FFD 17

Nighttime at Tokyo Station, JR Chuo Line.

Inside the bustling station, Hayama and Haruno stood in close proximity, their bodies almost touching. Haruno's eyes lit up, forming crescents as she smiled warmly at him.

He wrinkled his nose, detecting a hint of coriander in the air. "You had bad breath. Step back."

She pouted, "It was all Hayama's fault. You practically forced me to eat that stuff. It tasted so strange, and you even made me swallow every bit of it!"

As they exchanged words, he became aware of the envious glances from those nearby. His eyes twitched slightly.

"Do you remember what I told you, Hayama?"

"Yeah, yeah, I remembered. I would take good care of your sister."

The surrounding gazes intensified, their sharpness giving him an unsettling sensation. But he didn't mind; as long as he could irritate her, it was all worth it.

Gritting her teeth, she pleaded, "Promise me you won't mention to Yukino that I was here!"

Feeling tormented by the devouring gazes around him, he left Tokyo Station.

"Chiba people are really siscon after all!" He grumbled.

In the afternoon, Kato had some business to take care of and left early, while Hayama arrived at the soccer club as usual.

Today, there was an eerie calmness hanging over the soccer club. Each member seemed to be lost in their own world, either lost in thought or pretending to be engrossed in a book. It was as if an invisible force field surrounded them, warning others to maintain their distance. The most exaggerated display came from the one who had his Nintendo Switch turned upside down but managed to deftly maneuver the buttons.

"What's happening today? Did I accidentally stumble into the wrong place?" His unease grew as he noticed the peculiar atmosphere. Whenever the members behaved oddly, it usually signaled trouble. Could it be possible that the soccer club was on the verge of disbanding?

Cough, cough. Someone suddenly erupted into a fit of coughing.

Cough, cough, cough. The sound of coughing echoed throughout the club room.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Should I go find the nurse for all of you?" Hayama instinctively took a few steps back, as if a highly contagious disease had somehow infiltrated the entire club room!

"Hayama-kun, we actually need your assistance!"

Before he could even process what was happening, someone swiftly positioned himself at the club room's door, while the other members encircled him, wearing peculiar smiles on their faces.

"Hayama-kun, we have a favor to ask of you!"

"This is a task that only you can handle!"

"Hayama, don't worry about what we're about to tell you."

"Chiba Sobu High School has officially declared war on us!"

"Can you believe it? They even posted a declaration of war on their school website!"

"They even said they'd flaunt their victory to the visitors!"

"That darn Sobu! How dare they provoke us like that!"

"We need to retaliate! Retaliate in a precise and impressive manner!"

"How about we create our own? Manga-style posters always look awesome."

"But we don't have anyone skilled at making posters!"

"And we don't know any illustrators either!"

"So, we'll have to find someone outside to help us!"

"Rumor has it that the Art Club has this incredible blond beauty."

"She got selected for an exhibition right after joining the school, and she even made it to the evaluation stage for an award!"

"We've come to a conclusion—it has to be her! The perfect artist for our poster!"

"But the thing is, we don't have much of a reputation."

"Hey, Hayama, you're the only one in the soccer club with a stellar reputation!"

"You're the one who needs to step up and take responsibility for recruiting outside help for the soccer club!"

"We're putting all our hopes in you, Hayama!"

"This is a request we've been carrying with us for a lifetime!"

"Please have mercy on us, the underdogs with no impressive reputation to speak of!"

...

Hayama couldn't believe how he dragged himself away from that heart-wrenching soccer club. Every step he took towards the art club felt like trudging through quicksand. His feet seemed to be weighed down with lead. As he made his way to the art club, he couldn't shake off the burden of carrying the lifelong hopes of the entire soccer team.

Luckily, the art club was just a stone's throw away from the soccer club, merely twenty to thirty meters apart. Without dwelling on his thoughts for too long, Hayama found himself standing at the entrance of the art club.

