Chapter 78: Fickle (Part 2)

Sunday, this day was almost like yesterday; when Ishikawa Hayato arrived in the afternoon, they were already practicing.

After finishing their part-time job in the evening, they practiced for quite a while longer. When it was time to catch the last train, Ishikawa Hayato and Hitori hurriedly left.

Time moved to Monday.

Before he even reached his classroom, Ishikawa Hayato noticed that the school's swimming pool had already been cleaned, and it seemed like water was being added to it.

The water, not even a third of the pool's depth, swirled and flowed, creating ripples that occasionally reflected bright light.

As his gaze lingered, the summer heat and mist seemed to rush towards him.

It was then that he suddenly realized that summer had already arrived.

And speaking of summer at school and swimming pools, images of cute girls in school swimsuits immediately popped into his mind.

Thinking that he would soon see beautiful girls in swimsuits, he...

"Good morning!"

Ishikawa Hayato walked into the classroom feeling refreshed, and at the same time, he noticed that the boys in the class were just as unusually excited as he was.

He greeted each classmate who came over.

He noticed that their eyes were all filled with images of sukumizu (school swimsuits).

Meanwhile, the girls looked at this group of perverts and embodiments of lust with disdain.

After returning to his seat, he glanced at Kita, who was a few seats away.

He found that she had stayed up late practicing again.

Her face had undeniable dark circles, yet she was still happily chatting with her friends.

Is this the hardship of a popular person?

Moreover, she seemed less energetic resting at home than she did at Nijika's place.

Indeed, she still needed Mama Nijika the most.

It was lunchtime.

Ishikawa Hayato, as usual, burrowed into the labyrinth formed by the desks and chairs and crawled into the corner.

Today, Hitori was already waiting for him inside.

But her current state... how should he describe it? It was like a rapidly melting ice cream, with various colors mixed together, constantly sliding downwards.

Imagine, now you're in a dark corner, and you've crawled in from outside, unable to turn back. In front of you is a melting girl.

You choose...

Ishikawa Hayato leaned over and tried to poke Hitori's cheek.

"Ah!"

Hitori instantly recovered, then retreated in panic, screaming at the same time.

"Hayato... Hayato?!"

"I'm not that scary, am I?" Ishikawa Hayato sighed, sat opposite Hitori, and put down his bento.

He noticed that Hitori had already set out her lunchbox, chopsticks, and thermos, ready to eat, so he asked while unwrapping his bento.

"What were you thinking about just now, Bocchi?"

Hitori, uncharacteristically, remained flustered in front of Ishikawa Hayato, and even seemed a little nervous when he asked her.

She saw that Ishikawa Hayato had already taken out his chopsticks and was about to start eating.

To prevent him from noticing anything, she quickly said,

"Ah... During homeroom this morning, they said we have swimming class tomorrow. I can't swim, haha, what should I do? I feel like I'll sink to the bottom and everyone will laugh at me. I'll never dare to go to school again."

Her lie became more and more fluent.

Ishikawa Hayato, ready to eat, looked at Hitori, who was completely different from usual, and said,

"Bocchi, put out your hand."

Hitori felt a pang of guilt.

She avoided Ishikawa Hayato's gaze but still obediently extended her hand.

Looking at the shockingly pale little hand in front of him, Ishikawa Hayato raised his hand and gently took it.

Hitori was startled by his sudden movement, but she said nothing, only blushed a little.

However, Ishikawa Hayato's next words made her face change dramatically.

"So, I'm going to read your mind using bone conduction now."

"No, no, no, absolutely not!"

She shrieked, pulling her hand away and pressing herself against the furthest corner from Ishikawa Hayato, looking at him with terror in her eyes.

Ishikawa Hayato chuckled, "Not bad, being able to refuse is progress. I was just joking."

Just as Hitori's mood began to calm, Ishikawa Hayato said,

"I don't need bone conduction to guess that Bocchi is shy about wearing a swimsuit, right?"

