Chapter 81

He knows it all too well, to the point that he's almost tired of it.

So he chose a different approach, a different path.

During the break before the last class of the day.

Bocchi stood up and walked out of the classroom.

Her classmates all knew that she only left her seat during lunch break and when she went to the restroom.

Watching her walk out with her head down, a few girls called to their friends and followed her.

Women's solidarity is very strange; sometimes they are frighteningly united, and other times they drag each other down.

But now they are united in their hatred of the enemy.

It's not that I want to do anything specific, I just want Gotou-san to understand my situation and identity.

Some people have asked Kita, and Kita has repeatedly emphasized that she has nothing to do with Gotou-san. However, many people who are close to Kita feel that she is bullied because she is too gentle.

The group followed Bocchi into the women's restroom, and after confirming that no one else was inside, they closed the door.

They didn't want things to escalate, as that would only embarrass Kita further.

Moreover, it would be bad to bring Ishikawa along; it would be very dangerous.

They vividly remembered the miserable state of those classmates with bad tempers after being punished a while ago; Ishikawa was completely ruthless towards both boys and girls.

When Bocchi came out of the bathroom, she was stunned by the scene and a look of fear appeared on her face.

But she didn't expect to be approached like this, and she shrank back timidly, carefully trying to get around them.

But the words of a rather fierce-looking girl in the front row shattered her illusions.

"Gotou-san, stop pretending, you homewrecker."

Bocchi immediately understood the situation and stopped in her tracks.

His eyes, hidden beneath her pink bangs, widened slightly, then fear and barely suppressed anger welled up inside him.

Two opposing emotions are locked in a tug-of-war.

She bit her lip tightly.

The girls waited for a long time but didn't get a response from her, and their patience began to wear off.

"What's wrong? You have the courage to do it, but not the courage to answer?"

Bocchi, with his hands in his pockets, lightly touched the note that had successfully summoned Ishikawa Hayato once.

Being labeled as a third party made her very unhappy.

That's why she didn't want to call Ishikawa Hayato over to resolve the matter directly; she wanted to explain things herself.

Although she was terrified, when she touched the note, she felt as if the falcon would come over immediately and stand beside her.

She mustered her courage and spoke softly, her voice trembling.

"I... I'm not a third party."

"What do you mean? Do you think we misunderstood you?"

After the girl finished speaking angrily, she saw Bocchi suddenly tremble, and at the same time, his mouth opened and closed, saying something in an almost inaudible voice.

Then it started trembling uncontrollably, as if making faces, and its expression became strange.

Feeling slighted, she walked over and noticed that Bocchi's hands were always in his pockets. She pulled his hands out of his pockets, clearly annoyed.

She screamed.

Explain yourself!

Bocchi's hand was pulled out of his pocket, trembling incessantly, but his fingers gripped a piece of paper so tightly that it turned white.

The girl wondered what kind of weird thing she was holding.

Bang!

The girls were startled by the terrifying sound behind them.

A strong sense of crisis welled up inside me.

"Seriously, some girls always think I'm too scared to go into the women's restroom... Although, as a pervert, I do dislike going into women's restrooms."

They looked back stiffly.

The women's restroom door, which was originally locked from the inside, was kicked open, and the metal parts on the lock were kicked to the ground.

Beside the door stood Ishikawa Hayato, hands in his pockets, looking impatient.

The girl in the lead instantly displayed a more blatant fear than Bocchi next to her.

She panicked and abruptly let go of Bocchi's hand, breaking out in a cold sweat, and said in a flustered voice.

"Um, no, I just wanted to ask why Gotou-san is fighting with Kita for her boyfriend."

The other girls quickly moved away, after all, they knew this guy would beat up girls, and he wasn't the gentle type who would argue with you.

Thanks to their avoidance, Ishikawa Hayato easily saw what Bocchi looked like now. Apart from his head being down and his hands hanging limply as if he was about to cry, there was nothing else unusual about him.

But he always retaliates in kind.

He strode over, stood in front of the girl, and asked her while pressing her shoulder.

"Is that how you ask it? Ah!"

The girl was so frightened that her pupils dilated and her legs trembled violently.

But he immediately noticed that Bocchi was also startled, sighed, and let go.

"I'll let you off this time, but what about all of you? If you dare do this again..."

Suddenly, Bocchi walked over, grabbed Ishikawa Hayato's hand, and leaned against him from behind.

Ishikawa Hayato paused, realizing that Bocchi's hands were terribly cold, probably because he was frightened.

Ishikawa Hayato, who thought she just didn't want to continue arguing, was about to take her away when he heard her speak in a trembling but firm voice, as if she were about to cry.

"I... I'm not a third party. I've liked Hayabusa for a long, long time. I... I didn't compete with Kita -chan for him."

While surprised, Ishikawa Hayato relaxed considerably and patted Bocchi's shoulder with satisfaction, feeling that the temperature on Bocchi's hand had risen significantly.

Intimidated by Ishikawa Hayato's presence, the girl dared not say a word, and the other girls simply stood aside, not daring to utter a sound, until Ishikawa Hayato spoke in a slightly gentler tone.

"Now, if you have anything to say, go ahead."

She stood alone, trembling, and spoke to Ishikawa Hayato.

"Kita is already dating someone, and you're still saying you didn't compete with her for him?"

Earlier, in class, Kita was chatting with his friends when he saw Ishikawa Hayato suddenly stand up and run outside.

She knew something was wrong, and it happened faster than she expected.

She didn't hesitate to end her conversation with her friend.

"Excuse me, I have to leave for a moment."

Kita quickly stood up. Although she knew Ishikawa Hayato could handle it, she was still uneasy, whether it was those people who were causing trouble for Bocchi or Bocchi.

Even though Ishikawa Hayato is a boy, he might not be able to handle such a troublesome matter.

She ran out of the classroom, but Ishikawa Hayato had vanished in an instant.

Suddenly, she stood helplessly in the aisle where classmates were coming and going, but her distress was only momentary. She immediately ran towards the places she knew where girls were most often bullied.

After searching two places, as she grew increasingly uneasy, she saw scattered metal on the ground and classmates standing there as if being lectured.

She ran inside quickly, worried.

Then I heard Bocchi speak.

"... I... I didn't fight with Kita -chan either."

That's good, it doesn't look like things have gotten to the worst point.

Kita saw Reiko surrounded by her classmates, Ishikawa Hayato opposite her, and Bocchi protected behind him.

"Reiko, I've already told you it's not what you think."

Kita's voice came from outside, and then she walked in from the side.

"Kita?"

Reiko looked at Kita in disbelief. She had risked provoking Ishikawa Hayato to question Gotou-san for Kita.

Kita betrayed her just like that.

When Kita ran out of the classroom, he was prepared for the Kita.

If a relationship is explained in a calm and straightforward manner, probably no one will think that it's really a breakup.

At the same time, our attitude must be firm.

It might make those people feel betrayed and subsequently disliked, but there's nothing that can be done about it.

If she didn't go, Ishikawa-kun could handle it, but then she wouldn't feel like she was part of the Kessoku Band.

As Ishikawa Hayato watched Kita walk in, looking both resigned and slightly Kita, he glanced at Bocchi, whose face was pale and who was staring in the opposite direction.

"Two clumsy fellows," he sighed.

But it can also be considered their growth, even if it leads to a terrible ending.

He gestured to Kita, indicating how he should cooperate, and Kita, blinked, showing an expression that seemed to understand but not quite.

Is this Ishikawa-kun's arrangement...?

Kita found his earnest performance somewhat comical.

She had no intention of taking other people's suggestions at this time; her resolve was not something she would give up on in a few words.

One can only imagine what Ishikawa Hayato secretly did for her, for Bocchi, and for the team.

Thinking of his reliable actions, and the confident look on his face on the rooftop that always seemed to have everything under control.

She nodded, almost as if possessed, to indicate that she understood and would cooperate.

Although she couldn't quite understand the gestures, she was confident in her ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Then, Ishikawa Hayato pulled Bocchi over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into his arms, along with the bewildered Bocchi.

They each held one in their arms.

Eh!?

Kita stared wide-eyed, surprised and shy, at Ishikawa Hayato's shoulder.

She suddenly entered a burst of expansive thinking: What does he mean? What is he going to do?

While she was lost in thought, she vaguely heard Ishikawa Hayato say something.

"Don't you understand this yet, you idiot?"

"Of course, I feel that Kita one girlfriend isn't enough; I want more. Bocchi has a great figure, and she'll obediently listen to anything I say, so of course I'll add her to my harem first!"

"So women are short-sighted and lack any discernment."

Ishikawa Hayato said with obvious disdain, completely disregarding the fact that the two people he was holding in his arms were also women.

"What..." Reiko was stunned. There was actually someone who dared to do such a thing.

Meanwhile, Ishikawa Hayato frantically pointed at Kita with his finger, trying to snap her out of it and get her to cooperate with the act.

Kita!! What are you doing?!