At first, Kobayashi Ayaka didn't pay much attention. This guy played well, but the recording quality was too poor... Then, Kobayashi Ayaka felt something looked familiar.
She quickly took a screenshot from the video, then zoomed in, zoomed in, and zoomed in again.
Kobayashi Ayaka stared at the grainy photo of the back of a hand for a long time.
Yes, there was no mistake, it was Hayato.
Why was that kid at... The location was 'Kotori Bar'?
It was quite close to here.
And he was with Kurashiki Reina's follower? What's going on? Huh!?
"Ayaka possesses qualities that Hitomi doesn't."
"...Good-looking?"
"...Well, Ayaka is indeed better looking than you, but there's something even more valuable: she won't be swayed by lust, right, Ayaka?"
"Ah, yes, right, exactly. You guys do your problems first, I'm going out for a bit, I have something to do..."
Kobayashi Ayaka immediately stood up.
Under the puzzled gazes of her friends, she pushed open the door and headed straight for Kotori Bar.
Then... she saw Nanao Akane being harassed by a drunkard... "Is this the one?" Hayato looked at the family restaurant sign just a few steps away.
Through the glass, he could see that there were many people inside, and judging by their faces, they were all young students, probably all cramming at the last minute.
"That's right—hurry up!" Kobayashi Ayaka urged, "You probably don't need to study, do you!?"
Being stared at by Mr. Hayashi like this, Ayaka always felt a considerable sense of shame.
"Don't you need to go back?" Hayato asked.
"...I'll take you guys to the subway station first," Kobayashi Ayaka said.
Of course she had to go back. For one thing, her backpack and textbooks were still in the restaurant.
"My head hurts from studying, so I'm taking a walk to get some fresh air," Kobayashi Ayaka said.
"Did your head also hurt from studying earlier, which is why you walked to the bar?" Hayato asked.
Kobayashi Ayaka was furious.
She shot a disdainful glance at Hayato, saying, "None of your business?"
"Yes, yes," Hayato said with a smile.
The three walked side by side on the non-motorized vehicle lane.
Hayato was in the middle.
Nanao Akane was holding onto Kobayashi-chan's right arm. Kobayashi Ayaka gave Nanao Akane a deep look, then looked at Hayato's left arm. She finally raised her hand.
Then she placed it on her own left arm.
"...F-finals cannot be relaxed... Especially you, just because you got first in your grade last time doesn't mean you can do it again!"
"Yes..." Hayato said.
"Answering so perfunctorily, it's clear you're already thinking about where to play during summer vacation..." Kobayashi Ayaka said.
"No," Hayato said.
"Heh, still saying 'no'... Why don't you tell me, where do you want to go during summer vacation?" Kobayashi Ayaka said, feigning indifference.
"Oh, Akane and I are going to Yaso Inaba together," Hayato said.
"Yaso Inaba?" Kobayashi Ayaka hadn't heard of it. "What amusement park?"
"It's my hometown," Nanao Akane replied, "A little-known coastal city... Ayaka-senpai, would you like to come along?"
"I won't bother you," Kobayashi Ayaka said blandly. She gave Hayato a deep look: "You need to be mindful of your manners and speak to elders with respect when you go there."
Damn it, I really want to go with them, but I can't give up my summer job... After all, I still have to take this kid to eat at the Tokyo Grand Hotel... Eh, eh, eh? Does that mean this kid is going to meet Nanao's parents? Eh, eh? Eh, eh, eh? Progressing so fast? Mom, come help me! Save me! Ayaka thought to herself.
"Yes, yes..." Hayato nodded repeatedly, agreeing with a smile.
"Hmm, we've arrived at the subway station."
Kobayashi Ayaka stopped, then turned and walked away: "Then I'll take my leave. You two go home early."
"You too, Ayaka-senpai!" Nanao Akane called out to her.
Kobayashi Ayaka just smiled but didn't reply. After taking two steps, she turned around to look.
Hayato and Nanao Akane were already walking side by side, their backs to her.
"Kobayashi-chan, Kobayashi-chan, let me tell you, if Ayaka-senpai hadn't shown up, I was originally going to kick that drunkard in the same way."
"...Yes, yes..." Hayato seemed perfunctory, but actually responded to Nanao Akane with a smile.
"Huh? Don't you think I'm very brave, Kobayashi-chan?" Nanao Akane said, pouting, "Praise me."
Hayato then raised his hand and ruffled Nanao Akane's hair a few times:
"You did great, Akane."
"Hehe~~" Nanao Akane giggled.
Kobayashi Ayaka looked at her own palm, then at the backs of the two figures in front of her.
She raised her hand, touched her own head a few times, then muttered to herself:
"You also did pretty well, Ayaka..."
Then she fell silent. After a long while, Kobayashi Ayaka put her hand down, then shivered in disgust:
"How disgusting! Damn it!"
She pulled a bubblegum out of her pocket, unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and then blew a big bubble.
After a crisp "pop," it burst... "I! I'm dying!"
Anshi Seiji, having finished his politics exam, slumped into the seat in front of Hayato, his face a picture of exhaustion after meeting God.
"Ah... yes, who wouldn't say the same."
Yamamoto Sakito also walked over, complaining while fiddling with his phone: "The politics questions were quite difficult... But I feel pretty good about Chinese. I think I can get a high score on this essay question. The prompt was 'popularity,' and I wrote 'My Big Brother Hayato.'"
Hayato merely glanced at him. Yamamoto Sakito was still gloating, then he encountered something frustrating on his phone: "Damn, I clicked the 'x' on this ad only to realize that the 'x' was part of the ad! How despicable!"
But at this moment, Anshi Seiji was too weak to join him in cursing the evil advertisers.
He weakly looked up and asked:
"Politics... was okay. What I'm most worried about now is the math exam. Speaking of which, when does the math exam start?"
Yamamoto Sakito tilted his head, looking at Anshi Seiji in confusion: "Yesterday."
Anshi Seiji:...Huh?
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