Shizuka Hiratsuka drank with abandon, and soon she was completely wasted again, her body leaning against Seiji Fujiwara, exposing quite a bit of tantalizing skin.
Unfortunately for him, this time Utaha Kasumigaoka stayed by his side the entire time, watching him with an "I see right through you" expression plastered on her face.
In the end, before Seiji could make a move, Utaha stood up on her own initiative, helped prop up the completely out-of-it Shizuka, and said:
"I'll take Hiratsuka-sensei back to her room."
Watching the two of them walk away, Seiji secretly let out a sigh.
A tactical error. A grave tactical error.
Last night, with how drunk Shizuka had been, he could've copped a few feels without her noticing.
Missed my chance!
...
The Hokkaido Winter Literature Salon came to a close.
Seiji Fujiwara—that name, along with his earth-shattering Snow Country—began sweeping through the literary circles of Japan like an undercurrent.
...
In a corner of the inn's café.
Kikuchi Makoto and a few of his friends sat across from a handwritten copy of the opening to Snow Country, staring at it in silence.
After a long while, Kikuchi finally let out a deep breath, as if exhaling all the pride and unwillingness from his body, leaving behind only genuine admiration.
"I lost fair and square." He smiled bitterly and shook his head. "This isn't a gap you can close with effort alone. It's a difference in realm. Reading this... I can't even bring myself to feel jealous."
"Yeah..." One of his friends patted his shoulder, equally moved. "The moment I saw those words, I had only one thought: Dear God. Being born in the same era as a monster like this—it's our misfortune. But getting to witness it firsthand... maybe that's a kind of blessing too."
Another friend nodded in agreement. "Kikuchi, you're thinking about it the right way. Competing with someone like Seiji Fujiwara is just asking for trouble. Cut your losses, accept reality early, and focus on walking your own path. That's the smartest choice."
Kikuchi said nothing. He just picked up his coffee and drained it in one gulp, the bitter taste perfectly matching his mood.
...
That evening, in Professor Yamada's room, several old friends sat together, savoring top-shelf sake.
"Yamada, you've really struck gold this time!" Professor Watanabe set down his cup, his face full of envy. "That Snow Country piece—the more I think about it, the more it shakes me. That level of expressing the beauty of mono no aware... it has the spirit of the old masters!"
Professor Yamada stroked his beard with undisguised pride, a smug smile on his face. "Hahaha, of course! And I've got even better news for you all—Fujiwara-kun has already agreed that after he enrolls at Todai, I'll be his advisor!"
"What?!"
"You crafty old bastard! You moved that fast?!"
The gathered friends erupted in shock, their eyes filled with jealousy as they looked at Professor Yamada.
And then he poured gasoline on the fire, saying leisurely: "I've already applied for our department's most special 2+2+3 continuous bachelor's-master's-doctorate program for him. A genius like this can't be constrained by conventional rules and regulations!"
"Damn it, I should've talked to Fujiwara too!"
"Yamada, you're going to walk sideways through academia now! With a student like this, you'll be bragging for the rest of your life!"
Listening to his friends' sour remarks, Professor Yamada laughed heartily, feeling that the sake in his cup had never tasted so sweet.
...
"Haruno, it's me."
Shizuka dialed her longtime friend Haruno.
"Hmm? Shizuka? What's up? You sound really excited." A slightly husky but still alluring mature female voice came through—it was Haruno Yukinoshita.
"Excited? That's an understatement! Haruno, listen—I met a god today! A real literary god!"
Shizuka recounted the day's events, embellishing them with gusto.
On the other end, Haruno fell unusually silent for a long moment.
"...Seiji Fujiwara?" She slowly repeated the name, her voice tinged with surprise. "I know him. The author of After School. I didn't think... he'd already reached that level."
"Right? Right?! You think it's unbelievable too, don't you!"
"Mm..." Haruno made a sound of acknowledgment, her voice tired and listless. "Too bad I couldn't attend your literature salon. Otherwise I could've met this genius myself. Maybe next time~"
Shizuka caught the melancholy in her tone and asked with concern, "Haruno, is everything okay on your end?"
"It's nothing," Haruno quickly reverted to her usual devil-may-care tone, chuckling lightly. "Just the usual boring family power struggle theatrics. Anyway, I won't kill your mood. Enjoy the rest of your Hokkaido trip."
