Chapter 59: The Answer

On the rooftop, in the cool morning breeze of early May, everything here was refreshing and clean, so clean that one wouldn't imagine anyone being there.

Stepping out from the doorway, Ishikawa Hayato stopped, released Kita's hand, and with his back to Kita, said,

"Sorry, this happened again."

"No... it was my fault for not paying attention."

Kita's voice was a little low. After pausing twice behind him, she walked out.

"Besides, didn't Ishikawa-kun help me out of a difficult situation?"

She quickly adjusted her emotions, smiled, and walked lightly to stand in front of Ishikawa Hayato, looking at him.

"No matter what, Kita sought my help, so how could I ignore her?"

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato's words, Kita blinked in surprise, then dismissed what she had noticed.

Because if she went back now, she would probably be bombarded with questions, and Kita wasn't in a hurry to leave.

Although being with Ishikawa Hayato, with whom she intended to keep her distance, felt strange.

"Ishikawa-kun..."

She walked to the protective netting, looking at the varying heights of the buildings that blocked the view. As she gazed, a gust of wind blew, and she quickly pressed down on the back of her skirt.

But no matter how fast she was, she only reached out to press after feeling the wind. Realizing she might have exposed herself, she turned to look at Ishikawa Hayato.

Seeing his gaze fixed on her skirt, Kita's voice deepened slightly.

"Ishikawa-kun, you aren't bringing me to the rooftop every time just for this, do you?"

Stared at accusingly by Kita, Ishikawa Hayato's expression became a little more serious. Looking at her face, he said earnestly,

"Misunderstanding, this is a misunderstanding. I just like open... spacious places."

Kita bit her lip in annoyance.

She had originally planned to just leave, but looking at Ishikawa Hayato in front of her, something in her heart inexplicably seemed to be persuading her to calm down.

Keeping her hand on her skirt also felt ungraceful. She looked at the tabletop, hesitating whether to sit down.

Ishikawa Hayato pointed to the corner of the wall.

"The sunlight over there seems nice."

Kita looked over.

Indeed, there was a small patch of slanted sunlight in the corner.

And by the wall, she wouldn't have to worry as much about exposure.

She nodded and followed Ishikawa Hayato.

But just as she felt Ishikawa Hayato was quite gentle, she heard him say,

"I've failed as a pervert. From now on, I'll always keep a handkerchief in my pocket."

Although Kita understood what a handkerchief was for, adding the word pervert made her completely confused, and she immediately asked anxiously,

"What are you planning to do?!"

Ishikawa Hayato leaned against the corner of the wall, looking at her with a frivolous, elegant smile. That gentlemanly, mysterious smile, obliquely illuminated by the sun, was enough to make everyone turn their heads.

But now, only he and Kita were on the rooftop.

Seeing him like this, Kita became even more flustered and called out loudly,

"Answer me!"

...

Kita leaned against the wall, quickly relaxing under the warm sunlight. Just as she was slowly letting out a breath,

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at her and said,

"Sorry, things turned out this way."

Kita chuckled softly, looked into the distance, and said playfully,

"It's good that Ishikawa-kun knows."

And as if seeing that Kita's mood had become calm again, the pervert gazed at her face and said with a smile,

"It's just that teasing Kita is so much fun. Seeing your adorable appearance, crying out when bullied, I can't help but want you to show that expression more often."

"Hey..."

Kita looked at Ishikawa Hayato in dissatisfaction, but when her gaze met his teasing eyes, she panicked internally and immediately looked away.

She even shifted her feet sideways a bit.

But while her emotions were stirred, Ishikawa Hayato started speaking seriously again.

"Is it really okay?"

Kita didn't follow his words, but felt she was still being teased, and called out angrily,

"Ishikawa-kun!"

Then, with the unchanging faint smile of the person beside her, her resentment subsided a bit, and she returned to his topic.

"It's okay."

"Is that so?"

"Mm."

