Chapter 274

Now, she withdrew her hand because Ishikawa Hayato turned his head.

But when Ishikawa Hayato saw her in this first public appearance and sensed that she no longer felt uneasy about staying overnight, he leaned over and greedily nudged her hand with his head.

She smiled and continued to gently stroke his head.

Ishikawa Hayato rested contentedly on her lap.

The sound of hair rubbing together, which had been paused, made Hitori, who didn't want to turn around and disturb them, glance back. However, she quickly looked away and casually looked at the TV screen showing Liang's operation.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed her reaction and playfully tickled her side with his other hand, making her feel a little itchy.

Despite being bullied, she simply lowered her head and smiled. When Ishikawa Hayato changed from scratching to stroking, she couldn't help but look back. Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's smile and Nijika's knowing but unconcerned expression, she happily leaned against Ishikawa Hayato.

The three of them huddled together, watching Liang control his character on TV as he was constantly being beaten up.

"Um... Ryo-senpai, is it really okay if it ends after dying one more time?"

Ikuyo gradually realized that this might not be a save file created by Ryo, after all, she couldn't imagine the scene in front of her where Ryo was beaten to a pulp and had cleared the game.

"No problem, I've called for backup."

There wasn't a trace of the shameful expression on his face, like someone who had sent a distress signal during a night raid.

Ikuyo, who was hoping to see some cool moves, was slightly disappointed.

"Ah... I see..."

Feeling a bit listless, she sighed and turned around, immediately noticing the three people huddled together behind her.

Ikuyo froze.

Then, feeling guilty, she glanced at Ryou, who was squatting in the camp communicating with the reinforcements she had called, and quietly went back and sat down next to Ishikawa Hayato, just like the other two.

She sat down at Ishikawa Hayato's waist and hips. As she sat down, the girl couldn't help but recall the conversation in the bathroom. She glanced back at where she was leaning, blushed slightly, and said nothing.

Ishikawa Hayato peeked at Ikuyo and had a feeling that if she weren't still retaining her virginal shyness, she would definitely do something at this moment.

A few minutes later, after a fierce battle, Liang and his reinforcements were both killed in action, watching the blood-red defeat screen together.

But she was not discouraged and chose an even weaker monster to continue the fight.

A few minutes later, she faced another life-threatening situation, but this time she didn't even bother to call for help.

"Is the falcon not washed yet?"

She turned around complaining and saw a truly spectacular scene.

On the sofa, Ishikawa Hayato rested his head on Nijika's lap, eating an orange that Nijika had peeled for him, holding Hitori in his arms, with Ikuyo leaning against his waist and hips.

The four of them leaned together happily, quietly watching her play the game—well, the way she got beaten up.

Liang took a deep breath, resisting the urge to smash the controller, and said to the other end.

"Come here and kill this monster."

She didn't need to call out a name; the person lying among the girls knew she was calling him.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced helplessly at Nijika, Hitori, and Ikuyo beside him, sighed, and knew he couldn't continue enjoying this blissful time.

He sat up from their embrace and said.

"All right."

When Ishikawa Hayato took over that last life, unlike Ryo who had just fought alone, the four of them gathered around him and watched.

Same broken knife, same lousy equipment.

Ishikawa Hayato simply demonstrated how to dodge all of the monster's attacks while hitting its weak points with every strike, seamlessly connecting attacks and evasions without a moment's pause, relentlessly beating the monster until it screamed in agony.

"Danger! Ah, he actually dodged it just like that. Ryo-senpai couldn't dodge that attack even once before."

Ikuyo exclaimed in surprise, while Liang glanced at her expressionlessly.

Nijika glanced at him with a cold look.

"It seems this save file was played by Hayato-kun."

Hitori was very familiar with Ishikawa Hayato's actions. When she wasn't practicing guitar, she saw Ishikawa Hayato playing games, so she sat next to him and watched.

Of course, sometimes I would just be held in his arms while he played.

Therefore, there was no surprise at all.

Nijika had occasionally played this game and knew about some of the monsters' powerful attacks. Not long after, when she saw the image zooming out on the screen, she immediately gave a warning.

"Here comes the ultimate move! Eh, Hayato-kun?"

Instead of controlling his character to dodge, Ishikawa Hayato stood in front of the monster as it swooped down, drew his sword, and assumed an attack stance. Without even looking at the screen, he turned around and gave a thumbs-up to the people behind him with a smile.

"A man's romance has arrived!"

Before the girls could quite understand, he didn't turn around, but simply released the button, and the character unleashed a long-charged attack.

The small weapon, carrying a terrifying aura, clashed with the monster that swooped down from the sky, imbued with the might of heaven and earth.

The moment the two made contact, the seemingly small weapon actually caused the monster that covered the entire sky to let out a terrible scream, staggered, and crashed heavily to the ground.

Ikuyo's eyes lit up as she watched the incredibly cool maneuver on the screen, and she clenched her fists excitedly, ready to jump up and shout.

"So cool! Hayato-kun, do it again! I want to take a picture!"

Ishikawa Hayato looked helplessly at the monster screaming on the ground and said...

"My health is too low, this move won't happen again. If you want to see it, I'll show you tomorrow."

"We made a promise!"

After quickly defeating the monster, Ishikawa Hayato turned off the PS4. The five of them played a game of board games and then went to practice on their own, without needing Nijika to urge them.

As their main occupation outside of their studies, they spend the most time practicing, from evening until late at night, and the five of them only come out of the rehearsal room when they are tired.

Although they were very tired today, playing and practicing were things they all enjoyed doing, making the day incredibly fulfilling for them.

However, one person didn't seem so tired. When he came out of the rehearsal room, he was still full of energy, thinking about other things.

"Oh dear, my bed seems big enough for five people to sleep in together. Do you all want to squeeze in?"

The freak, whose physical strength was still at 100% perfect, looked expectantly at the four girls behind him.

The one who answered was naturally the girl who held onto the last shred of integrity in the band— Nijika.

"No."

But no sooner had she refused than Liang, seemingly unhurried but actually without any hesitation, continued her sentence.

"I'll sleep with Falcon tonight, you can arrange the rest yourselves."

Her intentions were too obvious; the four of them knew without even thinking what she was going to do tonight.

Nijika was taken aback, and couldn't help but think that if she had agreed earlier, this situation might not have happened.

After all, Ishikawa Hayato isn't the kind of shameless bulldozer; he definitely won't do anything to the three of them tonight.

But it was too late to agree now. She looked at Ishikawa Hayato, who, after exchanging a glance with Ryo after she revealed her plans, put his arm around her as if to support her.

Knowing that Liang had taken the initiative to bring this up, Nijika was certain she wouldn't let Liang lose face and would refuse Liang's invitation to "share a pillow".

She didn't have much to say, only offering some instructions.

"There's a performance tomorrow, don't overdo it."

Nijika naturally remembered that she had told Ishikawa Hayato not to do anything lewd this morning, but seeing the situation, she didn't care anymore.

Ultimately, what she feared was being completely left out and abandoned by someone, or seeing their disheveled state and being forced to do things against her will.

Having received permission from Nijika to do whatever they wanted that night, Ishikawa Hayato smiled and nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, I'll be careful."

He then asked Hitori, "Will Nijika be resting in Hitori's room tonight?"

After thinking for Hitori moment, because it involved other people, she became indecisive and glanced at Nijika.

Nijika noticed Hitori's gaze and smiled as she spoke.

"Bocchi-chan, I'll be bothering you tonight."

"Um... Ah, no, no, I won't bother you."

As soon as Hitori responded, he realized what was happening and hurriedly waved his hand to indicate that he hadn't been disturbed.

With a complicated expression, Ikuyo removed her arm from Ishikawa Hayato's embrace of Ryo, looked in their direction, smiled slightly, and happily joined in.

"Let's continue our girls' gathering tonight, the three of us!"

Hitori was stunned. "Eh..."

Ishikawa Hayato waved his hand as he watched them making a ruckus.

"Then go to bed early."

"I'm returning that sentence to you."

Even if she didn't really care, Nijika still couldn't help but complain a little when she found out that her boyfriend was sleeping with other women at night.

Ishikawa Hayato chuckled and impatiently led Ryo towards his room, while Ryo left a comment as she turned around.

"Don't eavesdrop."

Nijika was taken aback, then exclaimed angrily, "Who would eavesdrop!"

Her words caused the two people next to her to look embarrassed.

Regardless of the two who rushed into the room to enjoy primal stimulation after Nijika, the three of them returned to Hitori room and began tidying up their bedding to prepare for rest.

A short while later.

After laying three quilts on the tatami mat and tidying up the edges, Nijika stood up, checked her phone's battery, and asked Hitori.

"Bocchi-chan, do you have a spare charger?"

"Some."

Hitori stood up to get her the charger.

After tidying up the bedding, Ikuyo hummed a song happily and naturally plugged her phone charger into the power strip.

Then she turned on her phone's flashlight, turned it around and pointed it at the ceiling. After confirming the light was on, she smiled and said to the two of them.

"I'm getting into bed first."

After she finished speaking, she crawled into the covers, lay face down on the bed, propped her cheeks up with her hands, and looked at the two of them with sparkling eyes. She even couldn't contain her excitement and gently kicked the covers with her little feet.

"Kita- chan really gets excited about this kind of thing..."

Nijika was a little scared by the scene, let alone Hitori who came over with the charger.

With Ryo and Ishikawa Hayato absent, she felt like a spy hidden in Yangjiao, constantly having to conceal herself to avoid being caught and killed.

"Ah... I'm a little..."

Just as she was about to say she was sleepy to escape the torture, Ikuyo's gleaming eyes looked over.

His eyes clearly showed that he wanted to hear more about their interactions.

"Um, what's wrong, Gotou-san?"

He was clearly intrigued by the conversation in the bathroom and would definitely not easily agree to her escape.

"Okay... alright."

Hitori shrank back under that gaze, weakly handed the charger to Nijika, and walked towards the switch by the door.

Nijika sighed helplessly as she looked at Hitori, who had a cowardly expression.

"Bocchi-chan is still the same as before."

Of course, she was just saying it casually; she had a clear view of the changes in Hitori.

The image of that gloomy girl who used to huddle on a park swing, walking with her head down and back hunched, has faded. Now, she is a beautiful girl who seems to radiate light in her every move, yet remains as timid as a small animal.

She seems scared now, but actually she's more uncomfortable and uninterested in these topics.

Hitori lowered her head listlessly. After watching Nijika charge her phone and lie down on the bed, she finally spoke.