The next day, after school, Masashi returned home, changed out of his school uniform, and gave a quick explanation to Kazumi before taking a taxi to Naoko's house.
When he rang the doorbell a few times, the door was opened by a girl Masashi had never seen before. "Who are you looking for?" she asked.
Did he make a mistake? Masashi checked the house number again. "I'm here to see Ms. Naoko."
"You're here to see my sister? Who are you?" The girl asked.
It turned out she was Ms. Naoko's younger sister. "I'm Hirota Masashi, one of your sister's students."
"I see. Please come in. My sister is taking a bath right now." The girl let him in.
After taking off his shoes, Masashi walked into the house.
At that moment, a small white dog came over, eyeing him curiously but with a wary look.
The girl bent down to pick up the dog and innocently said, "Shasha, say hello to your big brother." To Masashi's surprise, the dog actually barked.
Masashi couldn't help but laugh bitterly. When did he become this dog's "big brother?"
"Ai, did someone just ring the doorbell?" Naoko called out from another room.
"Ms. Naoko, hello," Masashi greeted.
"You're here. Wait for a moment, please. I'm going to change." Naoko appeared, looking delighted to see him.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," she added, smiling, before heading back to her room.
"You're Hirota Masashi, right? Are you close with my sister?" asked Ai.
"Well, I guess so, since I'm her student," Masashi replied, looking at the girl whose skin was as white as snow.
"But my sister never brings any guy home. You're the first one," Ai said bluntly.
"Oh, really?" Masashi didn't know how to respond.
Ai looked at him seriously for a moment and then added, "But you're not handsome at all, and you're so short. My sister would never like someone like you. I guess I was thinking too much."
Masashi had a headache. How come kids these days were so precocious?
"By the way, you play video games, right? I just bought a new one. It's really fun. Come on!" Before Masashi could answer, Ai had already pulled him to the TV and skillfully started the game, tossing him a controller.
Masashi was at a loss for words. Despite the unexpected turn of events, he joined her in playing.
Before his rebirth, Hirota was an avid gamer, and while his body had perished, his memories remained. As they delved deeper into the game, Masashi got more proficient. Ai, who was thrilled to find someone who played so well, became even more animated, often shouting during tense moments, causing Masashi's ears to ring.
Just as they were completely immersed, Naoko came out. "Masashi, I'm ready. Let's go."
Masashi looked at her and noticed that she had dressed up. She wore a light green long dress that accentuated her graceful figure, and her makeup was subtle but elegant. Her long legs, encased in flesh-colored stockings, were illuminated by the soft lighting, making them irresistibly alluring.
Ai, who had been watching them, suddenly exclaimed, "Sis, you look so beautiful!"
Naoko blushed slightly as she caught Masashi's appreciative gaze.
Ai asked, "Where are you going, sis?"
"Silly, didn't I tell you? I'm going out to dinner with someone. That person is Masashi. I already ordered sushi for you, and it should be delivered soon. Be good and stay here."
Ai looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't want sushi. I want to go with you."
"No way."
"Why not?"
"Because… just because."
"I'm going!" Ai raised her hands in protest.
"Be good, okay?"
"I'm going!" Ai stood firm.
Naoko glanced helplessly at Masashi, who shrugged. "I don't mind."
They arrived at an upscale restaurant, and immediately, the appearance of the two beautiful women drew everyone's attention. Masashi, who was plain-looking, was completely overlooked.
"Those people are so annoying, they keep staring," Ai complained, slightly upset.
"You should feel lucky. People like me, they don't even care to take a look," Masashi said lazily.
Ai thought for a moment, then agreed, "I guess that's true."
"Masashi, I heard you have a younger sister, right?"
"Yes, her name is Hirota Kazumi. She's quiet but much better at studying than I am."
"Your parents are often away, so you must feel lonely?"
Masashi froze. He had never really thought about that. He was used to being alone, but Kazumi was just a teenager, and with her slightly gloomy personality, she probably didn't have many close friends. And their mom, who lived far away, was likely even lonelier. Maybe he needed to figure out a way to reunite them.
