Hayato lay prone and helpless on the ground.
It felt as if a large mountain was pressing on his back. After struggling for a moment, he realized there was no chance of escape and gave up resisting.
Only confusion remained in his mind.
Did Ho Fei-yu not eating beef have any necessary connection to him being beaten???
Despite his confusion, Hayato knew that when under duress, one had to yield. He didn't dare to ask and could only wait for Ho Fei-yu to tire of his rage and let him go.
Even enduring the humiliation of yesterday again, the present Hayato could accept it, as it was better than death.
Hayato swore in his heart that if he could survive this unscathed, he would drop out of school immediately. He didn't want to encounter this evil star, Ho Fei-yu, again. The guy simply wasn't human!
On the other side.
When all the thugs surrounding Ho Fei-yu fell, his vision cleared. Only then did he notice a girl with swollen, red eyes standing uncomfortably not far behind the thugs.
Ho Fei-yu looked at the girl's beautiful face and blinked, finding her familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
With her slender body, long neck, and Ho Fei-yu's present photographic memory.
The image of a plain girl with twin pigtails and thick glasses gradually merged with the face of the girl in front of him.
"Saki Yoshida?"
Ho Fei-yu called out in surprise and confusion.
"Mmm...?"
Hearing the familiar yet strange voice calling her name, Saki forcefully wiped away the tears that welled up again. However, her delicate eyelashes were already stuck together with tears, and everything in front of her became blurry and illusionary. The girl couldn't see the person clearly, only responding instinctively.
Ho Fei-yu frowned at this, and an infuriating guess surfaced in his mind.
He looked down.
He unhappily stared at Hayato, who was lying quietly underneath him, pretending to be dead.
'Thump!'
He kicked hard, and Hayato tumbled like a ball, finally stopping perfectly in front of Saki.
"Ah! It hurts so much! I'm truly sorry, please let me go this one time. I really won't dare to do it again, wuwu—"
Hayato curled up, hugging the ribs Ho Fei-yu had kicked. He looked like a shrimp being cooked in a hot pan, his face twisted in pain, pleading tragically.
Ho Fei-yu slowly walked over to Saki. He merely gave the begging Hayato a cold glance before looking away. There was no hint of compassion in his dark eyes.
However, when he looked at the fragile girl in front of him, the chilling look in his eyes was completely replaced by tenderness and pity.
"Saki Yoshida, don't cry. Everything is alright now."
Ho Fei-yu spoke softly, trying to keep his tone gentle.
"You... Are you Fei-yu... classmate?"
Ho Fei-yu's gentle voice made Saki recall the boy who had greeted her first on the day of entrance.
"Yes."
"Wuwu..."
The boy's affirmation felt like a small sapling enduring a storm alone had found a sturdy support. The girl's previously dry tear streaks began to moisten again, but this time, it wasn't out of fear.
"There, look. The person who bullied you has received their just punishment."
Seeing the girl crying so pitifully, Ho Fei-yu instinctively raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears on her fair, pretty face, comforting her patiently.
Saki's body gently shuddered, feeling the warmth touching her cheek and eyes. Combined with Ho Fei-yu's firm words, the girl's crying gradually subsided.
Seeing Saki stop crying, Ho Fei-yu extended his other hand and wiped away the girl's tears again.
"Fei-yu-kun!"
As her emotions were vented, Saki's blurry vision finally returned to normal thanks to Ho Fei-yu's efforts. Seeing Ho Fei-yu's face in front of her, the girl suddenly got emotional and rushed into his arms.
Ho Fei-yu's body only stiffened for a moment. Perhaps in the past, he wouldn't have known how to handle it, but after a few experiences, he knew how to respond. Like petting a cat, he gently stroked Saki's black hair, which greatly provided the girl with a sense of security.
"..."
"Fei-yu-kun won't be in trouble, will he?"
Yūmi Aono heard the chatter around them and couldn't help but nervously shake Hanawa Amakawa's hand.
"Don't worry, Ha-kun will be fine. This counts as self-defense. Even if the police come, they won't have a reason to intervene."
Hanawa Amakawa calmly patted Yūmi Aono's hand, signaling her to relax, and then analyzed the situation composedly.
"Mhm..."
Seeing Hanawa Amakawa so certain, Yūmi Aono's anxiety eased considerably.
"Hanawa-nee-san, isn't Fei-yu-kun being so close to another girl making you jealous?"
Her gaze returned to the two figures. Seeing a girl whose appearance was not inferior to her own intimately hugging Ho Fei-yu, she couldn't help but shake Hanawa Amakawa's hand again, speaking with a hint of jealousy.
"I used to be, but not anymore."
Hearing this, Hanawa Amakawa withdrew her gaze from Ho Fei-yu and looked at Yūmi Aono.
"Why?"
Yūmi Aono didn't understand. Normally, any girl would be angry at the very least if they saw their boyfriend getting close to another girl. Why was Hanawa Amakawa acting as if nothing was wrong?
"Why... Perhaps Ha-kun is destined not to belong only to me. He's like a gift given to me by heaven. No, a gift given to all of us..."
Hanawa Amakawa looked back at the boy who was comforting Saki, her eyes filled with deep affection. She seemed to be explaining to Yūmi Aono, yet also murmuring to herself.
"Heh heh~ If I were jealous, would Yūmi-chan even have a chance?"
Hanawa Amakawa's voice interrupted Yūmi Aono, who was about to ask another question, leaving her speechless.
She looked at the distant figure of the boy with complex emotions.
"..."
"Th... thank you, Fei-yu... classmate."
Saki, whose emotions had been vented, suddenly realized her actions were too bold. She quickly pulled away from Ho Fei-yu's embrace, took a step back, lowered her head, and stammered.
"Saki Yoshida, I'm just glad you're okay. There's no need to be so polite. Aren't we classmates?"
"Tell me why you were here."
Ho Fei-yu said with a smile.
"Wuwu... I was wrong... Forgive me... I know I was wrong..."
Hayato, whose pitiful wailing had not stopped, started apologizing again when he heard Ho Fei-yu question Saki. His voice was utterly tragic, like he had lost everything.
Hayato had no idea that he was having such bad luck today.
This evil star was a classmate of the girl he had just threatened. If the evil star found out that he had threatened the girl, Hayato couldn't even imagine the consequences. He could only hope that Saki would take pity on his pathetic act and forgive him.
"Noise."
Ho Fei-yu didn't tolerate Hayato at all. He replaced the foot that was originally on his back with his other foot directly on his head. With his face pressed down, Hayato couldn't speak at all.
After listening to Saki's account, Ho Fei-yu finally understood the whole story. He hadn't expected the girl to be implicated because of him. Fortunately, the worst outcome hadn't happened, but Saki still experienced something bad because of him. It might even leave a significant trauma in the girl's heart, which made Ho Fei-yu feel very guilty.
"Damn it!"
Especially when he heard Saki mention that Hayato wanted to drug her, Ho Fei-yu was instantly consumed by rage.