Chapter 106
Hongo Amaha seemed to have thought of something, but couldn't quite grasp it.
She didn't think about it further, glanced at the five people sitting around, completely ignoring that Ishikawa Hayato was right next to her, and asked with a smile.
"So who is Falcon's girlfriend?"
Nijika and Kita froze. Although they wanted to suggest Bocchi, if they let Bocchi out now, he might die if the other side Bocchi! He could be verbally attacked to death!
Kita glanced at Bocchi, and seeing that she didn't admit it, he waved his hand slightly to reassure her.
She smiled and raised her hand.
"I am me."
She was already used to being Ishikawa Hayato's girlfriend at school, so it wouldn't be a problem for her to pretend a little more now.
"Is that so?"
It's unclear what Hongo Amaha thought of after the others' reactions, but she seemed to have found an opportunity.
He said it in a sarcastic tone.
"I knew Hayabusa must have gotten a girlfriend. It's strange, so many girls liked him in junior high, including me back then."
"But he didn't choose any of them. Why did he come all this way to find a girlfriend?"
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Ishikawa Hayato again.
Nijika and Kita were a little caught off guard and looked slightly embarrassed.
Ryo had been calmly watching her the whole time. She hadn't said a word until she saw Hongo Amaha looking at Ishikawa Hayato, at which point she spoke.
"You didn't come here hoping Hayabusa would go back and help you, did you? You've only made Hayabusa unhappy from the beginning. If that's your intention, you can leave now."
Liang's words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing the seemingly harmonious atmosphere of the exchange.
Nijika blinked in surprise at Liang, then raised her voice as if to erase her words.
"Liang, what are you talking about? Haha, that's just how this person is."
Her attempt to warm up the Hongo Amaha, and she seemed to have given up on her act altogether.
"Yes, I came here because I wanted to make him feel uncomfortable."
She looked at Ishikawa Hayato.
"This man clearly has the ability to help many people and do so much more, but he doesn't continue doing it. He suddenly left and is now here playing music with you guys. This makes me extremely unhappy."
Upon hearing her words, Nijika's expression darkened, and Kita also frowned slightly.
Nijika forced a smile and downplayed the issue.
"Isn't it wrong to force others to help others?"
Kita nodded in deep agreement.
Bocchi quickly recovered from her momentary daze, her head bowed, her bangs obscuring her face.
When Ishikawa Hayato saw that she had stopped pretending, he knew the conversation was completely over. He stood up, intending to ask for leave and take her back to her father's office.
But Ryo stood up nimbly and raised his hand to stop Ishikawa Hayato.
Her golden eyes, which appeared completely unwavering, stared directly into Hongo Amaha's eyes.
"From what you just said, I can tell that your starting point is to help more people, but you don't choose to help them yourself."
"Choosing to interfere with other people's lifestyles here, you're not a good person at all; on the contrary, you're consciously committing despicable acts."
"I hate people like you. If you're just trying to make Falcon uncomfortable, please leave. Nobody welcomes you, and you won't get anything done by causing trouble here."
Hongxia did not stop Nijika from speaking bluntly.
In truth, Hongo Amaha knew what she was doing, but when Ryo so ruthlessly tore open her heart, her expression froze.
Seeing how everyone rejected her, she was aware of her situation, but still felt a pang of discomfort.
She pushed the chair backward, making a scraping sound as it hit the floor. She stood up, clenching her fists in frustration.
"You're right, I am indeed doing despicable things, but you will feel my pain when this man betrays and abandons you."
Her eyes gleamed, and she pointed at Ishikawa Hayato with a defiant air.
"This person has nothing to regret. He did so much to save others and to establish the organization."
"And what happened? He just said 'I'm tired of it' and told me he was leaving the club, no matter how much I begged him."
"You might not know this, but he acts according to several rules he set for himself, one of which is to care for the people around him."
"To him, once someone is far away, they are no longer considered close!"
She finished speaking through gritted teeth, then turned and ran outside, wiping her eyes with her hand.
Seeing that he had made her cry, Ryo stood there with his eyes half-closed, looking as if he had done something wrong.
Ishikawa Hayato walked over and patted her on the shoulder.
"Thank you, accomplice. I'll go check on her and be right back."
"Um."
92. Turn
Ishikawa Hayato chased after him at top speed from the livehouse and ran into the street.
He looked around and immediately spotted Hongo Amaha hiding next to the vending machine, with the hem of her skirt and the hem of her loafers peeking out.
He felt a little relieved and walked over.
