Shigen Ryouka saw the petite Hinata Sae.
Her tanned skin was quite striking, and combined with her elegant face, she was truly a beautiful girl with a charming appearance.
Shigen Ryouka blinked. A first-year junior?
Then she noticed the running shoes Hinata Sae was wearing. Track and Field Club?
"Hayato!"
Moreover, this junior seemed to have a rather bad temper. She showed no respect for Hayato, her 'senior', not even using honorifics when calling out to him. Instead, there was an unusual rudeness in her tone, which made Shigen Ryouka frown.
What… what was her relationship with Hayato?
Shigen Ryouka thought to herself, Hayato is such a gentleman, how could he know someone like this?
At this moment, Shigen Ryouka felt Hinata Sae glaring fiercely at her.
She felt it instantly.
Such strong hostility.
"Hayato, why aren't you coming over!?" Hinata Sae called out three times, but Hayato showed no intention of walking towards her. Usually, this guy would wag his tail and go over as soon as he saw her.
"Oh, I'm a bit busy," Hayato said with a faint smile.
Hinata Sae then looked at the spirited Shigen Ryouka. Her ponytail swayed slightly with the breeze, and her innocent face was full of purity.
So beautiful.
Hinata Sae thought to herself, and then she became even more annoyed.
That bitch, using her looks to flirt with boys everywhere. Who knows how many people she's been with behind the scenes? She's probably already a dog, isn't she?
Hinata Sae thought maliciously, then stomped her shoes, making 'thump, thump' sounds.
She walked to Hayato's side, facing Shigen Ryouka.
Compared to Miyajima Sakura, Kobayashi Ayaka—and even Nanao Akane—Shigen Ryouka didn't seem particularly tall, but in reality, her height exceeded that of Matsubara Ayumu, who was a boy and her childhood friend. Hinata Sae, who was just over 150 centimeters, simply couldn't compare to her.
But even so, Hinata Sae looked up, trying to attack her with her yellowish cat-like eyes.
Because she knew that Hayato would definitely stand by her side.
"Who are you?" she asked, revealing her sharp canine teeth.
Full of aggression.
Shigen Ryouka first looked at Hayato. She could sense that the girl in front of her had ill intentions, but she still politely wanted to first ask the boy she knew for his opinion.
She didn't want Hayato to lose face in front of his friends.
Hayato rubbed his head, giving a wry smile.
Shigen Ryouka then seemed to completely disregard Hinata Sae's aggression. She bowed very amicably to the junior girl:
"Hello, fellow student, I am Shigen Ryouka from Class 2-B."
"...Siyuan—"
Hinata Sae, who had initially been dismissive, immediately tensed up upon hearing that name, and her fierce gaze instantly softened. This wasn't something she consciously willed, but rather an instinctive reaction after her mind sensed danger.
Hinata Sae was well aware of Shigen Ryouka.
She was known as the 'Idol of the Karate Club'... Of course, this didn't mean Shigen Ryouka was just a pretty face; she also held the esteemed title of 'Captain'.
It was said, 'Miyajima for Kendo,' and 'Siyuan for Bare-Handed Combat.'
This meant that when it came to armed combat, Miyajima Sakura was the strongest at Baiqiu High School.
If it was bare-handed fighting, then Shigen Ryouka was number one.
It was said that she could break through the encirclement of four or five male delinquents by herself and beat them until they cried out for 'Lady Heroine'.
And Hinata Sae... could only be surrounded by four or five delinquents and be beaten to death.
She unconsciously took a step back, fearing that if she continued to be arrogant, Shigen Ryouka could punch her into a pig's head.
But in fact, Shigen Ryouka showed no signs of anger. Instead, she looked at her with a smiling face and curved eyes.
She even extended her hand, placing it in front of Hinata Sae, then asked Hayato:
"Hayato, who is this?"
Hinata Sae breathed a sigh of relief. Her aggressive demeanor just now had been so obvious. The fact that Shigen Ryouka wasn't angry could only be due to two reasons: either she was stupid and didn't notice her provocative intent, or she was willing to give Hayato face. Now, it seemed the latter was far more likely.
She gave Hayato a deep look, secretly cursing, 'What kind of monsters do you even know?', while also feeling a bit emotional... This guy, he seems quite impressive after all.
Yes, he could handle Miyajima Sakura.
Handling Shigen Ryouka wouldn't be a problem either.
