Akane Nanao waiting for him in the hallway was a shock to Hayato Kirisaki's system, like stumbling into a rom-com plot twist unprepared. Even more shocking? She'd been looking for him at noon.
"Here, bento," Akane said, holding up a lunchbox wrapped in a purple napkin, her pout as pronounced as her displeasure. "I originally prepared it for you… but I couldn't find you at all."
"No way," Hayato said, incredulous. "Everyone in the class should know I went to the infirmary…"
To prove his point, he grabbed a passing classmate. "Do you know where I was at noon?"
The boy shot him a strange look. "The infirmary, why?" As he walked off, his expression twisted, and he slapped his thigh in realization. Damn it, showing off! Blatant showing off! He, too, wished he could've been carried to the infirmary by Miyajima-senpai…
"See?" Hayato said, spreading his hands with a smug grin.
"…That's strange then," Akane muttered.
She wasn't lying—she'd asked several classmates and gotten nothing but, "Huh? I don't know." Even that dung beetle head, Anshi Takamura, who was tight with Hayato, was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, Akane had returned empty-handed.
But that wasn't the point. "Were you injured? Going to the infirmary… Ah! Speaking of which, Dong Gang seemed to be teaching your physical education class today, was it him…!"
"Relax." Hayato lightly chopped Akane's forehead with his hand, his tone teasing. "That big gorilla can't control me. I just wanted to skip class."
Akane breathed a sigh of relief, then mumbled, "Not studying properly…"
"My grades are better than yours," Hayato shot back, his external brain giving him an unfair edge.
He snatched the lunchbox. "Then give it to me, I've got dinner sorted."
Eating fried rice and instant noodles every day was getting old, Hayato thought. While he wasn't exactly craving Akane's cooking, wasting food she'd made would be a crime. Diligence and frugality were virtues of the working people of China, and even in Japan, he wouldn't forget his roots.
"Then," Akane leaned forward, a faint smile playing on her lips, "shall we go home together?"
"No."
The refusal was so blunt that Akane's smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of annoyance. She stomped her foot. "Why!"
"I need to go to a club," Hayato said, pointing to the wooden sword slung on his back.
Akane squinted, pouting, clearly displeased. "…To see Miyajima-senpai?"
"Huh? To participate in club activities," Hayato said, scratching his head. "Do you want to come along?"
"The Kendo Club won't let outsiders visit casually," Akane muttered. "And…"
She didn't want to see him standing next to Sakura Miyajima. Sakura always radiated an aura that made others feel inferior, like she glowed with an ethereal light. And Hayato, in Akane's eyes, shimmered with his own unique spark. If they stood together, they'd look… too perfect.
Akane hated that feeling.
But she couldn't say it—she had no standing or right to voice such selfish thoughts.
"My hair is a bit too long," Hayato mumbled.
His hairstyle, a holdover from his 'Kirisaki-kun' idol days, was a long, layered style that suited his face perfectly. But the ends and sideburns had grown out, itching uncomfortably.
He had a hair tie on his wrist, so he clumsily tried to tie his hair into a short ponytail. With zero experience, his impulsive attempt left his hair half-tied and messier than before.
A handsome youth was teetering on the edge of becoming a Sharp Brother knockoff, and Akane couldn't stand it. "…Let me help you," she said.
"Okay."
Hayato pulled a classroom chair to the doorway and sat down.
Akane stood behind him, taking the hair tie from his hand and carefully peeling off the strands stuck to it… until she found a particularly long one. His hair wasn't short, but this strand was unmistakably a girl's black hair.
"Where did you get this hair tie from!" Akane demanded, her voice sharp.
"Someone gave it to me."
"Which someone?"
Hayato thought carefully, seriously, gravely. "I'm sorry, I really can't remember her name."
What was the name of that girl who gave him a hair tie after he sang, and who stood up for him in PE class?
"Really?" Akane asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"Really," Hayato affirmed.
Honestly, he had no clue why that girl gave him a hair tie.
"Then I'm confiscating it."
Akane slipped the hair tie into her skirt pocket, then removed the one from her own wrist. "Use mine."
She watched his expression closely. If he refused, it'd prove the hair tie's owner had some illicit connection to him. But he said nothing.
Akane sighed in relief, gently parting his hair. Slowly, as if staking a claim, she tied her purple hair tie onto Hayato's jet-black hair.
Today, the Kendo Club was in full swing with its rigorous training, but Sakura Miyajima was tied up with other duties. Guarding the training room was the Vice Minister, Ayaka Kobayashi.
Ayaka's personality was more laid-back, not as meticulous as the Head Minister, so a few club members even sneaked in some chatter and jokes during practice.
As for Ayaka herself, she grabbed her junior, Masafumi Kase, for a talk:
In the bustling Hoshikawa High Kendo Club training room, the air hummed with the rhythmic clacks of bamboo swords and the shouts of practicing members. Vice Minister Ayaka Kobayashi stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze scanning the room as she kept the club in check.
"Has that 'Kirisaki' not come again today?" she asked, her tone dripping with exasperation.
Masafumi Kase, her junior, knew she was referring to Senior Hayato Kirisaki. He nodded regretfully. "Hmm… Senior Kirisaki hasn't been here for a long time."
"Tsk." Ayaka clicked her tongue, her displeasure flaring like a spark in a dry forest.
What was wrong with that guy? Using his connection with Sakura Miyajima to waltz into the Kendo Club, only to skip every single activity? Did he think their club was some public restroom he could breeze in and out of at his leisure?
"Men, there's not a single good one among them," Ayaka cursed, her voice brimming with resentment that wasn't aimed solely at Hayato.
Lately, she'd been dragged to mixers, but the guys—whether high schoolers from rival schools or smug university seniors—only leered at her chest with sleazy eyes. It was utterly unappetizing. She'd hoped to find a decent boyfriend, but now her faith in men was crumbling…
"Huh?" Masafumi blinked, caught off guard.
"Oh, Kase, you're still a boy, not a man," Ayaka said, tossing him a face-saving remark before shooing him back to training.
She resumed crossing her arms, muttering under her breath that neither Hayato Kirisaki nor those mixer creeps were reliable…
Then, a creak echoed through the room as the training room door swung open.
Ayaka, still grumbling angrily, turned her head. "Men are just no good…" Her rant continued, her hope in all men dwindling. Damned men, stinky men! Men… uh… men… Her thoughts screeched to a halt. Goddamn it! Such a handsome man!!
Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the doorway.
--+--
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.