The Resolution on the Roof
Hinata looked at Hakuo, her expression softening. "Hate? Why would I hate you? Back then, I had my reasons, but now? I don't have a single reason left to hold onto that. Besides," she added with a small, reassuring smile, "you're my friend now. Why would I hate my own friend?"
Hakuo's eyes filled with a deep sense of relief and satisfaction. "Yeah," he murmured, his grip loosening slightly. "We are friends."
Hinata gestured toward her captured wrist. "Now, let go of my hand. I really need to get to class."
Startled, Hakuo quickly pulled his hand back, a faint flush of embarrassment crossing his face. "I'm sorry. I... I forgot I was still holding on."
"It's fine," Hinata laughed, waving it off as she turned to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hakuo. And Kojo, I'll see you this evening. Bye!"
As her footsteps faded down the stairs, Hakuo turned to Kojo, who was standing there with a look of utter bewilderment. "From the look on your face," Hakuo remarked, "I'm guessing you have a lot of questions spinning around in your head."
"Oh, they're spinning alright," Kojo replied, crossing his arms. "But more than that, I'm just wondering how you're still in one piece."
Hakuo frowned. "What do you mean, 'how am I still in one piece'?"
"You know Yumi's brother, right?" Kojo asked, his voice turning serious. "The one we were talking about yesterday—the guy Hinata trashed? One of the main reasons she hit him was simply because he dared to grab her hand. You're lucky you didn't end up in the infirmary."
Hakuo's eyebrows shot up. "Wait. She beat him up just for that?"
"No, not just for that," Kojo clarified. "There's more to it. I'll tell you what I know. You remember Hinata's strange friend, Kaito?"
"How could I forget him so easily?" Hakuo muttered. "I remember him perfectly."
The Incident: One Year Ago
"This happened about a year ago," Kojo began, the scene unfolding like a dark memory. "Matsui Ryouta—Yumi's older brother and the leader of the basketball team at the time—was looking for trouble. Kaito was sitting alone on a bench near the playground during lunch break, minding his own business.
One of their classmates, Watanabe Yui, had approached him to ask for help with a solution to a problem they'd covered in class. They were just sitting there, focused on the notebook, solving the question together. That's when Ryouta and his crew spotted them. They decided to head over, looking to stir up some drama."
Ryouta smirked as he approached the bench. "Well, well. Playing house at school, are we? Looks like a little romance is blooming."
Kaito didn't even lift his head. He kept his eyes on the paper, his pen moving steadily as if Ryouta didn't exist.
Ryouta's smirk vanished, replaced by a flash of irritation. "Hey, brat! Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!"
Yui, her voice trembling, whispered to Kaito, "Kaito... he's saying something to you. Why aren't you answering him?"
Kaito didn't look up. "Don't pay attention to him, Yui. He'll go away on his own eventually. Here—the question is solved. You should head back to class. I'll finish my lunch and follow you in a bit."
Terrified by the rising tension, Yui grabbed her things and hurried away as fast as she could.
Ryouta stepped closer, his shadow falling over Kaito. "You've got a lot of nerve, or maybe you just don't know who I am."
Kaito continued to ignore him, reaching for his lunch box to take a bite. But before he could, one of Ryouta's friends stepped forward and violently kicked the lunch box out of Kaito's hands, sending his food flying across the dirt.