Having earned extra money today, Anshi left the classroom in a hurry.
When the bell rang, he was already gone. No one knew if he went to meet a junior girl, or simply slipped off to a manga store.
Hayato had originally planned to stop by the Kendo Club. He had promised Miyajima-senpai that he didn't need to join practice every day, but it wouldn't look good to turn into a ghost member right after joining.
Besides, if Hayato skipped too much, Miyajima-senpai herself might be criticized—"what kind of person did she bring back?" And he was serious about guiding Kase Masafumi.
But the moment he heard Anshi mention the bookstore and the BD disc of Alpaca Princess, his resolve instantly crumbled.
"Alpaca Princess BD… I'm coming!!"
The money he just earned finally had a purpose.
Clenching his fist in secret, Hayato stepped out with determination.
He followed the flow of students, crossed the corridor, changed out of his indoor shoes, and headed for the school gates.
His mind was already filled with the elegant figure of the alpaca princess. The thought of finally seeing her move, not just through text, made his heart race.
"School's out… what a wonderful thing." He sighed in bliss.
"Dong Gang-sensei."
"Sensei…"
"G-Good afternoon, Sensei."
Before Hayato even reached the entrance, respectful voices echoed around him.
That name—"Dong Gang"—still triggered a faint PTSD from his previous life. He quickly straightened up, bracing for trouble.
But his thoughts were still too clouded by the alpaca princess. When he looked up, it was already too late.
From across the hall, Dong Gang spotted him—a lanky figure, taller than most students, but overly thin.
Dong Gang bared his yellowed teeth in a grin.
They hadn't run into each other by design, but it was still a chance to remind this kid of his place.
Of course, he couldn't go too far in school. Hurting a student in public would backfire. But humiliating him? That was easy.
Dong Gang's mind was already plotting as he strode forward, gorilla-like shoulders blocking the way.
He fixed his eyes on Hayato's wrist. He remembered all too well—this kid's grip strength was freakishly unnatural.
So he shifted his body, feigning carelessness, and slammed his shoulder into Hayato's with deliberate force.
The impact sent Hayato staggering, his steps tangled. He tripped over his own feet, crashed onto his backside, and even toppled flat onto the floor.
He kept his head raised just enough to avoid smashing the back of it—yet in the next instant,
Thump!
Something struck his face, his vision went black, and his head hit the wooden corridor floor.
"Oh dear, oh dear."
Dong Gang turned, pretending to just notice. "Did I bump into something? So sorry… you…"
The humiliation of falling flat in front of everyone was often worse than injury itself. For a high schooler, laughter could be a death blow.
But this time, there was no laughter.
Instead—
"W-What's going on!?"
"Damn… I'm jealous…"
"How did Kurashiki end up sitting on his… face!?"
"Who even is this guy!?"
"Seriously… that lucky bastard!!"
Hayato blinked in confusion.
When he had slid back, the top of his head had smacked into Kurashiki Reina's leg. She staggered, lost balance, and in the process of steadying herself, sat down—right on top of him.
Not just "on top," but squarely on his face.
And beneath her, she felt a hard shape, pulsing faintly against her skirt. The unfamiliar sensation froze her for half a second.
"R-Reina!?"
Kushiro Arisa's shocked voice snapped her out of it. Flustered, Reina leapt up, pressing her skirt down in panic.
Hayato's vision cleared at last—only to be greeted by…
Purple lace. A surprisingly mature choice.
For a moment, his mind went blank.
"…Die!!"
Reina's pale face flushed scarlet as she stomped down at Hayato with all her strength.
But this time, Hayato was ready. He rolled, broke his fall, and in the same motion grabbed a wooden sword propped nearby.
Raising it, he pointed at Reina. "Hey, this wasn't my fault! Didn't Dong Gang-sensei just admit it? I'm the victim here!"
He glared righteously at Dong Gang.
Dong Gang's forehead twitched. He regretted spitting out that fake apology earlier.
Now he could only mutter, "Y-Yes… but you students should also watch where you're going in the corridor."
Dumping the blame aside, he cast one last glance at Reina. For all her beauty—no less than Nanao Akane's—he dared not touch her. Her mother was not only PTA president but the head of White Lily Cosmetics, a powerful figure.
With that, Dong Gang turned and strode off.
"Tch."
Reina clicked her tongue. Even she couldn't openly lash out at a teacher here. And from the outside, it had looked like an accident.
Still, her sharp green eyes locked onto Hayato, who was rubbing his nose.
She gave Kushiro Arisa a signal.
Arisa stepped forward, grabbing Hayato's collar. "Hey, come with us. We've got questions for you!"
"…Huh?" Hayato blinked blankly. This time, "blank" wasn't a verb, but an adjective.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.