"Call me whatever you want, just get inside! It's boiling out here."
Using the weather as a pretext, she hurriedly turned away to hide her flushed cheeks.
Rei Ao chuckled softly. "Alright, let's go, Shizuka."
"Ugh!!!"
Rei Ao had found Shizuka Hiratsuka's weakness.
Every time he affectionately called her "Shizuka," he was rewarded with her flustered and shy expressions.
What had started as a simple date quickly became far more entertaining because of this little quirk.
By lunchtime:
"Shizuka, what do you feel like eating?"
"A-anything's fine," she stammered.
She didn't mean "anything" in the usual sense; she was simply too embarrassed and flustered to think straight.
Throughout the morning, Rei Ao's intimate way of addressing her had transformed her from a "tough woman" into a "delicate lady."
She was being completely tamed.
"Then let's go to this place," Rei Ao decided, pointing at a nearby restaurant.
Hiratsuka was still dazed when Rei Ao suddenly turned back, reached for her hand, and gently pulled her along.
"Huh?!"
The unexpected hand-holding left her stunned, her body stiff and unable to react.
She was practically dragged into the restaurant, entirely at his mercy.
By the time she regained her senses, Rei Ao had already let go of her hand, acting as if nothing had happened.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the words got caught in her throat.
Rei Ao handed her a menu.
"Take a look and see what you'd like to eat."
"...Oh."
Defeated, Hiratsuka lowered her head and began scanning the menu, pretending as though nothing had happened.
What she didn't see was the smug grin on Rei Ao's face.
He had her wrapped around his finger.
Chapter 170: Drums, Rescue...
"Do you have any plans for the afternoon, Shizuka?"
Seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka silently focused on eating, Rei Ao took the initiative to ask.
"I don't know."
She gave a vague answer, afraid that saying anything might lead to her acting strangely around him again.
Since she didn't offer suggestions, Rei Ao proposed one himself.
"Do you remember Michiru Hyodo?"
"Michiru Hyodo... our class transfer student. Why bring her up?"
As their teacher, Shizuka couldn't possibly forget her.
"She's a key member of a band, and they're performing a street show this afternoon. Want to check it out together?"
Shizuka initially wanted to refuse. She felt like she needed to stay far away from Rei Ao before she did something she'd regret.
But then Rei Ao added, "She's your student, after all. It might be good to learn more about her, don't you think?"
"Uh"
With him framing it as part of her responsibility as a teacher, Shizuka found it impossible to decline.
"Fine."
Reluctantly, she agreed, though when she noticed Rei Ao's amused expression, a chill ran down her spine.
She felt like she was stepping right into his "trap."
After finishing their meal and resting, Rei Ao took Shizuka to the street performance venue.
By the time they arrived, the performance had already begun.
Michiru Hyodo was playing with her band, showing an impressive combination of focus and ease. Her skill was evident in how natural and confident she appeared.
While performing, Michiru's eyes scanned the crowd, as if searching for someone.
When their gazes met, Michiru's eyes lit up.
Rei Ao smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, acknowledging her talent.
Michiru returned the smile with a slight nod.
Shizuka, however, felt increasingly like her presence was a mistake.
Why did it feel like Rei Ao had come here to flirt, while she, his teacher, was relegated to being a third wheel?
But her worries were unnecessary. Rei Ao wasn't here to flirttoday, she was his focus.
Still, a small incident occurred.
The band's performance was exceptional, and every member displayed both individual talent and seamless teamwork.
"Hyodo Michiru is genuinely talented at music," Shizuka admitted, impressed.
"These are probably her former school's bandmates," Rei Ao explained.
"Huh?"
Shizuka looked puzzled. "If that's the case, why did she transfer schools?"
It didn't make sense to leave behind such strong connections, especially in her third year when exams were looming.
"She's the cousin of Tomoya Aki. After his accident, her family sent her here to help him deal with his mental health issues."
"I see"
Shizuka sighed. "That's unfortunate. She transferred schools, but Tomoya passed away shortly after."
"Mm," Rei Ao agreed, shrugging lightly.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted, and his eyes narrowed toward a certain direction.
"What's wrong?" Shizuka followed his line of sight and noticed a stumbling figurea drunk man.
The man's movements were unsteady, and his speech slurred as he hiccupped loudly.
Nearby pedestrians gave him a wide berth, both out of disgust and fear of trouble.
