Chapter 344: Go Spy!

After a long and intense argument, Himekoji finally managed to get taken in.

According to Yukinoshita, worst-case scenario, they could just tie Himekoji up when sleeping.

Honestly, that idea sounded pretty reassuring.

“Alright, it’s time for our reservation. Let’s head to the onsen!”

Hiratsuka-sensei glanced at the time and urged everyone.

Of course, “everyone” did not include Himekoji.

It was an open-air onsen reservation, and they only booked one. As the only guy there, Himekoji naturally couldn’t go with Yukinoshita and the others.

“Onsen time, onsen time~”

Yuigahama, who had been looking forward to it all afternoon, immediately responded to the female teacher’s call. Humming a little tune lightly, she quickly turned her back to Himekoji, pulled the yukata she’d prepared in advance from her bag (for after the onsen), and held it tight.

The other girls weren’t much slower.

Soon, everyone had gotten ready to leave at any moment.

Just before leaving though, Yukinoshita, lingering at the door, looked back at Himekoji several times, apparently wanting to say something but hesitating.

She stared until he felt completely awkward, finally prompting him to ask.

“What is it?”

“Pervert-kun, no peeking.”

“Who would do something like that?!”

So that’s what Yukinoshita was worrying about…

Himekoji instantly felt his character was insulted!

He hadn’t even thought about that at all!

Himekoji felt annoyed and quickly opened his mouth to argue.

“Himekoji, denying it so strongly might cause misunderstandings,” Hiratsuka-sensei suddenly chimed in.

“Misunderstand what?”

Himekoji didn’t understand.

“For example, Yukinoshita might think you mean she has no charm at all and isn’t worth peeking at.”

“Sensei, what kind of nonsense are you spouting now?”

Hearing this, Yukinoshita looked at the female teacher with a helpless expression.

Himekoji offhandedly picked up the thread of conversation.

“Oh, that’s not a misunderstanding. A flat wall or something, yeah, isn’t exactly worth peeking at.”

“Pervert-kun, say that again? I might not have heard clearly.”

Poked in her sore spot, Yukinoshita’s body suddenly ignited with dark purple flames radiating bone-chilling coldness, as if a strange switch had been flipped.

Pinned by Yukinoshita’s glare, Himekoji immediately shrank back and surrendered, forcing out a couple of dry laughs, not daring to continue.

“Honestly, how can there be a person like this?”

“Yukino-chan, don’t mind Akito too much. He probably didn’t mean it like that.”

“Didn’t mean it? Isn’t what you say without thinking what you truly feel?”

Yuigahama had obviously meant to comfort Yukinoshita, but her skills weren’t up to it, steering the effect firmly in the opposite direction…

“No, no… Anyway, it’s just something you don’t need to worry about specially, Yukino. You’re super excellent in every other way!”

“So you mean I’m not excellent in that one way?”

As a perfectionist, Yukinoshita clearly couldn’t accept that.

“No, no… I just meant you don’t need to be bothered…”

“Bothered? I’m not bothered at all? Why would I bother with something so boring? I absolutely don’t bother…”

One stubbornly tough, the other trying to soothe, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama, holding their yukatas, chattered back and forth like this as they left the room.

Himekoji found it all rather ridiculous.

He never imagined an offhand snarky remark would make Yukinoshita take things so seriously.

…

Yukinoshita and Yuigahama left first, the Hikigaya sisters following close behind.

Perhaps wondering why Himekoji hadn’t shamelessly tried to tag along today, the Hikigaya sister glanced back at him with surprise before leaving. Even shocked, she maintained a careful distance. After all, it was a good habit.

In an instant, only the female teacher, Kasumigaoka, and Himekoji remained in the room.

Without Himekoji noticing, Kasumigaoka silently glided to his side.

She “Hmph~” blew softly against his ear.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

It startled Himekoji.

“The teacher is right here watching!”

He whispered the last part urgently at Kasumigaoka.

Kasumigaoka seemed to enjoy seeing Himekoji flustered like this. Seeing it, she covered her mouth with a hand, letting out a small “Pfft” of laughter.

The next moment, the girl jumped back to the topic Yukinoshita had opened earlier.

“No peeking, okay?”

“So I’ve already said, I won’t peek…”

Being doubted repeatedly made Himekoji feel exhausted.

“No interest?”

The words whispered right by his ear were soft, gentle, tickling, and felt overwhelmingly… tempting.

“There is! I’m holding back!”

It was only because it was Kasumigaoka that Himekoji would say something like that.

With her, letting a little of his true feelings slip occasionally should be okay, right?

Besides, saying he wasn’t interested was obviously a lie.

The ones soaking in the onsen were all beautiful girls!

“Burp!”

Okay, Hiratsuka-sensei, who had just hiccupped from wine nearby, reminded Himekoji in one breath that besides beautiful girls, there was also a grown-up female drunkard soaking in the onsen.

“Holding back isn’t good for your health, you know~~” Kasumigaoka responded to Himekoji’s honesty with a meaningful look and a sentence dripping with suggestion.

As a final touch, she volunteered,

“Want me to help?”

“This… maybe better not.”

The flirtation was practically out in the open!

Himekoji nearly fell for Kasumigaoka’s trick just then!

His ears had momentarily softened listening to her earlier, and he’d almost blurted out, “That sounds great!” Fortunately, he pulled back from the edge just in time. He steadied his wavering resolve, put on a stern face, and seriously rejected her.

Himekoji was intensely moved… then refused Kasumigaoka.

“Now that’s the proper way things should go!” He thought to himself.

Kasumigaoka, however, didn’t seem bothered at all. In the next moment, she suddenly let out a burp, exactly like the one Hiratsuka-sensei had made. She chuckled, then hooked a finger to lift Himekoji’s chin. Only then did she stand up, leisurely gathered her Yukata, and left the room, heading for the Onsen.

Himekoji, realizing something, sniffed the air. Immediately, from the lingering pleasant scent of the girl’s hair, he detected the distinct smell of alcohol. He finally remembered that Kasumigaoka had been plied with drinks by Hiratsuka-sensei.

“So that’s why she’s so bold today, not even trying to hide it right in front of a female teacher…”

Watching her retreating figure, Himekoji shook his head and sighed.

The room door softly clicked shut, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away, leaving only Hiratsuka Shizuka and Himekoji inside.

“Alright, Himekoji, time to go peeping!”

The Female Teacher, who was somewhat tipsy by now, placed a hand on Himekoji’s shoulder.

The sudden physical contact startled him.

Snapping out of it and processing what she said, Himekoji felt an instant wave of exasperation wash over him —

“No! Absolutely not! How many times do I have to say it?! I won’t go peeping!”

“That simply won’t do,” the teacher countered. “In this chapter, the topic of peeping has been mentioned repeatedly. If you don’t actually go take a peek, the whole chapter will completely miss its theme.”

Was he supposed to commend her for being such a dedicated National Language teacher?

“So, don’t suddenly decide it’s time to enforce literary themes!”

The most disheartening thing was realizing that the teacher looked genuinely serious while saying this.

“Then let it miss the theme! Seriously, that kind of theme is not needed!”

“Is that so?” Hiratsuka-sensei mused. “But judging from Kasumigaoka and the others, they seem quite keen to see what happens when someone tries peeking.”

“Teacher, what kind of person do you think Senpai is?” Himekoji retorted sharply.

Although Kasumigaoka was often blunt in her words and shocking in what she said, Himekoji felt an uncomfortable pang hearing someone else categorize her like that.

He instinctively wanted to defend her.

Because of this, he didn’t even notice that the teacher had specifically said “they” and not “she”.

“What kind of person? Hmm…” The Female Teacher thought for a moment before answering, “A girl in love, perhaps.”

“Eh?”

Himekoji was stunned by the answer.

“Alright, time for me to hit the Onsen too,” Hiratsuka-sensei declared, seemingly oblivious to his temporary confusion. She stood up and stretched lazily.

“Teacher, you shouldn’t enter the Onsen immediately after drinking,” Himekoji cautioned, feeling strangely agitated and fumbling for a way to shift the topic.

“What’s the harm? Isn’t enjoying a drink while soaking in the Onsen part of the whole enjoyment?”

“That’s only because they’re young enough to get away with it!”

“Huh? What exactly do you mean by that?”

The Female Teacher clearly disliked this remark. She glared at Himekoji with clear displeasure, appearing unwilling to bother further with this suddenly annoying student. Without another word, she turned and walked out.

…

In the blink of an eye, Himekoji found himself alone in the room.

He sat there by himself, lost in thought, staring blankly out the window at the ornamental rocks.

Just then, however, the voice of the System suddenly interrupted, shattering his quiet reverie.

[Ding!]

[Go and peep!]

This time, it didn’t even bother presenting options.

Had it truly learned to stick strictly to the chapter’s theme after Hiratsuka-sensei’s lecture?

[Go for it!]

“Don’t encourage me about this!”

…