"Sigh…" Hayakawa Haku sat in the corner of the moving school bus, looking out at the scenery with a melancholic expression, sighing occasionally.
"Don't be sad, Hayakawa-kun," Ogata Rizu sat next to him, excitedly peering toward the window glass, comforting Hayakawa. "Isn't it nice to go out and have fun once in a while?"
"You look very excited, Ogata, but is this really okay?" Hayakawa Haku said expressionlessly. "Do you realize how many days you have left until the exam? Three days after this camp ends, you'll be in the exam hall. Can you really be this relaxed?"
"No problem." Ogata Rizu adjusted her glasses, stating calmly, "I won't slack off on my studying even during these two days of camp."
"..." Hayakawa Haku leaned closer, narrowing his eyes at her. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"O-of course." Ogata Rizu's confidence immediately wavered.
"Sigh…" Hayakawa Haku sighed like an old father wishing for his daughter's success. He looked at Ogata Rizu, intending to remind her again, but noticed someone nearby looking at him with strange eyes.
Hayakawa Haku looked over and saw Furuhashi Fumino sitting not far away, surrounded by several female classmates from her class, seemingly chatting. Several of the girls looked towards him with displeasure while whispering to Furuhashi, who was desperately trying to explain something with a face full of embarrassment.
"What's going on with Fumino?" Ogata Rizu also noticed the unfriendly glances directed at them and asked, puzzled. "Why are those girls looking at the two of us like that?"
"Aren't there rumors that Furuhashi is dating me?" Hayakawa Haku said flatly. "Those female students probably think me sitting with you is disrespectful to Furuhashi."
"Seriously, I completely don't understand." Ogata Rizu puffed up her pink cheeks, disgruntled. "Do they think that whenever a boy and a girl sit together, they must be dating? That suspicion is too unfounded."
"I agree… but those girls seem to be members of the Thorn Club, so it's not surprising." Hayakawa Haku said expressionlessly. "Fans are like that."
"The Thorn Club?" Ogata Rizu looked at Hayakawa confusedly. "What is that?"
Hayakawa Haku: "A fan club formed by Furuhashi's fans at school. Their main activity is spreading gossip about her."
Ogata Rizu was silent for a moment. "Fumino really does endure suffering that ordinary people can't understand…"
"As long as it doesn't affect my studying, I don't care." Hayakawa Haku shook his head, then pulled out his "Easy to Remember" Knowledge Point Notebook from his pocket, turning to Ogata with a gentle smile. "Since we're on the road, it's the perfect time to give you a lesson."
Ogata Rizu: "..."
It was nearly noon when the school bus finally arrived at the camp location.
"So… so scary~" Ogata Rizu got off the bus trembling, her small face pale, her legs subtly shaking.
"Ah-ah-ah, Rizu, what's wrong? Are you carsick?" Furuhashi Fumino finally managed to escape her classmates' persistent questioning. As soon as she got off the bus and saw Ogata Rizu in such a miserable state, she frantically reached into her backpack. "I have carsickness medicine here."
"No… it's not carsickness." Ogata Rizu immediately teared up and rushed into Furuhashi's arms, complaining pitifully as if she had found her pillar of support. "Hayakawa bullied me."
"Oh~" Furuhashi Fumino smoothly moved her head over, flashing a kind smile. "What is going on? Hayakawa-kun?"
Hayakawa Haku: "..."
"He totally ignored me even though I kept saying no," Ogata Rizu covered her head in distress, her face full of struggle and despair, her eyes wide with fear. "He just kept forcefully shoving those terrible things in. Ugh… I feel like throwing up. My stomach hurts so bad."
After saying that, she covered her stomach and crouched down.
"..." Furuhashi Fumino heard Ogata's words and instinctively glanced at Ogata's mouth and stomach, a horrified realization dawning on her. She then looked at Hayakawa Haku in disbelief. "You actually… that was on the bus! You scummy jerk! Heaven's punishment!!"
"..." Hayakawa Haku expressionlessly blocked Furuhashi's incoming soft punches. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. I was only tutoring Ogata on the bus."
"Tutoring?" Furuhashi Fumino's voice caught in her throat. The anger on her face vanished, replaced by confusion.
"I told him no… but he still forcefully crammed those knowledge points into my brain," Ogata Rizu continued to mutter to herself. "My head is going to break…"
Eh-eh-eh!! So that's what she meant!
"Ahaha, of course I knew what Rizu-chan meant," Furuhashi Fumino's heart skipped a beat, then she quickly calmed herself, saying in a natural tone, "I just thought you shouldn't push Rizu too hard, Hayakawa. Ahaha!"
After saying that, she nervously scratched her head and let out an awkward dry laugh.
Hayakawa Haku looked at Furuhashi Fumino for a long time before finally saying, "Focus on your studies, and don't think about unnecessary things."
With that, he picked up his bag and walked away from the parking area, heading toward the dormitory.
"I know, I know." Furuhashi Fumino said impatiently, and the moment Hayakawa Haku turned his back, her face flushed crimson.
He understood? Hayakawa understood what I was implying? He knows I understand those things…
Ah, well, I guess so. Hayakawa-kun is a boy after all; it's only natural that he understands those things~ I get it, I get it.
But then…
Doesn't that completely ruin my image as a pure, innocent, and naive literary beautiful girl?
Noooo!!!
Furuhashi Fumino lowered her head, her expression dark, her eyes vacant. Her head bobbed like a scarecrow, and she occasionally let out an eerie giggle, looking like she had completely broken down.
It's not like that…
On his way to the dorm, Hayakawa Haku was stopped by Inoue, a classmate.
"Hayakawa~" Inoue slung his arm around Hayakawa's shoulder, saying with a sly tone, "I heard you're dating Furuhashi-kun from Class A recently?"
Sigh… sure enough, the rumors would reach me eventually.
Hayakawa Haku sighed inwardly, then said seriously, "No, don't believe those ridiculous rumors. Furuhashi-kun and I are just in a normal teaching relationship, at best we're just friends."
Furuhashi Fumino might have various concerns, but Hayakawa Haku didn't care about them. He would firmly deny anything that might affect his studies.
"Ah… uh, is that so?" The boy was taken aback by Hayakawa's seriousness, then said, "But I heard Furuhashi-kun admitted it herself, and I heard there's a video."
Did they actually record it…
Hayakawa Haku's heart was filled with despair. He said listlessly, "There must be various reasons for that. Anyway, stop spreading rumors."