[Warning 15+]
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 86Gotta Fill in the Outer Moat First
After breakfast, Hayato finished up his prep in no time and headed out of the apartment with Haruki and Himeko in tow.
The summer sun was already flexin' hard in the cloudless eastern sky, making everyone break out in a sweat instantly.
The humid heat felt like it was clinging to them, making both their mood and their footsteps feel heavy.
"Oh yeah, thanks to everyone's help, I actually crushed my diet. I'm down 5 kilos from my peak weight!"
"Wait, no way! That's totally cheating, Haru-chan! We've been eating the same stuff, but—grrr—I'm only down 3 kilos... ...Oh, what about you, Big Bro?"
"Heck if I know. I wasn't even dieting to begin with, so I haven't even stepped on a scale."
But despite the heat, both Haruki and Himeko were in high spirits, refused to let the summer sun kill their vibe.
Looks like the fact that their diet was actually working gave them both a serious mood boost.
Even though Himeko was a bit salty about the results, as far as Hayato could tell, both girls' weights probably only fluctuated within a 1 kilo range, so he had zero clue what the actual difference was just by looking. His answers were pretty half-hearted, but he couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
(Now that I think about it, is this the first time the three of us have walked to school together?)
Watching his little sis and childhood buddy bicker next to Hayato while reminiscing about their diet struggles made him feel that way.
Walking together like this wasn't exactly rare, but being decked out in their school uniforms this early and just shooting the breeze felt a little special.
"So, since the diet is finally over, I really wanna go ham on something sweet. I mean, obviously I'll be careful since I'm terrified of the rebound, but still."
"I want some baschee! Basque cheesecake! Big Bro, make us some with low sugar!"
"Wait, so I'm the one cooking?!"
"Well, yeah, because you're Hayato."
"Because you're Big Bro, duh."
""Right?!""
"Sigh..."
Either way, Haruki being in a good mood was a win. Knowing her secret made Hayato feel that way even more, and his expression softened naturally.
But at the same time, there was a catch. Maybe Haruki was just riding high on her diet success, but her energy was way through the roof.
"Oh, I'm heading this way. Catch ya later!"
"Yeah, don't you dare fall asleep in class."
"Hime-chan, see ya later!"
That high energy didn't fade even after they split up with Himeko at the main road; Haruki just kept right on chatting Hayato's ear off in her usual style.
"Hey, hey, does your place have the gear for baking cakes, Hayato? Can we just grab the ingredients at the supermarket, or should we hit up a specialty shop?"
"Haruki, I hear ya, but... ...eh, look around for a sec, okay?"
Hayato had to cut Haruki off right in the middle of her excited rambling, gesturing with his eyes for her to check out their surroundings.
They were getting pretty close to school, and more and more students in the same uniform were popping up on the path.
Every single one of them was staring at them like they'd just spotted a cryptid or something totally impossible.
"Oh..."
As if she'd only just noticed the vibe, Haruki knitted her brows and glanced at Hayato's face.
Nikaidō Haruki was a total celeb.
When they were hanging out, it was easy to forget that Haruki was the "Unattainable Flower"—the graceful, perfect girl who was top of her class in both grades and sports. She was supposed to be the sweet, refined type who was nice to everyone but always kept a classy distance with that elegant smile. That was the fake persona, the "camouflage" she put on for the world.
And here Haruki was, flashing a smile no one had ever seen before at some random boy (Hayato) and being totally proactive in their convo.
To top it off, Hayato didn't look nearly as sharp as he did when his little sis (Himeko) had made him over the other day. He even had a stubborn tuft of bedhead sticking out.
There was no way people wouldn't be curious. In fact, some were already starting to whisper.
Hayato wasn't used to this kind of nosy attention at all, so he just let out a heavy sigh like, "Give me a break, already."
Still, Hayato didn't have any intention of scolding Haruki, especially since he knew she was trying her best to change for the better.
"Look, if you close the gap too fast like this, things are gonna get messy, right? Isn't that right, Nikaidō-san?"
"...Yeah, I guess you're right."
Haruki mumbled, looking totally bummed as she looked down and took a step back.
Seeing Haruki like that gave Hayato a little pang in his chest, but there wasn't much he could do about it right now.
Hayato gave his head a quick scratch and flashed a "See ya" wave before speeding off to get away from the crowd.
Watching Hayato's back as he walked away, Haruki whispered to herself.
"Guess I gotta start by filling in the outer moat first, huh?"
Haruki had this provocative smirk on her face, like she was low-key plotting something devious.
Author's Notes:
A bit on the short side this time.
*Important Announcement*
So, that big 5.4 major update finally dropped, huh?
To all my fellow Warriors of Light out there...
If we cross paths on the other side, let’s have a good one!
