Chapter 64: Dog

After running for a while, Ishikawa Hayato finally put Ryo down.

With Ryo’s gaze fixed on him, he let out a satisfied sigh.

“Kidnapping someone’s daughter right in front of her parents—another perverted deed successfully pulled off, how delightful. I must write this down when I get home.”

Ryo didn’t seem to have much resistance to being forcibly carried away.

She looked at Ishikawa Hayato for a moment, then smiled faintly, saying in a subtle way:

“My family runs a hospital. Although it hasn’t been long, it has been passed down since my grandfather’s time.”

Ishikawa Hayato understood her hidden meaning.

A hospital, and an old, long-established one at that.

Her parents’ connections must be formidable.

But Ishikawa Hayato said nonchalantly:

“Accomplice, you’ll pretend to be my hostage, right?”

Ryo didn't answer. She turned her head and looked at the leisurely, relaxed street of a weekend afternoon.

Ishikawa Hayato wasn’t at all intimidated by her words, watching her idly.

A slightly loose, long-hemmed black shirt made the girl appear fair and slender, paired with a gray pleated skirt.

In this colorful world, she seemed out of place, and under her blue bangs, her golden eyes gazed at the passing crowds, lost in thought.

After a short while, she turned to Ishikawa Hayato and said:

“I need a laborer to pull weeds.”

“Understood!”

Ishikawa Hayato brightly raised his arm, showing off his not-so-impressive biceps.

“Where are we pulling weeds?”

...

On the main street, Ishikawa Hayato and Ryo walked side by side.

Their almost contrasting color schemes gave them no sense of being a couple at all.

Ryo mentioned a place name that Ishikawa Hayato, who often ran in the wilderness, had never heard of.

He took out his phone to check.

It was a place more than an hour’s drive from here.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the calm girl beside him and couldn’t help but inwardly complain that she could run even further than him.

“Then let’s go eat something first. What should we eat~”

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato’s words, Ryo looked at him glancing around and was momentarily stunned.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed her reaction and turned to ask:

“What’s wrong?”

Ryo replied, “Let’s have ramen.”

Ishikawa Hayato was slightly surprised. He had thought Ryo would choose curry, but he didn’t think much of it and began searching for a ramen shop on the street.

Before long, they were seated in a ramen shop.

After ordering from the waitress, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly realized something and asked Ryo:

“Since Ryo has money now, why does she still need to pull weeds?”

Ryo looked directly at him, her tone calm.

“That’s money for musical instruments.”

Ishikawa Hayato thought for a moment.

'Hmm…'

Then he looked up and asked:

“Then you’ll pay for the ramen, right?”

Ryo looked at him for a moment, then broke into a happy smile.

...

'Will anyone truly want this girl in the future?'

Ishikawa Hayato sat on the train, looking at Ryo gazing out the window with a slight grumble.

Not only did she force him to pay just now, but she also peeked into his wallet while he was paying, as naturally as if it were her own.

Fortunately, he dodged quickly and didn’t let her see his full wallet, freshly stocked with manuscript fees.

Otherwise, he would surely be exploited in various ways in the future.

On the sparsely populated train.

Sitting beside Ryo, Ishikawa Hayato, though he didn’t understand what this girl was thinking, could sense that she didn’t have much desire to communicate.

So he took out his phone and started studying in this spare time.

Enjoying his growth process was also a mandatory course for a pervert.

Before long, Ryo withdrew her gaze and looked over, noticing Ishikawa Hayato was still studying at this time, and asked:

“Is Hayato very good at studying?”

“It’s alright. I was sixth in the national unified exam last time.”

Listening to his calm tone, Ryo was momentarily dazed and looked at Ishikawa Hayato’s face.

Seeing his truly casual demeanor, she quietly moved a little further away.

“The unbridgeable line between an academic ace and a slacker?”

Ishikawa Hayato asked in a calm tone.

Ryo didn't speak, turning her gaze elsewhere.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at her.

She was slightly tilting her head, her chin soft, fair, and clean-cut, looking out distractedly, the scenery outside flowing past the window behind her.

He then closed the study app, opened Spotify, took out his headphones from his messenger bag, leaned towards Ryo, and nudged her shoulder.

He offered her the headphones, saying:

“If you don’t mind.”

