Chapter 296: Cheers with Shizuka-kawaii
Under the cover of night, on a secluded road, the white beams of car headlights cut through the darkness. A fleet phantom roared past, trees outside the window vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
A sharp glint sparkled in the woman's eyes, and an excited smile played on her lips as she relished the thrill of speed. The engine whirred at high RPMs as the car drifted through corners, tires shrieking against the asphalt like a wild beast. Finally, crossing the boundary line of Chiba Prefecture, the woman in the driver's seat let out a delighted cheer and checked the time.
"Yes! A new personal best!" Shizuka Hiratsuka laughed triumphantly.
"Sensei, do you usually play racing games like this in real life?" Shirou asked, looking at her.
"Occasionally, occasionally! Besides, this road is very safe. Hardly any cars pass through here at night. People in the scene come here from time to time to hold informal races," Shizuka defended herself.
'So you actually are part of "the scene"...' Shirou thought, unable to find the words to retort. He supposed he should be grateful that she hadn't completely abandoned common sense and taken him to a mountain pass to attempt a five-consecutive hairpin drift.
"By the way, Shirou, why were you out here by yourself?" Shizuka asked.
Shirou replied testily, "Mhm, I was having a celebration party with Yuigahama this afternoon. I just saw her home when I got dragged into this."
"What? Just the two of you?" Shizuka asked in surprise.
"Technically two, I guess?" Shirou nodded, since Ibaraki was an Oni.
"What?! It really was just the two of you? How nice. Go ahead and explode, you normie! While I'm being forced to run away and hide, you brats are out having leisurely dates," Shizuka said without mercy, her face twisting into the cynical scowl of an aging bachelorette.
"I told you, it was a celebration. Besides, I've been busy too. This morning I took a kid staying at my house to buy clothes and daily necessities. You should know, Sensei, that Artoria, Mashiro, and Jeanne are all staying at my place as boarders right now," Shirou said helplessly.
"Of course! Bringing Mashiro-kun to the school earned me a huge bonus from the administration," Shizuka said proudly. However, her face quickly deflated, and she added dryly, "But I still haven't pulled the eighteen-year-old Shishou..."
Shirou realized with a start, "Ah, so that's why you're eating plain bread now?"
Come to think of it, despite the various events and the busy schedule, Chaldea's branch company here had been raking in profits throughout the New Year and the holidays without a
moment's pause. With whales like Shizuka Hiratsuka—who was both wealthy and cursed with terrible gacha luck—Mashu was probably very happy.
"It's not that! I still have my monthly savings and living expenses properly set aside! It's just that the bonus is entirely gone, and yet still no Scáthach... hahaha..." Shizuka drove on, her eyes staring blankly at the road ahead, looking quite terrifying.
"Wait? Sensei?! Pull yourself together! You're driving, remember? And why are we heading toward Tokyo?" Shirou saw the scenery change. After leaving the remote roads, the car had merged directly onto the highway leading to the Tokyo metropolitan area.
"Ah! I accidentally took the exit that was on the way. It's fine, right? I'll have you back home before midnight anyway!" Shizuka laughed, then remembered something unpleasant and said irritably, "Actually... lately, I've been active in Chiba during the day but staying in Tokyo at night. My mom might stage a surprise raid on my apartment in Chiba, so I don't want to go back there for the time being."
"Why? Didn't you bring souvenirs back for your family before?" Shirou asked, puzzled. Since she had the thoughtfulness to bring gifts, there shouldn't be any major conflict with them.
"Shirou... you wouldn't understand the pressure a woman of marriageable age feels from her family. Of course! I'm still very young! So there's no need to rush at all! It's completely fine!"
'Nobody said you weren't young...' Shirou looked at his teacher with pity. He felt that in a few years, when she was truly pushing thirty, she would still be in this same frantic state.
"It's just that a distant cousin three years younger than me got married recently. My mom went to the wedding, sat around chatting with a bunch of gossiping aunts, and then they started talking about me. The moment I got back, she tried to force me into an arranged marriage with someone a relative recommended. I don't know why, but every single one of them is obsessed with marrying off every adult female in the family until there's no one left! And even after they get married, they start nagging them to have kids just like they nagged them to get married! If they want to get married so badly, they should do it themselves! If they want kids, they should have them themselves!" Shizuka gritted her teeth and slammed her foot on the gas. The car seemed to let out a scream, saved only by the century of engineering quality behind the luxury brand.
