Chapter 142 Hundred and Thirtieth Chapter Scratch!
Tap tap.
Embers danced with the sound of burning firewood, dispersing into the air.
Hachiman Hikigaya squatted in front of their stew pot, entranced by the burning logs, already in a trance-like state.
“Take some time to wander around if you’re idle, see if there’s anything you can help with.”
Shizuka Hiratsuka walked over, puffing on her cigarette, and snapped Hikigaya out of his daze.
“Mm, it’s not every day we get to talk to elementary school kids, so let’s go.” Hayama Hayato happily agreed, calling for his comrades to help out.
“I’ll watch the cooking,” Hikigaya immediately said, regaining his senses.
The mature female teacher’s face instantaneously twisted into a fierce visage: “It’s fine, I’ll take care of it.”
“Ahh…”
Terrifying, how terrifying!
Almost mistook Teacher Shizuka as a Cursed Spirit and exorcised her.
Under pressure, Hikigaya helplessly stood up and pretended to patrol, pretending to look for any elementary students who needed help. He then sneakily went outside the tent, avoiding Teacher Shizuka’s gaze.
Why focus on angles if you don’t play professionally?
The curry stew recipe isn’t complicated; even elementary students could complete it under the detailed guidance of the high schoolers.
Withdrawing from combat, Hikigaya took advantage of the idle moment to start observing the black-haired little girl who had been isolated earlier.
Rumi Kawashima was washing various ingredients alone.
“Do you like curry?” Hayato came and sat next to her, asking with a smile.
This scene naturally caught Hikigaya’s attention in his covert observation.
Instinctively, he frowned and glanced at the group of four nearby; they were huddled together, watching Rumi and Hayato while whispering.
Hayato, this won’t work.
When interacting with someone lonely, it must be done discreetly and swiftly, with consideration not to embarrass them.
Unlike him, always basking in sunlight, he wouldn’t understand these things only those walking the lonely path know.
As expected, upon seeing the mocking and scoffing looks cast toward her, Rumi Kawashima released the ingredients she was cleaning, saying indifferently, “Not really, I have no interest in curry.”
She then turned and left the tent.
Seeing how she reacted, Hikigaya nodded in satisfaction.
Nice answer.
A warm reply would make people feel invasive, too cold a response might cause arrogance.
In such situations, strategic withdrawal is necessary.
Seeing she seemed uninterested in conversation, Hayato paused before turning to the four young girls and said cheerfully, “Let’s add something unique to our meal since it’s a rare occasion to cook!”
“Those who want to contribute raise their hands!”
The four girls raised their little hands, shouting excitedly: “Me! Me!”
Well, Teacher Shizuka assigned them the task to help elementary students in need. Since that girl didn’t seek assistance, Hayato had no reason to persist.
Hikigaya commented.
But quickly noticed a familiar figure approaching the lone child; reluctantly, he sighed and followed.
Yukinoshita Yukino, who observed Hayato’s actions, also found his behavior intolerable and decided to step in personally.
Previously, she might have waited for Rumi to ask for help, but now, she wasn’t just the isolated Yukinoshita Yukino.
“You were being ostracized, right?” Soft, clear voice echoed in Rumi’s ears as she subconsciously looked up, knees pulled close against a tree trunk.
“I’m Yukinoshita Yukino, what’s your name?” she asked.
“Search: ~Yumi Lu Mi… Rumi Kawashima,” the little girl replied after glancing at her.
“There’s something I don’t understand.” Yukino was straightforward, “If those people are excluding you so much, why do you still stay beside them? Are you blackmailed?”
“No…” Rumi shook her head.
“Your questioning technique is rather blunt.” Hikigaya commented, coming over.
“I just chose the most direct way—what’s the problem?” Yukinoshita asked puzzledly.
Didn’t you consider the emotions of the person involved?
Hikigaya twitched slightly inwardly.
Club President Yukinoshita was becoming more and more like Qi Lin… No, Qi was surely doing it intentionally, but Yukinoshita did it to solve problems efficiently.
After giving Hikigaya a glare, Yukinoshita focused once again on the small girl whose head was buried between her knees. She gently crouched down, bringing her line of sight to eye level with her.
“Do you wish to escape this loneliness?” she asked earnestly.
“No big deal, they’re just mischievous, unlike me, so even if I’m alone, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Rumi mumbled uncomfortably.
“In middle school, you can make friends with new classmates from other places.”
Because she kept tolerating others’ rejection with apathy, she believed in this thought.
Yet, Yukinoshita broke her illusion, “Unfortunately, that’s impossible. The few kids ostracizing you will be in the same middle school, so the same thing will happen.”
“Then, it’ll be them joining others to ostracize you.”
“…It will be like this?”
Broken by the illusion, Rumi clenched her fist.
“Now, tell me again, do you wish to escape this loneliness?” Yukinoshita repeated.
…
Looking around “~~Search: Nine Four Eight Three Zero!”
Curry was soon ready, the children felt incredibly excited seeing what they prepared, a sense of accomplishment emerged. Appetite grew.
Lin Qi, who had vanished in the morning, hadn’t returned until everyone nearly finished lunch.
Yukinoshita sent several messages, receiving no response.
“Yukiko, are you waiting?” Yui Yuigahama, mouth full of rice, puzzledly watched Yukinoshita still not serving food.
“Finish what you’re eating before speaking.” Yukinoshita sighed, “I’m waiting for Lin Qi.”
“Should I call him?” Hikigaya suggested.
“True.” Yukinoshita nodded, taking out her phone to dial Lin Qi.
The phone was cut off before it connected.
The girl saw familiar, distant figures. Lin Qi carried something in both hands and approached them, a belt around his waist.
Closer, Yukinoshita realized he carried two plastic bags—most likely cans of beer.
More surprisingly, his waist also hung rabbits and snakes, forming a complete circle.
“Hey, already eating?” Lin Qi smiled, showing off his trophies, “All from the mountains.”
Yuigahama and Ayaka Hozuki exchanged glances with a hint of pity: “Oh, those cute little rabbits… why…”
Where did this mountain hunter come from?
Hikigaya watched warily, the bag filled with wild game on Lin Qi.
“Unbelieveable, you spent all morning on this?” Yukinoshita set down her phone, sighing.
Lin Qi laughed nonchalantly, “If you don’t want to eat, don’t.”
“Curry has meat.” Yukinoshita retorted with a dismissive look.
A moment later.
Around a makeshift firepit surrounded with stones and wood柴火, Lin Qi built another one nearby.
Taking out the iron rack, he skewered a whole rabbit, placed it over the flames, sprinkling some seasoning.
Fierce flames licked the rabbit meat, fat dripping into the fire, making a sizzling sound; an original fresh aroma soon spread.
Students, either bewildered or embarrassed, looked at their half-eaten dishes and suddenly lost their appetite.
Teacher Hiratsuka, attracted by the aroma, spotted the grilling rabbit and brightened.
To accommodate the elementary students who had finished lunch, she hadn’t eaten herself yet.
Sitting on a stool, Lin Qi took out a chilled, dripping can from a plastic bag, offering it to Hiratsuka: “Have some?”
“Sure!” Unhesitantly, Hiratsuka took the stool and received the beer from Lin Qi.
Plop!
With two cans opened almost simultaneously, they tapped glasses, drinking from their respective bottles.
“Pfff!” Hiratsuka crushed and flattened the empty can, exclaiming, “Ah! Nothing beats drinking an ice-cold beer during a hot summer!”
Students looked at the two, internally criticizing Teacher Hiratsuka for drinking openly.
Is it appropriate for the teacher to drink in front of the students?
…
After school, then become a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
