[Warning 15+]
Translator's Notes:
Hey, guys! Welcome to "Uncharted Territory"!
We've finally pushed past Chapter 67—the furthest point reached by any previous translation groups (both Bahasa Indonesia and English). From this chapter forward, everything we release is brand-new territory that has never been translated before.
We know many of you have joined us from previous groups. The reason we chose to start over from Chapter 1 (even though it took quite a while) was to give you a consistent reading experience with Ninja Cross Translation's unique style, terminology, and quality. We wanted to make sure your journey from start to finish is seamless, without any jarring changes in terms or tone.
Thank you for your patience and for sticking with us. Let's dive into the chapters of Hayato and Haruki's story that have never been seen in translation before!
Hey, guys! Welcome to "Uncharted Territory"!
We've finally pushed past Chapter 67—the furthest point reached by any previous translation groups (both Bahasa Indonesia and English). From this chapter forward, everything we release is brand-new territory that has never been translated before.
We know many of you have joined us from previous groups. The reason we chose to start over from Chapter 1 (even though it took quite a while) was to give you a consistent reading experience with Ninja Cross Translation's unique style, terminology, and quality. We wanted to make sure your journey from start to finish is seamless, without any jarring changes in terms or tone.
Thank you for your patience and for sticking with us. Let's dive into the chapters of Hayato and Haruki's story that have never been seen in translation before!
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 68That Look, They're Definitely Up to No Good
When Hayato got to school and stepped into the classroom, he found Haruki in an unusually great mood.
Haruki looked like she was about to burst into song any second, flashing a grin that was about 50% wider than usual while she pulled out her textbooks for class. Every now and then, she'd jot something down like she'd just remembered it or fidget with her smartphone all restless-like—it was pretty hard to imagine nothing was up.
"Mornin'. You're in a heck of a good mood, huh?"
"...Huh? I-I'm just my usual self, you know?"
"Really? 'Cause you're acting like a grade-schooler the day before a field trip."
"No, I'm not!"
It looked like Haruki was seriously looking forward to the movies, too.
By the way, when Hayato'd asked if Haruki'd been to a theater lately, he got a pretty defensive reply: 'Well, video streaming services are top-tier these days, right?'
"Haha, alright. Let's go with that."
"Hmph!"
Haruki let out a loud, childish protest and puffed out her cheeks.
Since Hayato knew exactly how Haruki felt—and since Kaidō Kazuki had just called Hayato out earlier—Hayato ended up teasing her just like they used to in the old days.
After staring each other down for a bit, Haruki suddenly seemed to realize something and caught her breath.
Then, just as Haruki spun around, she headed straight toward Isami Ema, who'd been watching them the whole time. For some reason, Isami Ema looked totally blown away, like she'd just witnessed some super rare phenomenon.
"Isami-san, got a sec?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah... ...What's up?"
"There's something I’ve gotta talk to you girls about... ...Oh, Satō-san and Shiranami-san, you girls come over here too!"
"Wait, me too?"
"Eh, excuse me...?"
The sheer energy and that mischievous, prankster-like look on Haruki's face—something she usually never showed anyone but Hayato—left Isami Ema totally overwhelmed.
And Haruki didn't stop there; She dragged in the other surprised girls too, and the whole group started getting hyped up.
(That look... ...they're definitely up to no good...)
It was a face Hayato knew all too well.
The exact same face Haruki made back when they were in Tsukinose, digging pitfall traps, blocking lines of ants just for kicks, or messing with Old Man Gen's sheep and dogs by forcing socks onto them.
Watching Haruki act like a whirlwind pulling everyone into her pace, Hayato scratched his head aggressively and let out a sigh of disbelief.
But since that face and that attitude were things Hayato was totally used to, he couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
By the way, a few boys tried to nose in on what Haruki and the girls were up to, but they got shut down hard with a chorus of, "This is girl talk!"
"Man, the own girl's been totally snatched away."
"...Nikaidō's not my girl."
"Nah, I mean my girl. I'm talking about Ema."
"..."
"Hehe, don't give me that look."
Just as Hayato was thinking, Mori Iori strolled up beside Hayato and started teasing, making Hayato's face twist into a scowl.
Throwing out a casual "My bad, my bad" like he always does, Mori Iori turned his gaze toward the group with Haruki and Isami Ema.
"So, Ema actually came to me for advice a while back."
"Advice?"
"On how Ema could actually become friends with Nikaidō."
"...Heh, friends, huh?"
"Look, you probably don't know this, Kirishima, but Nikaidō used to always have this wall up. She didn't really have anyone you'd call a friend; She was just kinda... ...solitary. But after hanging out lately, Ema said she really wanted to get closer to Nikaidō. Well, looking at 'em now, I'd say Ema's doing just fine."
"Yeah, I guess so..."
Following Mori Iori's gaze, they saw Haruki and the girls having a blast together.
It was honestly a pretty sweet, heartwarming sight to see them getting along like that.
Mori Iori narrowed his eyes, a proud look on his face as he watched his own girlfriend.
Despite all that, Hayato found himself knitting his brows.
