Chapter 233

Ishikawa Hayato paused for a moment, then without hesitation, he obediently bent his knees and lowered his head, half-squatting so that his head was level with Nijika's.

He seemed curious whether Nijika would really blow on him, and tried to turn his head to look at Nijika, but Nijika pressed his face down and pushed him back.

"That way you won't be able to blow it."

She complained.

It's actually possible to blow a sound, but the two people might make direct eye contact.

"Um."

Ishikawa Hayato nodded honestly, but Nijika said something else.

"Don't move your head."

"Hmm..."

He let out a pitiful cry, followed by a soft, amused laugh from Nijika beside him.

The next moment, a slender hand rested on his shoulder, and he felt warmth close to his face.

Out of the corner of Ishikawa Hayato's eye, he saw Nijika approaching him with a smile and a shy blush on her face.

Then, a gentle, light breath blew on his face, the cool air dispelling the heat. Even the areas that weren't very painful before felt like something was melting away, becoming extremely comfortable.

The gentle breaths came in waves, and you could hear the faint sound of Nijika exhaling.

"Huff... huff~"

The sound was strained, trying to make the airflow stronger and softer.

A little while later, Nijika stepped back and asked in a low voice.

Is it okay now?

"How about another kiss?"

Feeling extremely pleased by Nijika's gentle treatment, Ishikawa Hayato took advantage of the situation and made another request.

"That won't work."

Nijika's voice was filled with laughter as she lowered her hand from Ishikawa Hayato's shoulder and stepped back slightly.

Ishikawa Hayato knew she was doing this to encourage him, so he straightened up and looked at Nijika to ask.

"Then is it okay if we start dating?"

Nijika avoided Ishikawa Hayato's gaze again, this time out of shyness.

"Um."

"Then it's decided."

Ishikawa Hayato mustered his courage and clenched his fist.

"To get revenge on Seika for punching me, I'm going to kiss Nijika in front of her after she agrees to let me date Nijika!"

Nijika was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh.

"Whatever happens then, Hayato-kun, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

Her voice sounded sweet when she was happy, and she seemed completely unconcerned about Ishikawa Hayato's decision.

Some people say you should handle it yourself, and then you really shouldn't count on her. But others say you should handle it yourself, but if problems arise, she'll still come and clean up your mess.

I don't need to elaborate on what kind of person Nijika is, right?

Upon arriving at the entrance to the Starry Sky Gate, looking at the half-closed gate, Ishikawa Hayato said to Nijika.

"Nijika, please wait here for a moment. I'll call you in after I've dealt with Seika."

After he finished speaking, seeing Nijika speak up with concern, he spoke up first.

"I will keep my promise."

She still felt uneasy, but Nijika hid those feelings, not wanting Ishikawa Hayato to be affected.

She straightened his collar and said with a very warm smile.

"Then... I'll wait for you."

Ishikawa Hayato has gained the buff [Angel's Healing Smile] and already possesses the buff [Angel's Aura].

Ishikawa Hayato left the group and entered the dungeon [The Demon's Nest] alone.

This dungeon is extremely dangerous, with no retreat or reset possible. You only have one chance to attempt it; if you fail, the dungeon boss will be permanently locked in health and cannot be defeated.

Although Ishikawa Hayato's mind was filled with all sorts of random thoughts, once he got to the shop and walked down the stairs, he felt much calmer.

There is only one correct and good path, so we have no choice but to follow it, no matter how terrible things may be behind us.

Failure is always more glorious than running away.

But for a pervert, this is called success, and that's all they can do.

Facing Seika is terrifying, especially since it involves taking away her sister's identity, but isn't this the path a fearless and deranged person should take?

After turning the corner and standing on the steps, Ishikawa Hayato looked down.

Seika sat at the bar, holding a seemingly empty can of apple juice. She heard footsteps approaching and looked over.

Her brows were deeply furrowed, her eyes were slanted upwards, and her gaze was so fierce it was frightening.

You can tell from her eyes the difference between rock musicians of the previous era and those of the current era. She was definitely wilder than Hiroi back then.

Ishikawa Hayato reached the bottom of the steps before Seika asked.

"Where's Nijika?"

"Outside."

As Ishikawa Hayato spoke, he walked towards Seika, easily passing her safe distance and standing beside her.

He pulled over a high chair and sat down without any warning.

"Manager, I'd like to have a chat."

"Get lost, don't even think about it."

Without saying a word, she directly refused. But when Ishikawa Hayato saw that she didn't get angry and start beating him up, he felt a little relieved, but still let out a long sigh.

"Things have already come to this, I think you, the store manager, would prefer me to stay as far away from Nijika as possible, and preferably not appear around her at all."

"You'll definitely try to do that too."

After he finished speaking, he waited a moment and looked at Seika. She did not respond. From the beginning, she had looked extremely annoyed.

It seems that Nijika's anger when she left also affected her.

But whether she intends to strongly oppose it or hesitates, now is the best opportunity to express her thoughts.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't get straight to the point; instead, he started with a provocative general statement.