Hitori felt a sudden rush of heat throughout her body as if her blood flow had instantly accelerated, yet she inexplicably calmed down.

She timidly, yet seemingly happily, with a hint of unease, nodded.

Ishikawa Hayato asked curiously,

"Didn't you have swimming class in junior high before?"

"No..."

"Then we need to find a way to avoid swimming class."

He stroked his chin and then noticed Hitori's lunchbox, which she had messed up with her own movements.

He clapped his hands together.

"Let's eat!"

Hitori was surprised and happy to hear Ishikawa Hayato immediately take her side without a second thought.

She then quickly followed his lead, and they began their lunch together.

"The simplest way is to tell the teacher you have an excuse not to swim, like high blood pressure, severe myopia, or not feeling well."

Hitori swallowed her food and said,

"That... that, I don't dare to talk to the teacher..."

"It's okay, I’ve decided I’ll go with you. I can even speak for you."

Ishikawa Hayato's tone was very casual, as if saying, 'Do whatever you want, I've got your back.'

Hitori, still eating, felt her heart skip a beat and almost choked.

She quickly grabbed the miso soup cup next to her and took a hurried sip.

Ishikawa Hayato, holding his chopsticks, spoke casually.

"There are many other methods, for example, just not bringing a swimsuit. Although, then you might be pitied by your classmates for being all alone and unable to swim."

If it were him, he wouldn't need all this trouble.

A simple "Teacher, I don't want to go to swimming class" would solve it.

Hitori looked at the boy who was talking eloquently, unhesitatingly taking her side on her thoughts.

In the dim corner, his reliable demeanor suddenly stirred up the patience she had been suppressing.

She had already decided to confess her feelings at that time, but as for other things...

Ishikawa Hayato was mentioning some methods he thought of on the fly, but suddenly he felt the atmosphere in the corner was turning a bit strange.

He looked at Hitori.

Her face was suddenly exaggeratedly red, her lips pressed together, and her eyes seemed to be misty.

She lowered her head, not daring to look at Ishikawa Hayato's face, and asked with a trembling voice,

"Hayato... do you hope I go to swimming class?"

Ishikawa Hayato froze for a moment, sensing in Hitori’s tone that she was trying to convey, 'If you wish it, I'll do anything.'

His heart immediately quickened, and he became restless.

In this dark corner, the girl lowered her head, her pink long hair falling straight down like a curtain, covering her face.

She sat in a duck-sitting position, but one hand was clenched against her chest, the other pressed to the floor, her body leaning slightly forward with a faint tremor, appearing in a completely defenseless state.

In this small corner, an alluring atmosphere had emerged from her unconscious movements and the emotions she was conveying—even after she became aware of them, she couldn’t bring herself to stop.

Ishikawa Hayato took a shallow breath, preparing to suppress his emotions, but it felt as if the air itself was now causing his brain to tingle.

But he still very strongly regained his composure.

They were at school, after all, and it wasn't the right time.

He changed the subject, saying,

"I can't answer Bocchi's question for now, but no matter what Bocchi can't do, you can always ask me for help."

He made an almost imperceptible movement with his hand, which had stiffened from excitement, and took out a slip of paper from his wallet, handing it to Hitori, whose emotions were gradually calming down because of his words.

Hitori still had a blush on her face and pretended to seriously look at what Ishikawa Hayato was holding.

"Hayato, what is this?"

"It's a Pervert Summoning Ticket," Ishikawa Hayato said, relieved as the atmosphere gradually dissipated.

"When you have doubts or anxieties and want help, you can pinch it and call the Pervert."

Hitori tentatively extended her hand, which she herself felt was warm.

After taking it, she looked at the slip of paper. It looked like a cheap lottery ticket, with the words "Summoning Ticket" written on the front, surrounded by a decorative border.

Other than that, there was nothing special

It looked like an ordinary piece of paper.

"But you have to use it at a crucial moment," Ishikawa Hayato said seriously.

"Oh..."

Because it was given by Ishikawa Hayato, Hitori still carefully took out her wallet and put it inside.