Chapter 59 - The Eccentric Izumi Mother and Daughter

Kaito was momentarily stunned.

He gave Hiratsuka Shizuka a suspicious look.

Wasn't home visitation supposed to happen during holidays, with the student present?

Shouldn't the normal procedure during school hours be to call the student's parents to the school?

"There's a problem student," Shizuka explained, her attention quickly shifting away from Kaito.

There was no helping it. Kaito wasn't an ordinary student. In some ways, his status was even higher than the principal's. She couldn't really get angry with him, so she had to go along with it.

Damn it!

What's wrong with using my hands or toys?

What's wrong with not having a boyfriend?!

I'm an independent woman, and I'll always be an independent woman. I don't need a man!

That's it!

Tonight, I'm going to have a good time with my favorite toy!

"From the start of the semester until now, she's barely attended school," Shizuka continued.

"If this continues, the school is considering either expelling her or holding her back a year. I plan to visit her home and talk to her and her mother."

"She hasn't been to school since the semester started? That's impressive," Kaito said, slightly amazed but not particularly concerned. He casually asked, "What's her name?"

"Izumi Sagiri."

Kaito was about to sit down in Shizuka's chair and play with her computer when he suddenly straightened up.

"Izumi Sagiri?"

"Yes, do you know her?"

"Not personally, but since I don't have anything else to do, I'll tag along and see what's up with this girl who hasn't been to school for months. That okay?"

"It's fine, but..." Shizuka suddenly grew wary.

She remembered that while Izumi Sagiri was a problem student, she was also undeniably beautiful.

Was Kaito acting unusually because of that?

But in the end, Shizuka didn't refuse Kaito's request to join her.

On one hand, it was hard to say no to him.

On the other hand, there wasn't really a reason to refuse.

Parking Lot

Shizuka pressed her car key, and Kaito saw her red, two-seater Aston Martin light up.

"Can I drive?" Kaito's interest was piqued.

"Do you have a license?" Shizuka asked, eyeing Kaito suspiciously. He looked about the same age as her students.

"I do."

My license from my past life counts, right?

Shizuka didn't think much of it and tossed the keys to Kaito, then took the passenger seat.

This turned out to be the most regrettable decision of her life.

Ten minutes later, the red Aston Martin screeched to a halt in front of a detached house, the tires squealing against the pavement.

The passenger door opened, and Shizuka stumbled out, clutching a nearby lamppost for support, her face a mix of disbelief and horror.

"Are you okay?" Kaito asked, his voice full of concern.

Shizuka looked up at him, furious.

"Do you only know how to press the gas pedal?!"

She occasionally enjoyed speeding, but only on empty coastal roads at night.

Kaito, on the other hand, had been weaving through daytime traffic like a maniac, narrowly avoiding collisions multiple times.

Several times, Shizuka had felt like her life was about to end at the age of 29.

"We're fine, aren't we?" Kaito said with a grin.

"Besides, you know how strong I am. Even if we did crash, I could've gotten us out safely."

Shizuka glared at him, biting her lip.

If she weren't so sure she'd lose, she would've punched him right then and there.

"You're paying the speeding tickets!"

"Don't worry, I've got connections. No points will be deducted."

The two of them—well, mostly Kaito—chatted and laughed as they walked up to the house. Shizuka, on the other hand, looked like she'd just been through a war.

This was a residential area with rows of houses, but unlike the typical small Japanese-style homes, these were more like European-style villas—larger and more luxurious.

The streets were wider, and it was clear that the residents here were well-off.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Kaito asked as they reached the front door.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Shizuka asked, immediately on edge at the playful tone in Kaito's voice.

"Nothing's wrong," Kaito said casually.

"No need to be so tense. Even if there were a problem, I'm here, aren't I? What's there to fear?"

He glanced at the house across the street before adding, "It's just strange that all the curtains are drawn during the day."

Shizuka looked up and realized Kaito was right.

The house was quite large, more like a European-style villa than a typical Japanese home. It was two stories tall, with an estimated total area of about 300 square meters.

With so many windows, it was unusual to see all the curtains tightly closed.

"Who knows?" Shizuka said, pressing the doorbell.

But no one came to the door, and there wasn't even the sound of footsteps from inside.

"Strange," Shizuka muttered, pulling out her phone to call.

Just then, a woman's nervous voice came from inside.

"W-Who is it?"

Shizuka frowned.

If she had only been slightly curious before, she was now certain that something was wrong in the Izumi household.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Izumi?" Shizuka asked.

"I'm Hiratsuka Shizuka, the school counselor and your daughter's homeroom teacher. I mentioned last week that I'd visit this Wednesday to discuss your daughter's situation."

"Oh, yes, of course!"

The woman's voice suddenly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted.

Kaito and Shizuka exchanged a glance.

Soon, the door opened.

Kaito's eyes lit up at the sight of the woman inside.

She had fair skin, silvery-white hair, and striking blue eyes. Her delicate features and petite frame made her look both fragile and beautiful.

The mix of fear and relief on her face only added to her charm.

Kaito couldn't help but think—perhaps he'd been spending too much time with Kocho Kanae—that she looked like someone he'd want to pick up and carry.

"And this is?" Mrs. Izumi asked, her voice timid as she looked at Kaito.

"I'm an assistant teacher at the school," Kaito said smoothly.

"My name's Kaito."

Shizuka rolled her eyes. You refused to be a teacher before, and now you're pretending to be one?

"Mr. Kaito," Mrs. Izumi said politely, inviting them inside.

But both Shizuka and Kaito noticed that Mrs. Izumi was trembling, though it didn't seem like she was sick or weak.

It was clear she'd been frightened and hadn't fully recovered.

What was even more puzzling was that, while it was somewhat understandable to have the curtains drawn during the day—perhaps someone was sleeping or gaming and didn't want sunlight—it was strange that every light in the house was on.

The hallway, the living room, the kitchen—every light was blazing.

"We don't have any tea, but would some drinks be okay?" Mrs. Izumi asked.

Kaito and Shizuka nodded, and Mrs. Izumi brought over three bottles of sweet tea.

"Sorry for the wait," she said, placing the drinks on the coffee table and sitting across from them.

"Sorry, Sagiri is very shy. She doesn't want to come down."

Shizuka nodded.

Under normal circumstances, she would've started discussing how to help Sagiri overcome her shyness and return to school. She would've explained the consequences of continued absence, such as losing her place at the school.

But seeing the drawn curtains and the lights on in the middle of the day, Shizuka couldn't help but ask, "Mrs. Izumi, is everything alright at home? Are you dealing with some kind of trouble?"

From what she knew, Sagiri's father had passed away before she was born, and Mrs. Izumi had raised her alone.

Mrs. Izumi was a freelancer, though Shizuka wasn't sure what she did for work.

She had never remarried, and Sagiri's extreme shyness was likely tied to the early loss of her father.

In short, a single mother and her high school daughter—it was a combination that often lacked a sense of security.

Could it be harassment from some local troublemakers?

At Shizuka's question, Mrs. Izumi visibly trembled, as if reliving a traumatic memory.

Fear was written all over her delicate face, deepening Shizuka's concern.

No, it couldn't just be harassment from some thugs.

So...

"Would you mind telling us what's going on, Mrs. Izumi?" Shizuka asked gently, her voice full of concern.