Snap!
The crisp sound of a lighter broke the silence of the room, followed by tendrils of smoke curling into the air.
Inhale… exhale…
Taking a deep drag, Shizuka Hiratsuka let her gaze drift through the haze.
The white, fluffy duvet had been tossed carelessly onto the floor. On the bed, the sheets were so disheveled they could hardly be described as wrinkled anymore. Worse still, the once-pristine white fabric was now dotted with unmistakable stains.
"Tsk." Clicking her tongue in frustration, Shizuka's eyes moved from the pile of scattered clothes on the floor back to herself, taking in the oversized hotel bathrobe she was currently wearing.
"What the hell happened here?!" She ground the cigarette into the ashtray at her side and buried her head in her hands, groaning aloud.
Fragments of memory blurred by alcohol slowly surfaced in her mind. She could recall bits and pieces of last night, but when she tried to concentrate on the details, everything dissolved into a fog.
"I remember… I went out drinking because I'd just finished all the paperwork for resigning. I was in a bad mood about transferring to another school as an exchange teacher." She rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath.
For all her bluntness and occasional quick temper, Shizuka genuinely cared about her students.
Even those she hadn't directly taught still spoke highly of her, and yesterday, her own homeroom students had gone so far as to organize a farewell party in class when they heard she was leaving.
"Hmph, it's their fault I felt so down in the first place," she grumbled half-heartedly. But the warmth and joy in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
"No, no, no!" Shaking her head violently, she smacked her forehead with her palm. Now was not the time to reminisce about sentimental teacher-student bonds.
She had a much bigger problem at hand.
"Think… let me think." Lighting another cigarette, Shizuka's eyes flickered in the smoke.
"I was sitting at the bar drinking alone… then someone sat down next to me, right?" Her expression grew uncertain. The bar she frequented wasn't a rowdy place, but under the dim lights and heavy haze of alcohol, her memory of that person's face was frustratingly vague.
"What I do remember is the figure slender, with long hair. Definitely a very attractive woman."
Her eyes went wide.
"A woman?!" She shot to her feet. The memories rushed back, sharper now. She still couldn't picture the woman's face clearly, but everything else came flooding in.
She was undeniably a stunning, mature beauty. Her graceful mannerisms had stood out even through Shizuka's drunken haze, and her outfit, understated yet exquisitely elegant, had been unforgettable.
And then there was… the softness of her body… Cough.
Shizuka shook her head violently, trying to banish those flashes of memory.
"Tsk. Yeah, it had to be a woman. If it wasn't, it would've felt… different."
Her gaze drifted to the bed again, cheeks flushing. Hastily, she strode over, yanked the sheets off, and balled them up, tossing them into a corner before she could breathe easily again.
"I can't believe it. My first time in this world… and I drunkenly gave it away to another woman?"
With a heavy sigh, she lit yet another cigarette and slumped onto the sofa by the window, emotions a tangled mess.
After dying unexpectedly in her previous life, Shizuka had awoken to find herself reborn in this body.
Twenty-seven years had passed since then, more than enough time to blur the memories of her former self.
From the very moment she'd realized she no longer needed to stand while using the bathroom, she'd begrudgingly accepted her new reality.
She hadn't resisted much. Being reborn as a woman was a small price to pay for a second chance at life one far removed from the oppressive, exhausting existence she'd endured before.
In fact, she'd grown to feel grateful.
Loving, if sometimes overly nagging parents. A mentor she'd met by chance but cherished like family. Countless friends she'd gained over the years.
And a career that had been her dream all along teaching. A job that let her nurture students without being unbearably draining.
This life had been good. Too good, even.
Until now.
"Oof, my head hurts. Sure, I never liked men because of the memories from my past life, but I never thought I'd end up with a woman either." Pressing her palm to her forehead, Shizuka leaned limply against the sofa.
"After all, this time around, I'm a woman too."
Yes before her rebirth, Shizuka had been a textbook straight man. And now, despite her new body, she'd grown up to be… a textbook straight woman.
Sharp and considerate at times, but more often blunt and careless. And when it came to romance, she was hopelessly clueless two lifetimes, zero progress.
Still, that hadn't stopped her from being well-liked.
Aside from her habits of smoking, drinking, the occasional late-night joyride, and the tendency to "discipline" unruly students near campus in her own physical way, Shizuka Hiratsuka was the very picture of a model youth in the 21st century.
A good teacher to her students (her fists had nothing to do with it). A dutiful daughter to her parents (though she never could fool them about dating). A reliable best friend to her peers (nothing questionable about that).
Her life had been warm, ordinary, and satisfying.
Until today.
"I'll come back for you, my sweet heart~."
Shizuka's eyes fell on a card she'd found by the bed, her face reddening as she stared at the bold red lipstick mark stamped in the corner.
"Phew… forget it. I'll just deal with whatever comes." Crushing her cigarette out, she stretched lazily and stood, her toned figure still apparent even under the loose bathrobe.
Bending down, she picked up her clothes one by one, frowning at the lingering smell of alcohol, but eventually put them back on.
"Feels like I'm forgetting something…" She pulled out her phone instinctively.
Her eyes went wide.
"Oh crap, look at the time!"