Chapter 122: Hiratsuka Shizuka
Thinking back to that year he returned home without ever seeing his parents, Franklin had a lot on his mind.
The reason the lightning tribulation hadn't immediately chased him down—it had to be their doing. And the price they must have paid for that couldn't have been small.
"Actually," Ryōko Mikado said with a teasing smile, "this whole 'falling-on-women' thing of yours isn't necessarily bad. From what I've observed, it only triggers with women you aren't that close to yet. In a way, it gives you a chance to take advantage and build intimacy at the same time. You should count yourself lucky. Still, I'll look for a way to suppress it somehow—because, honestly, this symptom is a bit too indecent."
Franklin gave her a helpless look.
"Go ahead and laugh. The day I trip and fall on you, we'll see if you're still smiling. Anyway, write me a medical note. I need to show Kotegawa—she practically looks at me like I'm something dirty now."
Ryōko gave him an amused look, but said nothing. She casually scribbled something on a medical form and handed it to him.
"'Congenital kidney weakness combined with anemia, causing lower-body blood rush and dizziness upon seeing attractive women'…?"
Franklin stared at the note, his lips twitching. "You're kidding me, right, Ryōko? How the hell am I supposed to hand this to someone?"
Seeing her raise her hands in mock defeat, Franklin snorted, crumpled the paper, and tossed it straight into the trash.
"Forget it. I'll just keep being branded a pervert. Giving her that would destroy my reputation for life."
He passed Peke—still hidden under the blanket—to Lala, who quickly changed back into her school uniform and hopped off the bed.
Her cheeks were still flushed, but she stayed silent, quietly following behind Franklin. He reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. After waving goodbye to Ryōko, he took Lala by the hand and headed for class.
They had barely walked a few steps before Lala suddenly tugged his sleeve. Franklin turned to see her gazing up at him with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"Lin, you'll always like me, right?"
Her tone was soft but earnest, her eyes full of expectation.
Smiling, Franklin reached out to ruffle her hair again.
"Of course. That's a promise. I'll always like you, Lala—until the end of the world."
At that, her bright smile returned. She jumped up to hug him, but Franklin gently stopped her with a hand to her forehead.
"Did you forget? We're at school. Holding hands is enough."
Lala puffed her cheeks in protest, so Franklin chuckled, leaned down, and gave her a light kiss on the forehead before taking her hand and leading her toward the classroom.
"Come in."
When Franklin slid open the classroom door, their homeroom teacher, Mr. Furukawa, was standing at the podium—and beside him stood a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair.
"Franklin, Lala—you're right on time. Go take your seats. I was just introducing our new teacher."
Franklin blinked at the sight of her waist-length black hair and stunning features. He racked his brain for every female character he knew from To Love Ru and Dragon Ball, but no one came to mind.
It wasn't until he sat down behind Bulma—who was seated in front of him, with Tenjōin Saki ahead of her—that he realized he had no clue who this woman was.
Just as he was about to quietly ask Bulma, she turned around and whispered first.
"Later. I'll tell you after class. But this new teacher… she's not ordinary. I didn't even get a notice that someone new was being transferred in."
That piqued Franklin's curiosity, so he turned his attention forward.
"Alright, everyone's here," said Furukawa. "Let me introduce your new teacher. This is Ms. Hiratsuka. She previously taught at Sōbu High in Chiba. For personal reasons, she's transferred to Sainan High. Our former Japanese teacher has left, so Ms. Hiratsuka will be taking over that subject."
He gave her a polite nod before walking out of the classroom.
The new teacher smiled warmly. "Hello, everyone. Mr. Furukawa already gave you the short version, but let me add a few words. My name is Hiratsuka Shizuka. You can just call me 'Ms. Hiratsuka.' Before we start, if any of you have questions, feel free to ask—but please introduce yourselves first, so I can get to know you better."
The moment she finished, Lala shot to her feet, brimming with energy.
"Ms. Hiratsuka! I'm Lala Satalin Deviluke from Planet Deviluke! You can just call me Lala! I want to ask—how old are you? You look super young!"
The second Lala mentioned Sōbu High, Franklin immediately knew who this teacher was.
Of course… Hiratsuka Shizuka—from Oregairu.
And Lala had just hit her sore spot dead center. Franklin rubbed his temples anxiously.
Standing at the podium, Hiratsuka's brow twitched violently. She took two deep breaths before forcing a pleasant smile.
"Lala, thank you for the lovely introduction. I'll remember you. And thank you for the compliment. As for my age…" Her smile tightened. "Let's just say I'm almost thirty—about two or three years shy. So, for the next three years, any questions about my age are officially off-limits, okay?"
"I understand, Ms. Hiratsuka!"
Before Franklin could sigh in relief, Risa Momioka raised her hand next.
"Teacher, my name's Risa Momioka! I was wondering—do you have a boyfriend? You're so pretty, I bet the boys at your old school adored you! Could you give us some advice on how to deal with guys?"
Franklin immediately covered his face with both hands.
These two… unbelievable. They just hit both of her weak spots back to back.
On the podium, Hiratsuka's head lowered slightly. After a long pause, she looked up again with a strained smile.
"Sorry, Risa. That's… a personal question. Can I skip it?"
"Awww…"
Risa sat down reluctantly. Seeing another student about to raise a hand, Hiratsuka quickly waved it down.
"Let's, uh, try to avoid any questions that might be too personal. Otherwise, it'll get awkward for everyone, okay?"
After that, she continued the introductions more smoothly.
When the bell finally rang, Hiratsuka's weary expression lifted instantly.
"Alright! I think I've learned most of your names now. I'll be your Japanese teacher from here on out. Let's all do our best together!"
With that, she practically bolted out of the classroom.
The room erupted into chatter.
"She definitely doesn't have a boyfriend."
"Yeah, not only that—she probably hasn't even dated anyone!"
Bulma turned around, eyeing Franklin suspiciously. "You know her, don't you?"
Franklin hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. She's from an anime I watched before. She's a great teacher—kind, easygoing, independent… but, well, she has a sort of 'anti-man' aura. She's never met the right guy. And since she's almost thirty—despite being gorgeous—she's still single."
Bulma's expression grew even stranger. "Don't tell me she transferred here because you're at this school."
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