Chapter 98: Reliance (Part 1)

After watching the movie, they went back to designing for a short while, but still couldn't agree on a single plan.

In the end, they could only reluctantly head home without achieving their goal.

Ishikawa Hayato was walking them home.

The five of them walked side by side under the setting sun.

Nijika's face sank, and she looked at him with a disdainful, cat-like glare.

"It's really a disaster for Hibiki to have a brother like you."

"But it's really nice to have siblings, it feels like things will never get boring."

Kita said, smiling with a hint of envy.

Her words made Nijika and Hitori fall into thought.

One thought of her older tsundere sister, and the other thought of her manipulative younger sister.

The two awkwardly averted their gazes.

Nijika: "Hmm, ah, yes."

Hitori: "I feel like my sister looks down on me at home..."

Ryo also interjected, "It's better to be alone. Having siblings at home feels tiresome."

"But friends can also be like siblings, Kita. It's fine to call me Onii-chan."

Kita's expression turned cold.

"Ishikawa-kun, what month were you born?"

"March."

"Guh~"

Kita let out an unwilling cry.

Her birthday was in April, a month later than Ishikawa Hayato, which meant if she really had to, she would have to call Ishikawa Hayato 'older brother'.

"Well, don't take Hayato-kun too seriously."

Nijika smiled and waved her hand, but then she heard Ishikawa Hayato say.

"Nijika-oneechan, Ryo-neechan~"

Nijika was startled.

Just as she felt a little happy, she heard Ryo's retreating footsteps.

She turned her head and saw Ryo looking at Ishikawa Hayato with a look of disgust.

She immediately came back to her senses and instantly changed her attitude, saying.

"I don't want a younger brother like Hayato-kun.  Being your big sister would be way too dangerous.”

"Impossible!"

Ishikawa Hayato said righteously, "If Nijika were my older sister, I would sit guard outside the bathroom door every day. I would definitely insist on protecting Nijika-oneechan's safety, and while I'm at it, record her voice..."

"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Nijika shouted, her face red, covering up the perverted words he was about to say.

The other two also quietly moved away from this pervert.

As he was speaking, Ishikawa Hayato saw the station in sight.

He looked around at the four with some regret.

"Are you really sure you don't need me to take you back? You can even stay here overnight..."

Nijika said with a smile that contained a hint of murderous intent.

"Hayato-kun."

Ishikawa Hayato zipped his mouth shut.

Nijika nodded in satisfaction, but then subtly glanced at her friends beside her and let out a soft sigh.

After bidding farewell to the girls at the station, Ishikawa Hayato went home.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Hibiki standing at the entrance with her arms crossed, an expression of disgust on her face.

Although he had seen it many times, he still had to admire Hibiki's mastery in the art of changing expressions.

She was almost as good as him.

Hibiki sighed when she saw Ishikawa Hayato enter.

"You really are a pervert, openly running a harem."

Ishikawa Hayato didn't care about Hibiki's tone at all.

He smiled, changed his shoes, and walked in.

Before Hibiki could react, he pressed her head into his arms with one hand, stroked her hair, but after accidentally messing it up, he straightened it for her again.

“Hibiki, no matter what, we’ll always be family.”

After he finished speaking, he felt Hibiki swallow, and then she pushed him away.

"I'm never helping you again!"

Hibiki quickly turned around as if to escape, shouting as she ran upstairs.

That night, Ishikawa Hayato looked at the message Nijika sent in the group chat on Line.

Nijika: "The T-shirts are already being custom-made, everyone please look forward to them~"

Ishikawa Hayato: "Are they designed by me?"

Nijika: "..."

Kita thought of the many exquisite designs Ishikawa Hayato had crushed them with today, and was shocked.

"Ijiichi-senpai? It can't be!"

Nijika: "No, no, how could we possibly design them according to Hayato-kun's ideas!"

Ishikawa Hayato: "I'm looking forward to everyone's dresses (drooling)."

Meanwhile, in Ishikawa Hibiki's room, Hibiki opened a wooden box by her bedside.

Inside the unremarkable wooden box was a piece of silk cloth.

She unfolded the cloth, revealing a stack of paper slips identical to the one Hitori held.

A large stack.

She picked one up and held it to the light, but couldn't make out anything.

But she was already used to it.

