As soon as Shiro Sakamaki noticed Hiratsuka Shizuka's reaction, he understood that she likely already knew about certain things. However, these matters were not his concern, and since the other party had clearly chosen not to address them directly, he saw no reason to dig any further.
History had shown him that the more you knew, the more trouble it brought.
While Hiratsuka Shizuka might not be the best teacher, she was certainly responsible when it came to her students. She didn't want Shiro getting caught up in anything dangerous, so she decided to keep her explanations to a minimum. After all, her good friend Yukinoshita Haruno was involved, and the two had a relationship more like that of best friends than teacher and student.
After a brief pause, Hiratsuka finally spoke, her voice laced with a mix of caution and professionalism. "Regarding the Yukinoshita family, I'll need you to take care of it when the time comes. Shiro Sakamaki, I'm counting on you."
Shiro waved a hand dismissively. "That's easy enough, as long as the money is in place."
Hiratsuka rolled her eyes. "You know, I don't understand how someone like you can be so obsessed with money."
Shiro casually picked up a snack from her desk, popping it into his mouth as he grinned. "Teacher Hiratsuka, haven't you heard the saying? Money may not be everything, but without it, it's everything. As specialists, we spend more than you think on spell-casting materials, training supplies, and the like. You were able to get that discount for yesterday's job because of your relationship with me. If it weren't for that, the price would've been much higher."
Hiratsuka's face softened with understanding. She knew that hiring someone of Shiro's caliber was a costly affair, with fees usually exceeding 100 million yen. Not to mention, Yukinoshita Haruno had mentioned that Shiro even left behind a protective talisman for them.
Before she could respond, Shiro's phone buzzed. It was a message from Nakano Itsuki, inviting him to the cafeteria. He flashed the screen at Hiratsuka, signaling that he was heading out. "If you're good, I'll be on my way."
"Go ahead," Hiratsuka replied, lighting a cigarette. As she puffed out a cloud of smoke, she tapped out a message to her intelligence team. [Cursed master has appeared. Monitor the Yukinoshita family closely. Proceed swiftly.]
---
Cafeteria
By the time Shiro arrived at the cafeteria, Itsuki had already chosen her dishes and was sitting with Miku, a pile of food in front of her.
"You really eat like a monster," Miku teased, stuffing a tempura into her mouth. "Aren't you worried about gaining weight?"
Itsuki shrugged nonchalantly. "As long as I eat fast enough, the fat won't catch up with me!"
The rest of the Nakano sisters sat at the table nearby, with one spot left open for Shiro. As he approached, their curious gazes followed him. When they saw the massive amount of food on his tray, their expressions shifted from curiosity to complete awe.
"Damn, he's not just handsome, he's got an appetite that rivals a beast!"
"He really can do whatever he wants just because he's handsome!"
One of them sighed wistfully. "Woe is me, my second goddess..."
Shiro ignored the whispers, sitting down at the table and diving into his meal. The food on his tray was enough to feed two or three people, which, needless to say, caught the attention of the Nakano sisters.
Ichika smirked. "Looks like you really do eat like a different species, huh?"
Nino couldn't hide her disdain. "Two days and a girl already makes you a bento? Classic scumbag."
Misaki had prepared Shiro's bento, and Nino immediately jumped to conclusions, thinking it was made by a girl with romantic interest in him.
Shiro shrugged nonchalantly, picking at his lunch. "This bento? A senior at the student dormitory made it for me this morning. As for the amount of food, well, let's just say my situation is... special."
Nino gave him a skeptical look, but Shiro was already halfway through his plate. The sight of him scarfing down food faster than Itsuki had them all staring at him in amazement.
Itsuki, eyes wide in admiration, whispered to herself, "How does he eat so much and still look so fit? I wish I could do that."
She struggled to maintain her figure while also fighting an insatiable appetite. Shiro's ability to eat with such reckless abandon left her envious.
As the lunch hour came to an end, Shiro stood up, his stomach content and his appetite fully satisfied. Before he left, he turned to Itsuki, suddenly asking, "Hey, do you know if there are any rental houses near the school? I'm staying at Sakurasou for now, but I'm planning to move out this week. If you have any leads, let me know."
Itsuki thought for a moment before replying, "Actually, the place next door to us is available for rent. It's not too far from the school, but it's a bit on the expensive side. If you're interested, we could go check it out after school."
Shiro nodded, "Sounds good. Money's not an issue as long as the place suits me."
"Alright, let's connect later on Line," Itsuki confirmed.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Shiro. Before he knew it, class was over. He quickly packed his things, sent Itsuki a message to meet him at the school gate, and headed out.
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