Unsurprisingly, the drunk man soon caused a scene.
He stumbled into the band's drum set, knocking it over.
"Ah!"
The drummer yelped in surprise, and the performance came to an abrupt halt.
"What's this junk blocking my way? Damn it! Who's going to pay for this?!"
The drunk man began shouting, turning his attention to the band.
Michiru, putting down her guitar, stepped forward without hesitation. "Excuse me, sir, but our equipment is placed within the designated area. You've stumbled here by mistake due to your drunkeness."
She frowned, detecting the strong stench of alcohol emanating from the man. "You should leave before causing further disruption."
"Hah?!"
The drunk man's eyes widened in anger, and he switched to belligerent denial.
"Who're you calling drunk? I'm not drunk! You people blocked my pathapologize!"
He reached out toward Michiru, a lecherous grin spreading across his face.
Michiru instinctively tried to back away but found herself cornered by the drums.
Just as his hand was about to grab her, a loud cry of pain broke the moment.
"Ahhh!!!"
Startled, Michiru looked up to see Rei Ao standing between her and the drunk, gripping the man's wrist tightly.
"Feigning drunkenness to harass people? You're bold," Rei Ao said coldly.
"What did you say?!"
The drunk glared at Rei Ao, but his face contorted in pain as Rei Ao's grip tightened.
At that moment, Shizuka approached, holding up her phone. "I'm their teacher, and I've recorded everything. Want to take this to the police?"
The drunk man's face went pale, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
"I-I'm sorry! I was wrong!"
Rei Ao released him, letting him scurry away in panic.
"He seems like a repeat offender. Shouldn't we have reported him?" Shizuka asked, frowning.
Rei Ao smirked. "Don't worry. He'll get what he deserves."
Unknown to anyone, Rei Ao had secretly cursed the man. Within two weeks, his body would freeze inch by inch until he perished. Rei Ao felt no remorse for ridding the world of such scum.
"Thank you, Rei Ao-kun, Hiratsuka-sensei!" Michiru bowed in gratitude. "I don't know what we would've done without you."
Rei Ao smiled. "No need to thank me. Consider it a reward for letting me enjoy your performance."
Turning to Shizuka, he added, "Let's not disturb them further. Time to go."
As they left, Michiru watched them disappear into the distance, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Her bandmates nudged her teasingly. "Hey, Michiru, that handsome guy who helpedhe's your boyfriend, isn't he?"
"Huh?! No, no, he's just my classmate!" Michiru waved her hands in denial, flustered. "I only casually invited him yesterday, and the woman with him is our homeroom teacher."
"A teacher? Ohhh"
The girls nodded in realization but continued to tease.
"Still, Michiru, you're lucky. He's so handsome. If you're not interested, give us his number!"
"Yeah, me too!"
Michiru scratched her head awkwardly. "Sorry, I don't have his contact info."
Her bandmates stared in disbelief. "You don't have his number, but he still showed up? We're so jealous!"
Michiru could only laugh helplessly.
Rei Ao's visit was unexpected, but thinking about it now, she couldn't help but smile.
"Tch, you really know how to show off," Hiratsuka Shizuka teased. "That was pure hero-saves-the-damsel material. I'm sure any young girl's heart would skip a beatespecially with your annoyingly perfect features."
Rei Ao didn't respond to her jab, merely keeping his calm demeanor.
Suddenly, a thought struck Shizuka.
"Wait Don't tell me the whole reason you suggested we watch her performance was because you're interested in Michiru Hyodo?"
It wasn't an unreasonable assumption.
After all, Rei Ao already had multiple girlfriends, was clearly interested in her, and Michiru Hyodo was a beautiful and talented young woman.
"I won't deny it." Rei Ao nodded, his honesty catching her off guard.
"What?!"
Shizuka blinked in shock at his straightforwardness.
"But right now," Rei Ao continued, turning to look at her with an intensity that made her heart race, "I'm far more interested in you, Shizuka."
The heat in his gaze made Shizuka avert her eyes, her composure wavering.
"I-isn't it about time we both went home?" she muttered, trying to regain control of the conversation.
She was relieved that she'd managed to hold firm in her resolve so far, but her relief was short-lived.
"Shizuka," Rei Ao said suddenly, "the beach is just nearby. Why don't we take a walk there before calling it a day?"
"Huh?"
Shizuka froze, her brow twitching.
