinking this, two figures suddenly appeared on the second floor.

The main hall of the villa was both tall and spacious. Its decorations were resplendent, exuding the grandeur of a wealthy household. Two exquisite marble staircases extended upward on the left and right in gentle semicircles, leading to the second floor. Above them hung a crystal chandelier with an intricate, elaborate design that looked extremely luxurious and expensive.

When the two figures appeared on the second floor, the burly men in black below immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle and shouted loudly.

"Good day, Boss! Good day, Big Sis!"

So these were Hiratsuka-sensei's parents?

After seeing the true appearance of the Hiratsuka household, Sato could not help developing a strong interest in Hiratsuka Shizuka's parents. He immediately looked up toward the second floor.

A man and a woman were standing beside the staircase on the second floor.

The man wore a smile, resembling a statue of Budai.

Although he looked somewhat plump and bloated, it was not difficult to tell from his slightly aged face that he must have had an excellent foundation when he was younger. He wore a blue-black suit and had a beer belly. He looked almost exactly like the image of a shrewd businessman Sato had in his mind, and he did not look much like the head of an underworld organization.

Hiratsuka Shizuka's mother, on the other hand, looked much younger.

Judging by Hiratsuka Shizuka's age, this woman should have been in her early fifties at the very least, yet she looked barely any older than Hiratsuka Shizuka, as if she were only in her early thirties.

She gently held onto Hiratsuka Shizuka's father's arm. Her short black hair was arranged into an intricate bun at the back of her head. She wore a dark blue-green kimono embroidered with numerous elaborate patterns and designs. It was exquisitely made, looking almost like a work of art.

Compared to the amiable-looking Hiratsuka Shizuka's father, her expression was somewhat colder. At this moment, her phoenix eyes were examining Sato with a scrutinizing gaze.

Finally, the two of them gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"He is quite handsome."

Mrs. Hiratsuka nodded lightly and spoke in a voice so faint that only she and her husband could hear.

"And he didn't lose his nerve even after seeing this kind of reception. Honey, can you tell which family he belongs to?"

The head of the Hiratsuka family wore a faint smile as he spoke in the same barely audible voice.

"Never seen him before."

"Then we'll have to question him thoroughly later."

"Don't go too far. Shizuka finally brought a man home, so don't scare him away."

"Don't worry. If he's really suitable, I'll make my move tonight. I'll make sure to drxg him before the relationship is over and make sure we won't let him get away."

"Mm. When the time comes, remember to increase the dosage of the drxg. Shizuka has a rather strong constitution. A small dose won't work."

"I know!"

"..."

...

The calm smile on Sato's face was about to collapse.

What on earth were those two upstairs whispering about?!

He took a slight breath to calm himself down. While smiling at the two people above, he transmitted his voice to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"What are they talking about? What drug?!"

The corner of Hiratsuka Shizuka's mouth twitched slightly as well. She transmitted her voice helplessly.

"Most likely... an aphrodisiac."

Holy crap!

Sato could not help cursing inwardly as he stared at the two people on the second floor in disbelief.

So the two of you look perfectly serious on the outside, but you're actually thinking about this kind of thing?!

I really did walk into a wolf's den, didn't I?!

"Hiratsuka-sensei, can I leave now?"

"No!"

"But I feel like I'm in danger!"

"Can't you handle a little drug like that?"

"It's not that I'm afraid I can't handle it. I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. After thinking about it, I realized that I wouldn't really be losing out anyway."

Sato seriously looked at the female teacher holding onto his arm.

Hiratsuka-sensei was a little older, that was true, but she was definitely a first-rate beauty.

Her beautiful appearance went without saying, that was the bare minimum!

The key was that she also had an excellent figure, with fair skin, a beautiful face, long legs, and very substantial assets.

He subconsciously glanced at where his elbow had sunk into her arm. He had never realized before that Hiratsuka-sensei was so well-endowed.

"You brat, stop thinking nonsense!"

Suddenly, an embarrassed and angry voice entered his ears. At the same time, pain shot through his arm, making him suck in a sharp breath.

