Luo Zhen didn't think it was a big deal.
"It's fine, Hitori. If it's you, you can do anything to me."
He patted her on the shoulder.
Anything... Those words made Hitori blush and giggle foolishly.
"Little Zhen, if you say that, I'll... lose control again."
Maybe Luo Zhen's attitude was ultimately mixed with a lot of guilt.
He'd originally promised her one-on-one, but then things had twisted into a messed-up relationship with Michiyo.
It was all his fault, and he would unconditionally do anything for Hitori.
He knew none of this could be made up for, and his so-called compensation was just wishful thinking on his part.
But it had to be done.
Chapter 30 — Heaven-Defying Little Essay, the Teacher's Fury
Back in the classroom, Luo Zhen acted like nothing had happened.
Hitori, on the other hand, couldn't shake the blush on her face, her heartbeat racing faster and faster.
Luo Zhen focused intently, continuing his own work and polishing the outline for his new novel.
"After this, I just need to send it to my editor."
He was ready, excitement showing on his face.
Just then, Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly pushed open the classroom door, her fierce gaze sweeping across the room.
She immediately locked onto the little pink-haired girl in the crowd.
"Goto Hitori, come with me."
The teacher's smile carried a dangerous edge. Hitori's whole body trembled, terrified.
She shot Luo Zhen a pleading look, her eyes turning watery, like she might cry at any moment.
Shizuka Hiratsuka's expression was too frightening. Luo Zhen sighed and decided to go with Hitori.
"Look at the crap you wrote!"
The morning's essay class had already been mostly graded by the afternoon; they'd go over it tomorrow.
Since the writing time was short, it was just a few hundred words of short pieces.
The students' skill levels were all over the place. Some wrote very well, but others wrote very... strangely.
Writing poorly was normal; later lessons would slowly polish them.
This was just a baseline test to gauge everyone's general level and control the teaching pace.
Because the population was sparse, the academic pressure wasn't actually that heavy.
Competition still existed, but the problem was that even if you tried hard to compete, you'd probably end up jobless anyway.
The economy never seemed to pick up, so a lot of people just gave up and coasted from the start.
Shizuka Hiratsuka wasn't just grading essays to judge skill levels; she probably also wanted to see what was on everyone's minds.
She had to admit, a few students' essays were truly "god-tier weirdos."
Shizuka Hiratsuka felt like she couldn't breathe, even seeing spots.
Goto Hitori's essay had to be severely judged!
"I told you to reflect on your high school life. What the hell is going on in your head?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka was absolutely furious. She slammed the paper down on the desk.
Luo Zhen knew the situation was serious now; he couldn't say much.
Then he carefully reached out and picked up Hitori's essay.
"Everyone has their own misfortune, and everyone has their own happiness..."
Luo Zhen read the first sentence and immediately made an "old man, subway, phone" face.
Wait, why did this opening feel so familiar?
His voice started trembling. It was only a few hundred words, but she'd written something incredibly gripping.
The protagonist, "Little Zhen," was a teacher, and then the principal, "Yamada Netsu," did that to him.
In just a few strokes, she'd painted a story of desire that made the blood boil.
Wait, Hitori, you shouldn't be a guitarist—you should be a novelist.
Come to think of it, her imagination was top-notch; she really could do some incredible things.
I should have asked her to copy her writing skill!
It's just that what she wrote was a bit weird. What's with Young Husband White Zhen? And what's up with those two character names? What were you thinking?
Hitori finally realized what an outrageously absurd thing she'd done. Her gaze started to drift away.
Early in the morning, his mind was a fog, unable to hear anything clearly, while his heart burned with swelling flames of desire.
Staring intently at Luo Zhen's back, he unconsciously scribbled all this down, then promptly passed out into a dead sleep.
Now, the bomb had finally detonated.
Hitori felt she was about to die; her brain had completely shut down, and she was numb all over.
Just moments ago, she'd been so happy—after all, Little Zhen had used his mouth to bring her joy.
But now, joy had turned to sorrow, and she plunged into an icy abyss, endless chill sweeping in from all sides.
And yet, right at this moment, Hitori's little inner theater started up again.
"Goto Hitori, you wouldn't want others to know you wrote a steamy story in composition class, would you?"
"You can leave now, but I need to have a good chat with Luo Zhen-kun~"
The imaginary Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei wore a strange expression, her tone peculiar, as she uttered those words that sparked endless speculation.
"Goto Hitori, are you in your right mind?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka held an unlit cigarette between her lips; her voice snapped Hitori back to reality.
"You can write this stuff in private, but how could you hand it in?"
The teacher was genuinely furious.
"Sumimasen!"
Hitori quickly apologized, on the verge of tears.
"I don't know why Luo Zhen is so infatuated with you, even doing whatever you say, going so far as to..."
Shizuka Hiratsuka's words cut off abruptly, nearly revealing certain things.
But Luo Zhen's gaze suddenly sharpened.
So, it wasn't just the two of them alone back then—you were nearby, weren't you.
Hitori didn't react at all, but Luo Zhen was someone skilled at catching details.
Shizuka Hiratsuka furrowed her brow. She exchanged a glance with Luo Zhen; no words passed between them, but the meaning was conveyed.
The teacher looked away, pulling out a lighter as if nothing had happened.
But her fingers trembled, failing to spark it several times.
"Sensei, we're still here—maybe skip the cigarette."
Luo Zhen said, squinting with a smile.
Shizuka Hiratsuka felt a twinge of guilt, setting the cigarette down, her throat bobbing.
Fortunately, she was a good teacher. If it had been someone else, things might have taken an unpleasant turn.
Maybe she'd be threatened, and then Luo Zhen would...
"Anyway, you're going to rewrite it right now! You're not leaving until it's done."
Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't intend to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Seeing Hitori's timid demeanor, she just sighed helplessly.
Truth be told, Goto Hitori's problem was actually pretty minor.
She'd only referenced an imaginary story to elaborate on so-called desire and happiness.
Though the little tale was a bit stirring, at her core she was still a virgin, and she'd kept some sense back then, so there were no descriptions of pale, fleshy bodies.
There were far crazier essays—like Hachiman Hikigaya's extreme male chauvinist take...
He actually wrote things like "all women should just explode."
In this female-dominated world, the big guy's life experience had completely flipped, and he'd turned into a master of misogynist rhetoric.
Hitori nodded repeatedly, didn't even take her essay, turned, and scurried away.
But Luo Zhen stayed behind, flashing Shizuka Hiratsuka a gentle smile.
"Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei."
He expressed his gratitude to her.
"No need to thank me; it's what I should do. Goto-san's issue was just a small thing."
Shizuka Hiratsuka waved her hand, picking up the cigarette again, but like before, her fingers trembled and she couldn't light it.
Was the lighter broken?
For some reason, Shizuka Hiratsuka grew even more nervous than before. Being alone with Luo Zhen put pressure on her.
Luo Zhen just smiled, but she couldn't figure out what he was planning at all, which only doubled the strain.
He snatched the lighter from her hand.
She thought he was going to stop her from smoking and lecture her about how smoking was bad for her health.
With a click, the lighter sparked smoothly, and he lit the cigarette for her himself.
"There aren't many smokers on campus either. Teacher must often hide away by yourself."
"Yeah, this brand is pretty expensive, right? The smell is quite distinct."
"Seems like I've caught a whiff of it over by the stairwell corner before."
Before he knew it, Luo Zhen had actually closed the distance with Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"Ah... that spot is indeed where I smoke, but I didn't hear a thing."
Shizuka Hiratsuka's fingers, holding the cigarette, began to tremble.
Too close. Her heart was pounding faster. This boy was so alluring.
The pleasant scent of his body mixed with the burning smell of the cigarette, drifting into her nostrils.
"So Teacher did hear, huh. Heh, thanks for keeping the secret."
"How should I thank you? Right, I'll prepare a gift for you."
Luo Zhen said with a smile. He shifted his feet slightly and sat down on the desk beside Shizuka Hiratsuka.
His long legs swayed gently, and the emotion in his eyes was hard to read.
"No need. You all should be more careful from now on."
"School is a place for learning. I only hope you'll study hard."
"That's the best repayment."
Shizuka Hiratsuka furrowed her brow. Something felt off about this student.
Though they were all very ordinary little gestures, in Shizuka Hiratsuka's eyes, they carried a faintly suggestive flavor.
Every move this guy made reeked of a cocky little show-off.
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