"Here."
Miyajima Sakura leaned forward slightly, offering a milk tea held in both hands. "I thought it was too cold for cola, so I bought you milk tea. I originally wanted it to warm you up, but… it seems to have gotten cold."
She sounded a little apologetic.
"My bad, my bad, this one's on me." Hayato took it. He was thirsty, and after a furious gulp, the slightly cool temperature was just right to quench his thirst. Absolutely amazing, it was so good it made him wiggle his toes.
"As long as you like it," Miyajima Sakura said.
Hayato drank half of it in one go.
Miyajima Sakura just stood by, quietly watching.
And he finally raised his eyes to look at her, who was too quiet.
"Um, aren't you going to ask me why I was late?" Even if she didn't blame him, she didn't even ask?
"Eh? Can I ask?" Miyajima Sakura was flattered.
This left Hayato flustered. "Of-of course you can."
"That's wonderful…" Miyajima Sakura stroked the high yet soft mountains on her chest, as if she had sighed in relief.
It seems… she wasn't disliked.
After Kobayashi Ayaka told her the day before, "Sakura, he definitely dislikes you," Miyajima Sakura had been wondering what she had done wrong to make Hayato dislike her.
She even discussed it with Ayaka on her phone late into the night.
Ayaka said, "If loving someone doesn't need a reason, then does disliking someone need a reason?"
Ayaka's words were absolute; she knew they might hurt Sakura, but her first impression of that man with the same surname wasn't good, and she intended to cut ties with them then and there.
Sakura was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then how can I not be disliked?"
This, in turn, silenced Ayaka. After a long time, she finally said, "Sakura, can we not be such a simp?"
Miyajima Sakura genuinely asked, "What does 'simp' mean?"
The young girl had been devoted to Kendo since childhood, always adhering to rules, but her personality was somewhat rigid, and she didn't understand many things.
This was true for both her daily life and the Kendo Club.
And Kobayashi Ayaka, as the Vice Minister and close friend, was responsible for making up for her shortcomings in this regard.
"Most of the male club members' feelings for you are simping," Kobayashi Ayaka declared, a shocking statement. Fortunately, no one could see their private chat.
"Then I am indeed simping for Hayato," Miyajima Sakura said something even more surprising.
In her view, all the male club members respected her and admired her Kendo skills, and she felt the same way about Hayato.
"...You should say less, Sakura."
Afterward, through Kobayashi Ayaka's patient guidance, the two unanimously agreed.
If Hayato hadn't arrived in Shibuya by 12:30 on Sunday, it would prove that he was truly a scumbag who was just toying with Sakura.
He genuinely disliked Sakura, which was why he was playing with her in this manner.
Therefore, Miyajima Sakura started waiting in front of the Hachiko statue at eleven o'clock.
Time passed minute by minute; though the sun was good, the cold wind persisted.
The milk tea that had warmed her hands also lost its warmth, just like her mood.
When the agreed-upon time had completely passed, Miyajima Sakura also began to feel some anger, wanting to just leave.
But she still held onto some hope of, "Perhaps Hayato was delayed on the way," so she extended her wait for a little longer.
And after this period, the thought of, "Hayato couldn't have gotten into trouble, could he?" took over instead.
She became increasingly worried and was even more unwilling to leave.
So when she saw Hayato jogging through the vast crowd, Miyajima Sakura was not only overjoyed but also greatly relieved.
Thankfully, Hayato was fine.
"I ran into an acquaintance, and she had some trouble, so I lent a hand and ended up being late. Sorry," Hayato explained vaguely.
"Hayato is truly enthusiastic," Miyajima Sakura smiled. "You really are a very good person."
Well, he inexplicably received a 'good person' card.
Hayato thought to himself, then began to get down to business, "Is the Kendo equipment store that my senior mentioned really in Shibuya?"
"Yes, it's a bit of a distance," Miyajima Sakura walked ahead, her hands clasped behind her back. "Although the location is a bit secluded, for Kendo enthusiasts like us, it's a paradise! I often buy things there. It would be perfect if Hayato wants to buy a wooden sword."
For Hayato, when it came to Kendo Club equipment, he wanted to save money on other defensive items like 'Kendo uniforms,' but he absolutely had to buy a wooden sword, after all, that was why he joined the Kendo Club.
"By the way, Hayato, are you really not participating in the preliminary round of the upcoming Kendo tournament?" Miyajima Sakura tilted her head and asked.
For everyone who loves Kendo, this Kendo tournament was an unmissable event.
Members of the Kendo Club with some skill were all practicing hard for this competition. When Miyajima Sakura mentioned it to Hayato, he only said, "Hahahahahahaha, I'm not going."
In Miyajima Sakura's view, perhaps Hayato's skill was too great, and passing the preliminary round would be more than enough, so he didn't take it to heart. However, without the preliminary round, there would be no subsequent quarterfinals or finals.
The fact that Hayato couldn't stand on the final stage made Miyajima Sakura feel somewhat regretful, so she asked again.
"No, I'm not participating." The answer was still the same.
Actually, for Hayato...
Whether participating in the competition was troublesome was secondary. He also had no intention of hiding his strength or playing the pig to eat the tiger. He just felt... it wasn't fair.
He had never practiced Kendo; he only had this skill thanks to the system. Why should he compete with those boys and girls who sweated profusely in the dojo?
For him, it was just about picking up a sword, but for those young people, it might be the goal and dream they had worked for since childhood.
Hayato was not cruel enough to crush their dreams with his own hands.
Besides, his ambitions didn't lie here.
...
Miyajima Sakura led Hayato to a store with an antique facade.
A horizontal plaque hung above the shop, bearing three large characters: "Kendo Kari."
The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, like dragons and tigers, as if carved by sword energy.
It was clearly extraordinary at first glance.
It was just this location... if Miyajima Sakura hadn't brought him, Hayato truly wouldn't have found it.
"Hello," Miyajima Sakura opened the door.
"Oh, welcome," a woman in her sixties or seventies, wearing small glasses, sat at the counter. When she saw the visitors, her eyes lit up: "It's Sakura, you're here again, and this time you brought... Oh my, oh my, is it a boyfriend?"
Old ladies in any country in the world share this love for gossip. She covered her mouth and chuckled.
"No, no," Miyajima Sakura quickly waved her hand, trying to explain.
Hayato was more direct, "Sister, let's go look at the swords over there?"
You see, calling her "sister" immediately cut off all possibilities.
"Oh, so it's your younger brother, Sakura~~ My apologies, I was mistaken," the old lady said.
"...Oh... it's fine," Miyajima Sakura said... She looked at Hayato's slender yet tall back as he walked towards the sword rack.
She knew Hayato was younger than her, but in Kendo, the more skilled take precedence, so she had always regarded Hayato as a senior figure.
This time, this senior suddenly called her "sister"... it truly made her feel somewhat dazed.
"What's wrong, Sis?" Hayato turned back, frowning as he urged her.
"!!"
Miyajima Sakura's back straightened, and she even got goosebumps.
Her face turned red; it was... a flushed, crimson color.
Excitement.
When... Hayato called her "sister," how come she felt... so good?