"But you were just held captive by the atmosphere?"

"That's because Ishikawa-kun, you made that strange face!"

"But isn't the main reason of because you, Kita? You reacted so strongly."

"But ultimately, wasn't it because of Ishikawa-kun!? You deliberately acted intimately yesterday!"

"No, no, no, I didn't expect you, Kita, would say soemthing like that."

The two suddenly began to quickly shift responsibility, but in the end, Ishikawa Hayato clearly won.

Kita was speechless.

But Ishikawa Hayato didn't seem proud of his victory. His voice softened.

"Then let's consider this a trial—the first trial for you, Kita, to become the person you want to be.”

Kita looked at Ishikawa Hayato in surprise.

She wasn't puzzled by Ishikawa Hayato's mention of a trial, but rather by his words: 'to become the person you want to be.'

She had thought about it, but had never told anyone.

After a moment of hesitation, another thought came to mind, and a sudden worry emerged.

She put on a cunning, inscrutable smile and asked,

"The person I want to become? What kind?"

"Like Ryo, perhaps?"

Ishikawa Hayato deliberately spoke in an uncertain tone.

Kita maintained her smile.

"Ryo-senpai is my idol, after all."

Ishikawa Hayato continued, following her words,

"That's right, you even chose Ryo's style for your bass."

Kita's heart tightened, and she chuckled, lightly pressing her hand to her lips.

"Ah, I've been found out."

Realizing that Ishikawa Hayato understood her better than she had imagined, her gaze flitted away for a moment. She wanted to ask something she was curious about but dared not.

But at that moment, the school's warning bell rang, interrupting her thoughts.

She came back to her senses, let out a relaxed sigh, and stood up straight.

"Ishikawa-kun, let's go back."

But Ishikawa Hayato suddenly asked,

“Kita, are you asking me if I know—"

Kita jumped in fright. She crossed her hands over her chest and said emphatically,

"I didn't think anything, I didn't ask anything!"

Her resistant demeanor successfully made Ishikawa Hayato shut his mouth.

Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's silence, she quickly walked to the door and headed down the stairs.

Ishikawa Hayato followed her.

Watching Ishikawa Hayato's silence again at that moment, Kita murmured softly,

"Ishikawa-kun, you're so cunning."

"Because I'm a pervert."

On the stairs, where only the sound of indoor shoes meeting the ground could be heard, after a long moment of silence, a girl's voice sounded.

"Mm... Pervert."

...

The two walked down the stairs and headed to the classroom together.

The classroom on the first floor wasn't particularly close to the rooftop.

Kita quickly descended the stairs, and no matter her speed, Ishikawa Hayato was always beside her, walking shoulder to shoulder.

In silence, she shifted her gaze from the stairs to Ishikawa Hayato. He was looking down, his gaze fixed on the steps.

His calm gaze, without the slightest waver, gave off a sense of reassurance.

Come to think of it, although she had liked him, she had never understood the Ishikawa Hayato beneath his arbitrary actions and pervert exterior.

After looking for a couple more seconds, she realized something was off and quickly averted her gaze.

He was so quiet at this moment. He was too good at observing things around him.

It really felt like an annoying sense of intimacy.

After turning the corner, the long corridor in front of the classroom was already silent, devoid of any human presence.

They reached the classroom door.

"Kita-san, Ishikawa-kun, please return to your seats quickly."

The teacher was already standing at the podium in the classroom, speaking calmly to the two of them.

Kita's expression stiffened.

'Oh no!'

'Why did he have to come so early today!'

She complained in her heart.

At the same time, she looked into the classroom.

Many classmates were watching them with sparkling eyes.

Wouldn't that make it even harder for her to explain?

She looked to her side.

Ishikawa Hayato wore an indifferent smile, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of his classmates and the slightly unusual look from the teacher, as he confidently walked into the classroom.

'This man!'

Kita complained in her heart, yet she couldn't help but admired him as she followed closely.