With that, she hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, Shizuka's expression showed a trace of worry.
The Yukinoshita family... things really aren't going well for them lately.
...
After the salon's closing banquet, most attendees planned to stay one more day before flying out.
Shizuka was no exception.
Today was her last day in Hokkaido.
She waited at the inn's entrance and boldly intercepted Seiji, who was just about to head back to rest with Utaha.
"Hey, genius writer!"
Shizuka crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, a bold smile on her face. "I'm heading back to Chiba tomorrow. How about one more drink tonight?"
Utaha glanced at her, then at Seiji beside her, who had an expression that screamed "this has nothing to do with me." She sighed inwardly.
Why do opportunities keep throwing themselves at this man?
"Go ahead," Utaha said with a sigh, though her face remained understanding. "I'll head back and work on my manuscript anyway. I've been inspired lately."
"Alright." Seiji nodded with a smile.
Utaha backing out on her own? Perfect.
"Aww, what a good girl." Shizuka completely missed the subtext and patted Seiji's shoulder like a senior giving advice. "You'd better treasure her!"
"Of course!"
...
Inside the bar, they sat at the same window-side table.
The two quickly drank themselves into a warm haze, and the atmosphere grew increasingly charged.
Shizuka completely dropped her guard, resting her chin on her palm, looking at Seiji with hazy, drunk eyes, half-joking and half-serious as she teased:
"...Seiji-kun, you're handsome and talented. You're really something else. If... if I were ten years younger, I'd definitely chase after you myself."
"It's not too late now."
Seiji set down his glass, leaning forward slightly, his gaze intense and piercing as it locked onto her.
Under that aggressive stare, Shizuka's heart skipped a beat.
She appeared bold and carefree, but in truth, she'd never even had a proper relationship. How could she handle this kind of pressure?
"Ha... haha, I was just joking, sensei..." Shizuka looked away in a panic, trying to change the subject.
But Seiji wasn't about to let her escape.
He suddenly leaned across the table, one hand gripping the back of her head, the other wrapping around her slender waist, pulling her entire body into his embrace without giving her a choice.
"Mmph—!"
Shizuka let out a startled cry. She was about to struggle when Seiji's lips claimed hers dominantly.
A mixture of sake and his masculine scent was forcefully passed into her mouth.
She flailed in panic, her fists pounding against his chest.
But weakened by alcohol and facing Seiji's superhuman physique, her resistance was utterly futile.
Her mouth was easily pried open. Her defenses effortlessly shattered.
"!?"
Shizuka's mind went blank with a loud buzz.
She felt even more drunk now—her heart pounding like it would burst from her chest, her face burning like fire, her entire body devoid of strength.
Under his guidance, Shizuka's consciousness gradually blurred.
Only when she was nearly breathless did Seiji finally release her.
Shizuka silently cursed herself for sinking so easily, trying to push away the man in front of her.
But her body had long since stopped obeying.
"Shizuka-sensei," Seiji whispered in her ear with a triumphant smile, "do you want to go to my room, or should we continue this in yours?"
Shizuka glared at him, but sighed inwardly.
In this state, can I even think about escaping?
"...My room." She closed her eyes, her face full of resignation.
Seiji smiled with satisfaction, scooped her up in his arms, and strode out of the bar.
...
The next day, on the flight back to Chiba.
Shizuka slowly woke up.
She'd slept remarkably well—deeply and peacefully.
Until...
She realized she was being held by a solid, warm chest, and the wild, shameful memories of last night came flooding back like a tidal wave!
"Ahh—!"
She let out a short scream and jolted upright as if electrocuted.
Looking at the "culprit" sleeping soundly beside her, she flushed with embarrassment and anger.
"You brat, get out!"
She cursed while pushing hard against Seiji, trying to shove him off her bed.
Seiji woke up.
He opened his eyes and saw the completely naked, flushed, and indignant beautiful teacher in front of him. He just laughed, then in one smooth motion, flipped over and pinned her beneath him.
"Good morning, Shizuka. Since you're awake, how about a nice morning workout?"
"You... let go of me!" Shizuka's body trembled in fright, and she immediately softened her tone, pleading: "No! Absolutely not! Last night was already too much—just let me go!"
Never mind last night's wild abandon and the pleasure that terrified her with how good it felt.
