Ch 138. Kotoko's Contemplation

After exchanging a glance, Yukino silently turned her gaze to the lush green plants in the nearby greenbelt. Kotoko Iwanaga, on the other hand, maintained her smile and looked thoughtfully at Yukino.

After a brief moment of calm, Kotoko suddenly asked, "Yukinoshita-senpai, do you know why Hoshimi went to buy breakfast?"

"Hmm?" Yukino turned back, puzzled, to look at Kotoko.

Buying breakfast just means he was hungry, doesn't it? Is there another reason?

"It seems Yukinoshita-senpai didn't consider this..." Kotoko narrowed her eyes and explained, "According to Hoshimi's nature, if he wanted to buy breakfast, he would have gone much earlier. So why did he wait until now and buy breakfast in the area near the school?"

Yukino furrowed her brows. Indeed, if it were usual, Hoshimi would have gone to buy breakfast soon after leaving home. Today, however, he waited until they were near the school.

Was there some sort of calculation involved?

"The answer is simple." Kotoko smiled and said, "By buying breakfast near the school and eating while walking, he has a clear reason not to hold hands with us."

Yukino's expression shifted to one of slight discomfort after a moment of realization.

"It seems Yukinoshita-senpai has figured it out. Hoshimi likely doesn't want to be seen as two-timing at the moment. However, I believe this is not the main reason. Since Hoshimi has decided to have both, he surely doesn't care about being labeled as two-timing."

"What he wants to do is protect both your reputation and mine."

"There's no need for me to elaborate on my side. Stealing a senior's boyfriend and stealing a senior's partner will naturally lead to some people gossiping behind my back."

"As for your side, Yukinoshita-senpai, the situation might be a bit more complex. You are the victim. According to the original script, you would at most face some questions about your charm, with more focus on sympathy for being the victim."

"But because you've previously caused some jealousy, the situation might be a bit different."

"When you and Hoshimi were sweetly involved, even if some people had ill feelings towards you, they wouldn't dare to say much due to Hoshimi's perfect image."

"But now, with Hoshimi cheating and his perfect image collapsing, combined with the fact that you were already somewhat rejected by certain girls, the malice from those who have been holding it in might surge. They could say all sorts of unpleasant things."

"Of course, this is just my speculation. Maybe those who have been holding it in might be deterred by your family background and refrain from speaking out."

"However, the likelihood of that is low. After all, you can't expect a bunch of high school girls to think about the consequences when they are 'partying.'"

"Hmm~"

"Yukinoshita-senpai, what do you think the outcome will be?"

Yukino looked at Kotoko with a somewhat confused expression.

She had thought of some issues, but not as deeply as Kotoko had.

She only considered that Hoshimi wanted to maintain his perfect image and was temporarily unwilling to be seen as two-timing.

As for other matters, she hadn't thought that deeply...

"Hm? Hoshimi is back." Kotoko noticed from the corner of her eye that Hoshimi was approaching with a bag.

She looked at Yukino, who appeared bewildered, and said, "Yukinoshita-senpai, don't mention what I just said to Hoshimi. If he finds out, he might not show it openly, but he will definitely retaliate against me secretly. I'd rather not deal with that."

Retaliate? What does that mean?

Yukino hesitated for a moment before nodding silently.

She also noticed Hoshimi was back. If she didn't end the conversation now, Hoshimi would definitely notice something was off.

This unambitious man was surprisingly perceptive in social interactions.

"I'm back." Hoshimi arrived between the two, taking out the bag to distribute the breakfast.

"Yukino, here's yours: a sandwich and a pack of hot milk. I'll give you the milk after you finish eating."

"Kotoko, here's the sweet milk you wanted."

After receiving the sandwich, Yukino glanced at Hoshimi and quietly unwrapped it, taking small bites.

Kotoko took the sweet milk and, with a sly smile, poked Hoshimi in the side. "Hoshimi, I want to drink..."

"Just drink it!" Hoshimi slapped Kotoko's face to prevent her from saying something inappropriate.

"Hmm~" Kotoko puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Let's eat while walking. If we don't hurry, we'll be late." Hoshimi pulled out a large meat bun from the bag, taking bites while leading the way.

Behind him, Kotoko and Yukino quickly followed.

In a spot where Hoshimi couldn't see, Yukino looked at his profile with a complicated expression.

Hoshimi... did you really think about all this?

Meanwhile, Hoshimi walked ahead, enjoying the large, juicy meat bun with satisfaction.

The recommendation from the Chiba food community was spot on. The large meat buns from the convenience store near Sobu High School were indeed particularly flavorful.

It was worth coming out of his way to buy them today. Really great!

He planned to give them a thumbs up later when the class started.

Hoshimi finished one bun quickly and took out a second one to enjoy.

No kidding, this meat filling is really good...

Behind Hoshimi, Kotoko tilted her head, looking at his contented expression with a naive, curious gaze.

Suddenly, Kotoko realized she might have, perhaps, overthought things...

Soon, the three arrived at the school. Due to the rush, they didn't have time to say much. After exchanging goodbyes, they split into different directions to their respective classrooms.

...

In the 2nd Year Class J classroom, the early self-study period was proceeding as usual.

After finishing his breakfast and giving a thumbs up to the reviewer, Hoshimi sat in his seat, daydreaming for a while, then dozed off with his head resting on the desk.

Looking at the sleeping Hoshimi, Yukino hesitated for a moment, then decided not to disturb his rest.

Well, if he's not ambitious, so be it...

After all, his lack of ambition doesn't have much impact, and he doesn't seem particularly foolish...

Yukino withdrew her gaze and quietly reviewed the material she would be studying.

Yes, reviewing...

The early self-study continued smoothly. Around 8:30, just before it ended, Hoshimi's homeroom teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, entered the classroom to conduct her usual inspection.

She glanced around and found that everyone was diligently studying, except for Hoshimi, who was sound asleep...

She stopped at Hoshimi's desk and tapped it.

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