Hiss, that hurts!

Her temper really was a little too violent.

Sato's pupils widened slightly as he sucked in a breath of cold air. He instantly regained his senses and silently recited to himself.

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

I never thought I would actually be attracted to Hiratsuka-sensei. What a sin, what a sin.

"You can all go take care of your own business for now."

Just then, Mrs. Hiratsuka spoke from upstairs, issuing an order. The big brothers below immediately answered in unison with imposing voices.

"Yes!"

In an instant, they all gave Sato subtle looks of encouragement before scattering in every direction like startled birds and beasts.

Why were they looking at him like that?

Sato was somewhat bewildered.

But...

"Why does it feel like your mother is more like the Big Sis?"

"That's normal."

Hiratsuka Shizuka's voice carried a helpless sigh.

"Back then, my mother was the daughter of a city councilor, but she loved playing with weapons and was extremely interested in fighting. My father was a junior boss in a gang, and all he ever thought about was going legitimate and leaving the underworld behind. Then one day, the two of them happened to meet and fell in love at first sight. After learning about each other's backgrounds, they immediately hit it off."

"My mother helped my father climb higher in the gang, while my father helped my mother go legitimate. They used each other's strengths, and in the end, my father successfully went from being a junior boss to becoming the leader, then went legitimate and became a businessman, taking over my grandfather's position. Meanwhile, my mother successfully took over my father's position and became the Big Sis..."

This...

Sato's mind was shaken to its core. What else could he possibly say?

Even he could only shout, "Nice!"

Just then, the two people upstairs also came down the stairs. Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately linked her arm with Sato's and walked over.

"Mom, Dad, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Sato."

A sudden wave of nervousness swept through Sato. After taking a deep breath, he bowed to the two people who had already walked up to him.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nohara Sato. I look forward to getting along with you!"

Chapter 498: A Blush of Happiness

"Mm!"

The head of the Hiratsuka family and Mrs. Hiratsuka looked at Sato and nodded.

The head of the Hiratsuka family looked at Sato with a chuckle and said, "When Shizuka said yesterday that she was going to bring her boyfriend home, I thought she was joking. I didn't expect her to actually bring him home today. This really is a bit of a surprise."

As he spoke, he glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka. When he noticed that she was holding onto Sato's arm, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

She should not have brought a stand-in if she was willing to hold him like that, right?

He knew his own daughter well. From childhood until now, the only people she had ever been this physically close with were a few of her close girlfriends. As for men, there had never been anyone.

"Let's go inside and talk."

After looking Sato over a few times, Mrs. Hiratsuka spoke.

Sato naturally nodded.

...

Living Room.

This living room was not particularly large. It was probably just one of the smaller living rooms in this enormous villa.

Even though it was not large, its decorations were still magnificent and luxurious.

Beautiful vases and exquisite handicrafts were placed around the room as decorations. Elegant wallpaper covered the walls, along with several oil paintings whose origins Sato could not identify, giving him a feeling of being completely out of his depth.

What surprised Sato even more was that there was actually a fireplace in the room. Judging from the ashes remaining inside, this did not seem to be merely decorative. It had probably been used before.

This meant that this was probably not a living room used for entertaining guests, but one that the Hiratsuka family themselves frequently used.

The four of them sat down in the living room.

The Hiratsuka couple sat opposite Sato and Hiratsuka Shizuka. After sitting down, Hiratsuka Shizuka finally released Sato's arm.

Sato placed both hands on his knees, looking extremely restrained.

In fact, he really was nervous.

Deep down.

Although everything happening before him was just an act, meeting the parents was real!

Although he had lived for a long time across his two lifetimes, this was the first time he had formally met a girlfriend's parents. The last time, he had been caught red-handed.

The Hiratsuka couple looked somewhat amused as they watched Sato.

That kid had not even been frightened by what had happened earlier, yet now he looked somewhat nervous.

How interesting.

The two of them muttered inwardly.

