Chapter 103: Encounter

“Aiko, what’s wrong? You don’t seem very energetic. Did something happen?” Murashima Mami asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Aiko sighed.

“You’re saying you’re fine, but is it because of that guy Gennai again?” Murashima asked.

“Yeah, he hasn’t come to see me for several days. Mami, do you think he never really liked me?” Aiko’s eyes began to redden.

Murashima sighed inwardly, then forced a smile to comfort her. “How could that be? With your looks and qualities, what guy could possibly reject you? Maybe he’s just been busy lately, that’s why he hasn’t come to see you. Don’t overthink it.”

“But I really don’t understand his thoughts. Sometimes he’s so nice to me, but other times he seems indifferent. Sometimes I even wonder if he ever liked me at all,” Aiko said, deeply frustrated.

“Silly girl, don’t say that. Who can really read him? I’ve never met anyone so inscrutable. It’s like he has so many secrets hidden inside. Aiko, just think—hypothetically—have you ever considered that he might just see you as a little sister?” Murashima said, her tone somewhat hesitant.

Upon hearing the last part, Aiko’s expression changed drastically. She struggled to say, “Is… is that really the case?”

Seeing her reaction, Murashima immediately pulled her into an embrace. “I was just speculating; it’s not for real. I’m sorry, Aiko, I didn’t mean to scare you. Hey, look, isn’t that Gennai?” she suddenly said in surprise.

At her words, Aiko quickly lifted her head to follow Murashima’s gaze. Sure enough, among the few people walking across the street not far away, a boy, looking like he just woke up, was slowly walking with his hands in his pockets.

“Gennai!” Seeing the boy, Aiko immediately ran toward him.

“Aiko, be careful!” Murashima suddenly shouted in alarm.

Just as Aiko reached the middle of the street, Murashima saw a motorcycle speeding straight toward her, heading quickly toward Aiko, who was crossing the road…

In that instant, Murashima felt like her heart stopped. She couldn’t bear to watch what would happen next.

“Screech… Bang!” After the sharp sound of brakes, there was a loud crash and the sound of something heavy falling and skidding across the pavement.

When Murashima opened her tear-filled eyes, she saw a terrifying brake mark on the road. A red motorcycle lay on its side not far from the middle of the road, and the rider was pinned under the fallen bike, unable to move his leg.

Where’s Aiko? Murashima quickly ran up, searching for her friend. A wave of fear she’d never experienced before clouded her vision, and the few steps she took seemed to stretch endlessly.

“Kid, do you want to die? You almost got yourself killed!” Suddenly, a boy’s angry voice came from the side of the road.

“Aiko!” When Murashima saw Aiko in the boy’s arms, she couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed over to hug her tightly, crying.

Seeing the two girls hugging and crying together, Masashi couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Damn it, you little brat, are you blind?” The rider, who had barely gotten up, threw his helmet and stormed over.

“What do you want to do?” Seeing the trouble, Kawakami Ryoko who was watching from the side quickly stepped in front of Masashi to block the rider.

“Get out of my way… Ah!” Before he could push the girl aside, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain.

The boy standing behind Kawakami Ryoko withdrew his left foot and stepped forward, stomping again. The motorcycle man cried out in pain once more.

“Let’s find somewhere to rest,” the boy said as he supported the still trembling Aiko and walked toward a nearby restaurant, all while surrounded by surprised gazes.

Inside the restaurant, Kawakami Ryoko curiously asked, “Masashi, were one of those two girls your girlfriend?”

Masashi shook his head. “The girl who almost got hit by the car is the younger sister of one of my high school teachers. The other one is her classmate. I didn’t expect to see them here.”

Thinking about the way the girl had acted towards Masashi earlier, Kurata Ryoko couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled.

After some careful organizing, when Murashima and Aiko came out of the restaurant’s restroom, everyone couldn’t help but be struck by their appearance. The incident had happened so suddenly that no one had noticed the girls’ looks earlier, but now, they realized that both girls were unexpectedly beautiful.

The two of them simply standing there attracted all eyes.

Seeing Aiko sitting closely beside Masashi, Ryoko said, “Masashi, why don’t you introduce us?”

After hearing Ryoko’s words, the Nishino brothers, who didn’t have girlfriends yet, showed an excited expression.

After a brief introduction, Masashi turned to Aiko and whispered, “Hey, little one, how about I take you to the hospital for a check-up?”

“No, I’m fine,” Aiko replied, shaking her head, her face still pale.

Masashi thought for a moment and said, “If anything feels off, let me know. We wouldn’t want you to have any internal injuries.”

“Okay, I understand.” Aiko felt happy in her heart from his concern, and her complexion improved a little.

Seeing the two whispering without paying attention to anyone else, Ryoko felt even more confused.

Knowing that the two girls were students from the prestigious elite school, the boys present couldn’t help but admire the young ladies. They realized that both Aiko and Murashima’s looks and figures were so outstanding that they easily overshadowed many other girls. Because of this, not only did the Nishino brothers show interest, but even Kawakami Hiromi’s handsome boyfriend joined the conversation with Aiko and Murashima. Hiromi, seeing this, was filled with both anger and annoyance.

With Aiko and Murashima’s unexpected arrival, the atmosphere became rather delicate.

Perhaps due to the shock, Aiko, usually lively and outgoing, had become unusually quiet. Apart from answering questions now and then, she mostly just quietly watched Masashi. Her obedient demeanor made the Nishino brothers feel both jealous and resentful.

As it was getting late, the group decided to have dinner at the restaurant.

After dinner and a short rest, in order to keep the two beautiful girls around, Nishino Nagatoshi suggested going to the dance hall.

Masashi, uninterested in dancing, declined.

“Masashi, aren’t you being a little antisocial? No wonder you were always bullied in middle school,” Nishino Nagatoshi said with a forced smile.

“What? Masashi, you were bullied in middle school?” Aiko asked, incredulously. How could anyone have bullied him?

“Didn’t you know, Aiko? This guy was bullied almost every day in middle school, whether it was being beaten up, having his money stolen, or being forced to buy breakfast. It was always miserable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still treated that way in high school,” Nishino Nagatoshi interjected.

Hiromi’s boyfriend sneered upon hearing this. He had thought Masashi was tough when he saw him confront the motorcyclist earlier, but now he seemed like just a scaredy-cat.

As the Nishino brothers excitedly recounted Masashi’s “glorious history,” Ryoko observed his reaction closely.

To her surprise, Masashi remained completely calm, leisurely sipping his tea with no sign of anger or embarrassment, as if the conversation wasn’t about him.

This discovery made her even more curious about the cousin who seemed so different from before.

Wanting to observe him further, she said to Masashi, “Masashi, if you don’t want to dance, you can sit over there with me. You can just keep me company, alright?”

Masashi turned to Aiko, asking, “Little one, do you want to go, or do you want to go home?”

Since it was rare for them to meet, Aiko naturally wanted to stay by his side a little longer, so she said, “If you’re willing to go with me, then I’ll go.”

Masashi thought she genuinely wanted to go, so he reluctantly agreed, “Alright, but you need to call your sister first and tell her you’ll be home late. She’ll worry otherwise. Murashima, you should do the same if you’re going.”

“Okay.” Aiko gave a sweet smile before taking out her phone to make the call. Murashima also pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Ryoko admired Masashi even more for his mature approach.