Actually, Hanako hadn't said everything.
Over the years.
She not only learned that fear made her stronger, but she could also see the "fire" on others.
Based on her curious observation, she found that young men had the most vigorous "fire," followed by teenage boys, and the elderly had the weakest.
But no matter who it was, the "fire" on them never exceeded the size of a watermelon.
But today, Hanako found an exception: Ho Fei-yu. The "fire" on him could fill the entire classroom. Not only was it brilliant and blazing like the fierce sun, but it was also as gentle and warm as a spring breeze. When covered by it, her body felt cozy and comfortable, which was why she proposed the condition of possessing him while eating.
Hanako's big, round eyes showed anticipation for the coming tomorrow. Then, her figure completely disappeared from the classroom.
"..."
"I'm going to the vending machine to buy something. Do you two want me to bring anything back?"
Ho Fei-yu suddenly remembered Saki Yoshida's warning about the three gal girls this morning. He hadn't symbolically thanked her yet, so he decided to buy the girl some snacks to express his gratitude.
"Fei-yu-kun, could you bring me a bottle of that drink you had last time? It tasted pretty good~"
Hanawa Amakawa shook her head, but Yūshin Aonoi thought of something and asked Ho Fei-yu expectantly.
"The drink from last time? Yūshin-chan, you..."
Ho Fei-yu was puzzled. The girl said the drink from last time tasted good, but in his memory, Yūshin Aonoi had never bought any. How could she know if the drink tasted good or not? There was only one explanation: the girl had secretly drunk his water. That's why he felt something was off at the time.
"Hehe."
Yūshin Aonoi saw Ho Fei-yu's expression and realized she had accidentally let it slip. She quickly hid behind Hanawa Amakawa, pretending to be clueless.
"You two go ahead."
Ho Fei-yu didn't intend to pursue the matter. Anyway, he wasn't losing anything; he just drank a little less.
"Goodbye, Yu-kun."
Ho Fei-yu bought a bottle of soda, a bottle of milk, and a few lollipops of different flavors. The other snacks didn't look appealing, so he didn't buy them for Saki Yoshida.
When he got to the classroom, it was nearly full, as most people chose to eat lunch there.
As he walked past the podium, he couldn't avoid being stared at fiercely until he returned to his seat, at which point the gaze reluctantly disappeared. It was obvious who it was.
Without paying too much attention, Ho Fei-yu reached out and pinched Yūshin Aonoi's soft, fragrant shoulder. When the girl turned her head, he intentionally placed the water bottle in her path, causing the girl's tender face to bump into the drink unexpectedly.
The cold plastic bottle made Yūshin Aonoi shiver. Then, seeing Ho Fei-yu's deliberate smile, she immediately understood that Ho Fei-yu was teasing her.
The girl puffed up her cheeks like a pufferfish, glaring at the hand that was close by and making a face. She actually opened her mouth and went to bite it, but Ho Fei-yu wouldn't let the girl have her way. In an instant, his other hand pinched her chin.
Yūshin Aonoi was thus restrained by Ho Fei-yu. He felt the smoothness and tenderness of the girl's cheek and couldn't resist gently pinching it.
The girl was now a little lamb at his mercy, with no room to resist. Ho Fei-yu slowly savored the tenderness of her skin, but unexpectedly, Yūshin Aonoi suddenly extended her pink tongue and swept it across his finger. The moment of contact, Ho Fei-yu immediately let go, looking at the girl in shock.
It was as if he was asking, Isn't that too much? Doing something like that in public, regardless of your lady-like image.
Seeing Ho Fei-yu's expression, Yūshin Aonoi arrogantly tilted her head, her face triumphant, as if saying, Not so tough, huh, little brother? You let go just like that?
Then, she grabbed the soda bottle on the desk and quickly turned her head away. Her originally fair cheeks instantly turned bright pink, as if blood was about to drip from them.
It was fine when they were alone; she even dared to suck the boy's finger into her mouth. But in front of everyone...
Yūshin Aonoi twisted the cap off. Her eyes looked at the mouth of the bottle, and she recalled the time she secretly drank his water. She instinctively licked her pink lips with the tip of her tongue, and then, like a marmot eating a snow cake, she took a small sip.
But it wasn't as sweet as she had imagined. It was worlds apart from the sip she had taken last time.
The girl pondered. Was there some other reason?
For this, Yūshin Aonoi could only think it was because of Ho Fei-yu's... She resolved to find an opportunity to take things further!
Ho Fei-yu had no idea that his momentary whim to tease Yūshin Aonoi had set the stage for the girl to launch an intense offensive soon.
Having teased the girl, Ho Fei-yu decided to give the gifts he bought to Saki Yoshida.
Ho Fei-yu turned around and very straightforwardly placed the milk and lollipops on the girl's desk.
"Fei-yu-kun, is this for me?"
Saki Yoshida, who was staring blankly out the window, noticed the movement on her desk. She snapped back to attention and asked doubtfully, looking at the snacks placed there.
"This is a small gift to thank Saki Yoshida-san for the warning this morning."
Ho Fei-yu explained.
"No need! No need!"
Saki Yoshida was flattered and quickly waved her hands in refusal.
"Don't be so polite. Is it that Saki Yoshida-san dislikes the gift I prepared?"
Seeing the girl refuse, Ho Fei-yu changed his approach and teased her.
"No, that's not it! It's just... Fei-yu-kun helped me last time, and I haven't even prepared a gift for you. How can I possibly accept a gift from you now? And what I did is completely insignificant compared to what you did, so I absolutely cannot take your gift..."
Saki Yoshida lowered her head, nervously intertwining her slender hands, speaking with an embarrassed tone.
The girl didn't finish her sentence. Because of the gal girls' threats, she hadn't dared to tell Ho Fei-yu immediately and struggled with herself for a while. Whereas Ho Fei-yu had faced two or three dozen delinquents and still dared to help her, she had hesitated because of three gal girls her own age. This made Saki Yoshida feel very ashamed, and how could she possibly accept Ho Fei-yu's gift?
"Me helping you is one thing, and you helping me is another. You should still be thanked. Saki Yoshida-san, please accept it. They're not expensive things anyway."
Ho Fei-yu didn't know Saki Yoshida's true feelings and continued to speak patiently.
With some back-and-forth, Saki Yoshida finally accepted Ho Fei-yu's gifts.
The girl looked at the handful of extremely cheap lollipops in her hand, feeling both ashamed and delighted. Since she started wearing makeup, she had become popular, making new acquaintances with Ho Fei-yu, Yūshin Aonoi, other classmates, and even seniors from other grades.
Many people had given her gifts, both expensive and cheap, but accepting them never brought the same surge of emotion as accepting the gift from Ho Fei-yu.
Saki Yoshida decided to keep one lollipop as a memento, symbolizing her friendship with Ho Fei-yu. At the same time, the idea of buying a gift for Ho Fei-yu also sprouted in her heart.
She wanted to return the kindness and not just take. But Saki Yoshida felt disheartened when she remembered that all her money was spent on makeup and she didn't have much left. Furthermore, her father's company was facing difficulties, and she felt awkward asking her family for money beyond essential expenses.
What should she do?
That's right!
Saki Yoshida remembered that some of the new girl friends she made worked part-time at a karaoke place (KTV). They said they made quite a bit of money. The girl decided to find a time to ask them and see if she could get a job there too. If she worked for one or two months, she should have enough money to buy a gift for Fei-yu-kun.
Saki Yoshida imagined the happy look on Ho Fei-yu's face when he received her gift, and the girl's pretty face glowed with hope.
Ho Fei-yu had no idea that this small, sudden gesture of his today would soon subject Saki Yoshida to an unwarranted disaster.