However, with Sato and Hiratsuka Shizuka right in front of them, they could not whisper to each other like they had earlier.

The two exchanged glances. In the end, the head of the Hiratsuka family smiled warmly and said, "You're Sato, right? Relax. Don't be too nervous."

"Yes!"

Sato gave an awkward smile and nodded, inwardly cursing himself for being so useless.

He was this nervous even while acting. How was he supposed to face all his future fathers-in-law and mothers-in-law?!

Hiratsuka Shizuka, on the other hand, had calmed down by now. She transmitted her voice with some amusement.

"No way. You really are nervous."

"If I took you to meet my parents, wouldn't you be nervous?"

Sato retorted unhappily.

Easy for you to say when you're sitting there!

Hiratsuka Shizuka froze for a moment. She thought about what Sato had said, and her face suddenly flushed red.

It seemed that such a situation really would make her somewhat nervous.

Across from them, the head of the Hiratsuka family and Mrs. Hiratsuka stared blankly at their daughter.

Why had Shizuka's face turned red?

Ah!

I understand now!

That was a blush of shyness and happiness!

Their eyes lit up, and their hearts were suddenly filled with immense relief as they looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Their daughter, whom they had raised for nearly thirty years, had finally fallen in love!

At this moment, even Mrs. Hiratsuka, who had always maintained a cold and aloof image, softened her expression slightly.

She looked at Sato and estimated his age.

He looked quite young, so he should be only in his early twenties, right? Wasn't he a little too young?

Mrs. Hiratsuka pondered this inwardly.

But Shizuka was already nearly thirty. Finding an outstanding man around her own age was basically impossible. If he was a little younger, then so be it.

"How old are you, Sato?"

Mrs. Hiratsuka's voice sounded somewhat cold. It had a clear, crisp quality that did not match her age, while her sharp gaze gave off an extremely strong sense of pressure.

"I'm twenty-four this year."

Sato answered respectfully according to the background Hiratsuka Shizuka had given him.

Twenty-four?

The Hiratsuka couple exchanged glances and silently nodded. He was a little older than they had expected. In that case, the age gap was not particularly large.

"What kind of work do you do at the moment?"

"Currently, I'm a teacher at a Private Mixed High School. I only started working there last year, and that's where I met... Shizuka."

Sato glanced sideways at Hiratsuka Shizuka, looking at the culprit responsible for all this, and deliberately put a little extra emphasis on the word "Shizuka."

Hiratsuka Shizuka's face immediately turned bright red.

Although the Hiratsuka couple did not know it for the moment, she knew very well that the person beside her was actually her student. No matter how she looked at it, there was always a sense of impropriety.

The reason for saying "for the moment" was naturally because although something could be hidden for a while, it could not be hidden forever. Hiratsuka Shizuka had only brought Sato home to take the blame because her family had been pressuring her particularly hard these past few days.

"Your colleague, huh?"

The Hiratsuka couple were somewhat surprised, but also seemed to understand.

So that's how it was.

It was perfectly normal for colleagues to develop romantic feelings for each other.

But since he was a teacher, his social status could not be particularly high.

Of course, Hiratsuka Shizuka was an exception.

They had originally thought that Sato was the young master of some prominent family. After all, an ordinary person would not have remained so calm after seeing what had just happened.

But this was actually even better.

The two silently exchanged glances, revealing a hint of satisfaction.

Rather than having her marry into another family and give everything they had to someone else's family, it would be better to let an ordinary person marry into the Hiratsuka family and inherit everything belonging to the Hiratsuka family.

The Hiratsuka family could be considered a behemoth even in Chiba.

They had influence in politics, business, and the underworld.

Like father, like son, like mother, like daughter. A mouse's child knows how to dig holes. This saying could hardly be more fitting for Japan.

Looking across all the seats in the legislature, almost all of them were inherited from one generation to the next.

Even the highest position in Japan was no exception. Looking back through history, there had been families that produced three prime ministers, as well as fathers and sons who had both held the position.

This was a feudal society wearing the skin of a modern nation.

