[Warning 15+]
Author's Notes:
From here on out, it's feeling like Part 3 Sub-Part 2.
Part Three"―Seriously, Your Vibe Hasn't Changed a Bit Since the Old Days!"Chapter 91Study Sesh and a Little Favor
It was high noon, and the summer sun was out in full force, totally flexin' from the highest point in the sky.
Unlike the single-track vibes back in Tsukinose, the area in front of the city station was huge and packed with people. On a weekend, it was even more of a zoo. Instead of those self-service veggie stands, the streets were lined with all sorts of shops, and Hayato was hanging out inside a family restaurant there. Kazuki and Mori Iori were with Hayato too.
"Ugh, man! The way you use prepositions like on, in, or at makes zero sense!"
"Haha, maybe people learning Japanese feel the same way about our particles, like 'te-ni-wo-ha'."
"Well, I just picture a glass. Since you pour it on the ice, it's on. If you drop a plum in, it's in. And if you mix it with water, it's with. That's how I keep it straight."
"Heh, visualizing it like that actually makes it pretty easy to get. But I mean, that's basically..."
"Well, back in the countryside, I was always getting pulled in to help out at banquets."
"I see. That is so like you, Hayato-kun."
Textbooks were spread out in front of Hayato and the boys as they chatted. It was a classic study sesh.
It all started with a message from Mori Iori this morning.
At first, Hayato felt a bit weird about camping out in a family restaurant for hours, but once he saw it wasn't too crowded and other people were doing the same thing—plus the AC was cranking and the drinks were bottomless—he was totally sold on how convenient it was.
"Man, my shoulders are shot! Should we take a breather?"
"Good call, Iori-kun. Let's order something sweet."
"Hmm, it's been about an hour and a half, huh? Wonder what I should get—"
Hayato was in a surprisingly great mood. Turns out, asking and teaching each other stuff with buddies was way more fun than he expected.
The place was super chill too. And the prices? Definitely easy on high school boys' wallets.
(Maybe I should tell Himeko about this place. And Haruki, too...)
Hayato chuckled to himself, thinking about how his little sis—who's supposed to be prepping for exams—always ends up glued to the TV or her smartphone. But the second he imagined Haruki tagging along, he felt his face get hot out of nowhere.
Lately, Hayato'd been feeling totally off.
Just like now, whenever Haruki popped into Hayato's head, his chest would start doing backflips.
"...The heck are you guys lookin' at?"
"Oh, nothing in particular~?"
That's when Hayato noticed Kazuki and Mori Iori were totally burning a hole through Hayato.
The smirks on their faces said everything about whatever expression Hayato'd just made. Feeling super awkward, he aggressively scratched his head and took a big gulp of his iced tea.
"Yo, Hayato-kun, don't you ever like, study with Nikaidō-san or compete for the best grades?"
"Pfft—!? ...Cough, hack... ...Kazuki!"
Obviously, Hayato choked after hearing that, and he shot a sharp glare over at Kazuki.
As for Kazuki, instead of actually making fun of Hayato, Kazuki had this look on his face like he was watching something totally wholesome and sweet.
Watching the two of them go at it, Mori Iori just let out a "good grief" and slurped down the rest of his Coke.
"Seriously, man, I don't even know when you guys got this tight."
"Mori, it's because Kazuki—"
"There it is. He is Kazuki. And I'm Mori. Man, it's been a minute, but I'm the only one feeling left out here."
"I mean, what do you want me to say?"
"So, from now on, call me Iori, alright Hayato?"
"Ugh... ...fine, Iori."
When Iori flashed Hayato a big, goofy grin, Kazuki's smirk got even wider for some reason.
Hayato tried to zone out and look away from the awkward-as-heck situation, but Iori wasn't letting Hayato off the hook.
"Anyway, mind filling me in on what the deal is here? Look at you, Hayato, acting like a total player."
"!? Th-This is..."
Hayato caught his breath as he looked at the screen of the phone Iori was pointing at Hayato.
On display was a shot of Hayato getting chewed out and cornered by Himeko in front of the movie theater. The distance between them looked way too close for comfort. Even though it was totally normal since they're siblings, what would anyone who didn't know the truth think?
Hayato had no clue how Iori got his hands on that. But with that many people around, it wouldn't be weird if one of Haruki or Himeko's buddies had snapped a pic.
Frowning, Hayato glanced at Kazuki—who actually knew the deal—but the boy just nodded along with a grin that basically said, "Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"
"Sigh..." Hayato let out a low, slightly annoyed sigh. He just remembered he actually owed Iori one.
Giving up the ghost, Hayato turned to face Iori, who was practically leaning in with curiosity.
"That's Himeko. She's my little sis."