\Meow/
ハ,,ハ
(゜ー゜*)
cuuc,,)~
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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After breakfast, Hayato finished up his prep in no time and headed out of the apartment with Haruki and Himeko in tow.
The summer sun was already flexin' hard in the cloudless eastern sky, making everyone break out in a sweat instantly.
The humid heat felt like it was clinging to them, making both their mood and their footsteps feel heavy.
"Oh yeah, thanks to everyone's help, I actually crushed my diet. I'm down 5 kilos from my peak weight!"
"Wait, no way! That's totally cheating, Haru-chan! We've been eating the same stuff, but—grrr—I'm only down 3 kilos... ...Oh, what about you, Big Bro?"
"Heck if I know. I wasn't even dieting to begin with, so I haven't even stepped on a scale."
But despite the heat, both Haruki and Himeko were in high spirits, refused to let the summer sun kill their vibe.
Looks like the fact that their diet was actually working gave them both a serious mood boost.
Even though Himeko was a bit salty about the results, as far as Hayato could tell, both girls' weights probably only fluctuated within a 1 kilo range, so he had zero clue what the actual difference was just by looking. His answers were pretty half-hearted, but he couldn't help but let a small smile slip.
(Now that I think about it, is this the first time the three of us have walked to school together?)
Watching his little sis and childhood buddy bicker next to Hayato while reminiscing about their diet struggles made him feel that way.
Walking together like this wasn't exactly rare, but being decked out in their school uniforms this early and just shooting the breeze felt a little special.
"So, since the diet is finally over, I really wanna go ham on something sweet. I mean, obviously I'll be careful since I'm terrified of the rebound, but still."
"I want some baschee! Basque cheesecake! Big Bro, make us some with low sugar!"
"Wait, so I'm the one cooking?!"
"Well, yeah, because you're Hayato."
"Because you're Big Bro, duh."
""Right?!""
"Sigh..."
Either way, Haruki being in a good mood was a win. Knowing her secret made Hayato feel that way even more, and his expression softened naturally.
But at the same time, there was a catch. Maybe Haruki was just riding high on her diet success, but her energy was way through the roof.
"Oh, I'm heading this way. Catch ya later!"
"Yeah, don't you dare fall asleep in class."
"Hime-chan, see ya later!"
That high energy didn't fade even after they split up with Himeko at the main road; Haruki just kept right on chatting Hayato's ear off in her usual style.
"Hey, hey, does your place have the gear for baking cakes, Hayato? Can we just grab the ingredients at the supermarket, or should we hit up a specialty shop?"
"Haruki, I hear ya, but... ...eh, look around for a sec, okay?"
Hayato had to cut Haruki off right in the middle of her excited rambling, gesturing with his eyes for her to check out their surroundings.
They were getting pretty close to school, and more and more students in the same uniform were popping up on the path.
Every single one of them was staring at them like they'd just spotted a cryptid or something totally impossible.
"Oh..."
As if she'd only just noticed the vibe, Haruki knitted her brows and glanced at Hayato's face.
Nikaidō Haruki was a total celeb.
When they were hanging out, it was easy to forget that Haruki was the "Unattainable Flower"—the graceful, perfect girl who was top of her class in both grades and sports. She was supposed to be the sweet, refined type who was nice to everyone but always kept a classy distance with that elegant smile. That was the fake persona, the "camouflage" she put on for the world.
And here Haruki was, flashing a smile no one had ever seen before at some random boy (Hayato) and being totally proactive in their convo.
To top it off, Hayato didn't look nearly as sharp as he did when his little sis (Himeko) had made him over the other day. He even had a stubborn tuft of bedhead sticking out.
There was no way people wouldn't be curious. In fact, some were already starting to whisper.
Hayato wasn't used to this kind of nosy attention at all, so he just let out a heavy sigh like, "Give me a break, already."
Still, Hayato didn't have any intention of scolding Haruki, especially since he knew she was trying her best to change for the better.
"Look, if you close the gap too fast like this, things are gonna get messy, right? Isn't that right, Nikaidō-san?"
"...Yeah, I guess you're right."
Haruki mumbled, looking totally bummed as she looked down and took a step back.
Seeing Haruki like that gave Hayato a little pang in his chest, but there wasn't much he could do about it right now.
Hayato gave his head a quick scratch and flashed a "See ya" wave before speeding off to get away from the crowd.
Watching Hayato's back as he walked away, Haruki whispered to herself.
"Guess I gotta start by filling in the outer moat first, huh?"
Haruki had this provocative smirk on her face, like she was low-key plotting something devious.
Author's Notes:
A bit on the short side this time.
*Important Announcement*
So, that big 5.4 major update finally dropped, huh?
To all my fellow Warriors of Light out there...
If we cross paths on the other side, let’s have a good one!
\Meow/
ハ,,ハ
(゜ー゜*)
cuuc,,)~
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: