Chapter 82: Peace (Part 3)

"That's why women are short-sighted—they lack any foresight."

Ishikawa Hayato said disdainfully, completely disregarding that the two he was holding were also women.

"Wha..." Reiko was stunned.

Someone actually dared to do such a thing.

At this moment, Ishikawa Hayato was frantically pointing at Kita with his finger, urging her to snap out of it and play along.

'Kita!! What are you doing?!'

But.

Ishikawa Hayato's exaggerated words and gestures failed to bring Kita back to her senses, and his intentions didn't even reach her.

At this moment, Kita was incredibly cute, with her hands pressed against Ishikawa Hayato's shoulders and her face resting on the back of her hands, as if her mind had crashed.

While Kita was dazed, Ishikawa Hayato looked at the silent scene, and his face gradually grew awkward.

Besides, this was the girls' restroom.

After a pause, he silently ushered the two girls out.

A secluded corner with hardly anyone around.

Ishikawa Hayato pressed his hand against the wall next to Kita in a kabedon-like fashion, leaning close and locking eyes with her.

"Kita? Where's the cooperation? The cooperation? You just had to say something like 'I don't like playboys like you, get lost,' so what were you doing just now!"

Kita was too embarrassed to admit that she’d completely forgotten about that after being hugged just a moment ago.

How could she possibly say something like that? It would be mortifying to death.

Blushing, she tried her best to put on an angry expression.

"Ishikawa-kun, your gestures were all over the place. How was I supposed to understand them?"

"Eh, eh… um, Hayato…"

Watching the two of them about to start arguing, Hitori hurriedly tugged at Ishikawa Hayato's sleeve.

Ishikawa Hayato snapped out of it and turned his head to look at Hitori.

Her hands were still trembling slightly.

He realized that Hitori hadn't fully recovered and was still in a state of fear and anxiety.

With an apologetic look on his face, he asked her.

"Bocchi, can I hug you?"

Hitori nodded rapidly, as if that was exactly what she wanted. She reached out her hands, completely unconcerned that Ishikawa Hayato had just hugged another girl.

Ishikawa Hayato crouched slightly and hugged her. In an instant, her body shook violently, as if she were releasing all the fear she had been suppressing just moments ago.

Ishikawa Hayato patted her back gently.

"Hitori, you did very well. You were brave enough to speak your mind. You're amazing, truly amazing."

Hitori buried her head firmly into Ishikawa Hayato's shoulder.

"Mm."

She responded with a muffled sound.

"But don't push yourself like that next time. Trying too hard will just make you hate the effort itself."

Ishikawa Hayato reminded her in a gentle voice.

She moved her head on his shoulder to indicate she understood.

Clearly, she didn't want to reveal the voice that was on the verge of crying just a moment ago.

Kita watched quietly from the side.

Until the bell for class rang, Hitori let go, and Ishikawa Hayato stood up.

He looked at Hitori, who seemed to have recovered, and asked.

"Bocchi, are you able to go to class now?"

Hitori's eyes were a bit red. She hesitated for a moment, but before she could answer, Ishikawa Hayato spoke again.

"Bocchi, take a step and see."

Hitori obediently took a small step, but as soon as her foot touched the ground, her legs went weak.

Ishikawa Hayato, having anticipated this, immediately caught her, and then he said to Kita.

"Kita, could you please ask the teacher to excuse me, and Bocchi as well?"

"Mm."

Kita nodded, said nothing, and walked away quickly.

After Kita left, Ishikawa Hayato looked at Hitori, who was lowering her head in guilt.

He leaned down, swept one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, and lifted her into a bridal carry.

It was the first time Hitori had been held like this; she felt as if her entire being was leaning against Ishikawa Hayato's chest.

She looked at Ishikawa Hayato in a panic. He met her gaze, but she quickly closed her eyes as if to avoid it, appearing completely trusting of him.

"Let's go to the infirmary to rest for a while."

"Mm."

The hallways were quiet now that class had started.

Ishikawa Hayato thought of an inconspicuous route and walked toward the infirmary.

Arriving at the infirmary, he pushed open the door to find a teacher with the classic look—a white lab coat and black stockings—sitting inside.

Hearing the door open, she turned around and looked at the doorway to see a boy holding a girl in a bridal carry, and she asked.

"What's wrong?"

"She's not feeling well."

The teacher stood up and took a look.

Good grief, this girl had just been here last period.

But since they were already there, she didn't pry. After a simple check-up, she found nothing physically wrong and waved her hand, saying.

"Just find a place to rest."

"Thank you, teacher," Ishikawa Hayato said.

He laid Hitori on the bed, pulled a chair over from the side, and sat down. He held Hitori's hand, which was gradually warming up, and she gripped his hand tightly in return.

The teacher watched, raising an eyebrow.

Perhaps because she had pushed herself too hard earlier and was under too much pressure, now that she had suddenly relaxed, Hitori's expression softened quickly as she closed her eyes, and she began to breathe softly.

Watching her fall into a peaceful sleep, Ishikawa Hayato also relaxed.

Seeping was a very stress-relieving activity.

