A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

"No need," Uesugi Genshin shrugged. He only needed it when he was under a lot of pressure, but now that there were other alternatives, he didn't need alcohol.

"Hey~, what about your whiskey? And your 97° 'water of life'?" Hachiman asked curiously, finding it hard to believe that these words came from the mouth of a guy who was a heavy drinker not long ago.

“Given away. Given to Hiratsuka-sensei.” Uesugi Genshin glanced at Hachiman.

Although he didn't give them all away, there were still two bottles of champagne in the fridge, thinking he could let Yukinoshita try the Sawamura family's treasured champagne next time she came. Also, there were some left at the Executive Department; the tradition of oolong tea couldn't be abandoned, and it was the best way he could think of to teach the members how to relieve stress.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't you dare ruin Hiratsuka-sensei's life!" Hachiman said with a wry smile, even though Hiratsuka-sensei already had a serious smoking habit.

"Do you often have nightmares?" Uesugi Genshin asked coldly, bringing up another matter.

“…, well, it started recently.” After a moment of silence, Hachiman nodded and said, “I dreamt that I became the protagonist in a horror movie.”

"Hehehe, I can probably imagine it." Uesugi Genshin chuckled, looking down. "I sometimes have dreams like that too. In my dreams, I feel powerless and inexplicably fearful. Every time, it's a dead end. I... hate that feeling."

"So I've always thought that if I can sleep soundly, I won't feel so uncomfortable at night. And if I see people around me during the day, I won't feel scared at all."

Hachiman nodded in agreement. Although he was reluctant to admit it, having that idiot Zaimokuza share a room with him was indeed a great help.

"I heard from Yukino that Hiratsuka-sensei sleeps alone in her study. Do you think she might have this problem?"

"..." Hachiman silently finished his cola in one gulp, licked his teeth with his tongue, and suddenly wanted to drink oolong tea.

Chapter 171: A Beautiful and Dewy Woman

It was still late at night, and the party was coming to an end.

Of course, it was beer, and a few adults and minors were drinking soda.

"Why don't you go and see Hiratsuka-sensei?" Uesugi Genshin twisted his wrist. "After Shiromaki-senpai moved out, she spends most of her time alone and doesn't talk much with Yukinoshita and the others."

"Well, that's just the kind of person she is." Hachiman's voice was a little soft, probably speaking to himself.

"Right now, he's probably drinking alone."

"..." Just thinking about it for a moment conjured up a vivid image in my mind. Normally, the teacher seemed to be someone who drank at least a draft beer at an izakaya every day; now, with the strong liquor Xuanxin gave him, he's probably...

Uesugi Genshin leaned close to Hachiman's ear again, covering his mouth with his hand as he whispered, "Yukinoshita and the others are going to stay overnight at Utaha's." Even Hayasaka was dragged into it, so...

"In that case, if Hiratsuka-sensei gets drunk all by himself, no one will care."

“She’s already a qualified adult.” Hachiman glared at Genshin and said with his head held high, “An adult should be responsible for their actions.”

"Then have you forgotten that Hiratsuka-sensei is also a woman?"

Seeing Genshin's twitching eyebrows, Hachiman held back, knowing it would be another "I'm leaving Hiratsuka-sensei to you" moment.

Why?

He doesn't want that.

Giving it to him would be such a waste.

Hiratsuka-sensei is undoubtedly a good teacher. Apart from his boyish characteristics and his love of smoking, all his other qualities are undoubtedly plus points.

When I went out to rescue people with her, I could feel her charm every moment. Moreover, she was a rich woman, which perfectly matched the lingering feelings I had always had for her, and my desire to be a stay-at-home husband.

That's why he said, "Hurry up! Hurry up and let someone take her!" Before he changes his mind!

"What exactly is your purpose?" Hachiman asked directly.

"No, I'm just worried about Hiratsuka-sensei," Uesugi Genshin grinned, genuinely concerned.

There are adults here too, like college students rescued from outside. In fact, 18 years old is considered an adult, but if we're talking about "adults," then Hiratsuka-sensei is probably the only one.

She helps Hayama with the work of the disciplinary committee, handling disputes between various departments or small groups; she also runs the psychological counseling room affiliated with the health room, where students come to her every day to complain; she even checks on the security team from time to time. It's said that she gets up very early in the morning to patrol the school, and late at night as well...