As Masashi was lost in thought, Naoko watched him intently. Her gaze deepened, and once again, Masashi's mature, thoughtful expression seemed to captivate her.
"Hey, why is everyone quiet all of a sudden?" Ai asked.
"By the way, Ai, what do you want to eat?" Naoko asked, snapping back to reality.
"You already ordered, didn't you?" Ai asked, confused.
"Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot."
"Sis, you're acting weird today," Ai said, with a hint of suspicion.
The waiter soon brought the food, and Ai began eating eagerly.
"Masashi, would you like some wine? This place is famous for its wine."
Masashi smiled at her. "Sensei, is that okay?"
Naoko realized only then that he was still a high school student. "I shouldn't have suggested that."
Before she could correct herself, Masashi turned to the waiter. "Please bring us two glasses of your signature wine."
"I want some too!" Ai chimed in.
"Not for kids," Masashi teased.
"What? You're saying I'm a kid? I'm in high school too! Why can you drink and I can't?"
Masashi feigned surprise. "What? Aren't you in elementary school?"
Ai glared at him angrily.
Naoko watched them in silence, realizing that she had subconsciously started treating Masashi like a man her age—or perhaps even older—without realizing it. She felt a strange unease as she looked at his youthful, still immature face.
As the three were eating, a boy approached.
"Ai, is that you?" The boy called out.
"Oh, Yusuke, what a surprise to see you here," Ai said, surprised.
"Really? I almost didn't recognize you. When did you arrive?" Yuusuke asked, visibly excited.
"I just got here."
"I came with my cousin. These two are..." Yuusuke gestured toward Naoko and Masashi.
"This is my sister, Naoko, and this guy is my sister's student, Hirota Masashi. He's so annoying," Ai said, still miffed about their earlier conversation.
"Ai, you're so rude. Yuusuke, I'm Ai's older sister, Hasegawa Naoko. This is Masashi Hirota, my student. Thank you for always taking care of Ai." Naoko smiled.
"You're too kind." Yuusuke blushed when he saw the stunning Ms. Naoko.
"Yuusuke, can you introduce me to these two beautiful ladies?" A male voice came from beside him. A tall, handsome young man smiled and walked over.
"Cousin, she's Hasegawa Aiko, my classmate. This is her older sister, Ms. Hasegawa Naoko, and this is Ms. Naoko's student, Masashi Hiro...Hiro..."
"Masashi Hirota." Masashi smiled slightly.
"Yes, Masashi Hirota." Yuusuke looked at Masashi gratefully.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Yuusuke's cousin, Junichirou Nishinaka. It's a pleasure to meet you." Junichirou said politely. His eyes kept lingering on Naoko.
From the moment Ms. Naoko had entered the restaurant, he had been eyeing this rare beauty. He had been planning to find an opportunity to get to know her, but he hadn't expected that his cousin already knew her. He felt like heaven was on his side.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nishinaka."
"Just call me Junichirou. All my friends call me that." Junichirou smiled brightly. He was very confident in his own charm.
Naoko, noticing the attention, simply smiled politely, though she didn't respond further.
"Would you be interested in joining us at our table? I think Yuusuke would be very happy too." Junichiro asked, looking at Naoko.
"Thank you for the offer, but my student is still here. I don't want to disturb you," Naoko declined.
"Ah, I see. Well, I hope we can meet again soon."
After Yuusuke and Junichiro left, Ai said somewhat regretfully, "Sis, why didn't you go? I think Yusuke's cousin is pretty nice. He looks like he's really interested in you. He's handsome too. If it were me, I'd definitely go."
"I won't stop you if you want to go. After all, your classmate is over there too."
"But he invited you, not me. What's the point of me going?"
Naoko looked thoughtful. "Ai, you can't judge people just by their appearance."
"Sis, are you going to keep lecturing me?" Ai muttered, feeling a bit rebellious.
"Masashi, do you want anything else? Don't be shy," Naoko asked warmly.
Masashi shook his head. "No, I'm full."
After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, it was nearly 9 PM. Naoko dropped Masashi off at home before leaving with Ai.
Back home, as Masashi passed Kazumi's room, he saw she was still studying hard. He couldn't help but shake his head.