Although he didn't feel it was necessary, Asakura found himself unable to think of a reason to refuse on the spot. In the end, half-protesting, he was brought back home by Hiratsuka Shizuka.
As a side note, Hiratsuka Shizuka's ride was a luxury car that Asakura didn't recognize, but at a single glance, it gave off the vibe of "this thing is definitely ultra-expensive." However, he couldn't help but feel—perhaps it was just psychological—that her luxury car wasn't as comfortable as his own old Ford...
"How should I put this..."
Upon arriving at Hiratsuka Shizuka's home, Asakura rubbed his chin and candidly shared his thoughts: "It's surprisingly... normal?"
"And what kind of place did you imagine I'd be living in?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she had brought an adolescent boy home. As soon as she entered, she grabbed a can of "wheat juice" (beer) from the fridge, took a large gulp, and let out a slightly coarse groan that sounded just like a middle-aged man.
"Initially..." Asakura said, "I thought Hiratsuka-sensei's place would be a messy studio apartment, something like a 1DK. Piles of trash everywhere, indescribable alien organisms growing in the sink, and a tiny but complete ecosystem forming in the corners of the room."
While the place Hiratsuka Shizuka lived in now was indeed a bit cluttered, it was only at a normal level of messiness. Far from the image Asakura had predicted, she was arguably less sloppy than even Hiroi Kikuri...
"Even I haven't lacked self-care skills to that extent. Rather, how exactly do you view me?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka knit her brows and sat down on the tatami in a dominant, wide-legged stance, staring at Asakura.
"...A respected teacher."
"What was with that suspicious silence?"
"Anyway, after seeing your car, I then thought you'd live in one of those luxury duplex penthouses—the kind with giant floor-to-ceiling windows where you can look outside and say, 'Look, humans are like trash!'"
"Ah, those apartments don't work. They're way too big for one person living alone; you just end up feeling a strange sense of emptiness. Besides, cleaning and tidying up is a pain. I don't have that much time to spend on such tedious trifles..." Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a wave of her hand.
Judging by her tone, it seemed she really had lived in that kind of apartment for a period of time.
"Can't you just call a cleaning service to help?"
"I don't like other people touching my things in my home."
"Then is it okay for me to be here?"
"It is an issue, so you aren't allowed to touch things randomly either..." Hiratsuka Shizuka said. "Otherwise, be prepared for my 'execution'!" (She made a gesture as if snapping something in half).
"Ah, there seems to be some black fabric over by the sofa..."
Whoosh—
Asakura nimbly tilted his head, dodging a flying can of wheat juice. The can hit the wall with a crisp thud and then clattered onto the floor.
Was it already empty?
No, rather, it was because it was already finished and unlikely to actually hurt anyone that she used the can as a projectile.
"Hiratsuka-sensei is surprisingly innocent, huh?" Asakura said with a grin. "You feel like the type who might fall for a student, get dumped by them in the end, and then hide under the covers crying little pearls..."
"Hah!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka threw a jab at Asakura, but he dodged it effortlessly.
"Dammit, why can't I hit you? You clearly don't look like someone who's trained..."
"Probably because I was born with fast reflexes~"
As Asakura spoke, he easily evaded Hiratsuka Shizuka's follow-up combo as if showing off. Fortunately, she wasn't actually trying to beat him up; after a bit of playful horsing around, she stopped her attempts to strike him.
"What do you want for dinner? If it's ramen, I have the delivery number for a shop here. Pizza is fine too; I've been a bit obsessed with pineapple pizza lately..." As she spoke, Hiratsuka Shizuka pulled a stack of flyers from her cabinet. A closer look revealed they were all flyers for various nearby restaurants, complete with menus and phone numbers.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, if you went to Italy, you'd definitely be stuffed into a burlap sack for saying that."
"You don't like pineapple pizza? What a picky eater. In that case, the nearby Chinese restaurant has introduced some new dishes. Let me see... Hmm, how about Strawberry Mapo Tofu over rice?"
"I take back my previous words. Let's duel, you heretic who defiles Chinese cuisine! Right here, right now!"
"Oh? You dare challenge me on my own turf? Asakura, I acknowledge your courage, if nothing else!"
The two of them messed around for a while longer like a pair of immature siblings.
"I'm done, I'm starving. If you don't want to order takeout, I'm just going to the convenience store downstairs to grab a bento or something..." Hiratsuka Shizuka said.
For some reason, slightly out of breath, she looked unexpectedly glamorous. This was a charm unique to adults—the so-called "mature vibe" that the girls at school couldn't yet reach.
Asakura rubbed his temples.
Tch, are these the troubles of puberty? I guess I really am hungry...
"If you're hungry, just say so! Do you think I, as your teacher, can't even afford to treat you to a meal!" Hiratsuka Shizuka stuffed the entire stack of flyers into Asakura's hands. "See for yourself."
"The number for luxury sushi is..."
"Don't try to sneakily pick the most expensive takeout!"
"Just kidding."
Asakura flipped the flyers face down on the table. "I saw a supermarket not far from the building earlier. Let's just buy some groceries and cook."
"Eh? You can cook?"
"Why that expression, like a T-Rex stubbing its toe while hunting? My Home Economics grade is an 'A,' you know."
"What kind of description is that... Isn't it usually the girls who handle the actual cooking in Home Ec while the boys just do the heavy lifting?"
"That's a stereotype. Besides, the ones I was grouped with in Home Ec—whether it was Yui or Yanami—if you let them handle the cooking, something disastrous always happens..."
"I've heard a bit about Yuigahama's situation; apparently she triggered the school's fire alarm making a lava cake a while back... But Yanami should be fine, right?" Hiratsuka Shizuka asked curiously. "That girl is a normal person, at least?"
In terms of cooking, it seemed Yuigahama was already being treated as a non-human entity.
"Most of the ingredients disappear during the prep stage..." Asakura said. "Also, Yui was making a marble cake that day; it only looked like lava on the outside."
"..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka remained silent, merely patting Asakura on the shoulder with a look of pity that said, 'You've had it rough.'