When dealing with certain matters, Yukinoshita would consult her for advice or ask her for help. No matter how you look at it, Hiratsuka-sensei is one of the pillars of Soubu High School, an all-around tool.

However, in order to ensure Hiratsuka-sensei's stability and mental health, some measures still need to be taken.

As he said, Hiratsuka-sensei is a woman, and a woman who really wants to get married, which generally means that she also wants to find someone to rely on.

"I see." Hachiman nodded, but said nothing more.

But Uesugi Genshin knew that he had taken it to heart. Although it was a bit despicable, he felt that this was the best solution because, for Hiratsuka-sensei, Hachiman was indeed a special student. Although he did not know exactly what had happened between them during this time, he still saw the clues.

Otherwise, he would have to consider whether he should take matters into his own hands. Oh, just kidding, of course.

He asked Hayasaka Ai to make him a pot of coffee and gave her some instructions, such as not to go back to the apartment and not to let anyone else go back to the apartment.

"Cheers." Uesugi Genshin raised his steaming glass and clinked it against Hachiman's.

"It's a bit bitter," Hachiman said, taking a sip. He only allowed his sister to drink black coffee when they were at home, because...

“Good coffee beans should be drunk like this,” Uesugi Genshin said with a smile, suppressing the urge to add sugar.

Or rather, both of them were restraining themselves, while Uesugi Genshin felt...

"In that case, you won't be getting any sleep tonight."

"Pfft... cough cough cough..." Startled by Xuanxin's startling words, which were clearly in a masculine or feminine manner, what was he implying?

Hachiman coughed violently, then covered his mouth with his hand to avoid being too conspicuous.

"Hahaha..." Uesugi Genshin patted Hachiman on the back and laughed.

Many people in the living room turned their gazes in this direction, and Uesugi Genshin glanced at the clock, "It's about time to go back to sleep."

"Ah, it's already this late." Tobe Sho said with a regretful expression, and then put down the cards in his hand.

"Yes, time flies." Uesugi's father was quite happy. It had been a long time since he had such a lively atmosphere. He even played cards with some young people. After all, they were the only family of three in Hokkaido.

"Eh~~~" It was Iroha Isshiki who made the sound, and her expression immediately brightened up again. "Then let's continue at Kasumigaoka-senpai's place. Ah, do you want to watch a horror movie together?"

"Huh?! No way." Toyohama Kazuka, who was a little afraid of ghosts, subconsciously tried to stop her.

"Let's watch a horror movie," Hayasaka Ai agreed. Being scared would prevent her from moving, and she completed her boss's request effortlessly—what a stroke of luck!

Everyone was making plans with each other, talking as they walked out in waves.

"Ah, Hachiman and I will take care of the stuff." Uesugi Genshin winked at Hayasaka Ai and then called out to the other girls who wanted to help pack.

"I see, I understand." Yukino Yukinoshita smoothed her side hair, and only after tidying up the trash in her hands did she intend to leave.

As the crowd left, Miura Yumiko took one last look at Uesugi. She had done a good job of asking Isshiki to do that.

After the remaining people had cleaned up the trash, the board games that hadn't been put away, the used glasses, and so on, Uesugi Genshin stuffed the apartment key he had taken from Hayasaka Ai into Hachiman's pocket.

Then they pushed him into the quiet, empty hallway and closed the door.

"call......"

Back in the living room, Uesugi Genshin sat opposite his father.

"Are you really not coming back with me?" Uesugi's father asked, taking another sip of the hot water he had just poured.

“I already said that…” Uesugi Genshin said, shrugging.

"The child has grown up." Uesugi's father shook his head, his tone quite helpless.

-----------------

Standing in the dimly lit corridor, the lights had long since gone out because of his motionless posture.

Hachiman Hikigaya felt for the key in his pocket, took a deep breath, and opened the door corresponding to the key.

The living room was dark and the lights were off. This was his first time here, and there was no need to turn them on. Besides, it wasn't just the teacher who lived here.

At that moment, one of the room doors opened, and a figure walked out. She went straight to the refrigerator, opened it, and the built-in light illuminated her beautiful face.

