Chapter 278: Leave Everything To Me
As the wedding processional concluded, the wedding ceremony came to an end, leaving behind the customary feasting and celebration.
Shizuka, feeling angered by her parents and Hachiman, channeled her frustration into a hearty meal, consuming voraciously.
Hachiman, in turn, elevated the image of Shizuka's parents. Upon learning that their daughter had found a young and wealthy boyfriend, relatives and friends came to congratulate them, and the elderly couple reveled in the joy.
In the past, during such gatherings, Shizuka's parents hesitated to mention their daughter, as it was an embarrassment. Despite being the most prosperous branch of the family, having an unmarried daughter nearing thirty was a sore point.
This time was different. With the rare appearance of a perfect "prospective son-in-law," they held their heads high. Observing Hachiman's demeanor, which exuded success, Mrs. and Mr. Hiratsuka were highly content.
They decided to investigate Hachiman's background to verify his claims. If he turned out to be as perfect as he portrayed, he would indeed be an ideal son-in-law.
Observing Shizuka engrossed in her own meal, oblivious to her surroundings, the elderly couple shook their heads.
"Shizuka!" Mrs. Hiratsuka called out to her daughter with some displeasure.
"Huh?"
Shizuka, enjoying her meal, turned in confusion upon hearing her mother's call.
"Why are you only focused on eating?" Mrs. Hiratsuka questioned, a mix of frustration and amusement evident.
"What else should I do?" Shizuka looked puzzled.
"Don't you know how to help Hachiman with the dishes? You're already grown up. Do I need to teach you?" Mrs. Hiratsuka displayed a somewhat stern expression.
Shizuka nonchalantly rolled her eyes. "He's a grown man; does he need me to serve him?"
Unconcerned with her mother's words, she dismissed, "I won't be the one to feed him."
Fearing her mother might insist on such gestures, Shizuka remained resolute. She sensed that her parents were treating Hachiman as a son-in-law, and certain boundaries had to be maintained. After all, she was his teacher.
Mrs. Hiratsuka was about to reprimand her when Hachiman interjected with a smile. "It's alright, Auntie. I appreciate Shizu's straightforwardness. I prefer serving myself."
"Alright, this child of ours has been spoiled. Hachiman, please take care of her," Mrs. Hiratsuka remarked.
Hachiman agreed with a smile.
However, Shizuka didn't expect Hachiman to speak up and defuse the situation for her. She subtly gave him a look of "you know your place."
"Mom, I think Hachiman might not be interested in these dishes. His cooking skills are even more impressive than those recent graduates from far-off culinary schools."
"Oh? I didn't realize Hachiman was skilled in cooking." Mrs. Hiratsuka's eyes lit up.
Cooking prowess was always a plus, and especially in a country like Japan where traditional gender roles were prevalent, few men outside of professional chefs ventured into the kitchen.
Upon hearing Mrs. Hiratsuka's praise, Hachiman modestly smiled. "I have an interest in cooking, so I enjoy experimenting. Also, with my parents being busy with work and a younger sister to take care of, I naturally became adept at it over time."
"I see. Taking care of a younger sister alone must be quite challenging," Mrs. Hiratsuka sighed.
"It's manageable. My sister is well-behaved, so I'm at ease most of the time."
A vision of Komachi's adorable smile crossed his mind, bringing a smile to Hachiman's face.
"Enough about that; let's enjoy the meal."
The wedding feast continued, and at the moment, the priority was to satisfy their appetites before Shizuka devoured all the dishes on her own.
At three in the afternoon, as the guests dispersed, the wedding banquet finally came to an end. During this time, Hachiman was pulled by Mr. Hiratsuka to share a few drinks. However, given his current constitution, a bit of alcohol posed no challenge.
Seeing the wedding concluded, Shizuka finally breathed a sigh of relief, ready to make a quick exit with Hachiman.
"Mom, Dad, since the wedding is over, we'll head back now."
However, Mrs. Hiratsuka wasn't about to let her off so easily.
"Why the rush? Shizuka, you've come back after a long time; stay at home for the night. Mom has some things to discuss with you."
Shizuka, not keen on staying, hesitated in her attempts to decline.
"Well... we have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so let's skip staying tonight."