"Your little sis, huh... ...wait a sec, didn't Nikaidō go around telling everyone that girl was her childhood buddy?"
"...Well, yeah. Haruki and I are childhood buddies too, y'know."
"Huh, I see how it is."
Hayato looked away with a pout like he was totally over it and rested his chin on his hand.
Meanwhile, Iori, still smirking, looked back down at his smartphone and kept teasing Hayato.
"Y'know, Hayato, you really should put some effort into your hair more often. You actually look pretty sharp in this photo."
"Whatever, man. My little sis basically forced me into that style that day, though. Said I wasn't allowed to walk next to her looking like my usual self."
"What a waste."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
While brushing off Iori's comments, Hayato grabbed his mechanical pencil as if telling them to get back to the books, but right then, Kazuki—who'd just been smiling on the sidelines—dropped a total bombshell.
"I think you should step it up too, 'cause I'm sure Nikaidō-san would be stoked to show off her boy, right?"
"H-Haruki's not my girl!!"
Hayato slammed his hand on the table and shot up, practically shouting. Right then, his mechanical pencil snapped with a tragic little crack.
Even though the place wasn't packed, everyone's eyes were suddenly on Hayato. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool, and sat back down with his face turning beet red for a million different reasons.
"Wait, Hayato, you mean you guys aren't actually dating?"
"No way we're dating! Haruki and I are strictly childhood buddies."
"But I'm dating Ema, and we're childhood buddies too, y'know?"
"Ugh, that's..."
When Iori blurted that out with a look of total confusion, Hayato just scowled and went quiet. Seriously, how did people usually see them?
Dating Haruki.
It was something Hayato had never even let cross his mind before. In fact, he'd never considered it, almost as if he wasn't allowed to even think about it.
So having it pointed out like this left Hayato clueless about what to do with this weird, itchy, restless feeling that suddenly bubbled up in his chest.
Watching Hayato squirm, Kazuki leaned in with a bit of a mean streak in his voice.
"Not to get in your business or anything, but Nikaidō-san is a total smoke show, y'know."
"...As much as I hate to admit it, that's a fair objective take."
"If you keep sleeping on this, someone else might just swoop in and take Nikaidō-san, y'know?"
"There's no way that...!"
"There's no way what?"
"...Forget it. Look, let's just get back to studying."
"Haha."
Hayato almost lost it and shouted again, but he forced himself to swallow it down along with the rest of his iced tea and the bitter feeling swirling in his chest.
Kazuki just shrugged like "Here we go again," while Iori muttered to himself with a complicated, kinda troubled look on his face.
"Man, this makes it way harder to ask Hayato for a favor... ...wait, actually, maybe this is better luck?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The plan to hit the pool with everyone once finals are over. I need you to be the one to invite Nikaidō."
"The pool?"
"Ema's acting all shy and hesitant about going if it's just her, and honestly, I'm worried about boys hitting on her at a place like that. Plus, I really wanna see Ema in a swimsuit. Don't tell me you don't wanna see Nikaidō in a swimsuit too, Hayato?"
"!? No, I mean... ...I don't really care. Whatever, I guess Haruki'll probably come if I'm the one asking."
"Sweet, I'll leave it to you then."
Iori flashed a goofy grin, looking totally relieved.
"Sounds like fun. Mind if I tag along? If Nikaidō-san and Isami-san are there, it feels like it'll be a safe bet."
"For sure, you're more than welcome. A safe bet, huh... ...yeah, I think I get what you mean."
"I'm totally over hanging out with boys and girls who are just thirsty for attention."
"Must be tough being that popular, huh?"
Even though Hayato agreed to it, his head was a mess.
Haruki in a swimsuit—the second Hayato even tried to picture it, that image of a half-naked Haruki from when they were alone in his room the other day flashed through his mind. And for some reason, this possessive feeling of not wanting anyone else to see her like that started burning in his chest.
(Ugh, d*mmit!)
Hayato's face was all over the place, switching between a deep red blush and a bitter scowl.
Hayato was so caught up in his own head that he didn't even notice Kazuki was beaming at Hayato, while Iori just kept smirking at Hayato's total emotional meltdown.
Author's Notes:
Hit up the home center for the first time in a minute!
Looks like the Toyger and American Shorthair boys already found their forever homes! Congrats to them!
But the Norwegian Forest Cat boy that I'm totally obsessed with is still there.
So, while I was grabbing some hot pot for dinner and feeling a little buzzed, I blurted out, "Man, I really wanna adopt him."
I know, I know—the money, the scratching posts, the furniture... ...it's a lot! But after talking through some solutions, I'm actually seriously considering it! Mmm, money is still a factor though, so who knows? But honestly, these things are all about timing, so someone might beat me to it and take him home first...
