"No way… that?" Ryotaro stammered.
"Exactly that," Yukino replied coolly. "Once you see this, there's no turning back. Are you ready?"
Ryotaro swallowed hard. A normal photo wouldn't warrant such a warning from Yukino. A shiver ran through him, but he steeled himself and nodded.
"I'm ready. Hit me with it."
Yukino's lips curved into a faint smile, as if she recognized his resolve. "You've got a good look in your eyes. Alright, here's the first one."
She held out her phone, revealing a snapshot of Hiratsuka-sensei mid-punch, sending Hachiman flying. Her face, unfortunately, was cut off, barely visible at the edge of the frame.
"That's Hachiman, right? Man, he's really soaring…" Ryotaro muttered, wide-eyed.
"Indeed," Yukino said. "Sensei frequently administered her iron-fist justice. Though, I've never seen her raise a hand to anyone else."
"So, basically, I need to brace myself to take a hit, huh?"
Yukino and Yui exchanged a glance, a shared suspicion flickering between them. Yukino held her tongue, but Yui, ever direct, blurted out, "Wait, Klein-san… are you, like, a masochist?"
Ryotaro's face paled, and he waved his hands frantically. "No way! I'm not into that kinda thing!"
"Your desperate denial's kinda suspicious…" Yui teased.
"Come on, give me a break! I'm totally normal, I swear!" Ryotaro pleaded.
"You're the one who said you'd 'take it,' Klein," Egil chimed in, his face a mix of exasperation and amusement.
"Look," Ryotaro protested, "if I end up in a situation like that, it's gotta be my fault, right? A real man owns up to his mistakes, takes the hit, and learns from it!"
"Masochist," Yukino said flatly.
"Total masochist!" Yui giggled.
"Definitely a masochist," Egil added with a smirk.
"Argh, give me a break already!" Ryotaro wailed, his voice echoing through the café.
Yukino's stern expression softened into a chuckle. "Just a little joke. For what it's worth, I don't think Hiratsuka-sensei wants someone who'd just roll over for her. If it comes to that, stand your ground, express your thoughts clearly, and talk it out. That'll lead to better outcomes."
"Got it…" Ryotaro nodded, committing her advice to memory.
"Next photo," Yukino said, swiping to another image. This one showed Hiratsuka hoisting a ramen bowl, chugging the broth with gusto. Her face, naturally, was hidden behind the bowl.
"This was during a school trip," Yukino explained. "Sensei tried to sneak out of the hotel for ramen, but we caught her. Instead of ratting her out, we tagged along as hush money."
Ryotaro grinned. "So she's not just a hardass, huh? Also, I'm a huge ramen fan!"
Yukino's tone turned probing. "By the way, she ordered two extra servings of noodles that time."
"That's badass! I love it!" Ryotaro declared.
Yukino raised an eyebrow, impressed by his enthusiasm. Maybe he really could… she thought, but before she could finish, Yui tugged at her sleeve.
"Yukino, we should show him this one too, right?"
Yukino glanced at the photo Yui held up and nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea."
In a way, this photo captured the essence of Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Here's the next one, Klein-san!" Yui announced.
"Ta-da! Hiratsuka-sensei's special yakiniku don!"
The photo showed a dish from a "wifely skills" contest: rice topped with grilled meat, doused in yakiniku sauce. Simple, yet it radiated an inexplicable intensity. Ryotaro tilted his head.
"Looks normal enough. What's the deal?"
"It's Sensei's specialty!" Yui beamed. "Just rice, meat, and sauce, but it was so good!"
Egil, peering over, hesitated. "Can you even call that cooking…?"
He had a point, but Ryotaro's reaction was immediate. "If it's delicious, it's justice!"
Egil sighed, torn between agreement and disbelief. As a professional cook, he couldn't fully endorse it. "Sure, but… cooking… really?"
"It's not like she'd make this every day, right?" Ryotaro glanced at Yukino and Yui for confirmation, but both had already averted their eyes.
"Hey… come on, she wouldn't, right? Right?" Ryotaro's voice cracked with panic.
