[Warning 15+]
Part One~She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!~Chapter 38She Only Acts Like Her Old Self When She's with Me... Wait, Hold Up!
"Mnnn… …huh? Oh, right… …ow, ow, ow."
Hayato woke up at his usual time but in a totally different room, feeling a bit out of sorts. Guess sleeping on an unfamiliar sofa did a number on him, 'cause his neck and back were aching pretty bad.
As Hayato took a slow stretch and looked around, he noticed a note sitting on the dining table.
'Thanks for yesterday. I gotta head back to change and stuff. I'm heading home. Also, forget about everything that happened last night! Got it?!'
The last part of the note was scribbled with some serious force, giving Hayato a pretty good idea of what was going through Haruki's head.
Right next to it, the T-shirt Hayato'd lent Haruki was folded up all neat and tidy. When he picked it up, a faint, sweet scent was still lingering on the fabric.
"Haruki could've at least grabbed some breakfast before heading out."
For some reason, smelling a scent that wasn't his own made Hayato feel super embarrassed, so he muttered that stuff just to make an excuse.
Hayato didn't have any real proof, but he felt like Haruki was gonna be okay now―and with that thought, Hayato let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, time to get things moving."
Monday mornings are a grind. And honestly, they're kinda depressing. But there was a ton of cr*p to do.
Taking out the trash, getting school stuff ready, fixing breakfast, and making lunch boxes too. Hayato breezed through it all with practiced ease, staying totally focused to keep his mind blank.
If Hayato didn't, he'd end up remembering those cringe-worthy lines he'd said to Haruki last night and probably die of embarrassment.
"Yawn… …ugh. Morning, Big Bro. Wait, where's Haru-chan?"
"Haruki headed home early 'cause she had stuff to get ready. Go wash your face, Himeko. Your bedhead is insane, you know? I'll have breakfast ready by the time you're back."
"Ugh, my hair's a total wreck… …huh? Big Bro, what's up with your neck?"
"My neck? Oh, I just slept on it funny or something―"
"Not that, look, it's all red right there on the right side."
"The right? The left side is the one that hurts, though… …wait, Himeko?"
While Hayato was talking to Himeko—who'd just woken up—with his back turned, he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt.
When Hayato turned around to see what was up, he was met with Himeko's face; She looked a bit lonely, yet she was forcing a smile like she was trying to hide it.
"…Do you think Haru-chan is gonna be okay?"
"Himeko…"
It seemed like Himeko had also been worried about how Haruki was acting last night.
Maybe Himeko'd picked up on some of the drama from their texts. But given the look on her face, she was probably just like Hayato—feeling a bit held back by that seven-year gap and not wanting to overstep.
Still, there was one thing Hayato could say for sure.
"Haruki'll be fine."
"How come?"
"Because I'm― ―because we're, Haruki's friends, and we've got her back."
"…Pfft. Wow, that was so cheesy it stinks!"
"Sh-Shut up!"
Himeko blinked in surprise for a second before suddenly bursting into a laugh and talking smack. But at least her face had finally brightened up with a real smile.
"Hehe… …but yeah, you're right. I better give it my all too, then."
Hayato couldn't help but crack a smile too, catching Himeko’s vibe.
◇◇◇
The sky, cleared up after last night's rain, was looking way bluer and crispier than usual.
That early summer morning sun was already doing a number on Hayato's skin as he trekked down the path to school.
"Man, it’s roasting… …but hey, it's fresh after the rain…"
Rain. A blessing from the heavens. Like people say, crops tend to go through a crazy growth spurt after a good soak.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. With a downpour as heavy as last night's, there's always the risk of the soil beds washing away, or the fruit straight-up bursting from soaking up too much water too fast.
Keeping that promise from the other day in mind, Hayato's feet naturally steered him toward the flower beds.
"Yo. Looks like a bumper crop, huh?"
"Oh, Kirishima-san!"
Over on the edge of the school grounds, there was a petite girl with distinct curly hair—Mitake Minamo—busy as a bee with the harvest.
Thanks to last night's rain and this morning's weather, the veggies were popping off. There were two small cardboard boxes nearby, already pretty much packed to the brim. The soil that'd washed away in the rain had already been pushed back into place, showing Minamo'd been out here grinding since way before sunrise.
"I'd offer to lend a hand, but looks like you've got it mostly covered."
"Thanks to all the prep, we got a huge haul! But, eh…"
"Oh, let me guess—you got so much you don't even know what to do with it all?"
