Akane heard about Tōga's actions as soon as she arrived at school. She was initially startled, thinking that Hayato was trying to harm Anshi, even at the cost of his own life.
Only after inquiring carefully did she feel relieved.
What on earth? Hayato was the one who got kicked?
Who was he?
Could it be that Tōga was so furious that he just picked someone to vent on? That scoundrel Tōga was too detestable...
It would be good if Hayato could receive the punishment he deserved.
Due to having to go to the police station to handle the report-related issues, she arrived at school already late, only catching the last class of the morning. After class, she immediately skipped and hopped towards F Class with her bento.
Upon arriving, she saw that Hayato was not in the classroom again.
Akane immediately had a bad feeling.
Had he already been asked out by someone? Was it Sakura-senpai? Or someone else? She was only a tiny bit late...
"Where's Anshi?" She quickly grabbed a boy and asked.
That boy was also numb. These days, he had only spoken to girls twice, and both times it was this ice-cold beauty asking where that jerk Anshi went.
He really didn't understand, what did Anshi have to deserve this!?
"On, on the rooftop."
Even though his heart was filled with surging emotions, he was still timid when talking to pretty girls.
Rooftop?
The rooftop where they had their 'date' before? That guy actually took someone else there... Damn it!
"Alone?"
"Two." The male classmate thought, Anshi went to the rooftop with Hayato, right. He still didn't understand, liking Hayato was understandable, but Anshi? What did he have to deserve it!?
Akane stomped up the stairs in a huff.
I won't forgive you! I won't forgive you this time! Even if it's Sakura-senpai, I must make you explain it to me face to face!
But halfway up, Akane thought sourly, there was no substantial relationship between him and herself. Let alone 'not forgiving,' what right did she have to 'forgive' him was a problem.
Thinking of this, her momentum diminished a bit. She also thought that if it really was Sakura, then she had no chance of winning at all, and she might not be able to say a word when facing Sakura-senpai later.
Akane cautiously opened the door to the rooftop and first saw Hayato with his back to her.
And next to him was... ...
What the heck!
Akane breathed a sigh of relief. She had never felt this 'cow dung head' so kind before today.
Let her see what her little darling was doing.
Hmm? What is he doing? I'll just scare him a little.
She tiptoed closer, then, before Hayato noticed, she stretched out her fair hand and covered his eyes.
"Guess who I am?" Akane asked with a smile.
Hayato was only slightly stunned when his vision was suddenly taken away, but Anshi was startled.
He quickly turned his head, only to see Akane pout her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
Anshi had no choice but to shut up, then looked at Hayato with some worry, but at this level, his bro shouldn't guess wrong, right?
"Hmm? The feel of this hand, could it be Yukino?" Hayato tilted his head.
Guess. Wrong. !!!
Anshi's eyes widened instantly. Holy cow, buddy, this is a death question... Buddy, you'd better pray that your eyeballs won't be gouged out later...
"You!" Akane was furious, her voice slightly distorted, but then she lowered her tone, trying to ask again in her usual speaking voice: "I'll give you one more chance!"
"Can you give me a hint?" Hayato asked, then said to Anshi: "Don't just stand there and watch me die."
Anshi dared not speak. He could only ask Akane with an inquiring gaze, while she was already clenching her delicate silver teeth.
This guy couldn't even recognize her voice!
She nodded to Anshi, signaling that he could give a hint.
But Anshi was uncultured, and after holding it in for thirty seconds, he only managed to blurt out six words:
"Short hair! Beauty!... Big... big chest!"
"Oh." Hayato nodded knowingly, understanding now: "...So it's Yui, Dango, why did you ambush me?"
"Dango your—"
After a moment of restraint, Akane finally swallowed the word 'mother' back down her throat.
Anshi kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his mouth, and his mouth on his heart, saying nothing.
Bro, if you die, I'll burn more joss paper for you. He thought to himself.
"Hmph!" Akane was so angry that her palms trembled slightly. This... this guy's mind was full of other women! And... who were these people, she'd never heard of them!
Just as she was disheartened and about to lower her hand, Hayato said irritably: "Akane, aren't you done playing yet?"
Akane's dim blue eyes immediately brightened. She instantly lowered her hand, revealing a sweet smile: "I'm done playing now~~~"
Hayato leaned back and looked up, originally thinking he could see Akane's chin standing behind him in this posture, but he didn't expect it to be blocked by those two enormous advantages.
What is it that blinds my eyes, Hayato said in his heart, while composing a poem.
She is the beauty of the human world
With grand ideals in her heart
True knowledge, admired and pursued
The vast world does not fail her
He said aloud: "You have a problem, and it's a big problem."
Big, quite big indeed.
"Hmph~~ I was just playing with you a little."
Akane gave a light hum, then turned and walked back to the stairwell with light steps, retrieving the bento box she had left there.
"With your methods, who else do you think you can play with?" Hayato said calmly, "I saw through you from the start."
Akane wasn't annoyed. Hearing this, she smiled even more happily, and scratched her temple: "Is, is that so? Hehe..."
But soon, she straightened her face and asked seriously:
"Who exactly are these 'Yukino' and 'Yui' you just mentioned?" Which sluts...
"Ex-girlfriends." Hayato replied immediately.
"Don't be silly." Anshi, sitting to Hayato's right, promptly assisted his good brother: "Akane, don't listen to his nonsense. He has ex-girlfriends like that? How come I don't know?"
Hayato sighed. There's so much you don't know.
Would he really tell her about all his glorious deeds, like robbing and plundering in Los Santos, saving princesses in Hyrule, and traversing all of Egypt just to establish the Assassin's organization?
"Oh, right, about Tōga..." Akane sat to Hayato's right and quietly got straight to the point. One of the main reasons she came was to tell Hayato that the Tōga matter had been resolved.
"I know." Hayato said, "Arisa told me everything."
"Mm... okay." Akane nodded her head like a docile rabbit, then added, "And Katase..."
"I know that too."
Akane saw Hayato's rare gentle smile, which seemed like approval and comfort: "You did very well. I support you in all these matters."
Akane lowered her eyes and obediently hummed another 'Mm'.
A gentle breeze blew past.
Although it was just a breeze, Akane felt an itch on her head, as if Hayato had dotingly stroked her head. She... was very happy.
"Oh, right." Akane took out the lunchbox wrapped in a napkin: "Although I went to the police station last night and this morning, I didn't forget to make you a bento!"
Seeing Akane acting like such a good girl, Hayato was truly touched. He smiled and praised:
"Then you really have a lot of free time."
-----------------------------------------
Chapter 82: Rooftop, Guitar, Reina
"Hmph~"
Akane hummed lightly: "If you don't like it, don't eat it~~"
Anshi found it quite novel. Akane was known as an 'ice beauty' during her time as the Baseball Club Manager, so how did she become a coy, grunting monster in front of his brother? You're really something, Hayato...
"How many portions did you make?" Hayato asked.
"Of course, two portions..." Akane said.
"Can you eat it all?" Hayato asked again.
"Of course not, do you think I'm a pig?" Akane said.
Hayato reluctantly said: "Well, in that case, to avoid wasting food, I'll eat one for you."
"Yes, yes, yes." Akane didn't retort him. Instead, she took the lunchbox out of the napkin as if presenting a tribute, then handed it to Hayato: "Thank you, my lord, for helping me. Please enjoy your meal~~~"
"You're welcome." Hayato said indifferently. He picked up his chopsticks. This time it was a combination of rice balls and fried chicken, very home-style. "Mainly, I don't want to waste it." He said while chewing.
"Indeed, my lord speaks wisely. Your humble servant also feels that waste is not good." Akane chuckled, going along with Hayato's words.
Then Anshi looked at his brother's bulging cheeks. I don't believe you, you old scoundrel are very bad.
"Eat slowly, don't choke again like last time." Akane warned, then took out a carton of milk and placed it beside him, "Also, remember to return the lunchbox you took home yesterday to me. I'll take it back to wash."
"Oh, that, I've already washed it." Hayato said, "I'll give it to you when we go back to the classroom later."
"Alright." Akane asked, "Is it delicious?"
"Good... ...average." Hayato said, "Barely edible."
Watching Akane and his Bro chatting about everyday topics, Anshi felt that he shouldn't be on the roof, but on the ground floor. His cow dung head was no longer cow dung, but had turned into an enormous light bulb.
It's hard, really hard!
"Do you want some?" Hayato asked Anshi.
Please, don't come and care about me at this moment! Anshi was anxious. Why not ask Akane? Besides, it's food she made for you, it's not my turn... With his brother's EQ. Anshi was annoyed, he really didn't know why this guy was so popular with girls.
"...Wouldn't that be bad?" Anshi said with a bitter smile.
