Going to Watch the Fireworks Together

"Great! We've broken the record!" Shizuka Hiratsuka smile.

"Teacher, do you usually play racing games like this?" Shirou asked Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"It's only occasionally, only occasionally. Besides, this road is very safe. There are usually very few vehicles passing through here at night. People in the industry come here from time to time to hold competitions or something," Shizuka Hiratsuka explained.

'So you're actually one of the people in this circle...' Shirou said helplessly. It seems he should be thankful that his teacher hadn't strayed from common sense and had taken him up the mountain road to play some five-hairpin bend.

"Speaking of which, Shirou, why did you come here alone?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked.

Shirou said irritably, "Yeah, I had a celebration party with Yuihama this afternoon. I just took her home, and then I got dragged up here."

"What? Just the two of you?" Shizuka Hiratsuka asked in surprise.

"I guess there are two?" Shirou nodded. Ibaraki was an oni.

"What? There really are two people? Great, just wait until you get burned! You social butterflies! I'm being forced to run away from home, and you kids are leisurely going on dates." Shizuka Hiratsuka revealed the cynical face of a mature Saintess and said mercilessly.

"I already said it's a celebration party, and I'm really busy. This morning I even took one of the kids who's been staying at my house to buy clothes and daily necessities. The teacher should know, right? Artoria, Mashiro, and Jeanne d'Arc are all staying at my house now," Shirou said helplessly.

"Of course! Bringing Mashiro to school earned me a huge bonus from the school," Shizuka Hiratsuka said proudly, but her face quickly fell, and she said dryly, "But I still didn't get to draw the eighteen-year-old Saber..."

Shirou exclaimed in sudden realization, "Ah, so you're eating bread now?"

Thinking about it this way, despite all the various things that have happened and the busy journey so far, Chaldea's company here has been making a steady stream of profits from the Lunar New Year holiday until now, without stopping for a moment.

With someone like Shizuka Hiratsuka, who's both rich and unlucky enough to be a spendthrift, Mash would probably be very happy.

"No, no! I still save up my living expenses and savings every month! It's just that I've spent all my bonus, but I still don't have Scathach... Hahaha..." Shizuka Hiratsuka drove, her gaze empty and lifeless, quite terrifying.

"Wait? Teacher?! Wake up! You're driving, aren't you? And why are we heading towards Tokyo?" Shirou looked out the window at the scenery. After leaving the secluded road, the car drove directly onto the highway, heading straight for downtown Tokyo.

"Ah! I just happened to drive onto this road. It's okay, I'll let you go home before midnight anyway!" Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled, then remembered something unpleasant and said somewhat irritably.

"Actually... I've been spending my days in Chiba and my nights in Tokyo because my mom might suddenly come and raid my apartment, so I don't want to go back there for the time being."

"Why? Didn't you bring back local specialties for your family before?" Shirou asked, puzzled. If he had considered his family, then at least he shouldn't have had any conflicts with them.

"Shirou... you wouldn't understand the pressure women of marriageable age feel from their families. Of course! I'm still young! So there's no need to rush! It's perfectly fine!"

'Nobody said you're not young...' Shirou looked at his teacher with some pity, feeling that even when she was really approaching thirty in a few years, she would still be in this state of utter distress.

My distant cousin, who's three years younger than me, got married recently. My mom went to her wedding and chatted with a bunch of relatives, and they started talking about me. As soon as I got back, she insisted I go on blind dates with people introduced by our relatives.

I don't know why, but they all seem to want to marry off every single adult woman in their relatives' families! Even after marriage, they'll still pressure them to have children, just like they're pressuring people to get married!

"If you want to get married, then go get married yourself! If you want to have children, then go have children yourself!" Shizuka Hiratsuka said through gritted teeth, pressing hard on the accelerator. You could almost hear the car groaning in pain. Thankfully, it was the quality that a luxury car brand had accumulated over a century.

"Fine, I'll just consider it as being on a pirate ship," Shirou said helplessly. Meeting with Professor Shizuka Hiratsuka wasn't actually a bad thing; he had originally planned to meet with the people he had dragged into this.

It wasn't that I had anything specific to say, or that I wanted to ascertain whether they were dissatisfied with their current lives or would resist the intervention of Servant.

But seeing how energetic the teacher is, it seems there won't be any problems.

"You dragged me all the way to Tokyo, and then you expect me to sit in the car with you eating bread, and it's a baguette, no less?" Shirou looked at his teacher in surprise, feeling that she had once again pushed the limits of his perception of her carefree and manly nature.

Shizuka Hiratsuka, feeling guilty under the boy's gaze, turned her head away and forced a smile, saying, "Since you're already here, don't be so delicate! Otherwise, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm already tired of ramen and yakiniku. Do you want to go to a buffet, or even a self-service sushi machine? At this hour, all the good ingredients will probably be gone."