"Kirishima?"
"Nah, it's nothing."
Hayato couldn't even figure out why his face was making that expression. He couldn't think of a single reason for it.
Yet, that thorn-like prick in Hayato's chest triggered by his chat with Mori Iori—Hayato tried to shake his head and just swallow it down, but it wouldn't budge.
"So, what about you, Mori? You cool with your girl getting snatched away by Nikaidō?"
Honestly, it was a question born out of pure pettiness.
"Yeah, I really hope Ema can actually make a real friend this time around..."
"...Mori?"
"Haha, it's nothing. Just forget I said anything."
"I see..."
The reply Hayato got was the exact opposite of Hayato's cranky tone; It was full of genuine concern for Isami Ema. The way Iori put it was definitely a red flag, though.
But seeing the dead-serious look on Mori Iori's face, Hayato figured that prying any further would just be in poor taste.
(Guess everyone's got their own baggage, huh...?)
Caught up in those thoughts, Hayato scratched his head aggressively again and slumped into his seat.
◇◇◇
"Oh, Isami-san, shall we head to that shop we talked about?"
"You bet! Leave it to me!"
After that, Haruki and Isami Ema's so-called "evil scheme" kept going through lunch, and even when the final bell rang, they weren't done yet. Guess they were really hitting it off.
Packing up her bag, Haruki shot Hayato a quick, smug "look at me now" face before heading over to Ema. Looks like they were heading out somewhere together.
"...Huh?"
As Hayato watched Haruki walk away, Hayato noticed a notification pop up on his smartphone. Once he checked it, his scowl got even deeper.
"Got dumped, huh, Kirishima?"
"What do you want, Mori?"
"Just an invite for two boys who got ditched—wanna go hang out somewhere?"
"...Nah, I've got somewhere I need to stop by on my way back."
"What, grocery shopping for dinner?"
"No, the hospital."
"Wait, what?"
With a look that was hard to read, Hayato grabbed his bag and walked out of the classroom.
Author's Note:
I've been spending my days hitting up the home center just to stare at all the "meows."
So, remember that male Toyger kitten I mentioned before?
A Toyger is a relatively new breed with fur that looks like a tiger's. Apparently, the name is a play on words between "toy" and "tiger."
The thing about this Toyger, though—like I said before—is that he’s pitch black.
In the comments section, someone suggested, "Maybe his coat pattern will change as he gets bigger?"
I mean, it made sense. Baby wild boars have those unique stripes that disappear when they grow up, right?
So, I kept a close eye on him.
Before I knew it, he was three and a half months old. He's definitely not a baby anymore; He's gotten bigger and totally fits the "kitten" label now, but he's still just as black as ever.
"Is it not time yet? Maybe in another six months? I wonder if he'll find a forever home before then?" All these thoughts were swirling in my head.
Then, I suddenly noticed all the info written on his cage, like his birthday and his parents' details.
And there was this one line.
"Color: Black"
......
............
............................
HE'S JUST A BLACK CAT, D*MMIT!
|＼＿／|
|― ―|
∧＿/|ノ＿＿／/
|-_-ノ /
★ ⊂ |ヽ ＿ ヽ
⊂ノ/／」/_／＼」
Meow.
But he's cute, so it's all good!
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:
When Hayato got to school and stepped into the classroom, he found Haruki in an unusually great mood.
Haruki looked like she was about to burst into song any second, flashing a grin that was about 50% wider than usual while she pulled out her textbooks for class. Every now and then, she'd jot something down like she'd just remembered it or fidget with her smartphone all restless-like—it was pretty hard to imagine nothing was up.
"Mornin'. You're in a heck of a good mood, huh?"
"...Huh? I-I'm just my usual self, you know?"
"Really? 'Cause you're acting like a grade-schooler the day before a field trip."
"No, I'm not!"
It looked like Haruki was seriously looking forward to the movies, too.
By the way, when Hayato'd asked if Haruki'd been to a theater lately, he got a pretty defensive reply: 'Well, video streaming services are top-tier these days, right?'
"Haha, alright. Let's go with that."
"Hmph!"
Haruki let out a loud, childish protest and puffed out her cheeks.
Since Hayato knew exactly how Haruki felt—and since Kaidō Kazuki had just called Hayato out earlier—Hayato ended up teasing her just like they used to in the old days.
After staring each other down for a bit, Haruki suddenly seemed to realize something and caught her breath.
Then, just as Haruki spun around, she headed straight toward Isami Ema, who'd been watching them the whole time. For some reason, Isami Ema looked totally blown away, like she'd just witnessed some super rare phenomenon.
"Isami-san, got a sec?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah... ...What's up?"
"There's something I’ve gotta talk to you girls about... ...Oh, Satō-san and Shiranami-san, you girls come over here too!"
"Wait, me too?"
"Eh, excuse me...?"
The sheer energy and that mischievous, prankster-like look on Haruki's face—something she usually never showed anyone but Hayato—left Isami Ema totally overwhelmed.
And Haruki didn't stop there; She dragged in the other surprised girls too, and the whole group started getting hyped up.