The way it made her feel like she was ascending to heaven, forgetting everything.
Most importantly, she couldn't bring herself to mess around with a high school student while fully conscious!
Even if said high school student was already a legal adult!!!
"Oh?" Seiji grinned mischievously. Not only did he not stop, but he leaned in even closer, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "But Shizuka, I already discovered last night that you're just a paper tiger with a tough exterior."
His intensely aggressive masculine aura, mixed with the lazy haze of morning, enveloped her completely.
Shizuka felt her ears burn, her heartbeat instantly chaotic. The defiant momentum she'd just mustered popped like a balloon under this absolute pressure, vanishing in an instant.
"Damn you, brat—you're going to pay for this!!"
In the end, all she could do was throw out a toothless threat and squeeze her eyes shut tight.
...
Much later, Seiji walked out of the room in high spirits, having been pelted with pillows by Shizuka.
Shizuka locked herself in her room, utterly mortified, feeling like she'd never been this embarrassed in her entire life. She rushed into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the warm water wash over her burning cheeks as she cursed that bastard Seiji a thousand times over in her mind.
Soaking in the tub, she picked up her phone, relieved she hadn't missed her flight yet.
However, when she opened her phone and saw the message Professor Yamada had sent hours ago, she froze completely.
[Shizuka, I already left on an earlier flight.]
[Also, a lot of people saw Fujiwara-kun escorting you back to your room last night...]
[I understand that young people get along easily, and it's common in literary circles... but Fujiwara-kun does have a girlfriend. You should be mindful of appearances.]
Boom—!
Shizuka felt like she'd been struck by lightning, her expression completely blank.
It's over!
In Professor Yamada's eyes, she'd become a shameless older woman who preys on younger men—and actively steals someone else's boyfriend!
"AHHHHHHH—!"
A wail of despair echoed from the bathroom.
She wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury herself right now!
...
Meanwhile, Seiji returned to his suite and checked the system notifications.
[Ding! Target 'Shizuka Hiratsuka' detected.]
[First stage of conquest 'Acceptance' complete!]
[Reward granted—Permanent Ability: Combat Instinct & Muscle Memory (Initial Stage)!]
[Ability Description: Your neural response speed and dynamic vision have been enhanced. You can instantly predict an opponent's attack trajectory, and your body will automatically memorize and optimize all learned combat movements, executing counterattacks or evasions with maximum efficiency and precision.]
"Combat Instinct and Muscle Memory, huh..."
Seiji mulled over the reward.
"Fitting for the 'Iron Fist Teacher.' Though this world seems peaceful, having an extra survival skill is never a bad thing. And this level of absolute physical control... could come in handy for certain other activities too."
A wicked smile crossed his lips.
The moment the words left his mouth, a faint warmth rose from his spine, spreading like crackling electricity through his limbs and merging into every muscle fiber and nerve ending.
The entire process took only an instant, yet it gave him a strange sensation of being reborn.
He felt like the world had suddenly become... sharper.
At the end of the hallway, a small insect startled by the light flew erratically—but in his mind, its chaotic flight path played out as clearly as slow-motion footage, allowing him to predict exactly where it would land next.
Seiji casually raised his hand and clenched his fist.
A sense of precise control over every muscle and nerve washed over him.
He even had the illusion that if he wanted to, he could control his own heartbeat, and that every punch he threw would deliver perfect, flawless power.
"More and more interesting." Seiji chuckled softly.
Then he pushed open the door and walked inside.
"I'm back, Utaha."
Utaha Kasumigaoka sat on the couch, calmly reading a book.
She had no complaints about Seiji staying out all night.
She simply looked up and smiled. "Welcome back... We've pretty much seen everything in Hokkaido. Where should we go next?"
Her tone was natural, without a trace of reproach.
After all, she'd long since accepted this scumbag's philandering ways.
"Do you have somewhere you want to go?" Seiji responded just as casually, picking up the conversation naturally. "If so, we'll go wherever you like. If not, we'll stay a few more days and then head back to Kyoto."
"Alright, let's go back to Kyoto in a few days then." Utaha thought for a moment—she didn't have anywhere else she wanted to visit.
...
The two stayed at the inn for another three days, bought some souvenirs, and on the fourth morning, boarded a flight back to Kyoto.