[Warning 15+]
Part Two~Save That Old Energy Only For Me, Seriously!~Chapter 78I Don't Dig This
There was a group of four boys standing there.
"Still hanging around girls like always, huh, Kaidō?"
"So, what's the deal with this group? Oh, wait—is it already turning into a total sh*tshow?"
"I wonder how long this one's gonna last."
Hayato didn't recognize any of their faces.
They looked to be about the same age. When Hayato shot a look at Haruki to ask if she knew them, she just gave a small shake of her head. Guess they weren't from the same high school.
But for Kaidō Kazuki, it was a different story. His face was deathly pale—something you'd never expect from a guy who usually kept his cool.
Every single one of them had this nasty, smug grin on their faces as they spat out insults at Kaidō Kazuki. They didn't look friendly in the slightest. The vibe was straight-up hostile.
"...gh."
Kaidō Kazuki hung his head and grit his teeth.
No matter how much they tried to provoke Kazuki, he just clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, refusing to give them a reaction. It was like he was just trying to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
(...What the heck is this?)
Hayato was totally thrown off by the sudden turn of events.
Some random boys just show up out of nowhere and start talking trash about Kaidō Kazuki—who, despite how things ended up, was currently hanging with Hayato—and it definitely didn't sit right with Hayato.
Plus, at least the Kaidō Kazuki he know isn't the type to go around hurting or belittling people on purpose. Hayato couldn't help but knit his brows.
"Hey man, if you're looking to score with girls, you'd better stop hanging out with Kaidō."
"No kidding. We were in school with Kaidō from elementary through middle school, but in the end, he always ends up snatching 'em all away."
"The girls who just fall for it are trash too, honestly. Tsk!"
Then they suddenly turned their attention to Hayato, shooting mocking looks at Haruki and Himeko like they were total jokes.
Jealousy, contempt, hatred... ...it felt like a mix of all that, but something was off. It was a complicated vibe, but it felt like their grudge was aimed at girls in general, rather than specifically at Haruki or Himeko.
Hayato didn't really get what their deal was with Kaidō Kazuki. But based on how they were talking, he could pretty much guess the gist of it.
Kaidō Kazuki is just way too popular. That's gotta be it.
When Hayato stole a glance at him, Kaidō Kazuki was just biting his lip, not saying a word back.
To be honest, Hayato didn't really give a d*mn.
It wasn't like Hayato was that interested in Kaidō Kazuki to begin with.
But when Hayato looked back at those boys, he was hit with the sight of faces twisted with ugly hatred and pure jealousy. It made Hayato's skin crawl. There was something familiar about those expressions.
'They say the one Kaidō-san is actually crushing on is Nikaidō-san.'
Hayato remembered Mitake Minamo's words from back then.
(...Aw, d*mmit!)
Then, Hayato remembered his own childish behavior from the past and started aggressively scratching his head. He felt like he was being forced to watch a replay of his old self, and his face twisted into a grimace. He couldn't stand looking at them anymore.
"The food tastes like cr*p now. We're leaving—Haruki, Himeko... ...you too, Kaidō."
Hayato abruptly stood up, leaving his plate nearly half-full. He snatched the check and headed straight for the register, his face twisted with self-loathing.
"Huh?!"
"You little...!"
"K-Kirishima-kun?!"
Those boys weren't the only ones blindsided by Hayato's sudden move.
Kaidō Kazuki was totally stunned—not just by what Hayato did, but by the fact that his name was actually called. Kazuki looked completely lost and panicked. Himeko had this frantic look on her face, glancing back and forth between everyone and the leftover food on the table, while she tightly gripped the hem of Haruki's skirt.
In the middle of all that chaos, only Haruki remained weirdly calm and collected.
"Hey, just so we're crystal clear on this—I don't like Kaidō or have any feelings for him whatsoever."
Haruki told them off in a flat, robotic tone.
Haruki's words were more than enough to freeze them in their tracks just as they were about to go after Hayato and co.
With everyone staring at her with wide eyes, Haruki kept going, looking totally annoyed as if she were just venting her frustrations.
