"Um… Kazuma-kun, thank you…"
After finally escaping the man's entanglement, Akane Nanao didn't forget to thank him as they walked out of the school gate. She was genuinely surprised—Kazuma was extremely inconspicuous in class, so much so that she barely had any impression of him at all.
Who would have thought he could stand up to Tougou like that? Her impression of him had been completely overturned.
Since you're so grateful, shouldn't my wish list finally change? Why hasn't it moved at all? Kazuma complained inwardly, but outwardly he wore an innocent expression.
"Why are you thanking me? Did I do anything?"
"Huh?"
Akane Nanao froze.
Kazuma looked back at her with clear, innocent eyes. His expression was so sincere that it seemed as though he truly had no idea what she meant. Kanna Hiiragi couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
"Don't be modest, Kazuma-kun. I really didn't expect you to dare confront him. You've completely changed my impression of you—though to be honest, I didn't have one before," Kanna Hiiragi said, sticking out her tongue. She patted her chest, which was still rising and falling, and clenched her teeth.
"That guy is definitely bad news! Akane, you're really in danger in the baseball club. This time it was all thanks to Kazuma—otherwise…"
"Don't talk nonsense. Coach Tougou is clearly a good person," Kazuma interrupted coldly.
"Ah?"
Has he completely lost his mind? What kind of nonsense is he saying now?
Whose side are you even on?!
"What confrontation? I just exchanged a few normal words with him, and he agreed right away. He's very easy to talk to. I think he's the type who looks tough on the outside but is kind-hearted on the inside. He's dedicated and hardworking for the club. Don't speak badly of him."
Kanna Hiiragi: "…"
Akane Nanao: "…"
Looking into Kazuma's clear eyes and listening to him speak so earnestly, both girls fell silent. Their expressions twisted as if they'd just been rear-ended on a highway.
Infuriating.
And yet, strangely enough, Kanna Hiiragi wasn't particularly angry. Instead, she felt an odd, indescribable sensation.
When Katase said similar things before, he just sounded like an idiot—and it made her angry.
But when Kazuma said them, he felt like a shameless bastard, leaving her utterly speechless.
It was really strange.
I wonder if Akane feels the same way. Kanna Hiiragi glanced at Akane's slightly twitching face, then rolled her eyes at Kazuma.
"Just ignore him, Akane. We're going out to eat anyway. Come with us."
So… these two were eating together?
"Can I really come along? Wouldn't that interrupt your time together?" Akane Nanao steadied herself and patted Kanna Hiiragi on the shoulder. "Kanna, I don't want to be a third wheel."
"I already told you it's not what you think. I'm just treating everyone to dinner. Hey, Kazuma, you don't have any objections, right?"
"You're the one paying, so you decide," Kazuma shrugged. "I'm just here to eat."
"Hehe, let's go! I know a great ramen place. Let's try it together~"
The ramen shop Kanna Hiiragi recommended was extremely popular and packed with customers. Kazuma even noticed a super-spicy ramen challenge—finish it within the time limit and it was free. He didn't try it, but silently committed it to memory.
Kazuma took note of the shop, thinking he could come back another day to eat extra-spicy ramen for free.
When the steak ramen was served, Kazuma immediately dug in like a starving ghost. To be honest, it tasted excellent—the broth was rich and flavorful—so he ate even faster.
Akane Nanao and Kanna Hiiragi chatted while eating, but before long, they both lost their appetite. With a sigh, they put down their chopsticks.
"Akane, I'm still worried. If things really don't work out, you should quit the club. That man is too dangerous. I have a bad feeling—if you stay any longer, something will happen."
"Kanna, even if you say that…"
Slurp, slurp—
"And what's wrong with Katase Shoya anyway? His girlfriend is in such a dangerous situation, yet he's completely clueless and just keeps praising that guy," Kanna Hiiragi said indignantly.
Slurp, slurp—
"Kanna, we're not dating yet," Akane Nanao hurriedly explained, then added in a disappointed tone, "But I really didn't expect Shoya to trust Tougou so much."
"I still suggest you—"
"Another bowl, please. And two more fish—my cat's hungry too," Kazuma said casually, while the kitten lying on his lap let out an adorable meow.
Kanna Hiiragi was interrupted. She glanced at Kazuma and continued, "If all else fails, we'll go to the teacher. That guy has a long history of bad behavior. I refuse to believe there's nothing we can do about him."
"But without concrete evidence—and considering the club's performance and the school's reputation—the school probably won't make a big issue out of it," Akane Nanao said after thinking it through.
Slurp, slurp ————
"Then what should we do?"
"Kanna, don't worry. No matter how outrageous Higashi is, he won't dare cause trouble for me at school. I'll just be more cautious," Akane Nanao said with a smile, patting her friend's shoulder to reassure her. "Besides, I'll stay away from him. I'm not stupid~."
Kazuma quietly slurped his noodles while glancing at her from the corner of his eye. The system—which had been filled with question marks moments ago—finally displayed its contents.
[Wishlist (Akane Nanao): I really don't want to see that annoying guy.]
Kazuma narrowed his eyes, slowly grasping how it worked. This wishlist only unlocked after gathering enough clues about the person. Because he had witnessed Kanna Hiiragi's perverted behavior in the classroom, her wish had been revealed immediately.
Slurp, slurp.
"Another bowl."
Before he realized it, Kazuma had already finished three bowls.
The tense atmosphere gradually quieted, broken only by the sound of Kazuma eating. The long-haired beauty glared at him in annoyance. "All you do is eat! Why don't you help Kanna think of a solution too?!"
Kazuma drained the last of his soup. "Sorry. I'm just an ordinary high school student. Asking me to deal with something this troublesome is pointless. I can't do anything."
In truth, he already had an idea. But sticking to his principle of keeping a low profile, he naturally couldn't say it out loud. More importantly, he had to avoid unnecessary risks.
After all, he was just an ordinary high school student.
"Kazuma-kun, I thought you were really cool when you confronted Tougou earlier. But in the end—hmph—you're actually kind of useless," the voluptuous beauty snorted, crossing her arms.
"Trying to provoke me won't work," Kazuma replied calmly. "I really am just an ordinary person with limited abilities." Having finished his meal, he casually petted the kitten with a faint smile. "But Kanna Hiiragi, how dare you call me useless? You were probably scared to death and wet yourself back then, weren't you? Look at you—you coward."
Kanna Hiiragi's face instantly flushed red. Embarrassed and furious, she shouted, "I didn't wet myself!"
Swish, swish, swish.
Every customer in the shop turned to look.
Poor Kanna Hiiragi buried her face in her hands and collapsed onto the table, completely mortified.