Hongo Amaha trembled at the approaching footsteps and turned his head as if reluctantly.
Her eyes were red from wiping away tears with the back of her hand.
Even so, she still glared resentfully at Ishikawa Hayato.
She remained as stubborn as ever, refusing to listen to anyone.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Ishikawa Hayato's voice was completely flat.
Hongo Amaha sniffed again, angrily retorting.
"You care about me now? Before, when I begged you, I almost cried, and you didn't even turn around."
"No, I'm just worried that you might get angry and run off. If something happens, it will make me and my friend feel uncomfortable."
"You!"
Hongo Amaha Amane was so angry that she stopped crying. She felt pain in her eyes as she glared at Ishikawa Hayato.
Inside the shop, the four sat in silence.
It wasn't just because of Liang's relentless and aggressive words that made someone cry.
It was also because of what Hongo Amaha said.
Based on the information they had, they were able to determine that the statements were basically true.
Moreover, what is most worrying is that Ishikawa Hayato did not deny it.
They didn't care that Ishikawa Hayato gave up what seemed like such a great career, since it didn't seem like something a high school student could do well.
They couldn't help but think that one day, Ishikawa Hayato might suddenly say, like Hongo Amaha back then, "I'm bored."
Then he turned around and disappeared.
At this moment, Bocchi stood up and said in a very strained voice.
"I'm... excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
After saying that, she ran into the restroom.
After a while, Ishikawa Hayato returned and reported to the three girls who were sitting there.
"I took her to the station, don't worry."
"Um, ah, that's great." Nijika said with a forced smile.
Kita glanced at Nijika, who hadn't dared to ask a question, and then at Ryou, who was unusually silent. She decided to take a gamble and choose to trust Ishikawa Hayato.
She asked.
"Ishikawa-kun, what Hongo-san just said..."
"Most of it is true, isn't it?" Ishikawa Hayato's words shattered her illusions.
The three of them looked up at him in disbelief.
Kita, unwilling to give up, continued to struggle and ask.
"Then you should withdraw from the club..."
"I was really tired of it, because there was no hope in continuing like that. I was going to try a different path, but at that time I didn't know what other options I could have, so I just told her the truth."
Ishikawa Hayato helplessly shrugged. "But she didn't believe me and insisted that I continue."
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it wasn't an irresponsible evasion, so they could still accept it.
Although things were still a bit somber, they decided to put the matter aside for the time being.
After all, there's no use in worrying about things that won't yield results.
Not long after, Bocchi emerged from the bathroom, clutching her stomach and staggering. Her face was ashen, and she was covered in cold sweat.
Ishikawa Hayato noticed her appearance, paused for a moment, and asked.
"Bocchi, what's wrong?"
Bocchi's gaze darted away twice, but he dared not not answer.
"My stomach feels uncomfortable, and I feel a little nauseous..."
Thinking back to the tense scene just now, Ishikawa Hayato realized that it must have been her excessive nervousness that caused her to vomit.
He quickly walked over to help Bocchi, and slowly led her toward the long table.
"Come sit down for a while. Is your stomach feeling any better? Do you want to take some medicine?"
On the other side, Nijika suddenly noticed that the two people beside her, after hearing what Bocchi said, glanced at Ishikawa Hayato and their expressions gradually changed from gloomy to complicated.
They looked at Bocchi strangely, as if they were worried about something else.
Nijika sensed that the two people's expressions had become unusually serious.
She thought for a moment, then asked, puzzled.
"What's wrong with you two? Are you feeling as bad as Bocchi?"
Upon hearing her words, Kita and Ryo's expressions changed, and they looked at each other in alarm. But seeing that the other had the same expression, they immediately felt relieved.
Ryo shook her head slightly, and Kita sighed and shook his head as well. Ryo, who had been sitting upright, relaxed her back.
But then, the two of them looked at Bocchi.
Only Nijika felt excluded. She glanced at Bocchi, but worried that raising her voice might upset Bocchi even more, so she asked in a normal voice.
"Wait! What are you hiding?"
Finally, Liang, unable to bear it any longer, leaned close to Nijika and whispered a few words in her ear.
Nijika's eyes widened instantly, her face flushed, and she pointed incredulously at Ishikawa Hayato was already helping Bocchi over.
She couldn't keep her voice down anymore and said in a trembling voice.
"Hayabusa... Hayato-kun, you did that kind of thing to Bocchi-chan?"
As Ishikawa Hayato supported Bocchi, he noticed the strange looks in the eyes of the two people at the table.
He immediately knew what they were thinking, and then he heard Nijika ask that question.