"Why are all these places you're talking about places that only high school and college students would like to go?" Shirou complained.

"I just love ramen the most! So what!" Shizuka Hiratsuka said unhappily, "Besides, dressed like this, we can't go to a fancy restaurant, can we? Or do you want to come with me to an izakaya full of drunk middle-aged men?"

"Is this another case based on the standards for office workers? If someone sees you going to that kind of place with students, how are you going to explain that?"

Speechless, Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly remembered the figure of the ideal man who appeared in her dream kitchen, and blurted out, "Why don't you come to my house!"

"Huh?" Shirou looked at his teacher in surprise. "Is it really okay for you to invite a boy to your home where you live alone so late at night?"

"No... I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted you to come and cook." Shizuka Hiratsuka realized she'd misspoke and blushed as she quickly explained. But then, she recklessly shouted, "Fine! Just come over here! You probably prefer cooking anyway, right?"

I don't know why it was decided like this, Shirou was dragged to the supermarket to buy the groceries he needed, and then they went straight there. Just like the personality of a female teacher, he was swift and decisive, without even stopping for a moment. He was taken to a high-end apartment in Tokyo.

At first, the teacher pulled me into the car and forcibly took me to Tokyo. Now she's even taken me to her house.

But since he was already there, he had no choice but to accept reality. Without thinking too much, Shirou picked up the cardboard bag of bread and the groceries he had bought from the supermarket downstairs and went into the kitchen.

This was my second time using this place, so I knew exactly where all the kitchen utensils were. I easily took out the bowls and plates I needed from the cabinet, placed the ingredients on the plates, and began processing them in an orderly manner.

As soon as she changed her shoes and took off her coat, Shizuka Hiratsuka put down her car keys and saw her busy figure in the kitchen. She couldn't help but become somewhat mesmerized. Coming back to her senses, she felt annoyed and wanted to punch herself.

To alleviate the unbearable itch in her heart, the woman looked around, finally fixing her gaze on the bottles of wine on the shelf. She walked over, picked them up, and exclaimed, "Oh, right! Shirou! Would you like to have a drink with me?"

"Yes, this is a rare opportunity, let's have a drink." Shirou, who was in the kitchen, picked up a knife and cut the lettuce into small pieces that could be sandwiched in bread. After hearing his teacher's words, he thought for a moment and agreed.

Shizuka Hiratsuka looked at the boy with some surprise, then laughed loudly and said, "Hahaha, you naughty boy! Did you think I, as People's Teacher, would let underage students drink alcohol?"

But perfect timing! I have some non-alcoholic red wine here, a real gem I found at a famous old shop in France, Shirou, you've hit the jackpot meeting me tonight! To hell with marriage! Cheers!"

"Don't get drunk just because you're jealous of other people's weddings. How about adopting a more ladylike lifestyle?" Shirou complained helplessly, taking out a baguette from a cardboard bag and cutting it in half. He prepared to fry one half to make a sandwich, and shred the other half to mix with vegetables to make Caesar.

"This is a celebration! One less competitor. Although there's one less single man in the world, I certainly don't envy a man like the groom—an honest, family-oriented civil servant with money and no mortgage."

"Could it be that there were never any good men in this world to begin with?"

No, wait! Good and bad are relative. So, for me, in over twenty years, it seems I haven't even met a single good man. Does that mean good men have disappeared for me?

"Teacher... you asked a very profound question..." Shirou took out ten cherry tomatoes from the refrigerator, washed them with water, and arranged them at proportional intervals on one side of two plates. On the white plates, each green cauliflower was decorated with small red balls on both sides, like large red flowers blooming on both sides of a green tree, which was quite beautiful.

"Huh? Is that so? Ahaha." Although Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't quite understand, she felt a little happy to be praised by the student she had chosen.

"Then why don't you become the 'good woman' that other people talk about first?" Shirou added, delivering a sarcastic remark.

"Hmph!!" A chilling aura of battle energy swept towards the boy's back, accompanied by a strong gust of wind.

"Anyway, put your fist down first, it's time to eat." Shirou turned around and dodged the incoming fist, placed the salad he had made in front of the Iron Fist Teacher, waved it from side to side, and said.

The brightly colored and appealing food on the plate drew Shizuka Hiratsuka's gaze from side to side. The craving that rose from her stomach to her throat made her lose all desire to continue arguing.

"Then... then hurry up and bring me the knife and fork! I want to eat now!" Shizuka Hiratsuka said, still a little sullen, turning her head away.

