FFD 9

"Hayama, don't you have soccer practice today?" Kato asked, leaning on his back and speaking softly.

"There's no match today, so they won't mind."

Despite being enrolled for just a little over a month, he had already become an essential member of the soccer club. Skipping a few training sessions every now and then wouldn't be a big deal.

"Why don't you go to practice? I'm feeling a bit better now, so I should be fine going home by myself."

Kato tried to shift her body on his back, but it was clear that her pain hadn't subsided. She could only manage to move slightly, and her complexion grew even paler.

Feeling the softness and elasticity on his back, he sighed helplessly. "Kato, this is the third time in less than five minutes."

During the short distance from the school building to the school gate, she had attempted to get off his back three times. He gently shook his back, raising Kato a little higher.

"Um, Hayama, aren't you bothered by all the people staring at us?"

Kato was a laid-back person, often blending into the background effortlessly. However, Hayama was a popular figure in school, and she didn't want to cause any trouble for him.

"With you by my side, it's impossible for me to grab any attention even if I tried."

"Huh, you casually said something quite audacious." she gently rested her head on his shoulder, her cheeks slightly flushed.

At the school gate, a taxi had been patiently waiting for some time. The trains during after-school hours were always packed, and considering her condition, it would likely be impossible for them to squeeze onto one.

Once inside the taxi, she finally noticed the small beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Am I... too heavy?"

Her sudden question caught him off guard for a moment, but he swiftly responded, "Around 45 kilograms. However you mean it, you're not heavy."

"Hayama, how did you become so good at this?"

A faint voice drifted in the car, and suddenly, he felt a chill in the air. However, as he looked at Kato's expression, he couldn't find any issues.

"Uncle driver. Could you please turn off the air conditioning? My friend isn't feeling well."

The taxi came to a stop in front of Kato's house.

"Kato, so this is where you live!"

Standing at Kato's doorstep, he felt a strange sensation. He hadn't expected Kato's house to be less than a hundred meters away from Kiyotaki Kousuke's house!

"My house is really close to where Ginko lives! In fact, two nights ago, I was following behind both of you the whole time!"

Hayama's expressions seemed somewhat unnatural, as he had been followed all the way without noticing it! Kato's invisible mode must have come into play again.

Helping Kato to her room, his phone suddenly rang, beeping every few seconds to signal incoming text messages.

He stole a quick glance at Kato and subtly reached into his pocket, switching his phone to silent mode.

He had a pretty good idea of what those messages were. Most likely, they were notifications about bank transfers.

In Japan, ha had a collection of over thirty bank accounts, and he found it safer to distribute funds in batches across different bank cards to minimize risks.

"Hayama, feel free to check your phone. Don't worry about me!"

"It's most likely just a bunch of spam messages."

"Hayama, could you wait in the living room for a moment? I need to change my clothes."

He made his way to the living room and waited. After a minute, Kato stepped out of the room, but to his surprise, she was still wearing the same clothes.

"H-Hayama," she stammered, her expression revealing a hint of shyness. He noticed this and thought, 'Ah, so Kato can feel shy too.'

"I need to ask you for a favor," she finally spoke up.

He agreed to her request, but...

"I... I don't think I can do that. Buying sanitary pads is just... beyond my abilities!"

"Please Hayama, if it's really impossible for you, maybe you could ask Ginko for help..."

He was at a loss for words upon hearing her suggestion. How could he possibly ask a girl to accompany him to buy such personal items? It was incredibly difficult to bring himself to say it.

He had been pacing back and forth in front of Kousuke's house for a few minutes now, but he still lacked the courage to ring the doorbell.

"That perverted old man, Kousuke. If I step into his house again, it'll be like a sheep entering a tiger's den. And Ginko doesn't even respond to my messages." Hayama sighed.

Inside the second-floor room of the Kiyotaki residence, Ginko and Keika were engrossed in a heated game of Shogi. The tension in the room was palpable, the match fierce. However, their concentration was abruptly broken.

"Keika, hold on a moment," Ginko announced, setting aside the Shogi board.

She caught sight of Hayama just as he arrived at the door. Initially assuming he was merely passing by, she was surprised to see him lingering outside for an extended period. A rush of joy flooded her heart.

Although Ginko was filled with joy, she didn't let it show on her face. "Why are you lingering by the door? If you want to play chess, come on in!" she said, maintaining her usual cool demeanor.

He had initially planned to go to the convenience store alone, but now he was pleasantly surprised by Ginko's invitation. "I... I don't actually want to play chess. I... I have something to ask you," he said, feeling the difficulty of broaching the topic of asking a girl to accompany him to buy sanitary pads for another girl.

Noticing her perplexed expression, he added, "I need you to accompany me to buy something."

'Buying something? Maybe it's shogi equipment.' Ginko felt joy in her heart, but her words took on a different tone. "You need someone to accompany you to buy something? Are you a grade schooler? You're quite something. Just wait for me!"

She hurried inside, quickly exchanged words with Keika, grabbed her compact umbrella and folding fan, and swiftly returned to the door. "Alright, let's go!"

...

In the convenience store.

"You're such a jerk! How could you ask a girl to go with you to buy this kind of stuff!" she smacked him with her folding fan.

"I'm sorry, I didn't explain it well to you. But wouldn't it be even worse if I went alone?" Hayama, knowing he was in the wrong, quickly apologized.

She glared at him, gritting her teeth and displaying clear dissatisfaction. She had thought he had a change of heart and wanted to play shogi, but she never expected him to drag her into such trivial matters.

"Finish your shopping quickly so we can get out of here!" she urged.

After paying, he sneaked out of the convenience store as if he were a thief. The cashier's gaze felt like they were scrutinizing him, adding to his guilt and making him even more nervous.

"Why are you running?" she followed him, slightly panting with her small mouth slightly open. Even in this short distance, she struggled to keep up with his pace.

He came to a halt. "You don't have to run. I'll wait for you. But, I guess it's good for you. It'll help improve your physical fitness."

Ginko's expression changed rapidly, much like the unpredictable summer weather. However, in the end, she clenched her teeth and remained silent. 'That guy... all he cares about is muscles!'

...

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