Chapter 82

But.

Ishikawa Hayato's exaggerated words and actions failed to bring Kita to his senses, and even his thoughts failed to reach Kita.

Kita, in a very cute way, placed his hands on Ishikawa Hayato's shoulders, his face pressed against the back of his hands, as if he had crashed.

While Kita was in a daze, Ishikawa Hayato's face gradually became somewhat embarrassed as he looked at the completely silent scene.

And this is the women's restroom.

After a moment's pause, he silently led the two girls out.

A corner where hardly anyone comes.

Ishikawa Hayato pressed himself against the wall next to Kita, leaning down to meet Kita's gaze directly.

"Kita... chan? Where's your cooperation? Where's your cooperation? You could have just said you don't like this kind of womanizer and left, what were you doing just now?!"

Kita was embarrassed to admit that she had completely forgotten about it after being hugged.

How could anyone say such a thing? It would be incredibly embarrassing.

She tried her best to look annoyed, even though she was shy.

"Ishikawa-kun, your gestures are all over the place, how am I supposed to understand them?"

"Eh... um, Falcon..."

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Bocchi quickly tugged at Ishikawa Hayato's sleeve.

Ishikawa Hayato snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Bocchi.

Her hands were still trembling slightly.

He realized that Bocchi hadn't fully recovered and was still in a state of shock and anxiety. With a hint of apology on his face, he asked Bocchi.

"Bocchi, can I hug you?"

Bocchi nodded rapidly, as if that was exactly what she wanted. She reached out her hand, completely disregarding the fact that Ishikawa Hayato had just hugged another girl.

Ishikawa Hayato crouched down and hugged her. In an instant, her body trembled violently, as if releasing the fear she had just suppressed.

Ishikawa Hayato gently patted her back.

"Bocchi, that's great! You dared to speak your mind, fantastic, fantastic!"

Bocchi buried his head forcefully in Ishikawa Hayato's shoulder.

"Um."

She responded with a choked sob.

"But don't push yourself like that next time. Overdoing it will make you hate trying."

Ishikawa Hayato gently reminded her.

She moved her head on her shoulder to indicate that she understood.

She clearly didn't want to reveal the sound of her almost crying just now.

Kita watched quietly from the side.

When the school bell rang, Bocchi let go of his hand, and Ishikawa Hayato also stood up.

He looked as if he had recovered from Bocchi's question.

"Bocchi, is it still okay for you to go to class now?"

Bocchi's eyes were a little red. She hesitated for a moment, but before she could answer, Ishikawa Hayato spoke again.

"Bocchi, let's take it one step at a time."

Bocchi obediently took a small step, but as soon as her foot touched the ground, her leg gave way. Ishikawa Hayato, who had anticipated this, immediately caught her and then said to Kita.

"Kita, could you please ask the teacher for leave for me, and also for Bocchi?"

"Um."

Kita nodded, said nothing, and quickly left.

After Kita left, Ishikawa Hayato looked at Bocchi, who was bowing her head in guilt. He bent down, put one arm around her knees and the other around her shoulders, and lifted her up in his arms.

This was the first time Bocchi had been held like this; she felt as if she were leaning against Ishikawa Hayato's chest.

She glanced nervously at Ishikawa Hayato Ishikawa Hayato, who met her gaze, but she quickly closed her eyes as if to avoid his gaze, appearing to completely trust him.

"Let's go to the infirmary and rest for a while."

"Um."

The corridor where classes began was quiet. Ishikawa Hayato chose an inconspicuous route and headed towards the infirmary.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, I pushed open the door and saw a teacher in a classic white coat and black stockings sitting inside.

Hearing the door open, she turned around and saw a boy carrying a girl in a princess carry. She asked...

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well."

The teacher stood up and looked around. Good heavens, this girl had just been here once in the last class.

Since she was already there, she didn't meddle in other people's business. After a quick check and finding nothing wrong with her, she waved her hand and said goodbye.

Let's find a place to rest.

"Thank you, teacher," Ishikawa Hayato said.

After helping Bocchi lie down on the bed, Ishikawa Hayato pulled over a stool, sat down, and took Bocchi's gradually warming hand in his. Bocchi gripped his hand tightly.

The teacher raised an eyebrow.

Perhaps because he had just pushed himself too hard, Bocchi suddenly relaxed, his expression quickly calmed down, and he began to breathe softly.

Watching her fall asleep peacefully, Ishikawa Hayato also relaxed; sleeping is a very stress-relieving thing.

She'll be less scared after resting for a while and adjusting her mood when she wakes up.

Thinking it over, Ishikawa Hayato quietly held her hand, which she had been holding tightly even in her sleep, without letting go. Without disturbing Bocchi, he adjusted his chair and sat up straighter.

Seeing that Bocchi had calmed down and was no longer anxious or forcing a smile, Ishikawa Hayato observed her most natural expression.

When she's still, Bocchi's face is incredibly cute, with a delicate, loli-like charm that blends with the tranquility of a young girl.

It's hard to believe that she, who usually tries so hard to avoid attention and whose bangs cover most of her face, has such high looks.

Her skin was also shockingly white.

But Ishikawa Hayato did not reach out to touch her.

At that moment, the teacher walked over and noticed that the two were still holding hands.

"What's wrong? She seems terrified."

Ishikawa Hayato looked up at her and explained.

"I was almost bullied by my classmates."

"Oh."

The teacher nodded, glanced at the girl's sportswear and the hand she was tightly holding onto the boy, and gave her some instructions.

"No strange things are allowed in the infirmary."

He then tactfully left the infirmary.

She closed the door to the infirmary behind her, and the sound of her high heels fading into the distance.

Suddenly, only the quiet sounds of nature and Bocchi's shallow, long breaths filled the health room.

Bocchi slept for a long time, but Ishikawa Hayato never let go of his hand and waited patiently.

For him, the wait was not boring.

A warm breeze blew in intermittently from the open window, causing the white, sheer curtains to flutter in the air. The afternoon sunlight shone on the bedside table, casting a warm, bright yellow rectangle.

The cicadas, oblivious to the atmosphere, chirped incessantly, while the sound of reading aloud drifted from afar.

Time slowly passed.

Suddenly, Ishikawa Hayato released Bocchi's hand, but Bocchi instinctively reached out to grab it, only to miss.

She didn't move again, but closed her eyes even tighter, her expression tense with unease.

Ishikawa Hayato stood up, casually took out a keyboard and a megaphone, carefully placed them by the bed, found the socket in the corner, plugged them in, and turned down the volume of the megaphone.

He sat down next to Bocchi, glanced at her still tightly closed eyes, and placed his hands on the keyboard.

Finally, the first soft note came from the loudspeaker.

The gentle yet passionate sound of the piano seemed to soothe the unease in my heart, rapidly building up in this pristine white room.

As the prelude ended, Ishikawa Hayato began to sing softly, carried on the gentle afternoon breeze.

Upon hearing Ishikawa Hayato's singing voice for the first time, Bocchi opened his eyes in surprise and looked at the straight and tall figure in front of him.

I want to stay by your side.

"No matter what is about to happen."

"I will give it my all."

I will always protect you.

The combination of vocals and piano was so tender it brought tears to my eyes.

Bocchi had never heard of this song before. She stared at Ishikawa Hayato in a daze, and from his singing, she could tell that he also had bad memories and that his life had not been smooth sailing.

At the same time, listening to the lyrics, she shyly thought that the lyrics of this song were a confession.

Although I don't like listening to this kind of music, it's different when Ishikawa Hayato plays it for her.

She was somewhat happy.

When Ishikawa Hayato turned around, Bocchi quickly closed his eyes again and continued to pretend to be asleep.

But.

"Pain!"

Bocchi, who had been flicked on the forehead by Ishikawa Hayato, covered his head with both hands.

Bocchi opened his eyes, looking aggrieved. He frantically tried to make up a lie to explain, but looking at his face, he couldn't come up with anything.

Then.

"Falcon, this song is..."

Her voice was weak, but her bright blue eyes asked expectantly.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't answer her question, but looked at her and smiled.

"You've relaxed now," he said, patting Bocchi's head.

Bocchi was shy and a little awkward as he touched her head. She heard Ishikawa Hayato say something.

"What is this? I don't know either."

Bocchi guessed that it might be a song written by Ishikawa Hayato himself, or even written for her. The thought made her eager to let more people hear the song.

"Falcon, let's add this song to the band's repertoire."

However, Ishikawa Hayato rejected her proposal.

"No, this isn't our song, Bocchi. I want to hear songs you wrote."

Ishikawa Hayato's voice was deep and serious. Bocchi looked at him, who was backlit by the sun, with a puzzled expression, but still nodded slightly.

75. Birthday

The bell rang to signal the end of the last class.