Back in his own body and safely returned to his normal routine, Hozuki Nozomi entered the classroom with his usual confident stride. Spotting Miura Yumiko, Yui Yuigahama, and Ebina Hina gathered near their seats, he raised a hand in greeting.
"Yo! Good morning, Yumiko, Yui, Ebina Hina!" His voice carried genuine warmth. Then, turning slightly, he added, "Good morning, Megumi, and Eriri Spencer Sawamura!"
Miura Yumiko fixed him with a suspicious stare, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Hozuki Nozomi, you're awfully enthusiastic today. Something really did happen to you yesterday, didn't it?"
"Yeah!" Yui Yuigahama chimed in, seizing the opportunity to voice her confusion. "Yesterday you looked at us like we were complete strangers! It was really weird!"
Ebina Hina, ever the observer, watched the exchange with an amused expression, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding before her.
Hozuki Nozomi offered an awkward smile and leaned closer to them, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "That wasn't me yesterday. It was actually part of a request. A girl temporarily borrowed my body because she wanted to experience life in the big city. She'll probably need to borrow it again in the future, so please bear with her and take care of her when that happens."
Yui Yuigahama's eyes widened with understanding. "Ohhh, so that's it! No wonder you acted so feminine yesterday. It all makes sense now!"
Hozuki Nozomi's expression immediately soured. "Feminine? How exactly was I feminine?"
Yui's mischievous grin returned in full force. "Well, the most obvious thing was your sitting posture! You sat exactly like us girls—legs together, hands folded, all proper and demure!"
Hozuki Nozomi indicated, through his pained expression, that he would prefer not to discuss this topic further.
Noticing his resentful gaze, Yui burst into laughter. "Hozuki Nozomi, don't look at me like that! It was actually kind of cute! If you don't believe me, ask Yumiko and Ebina Hina!"
Miura Yumiko nodded, fighting to suppress her own smile. "Yeah, it was pretty cute, actually."
Ebina Hina agreed, her lips twitching with barely contained amusement. "Definitely cute."
Hozuki Nozomi was utterly speechless. "I'm a grown man. Cute is not the adjective I'm going for."
The girls laughed for a good while longer before finally reassuring him that they'd take care of "that girl" if she showed up again. Yesterday, they'd been genuinely worried that Hozuki Nozomi had suddenly gone cold on them. Now that he'd explained, their concerns were put to rest.
Otherwise, they might have started wondering if they'd done something wrong.
Returning to his seat, Hozuki Nozomi immediately heard a familiar tsundere "Hmph" from behind him. He turned with a smile to face Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
"Eriri Spencer Sawamura, what's wrong?"
She crossed her arms, her golden twin-tails practically bristling with indignation. "Hmph! How dare you ask? What's this about 'Megumi'? Since when are you and Kato on such intimate terms? Calling her so casually like that?"
Hozuki Nozomi's smile didn't waver. "Well, since both Megumi and Eriri Spencer Sawamura sit behind me, if I only paid attention to you and ignored her, wouldn't Megumi feel very lonely and left out?"
Kato Megumi, who had been quietly observing the exchange, quickly raised her hand. "I don't feel lonely or left out at all."
Eriri shot her a look, then returned her glare to Hozuki Nozomi. See? Even Kato says so! Your excuse is invalid!
"You're wrong," Hozuki Nozomi insisted firmly. "You are very lonely and very left out. Trust me on this."
He emphasized the point before leaning closer to Eriri, his voice dropping to a softer, more intimate tone. "Come out with me for a bit later. I'll explain everything to you privately."
Eriri Spencer Sawamura's face immediately flushed crimson. Her voice became flustered and stammering. "Wh-why would I go out alone with you?! Wh-what are you planning to do?!"
Hozuki Nozomi gazed at her intently, his eyes holding a familiar warmth. "I just want to explain about yesterday. The me from yesterday was very strange—you must have noticed, right? Don't you want to know the reason why?"
Eriri wanted to point out that she'd already overheard his conversation with Yumiko and the others. But looking into those slightly mischievous eyes, her heart fluttered traitorously, and before she could stop herself, she found herself nodding in agreement.
Satisfied, Hozuki Nozomi turned back around, content to wait for class to begin. Eriri Spencer Sawamura was temporarily settled.