Looks like I'm gonna be stressing over this for a while. Meow.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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It was high noon, and the summer sun was out in full force, totally flexin' from the highest point in the sky.
Unlike the single-track vibes back in Tsukinose, the area in front of the city station was huge and packed with people. On a weekend, it was even more of a zoo. Instead of those self-service veggie stands, the streets were lined with all sorts of shops, and Hayato was hanging out inside a family restaurant there. Kazuki and Mori Iori were with Hayato too.
"Ugh, man! The way you use prepositions like on, in, or at makes zero sense!"
"Haha, maybe people learning Japanese feel the same way about our particles, like 'te-ni-wo-ha'."
"Well, I just picture a glass. Since you pour it on the ice, it's on. If you drop a plum in, it's in. And if you mix it with water, it's with. That's how I keep it straight."
"Heh, visualizing it like that actually makes it pretty easy to get. But I mean, that's basically..."
"Well, back in the countryside, I was always getting pulled in to help out at banquets."
"I see. That is so like you, Hayato-kun."
Textbooks were spread out in front of Hayato and the boys as they chatted. It was a classic study sesh.
It all started with a message from Mori Iori this morning.
At first, Hayato felt a bit weird about camping out in a family restaurant for hours, but once he saw it wasn't too crowded and other people were doing the same thing—plus the AC was cranking and the drinks were bottomless—he was totally sold on how convenient it was.
"Man, my shoulders are shot! Should we take a breather?"
"Good call, Iori-kun. Let's order something sweet."
"Hmm, it's been about an hour and a half, huh? Wonder what I should get—"
Hayato was in a surprisingly great mood. Turns out, asking and teaching each other stuff with buddies was way more fun than he expected.
The place was super chill too. And the prices? Definitely easy on high school boys' wallets.
(Maybe I should tell Himeko about this place. And Haruki, too...)
Hayato chuckled to himself, thinking about how his little sis—who's supposed to be prepping for exams—always ends up glued to the TV or her smartphone. But the second he imagined Haruki tagging along, he felt his face get hot out of nowhere.
Lately, Hayato'd been feeling totally off.
Just like now, whenever Haruki popped into Hayato's head, his chest would start doing backflips.
"...The heck are you guys lookin' at?"
"Oh, nothing in particular~?"
That's when Hayato noticed Kazuki and Mori Iori were totally burning a hole through Hayato.
The smirks on their faces said everything about whatever expression Hayato'd just made. Feeling super awkward, he aggressively scratched his head and took a big gulp of his iced tea.
"Yo, Hayato-kun, don't you ever like, study with Nikaidō-san or compete for the best grades?"
"Pfft—!? ...Cough, hack... ...Kazuki!"
Obviously, Hayato choked after hearing that, and he shot a sharp glare over at Kazuki.
As for Kazuki, instead of actually making fun of Hayato, Kazuki had this look on his face like he was watching something totally wholesome and sweet.
Watching the two of them go at it, Mori Iori just let out a "good grief" and slurped down the rest of his Coke.
"Seriously, man, I don't even know when you guys got this tight."
"Mori, it's because Kazuki—"
"There it is. He is Kazuki. And I'm Mori. Man, it's been a minute, but I'm the only one feeling left out here."
"I mean, what do you want me to say?"
"So, from now on, call me Iori, alright Hayato?"
"Ugh... ...fine, Iori."
When Iori flashed Hayato a big, goofy grin, Kazuki's smirk got even wider for some reason.
Hayato tried to zone out and look away from the awkward-as-heck situation, but Iori wasn't letting Hayato off the hook.
"Anyway, mind filling me in on what the deal is here? Look at you, Hayato, acting like a total player."
"!? Th-This is..."
Hayato caught his breath as he looked at the screen of the phone Iori was pointing at Hayato.
On display was a shot of Hayato getting chewed out and cornered by Himeko in front of the movie theater. The distance between them looked way too close for comfort. Even though it was totally normal since they're siblings, what would anyone who didn't know the truth think?
Hayato had no clue how Iori got his hands on that. But with that many people around, it wouldn't be weird if one of Haruki or Himeko's buddies had snapped a pic.
Frowning, Hayato glanced at Kazuki—who actually knew the deal—but the boy just nodded along with a grin that basically said, "Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"
"Sigh..." Hayato let out a low, slightly annoyed sigh. He just remembered he actually owed Iori one.
Giving up the ghost, Hayato turned to face Iori, who was practically leaning in with curiosity.
"That's Himeko. She's my little sis."
"Your little sis, huh... ...wait a sec, didn't Nikaidō go around telling everyone that girl was her childhood buddy?"
