Hayato Hayama was full of resentment—and with reason.
These days Yumiko Miura barely bothered to hide it: she treated him with cool indifference, yet was all warmth toward Hayashi Maki. When Yumiko used to cling to him and invite him out, Hayama only felt troubled. Afraid of being misunderstood by the girl he admired—Haruno Yukinoshita—he kept things perfunctory and never spent time alone with Yumiko. If there was anything fun to do, he always invited a few friends so "everyone" went together.
But now that Yumiko no longer clung to him and had shifted that enthusiasm to Hayashi Maki, Hayama couldn't avoid a nameless sense of loss.
People are proud, after all—especially "normies" like Hayato Hayama who control the tone of the group; that pride runs even deeper. A man used to steering the room and being cheered and welcomed—when a once-ardent fan suddenly goes cold, anyone would feel a sharp psychological drop.
At first he thought Yumiko was "playing hard to get" to make him jealous and therefore was deliberately ignoring him and chatting up Hayashi Maki. But by now Hayama could see it:
Yumiko was serious.
She truly wasn't paying him any mind—and was focused instead on Hayashi Maki, who already had a girlfriend. Hayama grew even more depressed.
Was he really worse than a "scumbag" having multiple girlfriends?
He took a deep breath, tried to calm down, and to ignore Yumiko's sweet, cooing voice as she chattered around Hayashi Maki—but the more he tried, the more irritable he felt.
By the long break, Hayama couldn't help it. He took a breath and said to Hayashi Maki:
"Hayashi Maki, could you step out with me? There's something I want to talk about."
"Sure."
Hayashi Maki smiled and agreed. He didn't like Hayama, but the surface friendship needed maintaining. Besides, Hayama was a pretty useful "tool."
Watching the two leave the classroom, Yumiko Miura frowned on instinct.
"What's Hayama want with Maki-kun?"
Hina Ebina spoke up. "Probably about you, Yumiko."
"About me? No way—he's not interested in me." Yumiko's eyes widened and she shook her head. She'd seen through Hayama's nature completely now, and her heart had been stolen by that rogue Hayashi Maki; she wasn't going back, and she wasn't going to have any entanglement with Hayama—at most, just ordinary friends.
Shinka Nibutani: "I think it's about you too. Rumors that Maki-kun's having multiple girlfriends everywhere. As a friend, he probably wants to stick up for you."
Yumiko didn't feel happy—she felt Hayama was meddling. Whatever she did was none of his business; she wouldn't give her heart to a man who didn't care about her. Hindsight heroics were the most annoying.
Ebina pushed up her glasses, a smile tugging at her lips. "There's another possibility! Maybe Hayama and Hayashi Maki finally sparked and fell for each other! With someone like Hayama, he might switch from seme to uke—mmph!"
"Shut it, Hina—what are you even saying? You're cute as long as you don't talk. Do us a favor and keep it that way!"
Yumiko and Shinka clamped hands over Ebina's mouth, glaring at her. Spreading BL again—Hina was impossible.
Others in class were also speculating about why Hayama sought out Hayashi Maki. Tobe's eyes went wide: "Has Hayato finally had enough and is going to properly teach that stealer Hayashi Maki a lesson? Excellent!"
Tobe had long had it out for Hayashi Maki—dating angelic Mahiru, close with Shinka, friendly with top-tier beauties like Gabriel, Vignette, and Yumiko, plus a girl who called him "husband" every day, Ako Tamaki. That damn Hayashi Maki was practically scooping up every cute girl in class!
Couldn't he leave a few for the rest of them?
Like Tobe, the other boys were full of resentment and a little schadenfreude. They hoped Hayashi Maki would come back with a bruised face—that would be satisfying.
—Cut to Hayashi Maki—
Standing in a quiet corridor, Hayashi Maki looked at Hayama with a deadpan line across his face.
"Hayama, maybe don't ask me out alone next time. I can already imagine Hina Ebina nosebleeding."
Hayama scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, I couldn't find a good chance. The long break seemed best."
Thinking of Hina's hobby, even he figured she was probably fantasizing by now and bleeding with excitement.
Hayashi Maki shrugged. "So what's up that needed privacy?"
Hayama glanced at him and sighed.
"Um, Hayashi Maki-san… you and Yumiko seem pretty close lately. Are you dating her? But as far as I know, you're even closer with Shiina every day. What exactly are you thinking?"
Hayashi Maki couldn't help laughing.
"No need to be so euphemistic. You're asking if I'm two-timing, right?"
Hayama forced a smile, but his eyes firmed and he nodded. "Yes. I'm Yumiko's friend, so I don't want her getting hurt. If you're already with Shiina, I hope you'll be honest with Yumiko—don't deceive her."
"But I haven't deceived her. Yumiko knows I'm with Mahiru."
Hayama blinked. "Huh?"
"I said Yumiko knows about Mahiru and me. I didn't lie to her."
Hayama froze. "Are you serious?"
"Of course. I like both Mahiru and Yumiko, so I'm dating them both. Yes, I really am having multiple girlfriends."
Hayashi Maki's frankness short-circuited Hayama.
"Yumiko… doesn't mind? You're not joking?"
"I have zero interest in joking about this with a guy. If you don't believe me, ask her yourself."
Hayashi Maki's unruffled confidence left Hayama little room to doubt. He sighed deeply and couldn't help asking, "Are you planning to keep this up? From high school to college—still this… philandering? Who will you marry in the end?"
"All of them."
"Eh? All? Our country is monogamous. Or are you planning to make the others mistresses?"
"Simple. I'll run my own country and be the king. Then we can all get married."
Hayato Hayama: " … "
~~~
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