(That look... ...they're definitely up to no good...)
It was a face Hayato knew all too well.
The exact same face Haruki made back when they were in Tsukinose, digging pitfall traps, blocking lines of ants just for kicks, or messing with Old Man Gen's sheep and dogs by forcing socks onto them.
Watching Haruki act like a whirlwind pulling everyone into her pace, Hayato scratched his head aggressively and let out a sigh of disbelief.
But since that face and that attitude were things Hayato was totally used to, he couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
By the way, a few boys tried to nose in on what Haruki and the girls were up to, but they got shut down hard with a chorus of, "This is girl talk!"
"Man, the own girl's been totally snatched away."
"...Nikaidō's not my girl."
"Nah, I mean my girl. I'm talking about Ema."
"..."
"Hehe, don't give me that look."
Just as Hayato was thinking, Mori Iori strolled up beside Hayato and started teasing, making Hayato's face twist into a scowl.
Throwing out a casual "My bad, my bad" like he always does, Mori Iori turned his gaze toward the group with Haruki and Isami Ema.
"So, Ema actually came to me for advice a while back."
"Advice?"
"On how Ema could actually become friends with Nikaidō."
"...Heh, friends, huh?"
"Look, you probably don't know this, Kirishima, but Nikaidō used to always have this wall up. She didn't really have anyone you'd call a friend; She was just kinda... ...solitary. But after hanging out lately, Ema said she really wanted to get closer to Nikaidō. Well, looking at 'em now, I'd say Ema's doing just fine."
"Yeah, I guess so..."
Following Mori Iori's gaze, they saw Haruki and the girls having a blast together.
It was honestly a pretty sweet, heartwarming sight to see them getting along like that.
Mori Iori narrowed his eyes, a proud look on his face as he watched his own girlfriend.
Despite all that, Hayato found himself knitting his brows.
"Kirishima?"
"Nah, it's nothing."
Hayato couldn't even figure out why his face was making that expression. He couldn't think of a single reason for it.
Yet, that thorn-like prick in Hayato's chest triggered by his chat with Mori Iori—Hayato tried to shake his head and just swallow it down, but it wouldn't budge.
"So, what about you, Mori? You cool with your girl getting snatched away by Nikaidō?"
Honestly, it was a question born out of pure pettiness.
"Yeah, I really hope Ema can actually make a real friend this time around..."
"...Mori?"
"Haha, it's nothing. Just forget I said anything."
"I see..."
The reply Hayato got was the exact opposite of Hayato's cranky tone; It was full of genuine concern for Isami Ema. The way Iori put it was definitely a red flag, though.
But seeing the dead-serious look on Mori Iori's face, Hayato figured that prying any further would just be in poor taste.
(Guess everyone's got their own baggage, huh...?)
Caught up in those thoughts, Hayato scratched his head aggressively again and slumped into his seat.
◇◇◇
"Oh, Isami-san, shall we head to that shop we talked about?"
"You bet! Leave it to me!"
After that, Haruki and Isami Ema's so-called "evil scheme" kept going through lunch, and even when the final bell rang, they weren't done yet. Guess they were really hitting it off.
Packing up her bag, Haruki shot Hayato a quick, smug "look at me now" face before heading over to Ema. Looks like they were heading out somewhere together.
"...Huh?"
As Hayato watched Haruki walk away, Hayato noticed a notification pop up on his smartphone. Once he checked it, his scowl got even deeper.
"Got dumped, huh, Kirishima?"
"What do you want, Mori?"
"Just an invite for two boys who got ditched—wanna go hang out somewhere?"
"...Nah, I've got somewhere I need to stop by on my way back."
"What, grocery shopping for dinner?"
"No, the hospital."
"Wait, what?"
With a look that was hard to read, Hayato grabbed his bag and walked out of the classroom.
Author's Note:
I've been spending my days hitting up the home center just to stare at all the "meows."
So, remember that male Toyger kitten I mentioned before?
A Toyger is a relatively new breed with fur that looks like a tiger's. Apparently, the name is a play on words between "toy" and "tiger."
The thing about this Toyger, though—like I said before—is that he’s pitch black.
In the comments section, someone suggested, "Maybe his coat pattern will change as he gets bigger?"
I mean, it made sense. Baby wild boars have those unique stripes that disappear when they grow up, right?
So, I kept a close eye on him.
Before I knew it, he was three and a half months old. He's definitely not a baby anymore; He's gotten bigger and totally fits the "kitten" label now, but he's still just as black as ever.
"Is it not time yet? Maybe in another six months? I wonder if he'll find a forever home before then?" All these thoughts were swirling in my head.
Then, I suddenly noticed all the info written on his cage, like his birthday and his parents' details.
And there was this one line.
"Color: Black"
......
............
............................
HE'S JUST A BLACK CAT, D*MMIT!
|＼＿／|
|― ―|
∧＿/|ノ＿＿／/
|-_-ノ /
★ ⊂ |ヽ ＿ ヽ
⊂ノ/／」/_／＼」
Meow.
But he's cute, so it's all good!
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: