Chapter 542: The Son-in-Law Who Doesn’t Rise Early

Chapter 542: The Son-in-Law Who Doesn’t Rise Early

Himekoji ended up leaving the bathroom.

Because, not long after—

“Mom! The bathroom floor’s too slippery! Akito fell and he’s bleeding!!!”

Himekoji was bleeding, but not from a fall… because he never actually fell.

He got punched by Hiratsuka-sensei. His nose was gushing blood, and it just wouldn’t stop.

Mama Shizuka, hearing her precious son-in-law was hurt in the bathroom, immediately tossed aside the question of what his name really was. She practically flew over with two steps in one, yanking the bathroom door open.

“Oh dear! He really is bleeding! Quick, quick, we have medicine at home! Bandages, bandages!”

Luckily, the wound wasn’t serious. Mama Shizuka looked him over twice, then felt relieved. Her gaze, though, turned a little strange as it darted towards a certain spot on Himekoji. Her earlier worry instantly melted into pure joy, and she beamed so wide her eyes almost vanished.

“Good! Good! Good!”

“Mom? What are you saying? Akito’s hurt, and you say ‘good’?”

Hiratsuka Shizuka was actually defending Himekoji.

If Himekoji himself didn’t know exactly how he got injured, he might have been touched by this.

“Ai, I didn’t mean the injury is good! I meant… something else!”

Mama Shizuka winked meaningfully at her daughter. It took Hiratsuka half the day to catch on. Immediately, her pretty face flushed crimson.

Forget that Himekoji was still bleeding! She dumped him there and bolted out. Only after a while did she return, changed into pajamas and fully composed. Then, she furiously chucked a pair of shorts at him.

Himekoji, by this point, had gotten his nosebleed stopped with Mama Shizuka’s help. Standing there clutching his lower half, feeling utterly awkward facing his “mother-in-law,” he scrambled to pull on the shorts the moment they landed on him.

Mama Shizuka secretly nudged her daughter’s arm and whispered approvingly, “Not bad. Good taste you got.”

“Mom! What are you saying?!”

Hiratsuka pretended not to understand.

“Good endowment. Lots of offspring.”

Mama Shizuka, as someone who’d been there, didn’t beat around the bush at all.

Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn’t take it. Shyly covering her face, she even felt her cheeks burning hot right now. “Mom! Like that could possibly be why I fancy him!”

“Then it’s a happy surprise! A happy surprise!”

Hiratsuka Shizuka was utterly defeated by her mom. She rolled her eyes wisely and didn’t bother arguing anymore.

Himekoji decided to fake being a bit dizzy from his “fall,” rubbing his forehead. He heard nothing! He heard absolutely nothing…

“Alright, alright! Since you’re clean, you two hurry back to your room for some rest.”

Mama Shizuka pushed Hiratsuka Shizuka towards the bedroom, then glanced back at Himekoji, signaling him with her eyes to follow.

“Mom! Wait… Akito has… business! He needs to go home tonight!”

“You two! How many times must this mother say it? Whatever it is, do it later! Spring nights are precious, gold you see? No more early rising for the son-in-law starting now! Hurry up!”

“Huh? Mom…”

Hiratsuka Shizuka had no chance to argue back. Her mom pushed her firmly into the bedroom.

Then, Himekoji was tossed in right after her.

PONG – The door slammed shut.

CLICK – It was locked from the outside.

The familiar locked-room scenario with just a boy and a girl was back. Only the setting was different this time… from the bathroom to the bedroom…

“S-Sorry,” Hiratsuka Shizuka murmured, looking at Himekoji – clad only in shorts, awkwardly hugging himself in the corner – and apologized softly.

He wasn’t sure if she was sorry for punching him in a moment of excitement, or just embarrassed about her mom turning the whole thing so weird.

“It’s okay.”

Himekoji thought about it carefully. Trading a punch for witnessing the Female Teacher’s shower… it definitely felt like a profitable deal. He couldn’t muster even a sliver of anger.

“Hey, could I borrow your phone? Looks like I might not make it back tonight. I want to call my Imouto.”

His phone along with his clothes were all outside. But the Female Teacher’s phone was plugged in and charging by the bed.

“Here, take it.”

Hiratsuka’s heart skipped an odd beat when he said “might not make it back.” She turned her face away slightly as if to hide it.

After appeasing his Imouto over the phone, begging forgiveness, Himekoji handed the phone back to the Female Teacher. She thought for a moment, then suddenly dialed another number.

RIIING – The ringtone came from just outside the door!

Even though she’d half-expected it, Hiratsuka’s face changed instantly. Crushed and unable to bear it, she yelled at the door, “MoOOOM—!!!”

Mama Shizuka, caught red-eared eavesdropping, wasn’t ruffled at all. She nonchalantly hung up the call and shouted back through the wall, utterly unapologetic, “Just passing by! Passing by! You kids carry on! Don’t mind me!”

“But Mom! How are we supposed to… do… anything like this?!”

Hiratsuka Shizuka was practically going out of her mind, clutching her head and running her fingers wildly through her now tangled mess of hair.

“You do it how you normally do it! You two seemed perfectly capable the other night! What, do I need to teach you now?”

“But… you… I…”

The Female Teacher, so majestic and mighty in front of her students, was on the verge of tears, utterly flustered.

Himekoji had to steel his nerves to bail Hiratsuka out.

“Mom… we got it… We- we’ll… uh… try our best…”

“Great, great! See? Our Akito’s the sensible one!”

Mama Shizuka sounded thoroughly pleased outside. There wasn’t a hint of her leaving anytime soon, though. She seemed determined to oversee this job to its final conclusion!

Himekoji and Hiratsuka Shizuka wouldn’t be off the hook until they produced the desired outcome. How desperate was she to hold a grandchild…?

The pair inside had no choice but to huddle together, whispering extremely low to plot a strategy.

“Should we… maybe fake some… noises?”

“H-How do we do that?”

The Female Teacher looked uncertain.

“Well, like… making clap sounds? Or maybe some… moaning?”

“You moan!”

Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“Fine! I will!”

Himekoji gritted his teeth and just went for it. He activated his Voice Mimicry skill.

He played both roles, switching back and forth between “Hiratsuka Shizuka” and “Akito Himekoji.”

He started with a long preamble of teasing whispers guaranteed to make any listener blush. Going straight to “clapping” felt fake to Himekoji.

However, during the part where he used Hiratsuka’s voice to say, “Faster… I can’t take it anymore…” Shizuka nearly lunged at him to strangle him to death.

“I would never say something that shameless and embarrassing!” she hissed through gritted teeth at him, keeping her voice low.

Himekoji ignored her completely and kept going.

Listening to this, the Female Teacher wished she could just vanish. “Hey! Shut up already!”

“Alright, I’ll shut up. Your turn, then.”

Himekoji shrugged, grabbed a cup from the nightstand like it was a microphone, and held it up to the Female Teacher’s lips. “Go on, your performance.”

Hiratsuka’s fiery confidence instantly deflated. Her cheeks flushed bright red. “F-fine… just… keep going…”

Himekoji knew it’d be like this. Sighing internally, he went back to his dedicated acting.

“Why… why are you so practiced at saying these lines?” Hiratsuka asked, utterly baffled, watching him effortlessly produce both voices. “Do you even need a script?”

Her feelings had gradually shifted from abject shame to disbelief, then grudging respect… and…

Well, mostly just scorn.

Hiratsuka Shizuka had to admit that in certain… specialized areas, Himekoji Akito could easily be her teacher.

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