At the entrance of Sakura Dorm.
From a distance, Su Yu spotted Hiratsuka Shizuka.
If she were wearing a kimono and standing there quietly, she would undoubtedly look stunning.
Unfortunately, she was leaning against her sports car, dressed in a white trench coat, casually smoking a cigarette.
Of course, smoking and drinking didn't change the fact that she was an excellent teacher.
Su Yu approached her with the three girls in tow.
Upon seeing them, Hiratsuka stubbed out her cigarette.
"Hiratsuka-sensei," the three girls greeted politely.
"Why are you all with Su Yu-kun?" Hiratsuka asked, looking puzzled.
"Well…" Miura Yumiko glanced at Yuigahama Yui, who was blushing and keeping her head down.
"We invited Su Yu-kun to karaoke. Yui wants to become friends with him," Ebina Hina bluntly revealed the truth.
"I see." Hiratsuka looked at Yuigahama Yui and immediately understood the situation.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please come in." Seizing the moment, Su Yu opened the door to Sakura Dorm.
Hiratsuka stepped inside, followed by the three girls.
The dormitory was quite spacious. The parking lot in front could accommodate six cars, and the cherry blossom tree, though not taking up much space, served as a beautiful backdrop that enhanced the atmosphere.
"This place is beautiful," Yuigahama Yui exclaimed in amazement.
"Yui, do you want to live here too?" Ebina Hina teased with a smile.
"Hina…" Yui turned away, embarrassed.
"Yui, I'm jealous of you," Miura Yumiko murmured quietly.
Yui's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
But despite her embarrassment, her mind began conjuring up all sorts of lovely images.
At the front, Su Yu pretended not to hear their conversation as he guided Hiratsuka around the dormitory.
All six rooms had been fully furnished, with a uniform style and similar size.
Su Yu himself lived on the third floor.
According to him, taking the stairs was a form of exercise.
Hiratsuka, unsurprisingly, chose a room on the first floor.
Su Yu opened the door for her.
The three girls followed inside to take a look.
The entrance was neatly arranged with house slippers.
The flooring was wooden, giving the room a clean and tidy feel.
The living room was spacious enough to fit a full sofa set and coffee table, with the kitchen directly opposite.
There were two bedrooms—a master bedroom and a smaller secondary bedroom.
"This is a nice place. I'll take it," Hiratsuka said with satisfaction.
"Here's the key," Su Yu handed over both the room and main entrance keys.
"As for rent, my previous apartment cost 900,000 yen per year. Let's go with that price," Hiratsuka said.
"800,000 yen. That's the fair market price. If you think it's too cheap, you can treat me to yakiniku after you move in," Su Yu replied.
"Alright, I'll treat you to yakiniku then." Hiratsuka smiled knowingly—she was well aware of the actual rental prices.
"Do you want to see my room?" Su Yu turned to the three girls.
They nodded without hesitation.
Ebina Hina and Miura Yumiko exchanged teasing glances while looking at Yuigahama Yui.
Yui's cheeks flushed red.
"Then, I'll take my leave. I'll probably move in tomorrow," Hiratsuka said, glancing at the girls and deciding not to intrude any further.
"See you tomorrow," Su Yu nodded.
Hiratsuka left, and the three girls followed Su Yu upstairs.
As they reached the stairs, Su Yu noticed their sailor uniforms and quickened his pace, leading the way ahead.
At first, the girls didn't think much of it—until Ebina Hina whispered something into Yuigahama Yui's ear.
Yui paused for a second, then looked at Su Yu's back.
"Su Yu-kun is really considerate… even thinking about these little things. Yui, I'm jealous of you," Ebina Hina said with a grin.
"Hina…" Yui's face burned red.
She was certain Su Yu could hear that.
But up front, Su Yu pretended not to notice.
By the time they reached the third floor, the girls finally understood why he called climbing the stairs a workout.
The staircase was much longer than in a standard apartment. Three floors felt more like four.
Su Yu unlocked his room.
His was the innermost room, in the same position as the one Hiratsuka had chosen downstairs.
"Come in," Su Yu invited them inside.
Curious, the girls stepped into his room.
There were enough house slippers neatly arranged at the entrance.
After changing into them, they entered the living room.
A sofa and coffee table were arranged neatly, with a few framed calligraphy pieces on the walls.
The overall decor had a subtle Chinese aesthetic.
Su Yu placed snacks on the table, then went to the fridge to take out some fresh fruit, arranging it neatly on a plate before setting it in front of them.
"Su Yu-kun… is this a home karaoke system?" Ebina Hina pointed to the brand-new karaoke setup near the TV.
"Huh? I've never used it before," Su Yu glanced at the equipment.
So this was a karaoke system?
He had originally thought it was just a regular speaker setup.
"I remember this model costs hundreds of thousands of yen. Su Yu-kun, are you planning to open a home karaoke lounge?" Ebina Hina asked as she walked over and skillfully turned it on.
"My parents probably bought it," Su Yu shook his head.
"Want me to teach you how to use it?" Ebina Hina offered, looking at him.
"Sure," Su Yu nodded and walked over to her, listening carefully to her instructions.
Behind them—
"Yui, now you have a perfect excuse to visit Su Yu-kun's house in the future. You need to take this opportunity," Miura Yumiko whispered.
"I… I haven't decided yet…" Yui's voice was soft.
"Not sure yet? Then at least get his contact info first and take your time getting to know him," Miura Yumiko suggested.
"...Okay." Yui nodded, sneaking a glance at Su Yu.
Ten Minutes Later
Ebina Hina finished setting up the system and took out a microphone from the cabinet.
Su Yu sat on the sofa—right next to Yuigahama Yui.
Yui stared at the TV but kept stealing glances at Su Yu beside her.
As Ebina Hina set up the song queue and prepared to sing first—
Yui took out her phone and turned to Su Yu.
"Su Yu-kun, um…"
"It looks like we were thinking the same thing," Su Yu cut her off and handed her his phone.
Yui's face flushed pink, and she quickly exchanged contacts with him.
Miura Yumiko smiled knowingly as she watched.
"Yui, that was sneaky. Su Yu-kun, let's exchange contacts too, okay?" Ebina Hina grinned as she noticed their little exchange.
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X