Therefore, for a family in Japan to pass itself down to future generations was simple in theory, yet not quite so simple in practice.

After that, the Hiratsuka couple continued asking Sato various questions.

They stared intently at him, seemingly wanting to peel away layer after layer and thoroughly figure him out.

Sato also gradually calmed down after his initial nervousness. Following the background Hiratsuka Shizuka had given him, he answered their questions calmly and neither arrogantly nor humbly.

He also took the opportunity to tell them the story of their "love journey."

Sato's acting was fairly good. This was probably also the result of practice making perfect.

Most novel authors tend to self-insert themselves to some degree when describing their characters. Sometimes, even before putting pen to paper, they will act out and arrange the appropriate expressions and lines themselves. If this continues for long enough, either their acting skills will mysteriously improve, or they will... develop split personalities. Which is pretty scary...

Chapter 499: Returning the Favor in Kind

Whenever Hiratsuka Shizuka's parents asked a question, Sato answered it.

The four of them continued in this manner, with one asking and another answering.

Judging purely from the atmosphere, one could say it was quite harmonious.

It was just that Sato felt mentally exhausted.

There was no denying that the two of them had spent a long time navigating the underworld. They would often bring up questions they had already asked without realizing it, and some questions were linked together one after another, constantly setting traps for him.

If he had not been quick-witted, he probably would have lost his composure long ago.

Although his memory was quite good and he knew what he had said, many of those things had been fabricated on the spot. Recalling them required some time, so he could not answer immediately.

Relying on his principle of being cautious with every word and action, he stumbled his way through to the end.

......

Dusk had already fallen outside the window.

The orange-red sky in the distance was dotted with clusters of fiery clouds, resembling the bashful blush on a young girl's cheeks.

The other side finally stopped attacking.

Mrs. Hiratsuka sat upright in her dark blue-green kimono, her legs together and her body turned slightly to the side, one hand resting on her thigh near her knee.

Her naturally cold and aloof air had not changed much, but there was now a hint of satisfaction on her face.

She glanced out the window.

Then she slowly turned back and looked at Sato with a faint smile.

"It's getting late. Sato, why don't you stay for a simple meal?"

Sato's expression immediately stiffened.

He still clearly remembered what the two people in front of him had been whispering about when they first met.

These two were ruthless enough to drug them!

"Well..."

Seeing the hesitation on Sato's face, the smiles on the two people's faces immediately faded somewhat.

Even the cheerful smile on the head of the Hiratsuka family's face became much fainter. He calmly stared at Sato.

"Sato, is there a problem?"

Sato took a slight breath, feeling utterly helpless inside.

What else could he say?

"I just feel like I'd be imposing on you, Uncle and Auntie."

"It's fine. It's only a simple meal."

"Then... all right!"

Smiles returned to the two people's faces.

The head of the Hiratsuka family suddenly stood up and said with a smile, "I still have a few documents to deal with. Shizuka, stay here with Sato for a while. The meal will be ready soon."

Mrs. Hiratsuka also stood up and smiled faintly.

"Then I won't disturb the two of you either."

As though they had planned it beforehand, the two suddenly left the living room together.

After they left, the lively living room suddenly became completely quiet.

Sato and Hiratsuka Shizuka stared in the direction they had left for a long while. Then they suddenly turned their heads toward each other and let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Phew..."

Sato collapsed onto the sofa and looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Teacher, I really got the short end of the stick with this mission!"

This was a life-threatening job!

Hiratsuka Shizuka glanced at Sato and snorted disdainfully.

"Is it really that exhausting?"

The corner of Sato's eye twitched. He glanced sideways at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then his gaze suddenly shifted and he let out a cold laugh.

"And you're making fun of me! Your back is already soaked!"

"Huh?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka was startled when she heard that and hurriedly turned around to look at her back.

Very soon, she picked up a cushion from the sofa and threw it at Sato, gritting her teeth.

"You brat, you tricked me?"

Sato simply let the soft cushion hit him in the face.

He then moved the cushion aside and turned to look at Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Teacher, what do we do next?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka's face was also filled with worry.

How was she supposed to know what to do next? She had originally thought that at most they would simply have a casual meal, but who could have expected her parents to be this ruthless?!

Just thinking about the situation they would have to face later made even her mouth twitch.

She thought about it for a long while before finally uttering only one sentence.

"We'll play it by ear."

......

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

In a certain room inside the villa.

"Hm! The information is indeed correct, but we still need to have someone verify how authentic it is."

The head of the Hiratsuka family and Mrs. Hiratsuka sat behind a computer, looking at the screen and nodding.

As a major family, they naturally had certain channels for conducting investigations.

The screen displayed some basic information about Sato. After confirming that the information matched, the two silently nodded.

However, it was difficult to determine whether the information itself was authentic. They would have to send someone to investigate the places where Sato had lived in the past.

It was just that the information they had seen had already been tampered with.

Mrs. Hiratsuka smiled faintly.

"I have a pretty good impression of that boy. Shizuka was also constantly speaking up for him just now. There was clearly some intimacy between the two of them."

"I think so too!"

The head of the Hiratsuka family nodded in agreement. Then he looked at Mrs. Hiratsuka hesitantly.

"Say, honey, isn't this whole drugging business a little..."

Mrs. Hiratsuka's gaze remained calm.

"This is a chance that was extremely difficult to come by. What if Shizuka's bad temper scares him away again?"

The head of the Hiratsuka family thought about it, then nodded in agreement.

"That's true. Since that's the case, let's do it!"

......

Dinner.

Although it was said to be an ordinary home-cooked meal, the dishes on the table were anything but ordinary. At the very least, they were things that an ordinary family could hardly hope to enjoy even once in their entire lives.

Sato sat at the table, looking at everything in front of him with complicated feelings.

They really drugged everything!

Ruthless! Truly ruthless!

He cast a discreet glance at the Hiratsuka couple and secretly sighed.

These dishes had either been laced with sleeping powder or aphrodisiacs. How on earth could the two of them bring themselves to do this to their own daughter?!

Across from him, Hiratsuka Shizuka also looked somewhat stiff as she stared at the food in front of her.

Wasn't she just approaching thirty?

Did they really have to go this far?!

"Since this is our first time meeting, if there is anything we haven't done properly in entertaining you, Sato, please don't take it to heart. If you have any problems in the future, you can come to me at any time."

The head of the Hiratsuka family cheerfully picked up some food and placed it in Sato's bowl.

Sato immediately replied in a flustered manner, "Thank you, Uncle."

Across from them, Mrs. Hiratsuka also wore a faint smile as she picked up some food and placed it in Hiratsuka Shizuka's bowl.

"Shizuka, you haven't come home in a long time either. You look like you've lost a lot of weight. Eat a little more."

Sato and Hiratsuka Shizuka subtly raised their heads and exchanged glances.

Then the two picked up their chopsticks.

The Hiratsuka couple likewise exchanged a discreet glance and silently nodded. They did not eat anything themselves, instead constantly putting food into the two's bowls.

"We don't have much else to offer, so Sato, eat more."

"Here, Shizuka, this is your favorite dish. Have some more."

Sato and Hiratsuka Shizuka silently ate, silently forcing the effects of the drugs out of their systems. Before long, they had each finished a bowl of rice.

The Hiratsuka couple watched their normal expressions with some uncertainty.

What was going on? Was the dosage not strong enough?

But even if it could not knock Shizuka out, how could it not knock out their son-in-law too?

Fake drugs?

A word suddenly popped into the two's minds.

Just then, Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly smiled sweetly and picked up some food for Mrs. Hiratsuka.

"Mom, don't keep putting food in my bowl. You eat too!"

Sato stared blankly at Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Good grief, you...

He suddenly smiled and looked at the head of the Hiratsuka family beside him. Imitating Hiratsuka Shizuka, he also picked up some food and placed it in the man's bowl.

"Uncle, I should be the one putting food in your bowl."