"Yes, yes." Because of his previous training trip, Shirou had almost gotten used to his teacher's personality and knew how to deal with her and get along with her.

To be honest, taking care of her is not much different from taking care of Sister Fuji in my previous life. Although they are similar, their personalities are still very different. However, she is an older single woman who is clearly a good person. She is strong, reliable, and interesting as a friend, and is simply impeccable.

But she has an unusually low chance of attracting men, and her life is completely miserable—these are exactly the same things.

While using the same methods to deal with Sister Fuji to deal with Teacher Jing might not be as successful as raising a tiger, it would be about as effective.

It was already past eight o'clock in the evening. Turning off the incandescent bulbs and leaving only the dim, soft glow of the decorative lamps, along with some long, gentle music on the stereo, made for a perfect dinner with some red wine.

"Wow, this is a really nice dinner. It looks delicious." Shizuka Hiratsuka said happily as she took the plate and cutlery from Shirou.

"Never mind those words, let's eat." Shirou said, placing the plate on the small table and moving his chair over to sit down.

"Thanks, Shirou, for going for a drive with me and even getting me dinner." Shizuka Hiratsuka held out her wine glass, gesturing to Shirou, "Culsec~!"

"Thank you for taking care of me during my time abroad, tchin-tchin." Shirou chuckled and clinked glasses with the woman.

Then the two of them raised their wine glasses together, swirled the glistening red liquid, smelled the aroma, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Shirou's cooking skills were excellent, and the two chatted and happily finished their dinner amidst clinking glasses.

After finishing a bottle of wine, it was getting late, and Shizuka Hiratsuka offered to drive Shirou home.

Shirou figured it would be fine if she took him to the subway station; after all, he couldn't let a girl drive that far late at night.

Before leaving, Shirou helped Shizuka Hiratsuka take out the remaining bread and ingredients and make salmon sandwiches, lettuce and fried bread salad, and hamburgers stuffed with beef. He sealed them with cling film and put them in the refrigerator so that the teacher could take them out and heat them up in the microwave whenever she stayed there.

Afterwards, Shizuka Hiratsuka went downstairs to see Shirou off at the station.

Confused, Shizuka Hiratsuka took out her key, opened the door, and was so shocked by what she saw inside that she dropped the key on the ground.

A richly dressed lady sat gracefully facing the entrance, a cup of black tea and a sandwich on a small table beside her. She wore light makeup, her demeanor elegant, and appeared to be in her early forties. Her features bore a resemblance to Shizuka Hiratsuka. Her bearing exuded the poise and authority of a mature woman, and her skin was remarkably well-maintained.

If you dress younger and put on makeup, you could easily pass for someone in their thirties without anyone suspecting it.

"Waaaaah! Mom! Why are you here?" Shizuka Hiratsuka screamed, almost jumping down.

"I sat in your house in Chiba until 8 o'clock, and when you still hadn't come back, I knew you must be here."

"Haha, really? By the way, when is Mom coming?" Shizuka Hiratsuka chuckled dryly, praying inwardly that nothing had been discovered.

The question from the other end shattered all her hopes.

"Where was that young man from when he came here earlier? You picked him up in Chiba, right?"

"Why? How do you know so much about this!"

"As long as you're driving your own car, don't even think about escaping the eyes and ears of our Chiba Ladies' Circle," the Mrs. Hiratsuka said with a sneer.

Mrs. Hiratsuka took a slow, deliberate bite of the salmon sandwich she had taken from the refrigerator. The raw red meat, after being heated in the microwave, did not lose its nutrients; in fact, killing bacteria made it easier to absorb the protein.

The proportions of vegetables and fish are just right, and the triangular slices of bread wrap it perfectly, making it the perfect size for a lady to take a bite.

Hiratsuka's mother closed her eyes as she savored the food, then recalled the ingredients in the refrigerator—all of which required considerable patience to prepare, resulting in exquisitely refined dishes.

She not only considered her daughter's preferences but also ensured nutritional intake while maintaining deliciousness. As a seasoned housewife, she couldn't help but praise her for doing such a wonderful job!

It's foreseeable that even my picky and willful daughter, who prefers ramen to French cuisine, will obediently finish the food and enjoy it immensely.

Hiratsuka's mother finished the last bite of her sandwich, wiped her mouth clean with a tissue, opened her eyes with a bright light, looked up at her daughter, and issued an imperial decree:

"Jing! Take him down!"

Chapter 297 Let's go watch the fireworks together

"Huh? Hu ...

"What's with the name! He's truly a rare and wonderful boy, almost too good for you! But he's done well! He's the perfect son-in-law for the Hiratsuka family." Hiratsuka's mother rarely praised her daughter like this.

"Mom! What are you talking about! He's just my student!"

"You've already brought her home, what are you still trying to hide?" Hiratsuka's mother looked at her daughter, whom she had raised for over twenty years, with disdain. Despite being a teacher, she had never grown up. Not only was she simple-minded, but she was also obsessed with the shonen manga she had read in her childhood and was still following Weekly Shonen Jump to this day.

I never imagined she was nothing but a hypocrite inside. She seems to take after her father in that respect; indeed, apart from her appearance, she has nothing in common with him.

"Wait, Mom? Why are you looking at your own daughter like she's a scumbag?" Shizuka Hiratsuka said, clutching her chest, clearly hurt.

Hiratsuka's mother looked at them coldly without saying a word, thinking to herself.

"Ugh. It's because of people like this that the public's opinion of anime and manga is getting worse and worse."

As expected, they like anime and manga, and are otaku. Even if most of them live quietly and obediently in their own little corner, it doesn't mean that everyone in them is a harmless good person.

The criticism of otaku, led by Mrs. Aragaki, seems to be escalating again. I guess I should ask Mrs. Sawamura to lend us her entire collection so everyone can make copies and store them in the basement. We absolutely cannot let a tragedy like the burning of books and burying of rotten books happen again.

Shizuka Hiratsuka explained, "No, Shirou is just a student we get along with well, we just have a good relationship. Before, when I led a team abroad for an exchange program with a sister school, he was the student I was in charge of, so we ate together and stuff, it's nothing special."

"I see. So that child's name is Shirou. There's a reason behind it. They met while traveling abroad, and then ran into each other again after returning home and started dating. It's not uncommon for this to happen." Hiratsuka's mother nodded repeatedly, seemingly agreeing even more.

Then she exclaimed, "You've traveled together, so your troublesome nature must have been seen through by him, right? It's amazing he hasn't abandoned you. What a good girl! Just look at the food he made for you in the fridge—why don't you just hug him and beg him to marry you?"

Shizuka Hiratsuka, unconvinced, called out, "Wait! Mom, even if you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, don't act like some random middle-aged detective! Why are you so sure this sandwich was made by him?!"

Hiratsuka's mother glanced at Shizuka Hiratsuka, giving her a look that said, 'What a hopeless idiot daughter!' and said with a mocking smile, 'You think you can cook? I'd be grateful if you could just follow the recipe properly and not burn the pot.'

Ever since she saw her kindergarten-aged daughter refuse to learn piano or violin and instead sneak off to play with other children in the sand park, where she became the undisputed leader, she had given up on raising her daughter to be a virtuous wife and loving mother.

"Something like stir-fried bean sprouts with meat and barbecue sauce is actually quite delicious..." Shizuka Hiratsuka said softly, though she knew she was in the wrong.

"Although the informant's wife said she looked very young, I never expected her to be a high school student. And in the class her daughter is the homeroom teacher... Is this embezzlement? Isn't this bordering on crime?"

"Everyone says Shirou and I aren't in that kind of relationship. Even a teacher can invite a student over for a meal, right? Mom, you're so cynical. This is high school, not college graduation season!" Shizuka Hiratsuka protested.

"But those teachers all have families! At least they're not single men and women." Hiratsuka's mother was quite hurt by this, and she was becoming increasingly insecure about her ability to educate her children.

The cabinet has passed a new law lowering the legal age of majority from 20 to 18, and also uniformly raising the minimum legal marriage age for both men and women from 16 to 18.

So if it gets discovered, even if she tries to cover it up by pretending it's actually her husband's, she won't be able to. And this silly daughter brazenly brings the boy back to her place.

However, that's just how the world is now. Specialized beverage shops that advertise female high school students as companions for meals and conversation are all booming, which is practically a disguised form of escort services.

Afterwards, the middle-aged men in their forties who came in and out of the store could still call it charity, giving some scholarships to young students. It's clear that this country is beyond saving.

I don't know why, but I feel like nothing matters anymore... Hiratsuka family's mother's eyes were filled with gloom.

But then again, considering Jing's personality, it would be impossible to stay with her for long without time revealing her true character. So, honestly, I'm very grateful that the boy she's dating is interested in Jing.

While Hiratsuka's mother grew increasingly disappointed in her own daughter, her affection for the boy Shirou, whom she had never met, steadily increased.

"Yes, on the bright side, if you can win over Shirou-kun now, as long as it's not exposed, you can get married right after graduating from high school, so it's a great thing!" Hiratsuka's mother said expectantly, clasping her hands together.

"So... that's not how we're supposed to be," Shizuka Hiratsuka said.

"If he's willing to come to your home, it means he doesn't dislike being with you. He's even willing to cook for you and put thought into providing nutritious meals for you. That means he at least has feelings for you."