"What happened, Suzune-sama?" Meiko asked, concerned.
"Huh?!" Suzune jumped and quickly shook her head.
"Nothing, I'm just feeling a little warm. Meiko, let's go home."
Are you sure? Meiko thought. Suzune-sama, your face is so red.
Could something bad have happened in the training grounds?
The thought alarmed Meiko. Did Usagi Xin do something inappropriate to Suzune-sama?!
"Suzune-sama, wait for me!" Meiko called, wanting to confront Xin, but Suzune was running so fast that she had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow.
"Crap! Did I just try to help Nawaki but accidentally make things worse?" Xin scratched his head, still confused.
The question he'd asked had been for Nawaki, but from Suzune's reaction, it seemed like she'd misunderstood.
Come on, I'm perfectly happy with my own life. Why would I go stirring up trouble with Hyuga Suzune?
Handling branch family girls is complicated enough-dealing with someone from the main family?
No, thanks.
I've done my part helping Nawaki. Whether he succeeds is up to him now. As for the future... I'll just keep my distance.
After calming his thoughts, Xin left the training grounds.
"Come quick, I think Nawaki needs some cheering up."
At the entrance to the training grounds, Nawaki sat on the ground, his eyes dull and lifeless. Minato, who had been trying to comfort him, waved to Xin.
He had been hiding in the shadows, enjoying the show, but now that Nawaki was clearly devastated, Minato had felt too guilty to keep hiding and had come out to offer comfort.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working. Nawaki looked like he had lost all meaning in life.
"What's going on? Why is he so crushed?" Xin asked.
"He got rejected." Minato shrugged, sighing. "Hyuga Meiko already has a fiancé and is getting married next year, so Nawaki's got no hope. And Meiko's got a good head on her shoulders, so she's not looking to cause trouble for herself either."
Well, that was that, then.
If he had fallen for a girl who was headstrong and willing to defy everything for love, Nawaki might have had a chance to push through. Maybe he could have persisted until the Hyuga clan finally gave in.
But in Nawaki's case, it was just tough luck.
For a while, Xin didn't know what to say to comfort him either.
So, the three of them sat together in silence.
After what felt like an eternity, with the sun high in the sky, Nawaki finally stirred.
"Does this count as a breakup?" He asked, his voice hollow.