Chapter 227

"Let's turn to page 39 and continue from there."

After class, Ishikawa Hayato was surrounded by several students who needed to retake their exams, hoping he could tutor them.

Just as he was about to agree, he saw Kita glance at him, then take his phone and walk outside.

Ishikawa Hayato then addressed the students.

"Ask me during afternoon self-study period, I have something to do right now."

He stood up as he spoke, and the other students sensibly dispersed.

When Ishikawa Hayato walked out of the classroom, Kita was no longer in the corridor, but he calmly walked upstairs.

He leisurely walked to the rooftop and looked at the bright and spacious rooftop.

During the already limited break time, on the rooftop where almost no students were, Ishikawa Hayato spotted Kita making a phone call in a corner.

He walked over.

"Ijichi-senpai, I'm so sorry!"

Kita held her phone, and she wasn't just talking into it; she was also making a very earnest apologetic face as she spoke.

Kita's voice came through Nijika's phone, and Ishikawa Hayato could hear it too.

"It's okay. There's nothing we can do about needing to retake the exam. It's an unexpected situation that your school is starting retakes at this time, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Even though she was the one being apologized to, Nijika offered more words of comfort than the person who apologized.

After Kita repeatedly expressed his apologies, the call between the two ended.

As Kita put her phone away, Ishikawa Hayato stopped a step away from her and teased her.

"There's no need for me to deliver the apology."

"Hayato-kun..."

Kita looked at him reproachfully, her expression suggesting she wasn't about to joke around.

Ishikawa Hayato also stopped smiling and asked seriously.

"What happened?"

Kita's face quickly showed a look of panic. She avoided eye contact and then gave a guilty, perfunctory reply.

"Huh? It's just a makeup exam..."

Aside from matters of the heart, Kita remains as easy to understand as ever.

"Are you even hiding this from your ex-boyfriend?"

Ishikawa Hayato smiled as he stripped away her disguise.

Kita stared at him blankly, opened her mouth, sighed helplessly, and then smiled and said...

"Hayato-kun, don't you know that it's because you're too smart that you became my ex-boyfriend?"

"Don't joke around at a time like this," Ishikawa Hayato said suddenly, but then smiled normally and explained to Kita, who was stunned.

"Ikuyo just had that expression on his face, and now I'm returning it to you."

After he finished speaking, he walked to a bench next to Kita, patted the chair, and said...

"Even if it's an ex-boyfriend, there's always a possibility of getting back together. I'm a little curious about what happened to Ikuyo. Could you tell me?"

Upon hearing Ishikawa Hayato mention "reconciliation," Kita gave a strange yet clever laugh. She sat down next to Ishikawa Hayato, her shoulder almost touching his.

She let out a long sigh before reluctantly recounting her situation.

"It's nothing much, it's just that my family saw I've been busy with the band lately, staying up very late every day... and my exam results were so bad, so they ordered me to focus on my studies. If I continue with these grades, they won't let me play music anymore."

Although there was no curfew at her home, her mother was very annoyed that she often didn't get home until the last bus.

I got caught red-handed last time.

Ishikawa Hayato patted his chest in relief, then, seeing Kita's surprised expression, he gave her a serious reminder.

"These things really are all caused by playing music, and have nothing to do with me as your boyfriend! Ikuyo, please don't try to pin this on me."

He had Kita finished speaking when Kita playfully patted him on the shoulder, feigning anger.

"I'll continue playing music all because of Hayato-kun!"

She said this with a mix of anger and laughter, without bothering to correct the boyfriend Ishikawa Hayato mentioned.

If things hadn't gone wrong, Ishikawa Hayato would have directly asked her if she wanted him to take responsibility.

He reached out and grasped Kita's hand, then changed the subject slightly.

"Looks like I'll be in charge of Ikuyo's grades then. Let's review together during the afternoon study session, even if it's not one-on-one tutoring."

Kita recalled the people surrounding Ishikawa Hayato before she left the class, and while she felt regretful, she also felt at peace.

But this is better.

Knowing Ishikawa Hayato's grades, she felt that studying with him would be very efficient, but she wasn't sure if she could study peacefully when she was with him.

"Thank you for your help. By the way, is there anything I can give as a token of my appreciation?"

Kita turned to look at Ishikawa Hayato, a comfortable and natural smile on his face.

Ishikawa Hayato extended a finger and touched his lips.

"Dear..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw Kita's expression suddenly turn cold, and he quickly changed his words.

"Then sit on my lap, let me feel this weight that's almost unfamiliar to me, this weight that feels so light!"

He quickly added with a smile.

His careful words made Kita laugh.

"Being this cautious isn't like Hayato-kun."

She hesitated for a moment before getting up and standing next to Ishikawa Hayato, adding, "But Hayato-kun, you can't do anything."

"Eh..."

Ishikawa Hayato's sigh made Kita's face harden, and he had no choice but to surrender immediately.

"No problem!"

Kita hesitated on this request, feigning dissatisfaction to show that she wasn't entirely against it, but still had many concerns.

Ishikawa Hayato wasn't in a hurry to press his advantage.

He placed his hands on the chair, leaned back slightly, and Kita hesitated for a moment before sitting across his lap, holding down her skirt.

After Kita sat down, Ishikawa Hayato once again felt the light, airy weight that Kita had mentioned Kita.

She has clearly been controlling her weight.

Seeing Kita's increasingly hesitant expression, Ishikawa Hayato asked.

"Where are the areas Ikuyo don't understand? I'll create a special intensive plan for you later, and I guarantee you'll pass the retake on your first try."

The conflicted feelings were overshadowed by the important matter at hand. Kita glanced at him helplessly and began to reminisce.

"Um..."

She made a long nasal sound, then smiled shyly and adorably shrank her head.

"Last semester, I was thinking about guitar the whole time during class, and I couldn't remember a lot of things..."

Her bluish-yellow eyes regained their former vitality and joy, and she seemed much more relaxed because Ishikawa Hayato was going to help.

"I knew it..." Ishikawa Hayato sighed weakly.

"But if you grasp the basic concepts, you can easily pass the makeup exam, after all, Ikuyo quite smart."

This wasn't the first time Ishikawa Hayato had praised his intelligence, and Kita was still quite pleased.

She lacked confidence to be arrogant in front of Ishikawa Hayato.

"You're nowhere near as good as Hayato-kun. You could practically teach in place of the teacher. But Hayato-kun was so mean; the teacher's expression of not knowing what to do back then was truly pitiful."

Although she said that, she couldn't help but smile.

When Ishikawa Hayato saw her sitting on his lap for the first time in a long time, smiling only at him, he couldn't help but smile back.

Kita speaking, Kita thought for a moment, then asked curiously.

"Speaking of which, why was Hayato-kun called on by the teacher?"

Generally speaking, teachers won't interfere much with students like Ishikawa Hayato, who have excellent grades and a strong personality, unless they disturb others.

Ishikawa Hayato said to Kita.

"This will have to be handled by Ikuyo."

"I?"

Kita pointed to himself in surprise.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, yet also a hint of something amiss, Ishikawa Hayato spoke directly without any attempt to hide anything.

I was looking at you during class.

Kita's eyes widened suddenly, her expression wavering, and a hint of joy appeared on her face, but she turned away and looked up.

After a while, she carefully exhaled before turning around, but still dared not look directly at Ishikawa Hayato.

Be careful!

She lowered her gaze and complained in a coquettish tone.

At this moment, Ishikawa Hayato asked...

"Can we start now?"

Kita immediately began to doubt Ishikawa Hayato's intentions in saying those words to her.

The ambiguous atmosphere quickly dissipated, and she looked at him with feigned indifference.

Ishikawa Hayato explained with a smile, "I just think Kita is cute, and I wanted to pat his head."

Kita knew that Ishikawa Hayato might be thinking this way now, but that might change in a moment.

She's still cute and spoiled.

"No way~"

With a sigh, Ishikawa Hayato could only keep his hands on the chair, able to only observe his lively and lovely ex-girlfriend up close.

Looking at her sitting on his lap, acting all cute and spoiled.

Kita suddenly fell silent for a moment, then shifted her gaze.

Ishikawa Hayato guessed what she was thinking and said.

"The break is only halfway over, let's relax a little longer."

Kita was taken aback, then feigned surprise.

"No matter what, mind reading is just too blatant!"

"Yeah, I might be able to read minds."

Ishikawa Hayato suddenly remembered how Hitori still firmly believed in his ability to read minds, and tentatively spoke to Kita as well.

But Kita's thought, Kita's expression brightened, and she exclaimed with a smile.

"Really? That's amazing! That's good enough for TV! Hayato-kun, guess what I'm thinking right now!"

Her reaction suggested she believed it to some extent, but it was impossible for Ishikawa Hayato to truly guess the thoughts she had deliberately planted.

Ishikawa Hayato said decisively.

"Sorry, mind-reading is fake."

Kita smiled, as if to say, "I knew it."

Then she said, "It's about time I went back. I still have a semester of courses to review."