Chapter 276: Breaking the Mold
The two of them entered the banquet hall and soon faced the big bosses of the day.
Seated at the main table in the hall were a middle-aged couple, both around fifty.
It was Shizuka's parents.
"Shizuka, come over here." As soon as Shizuka was spotted, Mrs. Hiratsuka eagerly beckoned her.
Observing, Hachiman noticed a middle-aged woman in a kimono, bearing a resemblance to Shizuka, waving at them continuously.
Upon hearing her mother call, Shizuka reluctantly approached, simultaneously whispering a stern reminder to Hachiman.
"Behave yourself from now on. In case anything goes wrong, I won't spare you."
Hachiman responded with a reassuring smile.
"Mom, Dad, I'm here." Shizuka greeted her mother with a smile.
"Oh, Shizuka, and is this your boyfriend? Why don't you introduce him?" Mrs. Hiratsuka's eyes glinted as she looked at Hachiman standing beside Shizuka.
"Yes, Shizuka, introduce him quickly," the middle-aged man in a black samurai outfit next to Mrs. Hiratsuka chimed in.
It seemed he was Shizuka's father.
However, Hachiman could distinctly sense an aura of dignity from Mr. Hiratsuka, similar to Senzaemon, indicating a person accustomed to a high position.
Upon hearing her parents' words, Shizuka gave a slight smirk but pretended to be cheerful.
"Mom, Dad, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Oh? Is he really your boyfriend, or are you just trying to fool me, Shizuka?" Mrs. Hiratsuka wore a skeptical expression.
Shizuka was startled but quickly defended herself, "Of course, it's true. Why would I lie to you about something like this?"
"Well, I have my suspicions. When I visited your apartment last month, you didn't have a boyfriend." Mrs. Hiratsuka continued speaking.
"Uh... well, I found him in the past month," Shizuka stammered.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Hiratsuka wasn't letting it go. "You couldn't find someone suitable for so long, and suddenly you find one in just a month?"
"Uh, this..."
Now, Shizuka was at a loss for words, glancing at Hachiman for assistance.
In the midst of the entertaining exchange between mother and daughter, Hachiman decided to step forward.
"Aunt, what Shizu said is true. I am indeed her boyfriend," he declared.
Upon hearing his words, Mrs. Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow and shifted her gaze towards him.
"Oh? Have you really been together this past month?" she inquired.
"That's correct," Hachiman affirmed.
"But I must thank you, Aunt, for this matter," he continued with a slight smile.
"Oh? Thank me? Why?" Mrs. Hiratsuka became interested.
Hachiman smiled and explained, "Because I was originally pursuing Shizu, but she didn't agree. If it weren't for your words last time, she wouldn't have accepted my pursuit."
"I see. But why didn't Shizuka agree to your pursuit initially?" Mrs. Hiratsuka was curious.
At this question, Hachiman's lips curled into a mischievous smile, though his face showed a hint of embarrassment. "Well, because Shizu is my teacher."
"..."
Now, Shizuka was terrified. She never expected Hachiman to deviate from the expected script and bluntly reveal the truth. This was a disaster for her.
"What?! Shizuka is your teacher!"
As expected, both Mr. and Mrs. Hiratsuka showed surprise, with Mrs. Hiratsuka, in particular, glaring at Shizuka.
"Shizuka, what's going on? I don't remember raising my daughter to become a promiscuous teacher who dates her own students."
"Mom... let me explain, this... "
Don't be fooled by Shizuka's appearance of being a tough guy on the outside, she is still very afraid of her own mother, and she stuttered for half a day without being able to say anything.
Fortunately, Hachiman came to her rescue and spoke up to clear the misunderstanding.
"Auntie, you've misunderstood. Shizu is only my former teacher, and I have already graduated."
"Former teacher?"
"That's right, Shizu was my homeroom teacher back in Sobu High School." Hachiman nodded his head.
"But now that I've graduated, we no longer have a teacher-student relationship."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Mrs. Hiratsuka nodded in understanding.
If it's not a teacher-student relationship, she can accept it.
With Hachiman's powerful acting skills, Mrs. Hiratsuka didn't doubt it and seemed to accept this reason. And judging by his demeanor, Hachiman did not seem like a high school student.
"But Shizuka should be quite older than you, right?"
"Shizu is indeed a few years older than me, but I don't mind, I truly love her." Hachiman said seriously.
Although he was just playing a role, his feelings were genuine.
Perhaps sensing his genuine feelings, a hint of blush appeared on Shizuka's face.
Is Hachiman really into me?
Recalling the kisses they shared earlier, Shizuka's heart couldn't help but ripple with complex emotions.
Upon hearing Hachiman's words, Mr. and Mrs. Hiratsuka exchanged glances and ultimately, Mrs. Hiratsuka spoke up.
"We sense Hikigaya-kun's feelings for Shizuka, but may I ask if Hikigiya-kun is still in school or if he has started working?"
Are they assessing whether I'm qualified to be their son-in-law?
"I'm currently in university, but don't worry, Aunt. I can support myself and Shizu without any issues," Hachiman replied with a confident smile.
"Oh? And what kind of work does Hikigaya-kun do now?" Mr. Hiratsuka asked.
"Besides being a student, I'm also a somewhat well-known light novelist," Hachiman modestly smiled.
At this point, Shizuka, awakening from her complex emotions, heard Hachiman's words and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"Mom, Dad, don't believe this guy's nonsense. If he's only considered somewhat well-known, then there's no one remarkable in the current light novel scene."
This remark sparked the interest of the Hiratsuka couple, and Mrs. Hiratsuka asked, "Shizuka, what do you mean by that?"
"This guy's two ongoing light novels have both surpassed ten million copies in sales, making him undoubtedly the reigning king in the current light novel scene," Shizuka explained.
"That impressive?" Both Mr. and Mrs. Hiratsuka were surprised.
"You're giving me too much credit, Aunt and Uncle," Hachiman smiled modestly, showing no signs of arrogance.
Seeing his demeanor, the Hiratsuka couple exchanged glances and made up their minds.
Young and promising, humble yet confident, most importantly, deeply devoted to Shizuka – a son-in-law like him must be secured at all costs!