When Shirase and Hiratsuka-sensei arrived at school, he noticed she wasn't leaving even after he got out of the car. "Sensei, are you planning to watch our practice?" he asked.
"Nope." Hiratsuka-sensei leaned her chin on one hand, voice easy and amused. "I was just thinking—since you already saw through my little assignment from Haruno, does that mean I can ditch this errand now?"
"Of course you can." Shirase nodded without hesitation. "Even if Haruno-san asks later, you can just tell her the truth. She definitely won't blame you."
He paused for a beat, then added deliberately, "Besides, she's smart. Even Yukinoshita-san admits her sister's sharper than she is. She probably anticipated this exact outcome. So, in short, you can go home and report that you did your best."
Hiratsuka-sensei laughed. "Wow, you've even worked out my alibi for me. Guess I really should thank you."
See? She's the one thanking us now.
Shirase waved a hand casually. "No need. Just doing my part."
She gave him a playful glare. "You really know how to scheme—get me to drop the job so you don't have to deal with me anymore. That was your plan, wasn't it?"
"Actually," Shirase said honestly, "I'd much rather spend time with you than face Haruno-san directly."
"Oh? Why's that?"
"Because you're gentle. Being around you puts people at ease—including me."
"Haha, flattery won't get you anywhere… but fine, you pass today." She stretched lazily, looking more and more like a salted fish. "I'll handle Haruno myself. I didn't want to run her errands anyway. That settles it."
She was about to say goodbye when a married couple walking by suddenly waved. The man smiled warmly. "Miss Hiratsuka?"
Hiratsuka-sensei blinked in surprise, then quickly stepped out of the car to greet them politely. "Mr. Spencer—it's been a while."
Shirase turned to look. The couple was clearly well-off; the man carried himself with calm confidence, while the woman beside him was strikingly elegant, her flawless complexion radiating comfort and wealth.
As they began chatting, Shirase suddenly recalled—right, Hiratsuka-sensei herself came from a prominent family, didn't she?
"So, you're dropping off a student for soccer practice?" the woman asked warmly. Her eyes soon drifted to Shirase, lighting up with surprise. "Oh my, he's such a handsome young man. About the same age as my daughter, too."
"Hello," Shirase greeted politely.
Hiratsuka-sensei smiled. "His name's Shirase. He's the ace of the soccer club. Technically not my student, but I'm friends with his guardian, so we know each other well."
"The soccer club's ace?" The elegant woman's eyes brightened with interest. "So you're aiming for the national tournament this year? That's quite an achievement—tens of thousands of spectators attend those matches. You must be a very capable young man."
Shirase replied calmly, "Everyone's giving their best. As for nationals—we're hoping to do well."
"Then keep it up! If we get the chance, maybe we'll come cheer you on."
After a brief pause, her gentle smile deepened. "Perhaps someday, I should introduce you to my daughter. She's about your age, but she never leaves the house—no energy at all, unlike you."
"I've heard Shirase doesn't socialize much either," Hiratsuka-sensei added with a chuckle. "But he's clearly not a shut-in, given how dedicated he is to training. Maybe they'd find something in common."
Sawamura-san…?
So they really were the parents of that twin-tailed tsundere. Shirase had already suspected as much, and Hiratsuka-sensei's words confirmed it.
After exchanging goodbyes with Mr. and Mrs. Spencer, Shirase jogged toward the practice field.
Sawamura Sayuri watched his back for a moment, then smiled suddenly. "Ah, I just remembered—I've seen that boy online!"
"Really? He's that famous?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked, genuinely surprised.
Sayuri nodded, amused. "There was a video from one of your school's friendly matches. That boy stood out—fast, sharp, so full of energy. I don't even follow soccer, but he was impressive."
"Is that so? Maybe I'll look up that video later," Hiratsuka-sensei said, smiling. She'd watched that game live but had never thought to check the recordings. Maybe she'd notice something new this time.
...
That day, the soccer club split into two teams for an internal scrimmage, captained by Shirase and Hayama Hayato.
On the sidelines, Isshiki Iroha was keeping stats as usual, murmuring, "Without Hayama-kun's support, the others can barely keep up with Shirase-kun."
The match ended 6–3 in Shirase's team's favor.
As they cooled off, Hayama gave a tired laugh. "If you hadn't gone easy on us, we'd have scored maybe one goal at best."
"I wasn't going easy," Shirase said seriously.
"Anyone could see through that," Hayama replied, smiling.
"I was just giving my teammates a chance to shine," Shirase said earnestly.
Hayama chuckled. He'd known Shirase long enough not to buy that for a second.
The team relaxed along the sidelines, chatting and laughing. Despite their upcoming matches, there was no tension in the air.
Exactly the kind of atmosphere Shirase liked.
"Naito, are you seriously watching that streamer again?" one of the boys teased, leaning over. "Man, how many times do we have to tell you—those girls are just baiting views. What's so great about that?"
Flustered but defiant, Naito retorted, "Of course I know that! But no real girl wants to date me, and she's willing to show herself to strangers like me. That's not bait—it's salvation. She makes me feel seen, and I'm grateful for that."
The whole group fell silent.
Hayama rubbed his forehead, half laughing. "That's… a very unique kind of logic."
Isshiki sighed helplessly; she'd seen too many of these ridiculous exchanges.
But Shirase looked at Naito with genuine respect. "I think he's absolutely right. That's real salvation."
Then, with a perfectly serious face, he added, "You must send her a lot of gifts, right?"
To everyone's surprise, Naito scratched his head. "Nah. I watch for free."
Shirase nodded solemnly. "You understand true salvation."