Chapter 176

"I like Hitori's courage to take action, I like Hitori's gentleness, I like Hitori's humor, I like Hitori's cuteness, I like that Hitori likes me, I like all of these things that make up Hitori."

Despite the noisy cicadas, the whistling wind, and the sound of falling leaves, Hitori could hear everything clearly. She tried to suppress the grin on her face and felt relieved.

Thankfully, Ishikawa Hayato stopped in the end, otherwise her heart wouldn't have been able to take it.

But thinking of her, she suppressed her shyness and remained silent for a while. She didn't spend much time preparing her words, but instead made preparations.

She turned to face Ishikawa Hayato, but feeling it wasn't enough, she looked up again.

She didn't want to run away anymore, she didn't want to have any thoughts of running away anymore. Her clear and firm gaze met Ishikawa Hayato's, and she took his hand.

It was as if he was allowing Ishikawa Hayato to freely read her thoughts.

He said it slowly and solemnly.

"I love the falcon's carefree attitude, its confidence, and its courage. The falcon is also very gentle, trying its best to help me, teaching me how to navigate the future, giving me courage, protecting me, and making me feel safe. Only the falcon can do this, and only it can do it in this way."

She paused after speaking, then cleared her mind of all distractions, leaving only pure innocence, and looked at Ishikawa Hayato.

"These things are important, but compared to my love for the falcon, none of them matter. I love the falcon very, very much, and no amount of 'very' is enough!"

Hitori worked very hard and expressed her thoughts firmly. Her strength overcame her shyness, and she learned the courage to speak from Ishikawa Hayato, overcoming her anxiety about speaking her mind for the first time.

Even at the very end, she didn't look away, but stared straight at Ishikawa Hayato, as if she had let down the barriers in her heart and let him see into her soul.

Ishikawa Hayato stepped back slightly, but the next moment, he hugged the girl tightly, who shouldn't be called fragile.

Although it was very sudden, after Hitori understood the situation, she hugged him without any hesitation.

In the sweltering park, the two became completely certain of each other's feelings and thoughts.

After hugging for a long time, the two finally felt hot and left the park hand in hand.

While looking for a place to escape the heat, Ishikawa Hayato noticed that Hitori looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say. He looked around and noticed an apartment building next door. He said to Hitori...

"Hitori, your decision to live together next semester hasn't changed, has it?"

"Of course!"

Hitori responded hastily, almost as if she was afraid that Ishikawa Hayato might change his mind.

"The band is taking a two-day break, let's look for it together."

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and said to Hitori, whose face was full of expectation.

Hitori nodded repeatedly.

"Uh-huh!"

Just then, two girls in yukatas walked by, exclaiming, "It's so hot!" and "Why is Yuki-chan out so early?"

Ishikawa Hayato took a look at them.

Hitori looked at Ishikawa Hayato, then at their faces and the clothes they wore.

Just as she started to let her mind wander, Ishikawa Hayato turned to Hitori and said...

"It looks like there's a fireworks display there today. Shall we go check it out tonight?"

He was taken aback for Hitori moment, then breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Um!"

144. Sincerity

A few minutes before the two left the park, unlike Ishikawa Hayato and Bocchi, the other group's communication was not so harmonious.

To Kita drawing attention to her actions, Kita greeted everyone at a normal pace before leaving the starry sky.

Because she was a little late, Liang was already out of sight when she came out.

Fortunately, the roads in the vicinity were not complicated. She looked around, estimated the time, and then chased after Liang in the direction he might have left.

After turning a corner, it turned out that her guess was correct.

Kita's eyes, in this sweltering weather, Ryo was still wearing a long T-shirt. She was isolated from the world, walking slowly down the road like an observer.

Kita before quickly chasing after him.

"Ryo-senpai!"

Liang hesitated visibly for a moment, paused, and then slowly turned around.

Kita caught up to her face, and before he could catch his breath, he heard her calm voice.

"Ikuyo, what's the matter?"

Kita had gotten used to Ishikawa Hayato and Ryo calling her by her name, and she had become able to calmly accept this name that she had initially found difficult to accept.

But she knew very well that the two men had completely different reasons for calling her by her name.

One was meant to express intimacy, the other was just a prank.

Looking at Ryo's face that had once captivated her, she gradually developed a resistance to it and couldn't help but feel that Ishikawa Hayato, with his new style, was no less impressive than Ryo.

Moreover, both of them are people with very distinct personalities.

Kita thought about it and couldn't help but put the two of them together, and inexplicably felt that they were somewhat compatible.

She dismissed those strange thoughts and looked at Liang, confirming.

"Ryo-senpai, have you started dating Hayato-kun yet?"

She believed in Ishikawa Hayato, but she still wanted Ryo to say it himself to confirm Ryo's feelings.

"Um."

Liang responded calmly without any hesitation.

Kita a mix of emotions. Although there were many things that suggested a relationship between the two, the fact that Ryo and Ishikawa Hayato were dating still felt unbelievable.

She confirmed it again.

"That... Hayato-kun, he wants to have a harem."

Liang's expression remained unchanged, showing no reaction whatsoever to having her sore spot touched.

She said.

"It's okay, I can tolerate him to a certain extent."

Liang continued speaking without pausing after finishing her sentence.

"Is that all you want to ask?"

Kita's tone was cool, as if he found her question boring and was disgusted by it.

She asked again, unwilling to give up.

"And what about Gotou-san...?"

"That's the falcon's business."

Liang answered without hesitation.

Kita felt that the answer wasn't wrong, just a little heartless. She avoided eye contact for a moment and cautiously asked for a favor.

"Then at least give Gotou-san some space... she likes Hayato-kun so much..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a cool, narrative voice.

"What does that have to do with me?"

Her golden eyes stared silently at Kita, her gaze and tone revealing nothing but indifference.

Kita was taken aback; she felt a sudden barrier between herself and Ryo.

She knew the other person had a somewhat nasty personality, but she didn't expect them to be this nasty; she was somewhat hurt.

She tentatively spoke, harboring some hope.

"Ryo-senpai isn't that bad, is he...?"

Kita wanted to talk to Ryo about it, but didn't Ryo also want to complain to her?

Seeing that Kita's tone remained weak and that he was a junior member of the band, Ryo's initial anger subsided considerably.

Liang sighed, tugged at her collar, and tried to vent the inexplicable heat rising in her heart.

"Liking someone is my own thought, having a harem is Hayato's choice, and not caring about other people's involvement is Bocchi's own decision. I have no obligation to back down. On the contrary, Ikuyo, what were your thoughts when you came to talk to me?"

After Ryo finished speaking, she suddenly realized the real reason why Kita had come to find her.

She stared at Kita's stunned face.

He was trying to determine whether Kita were intentional or an unintentional, subconscious thought.

"I... I just want to make up for what I owe Gotou-san..."

Kita completely lost her confidence; she knew Hitori didn't need her help.

Seeing Kita's reaction, Ryo knew that Kita was acting impulsively again, and probably didn't even realize it himself.

She instinctively shunned any unwanted people around her boyfriend.

Seeing Kita's foolish behavior, Ryou's anger completely vanished. Why was she competing with a junior?

She stopped hiding her feelings and directly exposed the truth hidden beneath their words, asking bluntly and decisively.

"Ikuyo, have you and Hayabusa broken up?"

Kita jumped in fright. She looked at Ryo, her mouth moving frantically, but she didn't know what to say.

His expression grew increasingly chaotic.

Liang didn't disturb her, quietly waiting for her to give an answer amidst her chaotic state.

After waiting for a while, Kita finally returned to normal, and she said weakly, her head hanging low and her shoulders slumped.

We broke up.

"Um."

Having known him for so long, Ryo still understands that beneath Ishikawa Hayato's seemingly carefree nature lies a strict and meticulous self-disciplined nature.

But the person in front of her was someone she didn't even fully understand herself.

The thought that she was slower than Kita made her reflect on herself.

But not now.

Liang made no attempt to hide anything and began to explain in a leisurely tone.

"Ikuyo, you don't know this, do you? At first, I thought that since Hayabusa and I were the closest, we would be the first to start dating, but you beat me to it."

Kita listened to Ryo's emotionless complaints, he couldn't help but shiver in the sweltering heat.

Liang looked at her nervous expression, but maintained his calm tone.

"So the space isn't given to you, it's something you have to take for yourself. I won't blame you; you should figure out your own thoughts."

Liang has already made it very clear. From now on, it's up to you to decide what you want to do, whether you want to be conflicted or take the initiative.

After she finished speaking, she turned to the side, glanced at Kita in thought, and, to make sure she had nothing else to ask, moved forward.

But after taking only two steps, he heard Kita ask behind him with some unease.

"How did Ryo-senpai find out...?"

Liang, carrying Kita, harboring some wicked thoughts, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"The day of the family's overnight stay at Nijika's house."

After she finished speaking, she vaguely heard a small gasp behind her. She turned to look at him, then left with a satisfied expression.

But after wandering aimlessly through the streets for a while, the coolness only made me feel more and more uncomfortable.

Why would she give advice to her boyfriend's other girlfriends and foolishly cover for him?

She stopped in the shade of a tree and pulled up her collar to cool off.

But unable to suppress her inner turmoil, she still took out her phone.