When Nanao Akane emerged from the sports storage room, class was almost over.
Shigen Ryouka was looking around for her, and when she saw her, she immediately waved and called out:
"Akane—are you okay?"
Nanao Akane seemed a bit unnaturally flustered, but Liangxiang couldn't tell if it was her imagination.
Nanao Akane shook her head.
"Why were you so slow?" Shigen Ryouka asked, "And where is Dong Gang?"
Dong Gang was not there.
Nanao Akane guessed he was embarrassed and angry, so he didn't continue to teach.
Now the class was in free activity.
"After he told me a little about the Baseball Club, he seemed to have something urgent… I'm not sure about the specifics," Nanao Akane lied.
She didn't plan to tell Shigen Ryouka about such dark matters.
Shigen Ryouka was all about innocence; she nodded and didn't think much of it.
"Oh, right, Liangxiang," Nanao Akane remembered, "Matsubara… isn't he in F Class?"
"Yes, he is."
Shigen Ryouka was surprised.
She and Matsubara Ayumu were childhood friends.
She and Nanao Akane were also close friends.
But these two were not familiar with each other, and she had never heard Akane ask about Ayumu.
"…Haha, don't worry, Liangxiang." Nanao Akane smiled playfully and teased, "I'm not trying to steal Matsubara from you; I just want to inquire about a boy… He happens to be in F Class."
"Ayumu and I aren't like that."
If it were in the past, Shigen Ryouka would definitely clarify this. But upon hearing Akane say she wanted to inquire about a boy in F Class, the pale-faced boy instantly appeared in Shigen Ryouka's mind.
"Who…?" Shigen Ryouka asked.
Akane and Hayato shouldn't know each other, right? It's impossible for her to suddenly inquire about him…
"Anshi… Zhengzhi, yes, that's the name."
After Nanao Akane said the name, Shigen Ryouka let out a sigh of relief.
Strange. Shigen Ryouka thought, why do I feel such a sense of relief?
"Anshi… I don't think I've heard Ayumu mention that name much." Shigen Ryouka said with a smile, "But don't worry, I'll ask Ayumu."
"Okay."
Nanao Akane intertwined her fingers in front of her small face, full of excitement, "I'll leave it to you!"
"But what happened? That Anshi Zhengzhi?" Shigen Ryouka asked.
"Well… there are some things I want to thank him for," Nanao Akane said with a smile.
…
"Ah, ah—achoo!"
During the break, Anshi Zhengzhi sneezed. He was sitting on Hayato's desk and rubbed the tip of his nose. "Seriously, who's talking about me behind my back… Could it be that after changing my hairstyle, I've gained the admiration of some beautiful girl? Hehehe… If there are two, should I choose the petite and delicate one, or the tall and busty one…?"
He fell into deep fantasy, a lewd smile on his lips.
Meanwhile, Hayato slowly twirled his pen, not disturbing his brother's daydreaming.
Dong Gang's punch earlier was fierce; if it had connected, he would have been silenced for at least ten seconds, which was too dangerous. Most Minotaurs are muscle-bound creatures, looking like orcs, and Hayato would probably have difficulty fighting them with just his wrist strength.
Going to rescue Nanao Akane alone this time was indeed ill-considered.
However, it happened so suddenly that there was no time to think… In the future, I must try my best to be fully prepared.
It's all thanks to this weak system, which only gave two combat abilities: Swordplay EX and Fantasy Killer. The former requires a sword, and the latter is a special attack against supernatural powers and magic. Neither is suitable for close combat.
However, the skill 'Swordplay EX' is quite powerful. If I had a sword in hand, taking down that gorilla Dong Gang wouldn't be a big problem.
The only way now is to carry a sword for safety.
But in today's world, when samurai are a thing of the past, constantly carrying a sword around would really make people think you're crazy.
"…Wait." Hayato seemed to have thought of something.
Perhaps there's a perfect reason to cover it!
"Hey, Xiao Lin, what are you thinking about?!" Anshi Zhengzhi's mouth didn't stop; he continued to ramble, "Sigh, I advise you not to fantasize about finding a girlfriend just by changing your hairstyle! Although you have a good appearance, you're still far from me, Anshi Zhengzhi, your master!"
"Excuse me."
Anshi Zhengzhi had already propped his legs on Hayato's desk, about to tell this kid how incredibly handsome he was, when a serene figure stood at the entrance of F Class.
Anshi Zhengzhi's gaze was immediately drawn to her.
The newcomer had a curvaceous figure, but her face was pure and lovely. She had a side ponytail hairstyle called the 'Princess Hime,' which made her look quite gentle and well-behaved, but the red string tying her hair subtly added a touch of charm.
She politely greeted a classmate who was just entering the classroom door.
That male classmate even trembled nervously in front of her, because she was a big celebrity at Shirakawa High School.
He knew her, Anshi Zhengzhi knew her, and of course, Hayato also knew her.
"Mi-Miyajima Senior!" The male student's voice was almost hoarse. "Is there anything I can do for you!?"
Miyajima Sakura smiled, pursing her lips. "Could you please help me find…"
She was looking for someone, but before she could say the name, her gaze inadvertently swept over to the row by the window at the back…
"No need, thank you." Miyajima Sakura nodded slightly, and after thanking him, her gaze turned towards that direction.
"Holy crap!" Anshi Zhengzhi excitedly grabbed Hayato's collar. "Xiao Lin! I have to thank you! I didn't expect changing my hairstyle would really bring me good luck with women!! No, this is more than just good luck, it's practically 'Momotaro luck'—"
"Let go." Xiao Lin coldly slapped Anshi Zhengzhi's hand away. "My school uniform is expensive. If you ruin it, I can't afford a second set…"
Saying this, he sighed and stood up.
Seeing this scene, Miyajima Sakura's purple eyes held a visible smile.
"Xiao Lin, I'm here for you," she said.
"It's impressive that you found my class so quickly." Hayato said as he walked to her side, "…Want to talk somewhere else?"
Miyajima Sakura was simply too popular.
Now, a group of fanboys and fangirls had gathered at the entrance. Miyajima Sakura was used to it, but Hayato didn't want to be stared at like a monkey.
"Mhm."
Miyajima Sakura followed Hayato by only about half a step, unhurriedly keeping pace with him.
"…I…!!"
Anshi Zhengzhi, left in the classroom, stretched out his hand, as if trying to reclaim something.
But neither Hayato nor Miyajima Sakura looked back.
—No!!"
Anshi Zhengzhi let out a desperate cry.
In the warm temperature, he seemed to see snowflakes fluttering, the north wind howling, and the world a vast expanse.
…
…