After gazing at the large stack of paper slips for a long time, she carefully put them away and closed the box.

...

The next day, during lunch break.

As usual, sitting in the corner under the stairs, Hitori neatly arranged her lunch.

She thought about the morning's meeting with Ishikawa Hayato while waiting for him to arrive.

Unbeknownst to her, Hitori's thoughts when going to school each day had changed.

From the initial reluctance to go to school, mixed with the anticipation of finding friends and like-minded people.

To now, simply wanting to meet Ishikawa Hayato, wanting to find that unique young man among the vast crowd.

If he wasn't there, Kita-chan would be fine, but Kita-chan always had her other friends around, so it felt hard to approach...

...

That day, she was still carefully searching for Ishikawa Hayato among the students wearing school uniforms.

Although she knew the chances of seeing him after leaving the station were slim, she couldn't help but glance around.

Just as she was about to give up again, she suddenly heard Ishikawa Hayato's voice beside her, "Hitori!"

Although he was very close, she wasn't startled, and felt very at ease.

Hayato always greeted her in a way that didn't attract other students' attention.

She looked at his face, and after seeing the gentleness in his eyes, she was about to look away.

"What were you looking for just now, Hitori?"

At this moment, the gentleness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a teasing, intimate smile.

Sometimes, she would feel resentment because of his mischievousness.

But that resentment couldn't linger in her heart for long before it dissipated.

And what remained was only more affection.

She answered his question with a mix of hesitation and shyness.

"Look... look..."

As her face grew redder, Ishikawa Hayato abruptly interrupted her, saying.

"Oh, right, how about we go to school together from now on?"

...

Time returned to the present.

"Hehe, going to school together~ We are completely like a couple."

Thinking this, Hitori couldn't help but spring up and giggle

However, at this moment, Ishikawa Hayato squeezed through the gap between the desks. He didn't have his bento and waved at Hitori, saying.

"Hitori, how about we change places to eat?"

Hitori, with a smile still on her face, was startled by Ishikawa Hayato's sudden question.

Her smile faded, and she replied.

"Okay."

Leaving the stairwell corner, Hitori followed behind Ishikawa Hayato.

She had no objection to changing lunch spots.

She was fine with whatever Ishikawa Hayato chose.

But she feared a different scenario.

What if Ishikawa Hayato took her to a place where there were other people?

It wasn't a possessive emotion.

Although she had felt a bit uncomfortable and a little sour when she saw Ishikawa Hayato and Ryo exchange glances that seemed to hint at affection, she could pretend not to care.

It was just that she didn’t want to lose this rare moment of being alone together.

No matter who joined them, her presence would be overshadowed by that person, and she would lose the right to be by Ishikawa Hayato's side.

But after leaving the main school building, she felt a little confused.

Where were they going?

Watching them gradually head towards the club building, her unease began to intensify.

"Hitori?"

Ishikawa Hayato immediately noticed her slowed footsteps.

"Ah, mm."

Hitori said nothing and quickly caught up.

However, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly changed direction and walked towards the other side.

Seeing a seemingly unfrequented grove of trees ahead, Hitori's heart inexplicably relaxed.

There shouldn't be anyone else in such a place.

At this moment, Ishikawa Hayato, walking beside her, suddenly asked hesitantly.

"Hitori, are you afraid of bugs or anything?"

"Not at all."

Hitori answered quickly.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at her as if to confirm, then looked away.

"To what extent are you not afraid...?" His voice sounded a bit hesitant.

Hitori couldn't quite grasp his thoughts yet and honestly recalled how she felt when she saw bugs.

"Cute...?"

But as soon as she said it, she regretted it.

She felt that this answer had no girlish charm at all.

While she was feeling frustrated by her own answer, she saw Ishikawa Hayato relax.

He said, "If there are bugs, help me remove them."

Hitori still hadn't figured out why Ishikawa Hayato asked this of har, and answered promptly.

"Okay."

As they were speaking, the two had already walked into the woods and stopped a few meters away from a huge oak tree.

She saw Ishikawa Hayato look around, then take out a waterproof sheet and spread it on the ground, pointing his index finger at her very seriously and saying.

"If you're lying, and bugs come later, we won't be able to eat, okay?"

Hitori's footsteps paused.

She seemed to have realized something and suppressed a smile as she said, "I'll make sure to chase them away."