"What are you looking at?" Nanao Akane asked.
She followed Hayato's gaze—and saw Kushiro Arisa.
Kushiro Arisa was the kind of JK who was pretty, but not that pretty. The type who relied on heavy makeup to keep up appearances.
Though she was often seen together with Kurashiki Reina, as the saying goes, flowers need leaves to stand out. At best, Kushiro Arisa was just a leaf. Compared to Kurashiki Reina, the difference was far too great.
"What's so special about her?" Nanao Akane muttered. She admitted she couldn't surpass Kurashiki Reina—but she was still leagues ahead of Kushiro Arisa. She was right here by his side, so why would his eyes wander toward that woman?
"Jiucheng… she's got a nasty temper." Nanao Akane tossed out the comment casually. A little backstab, but not exactly a lie—Kushiro Arisa's personality really was worse than Kurashiki Reina's.
Reina at least had the pride of a young lady. She looked down on the "lower rungs" of the food chain and refused to mingle with them. But Kushiro Arisa? She enjoyed trampling on those beneath her.
"Mm." Hayato gave a small nod.
Back in the classroom, he had already caught a glimpse of Kushiro Arisa's foul temper.
"Forget it, don't waste your time on her," Nanao Akane said with a bright smile. "By the way, you still haven't told me why you're going to Shibuya…"
But Hayato didn't answer.
Instead, he started shifting his body, pushing toward Kushiro Arisa's side.
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me."
"Sorry, bro, I've got business."
He apologized as he moved forward.
The train car was jam-packed, and though the crowd grumbled in annoyance, they had no choice but to step aside as he forced his way through.
"…What are you doing!"
If she weren't pinned in by the crowd, Nanao Akane would've stomped her foot in frustration.
Wait. Could it be…? Could it be that my charm stat is really that low? Miyajima Sakura was one thing. But in this guy's eyes, was she—Nanao Akane—really beneath Kushiro Arisa!?
She stared as Hayato drew closer to Kushiro Arisa.
And as for Kushiro Arisa herself—though the view wasn't clear, Nanao Akane could swear she caught a glimpse of a shy blush on the girl's face.
"…?"
No way… is something really going on between them? That can't be right. Didn't Kushiro Arisa already have a boyfriend? …Oh, but maybe she does… No, no, that's not it!
Nanao Akane's chest grew restless. She didn't have anything with Hayato, and Xiangye… Xiangye shouldn't… No, that didn't feel right either.
It was strange.
She clutched at her chest, her heartbeat racing shamefully faster and faster. What is this feeling…?
She didn't understand it herself, but she couldn't help thinking—Hayato was far too much of a waste for someone like Kushiro Arisa.
For some reason, that thought alone left her feeling unbearably uncomfortable.
Hayato, meanwhile, had noticed more than the faint blush on Kushiro Arisa's face. He also saw her trembling slightly, her whole posture stiff, as though she were holding something back.
She was pressed against the subway door, clinging to the handrail. Her body tilted forward unnaturally, like she was desperately enduring something.
And behind her—stood a middle-aged office worker, half-bald, dressed in a suit and tie.
The man was pressed in far too close.
To be exact—it was the man pressing himself against Kushiro Arisa.
His chest was nearly plastered to her thin back, his head close to her shoulder, exhaling faint breaths onto her skin.
One hand was shamelessly cupping the curve of her skirted backside. The other held a phone lowered beneath the hem, camera pointed where it had no right to be.
Kushiro Arisa bit her lip, covering her mouth to keep from crying out.
And the man whispered in her ear, like a devil's curse:
"Miss, if you resist… I'll send this video to your boyfriend. You wouldn't want him to see you like this, would you?"
Kushiro Arisa shook her head desperately, tears brimming in her eyes. "…I-I don't want this… Please, stop…"
She had no idea why this was happening to her.
She had heard the rumors before—her classmates whispering about subway perverts—but she'd always mocked them. With looks like yours, no pervert would bother, right?
And yet… after school, that rough, vile hand had slid across her body.
Worse, the man had even dug up the fact that she had a boyfriend. Today, her beloved Wing-kun had football practice, so she was returning home alone. That was when she ran into this nightmare.
If only Wing-kun were here… If Wing-kun were here…
Kushiro Arisa's boyfriend's name was stuck in her throat, but she didn't dare to shout it out. Her face grew redder and redder, almost dripping blood, when—
"Hey, stop it, you jerk."
Kushiro Arisa heard someone say. At first, she wondered if it was Wing-kun? But she immediately dismissed the thought. Still, the voice sounded somewhat familiar…
The rough hand suddenly stopped.
Arisa hurriedly turned her head to look—
A tall, slender young man stood there, wearing a hood. His long hair almost covered his eyes, and the gaze beneath those messy strands was ice-cold, like he was looking at trash. Just standing there, he radiated a natural, oppressive aura.
It was Hayato.
Yes, Hayato—the very boy she had once pointed at and scolded in school not long ago.
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then turned his head toward Hayato."What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
He tried to yank his hand back, but to his shock, the boy's grip didn't budge an inch. Hayato's wrist strength was terrifying.
At the same time—
"Sishōsha Chaya Station, Sishōsha Chaya Station."
The subway announcement echoed, and the doors opened with a hiss like steam.
The moment the doors opened—
"Get off," Hayato said flatly to Kushiro Arisa.
Arisa hadn't reacted yet.
Hayato released the man's wrist, then without hesitation, drove his foot straight into the man's gut.
His leg wasn't as strong as his right hand, but the suddenness of the kick made up for it.
"Guh—!"
The middle-aged bald man was launched out of the doorway and collapsed on the platform. His phone slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.
Hayato stepped out after him, then glanced back with a cold warning."Get off."
Arisa was stunned, frozen in place. Only after being urged a second time did she nervously tug at her skirt and step off the train.
Hayato noticed the redness around her eyes and asked curtly,"You're not hurt, are you?"
Arisa shook her head. No—she wasn't hurt.
"What was that, what just happened?!"
Nanao Akane, who had seen everything, still hadn't quite processed the situation. But the moment she saw Hayato get off, she hopped down after him and hurried to his side.
Arisa's eyes widened again at the sight of this ice-cold beauty in a baseball cap.
A… third one? Seriously?! Just how many pretty girls did this guy have around him?!
--+--
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.