"I'm not going," Hayato said calmly.
"Hey, Kobayashi-chan, don't be so stingy, just perform a little. And the resident singer at the bar is also a guitar enthusiast, you might even become friends," Bee Arrow Xiudao said with a thick skin, still smiling and inviting him even after being rejected. He made it seem as if he and Hayato were very familiar friends.
Hayato sighed, his eyes sinking slightly. He planned to bid farewell to this group of people. Then he heard Kurashiki Reina say coldly:
"This guy's musical standards have always been questionable. How 'amazing' can what she calls 'amazing' be?" She glared at Follower Number One, then continued, "At most, it's just private playing level. If he were to go to a bar to perform, wouldn't that be embarrassing?"
↑ This is a lie.
Although she didn't want to admit it, Kurashiki Reina deeply felt that Hayato's guitar skills still had some standard... But precisely because of this, she was even more unwilling to see him perform at a bar and steal all the thunder.
Since he didn't want to go, it wouldn't hurt to do him a favor.
If Hayato said he wasn't going, Bee Arrow Xiudao would still try to persuade him.
But since Kurashiki Reina had spoken, he could only obey. Moreover, he believed Kurashiki Reina was being sincere, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed.
Indeed, a defeated dog is a defeated dog. This Hayato couldn't cause any waves in Reina's heart. For now, I'll let you off the hook.
With this one sentence, Hayato was satisfied, Kurashiki Reina was happy, and Bee Arrow Xiudao was also overjoyed.
But there was one person who was not pleased.
"...Who said that?" Nanao Akane said in a deep voice.
She had originally hidden behind Hayato, calm and composed.
If Hayato didn't cue her, she would never speak, but after hearing Kurashiki Reina's disparagement, Nanao Akane couldn't hold back.
Hayato glanced at her, just about to say something.
Nanao Akane was already glaring with eyes like lightning: "Kobayashi-chan is very amazing! How can you say that about him?!"
If it were someone else saying it, Nanao Akane might still be able to suppress the anger in her heart, but Kurashiki Reina was different.
Because this person was the only girl Kobayashi-chan had ever confessed to, as far as she knew, and she had cruelly rejected him.
Nanao Akane had actually been fiercely jealous of Kurashiki Reina, and still was, because she had heard Kobayashi-chan say "I like you" to her...
Precisely because of her jealousy, she felt angry at Kurashiki Reina for disparaging Kobayashi-chan in such a way.
The current Kobayashi-chan was *her* Kobayashi-chan. You, Kurashiki Reina, have nothing to do with him anymore... So, you are not allowed to bully him like this!
Nanao Akane's reaction made Kurashiki Reina freeze for a moment, then grit her teeth... This idiot! ← And Hayato had the same thought.
Idiot.
He wanted Nanao Akane to shut up, but seeing her eyebrows knitted in anger, and her eyes filled with reluctant tears, the reprimand ultimately remained unspoken.
Bee Arrow Xiudao was overjoyed.
Goodness, he didn't expect such an unexpected gain.
He raised his eyebrows, "Kobayashi-chan, it seems your girlfriend is quite unconvinced."
"Yes," Hayato nodded calmly, then looked at Nanao Akane with a smile: "Akane."
His voice was very gentle, yet it made Nanao Akane's delicate body tremble.
"...Eh, eh?" she stammered, "Wh-what's wrong?"
After venting everything in one go, Nanao Akane slightly sensed that something was off. Hayato's unusually gentle tone further intensified her suspicion—whenever he spoke to her gently, it never meant anything good.
"You know you can't drink alcohol at the bar, right?" Hayato reminded her.
"K-know... Huh? Go to the bar?" Nanao Akane blinked.
Hayato scratched the back of his head: "Since you've said so, if I were to decline again, it wouldn't just be me who's embarrassed."
Nanao Akane continued to look at Hayato, who then sighed and said:
"We can't let others think your taste is bad, right?"
"…Tsk!"
Kurashiki Reina didn't understand Hayato, neither the previous "Xiaolin Village" nor the current "Hayato." But in her opinion, this guy who always had a Sima face was absolutely indifferent, yet today he had changed his personality... because Nanao Akane changed his mind?
She only now realized that the words "girlfriend" spoken by Hayato probably carried more weight than she had imagined.
"Yada zai www ☆ ~ ~" Follower Number One clenched her fists, an expression of anticipation for a good show on her face.
As for Bee Arrow Xiudao, he was even happier.
He was thrilled.
He had originally thought there was no hope, but he never expected such a turnaround.
Heh, Miss, you're pushing your boyfriend to his death~~ But since you're so pretty, next time I'll introduce you to an even better boyfriend. As for whether that "better boyfriend" would share his girlfriend with his good brothers, that's unknown.
"By the way, Mr. Bee Arrow, we haven't eaten yet," Hayato subtly hinted.
"Arrangements, absolutely arrangements," Bee Arrow Xiudao said with a smile. "I'll call the bar right now. Whatever you want to eat, we'll prepare it for you immediately."
"Bao Ge Li Restaurant," Hayato said.
Bee Arrow Xiudao's hand, which was holding his phone, stiffened. He looked at Hayato in surprise.
But Hayato remained unmoving, blinking his eyes innocently.
Bee Arrow Xiudao: ...
Are you sick, you guy?
The food from "Bao Ge Li Restaurant" can only be called "Bao Ge Li Restaurant" if it's eaten inside the Bao Ge Li Restaurant... just like "Starbucks Coffee" is only called "Starbucks Coffee" if it comes in that plastic cup with the Starbucks logo. If you remove the LV logo from a Louis Vuitton bag, can it still be called Louis Vuitton?!
"Bao Ge Li Restaurant" ordered as takeout is completely worthless... Are you teasing me?! Or are you, this country bumpkin, ignorant of such reason?!
But after a standoff of two or three seconds, Bee Arrow Xiudao decided he couldn't lose face. He made a call,
"Help me order some takeout…"
"Ah, I was just joking," Hayato said, beaming. "I didn't expect you to be so generous, Mr. Bee Arrow."
"…Heh, hehe." Bee Arrow Xiudao gritted his teeth after hanging up the phone, and also thought of a trick, pretending to joke and saying, "If your performance, Kobayashi-chan, doesn't satisfy me, then please pay for it yourself. I'll keep the takeout receipt."
Hayato: Hehe.
He didn't take the bait.
Then he felt his phone vibrate.
Even though she was right beside him, Nanao Akane sent him a text message.
> "I, I fell for their trick, didn't I?"
"Only just realized?"
> "Then what do I do! (ó ﹏ ò.)"
"You repent!"
Hayato turned his head and looked at Nanao Akane, whose gaze towards him was already somewhat guilty and embarrassed.
Hayato mouthed something to her.
"..."
Nanao Akane immediately pressed her pleated skirt tightly against her buttocks with both hands, as if afraid it wasn't enough, then forcefully covered her perky bottom along with it.
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