"Yeah…"
Mitake Minamo gave a troubled little smile. Even if she split it with Hayato, there were still way too many veggies piled up in those boxes to finish. The eggplants, especially, were out of control.
The phrase "poverty amidst plenty" flashed through Hayato's mind. Back in the countryside of Tsukinose, it wasn't rare for people to basically force-feed their extra crops to their neighbors.
"If it were tomatoes, I could share them at my Grandpa's place, but eggplants are…"
"How about making some overnight pickles? Back in the countryside where I used to live, they were a total staple to have with tea or as a snack when you're drinking."
"Um, how do you even make those?"
"Tell you what, I'll film how to do it and send it to you later."
"Oh! So you finally got a smartphone, Kirishima-san!"
"Yep, just yesterday."
With that, Hayato went ahead and swapped IDs with Mitake Minamo.
(Did I manage to play that off smoothly?)
Even though he acted like it was no big deal, Hayato was actually pretty nervous.
Unlike Haruki or Himeko, this girl was someone Hayato'd just met, and she was, well, a girl. He'd run through the simulation in his head a bunch of times, so he was stoked he actually managed to pull off the promise without any drama.
But in total contrast to Hayato's chill face, he noticed Mitake Minamo was looking up at him with a beet-red face and a super apologetic expression.
"Um, well... ...is it really okay for you to do this with me?"
"Huh? What do you mean by…"
"Your, uh, girlfriend or... ...you know…"
"Girlfriend?"
Hayato tilted his head, totally caught off guard by that word.
When Hayato followed Mitake Minamo's gaze to see what she was trippin' on, he realized she was staring right at the side of his neck. The exact same spot Himeko had pointed out this morning.
"Oh, this. My little sis mentioned it too, but is it really that noticeable?"
"I-It's great that you guys are so close! But, a hickey is... ...um... ...hau!!"
"M-Mitake-san?!"
Still totally tripped out by that huge misunderstanding, Mitake Minamo bolted away with her face turning beet-red.
Hayato, left behind with all the harvested veggies, was just standing there like a total deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do.
'I've got the veggies. Also, the thing on my neck is just a bug bite.'
The very first smartphone message Hayato ever sent was that kind of lame, weak-sauce excuse.
◇◇◇
As he got closer to the classroom, the only thing on Hayato's mind was Haruki.
Hayato's former bestie.
The partner-in-crime Hayato'd gotten scraped knees with, the one he'd play with until their clothes were totally caked in mud. The childhood buddy he'd stacked up debts and memories with, and with whom he'd sworn to be friends forever.
But once they actually reunited, Haruki'd turned into someone who looked nothing like her old self.
They used to be the same height, but now Hayato was a full head taller.
The hands Hayato used to hold were now a whole size apart.
Even if they ran just as fast, their strides had developed a noticeable gap.
Haruki's once-short hair was now long and silky, her skin that used to be covered in scrapes was now pale and flawless, and that summer dress she wore yesterday was way too cute and stylish to ever let it get ruined by mud.
Sometimes Hayato'd get flustered or totally lose his cool. It's only natural, considering what a total knock-out Haruki'd become.
But the second they started hanging out, they could still share that same fun vibe as back in the day; The fact that Haruki was irreplaceable to Hayato hadn't changed one bit.
Even if at school they were just some plain transfer student and the super popular "perfect" girl, that was―
"Morning… …huh?"
"Yo, Kirishima! What's the deal with your neck?"
"Apparently, it's a hickey. Sadly, the culprit was just a bug… …anyway, what's going on over there? It's kinda weird."
"Haha, for real. It's the first time I've seen Nikaidō act like that, too."
As soon as Hayato stepped into the classroom, the first thing he saw was Haruki at her desk, surrounded by everyone.
Up to that point, it was a pretty normal sight. But this morning, Haruki was the one being all proactive and leading the convo.
"This one is Hime-chan's pick―I chose this one with her, and look, this one too!"
"Whoa, so cute!"
"Must be nice being able to pull off any look."
"Some of these are straight-up tacky and weird, but I guess that's just part of the fun vibe, right?"
"T-Tacky… …A-Ahaha…"
Nikaidō Haruki was a total superstar. Between her looks and her vibe, she was basically like a local idol.
Even if Haruki just stood there, people would swarm her and start chatting, so she almost never had to initiate a convo herself.
When Haruki was flaunting her smartphone screen all proud like that, it was pretty much impossible for people not to notice or get curious.
(…So Haruki talks to other people like that too, huh.)
