"I always thought Hayashi-kun was an honest guy. Turns out he's just another playboy carrot," Yabuuchi Hiromi clenched her fist and swung it angrily. "So how did you find out? Did that glasses girl brag to you?"
"No…" Yukiko's cheeks flushed. She fidgeted, twisting the hem of her clothes, clearly debating whether to spill everything.
Hiromi raised a curious brow. "Come on, spit it out. If it wasn't her, don't tell me Hayashi Shuichi confessed himself?"
"Not exactly…" Yukiko tiptoed closer and whispered, "Last night when I kissed him… he was way too skilled…"
"And that's when you realized something was off?" Hiromi burst out laughing.
"Hey! I told you so you'd comfort me, not laugh!" Yukiko stomped, face burning, eyes full of indignation.
"Haha… s-sorry, I'm stopping." Hiromi barely suppressed her grin.
Yukiko huffed, arms crossed. "Should've kept my mouth shut."
Hiromi quickly coaxed her. "Okay, okay, my bad. But it's simple—if he's that much of a player, dump him. Why hesitate?"
Yukiko bit her lip. "But… I can't…"
"You're actually reluctant?" Hiromi rolled her eyes. "There's this thing called the 'four-no man': doesn't initiate, doesn't refuse, doesn't promise, doesn't take responsibility. Hayashi Shuichi is totally that type."
Yukiko looked lost. "Then… what do I do?"
Hiromi put hands on hips. "What else? Since you can't let go, beat the glasses girl and lock him down tight. No other way."
Yukiko's expression turned strange. "But…"
Hiromi patted her shoulder. "Scared? Gunma girls don't back down! Go steal your man!"
Yukiko sighed helplessly. "It's not that. Besides the glasses girl, his cousin likes him too, and that Vermouth woman… something feels off between them…"
"You have three rivals?!" Hiromi's eyes widened. "If Shuhei ever pulled that, I'd castrate him tonight!"
…
Teitan High.
After school, Eri headed to the library as usual.
Hayashi Shuichi walked home alone. At the Mouri building he saw Orihata Midori waiting neatly in her uniform on a blue bicycle.
"Senpai, you're back!" Midori beamed and hurried over.
"Something up? Nagashima Ruko?"
Midori nodded worriedly. "This morning her mom made a huge scene at school, then left crying. I feel bad for her… I want to help."
Hayashi Shuichi nodded. "Let me drop my bag, then we'll head to your school."
"You'll really help?" Midori's eyes lit up.
Sakuragaoka was far; walking would waste time. Midori told him to hop on—she'd pedal.
Hayashi Shuichi sat on the back. As she pushed off hard, he wobbled and instinctively wrapped his arms around her slim waist.
He quickly let go. "Sorry."
"I-it's fine…" Midori's face went scarlet, heart racing.
Midori was pretty and had received plenty of confessions since middle school, but her stubborn personality made her ignore all the boys—none impressed her.
No boy had ever been this close.
"You should hold on, senpai… or you'll fall," she said shyly, voice trembling.
Hayashi Shuichi casually hugged her waist again.
Thanks to daily kendo practice, her waist was incredibly slim and straight—not as soft as Yukiko's, not as bony as Eri's. Unique feel.
While he secretly compared, Midori felt hot all over, cheeks burning.
Near the riverbank they passed a group of elementary kids who knew her. Seeing her carrying a boy, the brats cheered:
"Midori's got a boyfriend!"
"Finally someone wants the tomboy!"
"That big bro's hot—she must've chased him!"
…
Already flustered from his arms, the teasing made Midori panic harder.
Face flaming, she yelled, "You little brats, shut up—!"
Distracted, the bike veered off path and shot down a steep slope toward the river.
"Look out!" Hayashi Shuichi lunged forward, grabbed the handlebars through her arms, and stopped them just before the water.
"You okay?" he asked, leaning down.
Midori, practically in his embrace, stared blankly for a second before shaking her head frantically. "I-I'm fine…"
The kids above kept teasing. Furious and embarrassed, Midori grabbed a clump of dirt and hurled it uphill. "Just you wait till I get you!"
The kids scattered laughing.
Hayashi Shuichi smiled. "You're close with them."
Midori looked down shyly. "They're neighbors… please ignore what they said."
She tried pushing the bike uphill but winced after one step, pain twisting her face.
"What's wrong?"
"I tried braking with my foot earlier… think I twisted my ankle. It's not bad…"
"Don't move."
Hayashi Shuichi parked the bike, had her lean on it, then crouched and lifted her long pleated skirt to check.
"Senpai!" Midori clutched the fabric, mortified.
"Your skirt's so long I can't see anything—relax," he chuckled gently.
"B-but… don't look up!"
"Just checking the ankle."
He carefully rolled down her white sock. A faint bruise was already forming.
Before he could speak, a huge gust whipped past, blowing the lifted skirt straight over his head.
In the sudden darkness, Hayashi Shuichi instinctively looked up—and clearly saw blue-and-white striped panties.
Striped blue-and-white bowl?!
He froze. Midori froze too, staring at the boy practically under her skirt.
A few seconds later they both jerked back.
As light returned, Midori stumbled, knocking the bike over.
Hayashi Shuichi reached to catch her, yanked too hard—they both toppled onto the grass.
He hit the ground first; she landed on top, hands on his chest, faces inches apart. Both flushed bright red.
"S-sorry, senpai…" She tried to get up but pained her ankle and collapsed again.
"Sorry, sorry…"
"It's fine—don't rush, you'll hurt it worse," he said, arms wrapping securely around her waist.
"Th-then what do we do…?"
He sat up, slipped one arm under her knees, the other around her back, and princess-carried her up the slope, setting her gently on a roadside stone.
Then he went back for the bike.
Watching him, warmth flooded Midori's chest—she'd never been cared for like this by a boy.
A breeze brushed her burning cheeks as she remembered the wind earlier.
Hayashi Shuichi pushed the bike up. "What're you thinking about?"
Face crimson, she stammered, "J-just now… you didn't see anything, right…?"
"Blue-and-white…" he blurted, then hastily corrected, "I mean blue-and-white bowls! Perfect for rice. We're thinking of stocking more at the pub."
Midori turned scarlet—she'd thought he only saw her thighs, but he'd seen her panties!
Utterly mortified, she wanted to disappear.
Seeing her distress, Hayashi Shuichi frowned gently. "Your ankle's hurt—maybe skip school today?"
Midori bit her lip, eyes determined despite the embarrassment. "It's nothing. We can't delay Nagashima Ruko—if she's really been kidnapped, every minute counts."
He stopped arguing, carefully helped her onto the back seat.
She gripped the seat, leaning far back to avoid touching him.
"Hold on to me," he said kindly. "If you fall again with that ankle, it'll be serious."
"…Okay." She nodded almost imperceptibly and shyly wrapped arms around his waist.
As he pedaled, her cheek pressed against his back. Feeling his warmth, her heart raced yet somehow felt safe.
Ten minutes later they stopped at Sakuragaoka Junior High gate.
Just as Hayashi Shuichi reached to help her down, shrill bicycle bells rang out.
Moments later, over a dozen colorful bikes swarmed from every direction, surrounding them…
(End of chapter)
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