Today, Shizuka had clearly undergone a subtle transformation, and her elegant evening gown helped mask her initially boyish charm.
The man seated across from her was also rather handsome, clad in a sharp suit, exuding a certain level of sophistication, and likely in his thirties.
To onlookers, they seemed like a well-matched couple.
However, Shizuka, seated opposite the man in the suit, slightly furrowed her brow.
"Miss Hiratsuka, there's one more thing I'd like to discuss regarding our future together. I hope that after we marry, you can leave your teaching job and focus on raising our children at home. With my income, we can comfortably provide for our family..." The man in the suit continued to speak, seemingly oblivious to Shizuka's growing impatience.
Upon hearing this, Shizuka finally couldn't contain herself.
"Mr. Yamada, we've only just met today. It's far too early to discuss marriage."
What? You've only just met.
Wanting to talk about marriage on the first meeting? This guy seems a bit too eager.
Are you sure you're not just looking for sex?
Hachiman, who had been eavesdropping from the sidelines, silently thought to himself.
But to be honest, Shizuka looked quite stunning in her evening gown, so it's not surprising that this man in the suit had such thoughts.
"Um... I apologize, Miss Hiratsuka, I may have been a bit hasty in that regard," the man in the suit realized, though he clearly hadn't given up on the idea.
"We can meet a few more times in the future and take our time to develop our relationship."
Wow, is this guy for real?
Don't be fooled by the soft exterior of the woman in front of you.
If it came to a fight, you probably couldn't even handle one of her punches.
"Mr.Yamada, I don't think we're quite compatible," Shizuka's patience wore thin as she saw this guy persist.
"Um... I won't bother you any further today, Miss Hiratsuka. I hope we might have another chance to meet in the future."
The man in the suit could sense Shizuka's impatience in her tone and couldn't hide a slight disappointment on his face as he took his leave.
Nonetheless, he held onto a glimmer of hope.
But Shizuka just sat there quietly, without even offering a farewell, indicating that her impression of the man in the suit wasn't very favorable.
Once the man in the suit had left, the dining table was empty, leaving Shizuka sitting there all alone, looking somewhat pitiful.
"Ugh, why is it so difficult to find a satisfactory boyfriend?"
With the man gone, Shizuka dropped the act and picked up her wine glass, gulping down a glass of red wine.
The bitter liquid stung as it went down her throat.
"Sigh!"
After finishing the entire glass, Shizuka let out a sigh and slammed her fist onto the table.
"It's all that Hikigaya brat's fault. He must have cursed me."
I'm innocent here!
This comment left Hachiman feeling somewhat unfairly treated.
He knew he hadn't done anything wrong, and it was Shizuka who had driven the man in the suit away.
It wasn't his fault at all.
Seeing that Shizuka was still in a sour mood, he decided to stay silent for the moment.
Who knows, she might come charging over and deliver a fist to him if he spoke up.
However, Hachiman had forgotten that he wasn't alone in this situation.
"Hikki, what are you looking at?" Yui, who was beside him, noticed that he had been staring at the adjacent table and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
What?!
Hachiman couldn't believe that Yui had suddenly thrown him under the bus, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Uh?"
At that moment, not far away, Shizuka heard Yui's voice and turned to spot Hachiman's familiar face.
"It's you, you rascal."
Seeing Hachiman, Shizuka abruptly stood up and approached him.
"Well, Hiratsuka-sensei, good evening," Hachiman greeted, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with Shizuka right in front of him.
"Sensei?!" Yui, who was nearby, couldn't help but exclaim upon hearing Hachiman's address.
"Yeah, Yui, let me introduce you. This is my homeroom teacher and Japanese language teacher, Miss Shizuka Hiratsuka."
"Hiratsuka-sensei, this is my friend ,Yuigahama Yui, also a student at Sobu High."
Hachiman also introduced both sides.
"Hello, Hiratsuka-sensei, I'm Yui Yuigahama, a first-year student in Class D." Even though they were outside of school, Yui still felt nervous meeting her teacher.
"No need to be so formal, Yuigahama-san. This isn't school; you can treat me like usual," Shizuka was much more casual compared to Yui, waving her hand at her.
"I won't stop you from dating."
"Huh? No, it's not..." Seeing that Shizuka assumed they were on a date, Yui nervously waved her hands.
"Don't worry; I'm not that old-fashioned. I won't interfere with your love lives." After saying this, she gave Hachiman a stern look.
"But you, you've got quite the nerve. After cursing me, you're openly going on a date in front of me, deliberately trying to provoke me, aren't you?"
"Come on, it's not fair! I just said that casually. It's not my business if you can't find a boyfriend," Hachiman protested with an innocent expression.
"And besides, I thought that guy in the suit from earlier seemed pretty decent. He's good-looking, too, just not quite as much as me."
Shizuka and Yui both looked at him in disbelief after hearing his shameless comments.
"Hikki, you really have no shame..." Yui couldn't resist commenting in the end.
"Oh, you silly Yui, how dare you say that to me." Hachiman reached out and playfully pinched the bun on her head.
"What's wrong with a bun, and I'm not silly..."
"You do have a bun on your head, don't deny it."
"Pff, pff, pff, I won't admit it, you annoying little Hikki."
Seeing the two of them flirting and bantering in front of her, Shizuka's forehead developed several pound signs.
"That's enough! I don't want to witness this lovey-dovey stuff anymore." Shizuka couldn't tolerate it any longer and slammed her hand on the table.
"..."
"Cough, cough."
After a moment of silence, Hachiman finally broke the silence.
"I still want to ask about that earlier. That guy in the suit seemed decent enough. Why did you turn him down?"
"What was decent about that guy earlier?" Shizuka waved her hand with a touch of exasperation when she heard this.
"What do you mean?"
"He's a senior software engineer. Didn't you find anything off about him?"
"What's off about him?" Yui said she couldn't understand.
"Could it be his hair..."
Hachiman spoke with a hint of uncertainty.
Shizuka wore a helpless expression and said."Right, it's his hair,he is a senior software engineer, and he's well over thirty.
There's no way he could have such thick black hair; it's obviously a wig."
"Why should I, with my standards, settle for a middle-aged balding boyfriend?"