Unfortunately, Mrs. Hiratsuka had already seen through her little tricks. "Just staying for one night won't hurt. Tomorrow is the weekend anyway; if you have things to handle in the afternoon, it won't be too late."
"Uh, this..."
Shizuka was at a loss, despite her authoritative demeanor at school; facing her mother, she immediately felt cornered. Unable to find a way out, she turned to Hachiman for help with a pleading look.
But Hachiman's next words left her wide-eyed.
"Sounds good, Auntie. I actually have some things to discuss with both you and Uncle."
Hachiman understood that any set of parents wouldn't easily entrust their daughter to a man with unknown background. The warmth they showed during the banquet was likely just to save face in front of relatives.
Now that the wedding was over and the relatives dispersed, he believed Shizuka's parents would start investigating his identity.
Rather than being exposed during an investigation, he decided it was better to confess proactively, gaining more control over the situation.
Shizuka was astonished when Hachiman agreed to stay. She quickly pulled him aside.
"Hey... you brat, what are you up to? Didn't we agree to leave after the wedding?"
"If we don't leave soon, we'll be exposed."
Shizuka naively thought her parents genuinely believed them.
Seeing her reaction, Hachiman smirked, but his face displayed a confident smile.
"Don't worry, leave everything to me. If this goes smoothly, won't you be free from your parents pressuring you into blind dates in the future?"
"Really?!"
Hearing this, Shizuka's face showed a mix of belief and skepticism.
Originally, in her plan, she intended to kick Hachiman out as soon as they got back. If her parents asked, she would simply say they had broken up.
However, the consequence of following this plan was that she would likely still be pressured into blind dates by her parents, and she definitely didn't want that.
But now, Hachiman unexpectedly claimed he could spare her from the hassle of future blind dates. Of course, she was willing to give it a try.
"Alright, I'll trust you this time." Seeing the confident smile on Hachiman's face, Shizuka chose to believe him and agreed.
"Mom, we'll stay at home tonight."
Hearing Shizuka's agreement, Mrs. Hiratsuka also smiled.
"Sure, let's go. We'll head home together."
They called for their family car, and the group boarded it together.
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Chapter 279: Taboo
Not long after, the group arrived at a traditional Japanese building with an antique charm, reminiscent of Saeko's family dojo. The back yard featured a small open space.
Exiting the car and surveying the surroundings with bodyguards stationed at regular intervals, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
Indeed, it seemed like there was a security detail every few steps, and the bodyguards exuded an aura of battlefield experience.
"Sorry if this startled you, Hachiman. Due to the unique nature of our family's business, we need extra security," Mrs. Hiratsuka apologized with a smile.
"No problem. I've seen scenes like this before, so no need to be surprised," Hachiman replied with a slight smile, showing no signs of fear.
He had visited the main residence of the Nakiri several times before, where the security was even more intense than here.
"Oh?"
Upon hearing his response, Mr. and Mrs. Hiratsuka exchanged a glance, both a bit surprised.
It seemed that Hachiman was not as straightforward as he appeared.
Entering the living room, everyone sat down cross-legged, and servants brought in cups of green tea.
"Hikigaya-kun, what did you want to discuss with us?" After taking a sip of tea, Mrs. Hiratsuka got straight to the point.
Upon hearing her address him by name, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
As expected, their earlier enthusiasm towards him was deliberate, just as he anticipated. However, this aligned with his intentions as he had planned to be upfront from the beginning.
Setting down his tea cup, Hachiman stood up and bowed slightly to Shizuka's parents.
"Uncle, Aunt, first, I want to apologize to you; I deceived you."
Seeing him like this, Shizuka couldn't sit still.
"Hey, you..."
Unfortunately, before she could finish, Mrs. Hiratsuka glanced at her with a faint expression.
"Shizuka, sit down."
Although her voice was not loud, Shizuka, fearing her mother, obediently sat back down.
Seeing her sit down, Mrs. Hiratsuka nodded in satisfaction, then turned her gaze back to Hachiman.
"Hikigaya-kun, what do you mean by deceiving us?"
Hachiman was well-prepared for Mrs. Hiratsuka's attitude.
"About the fact that Shizuka and I are not a couple, I believe Auntie is aware of it, right?"
Unexpectedly, Hachiman spoke the truth. Shizuka was surprised, wanting to speak, but after Mrs. Hiratsuka gave her a stern look, she meekly remained silent.
