"Although it took a little time, Mr. Hayashi still fell for it."
In the family restaurant, Sanada Minako said to her two best friends.
"Huh!?"
Nogami Izumi had been immersed in her anger over losing to Hayato these past two days and truly couldn't understand what Minako meant by "fell for it."
Sanada Minako's eyes curved as she held up her phone:
"I got Mr. Hayashi's contact information, and he wasn't on guard against me at all; he completely forgot that we actually met briefly in the corridor."
"What is this!?"
Nogami Izumi snatched the phone: "How did you manage to get that bastard's phone number by striking up a conversation?"
When she tried to get it, she was directly slapped away!
Although a few days had passed, Nogami Izumi's cheek still occasionally felt a faint phantom pain.
This was a humiliation.
Could it be that Minako had mastered some new trick?
"No," Sanada Minako said, as if bored, twirling a strand of hair with her finger: "I just stood there, and he came over and asked for my phone number."
"What!?"
Nogami Izumi almost stood up, slamming the restaurant table.
How could such an absurd thing happen?
She opened Sanada Minako's chat interface with Hayato, and Minako didn't stop her; instead, she raised her hand as if showing off, letting her look freely.
"Would you be angry if I changed your contact name to 'Minako-chan'?"
"Yes, I would, after all, we just met~"
"Then please restrain your temper, I really can't help myself~~ Please~~ /clasped hands"
"Wow, how greasy." Nogami Izumi commented: "Minako, don't you feel disgusted?"
"It's fine," Sanada Minako chuckled.
Hayato's image was very clear and distinct in her mind; with a face like that, anything he said wouldn't seem greasy, would it?
"He—" Nogami Izumi narrowed her eyes: "Doesn't he have some ulterior motive?"
"He didn't even remember who I was," Sanada Minako said, rolling her eyes.
"You'd better be careful," Nogami Izumi said.
"No, it's really just a chance encounter. I don't often go to that vending machine, so how could he just happen to catch me there? If he had planned it and was following me, I would definitely have noticed," Sanada Minako said calmly: "He couldn't possibly have abilities like x-ray vision to pinpoint my location immediately."
Nogami Izumi admitted that their encounter should indeed be a coincidence.
"—But"
Perhaps it was a conspiracy immediately planned after the coincidence.
"And if he really wanted to deal with us, he should strike while the iron is hot… Why would he slowly say things like 'I have something to do, let's meet again later'? Wouldn't that just give us a chance to talk?" Sanada Minako smiled casually: "Don't worry, Izumi, I'll handle Mr. Hayashi this time."
She didn't want to boast too much, but her tone somewhat conveyed the meaning of "don't insist that others are premeditated just because you can't handle it."
Nogami Izumi heard it but couldn't refute it.
Damn it.
She took a deep gulp of orange juice, almost choking herself.
But why?
Why did that bastard Hayato treat her like that but favor Minako? Was there something about her that was inferior to Minako?
Nogami Izumi's canine teeth ground audibly.
And Sanada Minako leaned lazily against the back of her chair, looking down at the angry Nogami Izumi with the posture of a victor.
Izumi seemed a bit like a defeated dog this time, Sanada Minako thought.
And Hinata Sae had not spoken a word the entire time.
Hinata Sae actually had no interest in bullying people; it was just that since Izumi and Minako did it, she followed suit.
Later, it was less about "interest" and more about a habit.
Her interests were more in sports.
Track and field or swimming, which is why she participated in two clubs, primarily track and field and secondarily swimming.
Every Wednesday after school, she would participate in the club's long-distance running training.
Her running performance wasn't particularly good, but every time she participated in training, she attracted a lot of attention.
All from boys.
Their wanton gazes swept over her body.
Hinata Sae no longer felt uncomfortable, just a bit annoyed.
As she ran, she thought that next time she would find a boy, and when he got close to her, she would falsely accuse him of touching her butt.
Thinking this, a mischievous, impish curve appeared on her lips.
At that time, that boy would surely be socially ruined, and perhaps he wouldn't be able to bear the pressure and would take his own life—
Yes, for Hinata Sae, bullying wasn't an interest; it was more like a habit.
She ran for a while, then suddenly slowed down.
She didn't stop, but her gaze flickered towards outside the track.
In the distance, under the setting sun, a boy was leaning on the railing, his gaze encompassing her.
Hinata Sae was stunned.
After their eyes met, the boy curved his lips and smiled at her.
His smile was very refreshing.
But Hinata Sae felt a strong sense of aversion.
Because the person looking at her was Hayato.
Why would he come to watch her run?
Hinata Sae felt strange; they had tried to harm Hayato before, and although they hadn't succeeded, they still felt somewhat guilty.
She wanted to finish the entire run.
But this "aversion" made her unable to continue; she walked for a while, then ran directly off the track to get her phone from the side.
She asked in the Line group (similar to QQ chat software):
"Mr. Hayashi is observing me by the sports field, what does he want!?"
Nogami Izumi: "I think he's discovered something. We should be careful. @Sanada Minako"
Soon after.
Sanada Minako: "[Image]"
Hinata Sae clicked to open it.
The image was a chat log between Hayato and Minako.
"What are you doing by the sports field? Watching the Kendo Club practice?"
"Huh? I was just passing by the sports field on my way to the Kendo Club, and I took a quick look, thinking how tough the Kendo Club's training is… or something? How did Minako-chan know?"
"A friend of mine saw you by the sports field."
"Hahaha, you really have eyes everywhere. I'll have to be more careful next time~~"
Sanada Minako sent another message in the group.
"He was just passing by, Sae, don't be so conceited~~~~"
Calling me conceited?
Hinata Sae couldn't help but grit her teeth. That big-chested woman!!
Hinata Sae didn't have any inherent ill will towards Sanada Minako, but as she stopped developing, Minako's swaying chest always attracted male gazes, and even Hinata Sae paid particular attention.
Hinata Sae still remembered in her third year of junior high, there was a rather handsome boy in her class, and she quite liked him. When she tried to get close to him, she witnessed the boy first looking at her chest, then at Minako's chest.
After that, the three of them teamed up to falsely accuse Mr. Hayashi of stealing underwear from the girls' changing room, extorting an entire school year's worth of pocket money from him.
Hinata Sae had even forgotten the boy's name.
But she would forever remember that nauseating scene.
----------------------------------
I've already posted 30 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Kazenova223]
Thank you very much!