"I don't like Kaidō; It's actually the exact opposite. I can't stand how he's always faking it just to keep up appearances, never showing how he actually feels, or how he plays nice to everyone just to be liked... ...and yet, he won't be honest with people but expects everyone to just read his mind. Plus, today he just forced his way into our group... ...it seriously pisses me off!"
Who were those words really meant for?
Haruki's voice, which had been steadily getting more heated, ended with a sharp snap as if she were throwing down the gauntlet. Then Haruki narrowed her eyes and shot them a look of pure contempt.
"And you guys, who just talk trash based on surface-level cr*p, are even lower than that. Let's go, Hime-chan."
"...Oh."
Ignoring the boys who were standing there in total shock, Haruki stood up and grabbed Himeko's hand.
To them, this whole thing was coming out of left field.
Still, one of the boys who realized he'd just been insulted by Haruki turned bright red with rage and tried to lunged forward to grab her.
"Hey, wait a sec, you little b-"
"―Hmph!"
"Argh?!"
But Haruki effortlessly dodged the boy with a graceful move and, just for good measure, tripped him up. His own momentum sent him face-planting into the floor, where he sprawled out pathetically, letting out a shameful yelp.
A scene this big was bound to grab everyone's attention in the restaurant. To any outsider, the whole picture was just some boy getting shut down by a total beauty and ending up groveling on the floor.
Looking totally embarrassed, the boy's buddies helped him up and scurried back to their seats. Guess they realized that doing anything else would just be digging their own graves, so they didn't try anything else.
"...Seriously, how lame."
Haruki spat out those words with pure contempt and let out a sigh.
Then, Haruki called out to Kaidō Kazuki, who was still standing there looking completely lost.
"Come on, let's move. ...You too, Kaidou."
"---! ...Right!"
Kaidō Kazuki's voice trembled a little as he replied.
◇◇◇
"Geez, Big Bro, what was that all about?! I was right in the middle of eating, y'know!"
"Oh, sorry about that. My bad, okay?"
A little ways away from the restaurant, Hayato was getting chewed out by Himeko.
Hayato was well aware that he'd acted totally selfishly, so he just took whatever Himeko threw at him. When he looked over at Haruki for some backup, she just shrugged him off. But Haruki's eyes were surprisingly kind. Himeko had that same look in her eyes too.
"Kirishima-kun!"
"Kaidō."
Kaidō Kazuki, who caught up a moment later, immediately bowed his head to Hayato.
"Hey... ...thanks for earlier. Those boys, we went to the same middle school back in my hometown and―"
"Drop it. You don't have to go out of your way to explain. I don't wanna hear it, and I honestly don't care. What I did back there was for my own reasons. It's got nothing to do with you."
"But still...!"
But Kaidō Kazuki wouldn't budge.
Hayato was feeling pretty conflicted about the whole thing.
And when someone throws their feelings at Hayato head-on like this, it's hard for him to just brush them off.
So, with a troubled look on his face, Hayato let out a sigh and spilled his honest thoughts.
"Kaidō, I really can't stand you."
"Haha, yeah, I can tell. But—no, actually, that's exactly why I want us to get along... ...I want to be your buddy."
"...See? It's stuff like saying that out loud that bugs me."
With a casual wave of his hand, Hayato turned around as if to say the conversation was over. He still looked pretty annoyed, but a faint smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Let's hit up another spot to get the bad taste out of our mouths. On your dime, though―...Kazuki."
"---! Oh! Kirishi―Hayato-kun!"
"Oh! In that case, I want something sweet! I wanna try some honey toast!"
"...Oh."
As Hayato started walking, Himeko raised her hand and made her demand known. Kazuki laughed as he joined their little circle.
Haruki just watched the three of them, looking totally dazed for some reason.
"Haru-chan? What's up? We're gonna leave you behindー!"
"Oh, right. Comingー!"
Snapping back to reality, Haruki jogged to catch up with them.
But Haruki had a troubled look on her face, and she let out a quiet murmur, sounding like she was mocking herself.
"...Yeah, I definitely still can't stand Kaidō."
Author's Notes:
I-It's not like I need it, but if there are a lot of people meowing 'Meow' in the comments, it'll totally boost my motivation and make a new update way more likely, okay?! Meow!