Yukino, taking pity on him, offered a reassuring smile. "If the beef switches to pork, or the sauce changes brands, it's practically a new dish. So, you're fine."
"Right, that makes sense! I'm good then—wait, am I?" Ryotaro's relief faltered as the implication sank in. He slumped to the floor, clutching his head, while the trio watched with warm amusement.
After a few minutes, Ryotaro sprang back to life. "I've got it! We'll set aside days to cook together! Even if it's a flop, it'll be fine if we're in it together, right?"
Egil laughed. "That's so you, Klein."
Yukino and Yui, surprised by his optimism, felt their opinion of him rise. Yukino smiled at Yui. "What do you think?"
"He's totally a keeper!" Yui declared.
"Indeed," Yukino agreed. "Let's give our beloved Hiratsuka-sensei her springtime."
"Absolutely!" Yui nodded.
Turning back to Ryotaro, they offered some advice.
"Klein-san," Yukino began, "Sensei tends to mess up when she tries too hard to impress. If she suggests some fancy restaurant, talk her out of it."
"And her emails!" Yui added. "She writes these super formal, super long messages. If you're even a little slow to reply, she'll spam you. Set some ground rules!"
"Also, she's a bit of a speed demon," Yukino continued. "Try to keep her in check."
"And when she gets drunk, she acts like an old man," Yui warned. "Don't let it throw you!"
"Alright, I'm pumped!" Ryotaro grinned. "Thanks for the heads-up, you two!"
He internalized their advice, his mind racing with thoughts of the yet-unmet Hiratsuka. This could be the climax of my life.
"One last gift, Klein-san," Yukino said.
"Check your phone!" Yui chirped. "There's an email from Komachi-chan, sent through Hikki!"
While giving advice, they'd coordinated with Hachiman to send Ryotaro a photo from Komachi. When he opened the email, it read:
"Take good care of Sensei."
Attached was a photo from the wifely skills contest—Hiratsuka in a wedding dress. Ryotaro froze, stunned.
"Klein, you okay?" Egil asked.
"Egil… look at this…" Ryotaro showed him the photo.
"Whoa…" Egil breathed.
"Man, am I even in her league?" Ryotaro's face was a mix of awe and self-doubt. "She's way outta my reach."
Yui slapped his back with enthusiasm. "You're fine! Sensei's, uh, kinda easy right now, no offense!"
Ryotaro blinked. "Easy?"
Yukino sighed. "I hesitate to put it this way, but Sensei's feeling the pressure to settle down. I wouldn't say 'take advantage,' but if you want to date her, now's your best shot."
Yui nodded. "We're only saying this because we know Sensei would be happy with you, Klein-san. Sorry if it sounded rude."
"No, I'm sorry too!" Yui added. "But we want her to be happy. She will be happy!"
"Exactly," Egil said. "You might not get another chance like this, Klein. Step up, be a man!"
Ryotaro, initially hesitant, felt their encouragement light a fire in him. Even if I get rejected, so what? I've got nothing to lose. I'm going all in.
"Sorry for looking so pathetic, guys," he said, grinning. "Thanks for the push. I'm ready! Egil, record a video of me—I'm sending Hiratsuka-san a message!"
"You got it!" Egil said, grabbing his phone.
"Go for it, Klein-san!" Yukino cheered.
"You've totally got this!" Yui added.
Ryotaro poured his heart into the video, asking Hiratsuka to wait a little longer, promising he'd come to meet her soon. He entrusted the video to Hachiman, who was already visiting Hiratsuka to explain the situation. According to Hachiman later, when Hiratsuka watched it, her tearful smile was brighter than any he'd ever seen.
Spring was nearing its end, but for Ryotaro Tsuboi and Shizuka Hiratsuka, the footsteps of their own spring were drawing closer—slowly, but surely.
------------------------------
Hi everyone! I have uploaded 40-50 chapters to my Patreon. If you like this story, please come to Patreon to support me. Thank you very much!
👉 Check it out here: [patreon.com/Greyhounds]