Yuma scratched his head in embarrassment, "Then what should we do? We can't beat her, so are we just going to let her cause trouble for us? She'll definitely provoke us in kendo class... Shin and I had just practiced for several years. But she probably started practicing from childhood. It's completely impossible to beat her! Shin, what do you think?"
Yuma wanted to find supporters, but he found Shin trailing behind with his head down. Kazuya glanced at him and asked, "What's wrong, Shimasaki?"
Shin sighed deeply and whispered, "Nothing. I just had a quarrel with my sister last night, so I'm not happy."
Yuma was shocked, "You really quarreled with her?" After saying that, he reached out to lift Shin's chin directly and saw that something was wrong. There were signs of bruising around Shin's eyes. Yuma said angrily, "That wicked girl bullied you again! I'll help you get revenge!"
Shin looked at him, pointing at his feet. "Her classroom is on the second floor. Do you want me to take you there?"
Yuma hesitated for a moment, realizing that he was no longer in middle school, and now he was in the same school as Kanae Shimazaki. Everything he said could be taken actions. He said awkwardly, "It's not good to do it at school. After all, she's our senior."
"How about you come to my house after school?" Shin suggested.
Yuma shrugged his shoulders, closing his mouth.
Kazuya interjected, "Shimasaki, there's no need to let our troubles affect your relationship with your sister... What happened yesterday doesn't matter."
Shin shook his head slightly, "Our relationship has never been good since we were little."
Yuma added, "That's right. When we were kids, she even forced him to wear..." He was about to continue but was interrupted by a punch from Shin. Yuma stopped speaking in pain. Seeing Shin's angry expression, Yuma knew he was genuinely upset. "Matsuoka is not an stranger. It's okay to tell him."
Shin remained silent, clearly disagreeing to talk about those embarrassing things. Yuma was about to say something more when his expression suddenly changed. Kazuya also turned to look and saw Haruka walking towards them.
Haruka looked sleepy, as if she were sleepwalking, but she and Kazuya seemed to have a telepathic connection. As soon as Kazuya's gaze fell on her, she became alert and stared back at him. She lifted her little face without avoiding Kazuya's gaze, keeping eye contact as she walked closer.
The corridor was wide enough for three or four people to walk side by side, but Haruka had no intention of detouring. She walked straight toward them with a cold and sharp momentum. When they met, Yuma was overwhelmed by her presence and unconsciously made way for her.
Haruka didn't thank him. She walked through them with a proud look, still tilting her head, showing her small tiger teeth, and looking at Kazuya. Kazuya also faced her calmly.
Eventually, it was impossible for Haruka to twist her neck 180 degrees. She made a contemptuous gesture, laughed loudly, "If you ever want to experience kendo, feel free to find me, hahaha! As long as you have the courage!" After saying that, she seemed to think that she had won again, swaggering away.
It was only at this moment that Yuma felt embarrassed for giving way. Kazuya stared at Haruka's back, wondering, "The matter is not over yet. Why is this little radish so angry?"
...
In the afternoon, Yuma called them to play arcade games after school, but Kazuya refused and took the tram back to the apartment.
He returned directly to the apartment, first checked the house, and found that the dog was quite obedient. After some consideration, he laid out a few sheets of waste newspaper as a makeshift toilet for it to prevent the dog being unbearable.
Then he began his sword practice in the room with Toratoro squatting on the side and sticking out its tongue. Practicing for a while, he had consumed most of his energy. Toratoro who had been bored and almost dozing off suddenly perked up. It excitedly barked and rushed to the doorway, desperately scratching the door as if eager to go out.
Kazuya rubbed his wrist and looked at it, "Go to the bathroom!"
Toratoro barked and stood at the doorway, refusing to leave. Its eyes gleamED with anticipation. Kazuya was puzzled and approached to open the door, only to find nothing outside. However, Toratoro rushed into the corridor, heading towards the stairs.
"Toratoro, what are you doing here?" The voice of Yoko came from around the corner of the stairs. She carried Toratoro and walked out. Toratoro lay excitedly in her arms, desperately trying to lick her face.
It turned out that the dog had heard its owner coming back. Its ears were quite sensitive.
Kazuya greeted her, "Yoko, you're back."
Yoko was playing with Toratoro. When she saw him, she quickly put Toratoro down, saluted him properly, "Good afternoon, Onisan!" She looked at the dog, then at Kazuya, and finally back at the dog, asking curiously, "Did Toratoro spend the night here with you?"
"Yes, I thought it's a little pitiful..."
Yoko seemed somewhat pleased and reluctant, "So, Onisan, do you want to adopt Toratoro?"
Kazuya hurriedly declined, "I haven't thought about it yet. It's still your dog."
Yoko seemed a bit regretful, "Toratoro is actually very smart and well-behaved... By the way, this is for you, Onisan. Thank you very much for yesterday! "
She took out a handful of coins from her pocket and handed them to Kazuya, "This is the money for the bento last night, 500 yen. Is it enough?" She seemed a bit uncertain about how much a bento should cost.
Looking at her dirty little hand, Kazuya didn't know where she got this money. He inexplicably thought of the child picking up garbage nearby, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that their figures were similar. So, was this money from selling recyclables? But he didn't ask anything. He just accepted it, picked out three 100-yen coins, and handed back the rest to her, "It's more than enough."
He wasn't stingy to take money from a child even for a dinner. Accepting the money was the greatest respect. Looking at the dirty little hand, he even had a bit of a sore nose and felt like sighing—his heart was still not hard enough!
Seeing that he took the money, Yoko seemed relieved. Her smile brightened for a moment, but she shook her head repeatedly, "Just give it to Onisan. I bothered you a lot last night..." She thought about it and realized that a little over 200 yen was actually very little. It wouldn't be a proper thank-you gift, so she changed her mind, "Otherwise, you can think it's Toratoro's food expenses!"
Kazuya weighed the coins in his hand, thought for a moment, "Okay!"
Yoko squatted down to pat Toratoro's head, and affectionately instructed, "Behave well at Onisan's place, no barking or causing trouble, you know?"
Toratoro just licked her little hand. Yoko giggled twice, stood up, and bid farewell to Kazuya, "Onisan, I'm going home. If Toratoro disturbs you, let me know and I'll take it away."
"I see." Kazuya nodded, watching Yoko walk towards the end of the corridor. He watched her thin figure and haggard face and asked, "Yoko, do you want to have dinner together tonight?"
Although he was currently in a miserable state, he had the ability to fend for himself. His misery was only temporary. Thinking about Yoko, he inevitably felt a pang of compassion, recalling his past self.
Yoko was taken aback for a moment, shaking her head quickly, "No, no, I have prepared dinner at home. Thank you, Onisan!"
"Alright, then you go back." Kazuya didn't insist. This child seemed sensitive and had a strong sense of pride.
Yoko waved to him and went home. Toratoro followed her for two steps, seeming to know that it couldn't follow her home. Maybe it had suffered before, so it walked back dejectedly. Kazuya held the still-warm coins, kicked its buttocks, "What are you upset about? You'll get an extra meal tonight. Your owner have paid for it."