"I don't doubt the bond between you sisters. Nijika will most likely listen to you in the end and obediently keep her distance from me. But if we go back to being friends, it will be very awkward, and in the end, I will have no choice but to leave."

Seika finally spoke, "If you know, then get out."

But Ishikawa Hayato didn't notice her indifference and anger.

"I'm not threatening the store manager, I'm just rationally analyzing the most likely consequences. In the band, the other three members have all either dated me or are currently dating me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Seika turned around and threw a punch, but Ishikawa Hayato calmly caught her fist.

Seika tried to pull her fist out but couldn't. She showed an expression of no surprise, but her eyes became even fiercer.

Is it meaningful for you to toy with other people's feelings like this?

"I'm serious about everyone. What I want is a bigger home; I'm not playing with people's feelings."

Seika paused, and Ishikawa Hayato released her fist. Seeing that she seemed unwilling to care about him again, he continued.

"Then I'll continue from where I left off. My departure might have an impact on them. At that time, Nijika might suffer in three aspects—emotionally, professionally, and personally—because of her argument with Seika."

"Of course, if I clean up the mess properly before leaving, I might suffer much less damage. If it really comes to that, I will definitely clean up properly. But after what just happened, there will definitely be some damage in several aspects."

"I'm now trying to find a way to communicate with Seika without hurting Nijika's feelings, as her friend."

"Is Seika able to calm down and communicate with me now?"

After explaining the current situation clearly, he relaxed, let out a slow breath, and looked at Seika. For him, the most difficult step had been overcome.

If Seika is unwilling to communicate with him at all, and he flies into a rage the moment he opens his mouth, there's nothing he can do.

He can control Seika, but he doesn't know hypnosis or anything like that.

If she's unwilling to listen, no amount of sweet talk or pleading will help.

But once she realized that she didn't show too much control or domineering attitude towards Nijika, and that she was prepared to resolve the matter, everything was easily handled.

"Heh, so what do you plan to do? Add Nijika to your harem?"

Seika chuckled and looked at him, instantly pointing out the undeniable truth beneath his words.

"Um."

Ishikawa Hayato nodded seriously and asked.

"May I promote myself?"

"No, disappear!"

Seika remained completely unceremonious.

"This tsundere siscon," Ishikawa Hayato chuckled helplessly, glancing at the two boxes of Goodbaby apple juice left in Seika's bag, and slyly analyzed.

"First of all, I didn't lie to Nijika about my feelings."

"I explained everything to her openly and honestly. She thought about it before deciding to date me. To her, it was no different from a normal relationship."

Seeing that Seika was about to speak, he knew roughly what she was going to say, so he spoke first.

"Of course, it's also possible that she felt a big disappointment, that it wasn't what she imagined, and then she quickly broke up with him and left. Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"

"That way, it won't cause too much harm, and it will also let her see who I am."

"In other words, this can be seen as an alternative form of normal dating, without the worry of being hurt by the possibility of your partner cheating."

Ishikawa Hayato couldn't help but laugh at himself, but when he saw Seika's murderous face, he quickly suppressed his smile and got down to business.

"In other words, it's not as bad as you think. The most important thing right now is Nijika's own opinion, which means that Nijika should decide all of this herself."

Seika snorted coldly, sucked on the drink box she was holding, and heard an empty sound from inside. She paused and frowned slightly.

Ishikawa Hayato tried to reach out to get her some apple juice, but she slapped his hand away without hesitation. He didn't seem to care at all and simply withdrew his hand.

He rested his hand on the table, looking at the reflection as he pondered.

"I've also thought about the future; I need to be prepared for this kind of different kind of relationship in advance."

"The first thing I need to be sure of is that, regardless of what they think, I must protect them after they've been subjected to such an unfair relationship."

He said it with certainty.

He looked up at Seika's heavy gaze, into her eyes, and at her still furrowed brows.

"Economically, with my current studies and the money I'm earning, I'm good at making money. Whether it's for our future life or in case Nijika gets tired of this situation, I can support her in her old age."

"This is what I owe Nijika."

Seika gave a noncommittal hum.

"Moreover, in society, I will become a famous and powerful person in the future, so famous that even if those women are with me, they won't be treated differently."

"This is my initial plan. Of course, I will still prioritize my family; otherwise, all the effort I've put into being with them would be meaningless."

Ishikawa Hayato sighed. He only revealed these plans to make Seika understand that he wasn't just playing around with them.

"Although all of this sounds absurd, and I know it's all empty promises, I'm here now hoping that Nijika can date me openly and honestly, and that she won't be hurt because of her family situation when she's with me."

"There's really nothing we can decide about the future, but I will continue down this path and make her happy forever."

As he spoke, he got off the chair, walked to the side, bowed deeply to Seika, and pleaded earnestly.

"So Seika, please hand Nijika over to me. I was thinking of letting her punch me a few times to vent her anger, but Nijika won't allow it. So I'm still begging you!"

Seika's originally fierce expression gradually turned into a gloomy look.