The beach? A sunset stroll? Could there be anything more blatantly romantic?
Rei Ao turned back to her, his tone soft yet persuasive. "Consider it my last request for today. What do you say?"
"Ugh"
Shizuka rubbed her temples in frustration.
How was she supposed to refuse him when he put it like that?
"Fine, fine," she relented with a sigh. "Let's get it over with quickly. I still need to cook dinner when I get home."
Rei Ao chuckled, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "Thank you, Shizuka, for humoring me."
~~~
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Chapter 171: Shizuka be my girlfriend...
The setting sun painted the sky with hues of orange and gold, casting a warm glow over the beach.
Woosh!
Gentle waves lapped against the shore, creating a serene, romantic atmosphere.
Walking barefoot along the sandy beach, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt her restless thoughts gradually settle into calmness. Moments like this, where she could truly unwind, were rare in her hectic life.
But despite the picturesque scenery, romance was far from her mind.
She glanced at Rei Ao, walking silently ahead of her.
How had she ended up in this situation? A mysterious student who persistently, almost relentlessly, pursued her?
The entire day had been a whirlwind of teasing and flirty advances from him. Even when he stepped in to help Michiru Hyodo, she couldn't help but feel drawn to his composed and heroic demeanor.
For a fleeting moment, she had imagined herself in Michiru's shoesbeing the one he saved. Her heart would have been racing, no doubt.
"Ugh!"
Lost in her thoughts, Shizuka suddenly yelped, her body jolting as pain shot through her right foot.
"Tss!"
She sucked in a sharp breath, feeling a stinging sensation.
Before she could even assess what had happened, Rei Ao was already crouching down, lifting her injured foot with care.
She winced as she noticed a small cut caused by something sharp buried in the sand. Blood trickled lightly from the wound.
"It's nothing serious. Just disinfect it when we get back," Shizuka said, brushing it off.
Broken glass or litter on the beach wasn't uncommonit was simply an unfortunate reality.
Rei Ao, however, didn't share her casual attitude. His tone turned firm. "Don't move."
Placing a hand over the sole of her foot, his touch was surprisingly gentle.
"Ah!"
Shizuka shivered slightly, feeling a ticklish warmth spread from his hand.
"All done. You're fine now," Rei Ao said with a calm smile.
"Huh?"
Looking at her foot, Shizuka was astonished. The pain was gone, and not only was there no more bloodthe wound itself had completely disappeared.
"Is this one of your abilities?"
"Healing something like this is a piece of cake," he replied as he stood up.
"But I don't think this beach is safe anymore. Let's head back."
"Oh okay," Shizuka agreed, still marveling at what had just happened.
But as she was about to turn, her balance waverednot because she tripped, but because Rei Ao had suddenly swept her up into a bridal carry.
"What are you doing?!"
Rei Ao smiled down at her. "Hold onto my neck. I just don't want you stepping on any more broken glass or litter."
"Ugh!"
Her heart thudded painfully against her chest, betraying her attempt at calmness.
Trying to regain her composure, she muttered, "I'm the teacher here! Don't you think you're being a bit too bold?"
Rei Ao chuckled lightly, choosing not to argue. Instead, he began walking toward the road.
Shizuka fell silent, too flustered to say anything further.
She could only glance up at his defined jawline, her face burning with embarrassment.
This entire day had been a series of overwhelming and unexpected events.
Now, with the warmth of his body against hers and the feel of his strong arms supporting her, she couldn't ignore the realizationRei Ao wasn't just any student.
The strength of his build and the quiet confidence he exuded
He felt like a mature man, not a boy.
Back on the roadside, Rei Ao gently set Hiratsuka Shizuka down.
"Let's rinse off our feet and grab a taxi," she said, trying to calm her racing heart. Awkwardly, she ran her fingers through her hair, hoping he wouldn't notice how flushed her face was.
But even as she tried to avoid him, Rei Ao turned to face her.
"What are you doing?"
The intensity of his gaze made her heart tremble, and she instinctively stepped back. Before she could take another step, he caught her hands in his.
"Shizuka, be my girlfriend."
"What?!"
His straightforward words nearly made her heart leap out of her chest. Her mind blanked for a moment.
"Wh-what are you talking about?!" she stammered, her eyes darting around to avoid his.
Rei Ao remained composed. "I've been clear about my feelings for you from the very beginning."
His voice deepened. "If you truly object to me, then resist."