Huh? Wait a minute... A boy who could handle such important figures is now unusually infatuated with her, Hinata Sae?
Could it be that she really has some special charm, as her mother said? Hinata Sae had thought such words were just her mother's way of tricking her when she was a child... But now, perhaps it was true.
Thinking of this, Hinata Sae unconsciously puffed out her small chest, like two slightly bulging fried eggs.
"Oh, her name is Hinata Sae, she's a junior," Hayato replied immediately.
"Is that so?" Shigen Ryouka clapped her hands together as if applauding, then looked at Hinata Sae more kindly: "Is Hinata a member of the Track and Field Club? However, in the Track and Field Club, I only know Hasegawa Akane... Does Hinata know her?"
"Ah, um..." Hinata Sae mumbled.
At this moment, she had no mind to answer Shigen Ryouka's question. She stared intently at Hayato.
Then she pondered his words just now.
'Her name is Hinata Sae, she's a junior'—this kind of introduction could be said to be reasonable.
But why?
There was a feeling of extreme incongruity, as if something was wrong.
In just a moment, Hinata Sae reacted.
I get it. This guy's 'shyness' towards her had vanished, and the 'fawning' was gone without a trace. In fact, Hinata Sae should have realized this when Hayato didn't eagerly come forward to greet her today.
And Hayato's introduction of Shigen Ryouka also seemed to be saying 'She's just my sister,' with a feeling of wanting to distance himself.
Strange.
If it were before... or rather, before today, Hayato's answer might have been the exact same sentence, but the tone would definitely have been different.
'Her name is Hinata Sae, she's... um, hehe... she's still a junior for now.'
↑, he would definitely have answered like that.
But why did it change?
The moment Hinata Sae understood this, she felt a sense of distance emanating from Hayato, washing over her.
He was clearly standing to her left, yet it felt as if they were separated by the Milky Way.
Hayato was still chatting about something with Shigen Ryouka, making the girl giggle.
But, in Hinata Sae's eyes, all of this was silent and inaudible.
"You! Come here!" she said to Hayato in an almost commanding tone.
Shigen Ryouka was startled by Hinata Sae's volume.
She looked at Hayato, whose expression seemed a little helpless.
Shigen Ryouka's eyes darted around, then she proactively bent down and said, "In that case, Hayato, I'll take my leave first."
Hayato probably still had something to say to Hinata.
Shigen Ryouka thought to herself, she must be well-behaved and not take up too much of Hayato's time.
With that, she turned and left.
Her ponytail swayed back and forth in the air, its ends tickling her pale neck.
Lucky~ Shigen Ryouka was overjoyed. She had already spoken to Hayato first thing in the morning! If she could greet him every morning, one day she would reach the point where she could see Hayato as soon as she woke up~~
Hinata Sae didn't quite understand what that woman was so foolishly happy about.
But she didn't have time to bother with that now. She narrowed her yellowish cat-like eyes into a slit, her entire tanned, pretty face clearly displaying the words 'I'm unhappy,' and then she immediately questioned Hayato:
"What's your relationship with Shigen Ryouka?"
"Hmm... how should I put it?" Hayato thought for a moment, then replied, "The same relationship as between you and me."
This answer was quite clever.
Hinata Sae realized that Hayato was essentially throwing the question back at her—'What do you think our relationship is?'
Does that even need asking?
Of course, it's servant and master... Hinata Sae had long since decided on this relationship. She originally wanted to answer that way, but remembering Hayato's unusual behavior today, she reined in her temper slightly and simply said:
"Aren't you trying to pursue me?"
Upon hearing this, Hayato stared blankly at her.
His expression wasn't one of amusement, nor was he greatly surprised; he was just a little confused: "Hinata, why would you think that?"
... Hinata Sae's cat-like eyes instantly turned vertical.
Could it be that she was wrong? Impossible, this guy had been so attentive to her before, it definitely counted as 'pursuing'.
It was just that she had been 'playing' with his feelings, so she hadn't responded.
"...You, you clearly called me 'cute' before," Hinata Sae said somewhat stiffly.
"Ah, Siyuan is also very cute," Hayato said.
Hinata Sae paused slightly, hesitating, then scoffed, "Do you just blurt out compliments about girls being 'cute' like that?"
"No," Hayato waved his hand innocently, "'Cute' girls are rare, for example, Hinata, for example, Siyuan, and also..."
At this point, Hayato suddenly stopped talking.
Hinata Sae realized he might be about to say an incredibly outrageous name, but at this moment, she couldn't care less about such things.
In that instant, it was as if the clouds had parted and she had a sudden enlightenment, understanding many things at once.
"—Ha." She curved her lips into a smile, "Hayato... So that's your plan!"
Hayato froze for a moment, then he suddenly became nervous:
"Wh-what?"
"Your 'revenge' act—it's surprisingly childish." Hinata Sae crossed her arms disdainfully, resting her small chest on her bent arm. "To win my favor and then abandon me, to make me cry? Too bad, Hayato, such a pathetic and weak plan has no effect on me whatsoever. In my eyes, you're nothing but a male dog wagging its tail for scraps—win my favor? Ha? With you? Why don't you look in a mirror—"
To be honest, although Hinata Sae had 'seen through' Hayato's plan, her last sentence was said with a hint of guilt.
No matter how much she disliked the person in front of her, she had to admit he was a top-notch handsome boy.
Hayato's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Hinata Sae's heart swelled with even more delight.
"Weak-minded, weak plan, now everything is useless! Just cry with your pathetic head, you male dog!!"
..."Forget it." Hayato's gaze shifted. He sighed, said nothing more, and simply hung his head.
Hinata Sae, like a general who had won a great victory, walked away with triumphant strides.
Hayato's pained expression now must be regret after being exposed by her, right? Hinata Sae couldn't help but feel smug.
Watching Hinata Sae's retreating back, Hayato put away his sorrow and pulled out his phone, beginning to 'tap-tap-tap' away, sending a message to someone.
"Hayato—" Aiya Hiroshi suddenly sprinted over with a burst of speed.
This startled the two people behind him, who instinctively leaned back.
Goodness, he just finished running laps, and this guy was shouting 'completely withered' as if he had run dozens of laps, so how did he suddenly become so energetic?
Matsubara Ayumu thought, 'This guy's hidden strength is terrifying.'
Kase Masafumi thought, 'This guy can complete his 'magic replenishment' just by seeing Senior Kobayashi; he's a formidable opponent.'
And Aiya Hiroshi thought—
"Who was that beautiful girl just now?!"
A high schooler, a petite figure, a small chest like a fried egg, and although her wheat-colored skin was a flaw, her perky butt made up for it. Plus, the way she looked at the 'fodder' was a bit too alluring.
It could be said that no one understood lolis better than him.
This is absolutely legal, right?
Then quickly introduce her to me!
Hayato, however, dispelled his thoughts with just one sentence:
"I heard from my aunt that the Ancient Tomb Sect's rule is that disciples cannot marry boys who have been in love, after all, their disciples are pure virgins."
Aiya Hiroshi immediately entered a sage-like state. He put his hands together and bowed in the direction Hinata Sae had left:
"Amitabha, this humble monk has become too attached to appearances. At present, all four great elements must be empty."
Hayato had previously described the legend of the 'Ancient Tomb Sect' in such a mystical way, and coupled with his 'Nonsense' skill, this guy had already decided he would only marry someone from the Ancient Tomb Sect.
After speaking, Hayato gave Aiya Hiroshi a deep look.
Oh no, he had some regrets. Would this guy's happiness truly become an issue in the future?
But having no woman is still better than encountering a bad woman.
Hinata Sae is a first-year high schooler; Aiya Hiroshi wouldn't be able to handle her.
Hayato thought to himself.
Just as he finished thinking, Aiya Hiroshi instinctively stepped aside because Kobayashi Ayaka walked over.
He was somewhat unwilling to confront Kobayashi Ayaka. There were two reasons:
Firstly, Ayaka-senpai was the 'older sister' type, and he didn't even want to look at that kind.
Secondly, Ayaka-senpai was very hurtful. Once, she came to find Mr. Hayashi, and he stood nearby listening to them talk for a long time, even interjecting a couple of casual remarks as conversation. When they were about to part, Ayaka-senpai seemed to suddenly remember his existence and said, 'Who are you?'
—He and Ayaka-senpai had met at least three, four, five, or six times, and each time he would introduce himself, yet she still hadn't remembered his face, which left Aiya Hiroshi somewhat speechless.
He knew he wasn't as handsome as Mr. Hayashi, but you can't keep bringing that up!
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