[Warning 15+]
Part Five
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 204
This Is the One Thing I Can't Back Down On
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 204
This Is the One Thing I Can't Back Down On
The atmosphere instantly turned hostile.
And startin' with him, the other boys plastered smirk-like sneers of contempt on their faces and surrounded Kazuki.
"One, two, three... ...Woah woah, cheatin' on four girls at once this time?"
"Still surroundin' yourself with chicks, as usual."
"Are you using your Big Sis as bait to reel them in?"
"Must be nice havin' a famous person in the family."
"..."
Kazuki looked down and clenched his fists, diggin' his nails into his skin.
The air was blatantly hostile.
Hayato knitted his brows too. Two of them looked vaguely familiar. Diggin' deep into his memories, they matched the boys who had messed with him at the family restaurant back when they went to the movies.
They were probably Kazuki's acquaintances from middle school.
Hayato didn't know what had gone down between them and Kazuki back then.
Nor did Hayato care to dig up the details.
But Hayato could take a guess.
Hayato'd noticed how the current Kazuki went out of his way at school to avoid bein' alone with girls.
Hayato also knew that Kazuki was stupidly clumsy, awkward with words, and never the type to belittle or hurt anyone. He just knew it.
At the end of the day, Kazuki was a solid boy to be around.
Hayato'd even helped him out as extra shift cover at work recently, hadn't he?
So seeing Kazuki—his buddy—bein' viciously picked on like a punchin' bag pissed Hayato off to no end.
"Kazuki, forget about dealin' with these boys, let's go grab a spot already."
"H-Hayato-kun!?" """"""!?"""""""
Before Hayato knew it, his body had moved on its own.
Ignorin' the shocked Kazuki, Hayato grabbed Kazuki's hand and forcefully shoved his way right through the surroundin' group from the front, actin' like they weren't even worth his time.
They stood dumbfounded for a second, but quickly snapped out of it and grabbed Hayato's shoulder.
"Hey, who the heck are you?"
"We're in the middle of talkin' to Kaidō here!"
"Talkin'? All I hear is a sore loser barkin'."
"Wh-What!?"
However, Hayato peeled their hands off and shooed them away with an annoyed look like he was chasin' off flies.
The boy stumbled over his words for a split second, but at that provocative move, he let out a theatrically dramatic sigh "Phew~" as if recalibratin'. Then he snorted loudly, "Hmph!"
"Well, Kaidō's personality aside, he's got good looks, so girls flock to him. That's why leechers like you stick around hopin' to catch the leftovers. Am I right?"
"I see, so that's what you were doin'. Sure, feel free to think that about me too."
"! Oh, then you'd better make d*mn sure the girl you're targetin' doesn't get snatched away."
"Thanks for the advice based on your own personal experience. It's totally off-target for me, but I'll take it anyway. Is that all?"
"~~Ugh!"
As Hayato brushed them off with a look and tone that practically screamed "Borin'," their faces distorted more and more in anger. Looks like they were out of comebacks.
In the first place, Hayato wasn't hangin' out with Kazuki over some stupid girl reasons, though.
No matter what they said, it was like punchin' jelly—completely useless.
Hayato's exasperated sigh rubbed their nerves raw even further.
Realizin' they were at a disadvantage going toe-to-toe with Hayato, they shifted their target to the group of girls behind him, includin' Haruki.
"Oh, hey!"
Even though Hayato raised his voice to stop them, this time they completely brushed him off.
As their eyes—a mixture of contempt, pity, and lust—scanned the girls' bodies so lewdly it made them feel sick to their stomachs, Himeko tensed up with a start and grabbed the sleeve of Saki's yukata, who was squirmin' in confusion. Haruki put on an openly disgusted face, while Iori stepped forward to shield Ema.
But they didn't stop.
"Hey, why don't you girls hang out with us instead?"
"Yeah, yeah, we'll buy you whatever you want."
"Besides, it's not like Kaidō even gives a d*mn about you girls, though."
"Oh, I know a spot to watch the Fireworks that's way better than here."
"Sweet! Alright, it's a deal!"
"!" "Listen to me!"
Ignorin' Hayato's voice, they reached out toward his little sis Himeko, who was tremblin' and looked easy to push around, and Saki, who was frozen solid.
Hayato tried to scramble in between them, but he was too far away.
In front of both Himeko and Saki, who closed their eyes and cowered, Haruki instantly stepped in to block them, strikin' out in a flash.
"'--Don't touch them. Beat it.'"
With a crisp smack, Haruki slapped his hand away like an iaido quick-draw slash.
Haruki's stance overlapped with the swordsman from a certain anime she had channelled back at the pool against Airi.
The immediate area went dead silent for a second.
The boy whose hand got slapped away even thought he'd actually been cut, puttin' a hand to his neck with a totally dumb look on his face.
But obviously, the boy hadn't been slashed.
However, one of the boys who hadn't seen what happened and only heard the words flew into a rage.
"Why you little, what the heck are you doin'?!""Just a bunch of b*tches shakin' their *sses for Kaidō, though!"
"Gettin' fresh when you're just trashy chicks!"
"Just shut up and come with us already!"
"Eek!" "Hey, stop!" "~Ugh!"
"----!"
Sayin' that, the boy flew into a rage and tried to grab Haruki, Saki, and Himeko.
Even Hayato couldn't just turn a blind eye to that. Clenchin' his fists, he dashed in between them.
"You little, stop—"
"That's enough!"
"What the heck, Kaidō?!"
Suddenly, Kazuki shouted from behind, forcefully grabbin' Hayato's upper arm to stop Hayato. The bullies reflexively turned around too.
"Kazuki...?"
"Don't do it, Hayato-kun."
"!"
Hayato shot Kazuki a protesting look askin' why Kazuki stopped Hayato, but Kazuki shook his head with an awfully serious expression.
As if tellin' Hayato to leave this to Kazuki, or rather, as if this was the one thing Kazuki wouldn't back down on.
Though Kazuki still had his usual pleasant smile plastered on his face, it was an expression Hayato had never seen on Kazuki before.
A chill ran down Hayato's spine. It was a terrifyin'ly bizarre look.
Perhaps sensin' it as well, the bullies reflexively flinched back, but out of stubborn pride, they glared right back at Kazuki.
"Mind if I say one thing?"
"...Gasp, what the heck, Kaidō?"
"Me, I don't really care what you say about me. Not me."
But Kazuki wasn't about to back down from that.
Closin' in on them as they took a step back, Kazuki's grin turned even more chillin'ly ferocious—
"Don't you dare—make fun of my buddies, the people important to me!!!!!"
That this was the one thing Kazuki wouldn't back down to Hayato on.
With that voice and sheer force of spirit, Kazuki slammed his fist straight into the boy's face.
Author's Notes:
Kitty punch! (Like meow~.)