Seeing Haruki looking so hyped up gave Hayato this weird, unsettled feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Word is those are pics with that childhood buddy of Nikaidō-san's. Apparently, they went clothes shopping together over the weekend."
"O-Oh, for real?"
"Man, you're giving me nothing, Kirishima! They say the childhood buddy is a total beauty, and—bet-ter—yet! That's Nikaidō-san in her private clothes right there?! Man, I wanna see too!"
"I guess so."
Mori Iori was all hyped up and going on about it, but Hayato's reaction was pretty meh. Setting aside how Haruki looked yesterday, he could easily picture Haruki's "unique" taste in casual clothes, and the childhood buddy in the pics was literally his own little sis he'd known since day one. All he could manage was a strained, awkward smile.
Still, seeing Haruki so happy talking about Himeko to everyone made it feel like the wall Haruki'd built around herself was finally starting to crumble, which seemed like a step in the right direction. Or at least, Hayato tried to tell himself that.
Maybe those tears from last night really did spark some kind of positive change inside Haruki.
This is good for Haruki―with that thought, Hayato headed for his own seat.
"Morning, Nikaidō-san…"
"Oh, morning, Kirishima-kun…"
"You're quite the celebrity this morning, huh?"
"Wanna see too, Kirishima-kun? It's a pic of my childhood buddy. Look, check this one out—don't you think it turned out great?"
As she said that, Haruki kept aggressively shoving her smartphone screen in Hayato's face.
When you're talking about Nikaidō Haruki's childhood buddy, you're talking about Himeko. From Hayato's POV, there's zero fun in looking at pics of his own little sis that he's seen a million times before, and Haruki should've known that.
Mixed with that unsettled feeling from earlier, Hayato ended up giving Haruki the cold shoulder.
Despite Hayato's refusal, Haruki kept aggressively shoving the smartphone in his face. To anyone watching, it probably looked like a sweet moment where she just wanted to brag about her precious childhood buddy.
"Nah, I'm not really—wait, WHAT?!"
"Eek!"
The second Hayato saw that screen, Hayato instinctively snatched the smartphone right out of Haruki's hand.
Haruki's cute little yelp echoed through the room, and everyone's eyes went wide at Hayato's totally sudden move.
Who knows what the heck everyone else was thinking about Hayato's reaction to Nikaidō Haruki's "childhood buddy"―but he was too hit by shock to give a d*mn about their stares or questions.
"H-H-Hey, you... ...wait, this is…!"
"Well? It turned out great, don't you think? They're my pre-cious childhood friend."
What was on the screen was a selfie of Haruki wearing Hayato's school shirt, tucked into his arm, with her lips pressed against his neck. To top it off, there was even a provocative caption that said, 'If you're looking for Hayato, he's right here sleeping next to me.' Apparently, that bruise on his neck was exactly because of this.
Haruki gave Hayato a huge grin right then and there.
But it wasn't that elegant, graceful smile Haruki put on for everyone else; It was that same mischievous smirk Hayato'd seen a million times since they were kids.
Suddenly, a ton of thoughts started racing through Hayato's head.
Hayato had no clue what went down during those seven years.
It's probably not something Haruki can just spill the beans on out of the blue.
But Hayato was sure that once they finally filled in that gap between them, Haruki'd tell him everything.
'Yeah, we're gonna be friends forever, Haruki!'
There was no rush.
Because that little promise they made back in the day was definitely still alive and kicking.
Still, right now, Hayato felt like shouting something out from the bottom of his heart.
"H-Haru… …N-Nikaidō…!"
"Hehe."
―She only acts like her old self when she's with me... wait, hold up!
Author's Notes:
To everyone who's reading this far.
This officially wraps up the main story of Part One. How'd you like it? I'm planning to drop about two side stories that'll serve as an epilogue for Part One before kicking off Part Two.
Right now, we're actually sitting at #1 on the monthly charts for our genre. Seeing this story climb up there among all those big-name authors who've already gone pro is seriously huge. If things keep going like this, maybe this work can reach the same heights as theirs… …this is our big chance.
So, I'm asking for a huge favor. If you haven't already, please hit that bookmark button, and if you're sitting on ☆☆☆☆☆, I'd be stoked if you could turn that into a full ★★★★★. If anyone wants to drop a review to help hype this up for other readers, I'll be over the moon. For those of you who've already done it all or just want to show some love, just drop a "Meow!" in the comments. Every bit of that gives me the fuel to keep writing!
Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
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Read in other languages:
"Mnnn… …huh? Oh, right… …ow, ow, ow."
Hayato woke up at his usual time but in a totally different room, feeling a bit out of sorts. Guess sleeping on an unfamiliar sofa did a number on him, 'cause his neck and back were aching pretty bad.
As Hayato took a slow stretch and looked around, he noticed a note sitting on the dining table.
'Thanks for yesterday. I gotta head back to change and stuff. I'm heading home. Also, forget about everything that happened last night! Got it?!'
The last part of the note was scribbled with some serious force, giving Hayato a pretty good idea of what was going through Haruki's head.
Right next to it, the T-shirt Hayato'd lent Haruki was folded up all neat and tidy. When he picked it up, a faint, sweet scent was still lingering on the fabric.
"Haruki could've at least grabbed some breakfast before heading out."
For some reason, smelling a scent that wasn't his own made Hayato feel super embarrassed, so he muttered that stuff just to make an excuse.
Hayato didn't have any real proof, but he felt like Haruki was gonna be okay now―and with that thought, Hayato let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, time to get things moving."
Monday mornings are a grind. And honestly, they're kinda depressing. But there was a ton of cr*p to do.
Taking out the trash, getting school stuff ready, fixing breakfast, and making lunch boxes too. Hayato breezed through it all with practiced ease, staying totally focused to keep his mind blank.
If Hayato didn't, he'd end up remembering those cringe-worthy lines he'd said to Haruki last night and probably die of embarrassment.
"Yawn… …ugh. Morning, Big Bro. Wait, where's Haru-chan?"
"Haruki headed home early 'cause she had stuff to get ready. Go wash your face, Himeko. Your bedhead is insane, you know? I'll have breakfast ready by the time you're back."
"Ugh, my hair's a total wreck… …huh? Big Bro, what's up with your neck?"
"My neck? Oh, I just slept on it funny or something―"
"Not that, look, it's all red right there on the right side."
"The right? The left side is the one that hurts, though… …wait, Himeko?"
While Hayato was talking to Himeko—who'd just woken up—with his back turned, he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt.
When Hayato turned around to see what was up, he was met with Himeko's face; She looked a bit lonely, yet she was forcing a smile like she was trying to hide it.
"…Do you think Haru-chan is gonna be okay?"
"Himeko…"
It seemed like Himeko had also been worried about how Haruki was acting last night.
Maybe Himeko'd picked up on some of the drama from their texts. But given the look on her face, she was probably just like Hayato—feeling a bit held back by that seven-year gap and not wanting to overstep.
Still, there was one thing Hayato could say for sure.
"Haruki'll be fine."
"How come?"
"Because I'm― ―because we're, Haruki's friends, and we've got her back."
"…Pfft. Wow, that was so cheesy it stinks!"
"Sh-Shut up!"
Himeko blinked in surprise for a second before suddenly bursting into a laugh and talking smack. But at least her face had finally brightened up with a real smile.
"Hehe… …but yeah, you're right. I better give it my all too, then."
Hayato couldn't help but crack a smile too, catching Himeko’s vibe.
◇◇◇
The sky, cleared up after last night's rain, was looking way bluer and crispier than usual.
That early summer morning sun was already doing a number on Hayato's skin as he trekked down the path to school.
"Man, it’s roasting… …but hey, it's fresh after the rain…"
Rain. A blessing from the heavens. Like people say, crops tend to go through a crazy growth spurt after a good soak.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. With a downpour as heavy as last night's, there's always the risk of the soil beds washing away, or the fruit straight-up bursting from soaking up too much water too fast.
Keeping that promise from the other day in mind, Hayato's feet naturally steered him toward the flower beds.
"Yo. Looks like a bumper crop, huh?"
"Oh, Kirishima-san!"
Over on the edge of the school grounds, there was a petite girl with distinct curly hair—Mitake Minamo—busy as a bee with the harvest.
Thanks to last night's rain and this morning's weather, the veggies were popping off. There were two small cardboard boxes nearby, already pretty much packed to the brim. The soil that'd washed away in the rain had already been pushed back into place, showing Minamo'd been out here grinding since way before sunrise.
"I'd offer to lend a hand, but looks like you've got it mostly covered."
"Thanks to all the prep, we got a huge haul! But, eh…"
"Oh, let me guess—you got so much you don't even know what to do with it all?"
"Yeah…"
Mitake Minamo gave a troubled little smile. Even if she split it with Hayato, there were still way too many veggies piled up in those boxes to finish. The eggplants, especially, were out of control.
The phrase "poverty amidst plenty" flashed through Hayato's mind. Back in the countryside of Tsukinose, it wasn't rare for people to basically force-feed their extra crops to their neighbors.
"If it were tomatoes, I could share them at my Grandpa's place, but eggplants are…"
"How about making some overnight pickles? Back in the countryside where I used to live, they were a total staple to have with tea or as a snack when you're drinking."
"Um, how do you even make those?"
"Tell you what, I'll film how to do it and send it to you later."
"Oh! So you finally got a smartphone, Kirishima-san!"
"Yep, just yesterday."
With that, Hayato went ahead and swapped IDs with Mitake Minamo.
(Did I manage to play that off smoothly?)
Even though he acted like it was no big deal, Hayato was actually pretty nervous.
Unlike Haruki or Himeko, this girl was someone Hayato'd just met, and she was, well, a girl. He'd run through the simulation in his head a bunch of times, so he was stoked he actually managed to pull off the promise without any drama.
But in total contrast to Hayato's chill face, he noticed Mitake Minamo was looking up at him with a beet-red face and a super apologetic expression.
"Um, well... ...is it really okay for you to do this with me?"
"Huh? What do you mean by…"
"Your, uh, girlfriend or... ...you know…"
"Girlfriend?"
Hayato tilted his head, totally caught off guard by that word.
When Hayato followed Mitake Minamo's gaze to see what she was trippin' on, he realized she was staring right at the side of his neck. The exact same spot Himeko had pointed out this morning.
"Oh, this. My little sis mentioned it too, but is it really that noticeable?"
"I-It's great that you guys are so close! But, a hickey is... ...um... ...hau!!"
"M-Mitake-san?!"
Still totally tripped out by that huge misunderstanding, Mitake Minamo bolted away with her face turning beet-red.
Hayato, left behind with all the harvested veggies, was just standing there like a total deer in the headlights, not knowing what to do.
'I've got the veggies. Also, the thing on my neck is just a bug bite.'
The very first smartphone message Hayato ever sent was that kind of lame, weak-sauce excuse.
◇◇◇
As he got closer to the classroom, the only thing on Hayato's mind was Haruki.
Hayato's former bestie.
The partner-in-crime Hayato'd gotten scraped knees with, the one he'd play with until their clothes were totally caked in mud. The childhood buddy he'd stacked up debts and memories with, and with whom he'd sworn to be friends forever.
But once they actually reunited, Haruki'd turned into someone who looked nothing like her old self.
They used to be the same height, but now Hayato was a full head taller.
The hands Hayato used to hold were now a whole size apart.
Even if they ran just as fast, their strides had developed a noticeable gap.
Haruki's once-short hair was now long and silky, her skin that used to be covered in scrapes was now pale and flawless, and that summer dress she wore yesterday was way too cute and stylish to ever let it get ruined by mud.
Sometimes Hayato'd get flustered or totally lose his cool. It's only natural, considering what a total knock-out Haruki'd become.
But the second they started hanging out, they could still share that same fun vibe as back in the day; The fact that Haruki was irreplaceable to Hayato hadn't changed one bit.
Even if at school they were just some plain transfer student and the super popular "perfect" girl, that was―
"Morning… …huh?"
"Yo, Kirishima! What's the deal with your neck?"
"Apparently, it's a hickey. Sadly, the culprit was just a bug… …anyway, what's going on over there? It's kinda weird."
"Haha, for real. It's the first time I've seen Nikaidō act like that, too."
As soon as Hayato stepped into the classroom, the first thing he saw was Haruki at her desk, surrounded by everyone.
Up to that point, it was a pretty normal sight. But this morning, Haruki was the one being all proactive and leading the convo.
"This one is Hime-chan's pick―I chose this one with her, and look, this one too!"
"Whoa, so cute!"
"Must be nice being able to pull off any look."
"Some of these are straight-up tacky and weird, but I guess that's just part of the fun vibe, right?"
"T-Tacky… …A-Ahaha…"
Nikaidō Haruki was a total superstar. Between her looks and her vibe, she was basically like a local idol.
Even if Haruki just stood there, people would swarm her and start chatting, so she almost never had to initiate a convo herself.
When Haruki was flaunting her smartphone screen all proud like that, it was pretty much impossible for people not to notice or get curious.
(…So Haruki talks to other people like that too, huh.)
Seeing Haruki looking so hyped up gave Hayato this weird, unsettled feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Word is those are pics with that childhood buddy of Nikaidō-san's. Apparently, they went clothes shopping together over the weekend."
"O-Oh, for real?"
"Man, you're giving me nothing, Kirishima! They say the childhood buddy is a total beauty, and—bet-ter—yet! That's Nikaidō-san in her private clothes right there?! Man, I wanna see too!"
"I guess so."
Mori Iori was all hyped up and going on about it, but Hayato's reaction was pretty meh. Setting aside how Haruki looked yesterday, he could easily picture Haruki's "unique" taste in casual clothes, and the childhood buddy in the pics was literally his own little sis he'd known since day one. All he could manage was a strained, awkward smile.
Still, seeing Haruki so happy talking about Himeko to everyone made it feel like the wall Haruki'd built around herself was finally starting to crumble, which seemed like a step in the right direction. Or at least, Hayato tried to tell himself that.
Maybe those tears from last night really did spark some kind of positive change inside Haruki.
This is good for Haruki―with that thought, Hayato headed for his own seat.
"Morning, Nikaidō-san…"
"Oh, morning, Kirishima-kun…"
"You're quite the celebrity this morning, huh?"
"Wanna see too, Kirishima-kun? It's a pic of my childhood buddy. Look, check this one out—don't you think it turned out great?"
As she said that, Haruki kept aggressively shoving her smartphone screen in Hayato's face.
When you're talking about Nikaidō Haruki's childhood buddy, you're talking about Himeko. From Hayato's POV, there's zero fun in looking at pics of his own little sis that he's seen a million times before, and Haruki should've known that.
Mixed with that unsettled feeling from earlier, Hayato ended up giving Haruki the cold shoulder.
Despite Hayato's refusal, Haruki kept aggressively shoving the smartphone in his face. To anyone watching, it probably looked like a sweet moment where she just wanted to brag about her precious childhood buddy.
"Nah, I'm not really—wait, WHAT?!"
"Eek!"
The second Hayato saw that screen, Hayato instinctively snatched the smartphone right out of Haruki's hand.
Haruki's cute little yelp echoed through the room, and everyone's eyes went wide at Hayato's totally sudden move.
Who knows what the heck everyone else was thinking about Hayato's reaction to Nikaidō Haruki's "childhood buddy"―but he was too hit by shock to give a d*mn about their stares or questions.
"H-H-Hey, you... ...wait, this is…!"
"Well? It turned out great, don't you think? They're my pre-cious childhood friend."
What was on the screen was a selfie of Haruki wearing Hayato's school shirt, tucked into his arm, with her lips pressed against his neck. To top it off, there was even a provocative caption that said, 'If you're looking for Hayato, he's right here sleeping next to me.' Apparently, that bruise on his neck was exactly because of this.
Haruki gave Hayato a huge grin right then and there.
But it wasn't that elegant, graceful smile Haruki put on for everyone else; It was that same mischievous smirk Hayato'd seen a million times since they were kids.
Suddenly, a ton of thoughts started racing through Hayato's head.
Hayato had no clue what went down during those seven years.
It's probably not something Haruki can just spill the beans on out of the blue.
But Hayato was sure that once they finally filled in that gap between them, Haruki'd tell him everything.
'Yeah, we're gonna be friends forever, Haruki!'
There was no rush.
Because that little promise they made back in the day was definitely still alive and kicking.
Still, right now, Hayato felt like shouting something out from the bottom of his heart.
"H-Haru… …N-Nikaidō…!"
"Hehe."
―She only acts like her old self when she's with me... wait, hold up!
Author's Notes:
To everyone who's reading this far.
This officially wraps up the main story of Part One. How'd you like it? I'm planning to drop about two side stories that'll serve as an epilogue for Part One before kicking off Part Two.
Right now, we're actually sitting at #1 on the monthly charts for our genre. Seeing this story climb up there among all those big-name authors who've already gone pro is seriously huge. If things keep going like this, maybe this work can reach the same heights as theirs… …this is our big chance.
So, I'm asking for a huge favor. If you haven't already, please hit that bookmark button, and if you're sitting on ☆☆☆☆☆, I'd be stoked if you could turn that into a full ★★★★★. If anyone wants to drop a review to help hype this up for other readers, I'll be over the moon. For those of you who've already done it all or just want to show some love, just drop a "Meow!" in the comments. Every bit of that gives me the fuel to keep writing!
Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
If you like our work, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi. 🙏
Support Us: https://ko-fi.com/ninjacross
Donations are very much appreciated.
Your donations really support us to finish this novel from here until the end, so please consider to support us.
Follow Our Official WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaRa6nHCsU9OAB0U370F
Read in other languages: