Chapter 140: The Unchanged
The spring outing for elementary school students… was going quite smoothly with the treasure hunt.
As they marched forward amidst laughter and joy to a spot halfway up the mountain, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly noticed a group of girls gathering nearby in front of some bushes. They halted there, hesitant to proceed.
“What are those children doing?” asked the black-haired girl with puzzlement.
“I’ll go check.” Hearing what Yukino mentioned, Hayama Hayato stated, and he jogged over to investigate.
Perhaps sensing that splitting into two groups within one school wasn’t ideal, Hayato led Miura Yumiko and others to slow down their climb, gradually getting closer to the likes of Lin Qi.
But after the four arrived, Lin Qi’s conversation didn’t seem as lively anymore.
Lin Qi was indifferent, but Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya showed little interest in talking to Hayato’s group.
The latter avoided talking to the popular kids; neither had substantial topics. The former simply found no appeal in Hayato, treating him like any other ordinary schoolmate.
After everything she’s been through, Yukino no longer dislikes Hayato; she merely pities him.
While they were silent, Komachi engaged Yui Yuigahama and Ayaka Hozuki in a chat about girl talk. Lin Qi, having nothing pressing to talk about, fell quiet, choosing to enjoy the scenery around them.
As for not wanting to converse with their groupmates, they were distracted by an outgoing orange-haired leader who would eagerly chime in anyway.
After inspecting and finding it was just a Japanese rat snake, Hayato quickly caught it and placed it away from the path on the grass, where it swiftly made its escape.
“It’s fine, it’s just a Japanese rat snake,” Hayato said cheerfully after releasing it. “It won’t bite or poison you.”
“Big brother sure is cool!”
“Wow, you actually picked it up!”
Amidst the praise from the young girls, Hayato maintained his cheerful smile, “Don’t worry. It’s harmless.”
“Even if it doesn’t bite, I wouldn’t want to touch it either!”
“That’s right~”
The children burst into laughter, their youthful voices echoing in the woods. Hayato joined in with them.
However, Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya spotted another girl.
A cute girl with long, black hair followed closely behind the other four girls, yet she stood apart, fiddling with her small pink digital camera.
Yukino sighed deeply.
“Is she seeing herself in that little girl?” Lin Qi teased with a smile.
Just as Stands attract each other, lonely people recognize loneliness.
“Well, kind of,” Yukino replied calmly.
Hachiman, hearing this, was taken aback, feeling he should not have eavesdropped on something personal.
He cautiously observed both of them, relieved when he sensed no issues. It was just instinct to judge atmosphere.
“Do you plan to do something?” Lin Qi asked again.
“Just watch and see for now,” Yukino replied intently.
After successfully engaging with handsome and cheerful upperclassmen, the elementary girls didn’t let Hayato leave easily. They surrounded him, sweetly asking, “Big brother, where’s the checkpoint?”
Hayato smiled and said, “Where is it?”
“Let’s find out together!” suggested another girl enthusiastically.
“Hmm… How about this,” said Hayato, pretending to think hard, then pointed his finger at his lips, “We can help you here, but keep it a secret from others!”
“Yes!” x4
Watching the four girls readily agree, Hachiman marveled in astonishment.
That’s typical Hayato; his social skills surpass me.
Sharing secrets is a way to connect with others, build rapport.
Hayato started locating the checkpoint with the four girls, while the black-haired girl trailed discreetly behind them, remaining a few steps back.
Seeing off the main group, Yukinoshita decided to follow and observe how Hayato behaved towards the lone girl.
Lin Qi had wandered elsewhere mid-way, which didn’t concern her.
He could take care of himself.
The black-haired girl even wondered aloud if there were creatures capable of threatening Lin Qi.
Hmm, maybe Mr. Five is one.
Forgetting Lin Qi, Yukinoshita continued following the group while observing issues along the way.
The four girls, aiming to impress Hayato, frequently mocked the lone black-haired girl with evident malice, a behavior that even dared to be overt.
Had it been Yukinoshita herself, even in past years, she wouldn’t have continued such company. But somehow, this solitary girl remained stoically loyal, silently enduring their scorn.
Was she coerced?
Yukinoshita frowned, her mind flashing gloomy thoughts. She never underestimated human malice, regardless of age.
Elementary and high schoolers were similarly complex.
During breaks, the black-haired girl retreated and was intercepted by Hayato.
“Did you find the checkpoint?” he asked with a smile.
“…No.”
Seeing she wasn’t anticipating the conversation, the girl seemed disoriented.
“Got it. Let’s all look for it then.” Hayato, oblivious to her uneasiness, spoke to her directly, “What’s your name?”
“Kamimi… Rumi.”
“I’m Hayato. Nice meeting you.”
Hayato ushered her close and led her toward the group. “The checkpoint should be over here, right?”
When Kaminomi Rumi approached with Hayato, the four girls visibly grimaced but quickly regained smiles for Hayato. They immediately resumed talking among themselves, disregarding her presence as if none of them had seen her at all.
Sigh…
Seeing it all, Yukinoshita felt a pang of disappointment.
She disliked him, after all.
Irrespective of past matters, he simply couldn’t grasp what she truly thought.