Knock, knock. he gently knocked on the door, and a pleasant female voice floated from within, "Who's there?"

The door swung open, emitting a soft, hesitant creak, revealing a sight that took his breath away. His gaze was instantly captured by the crown of golden hair flowing in shimmering waves around the girl's shoulders. It gleamed in the light, intricately styled and beautifully crafted, as if spun by the nimble fingers of ancient fairy tale weavers.

Her hair was held back by two black ties, creating adorable twin tails that added a playful charm to her presence.

The moment Hayama laid eyes on this beauty, an intuitive feeling stirred within him — he might have just stumbled upon the person he had been searching for.

He glanced downward, mesmerized by her clear sky-blue eyes and doll-like porcelain skin. He couldn't help but acknowledge that the girl's beauty was simply breathtaking, among the best he had ever seen.

He and the girl couldn't help but feel a mutual attraction as their gazes locked. She stared at him intently, taking in every detail of his appearance.

Truth be told, Hayama was quite good-looking. Standing at a height of 1.8 meters, he may not have been towering over others, but he possessed a solid build that set him apart from his peers. His features were striking, exuding a handsome and unique charm, and his eyes shimmered like stars. Despite not being particularly meticulous about grooming and occasionally sporting a slightly disheveled look, there was an undeniable elegance and wild charm about him.

"Hayama-kun, what brings you here? Come on in, come in!" His acquaintance fully engrossed in her camera, leaped up with excitement as soon as she spotted Hayama.

'Hayama-kun?' Eriri suddenly recalled how often her friend mentioned Hayama's name. 'Could it really be him? He does bear a resemblance... No, he didn't recognize me, so it must be someone else!'

"Aren't you in the Photography Club?" He glanced at Morioka, wondering if he had ended up in the wrong place.

"Forget about those minor details! Photography and art are practically the same!" She seized his hand and eagerly pulled him into the art club.

As Hayama entered the art club, he couldn't help but notice the intense gazes of over a dozen girls fixed upon him. It was a look he recognized all too well—it resembled the hungry wolves from that documentary film, "Return to the Wolfpack."

Reluctantly, he nodded at the girls, feeling as if they were sizing him up like a delectable meal. "Sorry for the interruption."

"Is this student here to join the club?" one of the girls asked.

"Join the art club, and we'll throw in ten senpai for free!" another chimed in.

"With your physique, handling ten of us in one night should be a piece of cake, right?" teased another mischievously.

"Don't mind their exaggerated demands. If you agree to be my model, little junior, you can have your way with anything else at night!" one girl playfully suggested.

The art club and the soccer club couldn't have been more different. The soccer club resembled a bustling Buddhist temple, radiating energy and passion, while the art club had a tranquil atmosphere akin to a peaceful Nunnery. It would have been wonderful if the two clubs could complement each other, but it seemed highly unlikely that the art club girls would take an interest in the soccer club members.

"Hayama-kun, don't be scared. They're just all talk. At most, they might collect your boxers as a joke, but they won't do anything perverse to you," Morioka reassured him.

'Collecting boxers isn't perverted?'

"But Hayama-kun, why did you come to the art club? Is it because the guys in the soccer club have nothing but plain reputation, and you, being the only one famous, ended up being ostracized?" she leaned closer, her body almost touching his, and he caught a faint whiff of pear blossoms wafting from her.

"Sorry, but I actually came here to find this particular student." Hayama positioned himself behind Eriri, realizing that she seemed to be the only relatively normal person in the art club.

"Hayama-kun interested in Eriri? On one side, there's Hayama-kun, and on the other, a good friend. That's a tough decision to make."

Huh, Eriri?

He felt a sense of familiarity with that name, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

Eriri protested, clearly flustered, "What? What do you mean by 'interested in me'? Cut it out, stop with this nonsense!"

Observing Eriri's reaction, his suspicions grew stronger. "Eriri, can I see your teeth?"

...

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