"It's about Shiratori. I think I should tell you."
Eriri was initially a bit confused. The reason she walked this way was because she overheard someone on the field saying that Hakuto had returned and was right there.
However, since Eriri wasn't wearing her contact lenses, she couldn't see clearly from a distance, so she decided to move closer to check.
Even though she had a long conversation with Hakuto last time, it didn't shake her resolve in the slightest.
Now that she had heard about Hakuto's return, she naturally wanted to go see for herself.
But before she could get very far, she was stopped by Hachiman.
Eriri, eager to confirm whether Hakuto had really come back, instinctively wanted to brush Hachiman off.
However, as she listened to what Hachiman had to say about Hakuto, she hesitated.
As one of Hakuto's few close friends, Hachiman undoubtedly knew things that she didn't.
After weighing the pros and cons in her mind, Eriri decided to hear him out.
"About Shiratori?"
"That's right. But can we talk somewhere else?"
Eriri hesitated for a moment before nodding. She had no idea what Hachiman was up to, but she had no reason to refuse him.
And just like that, Hachiman successfully defused a major crisis!
Wow! Hachiman! You're a hero!
Hakuto had never thought his dead-fish-eyed friend could be this reliable!
Now, he finally had enough time to explain his delinquent reputation to Ginko.
"Ginko, you might not know this, but bullying exists in schools."
"Bullying? Is it common?"
Because of shogi, Ginko rarely spent time at school, so she had never experienced or witnessed such things.
"It's very common. Do you remember me telling you that back in elementary school, I was isolated because I was too good at shogi? That's a form of bullying too."
"But most bullying involves physical harm."
"And how does that relate to you fighting?"
"Call it karma? Or maybe I just couldn't stand it. I beat up every bully in school."
Hakuto didn't tell Ginko that the incident started because of Takanashi Rikka. After all, the beginning didn't matter—the process and the outcome were more important.
As Ginko listened, the expression on her face gradually softened.
"How exactly do these bullies... bully others?"
"In many ways..." Hakuto scratched his head. "Somewhere in the world, right this moment, there's probably a girl your age experiencing bullying."
"She might be dragged into a bathroom and doused with dirty water by classmates, or maybe someone stuffed a dead rat into her backpack or desk drawer..."
Hearing this, Ginko's small mouth parted slightly, and the anger on her face faded.
"I didn't want to see things like that happen, so I stepped in."
If she had been angry earlier about Hakuto getting into fights, now she was more shocked by the reason behind it.
"Is there still bullying at your school?"
"Not anymore… at least, I haven't seen any."
"What a shame. I was hoping to see you fight."
After hearing his reasons, Ginko had no reason to be mad.
Especially after imagining that unknown girl who might be suffering, she couldn't possibly stay angry.
"Ginko, do you want to check out the school building?"
"Hakuto, have you been busy lately?"
"Hmm? Yeah, kind of..."
At Hoshino Umi, the student council was busy tracking down espers, and on Sunday, he had to tutor the five sisters. Toyosaki also occasionally had things for him to handle.
Then there was Otosaka Yuu's condition, which he needed to keep an eye on, and in a few days, he was supposed to attend a concert with Nao.
Not to mention, he might be meeting Otosaka Shunsuke soon as well.
Damn... as Hakuto listed all his tasks, he felt utterly drained.
How was he supposed to survive this? Might as well just jump off a building!
The only relatively easy things were tutoring and the concert, but honestly, he'd rather be sleeping.
"Then let's head back."
"Hmm? You're done already?"
"But you're tired, aren't you?"
If this were before, Ginko would have made fun of him for being weak. But now, she let it slide.
Sometimes, Hakuto really felt like Ginko was an angel. An actual angel!
First, she let him take two days' worth of pay for a single shift, and now she was telling him to go home and rest!
She was the best boss ever!
Ginko-sama! I'd gladly work for you forever!
"What about you, Ginko?"
"I need to see my mentor and prepare for my next ranking match."
"But didn't you just have a match?"
"Because I want to become a professional shogi player as soon as possible..." Ginko unconsciously glanced at Hakuto as she spoke.
Hakuto also looked at Ginko. Neither of them said anything, but they exchanged knowing smiles.
"Hakuto, what if I never become a professional shogi player?"
"I already told you, I'll win all seven major titles and get you in through a backdoor!"
"Who needs your help... I hate taking shortcuts the most."
"But weren't you the one who asked me what I'd do?"
"So you really think I won't make it?"
Ginko felt like Hakuto was a bit thick-headed. But... his answer was enough for her. Even if the Seven Eternal Crowns was a distant dream.
And so, Hakuto left school with Ginko.
However, what he didn't know was that his day at school had caused a lot of trouble.
Not just because of the pink-haired girl secretly taking photos of him and Ginko, but also because of Eriri, who had been stopped by Hachiman.
Hakuto would probably never find out what kind of secrets Hachiman had spilled to keep Eriri from going after him—or what kind of outrageous lies he had made up.
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