Once again, managing to calm her daughter, Mrs. Hiratsuka looked at Hachiman and nodded calmly.
"This is only natural. After all, Shizuka is my daughter, and I know her well. I certainly don't believe she could find a boyfriend within just a month."
Hearing her mother's words, Shizuka was left feeling a bit exasperated.
"I always feel like you're looking down on me, Mom."
Glancing at her, Mrs. Hiratsuka spoke without much patience, "You spent so much time on blind dates before and couldn't find anyone you liked. Now, within a short month, you've found a boyfriend. Do you think I'm a fool?"
Shizuka had no way to refute her mother's words.
"Even if they are not boyfriend and girlfriend, Hikigaya-kun and Shizuka are quite familiar with each other. Otherwise, Shizuka wouldn't come to you to pose as her boyfriend," Mrs. Hiratsuka analyzed.
"Auntie, you're right. Shizuka and I are indeed familiar, and I genuinely like her. However, she hasn't agreed yet," Hachiman nodded.
"Hey, you brat, why are you making things up?"
Hearing him say he likes her, Shizuka's heart couldn't help but flutter.
Ignoring her daughter, Mrs. Hiratsuka continued to look at Hachiman. "So, why hasn't Shizuka agreed all this time?"
"As I mentioned before, it's because of the age difference between us," Hachiman sighed.
"Age? If it's just a few years apart, I don't think it should be a hindrance."
Although she didn't believe in their romantic relationship, Mrs. Hiratsuka still had no suspicion about Hachiman's university student identity.
"Because it's not just about age, but also about our identities."
"Identities?"
"Yes, actually, Shizu is my homeroom teacher." Hachiman raised his head, looking directly at Mr. and Mrs. Hiratsuka.
"Uncle, Aunt, let's get to know each other again. My name is Hikigaya Hachiman, a second-year student at Sobu High School."
As his words settled in, the entire room fell silent. Shizuka was equally stunned and couldn't find words to speak. Taking a deep breath, Mrs. Hiratsuka spoke with a serious tone, "Hikigaya-kun, are you implying that you are a high school student, and Shizuka is your current homeroom teacher?"
"That's right." Hachiman nodded.
"Nonsense!"
An angry expression swept across Mrs. Hiratsuka's face. Startled by her mother's anger, Shizuka quickly tried to calm the situation.
"Mom, don't be angry. I know I was wrong."
"Oh, Shizuka, Shizuka, you've disappointed me. As a teacher, you've fallen for your own student." Mrs. Hiratsuka shook her head in disappointment.
As a mother, she could see a hint of affection from her daughter towards Hachiman, making it difficult for her to accept. In Japan society, a teacher-student romance is considered taboo. Reality is not as romantic as portrayed in TV dramas or anime; such relationships are generally not tolerated by society.
Seeing Mrs. Hiratsuka's angry expression, Hachiman quickly spoke, "Aunt, please listen to me. My feelings for Shizu are genuine."
Upon hearing his words, Shizuka's heart was deeply moved.
"Hachiman, you..."
However, Mrs. Hiratsuka didn't acknowledge Hachiman's words.
"Hikigaya-kun, it's impossible between you and Shizuka. You're too young, and your understanding of love is still too shallow. When you grow up a bit, you'll realize that your current thoughts are wrong."
Unfortunately, Hachiman wasn't the type to give up easily. He continued with a serious expression, "No, I don't think my feelings are wrong. My affection for Shizu comes from the depths of my heart. It's the kind of love that wants to step into the marriage hall together."
"Please, Uncle, Aunt, entrust Shizu to me."
With that, he bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
Seeing him like this, Mrs. Hiratsuka's expression softened, and there was a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.
She thought of her past self. When Mr. Hiratsuka came to propose to her, her parents vehemently refused because he was just a small-time troublemaker without a proper job.
No parents would entrust their daughter to such a person.
However, Mrs. Hiratsuka believed that he would make something of himself and that they genuinely loved each other. After numerous pleas, her parents finally decided to give them a chance.
As it turned out, Mrs. Hiratsuka didn't misjudge him. To gain their approval, Mr. Hiratsuka worked hard, eventually building the influential Hiratsuka Group spanning Chiba and Tokyo.
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