"Forget it, I'll just accept that I've boarded a pirate ship," Shirou said helplessly. Meeting Shizuka wasn't a bad thing; he had intended to check in on the people who had been caught up in the recent events anyway. It wasn't that he had anything specific to say, but rather he wanted to see if they were dissatisfied with their current lives or if they resented the intervention of the Heroic Spirits. Looking at how energetic his teacher was, it didn't seem like there would be any problems.
"You dragged me all the way to Tokyo just to make me sit in the car and gnaw on bread with you? And it's a baguette at that?" Shirou looked at her with astonishment, feeling that his understanding of her thick-skinned, masculine nature had reached a new peak.
Under the boy's gaze, Shizuka looked away guiltily. She hardened her heart and said, "Since we're already here, don't be so picky! What else do you think we should eat? I'm sick of ramen and yakiniku. You want to go to a buffet or a conveyor-belt sushi place? At this hour, all the good ingredients are probably gone."
"Why are all the places you mention the kind that high school or college students like?" Shirou quipped.
"I like ramen best! So what!" Shizuka said huffily. "Besides, in these casual clothes, I can't go to a high-end restaurant. You don't want to go to an Izakaya filled with drunk middle-aged men with me, do you?"
"Now you're using salaryman standards? If you're seen going to a place like that with a student, how on earth would you explain it?"
Speechless, Shizuka suddenly recalled the silhouette of the ideal "good man" in a kitchen that often appeared in her dreams. She blurted out, "Then just come to my place!"
"Huh?" Shirou looked at her, stunned. Is it really okay to invite a boy to your solo apartment late at night?
"No... I didn't mean anything else! I just want you to cook!" Shizuka realized her slip of the tongue and blushed as she explained. But then she simply gave up and shouted, "Fine! Just come over! You probably feel better eating your own cooking anyway!"
Before he knew it, the decision was made. Shirou was dragged to a supermarket to buy the necessary ingredients, and then they arrived at her place. Like her personality, the entire process was as swift as a lightning strike—no pauses, straight up the elevator, and into a luxury apartment in Tokyo.
He had been pulled into her car, forced to Tokyo, and was now in her home. But since he was here, he could only accept the reality. Without much thought, Shirou took the paper bag of bread and the ingredients and walked straight into the kitchen.
This was his second time here; he knew exactly where the utensils were. He skillfully took out the dishes he needed, laid out the ingredients, and began preparing them in an orderly fashion.
Shizuka, having just changed her shoes and taken off her coat, put down her keys and saw the back of the figure working in the kitchen. She found herself staring, somewhat entranced. When she snapped out of it, she felt embarrassed enough to want to punch herself.
To soothe the restless itch in her heart, she looked around and finally locked onto a few bottles of wine on the cabinet. She walked over, picked one up, and said loudly, "Right! Shirou! Why don't you have a drink with me!"
"Sure, since the opportunity is here, I'll have a glass." In the kitchen, Shirou used a chef's knife to slice lettuce into small pieces suitable for sandwiches. Hearing her, he thought about it and agreed.
Shizuka looked at him with some surprise, then laughed loudly, "Hahaha, you brat! Did you think I, as a teacher of the people, would let a minor drink alcohol? But it's perfect! I have some non-alcoholic red wine here—it's high-quality stuff I got from a famous old shop in France. You're lucky you ran into me tonight! To hell with marriage! Cheers!"
"Don't go drinking yourself into a stupor just because you're jealous of people getting married. How about trying to adopt a more ladylike lifestyle?" Shirou quipped. He took the baguette from the paper bag, slicing off what he needed. One part was prepared to be toasted for sandwiches; the other part was turned into croutons to be mixed with vegetables for a Caesar salad.
"This is a celebration! There's one less competitor in the field! Although there's one less single man in the world, I'm definitely not jealous of a civil servant groom who's honest, family-oriented, has money, and no mortgage."
"Does this world... actually lack good men from the very start? No, wait! Good and bad are relative. In over twenty years, I haven't met a single 'good man' for myself. Has the species gone extinct for me?"
"Sensei... you've asked a very profound question..." Shirou took ten cherry tomatoes from the fridge. After washing them, he arranged them at proportional intervals on one side of two plates. Inside the white plates, red spheres decorated the sides of green broccoli, looking like large red flowers blooming next to green trees—quite beautiful.
"Eh? Is that so? Ahaha." Shizuka didn't quite follow, but being praised by a student she favored made her feel a little happy.
"How about you try becoming a 'good woman' in the eyes of others first?" Shirou added, dealing a finishing blow.
"Hmph!!" A murderous aura accompanied by a gust of wind swept toward the boy's back.