Ryo turned her head, her golden eyes looking at Ishikawa Hayato, then at the headphones in his hand. She complained:

“These can only make noise, right? Next time, I’ll lend you mine.”

But despite saying so, she took the headphones and put them on her ears without much thought.

While Ishikawa Hayato was happily and pervertedly saying strange things like he’d sleep with the headphones if she lent them to him, Ryo watched the young man beside her.

After he finished speaking, she asked seriously:

“Are you intentionally trying to match with me?”

Ishikawa Hayato was surprised by her blunt question. Noticing her gaze, he turned to face her, their eyes meeting directly without shyness or unease.

He thought to himself how long Ryo’s eyelashes were, and how her golden eyes with their calm expression gave her the cool beauty of a handsome woman, but what he said was:

“In a way, yes, and in a way, no.”

He didn’t hide it, explaining directly:

"Like when two people are walking together, one would unconsciously match the pace of their partner. It’s that simple.”

After explaining, he proudly pointed to himself and said:

“So thank me! A pervert is lofty!”

Ryo calmly retorted:

“This is the first time I’ve seen a pervert like you.”

Ishikawa Hayato smiled, clicked on a song, and casually placed his phone between them.

The Y-shaped headphone cable met between them. They sat two palms apart, one casual, one proper.

As if time stood still.

Under the rays of sunlight, the boy and girl savored the same song.

But good times are always short-lived.

After one song ended, it automatically skipped to the next. As soon as the intro played, Ryo raised an eyebrow and instructed Ishikawa Hayato:

“I’ll choose the song.”

Ishikawa Hayato silently unlocked his phone and handed it to her.

After Ryo pressed a few times, a melody that sounded unfamiliar but pleasant began to play in the headphones.

As mentioned before, Ishikawa Hayato’s choice of music was simply 'if it sounds good,' so whatever song Ryo chose didn’t matter to him.

But once the vocals came in, he couldn’t hold back and turned to look at her.

“Saudi Arabia?”

Ryo tilted her head slightly, a confident, almost mischievous smile on her face.

Listening to the strange vocals, Ishikawa Hayato chuckled and quipped, “You really are something, aren’t you?”

Ryo smiled back, “Didn’t we agree to go at my pace?”

Ishikawa Hayato leaned back in his seat with a relaxed posture.

“Fine, just for the sake of you helping me pretend to be a hostage.”

He finished speaking, closed his eyes, as if beginning to understand and enjoy this novel music.

Ryo leaned slightly forward, looked at his completely closed eyes, thought of something, and her eyelids drooped.

...

The train arrived at the station. As soon as Ishikawa Hayato got off, he felt as if he had ridden one of those old rural minibuses.

Upon arriving at the station, he immediately felt like he had been dropped in the middle of nowhere.

Dense greenery enveloped the small town’s station, and an ancient aura emanated from afar, as if only a lingering breath of humanity remained here.

After the train pulled away, he felt as though all human voices had vanished from the place in an instant, as if he and Ryo had been abandoned in a corner of this world.

The sun during May in Japan wasn't too hot yet. Bright sunlight fell from where the train had departed, spilling into the waiting area and making the ordinary concrete ground dazzling.

In the corner, an old man with white, slightly balding hair seemed to be asleep, leaning back on a slightly faded blue waiting bench.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed his chest was still gently rising and falling.

He then looked at Ryo, but she was already walking towards the exit.

She really is free-spirited.

He quickly followed her.

Coming out of the exit, Ishikawa Hayato saw Ryo take out her phone and scrolling through it.

“Is this Ryo’s first time here?”

“Yes.” Ryo replied.

After she finished speaking, she confirmed the direction, and started walking with her phone in hand.

Ishikawa Hayato followed a couple of steps behind her.

But in less than two minutes, Ryo-neechan turned her head and asked in a puzzled voice.

“Why are you walking behind me?”

“Ah, I just wanted to see when you’d turn around.”

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and caught up with her pace.

Ryo said with a hint of disdain.

“Are you a child…?”

Ishikawa Hayato cupped his hands in front of his chest and sweetly called out.

“Ryo-neechan.”

Ryo silently quickened her pace, and Ishikawa Hayato closed his mouth and quickly followed.