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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There was a group of four boys standing there.
"Still hanging around girls like always, huh, Kaidō?"
"So, what's the deal with this group? Oh, wait—is it already turning into a total sh*tshow?"
"I wonder how long this one's gonna last."
Hayato didn't recognize any of their faces.
They looked to be about the same age. When Hayato shot a look at Haruki to ask if she knew them, she just gave a small shake of her head. Guess they weren't from the same high school.
But for Kaidō Kazuki, it was a different story. His face was deathly pale—something you'd never expect from a guy who usually kept his cool.
Every single one of them had this nasty, smug grin on their faces as they spat out insults at Kaidō Kazuki. They didn't look friendly in the slightest. The vibe was straight-up hostile.
"...gh."
Kaidō Kazuki hung his head and grit his teeth.
No matter how much they tried to provoke Kazuki, he just clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, refusing to give them a reaction. It was like he was just trying to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
(...What the heck is this?)
Hayato was totally thrown off by the sudden turn of events.
Some random boys just show up out of nowhere and start talking trash about Kaidō Kazuki—who, despite how things ended up, was currently hanging with Hayato—and it definitely didn't sit right with Hayato.
Plus, at least the Kaidō Kazuki he know isn't the type to go around hurting or belittling people on purpose. Hayato couldn't help but knit his brows.
"Hey man, if you're looking to score with girls, you'd better stop hanging out with Kaidō."
"No kidding. We were in school with Kaidō from elementary through middle school, but in the end, he always ends up snatching 'em all away."
"The girls who just fall for it are trash too, honestly. Tsk!"
Then they suddenly turned their attention to Hayato, shooting mocking looks at Haruki and Himeko like they were total jokes.
Jealousy, contempt, hatred... ...it felt like a mix of all that, but something was off. It was a complicated vibe, but it felt like their grudge was aimed at girls in general, rather than specifically at Haruki or Himeko.
Hayato didn't really get what their deal was with Kaidō Kazuki. But based on how they were talking, he could pretty much guess the gist of it.
Kaidō Kazuki is just way too popular. That's gotta be it.
When Hayato stole a glance at him, Kaidō Kazuki was just biting his lip, not saying a word back.
To be honest, Hayato didn't really give a d*mn.
It wasn't like Hayato was that interested in Kaidō Kazuki to begin with.
But when Hayato looked back at those boys, he was hit with the sight of faces twisted with ugly hatred and pure jealousy. It made Hayato's skin crawl. There was something familiar about those expressions.
'They say the one Kaidō-san is actually crushing on is Nikaidō-san.'
Hayato remembered Mitake Minamo's words from back then.
(...Aw, d*mmit!)
Then, Hayato remembered his own childish behavior from the past and started aggressively scratching his head. He felt like he was being forced to watch a replay of his old self, and his face twisted into a grimace. He couldn't stand looking at them anymore.
"The food tastes like cr*p now. We're leaving—Haruki, Himeko... ...you too, Kaidō."
Hayato abruptly stood up, leaving his plate nearly half-full. He snatched the check and headed straight for the register, his face twisted with self-loathing.
"Huh?!"
"You little...!"
"K-Kirishima-kun?!"
Those boys weren't the only ones blindsided by Hayato's sudden move.
Kaidō Kazuki was totally stunned—not just by what Hayato did, but by the fact that his name was actually called. Kazuki looked completely lost and panicked. Himeko had this frantic look on her face, glancing back and forth between everyone and the leftover food on the table, while she tightly gripped the hem of Haruki's skirt.
In the middle of all that chaos, only Haruki remained weirdly calm and collected.
"Hey, just so we're crystal clear on this—I don't like Kaidō or have any feelings for him whatsoever."
Haruki told them off in a flat, robotic tone.
Haruki's words were more than enough to freeze them in their tracks just as they were about to go after Hayato and co.
With everyone staring at her with wide eyes, Haruki kept going, looking totally annoyed as if she were just venting her frustrations.
