Chapter 65: Cat

The place Ryo wanted to go was a little further than Ishikawa Hayato had imagined, and she also surprisingly had a lot of stamina. Although she wasn't walking fast, she hadn't stopped since leaving the station.

Passing a vending machine, Ishikawa Hayato felt thirsty and ordered a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of orange juice.

Ryo didn't look back, but she slowed her steps slightly, her black Martin boots kicking up dust from the packed dirt ground.

Ishikawa Hayato took out the drinks from the vending machine, caught up, and handed her the orange juice.

“I didn’t know what you like to drink, so I got you the ultimate drink, orange juice, which has a 63% sales rate for minors inside livehouses.”

“If you’re wondering about it this much, couldn’t you have just asked?”

After walking for quite a while in the somewhat warm weather, Ryo’s fair skin was faintly covered in sweat. She took the drink.

“Thanks, but I don’t have any money to pay you back.”

“It’s fine, I’m only just now paying you back for the drink from our first street performance.”

Ishikawa Hayato didn't dwell on why she could afford it before but had suddenly fallen into long-term poverty now.

He replied to Ryo’s previous sentence.

“Walking together quietly just now felt so good, I didn’t want to talk and ruin the atmosphere.”

Ryo tilted her head slightly as she drank, glancing at Ishikawa Hayato, but the next moment...

*Cough, cough!*

She choked.

Ishikawa Hayato quickly took out a handkerchief and pressed it against her collar to prevent the drink from flowing down her neck, while patting her back.

“Relax.”

Feeling the touch of patting her back, he felt that Ryo’s body was worryingly slender, but the sensation was surprisingly good.

Fortunately, she didn't choke too badly. She recovered quickly.

Her slender hand, with slightly rough fingertips, pressed against Ishikawa Hayato’s hand, taking the handkerchief.

“Thanks, I’ll borrow it.”

She took the handkerchief, wiped her juice-stained cheek, and after cleaning it, her gaze searched around, looking at a house by the roadside.

She naturally walked over, knocked on the door and asked, then used the sink to wash the handkerchief clean.

Ishikawa Hayato stood watching.

Soon, she returned, wringing the handkerchief.

“It’s still wet.”

She returned the handkerchief to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato took out a waterproof bag from his satchel, put the handkerchief in it after sealing it.

“No matter, a handkerchief with a maiden’s sweet sweat and fresh orange juice, I can take it home and hang it by my bedside to collect.”

Ryo’s speaking speed quickened slightly.

“I washed it.”

“A pervert’s sense of smell is a thousand times that of a human.”

“Are you a dog?”

“Hmm? Is Ryo a dog person?”

...

“We’re here.”

Ryo stopped and said.

Ishikawa Hayato looked up at the building in front of him.

They were now standing in a desolate yard that still showed signs of occasional care.

In front of them was a school building that looked quite old, its outer wood and paint corroded by time, and its dilapidated walls exuded an eerie aura.

In the sunlight, it seemed to constantly emit loneliness.

Ishikawa Hayato looked for a long time and slowly said.

“Ryo, have you heard of Tenjin…”

“You’re not scared, are you?”

“The brave ones in horror movies…”

“This is Hayato’s weakness.”

“What a joke!” Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help himself; he felt his Pervert status was being insulted.

He said with conviction.

“I can tear down this kind of place with my bare hands when I’m in full pervert mode, but aren’t we here to pull weeds…?”

His voice grew softer as he spoke.

Ryo didn't expose him, but instead walked into the abandoned school first.

If Ishikawa Hayato were to describe it, exploring ruins was interesting, yet boring.

Broken glass accumulated on the ground, some leftover books were corroded, curled, and whitened, and the haphazardly placed desks and chairs were covered in scars.

Some rooms still had relatively fresh signs of people having played there.

It felt like seeing something trying to live its days through the passage of time.

But that was all.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't like this dilapidated feeling. He only found it interesting because he saw Ryo looking around excitedly, showing a different kind of liveliness.

She would sometimes squat down to look at old magazines, sometimes examine old objects on the tables, but she never reached out, seemingly maintaining a lot of caution.

Her movements were also careful; when she squatted, she carefully tucked her skirt between her knees and held the hem to prevent it from getting dusty, and when she walked, she carefully observed the ground.

“I got it now.”

Ryo, startled by Ishikawa Hayato, turned to look at the guy who had suddenly spoken.

“Ryo is a cat person.”

Ryo, who had expected him to say something else, watched him for a while, then turned back to continue exploring.

Ah, he accidentally annoyed her.

Ishikawa Hayato closed his mouth and followed Ryo.

He said that because, from observing her all along, seeing Ryo’s curious exploratory demeanor, her cautious manner, and her usual independent nature, it immediately reminded him of a stubborn stray cat.

His interest in observing her suddenly heightened.

However, he was certain that his frequency of observing Ryo was no different from before.

But he didn't know if it was because of what he had just said, but Ryo’s frequency of looking back increased.

Finally, when Ryo turned to looked back again, Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but ask.

“Ryo, what’s wrong?”

“What are you thinking?”

Ryo’s question was very direct, and so was Ishikawa Hayato’s answer.

“Ryo is so cute.”

“I’ll consider calling the police for sexual harassment.”

Ishikawa Hayato froze for a moment, then hurriedly said.

“No, no, no, how is that sentence sexual harassment?”

Ryo paused, then turned around and continued forward.

Ishikawa Hayato also calmed his heart, which had almost caused him into a panic. 

Overthinking was quite dangerous.

Considering calling the police and all that, he almost let his imagination run wild.

After wandering around the first floor for a while, they thoroughly explored all the rooms except for a few locked ones.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Ryo decisively walked towards the second floor.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the cracked staircase, revealing the mud bricks inside, stopped and asked.

“Ryo, are you sure you want to go up?”

Ryo stopped, turned her head, and said calmly.

“It’s a bit dangerous, but we might be the last guests this place will host.”

Ishikawa Hayato could tell that she didn't necessarily mean to go up and look. Her words also seemed to be confirming his thoughts.

He looked at the cracks on the wall, thought for a moment, and said.

“Alright, just don’t leave my side by more than a meter, and even if the house collapses, I can get you out.”

Ryo nodded and smiled.

“Flag.”

After saying that, she walked up without any fear.

“Don’t jinx it.” Ishikawa Hayato retorted helplessly, then followed.