"...Well, yeah. Haruki and I are childhood buddies too, y'know."
"Huh, I see how it is."
Hayato looked away with a pout like he was totally over it and rested his chin on his hand.
Meanwhile, Iori, still smirking, looked back down at his smartphone and kept teasing Hayato.
"Y'know, Hayato, you really should put some effort into your hair more often. You actually look pretty sharp in this photo."
"Whatever, man. My little sis basically forced me into that style that day, though. Said I wasn't allowed to walk next to her looking like my usual self."
"What a waste."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
While brushing off Iori's comments, Hayato grabbed his mechanical pencil as if telling them to get back to the books, but right then, Kazuki—who'd just been smiling on the sidelines—dropped a total bombshell.
"I think you should step it up too, 'cause I'm sure Nikaidō-san would be stoked to show off her boy, right?"
"H-Haruki's not my girl!!"
Hayato slammed his hand on the table and shot up, practically shouting. Right then, his mechanical pencil snapped with a tragic little crack.
Even though the place wasn't packed, everyone's eyes were suddenly on Hayato. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool, and sat back down with his face turning beet red for a million different reasons.
"Wait, Hayato, you mean you guys aren't actually dating?"
"No way we're dating! Haruki and I are strictly childhood buddies."
"But I'm dating Ema, and we're childhood buddies too, y'know?"
"Ugh, that's..."
When Iori blurted that out with a look of total confusion, Hayato just scowled and went quiet. Seriously, how did people usually see them?
Dating Haruki.
It was something Hayato had never even let cross his mind before. In fact, he'd never considered it, almost as if he wasn't allowed to even think about it.
So having it pointed out like this left Hayato clueless about what to do with this weird, itchy, restless feeling that suddenly bubbled up in his chest.
Watching Hayato squirm, Kazuki leaned in with a bit of a mean streak in his voice.
"Not to get in your business or anything, but Nikaidō-san is a total smoke show, y'know."
"...As much as I hate to admit it, that's a fair objective take."
"If you keep sleeping on this, someone else might just swoop in and take Nikaidō-san, y'know?"
"There's no way that...!"
"There's no way what?"
"...Forget it. Look, let's just get back to studying."
"Haha."
Hayato almost lost it and shouted again, but he forced himself to swallow it down along with the rest of his iced tea and the bitter feeling swirling in his chest.
Kazuki just shrugged like "Here we go again," while Iori muttered to himself with a complicated, kinda troubled look on his face.
"Man, this makes it way harder to ask Hayato for a favor... ...wait, actually, maybe this is better luck?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The plan to hit the pool with everyone once finals are over. I need you to be the one to invite Nikaidō."
"The pool?"
"Ema's acting all shy and hesitant about going if it's just her, and honestly, I'm worried about boys hitting on her at a place like that. Plus, I really wanna see Ema in a swimsuit. Don't tell me you don't wanna see Nikaidō in a swimsuit too, Hayato?"
"!? No, I mean... ...I don't really care. Whatever, I guess Haruki'll probably come if I'm the one asking."
"Sweet, I'll leave it to you then."
Iori flashed a goofy grin, looking totally relieved.
"Sounds like fun. Mind if I tag along? If Nikaidō-san and Isami-san are there, it feels like it'll be a safe bet."
"For sure, you're more than welcome. A safe bet, huh... ...yeah, I think I get what you mean."
"I'm totally over hanging out with boys and girls who are just thirsty for attention."
"Must be tough being that popular, huh?"
Even though Hayato agreed to it, his head was a mess.
Haruki in a swimsuit—the second Hayato even tried to picture it, that image of a half-naked Haruki from when they were alone in his room the other day flashed through his mind. And for some reason, this possessive feeling of not wanting anyone else to see her like that started burning in his chest.
(Ugh, d*mmit!)
Hayato's face was all over the place, switching between a deep red blush and a bitter scowl.
Hayato was so caught up in his own head that he didn't even notice Kazuki was beaming at Hayato, while Iori just kept smirking at Hayato's total emotional meltdown.
Author's Notes:
Hit up the home center for the first time in a minute!
Looks like the Toyger and American Shorthair boys already found their forever homes! Congrats to them!
But the Norwegian Forest Cat boy that I'm totally obsessed with is still there.
So, while I was grabbing some hot pot for dinner and feeling a little buzzed, I blurted out, "Man, I really wanna adopt him."
I know, I know—the money, the scratching posts, the furniture... ...it's a lot! But after talking through some solutions, I'm actually seriously considering it! Mmm, money is still a factor though, so who knows? But honestly, these things are all about timing, so someone might beat me to it and take him home first...
Looks like I'm gonna be stressing over this for a while. 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: