Chapter 38: A Rather Strange Title for a Novel.
...
Sae Chabashira's mouth twitched.
She wasn't the only one; a ripple of awkward silence spread across the faculty office as the other teachers processed Seito's "middle school literary career." Iori Kitahara and Hidenori Tabata stared at Seito like he was a legendary hero—or a complete madman.
Living with My Beautiful Teacher? What kind of suspicious plot is that?!
Sae glanced at him, exhaling a thin trail of smoke. She finally understood why this boy wasn't afraid of her or Shizuka. In his mind, he wasn't looking at "authority figures"—he was looking at peers. Or worse, romantic interests.
"Tell me," Sae said, her voice dropping into a dangerous, velvet calm. "Are you interested in me, or are you interested in Hiratsuka-sensei?"
"I'm interested in both!" Seito replied instantly, without a shred of hesitation.
"Ho? Quite the appetite," Sae's icy expression actually cracked, revealing a fleeting, amused smirk. Trading barbs with this brat was proving to be the highlight of her morning. "So, you plan on dating two of your teachers at once?"
"Dating?" Seito looked at her as if she were the confused one. "Dating is a waste of time and money. Why go through all that effort when we can just skip to the wedding?"
Sae: "..."
The surrounding teachers: "..."
The two "delinquents" behind him: "..."
This kid is a conversational genius! Skip to the wedding? Are you sure you're not just a world-class lecher?!
"Young man, you're too naive," the balding vice-homeroom teacher from Class E interjected, clutching his chest. "I'm from a traditional family. Last week, my son got married. Between the ceremony and the dowry, it cost me half a million! Marriage is the most expensive battle you'll ever fight!"
Seito blinked and let out a blunt response, "Isn't that just being a colossal sucker?"
The bald teacher: "..."
The man looked like he had suffered a critical internal injury. He turned away, two streaks of silent tears running down his cheeks as he retreated into a corner to question his life choices.
Seito ignored the casualty and turned back to Sae, leaning in slightly. "Actually, Sensei, my apartment is quite spacious. If you ever need—"
"Stop right there," Sae cut him off. If she let him continue, half the faculty would be in therapy by noon. "By the way, what's going on with your eyes?"
She had noticed it the moment he sat down. His cerulean eyes were shimmering with a golden, six-pointed star pattern. It made his already striking features look almost ethereal, like a masterpiece of ancient art.
She was certain of one thing: those weren't colored contacts. The light within them felt... alive.
"Oh, these?" Seito smiled smoothly, weaving a lie. "Just some custom lenses I bought online. Fashion-forward, right?"
"Is that so?" Sae didn't press him. She was smart enough to know when a student was hiding something deeper. "Speaking of things that are 'fashion-forward,' your performance last night was impressive. Taking on a hundred thousand players single-handedly?"
"Wait! You saw that too?!" Iori and Hidenori rushed over, abandoned their post by the bald teacher. "Brother, that was legendary! It was way more hype than anything on TV."
"Were you guys worried about your teacher catching you?" Seito asked, glancing at their abandoned station.
"Worried? You literally talked him into a mid-life crisis," Iori laughed. "He's basically catatonic now. We're safe."
Seito chuckled and leaned back. "Honestly, those hundred thousand players were trash. Not a single 'Elite' among them had a piece of Purple-tier gear. Killing them was like stepping on ants."
Iori and Hidenori winced at the sheer "flex" in his voice.
"So, what was the first-place reward?" Sae asked, taking another drag of her cigarette.
"A bunch of Gold-tier crafting materials and a comprehensive Encyclopedia of Ingredients," Seito lied through his teeth. He wasn't about to mention "Divine Breath" or "Godhood" in a public office.
Sae nodded. An encyclopedia of rare items was exactly the kind of strategic reward a top-tier player would receive.
For the next twenty minutes, the office was filled with the sound of their banter. With Seito leading the conversation, there was never a dull moment. Even the stoic Sae Chabashira found herself laughing more than she had in the last year.
Rring—!
The bell signaled the end of morning homeroom. Iori and Hidenori scrambled back into their "punishment" positions as the other teachers began to filter back in. Seito, however, remained comfortably seated.
"Aren't you going to stand up?" Sae asked.
"Hiratsuka-sensei is coming."
"Let her come," Seito smirked. "In a 1v1? I'm not losing to her."
Sae chuckled softly. She remembered a time Shizuka had sent a muscular thug to the hospital with a single punch. Seito's confidence was charming, but she feared he was about to meet the "Iron Fist of Sobu."
Clack, clack, clack—
Shizuka Hiratsuka walked in, carrying Seito's portable stove in one hand and her other hand curled into a tight fist. She marched straight toward him, a vein throbbing in her forehead.
"You've got some nerve, brat. Still sitting down?"
"I'm comfortable," Seito grinned.
Whoosh—!
Without a word of warning, Shizuka's fist lunged toward his head. It was a professional-grade strike, fast and heavy.
But Seito didn't flinch. In a movement so fluid it looked like a blur, he raised his palm and caught her fist mid-air.
The office went dead silent. The teachers stopped what they were doing, their eyes wide. He caught a Hiratsuka punch?!
"Heh..." Seito let out a low, playful laugh. "I'm not the same person I was yesterday, Shizuka-chan."
Shizuka blinked, her expression shifting from anger to genuine shock. She pulled her hand back, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "You've been training. Or maybe... something else."
She sighed, her anger dissipating into curiosity. "Fine. Since this is your first offense of 'Breakfast Rebellion,' I'll let it slide this time. But if I see that stove in my classroom again, I'm confiscating it for good. Understood?"
"Loud and clear," Seito said, standing up.
"Good. Get back to class."
As Seito strolled out of the office, he felt a bit disappointed. He had wanted to see if his Divine Defense would even register her punch as damage. But for now, he had a school day to finish—and a legendary lunch to prepare for.
...
Thank you for reading.