It is indeed the teacher.

"that......"

Hiratsuka-sensei, who noticed his movements and turned around, looked rather unwell, which was somewhat concerning.

"Ah, Hachiman Hachiman, what brings you here? What's up?"

"No, Yukinoshita and the others are going to a pajama party, they probably won't be back tonight." Hachiman wanted to make things clear so he wouldn't seem like he had ulterior motives... Damn it, Genshin, the word "ulterior motives" just comes to mind when he thinks of him.

"Really? Thanks for telling me." Slightly tipsy, Hiratsuka Shizuka seemed unaware that it was he who had come to inform her.

"Also, I heard that Xuanxin gave you a lot of wine. I'm worried that if you get drunk, there will be no one to take care of you at night." Luckily, the living room lights were off, otherwise the fact that my face was burning would definitely have been noticed.

"It's alright. Hikigaya, do you think I'm such an unreliable person?" Hiratsuka Shizuka joked with a laugh.

"Before you say that, could you please put down the water of life in your hand, teacher?" Hachiman Hikigaya said speechlessly.

"Hahahaha..." Hiratsuka Shizuka tried to bluff her way out, "Then why don't we drink together?"

Is this something I should say to students?

"Okay," she agreed.

Following the teacher to her room, which was originally her study, she had indeed turned it into her bedroom. Although she was sleeping on the floor because there weren't enough beds, it was said that in the future, students who knew woodworking might use wood from building materials to carry out woodworking projects. Xuanxin seemed to have mentioned this.

"I'm sorry, my place is very simple," Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a smile.

However, that smile only lasted for a moment.

The upturned corners of his mouth remained unchanged, but his eyes trembled with a touch of sadness, his gaze drifting aimlessly in the void.

To bury the momentary silence that had arisen, Hiratsuka-sensei continued.

"Would whiskey be alright?"

"It's alright, in fact, this is what I've been drinking before."

Taking the glass that Hiratsuka-sensei had poured, she asked, "Speaking of which, sir, you're not thinking of adding eaux-de-vie to your whiskey, are you?"

"Hahaha, have I given myself away? I actually really want to try the oolong tea you guys were talking about."

“If you don’t get the proportions right, it can be hard to drink.” Hachiman Hikigaya shook his head and said, “Also, you should add ice. If you just add it like that, one cup will make you faint.”

After finishing his drink, he stood up, went to the refrigerator to get some ice, and then helped his teacher mix the drinks. "Teacher, do you have any reason to drink?"

"This..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, the teacher suddenly laughed. He was very close to him, and there was an indescribable sense of distress on his face.

"Didn't I say before that you should rely on me a lot?" Hachiman Hikigaya didn't know why he had omitted the word "they".

"You...you still remember this...?" Hiratsuka Shizuka's cheeks flushed crimson.

Hachiman Hikigaya looked at his teacher's face, who seemed to be in shock, and made a decision. He realized that it was pointless to make assumptions about what would have happened ten years earlier; now, he should convey his message properly.

“I’m quite worried about you, teacher.” He paused. “Is the pressure on you too much? We’re worried that your health might collapse.”

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not old at all. I'm still a beautiful, fresh-faced woman under 30."

Hiratsuka Shizuka slammed her hand on the table and protested in a youthful tone.

The joke made him laugh involuntarily. So, Hiratsuka Shizuka continued to play around, tapping her neck with a chopstick.

"Just kidding. Don't worry about it, well... I'll always find a way. My life is pretty fulfilling. Ah, except for marriage, because I don't have a partner."

Hiratsuka-sensei combed her hair with her hands and laughed self-deprecatingly.

I can't bring myself to smile... But then, he did manage a smile.

"Don't worry."

"Eh, would you want me?" With a surprised expression, Hiratsuka Shizuka asked almost instantly.

She must really want to get married.

In an instant, Hachiman Hikigaya thought of what Genshin had just said: "After all, our teacher is also a woman."

He chuckled softly.

"Okay."

He replied.

Chapter 172: The Girl Who Fell in Love

Okay, that sounds a bit weird.

She felt like she was falling in love, which sounded a bit like something out of a shoujo manga or an art film.

Moreover, the object was not Hayato.

Just thinking about it made her face burn.