"Anyway, put away those clenched fists. Dinner is ready." Shirou turned around just in time to dodge the incoming punch. He placed the salad in front of the "Iron Fist Teacher" and waved it slightly.
The vivid and beautiful food on the plate caused Shizuka's eyes to dart back and forth. The hunger rising from her stomach to her throat killed any desire to continue the argument.
"Then... then hurry up and bring the cutlery! I want to eat now!" Shizuka said, still pouting slightly as she turned her head away.
"Yes, yes." Because of their training trip, Shirou had more or less grown used to his teacher's personality. He knew how to handle her and how to get along with her. Honestly, taking care of her was no different from taking care of Taiga-fujee in his past life. They were similar, yet their personalities were distinct. However, the trope of the "older unmarried woman" who is a great person, a reliable and fun friend, but has zero luck with men and is hopeless at daily life—that was exactly the same.
Using the methods he used for Taiga on Shizuka wasn't quite as smooth as taming a tiger, but it was close enough.
It was now past 8:00 PM. They turned off the fluorescent lights, leaving only the soft, amber glow of decorative lamps. With the stereo playing slow, mellow music and a dinner paired with "wine," the atmosphere was perfect.
"Whoa, this really is a great dinner. Looks delicious." Shizuka took the plate and cutlery from Shirou, looking very happy.
"Save the talk and just eat." Shirou placed his plate on the small table and pulled up a chair to sit.
"Thanks, Shirou. For the drive and for the dinner." Shizuka raised her wine glass toward him. "Cul sec!"
"And thank you for taking care of me during our time abroad. Tchin-tchin." Shirou chuckled and clinked glasses with her.
The two lifted their glasses, swirled the crystalline red liquid, took in the aroma, and drank. Shirou's culinary skills were beyond question. They chatted and happily finished their dinner to the sound of clinking glasses.
After finishing the bottle, it was getting late. Shizuka offered to drive Shirou home. Shirou asked her to just drop him at the subway station, as he couldn't let a woman drive that far alone late at night.
Before leaving, Shirou used the remaining bread and ingredients to make salmon sandwiches, a lettuce and fried bread salad, and beef-filled burgers. He wrapped them in plastic and put them in the fridge so his teacher could simply reheat them in the microwave whenever she needed to eat while staying there.
Afterward, Shizuka went downstairs to walk Shirou to the station.
.
.
.
A confused Shizuka pulled out her keys and opened the door. When she saw the scene inside, she dropped her keys in shock.
A magnificently dressed lady was sitting directly across from the door. On the small table beside her sat a cup of black tea and a sandwich. The lady wore light makeup and moved with elegance; she looked to be in her early forties, with a resemblance to Shizuka around the eyes. Her bearing carried the grace of a mature woman and the authority of someone long in a high position. Her skin was very well-maintained; if she wore younger clothes and makeup, no one would doubt her if she said she was in her thirties.
"Waaaah! Mom! Why are you here?!" Shizuka yelped, nearly jumping out of her skin.
"I sat in your house in Chiba until 8:00. When you didn't come back, I knew you'd be here."
"Ahaha, is that so... By the way, Mom, when did you get here?" Shizuka laughed nervously, praying in her heart that nothing had been discovered.
But the question from across the room shattered all her hopes.
"That young man who was just here—where is he from? You picked him up in Chiba, didn't you?"
"How?! How do you know that so clearly?!"
"As long as you drive that car of yours, don't think you can escape the eyes of our Chiba Ladies' Network," Shizuka's mother said with a cold laugh.
The Hiratsuka matriarch took a slow, methodical bite of a salmon sandwich she had taken from the fridge. The red fish, heated in the microwave, hadn't lost its nutrients; instead, the heat killed any bacteria and made the protein easier to absorb. The ratio of vegetables to fish was perfect, and the triangular bread slices encased them completely—the size was just right for a lady to take a single bite.
Mrs. Hiratsuka closed her eyes to savor the food. She thought of the other ingredients in the fridge—all of them sophisticated dishes that required immense patience to prepare. Not only did they account for her daughter's preferences, but they balanced deliciousness with nutritional intake. Even as a veteran housewife, she had to admit it was a job well done.
She could foresee that even her stubborn, picky daughter—who preferred ramen over French cuisine—would obediently eat every bite and be very happy doing so.
Mrs. Hiratsuka finished the last bite of the sandwich, wiped her mouth with a tissue, and opened her eyes. A bright light flashed in them as she looked up at her daughter and issued a royal decree:
"Shizuka! Snag him!"
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting