"I'm so sorry I kept this a secret from you, Shikazono-kun," Furuhashi Fumino said to the girl in front of her, her pretty face flushed with embarrassment. She trembled as she clutched Hayakawa's arm, giving a stiff, indescribable smile. "The truth is, my darling and I are super in love, you see~"
"..." Hayakawa Haku looked at her silently, his face unmoving, but his heart a little touched.
I can't believe you can spout such a blatant lie.
"I thought so!" Shikazono-kun covered her mouth and scolded playfully, "Honestly, Furuhashi-kun, you should have told me something this important sooner. We're friends, after all."
"I'm sorry… it was mainly because I was too embarrassed. It's my first time, after all, and my family situation…" Furuhashi Fumino pleaded with a blush. "So, I hope you won't tell anyone else. Let's keep it just between us."
"I know, I know. Don't worry, Furuhashi-kun," Shikazono-kun nodded with a smile, then pushed Furuhashi toward Hayakawa, chuckling. "You two go enjoy your lovey-dovey time together. I'll be smart and leave now. See you tomorrow Ahaha"
With that, she and her two followers vanished at lightning speed, leaving only Hayakawa and Furuhashi standing in silence, their silence lingering for a long time.
The atmosphere was awkward, or rather, so awkwardly tense that it felt like water might seep out. After what seemed like an eternity, Furuhashi Fumino couldn't bear it anymore and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. "Um… Hayakawa-kun…"
"What is it?" Hayakawa Haku looked at Furuhashi expressionlessly. "Honey?"
"Eek!!" Furuhashi Fumino executed an aerial spin and a fierce 'tiger lands on the ground' pose, prostrating herself on the ground in a lightning-fast dogeza apology. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… To force Hayakawa-kun to deceive our classmates with me over all these strange reasons, I really am just a frivolous piece of seaweed that should be thrown into a fish tank to drift around, right?"
What a strange analogy.
Hayakawa Haku looked blankly at Furuhashi, and it was a while before he finally spoke. "It doesn't matter. This kind of thing is trivial, but you have to finish this."
As he spoke, Hayakawa Haku pulled out the thick, dictionary-sized collection of practice tests he had prepared for Furuhashi from his bag.
"Hrk…" Furuhashi Fumino instinctively took it, but after seeing clearly what the stack of material was, her face drained of color. She let out a desperate sound, as if her stomach had been seized. "Is this my punishment…?"
"No," Hayakawa Haku said inhumanely. "This is just ordinary study material. Ogata has it too."
"Oh, Rizu has it too?" Furuhashi Fumino's expression immediately brightened. "Then it's fine."
Hayakawa Haku: "..."
Ogata Rizu had the same reaction when she heard I was giving you the problems. And now you… Are you two truly best friends? Or did I prepare too much?
Hmm… Maybe it is a bit much.
Hayakawa Haku glanced at the 'dictionary' and nodded silently, then showed a gentle smile. But so what?
You will finish it even if it kills you.
"Finish this in the next two days," Hayakawa Haku commanded in the same tone. "I will test you when we get back."
"I… understand." Furuhashi Fumino replied with a dismal expression. She looked withered, like a pitiful peasant oppressed by a landlord, seemingly aging years in just a few minutes.
"Alright, I'm heading back." Having issued his supreme directive, Great Emperor Hayakawa prepared to retire to his room.
"Wait," Furuhashi Fumino called out to Hayakawa, asking, "If there are problems in these tests that I can't solve, what should I do?"
"Ask me in the group chat if it's minor," Hayakawa Haku said without hesitation. "If there are too many, then come to my room tonight."
I knew it!
Furuhashi Fumino's eyes instantly transformed from meek and teary to fierce and cruel, highly vigilant.
I knew you were up to no good!!
That innocent act just now was clearly meant to make me drop my guard! I won't fall for it so easily.
As Furuhashi Fumino thought this, her cheeks slowly puffed up, showing a look of displeasure.
And besides, being misunderstood as dating me should make him secretly overjoyed! He must be ecstatic inside but pretending to be angry on the surface, which is annoying.
"What's with that look?" Hayakawa Haku frowned at Furuhashi Fumino's expression. "Is there something you're dissatisfied with in my study plan?"
"No." Furuhashi Fumino turned her head away in a huff.
"If you have any opinions, you can voice them," Hayakawa Haku said calmly. "After all, I… I'm not an unreasonable teacher and I will humbly listen to my students' opinions."
"Is that so?" Furuhashi Fumino gave Hayakawa a silent smile. "Then please think clearly on your own, Hayakawa-kun."
With that, she left with the huge stack of test booklets, leaving Hayakawa alone, standing confusedly in place.
"What exactly is wrong…"
The Evil Plot
"Sigh…" Another sigh, one of countless that day. Hayakawa Haku sat in a corner, sighing and closing his eyes in thought.
"What's wrong with you, Hayakawa?" A male student nearby saw Hayakawa's distressed look and asked with concern, "You look really troubled. Did something happen?"
"…Yes, I am often troubled," Hayakawa Haku opened his eyes and said blankly, "Troubled by the limitations of my own teaching abilities."
The male student was silent for a moment, then clapped Hayakawa's shoulder. "I don't know what's going on, but cheer up. Everything will be fine later. For now, finish the chore and cooking task at hand, then you can think about it properly."
"..." Hayakawa Haku heard this and looked down expressionlessly at what was in front of him: a row of metal boxes being heated by a fire, steam rising from them, clearly boiling something.
Hayakawa Haku's body began to emit a dark aura as he looked at the burning fire pit.
Undoubtedly, the sight before him was also one of the sources of Hayakawa's distress.
Outdoor Cooking. It was one of the activities at Ichinose Academy's annual off-campus camp. Each class would collectively receive ingredients distributed by the school and then prepare dinner through their own outdoor cooking efforts. It was meant to improve practical skills and class unity, and to create fond memories amidst the dull school life, making it the most popular activity of the camp.
As for this activity, which was widely praised by the students, Hayakawa Haku's evaluation was…
"What in the world are you kidding me with, you bastards! How many activities do we have to do!!"
"I should just poison these lunchboxes…" Hayakawa Haku's eyes turned into black holes as he looked at the students' dinner in front of him, muttering, "If a large number of teachers and students accidentally get poisoned, everyone can go back to school for class, and this pointless activity will definitely be canceled forever…"
"Guh-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga~" Hayakawa Haku imagined this possible future and let out a bizarre, monstrous laugh, his inner wickedness threatening to burst out of his body.
A person with such malicious thoughts and such a terrifying laugh is undoubtedly a social vermin similar to a "lizard" or a "spider."