I’d already made two round trips. After that initial multiple-choice-like selection, I’d moved seven girls. Now only Tsurumi Mirei remained in the car—the final burden!

Hmm… had I forgotten something? Ah, right! Text the other girls’ families using Tsurumi’s phone!

I rummaged through her pockets and pulled out her phone. Password-locked—but I glanced at the passenger seat where Tsurumi slept soundly and grinned. Fingerprint unlock. Who needed the password when she was right here? Honestly, phone security still had flaws. Needs improvement.

I grabbed Tsurumi’s hand, pressed her thumb to the sensor, and—bingo. Unlocked.

Scrolling through her contacts, I spotted "Rei Jing" near the top. Frequent calls and texts. Her contact was labeled "Bestie." So they really were friends. No coercion involved. I’d assumed Rei only hung out with Tsurumi due to family pressure.

I found a contact group labeled "Parents." Perfect—our class list. I added the numbers for Sakurano Sakusora, Shimatani Chiyo, and the other five girls’ parents. Then typed:

> *Hello, I’m your child’s teacher. Today, they were appointed class representatives. I invited them to my home for a celebration. As it grew late and I worried about their safety traveling alone, I kindly invited them to stay overnight. Your child agreed. This message is to reassure you of their safety.*

> *—Teacher Tsurumi Mirei*

Sent. Crisis averted.

Just then, Tsurumi stirred. Must’ve been the movement—or maybe her heavy-drinker’s tolerance kicking in. Her body swayed.

I dropped her hand. Her eyes fluttered half-open, dazed.

"Who… who am I? What am I doing? Where did I come from? Where am I going?"

Seriously? The ultimate philosophical questions? You’re a teacher, not Socrates.

"Ahem. You’re Tsurumi Mirei. You’re about to sleep. And that last question? Even philosophers wrestle with it. Amen."

My interruption seemed to sharpen her focus—though her words still slurred. "Right… I’m Tsurumi Mirei. And you’re… Xia Chuan Yuan? What happened? My head’s spinning…"

*No kidding. You drank enough to kill a horse. You’ll be hungover till tomorrow.*

Since she asked so earnestly, I took pity. I summarized everything: the karaoke room chaos (skipping certain… details), the drive, outsmarting traffic cops, why we never reached her place, the police encounter near my apartment, and running into her best friend. Dumped it all on her. Didn’t care if she remembered or understood. My conscience was clear.

She stared blankly. Adorably dazed. Her pretty face saved it—if she were ugly, this’d just be pathetic. *Only beautiful girls get to be "adorable" when drunk,* I mused. *Ugly ones are just dumb. A profound societal issue…*

"Ah… I think I get it now. Xia Chuan Yuan-kun… wait! IS THAT YOU?!" Her slurred speech suddenly sharpened with shock. "Since when are you this… handsome?! Did aliens abduct you for plastic surgery?!"

*Oh no. My secret’s out. Another fangirl incoming? This is the curse of good looks—impossible to stay low-key. Like a firefly in the night.*

"Teacher, focus. Just a haircut. No big deal."

"No big deal?! Even with a haircut, this is insane! I never noticed how handsome you were before, but now—" She glanced at my torso and cut herself off.

Right. I’d stripped off my shirt earlier while moving everyone. Eight-pack fully visible. *Clothes hide the muscle,* I thought. *But take them off? Boom.*

"Anyway," I said, ignoring her stare. "I was gonna carry you inside, but since you’re awake… you can walk. I’ll help if needed. Don’t worry—I won’t drop you."

"Drop me? What does that mean?"

"Nothing. Just rambling. Back to the important stuff."

"Right! I must thank Jingjing tomorrow!"

"Are you getting out or not?"

"Ugh… my limbs won’t listen!" She tried to sit up, flailing like a glitchy robot. Her arms and legs jerked in chaotic, avant-garde patterns. I watched, amused, as she failed spectacularly.

"Xia Chuan Yuan-kun…" Her voice turned pleading. "I need your help with something…"

…*I have a bad feeling about this.*