When Raize wanted to entertain the two teachers, both of them politely declined, saying that they were only there to escort Mashiro and would not stay long.
When it was time, they would come back to pick Mashiro up. They trusted that Raize would take good care of her.
After chatting with Raize for a bit, the two female teachers quietly glanced at Laffey and Haruna. Their homey attire and overly familiar demeanor did not look like that of guests at all.
After sitting briefly and reminding Raize to take good care of Mashiro, the two teachers left Raize's house.
"This kid is really something…"
"At such a young age, he's already at this level…"
From afar, as they watched the front door of Raize's house slowly close, the two older single women exchanged gloomy looks and let out the same ambiguous sigh.
Chihiro and Hiratsuka were neither blind nor stupid. With just a few glances, they could already tell that the people in the living room had an unusual relationship with Raize.
Especially Eu, who had left an overwhelming impression on them—someone you could never forget after seeing her just once.
"This kid didn't have any improper thoughts toward Mashiro… don't tell me his standards are just too high and he looks down on her? That so-called cousin of his—he wasn't just fooling me, was he?"
Chihiro said through clenched teeth. Seeing young people like this genuinely made her feel sour. More importantly, the fact that her outstanding cousin could actually be overlooked by someone made her quite unhappy.
Raize had been confessed to by Masuzu at school and had rejected her mercilessly—both Chihiro and Hiratsuka knew about it.
To reject a girl of that caliber without hesitation—Raize was certainly something else.
But now that they had seen him openly cohabiting and "hiding beauties" at home, having high standards and looking down on others did not seem that strange.
The two of them could clearly tell that Laffey and Haruna were definitely living in Raize's house. Although the girls behaved politely, there were subtle actions that did not escape their notice.
"You're allowed to have a world-class genius painter as a cousin, but Raize isn't allowed to have a cousin who's drop-dead gorgeous?"
Hiratsuka spoke while smoking, calling out her close friend's double standards as she watched her grumble through clenched teeth.
Seeing that Raize was doing well made her feel genuinely happy and relieved. Being able to walk out of his past psychological shadow mattered more than anything. As for her student living with beautiful girls—she had no intention of making a fuss about it.
"That's different! Don't tell me you didn't notice Mashiro has already fallen for that kid. I'm thinking about my cousin's sake!"
The female teacher said irritably, turning her head to glance once more in the direction of Raize's house.
Although in Raize's memories of the original work, Chihiro appeared quite irresponsible, this world was no longer something that could be described by the original story. Without Sakurasou, she herself had changed somewhat.
After all, she was now living together with Mashiro, and taking care of her cousin had also changed her. At school, Raize had noticed that this teacher paid close attention to Mashiro in private and took good care of her, which had erased the "irresponsible" label he once associated with her.
Chihiro had also looked into Raize's background. Hiratsuka had told her about him as well—by all accounts, he was an exceptionally outstanding young man.
Mashiro's parents doted on their daughter, and Mashiro's grandfather treated her like the apple of his eye. If Raize continued to grow at this rapid pace, achieving a level where they were well-matched would not be particularly difficult.
Mashiro's parents were not rigid people either, but if Raize wanted to withstand external pressure and truly be with Mashiro, he would need to reach the same level of achievement as her in order to silence certain voices.
Thinking back to the original Pet Girl of Sakurasou plot, could a male protagonist with relatively modest achievements really withstand the external pressure and pass Mashiro's parents' test while being with a heroine of that caliber?
Now that she thought about it, it really did seem a bit unbelievable.
In Raize's own understanding, when celebrities with massive fanbases got together with someone, it became a matter of intense public scrutiny. Some fans would even do extreme things, such as suicide, for the sake of their idol.
Mashiro, as a world-class painter, would certainly have no shortage of fans. If she ended up with some unknown nobody, she would inevitably be torn apart by criticism. Some would even suspect that their idol had been deceived or emotionally manipulated by an unremarkable man.
Moreover, Mashiro's family reputation could also be damaged. Even if her parents claimed not to care on the surface, could a man truly remain unaffected by that? Would he not feel shame or guilt for clinging to someone far above his station?
The world was brutally realistic.
Having plenty of money in one's wallet and bank account could give a man confidence. Possessing unrivaled talent and achievements could give him pride. Holding power and status could make a man arrogant.
In Chihiro's eyes, Raize was outstanding. On his own, he had expanded the company his father left behind at rocket speed, possessing both methods and strength.
As she had thought before, as long as Raize continued charging forward with unstoppable momentum, reaching that standard would only be a matter of time.
But now there seemed to be a serious problem on Raize's side.
Chihiro could not see what kind of feelings Raize had toward Mashiro. There was no sense of romantic intent at all—he treated Mashiro entirely like a child under his care.
That in itself was not a bad thing.
But if Mashiro did not see it the same way, then things would become troublesome.
Could it be that her cousin Mashiro's first love would end in a sorrowful failure?
Hiratsuka understood exactly what Chihiro was worried about. After taking a deep drag from her cigarette and exhaling, her sharp yet calm eyes stood out clearly amid the swirling smoke.
"I know exactly what you're worried about. But there's very little we can interfere with when it comes to the affairs of younger people—especially romantic relationships. Are you really going to let two women who've never been in love give advice?"
Pfft!
Chihiro's face darkened, her heart aching. Hiratsuka's words hit far too hard—not just her, but herself as well.
To think Hiratsuka could state such an indisputable truth with such calm composure.
"Hmph! Even if, as you say, we can't interfere much—if I ever see Mashiro crying because of this in the future, I'll beat Raize up no matter what. The first emotion Mashiro should learn here should never be sadness!"
With an icy expression, Chihiro snatched the cigarette from Hiratsuka's hand and took a fierce drag, then walked straight toward her car amid Hiratsuka's helpless gaze.
She was worried about her cousin—did Hiratsuka, the "Shizuka-nee" Raize spoke of, not worry as well?
As long as Raize could safely and properly make it through his high school years in her eyes, that was enough. She had full confidence in what kind of future this child would have.
But when it came to the romantic entanglements of her students, there was little she could do. She could only guide and help them as an elder when they encountered difficulties.
Meanwhile, the Raize and Mashiro that the two teachers were worried about were currently in a room by themselves, drawing manga.
Raize was teaching and helping Mashiro with the structure of the next part of the story. However, Mashiro—who should have been listening attentively—stared blankly at Raize's side profile.
Recalling the three girls in the living room earlier, then looking at the storylines and panels she had constructed in her manga, Mashiro's pure heart began to fluctuate intensely.
"…It's different."
"What are you talking about, Mashiro?"