"It's fine, there's nothing bad about it." Akane smiled, pursing her lips: "Try my cooking~ This guy always says it's not tasty~"
"I didn't say it was bad, just average." Hayato defended himself.
When pursuing a boy, one should not get along too well with his brothers, but also not too badly.
Akane was well aware of this, so she was especially generous.
Moreover, when she first stepped onto the rooftop, when she saw this cow dung head, it was as if she had seen a savior sent from heaven.
Akane now had an extremely good impression of this cow dung head.
"Then can I have a fried chicken?"
"Eat your rice ball."
Hayato threw one over. You dare to snatch my fried chicken when there are only two pieces!?
Anshi received the rice ball with great deference, then took a bite with trepidation, and then... his body stiffened.
First, he was touched, and then he felt a deep sadness.
The move was because he finally got to eat a bento made by a girl his age.
The sadness was that the first bento he ate made by a girl his age was from his own Bro's girl... let's just barely call her his girlfriend... 's hands!!!
Anshi, Anshi!
When will you truly stand up! When will you receive a bento made with all a girl's heart just for you, damn it!!!
I can only start with Light Music Club!
"Aibo! After dinner, you must teach me well!" Anshi's eyes were full of a desire for knowledge and the light of striving for progress!!!
"Oh, okay." Hayato nodded.
Akane looked over, surprised, and said, "Oh... you can play the guitar too?"
She asked Anshi, and his tail immediately wagged to the sky. Just as he was about to boast about himself, he remembered that this was his buddy's female companion, so his buddy was the lead, and he was at most a wingman.
Understood, Anshi immediately nodded:
"Not bad, but not even a fraction of my buddy's skill."
"Any multiple of 0 can only be 0." Hayato said mercilessly, "You are that 0."
But Akane's eyes were already sparkling: "Really? I want to hear, I want to hear..."
"Stop messing around, I'm teaching someone." Hayato said.
"Oh come on, buddy, just show Akane what you can do. Akane, you don't know, my brother not only plays the guitar, but he also sings, and he sang so beautifully before!" Anshi gave a thumbs-up in affirmation.
"Really!" Akane first discovered a new continent: "I want to hear, I want to hear!"
She had previously thought this guy must be quite good at fighting, but now it seemed that with his temperament, he really should go the artistic route.
Akane swayed her hips like a begging puppy, her chest bouncing along with her clothes.
"...Want to hear?"
"Yes."
Hayato smiled gently: "Then just imagine it."
"Ugh..." Akane puffed out her cheeks, just about to grumble discontentedly.
Hayato, however, waved to Anshi, took the guitar from him, and placed it on his lap: "Watch carefully, this is how you use a guitar."
After he finished speaking, he strummed a finger.
The guitar produced a clear sound.
Alright! Anshi thought, his buddy was finally going all out. If he played that melancholic song from before, let alone the girl, even he... would look at him with admiration!
However, the tune played this time was not as lonely and sorrowful as the last, but rather had an ethereal quality, yet it was still a style Anshi had never heard before.
As the saying goes, if you haven't eaten pork, you've at least seen a pig run. Anshi usually listened to a lot of songs, but Hayato always played some songs he had never encountered before... How much more did this guy know that he didn't?
Next time, I must make my buddy write down the sheet music for that song. Wouldn't picking up girls be a piece of cake then?
A maiden's heart is always poetic. Akane often listened to popular songs to adjust or express her mood, and frequently shared them on social media, but she had never heard the songs Hayato played.
She had originally thought that Anshi's "can play" simply meant being able to play some popular tunes, and even then, she had prepared plenty of compliments—after all, she liked him. But with what Hayato did, she didn't know what to say. She could only part her cherry lips slightly, gazing at the young man in astonishment.
This… this wasn't something he wrote himself, was it?
"The long winter~~, always wearing a cool black coat~, wrapping myself in it~, strolling the streets~~?"
Hayato opened his mouth. Unlike the song he sang in the classroom before, this time his voice was more subdued, with a hint of a cool, indifferent style.
The most crucial thing was… this time the lyrics weren't a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin, but pure Japanese.
The two people beside him could both understand.
Akane's blue eyes flickered.
The young man in front of her, playing the guitar and humming, became increasingly stunning, as if he were glowing.
And then,
The sound of the door opening made Hayato's fingers pause slightly, followed by,
"Tsk."
A rather annoyed click of the tongue completely interrupted Hayato.
He looked back with his peripheral vision.
It was Reina.