From the moment the other thugs decided to run, their fates were already sealed.
Haru loosened his grip on the man he had pinned down. With just a slight push off the ground, his tall frame shot forward like a hunting leopard, instantly closing the distance.
The next moment, Yukino and the others found themselves watching a scene straight out of Tom and Jerry.... Tom hammering out a tune using everything at hand.
Haru had one under each arm and even managed to grab the last one by the hair, dragging them all back without breaking a sweat.
Once the thugs were dealt with, everyone could finally relax and wait for the police.
The woman who had been harassed bowed deeply in thanks before saying she'd also head to the station to give her statement.
"Haru, that takedown just now looked amazing. Can you teach us?"
The Furukawa boys, restless from waiting, gathered around him, their eyes shining with interest.
"You want to learn? Sure, I'll teach you," Haru replied generously.
"For real?"
"Of course. I'll even guarantee results... so long as you buy me dinner."
"What? Since when did we need to treat each other? Damn, is our friendship really that fragile?"
Their laughter filled the air until Furukawa suddenly leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"By the way, I've been seeing a lot of posts online about Ōkubo Park lately. Do you know why it's so famous?"
Haru's expression turned odd. "Because the rainy season's here."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Everyone stared blankly.
"Think about it yourselves," Haru waved them off, though after a beat he added, "But if you really get curious and wander into Ōkubo Park, make sure you don't let yourself get tempted."
"Relax. We're not stupid. Like we'd just walk up and chat with strangers for no reason. Still, the comments online are hilarious."
"What kind of comments?"
"Stuff like: A gambling father, a sick mother, a little brother to feed, a broken family... if I don't help him, who will?"
"…That's some high-level nonsense. Impressive," Haru said, applauding with mock solemnity.
There was no doubt such lines came from the internet's resident mischief-makers.
Before long, the police arrived. Haru and the others explained everything and accompanied them to the station.
Since the precinct was nearby, their large group marching down the street together drew plenty of curious stares.
Walking beside Yukino, Haru leaned down and murmured, "I just realized we forgot to turn off the camera."
Yukino stiffened. "So… it recorded you taking them down?"
Haru nodded.
Utaha, who had been listening in, cut in with a shrug. "Then that's perfect. Just hand the footage over to the police... it's solid evidence."
But Haru's lips curved into a faint grin. "Actually, I have another idea."
"What idea?"
Even Megumi glanced over this time, curiosity written across her face.
"Although it was just a coincidence, our photography club happened to capture us stepping in to help someone. I was thinking... once Senpai's short film is uploaded, we could use this clip as extra material to promote it," Haru suggested.
None of the girls had considered that possibility, leaving them momentarily stunned.
Yukino cast a sidelong glance at Utaha, who seemed lost in thought, and analyzed calmly, "It's certainly a viable promotional strategy. If handled properly, it could attract quite a bit of attention."
Megumi followed up smoothly: "But given Utaha-Senpai's personality, would she accept it?"
All eyes turned to Utaha.
"…Let me think about it first," she replied, hesitant.
Of course she wanted her short film to do well. But relying on something unrelated to the project itself? That wasn't how she wanted to achieve it. Still, with Haru, Yukino, and Megumi all supporting the idea, she couldn't dismiss it outright.
When the group arrived at the police station, Shizuka, the only adult present, naturally stepped forward to explain the situation.
It was worth noting that the moment the delinquents entered, a middle-aged officer frowned deeply.
"Nakata Shō… you guys again? Do you even realize how many times you've caused trouble this year?"
The young men kept their heads down, trembling, unable to utter a word.
Haru, ever the joker, leaned in. "So… they're regulars here?"
The officer's face darkened further. "This year alone, three incidents. Drunk brawls, bullying, stealing for fun… Last month, they even snatched fruit from an elderly lady."
Haru turned to eye the cowering boys and said flatly, "Bullying old grannies too? You shouldn't be called Nakata Shō... you should be Nakata Clown."
"…"
Once the statements were finished, everyone left the station and went their separate ways. After such an incident, no one was really in the mood to continue filming.
Utaha, still weighing Haru's idea, was quick to dismiss the crew for the day.
But Shizuka didn't leave.
She sought out Yukino, the one she was most familiar with, and struck up small talk while occasionally sneaking glances at the quiet Megumi.
It wasn't that she had any particular interest in Megumi... she was simply scheming about dinner.
It was nearly mealtime, after all. And noticing that both Utaha and Megumi had lingered close to Haru and Yukino instead of heading home, Shizuka quickly concluded: they must be planning to eat at his place.
If two people were already planning to "mooch" a meal, surely she could join in too.
"Sensei, you're just trying to get invited to dinner, aren't you?"
Yukino's cool voice cut through her thoughts.
Shizuka froze, realizing Haru and the others had all turned to look at her.
She opened her mouth to deny it, but Yukino was faster: "If that's what you want, you could just say so directly. There's no need to chat me up while sneaking glances to confirm."
Completely exposed… and she even said it out loud. How embarrassing.
"Has Sensei fallen for his cooking too?" Utaha asked with rare amusement, clearly entertained by seeing the usually composed teacher flustered.
Shizuka nodded awkwardly.
There was no room left for excuses. Besides, Haru's cooking was irresistible.
Resigned, she turned to Haru with a hopeful look. "Would it be alright?"
Her eyes and tone were full of cautious expectation.
Haru couldn't help but laugh. "Of course."
Shizuka instantly brightened. "Thanks. Then let's stop by and buy some groceries, I'll pay."
She had no intention of freeloading. In fact, she had money to spare, and when it came to Haru's food, she'd gladly "subscribe monthly."
True to her word, Shizuka was generous. By the time they reached Haru's place, the bags of groceries she'd bought were enough to fill the refrigerator.
While Haru busied himself stocking the fridge, the girls shed their coats in the living room. Instead of sitting down to chat, they decided to get some exercise.
With guests over, Haru would no doubt cook a lavish dinner. And since all of them were already addicted to his food, they figured they'd better earn it.
Although Yukino and Utaha both thought, Even if we skip training now, we'll still be getting plenty of "exercise" tonight anyway.
After all, they could already imagine themselves collapsing in exhaustion, their legs too weak to stand…
~~~~~~~~~~
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