"I don't like Kaidō; It's actually the exact opposite. I can't stand how he's always faking it just to keep up appearances, never showing how he actually feels, or how he plays nice to everyone just to be liked... ...and yet, he won't be honest with people but expects everyone to just read his mind. Plus, today he just forced his way into our group... ...it seriously pisses me off!"
Who were those words really meant for?
Haruki's voice, which had been steadily getting more heated, ended with a sharp snap as if she were throwing down the gauntlet. Then Haruki narrowed her eyes and shot them a look of pure contempt.
"And you guys, who just talk trash based on surface-level cr*p, are even lower than that. Let's go, Hime-chan."
"...Oh."
Ignoring the boys who were standing there in total shock, Haruki stood up and grabbed Himeko's hand.
To them, this whole thing was coming out of left field.
Still, one of the boys who realized he'd just been insulted by Haruki turned bright red with rage and tried to lunged forward to grab her.
"Hey, wait a sec, you little b-"
"―Hmph!"
"Argh?!"
But Haruki effortlessly dodged the boy with a graceful move and, just for good measure, tripped him up. His own momentum sent him face-planting into the floor, where he sprawled out pathetically, letting out a shameful yelp.
A scene this big was bound to grab everyone's attention in the restaurant. To any outsider, the whole picture was just some boy getting shut down by a total beauty and ending up groveling on the floor.
Looking totally embarrassed, the boy's buddies helped him up and scurried back to their seats. Guess they realized that doing anything else would just be digging their own graves, so they didn't try anything else.
"...Seriously, how lame."
Haruki spat out those words with pure contempt and let out a sigh.
Then, Haruki called out to Kaidō Kazuki, who was still standing there looking completely lost.
"Come on, let's move. ...You too, Kaidou."
"---! ...Right!"
Kaidō Kazuki's voice trembled a little as he replied.
◇◇◇
"Geez, Big Bro, what was that all about?! I was right in the middle of eating, y'know!"
"Oh, sorry about that. My bad, okay?"
A little ways away from the restaurant, Hayato was getting chewed out by Himeko.
Hayato was well aware that he'd acted totally selfishly, so he just took whatever Himeko threw at him. When he looked over at Haruki for some backup, she just shrugged him off. But Haruki's eyes were surprisingly kind. Himeko had that same look in her eyes too.
"Kirishima-kun!"
"Kaidō."
Kaidō Kazuki, who caught up a moment later, immediately bowed his head to Hayato.
"Hey... ...thanks for earlier. Those boys, we went to the same middle school back in my hometown and―"
"Drop it. You don't have to go out of your way to explain. I don't wanna hear it, and I honestly don't care. What I did back there was for my own reasons. It's got nothing to do with you."
"But still...!"
But Kaidō Kazuki wouldn't budge.
Hayato was feeling pretty conflicted about the whole thing.
And when someone throws their feelings at Hayato head-on like this, it's hard for him to just brush them off.
So, with a troubled look on his face, Hayato let out a sigh and spilled his honest thoughts.
"Kaidō, I really can't stand you."
"Haha, yeah, I can tell. But—no, actually, that's exactly why I want us to get along... ...I want to be your buddy."
"...See? It's stuff like saying that out loud that bugs me."
With a casual wave of his hand, Hayato turned around as if to say the conversation was over. He still looked pretty annoyed, but a faint smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Let's hit up another spot to get the bad taste out of our mouths. On your dime, though―...Kazuki."
"---! Oh! Kirishi―Hayato-kun!"
"Oh! In that case, I want something sweet! I wanna try some honey toast!"
"...Oh."
As Hayato started walking, Himeko raised her hand and made her demand known. Kazuki laughed as he joined their little circle.
Haruki just watched the three of them, looking totally dazed for some reason.
"Haru-chan? What's up? We're gonna leave you behindー!"
"Oh, right. Comingー!"
Snapping back to reality, Haruki jogged to catch up with them.
But Haruki had a troubled look on her face, and she let out a quiet murmur, sounding like she was mocking herself.
"...Yeah, I definitely still can't stand Kaidō."
Author's Notes:
I-It's not like I need it, but if there are a lot of people meowing 'Meow' in the comments, it'll totally boost my motivation and make a new update way more likely, okay?! 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: