In front of the vending machine, Akane handed him a carton of strawberry milk.
"Here."
Hayato gulped it down in one breath, sighing with relief. "…A glorious revival."
"Honestly, even if you like it, you should eat slower. It's not like I'm going to steal it from you," Akane scolded gently, then giggled. So that's it… he did think it was delicious…
Hayato ignored her and glared at the pink carton in his hand.
"…I wanted cola," he muttered.
"Such impossible demands!?"
"Forget it." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "How much? I'll pay you back."
"No need." Akane waved her hand, embarrassed.
"…I slurped your milk. Of course I have to pay."
The words slipped out too naturally. He froze.
Akane's face burned red. She instinctively covered her chest with both hands, glaring at him.
"…"
"..."
Silence.
"…Forget it." Hayato coughed twice, abandoning the idea of repayment. "I'll treat you next time."
Akane walked beside him, her face still crimson. "W-what are you thinking about?"
Hayato's reply was perfectly calm. "A very complex academic problem."
"Nonsense… You're totally thinking of dirty stuff…"
"…Huh? Am I that kind of person?"
"Then tell me! What's this 'academic problem'?"
Without hesitation, Hayato deadpanned:
"What did the first person who discovered cow's milk was drinkable actually do to the cow?"
Akane: …
Weird! But… technically academic…
At the corner, she waved lightly. "Lunch break's almost over. Thanks for keeping me company, bye-bye."
"…Wait. So you just wanted me to eat lunch with you?" Hayato asked.
"That's right~~" Akane sang, swaying happily.
"…Don't ask me next time. I thought something happened."
"I will ask you! I will! I will!"
He didn't answer, only walked away as if he hadn't heard.
"Bro~~~~!"
He had barely sat down in F Class when Anshi dashed over. "How was it!? Did you scare Kushiro Arisa to death!?"
"…What are you even talking about?"
"I heard she quarreled with you yesterday, right? Then today she went and found a boyfriend to show off? Haha! But I told her where you were. Heh, let her see! My bro's so popular now! A busty beauty like Nanao Akane? Instant victory!"
Hayato: "It's not what you think."
"…Eh? Wait, don't tell me… she confessed too!? As expected of you, a walking aphrodisiac!"
"I'll punch you."
"Bro, you gotta teach me! How'd you bag a busty beauty like that? What's the secret technique for touching—"
Hayato thought for a moment. Then, dead serious, he answered:
"First, you need to know how to hiccup."
Anshi: "???"
Meanwhile, on her way to B Class, Akane passed the stairwell.
She froze.
There—under the stairs—Kushiro Arisa was kicking the wall violently, Kurashiki Reina standing beside her with a cold glare.
The two of them had cornered a boy, clearly about to bully him.
Once, Akane might have pretended not to see. But after being saved twice by Hayato—and after the subway incident—something in her heart had changed.
She took a deep breath. Then stepped forward.
"Kushiro-san!"
Kushiro Arisa and Kurashiki Reina turned their heads at the sound.
Reina's brows knit ever so slightly. Arisa, on the other hand, blinked in surprise."Oh… Nanao. You and… him…"
The him clearly meant Hayato, but with Reina still present, Arisa swallowed the rest of her words.
"Why are you bullying him?" Nanao Akane demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "Be careful, or I'll tell him about this!"
"Him?" Kurashiki Reina's sharp ears picked up on the word immediately. Arisa, of course, already knew who Akane was threatening to bring into this. She waved her hands in a hurry."No, no, you've got it wrong! Let me explain—"
The timid boy they'd cornered turned toward Nanao. His eyes lit up with desperate hope. To him, this girl who suddenly appeared was no less than an angel sent by heaven to rescue him.
This… this must be destiny!
Arisa quickly pointed at him. "This is Yamamoto Sakito! He's in his class! Yesterday this guy badmouthed him in front of us, which made us completely misunderstand!"
At that, Reina finally caught on—so him meant Hayato. But why was Arisa spilling all this to Akane of all people?
Reina's eyes narrowed. She knew Nanao Akane very well. The dazzling manager of the Baseball Club, popular with everyone, admired by countless boys on campus…
"…Huh?" Nanao blinked in confusion. Then she marched straight to Arisa's side, puffing up with righteous indignation. She leveled a sharp glare at Yamamoto Sakito.
"How could you do something like that!?"
In an instant, Yamamoto's angel of salvation transformed before his eyes into a devil of judgment.
Reina stared at Akane, utterly dumbfounded.
…Another one?
---------------------------------------
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.
There should be... around 20+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/Kazenova
If you guys wanna check it out.