Chapter 303

"Um, didn't Ishikawa-senpai date the other three senpai, but not you?"

Nijika felt a sudden tightness in her chest, and her eyes showed a look of disbelief.

212. Feint to the east while attacking in the west

Nijika took two deep breaths, letting her suppressed emotions ease slightly, and then revealed her usual energetic and lovely smile.

"Actually, we are dating."

"Huh?"

Amamiya Yuki noticed Nijika's momentary dejection, as if she had made a grave mistake and murmured in distress, looking completely at a loss for what to do.

Nijika would never complain about someone who made an unintentional mistake.

Instead, she smiled sheepishly and quickly waved her hand to comfort Amamiya Yuki.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's normal that people don't notice. We keep our distance in the store."

Amamiya Yuki stared blankly at Nijika. After being comforted by Nijika, she looked somewhat surprised and lowered her head even more sadly, not daring to look at Nijika.

The atmosphere in the rehearsal room became quite tense.

A moment later, Nijika looked at her, unable to concentrate on practicing, and smiled helplessly.

"How about we go outside to see a show?"

"Good..."

Amamiya Yuki slowly stood up, feeling a pang of self-reproach for trying to build a good relationship with someone but accidentally hitting them where it hurt.

Nijika also stood up, her fingers interlaced, her hands stacked high, and she stretched casually, letting her petite and beautiful body stretch out.

Then, ahead of the hesitant and timid Amamiya Yuki, she walked towards the door looking incredibly relaxed.

She only turned around and smiled after hearing that Amamiya Yuki had also started moving.

"Feel free to call me anytime if you need guidance."

"Ah... um." Amamiya Yuki responded dejectedly.

Nijika opened the door to the rehearsal room, preparing to leave, when she heard a soft "I'm sorry" behind her.

She didn't respond, pretending not to hear, and quickly walked outside.

Such a sincere apology... doesn't it just make it seem like there's absolutely no connection between her and Ishikawa Hayato?

As soon as she stepped out of the rehearsal room, she could hear the intense music playing outside. Nijika took a few steps back into the room and glanced at the stage.

A rather cheerful band was performing, and the audience responded excitedly. The other two members of the Snow Cat Love Band were also standing in the corner, jumping lightly and shouting loudly.

"The band is so cool!"

"Yeah! The lead singer is so handsome, I'm going to become a fan of this band!"

Liang, however, kept a great distance from the two of them, leaning against a corner with her arms crossed, listening quietly.

Nijika used to complain about this scene, how these two could still chat so happily even when they weren't on the same page, but she wasn't in the mood for it now.

She turned to look at the bar, where Ikuyo and Ishikawa Hayato were standing, watching the performance stage, seemingly still exchanging words.

She didn't know whether she should go find Ishikawa Hayato at this moment, and Ikuyo was there too; even if she went, she didn't know what to say.

Nijika hesitated for a moment, and just as she was about to turn and leave, she saw Ishikawa Hayato raise his hand and beckon to her.

At this moment, she was in a state of confusion, but if she didn't go over, she really wouldn't be able to be sure whether they were dating or not.

As Nijika walked over, she saw Ishikawa Hayato say something to Ikuyo. Just as she reached the entrance to the bar, she saw Ikuyo come out from inside.

Ikuyo saw her and said with a smile, "I'm going to the front desk to see Ichiri-chan."

Nijika forced a smile, "Hmm... Is this your first time standing in front of the camera Bocchi-chan?"

"It should be fine."

As Ikuyo spoke, he passed by her and walked up the stairs.

Nijika also stepped towards the bar.

Ikuyo probably let her leave because Ishikawa Hayato noticed something. They all listen to Ishikawa Hayato, but it's also because they trust him and that's why they obey him.

And what about her...?

How will Hayato-kun comfort her next? To be honest, she doesn't really want to be comforted; it makes her feelings feel cheap.

Also, is it possible for her to let Hayato-kun know about this worry?

She thought about it and decided against it.

There are many reasons why she can't let Ishikawa Hayato know, the most important of which is that she doesn't want the two of them to be close for such a reason.

Being pressured into a relationship by others feels so stupid.

It's only slightly better than a meticulously planned romance.

Nijika rounded the corner, her head suddenly bumped into a solid chest. She took a step back and looked at the person.

She had thought about so much before, but at this moment, Nijika realized how conflicted she was. She didn't want to see the person she liked when she was feeling down, but when she needed to, when she was hurting inside, seeing the person she liked made her incredibly happy.

At this moment, even if the person you like isn't particularly good-looking, they'll still seem incredibly pleasing to the eye, let alone someone who is already handsome.

His eyes held a sharp edge, his expression was gentle and easygoing, and his hair was somewhat disheveled and lazy.

Under the bar lights, Ishikawa Hayato's figure abruptly and directly approached her heart.

As Ikuyo walked out, Ishikawa Hayato followed her out, moving to a spot on the side of the bar where they wouldn't be easily seen by the audience.

He recalled the Nijika he had just seen.

She stood at the backstage exit, looking around at the bustling inner area with a worried expression. Then, her expression gradually returned to its usual relaxed state, and when she saw him, she quickly smiled, completely masking all her troubles.

He was thinking about what had happened a while ago.

Previously, only Amamiya Yuki and Nijika were backstage.

Amamiya Yuki and Hitori are both timid, so she definitely wouldn't bully Nijika. What did Amamiya Yuki say to Nijika, or did she hear some bad news?

Just as he was thinking about how to resolve the situation, Ikuyo and Nijika finished their conversation. Nijika paused, turned around, and bumped into his chest.

Her golden side ponytail swayed, and then Nijika took a step back and raised her head.

At this moment, Nijika felt like a stubborn child who had been wronged had come home and found someone reliable.

The smile on her face gradually disappeared, and she pouted, not bothering to hide her disappointment. Her red eyes, filled with worry, looked at him, and she opened her arms and said...

"Hayato-kun, hold me."

Ishikawa Hayato was stunned by the sudden attack.

It's rare to see Nijika so heartbroken and acting coquettish with him; she, who has always maintained a mature demeanor, actually showed this side of herself.

Although it's wrong to do this when she's unhappy, Ishikawa Hayato was genuinely charmed by her cuteness.

"Light or heavy?"

He asked to confirm, but Nijika didn't ask about the difference between the two, and still reached out for a hug.

"Heavy."

Ishikawa Hayato bent down and lifted her up, shielding her hips and back, so that the two were pressed tightly together.

Nijika, who was being held tightly, was not surprised at all. She rested her head on Ishikawa Hayato's Ishikawa Hayato, wrapped her arms around his back, and after a slight hesitation, she wrapped her legs around him as well.

Nijika's soft body seemed to be pleading for support, clinging tightly to Ishikawa Hayato like a koala, which made Ishikawa Hayato, who originally needed to use his strength to hold her, loosen his grip considerably.

You can even carefully feel her skin and temperature.

On the side of the entrance to the Starry Bar, out of sight of others, the two were embracing tightly in a way that seemed somewhat inappropriate to most people.

Nijika's body temperature was very high. She seemed happy, but her body was also very tense, and her heart was beating very fast.

The rapid heartbeat seemed to emanate from her petite frame and reach towards Ishikawa Hayato.

Not to mention her, even Ishikawa Hayato felt the same way.

If Seika discovers that I did this to Nijika in the Starry Sky, I'll probably be chased down with a knife, and it won't be a fight to the death.

There was a sense of unease and trepidation.

A short while later, Nijika spoke to him from the side of his face.

"Hayato-kun."

Nijika's voice was so close that it made Ishikawa Hayato's ears itch a little.

"Um?"

"That's enough."

Although she said that, she neither let go of her hand nor her foot.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't let go either; he just slid his hand down a little from Nijika's waist and then stopped.

Nijika did not show any dissatisfaction with the night raid. She rested her cheek on Ishikawa Hayato's shoulder, her soft little face deformed by the pressure of Ishikawa Hayato's strong shoulder.

Her soft cheeks and longing gaze for reassurance made her look incredibly adorable.

Unfortunately, Ishikawa Hayato could only vaguely see her adorable appearance through the reflection in the wall.

"Why did Hayato-kun call me over here just now?"

"I feel like Nijika was bullied."

Nijika chuckled softly before saying, "No, Yuki-chan doesn't seem like the type to bully people, does she?"

What could be the reason?

It was only then that Nijika realized that Ishikawa Hayato had unknowingly steered the conversation towards the reason for her earlier sadness. She had originally wanted to test Ishikawa Hayato's intentions.

"It's a secret." She hugged Ishikawa Hayato tighter, pressing her head against him even harder, feeling her cheeks being flattened.

"You weren't bullied, were you?"

As Ishikawa Hayato spoke, Nijika could vaguely hear his rapid breathing.

This person really loves smells. Luckily, I didn't beat the drums earlier, and I haven't exercised much today... but it's already been a whole day...

Thinking about how her unpleasant sweat smell would be detected, Nijika wanted to kick someone.

She answered affirmatively.

"No."

"Then let's keep it a secret for now."

Ishikawa Hayato's hand stroked her back, but since it was just her back, he could touch it however he wanted.

Upon hearing Ishikawa Hayato's reply, Nijika breathed a sigh of relief; her worries had changed.

From not wanting to advance their relationship because of this, to not wanting Ishikawa Hayato to know that she was upset over such a small matter, and also not wanting him to confront Amamiya Yuki.

Although a while had passed since Nijika asked her to let go, she still couldn't bear to.

She hugged her boyfriend's body, pressing against him gently and secretly touching his body, all the while complaining.

"What do you mean by 'temporary'? And what did you mean by 'heavy' just now, Hayato-kun...?"

"For now" means "we'll know eventually."

Nijika admitted that it was difficult for her to hide anything from Ishikawa Hayato; his reasoning ability was too strong, and he could often see through other people's thoughts and deduce their true feelings from subtle details.

But we'll find out soon enough.

"What about the heavier ones? Do you think I'm too heavy?"

"It's a heavy blow."

As Nijika was being affectionate, Ishikawa Hayato's ears suddenly twitched. The happy expression on his face vanished instantly, and he patted Nijika's back urgently, then crouched down slightly to try and put her down.

He said in a low, urgent voice, "Seika."

What happened... sister?

Nijika hurriedly got off Ishikawa Hayato, knowing that her expression must have looked abnormal.