Chapter 85: Escape (Part 2)

Because it takes Hitori a lot of time to travel to school, she had to wake up early every day.

But today, when it was time for school, she still hid under her covers and wouldn't come out.

Now, when she thought of the word “school,” the image of being surrounded yesterday flashed in her mind.

That large group of people, looking menacing, surrounded her.

Just recalling it made her feel scared, making the already unappealing image of school seem even more terrifying.

No, she was absolutely not going to school. School was too scary.

Today, she was going to drop out today.

Hayato-kun said he would support her, so she was going to tell her mother now to process her withdrawal from school.

Drop out, drop out, drop out, drop out!

Nothing could stop her; she was absolutely not going to school.

“Hitori, you’ll be late for school,” her mother’s voice rang from downstairs.

Hitori sat up, feeling she absolutely had to make things clear.

She tidied her bedding but didn't change her clothes, walking downstairs in her pajamas to express her firm belief that she would not go to school.

Walking in front of her puzzled mother, she very solemnly knelt down in a dogeza.

“Mom, I want to drop out of school.”

She said it loudly and desperately, but her mother’s reaction was calm, as if she had been through countless battles.

“Hitori, have you made up your mind?”

Hearing her mother say this, Hitori felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of relief inside.

She declared her determination without lifting her head.

“I’ve decided! Please let me drop out today!”

“There’s nothing I can do,” her mother replied in a very gentle voice.

Hitori, thinking she had gotten approval, suddenly looked up, gazing hopefully at her mother.

But she saw her mother take out her phone, tap a few times, and then put it to her ear.

Then, after the call connected, her mother said happily, “Hello, is this Hayato-kun? Hitori wants to drop out of school. Could you talk to her?”

“Mom!!”

Feeling betrayed, Hitori cried out in shame and anger, then snatched her mother’s phone.

As she frantically prepared to hang up, she heard a voice from the phone.

“Bocchi, what’s wrong?”

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato’s voice, Hitori didn’t dare hang up directly.

She held the phone with both hands, looking pitiful yet solemn, and brought it to her ear.

“Hayato…”

Her mother watched this scene, smiled, and went about her own business.

Although she was almost late, in the end, Hitori still sat in her seat.

In the morning, Ishikawa Hayato told her that he would resolve everything before lunch break, so she didn't need to worry, and that no one would dare say or do anything to her again.

Then he escorted her all the way into her classroom. After she sat down, he walked to the podium, paused for a moment, and then left.

Hitori noticed that the atmosphere in the entire class suddenly chilled. The few people who had blocked her in the restroom yesterday only breathed a huge sigh of relief after a long while.

She found it amusing but didn't dare to laugh, so she buried her face in her desk.

When the first class ended, Hitori, who still hadn't completely relaxed, felt several people approaching her. She started to get scared and reached for the note.

But what she heard was, “Gotou-san, we’re truly sorry about yesterday! We acted presumptuously without understanding the situation.”

“Kita-chan also clarified things for us this morning. We were wrong. Please give us a chance to make amends.”

Listening to their sincere apologies, Hitori’s hand released the note in her pocket.

She looked down at the two shadows on her desk, a happy smile, completely different from the morning, appearing on her face.

She said cautiously and tremblingly, “Ah… it’s… it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

The surrounding classmates, hearing Hitori’s uneasy voice, remembered what Kita-chan had told them about Hitori being very afraid of strangers.

They also recalled Hitori, after being terrified yesterday, still holding onto Ishikawa Hayato and bravely explaining things to them.

They were immediately overcome with shame.

“Gotou-san, if you ever need help with anything in the future, please come to us… No, please let us help you.”

Listening to their words, Hitori smiled and thought, “Maybe school isn’t so bad after all.”

But it’s still so scary! Being surrounded felt like I was going to be annihilated! I… I still want to drop out!

...

Ishikawa Hayato, who had secretly left Hitori’s classroom, returned to his own classroom.

He immediately met Kita’s gaze, who was slightly worried about the situation.

He smiled and winked, indicating that everything was fine.

Kita also relaxed. She turned back to chat with her friends.

But just as she was about to speak, she heard a voice, “Harem member number two~”

Her eyes instantly lost all their sparkle, and she looked indifferently at the young man sitting in his seat, his back against the bright blue sky.

But that look only lasted for a short while before returning to her usual expression. She sighed deeply and smiled.

...

That evening, in STARRY’s rehearsal room.

When they were getting a bit tired from practice, Nijika glanced at Ishikawa Hayato, then quickly averted her gaze.