As for lunchtime... he still needed to explain things to Utaha-senpai.
The bell rang, signaling the start of first period.
A beautiful young woman in a professional suit entered the classroom, her pink hair styled in an elegant braid. She maintained a perfectly straight expression as she walked to the blackboard and wrote her name in confident strokes.
"Kirisu Mafuyu."
She turned to face the class, her composed demeanor projecting authority. "Hello everyone. I am Kirisu Mafuyu, newly appointed to Soubu High School as a history teacher. I look forward to working with you." Her gaze swept across the room, cool and assessing. "During my class, please refrain from using your phones or allowing your attention to wander."
The beautiful teacher continued her introduction from the podium, her voice clear and commanding.
Hozuki Nozomi, however, was momentarily stunned.
Kirisu Mafuyu. He hadn't expected her to appear in this world.
This was getting more and more interesting.
Kirisu Mafuyu was a popular female protagonist from the anime "We Never Can Learn"—a beautiful teacher who had captured the hearts of many viewers. The classic "if you're bold enough, the teacher takes maternity leave" archetype.
Based on the Game Life System's usual patterns, a heroine like Kirisu Mafuyu would inevitably become entangled with him through some event or circumstance. It was only a matter of time.
Throughout the lesson, Kirisu Mafuyu maintained her stern expression, clearly trying to establish her authority and make her presence felt. The students, for their part, found themselves under noticeable pressure.
However, her teaching was genuinely engaging. She taught history, but her clear, pleasant voice made the subject far more interesting than it had been with their previous middle-aged male instructor. At the very least, no one felt like dozing off.
And, of course, having a beautiful teacher with an outstanding temperament to look at certainly helped maintain attention.
While Hozuki Nozomi was appreciating the dignified posture of their new instructor, he felt a sharp poke in his back. Eriri Spencer Sawamura's pen.
Clearly, she disapproved of him "leering" at the beautiful teacher.
Hozuki Nozomi wanted to protest that he was simply appreciating—not leering—but since class was in session, he couldn't exactly send messages to explain himself. The new teacher seemed strict! If he got caught on his phone during her very first class, he'd definitely be making a trip to the office.
By the time the period ended, Kirisu Mafuyu appeared satisfied with her debut. Her words had apparently been effective. When dealing with students, she believed, one had to maintain an aloof distance. Otherwise, controlling unruly students would become impossible.
Back in the faculty office, Hiratsuka Shizuka spotted Kirisu Mafuyu and greeted her warmly. "Kirisu-sensei! How was your first day of classes? Everything go smoothly?"
Kirisu Mafuyu nodded. "It was fine. The students were all well-behaved. No one was using their phones."
"That's good to hear. Adapting well, then?" Hiratsuka paused, then asked casually, "Are you planning to attend that matchmaking gathering after classes end?"
Kirisu Mafuyu's expression remained unchanged. "Hmm... I don't really want to go. I'm not in any hurry to get married."
Hiratsuka Shizuka froze, her expression petrified.
Kirisu Mafuyu noticed her colleague's sudden stillness and tilted her head in confusion. "Hiratsuka-sensei? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing..." Hiratsuka mumbled softly, her voice barely audible. "Just... a little heartbroken."
She was still young! Not in a hurry to find a partner, not in a hurry to get married at all! She was a beautiful woman, forever twenty-nine!
Someone, please marry her soon. If not, she might have to take matters into her own hands...
If Hozuki Nozomi were present, he would likely be able to guess exactly what was running through Hiratsuka Shizuka's mind.
Meanwhile, back with Hozuki Nozomi.
Taking advantage of the longer break between classes, he approached Eriri Spencer Sawamura and, with a meaningful glance, led her to a more secluded spot away from prying eyes.
The moment they were alone, he didn't waste words. He pulled her gently but firmly onto his lap, lowered his head, and captured her cherry lips in a tender kiss.
Eriri's eyes flew wide open in surprise.
So sudden!
Instinctively, she began to struggle—but only for a moment. Soon enough, her arms rose to encircle his neck, and she responded to his kiss with growing softness.
The truth was, she'd known exactly what kind of "treatment" she was in for when she agreed to go out alone with him.
But she'd come anyway.