After she rested for a while and woke up, her mood would be adjusted, and she wouldn't be as scared anymore.

Thinking this, Ishikawa Hayato quietly held her hand, which she was still gripping tightly even in her sleep, without letting go. He adjusted his chair to sit a bit straighter, careful not to disturb Hitori.

Looking at Hitori, who had quieted down and was free of anxiety and the forced smile she had been putting on, Ishikawa Hayato observed her most natural expression.

When calm, Hitori's face was incredibly cute, possessing a delicate, loli-like beauty mixed and intertwined with the tranquility of a young girl.

It was hard to imagine that she, who usually tried her best to avoid eye contact and kept most of her face hidden behind her bangs, had such high aesthetic appeal.

Her skin was also shockingly snow-white.

But Ishikawa Hayato did not reach out to touch her.

At this moment, the teacher walked over and looked at their hands, which were still held together.

"What's the matter? She looks like she's been terrified."

Ishikawa Hayato looked up at her and explained.

"She was almost bullied by a classmate."

"Oh."

The teacher nodded, looked at the girl's gym clothes and her hand tightly gripping the boy's, and admonished.

"No doing anything strange in the infirmary."

Then, she tactfully walked out of the infirmary.

After she closed the infirmary door behind her, the sound of her high heels faded into the distance.

In an instant, the infirmary was left with only the quiet sounds of nature and the soft, rhythmic breathing from Hitori.

Hitori slept for a long time, but Ishikawa Hayato never let go of her hand, waiting patiently the entire time.

To him, such waiting was not boring.

A warm breeze blew in intermittently from the open window, causing the sheer white curtains to dance in the air.

The afternoon sunlight shone onto the bedside table, leaving a warm, bright yellow rectangle.

Cicadas, oblivious to the mood, chirped away, and a sound or two of reading drifted in from the distance.

Time slowly trickled by.

Until, suddenly, Ishikawa Hayato let go of Hitori's hand. Subconsciously, she reached out to grab it, but she missed.

She didn't move again, only squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, her expression tensing up with anxiety.

Ishikawa Hayato stood up. He took out a keyboard and an amplifier, carefully setting them up by the bedside.

He found an outlet in the corner, plugged in the power, and turned the volume of the amplifier down.

He sat down next to Hitori, looked at her, still with her eyes tightly closed, and placed his hands on the keyboard.

Finally, the first soft note emanated from the amplifier.

The gentle yet passionate sound of the piano, as if meant to soothe the anxiety within, quickly layered and resonated throughout the clean, white room.

As the prelude ended, Ishikawa Hayato began to sing softly, accompanied by the gentle afternoon breeze.

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato's singing voice for the first time, Hitori opened her eyes in surprise and looked at the straight, upright back in front of her.

...

"I want to protect you by your side."

"No matter what is about to happen."

"I will use everything I have."

"To keep protecting you forever."

The singing and the piano blended together, so gently that it made one feel like crying.

Hitori had never heard this song before. She stared at Ishikawa Hayato in a daze.

From his singing, she could tell that he too had bad memories, and his life hadn't been smooth sailing either.

At the same time, listening to the lyrics, she shyly thought that the words of this song were a confession, weren't they?

Although she didn't like listening to this type of song, it was different if it was performed for her by Ishikawa Hayato.

She felt a little happy.

When Ishikawa Hayato turned his head, Hitori quickly closed her eyes again, continuing to feign sleep.

But.

"Ouch!"

Hitori, whose forehead had been flicked by Ishikawa Hayato, clutched her head with both hands.

Hitori opened her eyes in grievance, frantically trying to make up a lie to explain, but when she looked at his face, she couldn't come up with anything.

So.

"Hayato, this song is…"

Her voice was weak, but she asked with anticipation in her azure eyes.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't answer her question; he looked at her and smiled.

"You've relaxed, haven't you?" he said, stroking Hitori's head.

Hitori was shy and a bit fidgety as he petted her. While being stroked, she heard Ishikawa Hayato say.

"What is it? I don't know either."

Hitori wondered if it was a song Ishikawa Hayato had composed himself, or even written for her. At the thought of this, she couldn't wait for more people to hear this song.

"Hayato, let's add this song to the band's repertoire."

However, Ishikawa Hayato rejected her suggestion.

"No, this doesn't belong to our songs. Hitori, what I want to hear are the songs you write."

Ishikawa Hayato's voice was heavy and very serious. Hitori looked at him, silhouetted against the sunlight, in confusion, but she still nodded gently.

The final bell of the day rang.

The two, who had shirked their student duties, felt no remorse about skipping class.

Instead, they were happily preparing to leave school on their own.

Ishikawa Hayato sent a message to Kita on Line, then put away his instrument and stood up.

"Bocchi, are you still going to practice today?"

Hitori quickly stood up, her movements suggesting that everything was fine except for attending school, and she hurriedly said, "No, no problem."

"Really? Then dance for me."

Ishikawa Hayato teased.

Without thinking, Hitori followed Ishikawa Hayato's words and began to dance.

Although she tried her best, her 'mudskipper dance' only looked regrettable, especially since she was wearing a tracksuit with a skirt.