She had now confirmed that Ishikawa Hayato’s playful teasing behavior was actually his way of making those around him happy and cheerful.

Moreover, he was very careful to maintain boundaries and never truly angered anyone.

In this regard, Hayato-kun was reliable, but now she was starting to worry about other things.

At the birthday party yesterday, he had put his arms around both Kita-chan and Hitori’s shoulders and declared them his harem.

Neither of them even seemed to object.

She didn't intend to interfere with their romantic relationships, but she noticed Hitori seemed distracted today. She then observed Kita, who appeared calm and unfazed.

She was a bit confused about what was really going on.

So, during their break, she took out her phone and sent a message to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato heard his phone ring, picked it up, and looked at it.

Nijika: [ Hayato-kun, can I talk to you? ]

He put his phone in his pocket and told the others, “I’m going to the restroom.”

After they responded, Ishikawa slowly walked out.

Once he left the rehearsal room, he waited for a while in the quiet venue.

Inside STARRY, all the small lights were off, except for the necessary main lights.

PA-san had left after the performance, and Seika had also gone home.

Lately, Seika had become too lazy to wait for them, perhaps because she had some level of trust in Ishikawa Hayato, or perhaps she felt she couldn't control him anyway.

Not long after, Nijika also came out.

Seeing Ishikawa Hayato waiting nearby, she maintained a relaxed smile and said, “Well then, let’s go outside.”

After speaking, her ponytail swayed, and she walked ahead.

Ishikawa Hayato understood that she wanted to talk seriously, so he didn't joke around and followed her out.

As they walked out of the shop and up the stairs, Nijika spoke.

“Hayato-kun, have you started a relationship with Bocchi-chan and Kita-chan recently?”

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Nijika, who was walking ahead and seemed to be in a good mood.

After thinking, he denied it.

“Hm... I wouldn’t say so.”

Nijika stopped and turned around, showing a hint of displeasure.

“Hayato-kun, I’m talking to you because I trust you not to lie to me.”

Ishikawa Hayato, feeling helpless, began to explain to her.

“It’s true. Bocchi likes me now, but we haven’t started dating yet, and Kita is just a girlfriend in name only.”

Nijika, listening to his seemingly plausible explanation, stared at him dumbfounded, her gaze filled with a helpless expression that said, “Your relationships are really complicated.”

Ishikawa Hayato then told her about the recent events that happened at their school.

“Is that so?” Nijika listened to his words, going from tense to finally relaxed.

She started walking again.

“Hayato-kun is indeed a good person.”

Ishikawa Hayato followed her, walking up the sunken stairs from the shop entrance.

She brought up something that had been bothering her since earlier.

“Then, what about Bocchi-chan’s condition today…?”

She had clearly guessed it but found it hard to state directly.

Ishikawa Hayato spoke frankly, “Well, she’s probably troubled by our relationship or something like that.”

“Then be good to Hitori, and don’t flirt around, okay?”

Nijika walked ahead, giving her advice without looking back.

Her petite figure speaking such mature words didn't feel strange at all.

After speaking, she looked at the vending machine half-hidden in the shadows ahead and asked, “Hayato-kun, do you still just want mineral water?”

Ishikawa Hayato smiled. “Nijika is so thoughtful, but you don’t need to buy any. When I’m with Nijika, I feel my energy, stamina, hunger, and thirst levels are rapidly increasing.”

Nijika didn’t walk towards the vending machine anymore.

She looked at Ishikawa Hayato, smiling, but her voice carried a hint of anger as she said, “I just told you not to flirt around, and you’re already breaking the promise.”

Ishikawa Hayato, in a playful tone, as if trying to wriggle out of the situaton, “I didn’t agree, you know.”

Nijika, uncharacteristically, gave him a disgusted look, as if he were scum.

After a long pause, she finally asked helplessly, “Hayato-kun, is it true that you want to have a harem?”

Several moths fluttered under the orange-yellow light, and the two stood quietly opposite each other in the bright spot.

It was the first time Ishikawa Hayato had been asked this seriously.

He looked at Nijika in surprise.

The dim yellow light, just enough to illuminate this small area, shone on Nijika’s head.

Under her golden hair, she slightly lowered her head. Though she maintained a smile, her gaze carried a thoughtful, pensive sorrow.

Ishikawa Hayato said, “I’ve thought about it, but I'm not sure I'll actually do it.”

Nijika slowly looked up at Ishikawa Hayato.

She wasn’t relieved, but she still said, “Hayato-kun, thank you for telling me the truth.”

Ishikawa Hayato shrugged indifferently.

"As long as you ask me seriously, I’ll tell you the truth.”