Seeing how serious Mari had become, Kota grew visibly nervous. His eyes darted to Haruto, scrutinizing him more carefully. The realization hit, and his palm began to sweat.
"Ah! Of course, I know who you are! I'm just joking, right, Haruto?"
Kota forced a laugh, his voice cracking slightly as he slung an arm around Haruto's neck, pulling him uncomfortably close.
Haruto's fists clenched at his sides. The urge to punch Kota in the face was hard to suppress, but he knew better.
If he wanted to stab Kota in the back, just as the man had done to him in the past, he needed to play the part of the 'best friend.'
Patience was key.
"Yeah, you're always joking like that," Haruto responded, his voice cool, though his eyes held a darker glint.
With deliberate force, he reached up and ruffled Kota's hair, his grip just rough enough to make him wince.
He didn't let go until he saw the hint of pain flash in Kota's eyes, his lips curling into a barely-there smirk.
Mari, watching the two of them, sighed in relief. She hated seeing friendships with uneven power dynamics—it always led to someone being bullied.
She relaxed slightly as the tension seemed to ease between the two boys.
"Well, if you say so…" she trailed off before glancing at the clock.
"Ah, I think we should finish up our lunch. The break's almost over."
She gave Haruto a quick look, her expression softening.
Haruto nodded in understanding and returned to the dining table, with Kota reluctantly following behind them.
As they sat down, Mari broke the silence. "Haruto, you've really changed. At first, I didn't recognize you," she said, her voice light but sincere.
"But once you started talking and acting like yourself, I just knew it was you!" Her eyes brightened with excitement.
"Really?" Haruto replied with a playful sigh.
"Now you've got me overthinking how I behave."
Despite his teasing tone, he was genuinely curious. It intrigued him that Mari had recognized him so quickly, the same as Mrs. Inoue too.
It makes the words from Kikuchi make more sense, was he that pathetic to look at?
Kota, not wanting to be outdone, jumped in. "Oh, I recognized him too. You know how it is—he's still the same old Haruto deep down."
"He might've bulked up, but the guy's always had that slouchy, awkward posture. Bowing like he's terrified of taking up space."
He chuckled, eyeing Haruto with thinly veiled disdain. "You can slap some muscle on a guy, maybe even fix his face, but come on—once a loser, always a loser."
Haruto remained calm, refusing to rise to the bait. Kota's words were a transparent attempt at a power play—to remind Mari that, no matter how much Haruto had changed physically, he was still the same weak, forgettable guy.
But all it did was reveal Kota's insecurities and jealousy. Haruto didn't need to say anything; this kind of move was one of many things women hated the most.
Haruto glanced at Mari, catching her sour expression.
"For me, it just shows how humble and polite he is. Those are qualities you don't find in many men." She scoffed lightly, her gaze flicking dismissively toward Kota.
Haruto's smirk deepened as he picked up a piece of steak with his chopsticks.
'Didn't even need to lift a finger,' he thought to himself, savoring both the food and the sight of Kota realizing how fucked he'd misstepped.
The steak was good, but watching Kota dig his own grave? That was delicious.
Seeing Mari's mood sour, Kota panicked. "No, no! That's not what I meant, Mari—"
Before he could finish, she cut him off sharply. "Stop calling me Mari! We aren't that close." Her voice was firm, her gaze unforgiving.
She shook her head, and Kota's face fell. The embarrassment turned his skin crimson, his hands balling into tight fists as he bit his lip and stared down at the table.
The sight of Kota's crushed spirit made Haruto's lips twitch with amusement.
He knew exactly what would drive Kota further into despair—it would only take one sentence to push him over the edge.
But for now, Haruto held back, savoring the tension as he casually ate a few more bites, letting the awkward silence hang in the air like a noose.
Finally, Haruto cleared his throat, closing his bento with deliberate calm. "Sorry for making things awkward," he said smoothly, his eyes shifting to Mari.
"I've got movie tickets—how about we go together?"
Mari's eyes widened, her mood lifting almost instantly. A bright smile spread across her face.
"Really? I'd love to! I've got some free time on Saturday."
Haruto nodded, already making plans in his head. He'd have to deal with Daiki first, but after that, his schedule would be wide open.
"Saturday works for me."
His gaze slid over to Kota, who looked even more defeated. "How about you, Kota?"
Haruto's voice was almost too casual, knowing full well that Kota couldn't go. His grades were terrible, and he was stuck with tutoring every weekend. Even in the summer.
Before Kota could stammer out an excuse, Mari cut in again, her tone light and playful. "I don't think Inoue can make it."
"Why don't just the two of us go? We can count it as a date!" She winked at him with a teasing smile.
Haruto smirked, though he noticed Kota's stunned expression. "Sure, if that's what you want," he replied, his voice smooth and confident.
He turned to look at Kota, who was now glaring at him with clenched teeth, fury simmering just beneath the surface.
"Haruto?" Kota muttered under his breath, disbelief clouding his voice.
The one he loved, the one he adored, had just called his friend by his first name—but not him.
The breaking point came suddenly. Kota shot up from his seat, his face twisted with rage.
"Why would you want to go with him, Hayazawa? He's a freak!" He spat the words, glaring at Haruto like he wanted to punch him.
Mari stood up abruptly, her irritation barely concealed. Before the situation could escalate further, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped in with a casual smile.
"Oh my, what a crowd. No wonder the store feels understaffed."
Inoue's voice was light, but there was an underlying sharpness in her tone as she surveyed the room.
Mari, immediately recognizing the woman's presence, straightened up and bowed respectfully.
"I apologize. I'll get back to work right away," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness as she tidied up her lunch and excited the room.
Kota, on the other hand, didn't hide his frustration. He marched over to his mother, his face still flushed from embarrassment.
"Mother… Why did you hire someone like him?" His voice was full of contempt as he gestured toward Haruto.
Inoue crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her expression unbothered. "And? This isn't your store, is it? Now, go home and start studying."
She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples as though Kota's mere presence gave her a headache.
"I don't want to have to bribe your teachers again just to keep you in school."
Kota's face turned an even deeper shade of red, the weight of his humiliation now fully exposed.
His eyes darted to Haruto, who remained calm, watching everything unfold with a faint smirk. Without another word, Kota stormed out, his footsteps heavy with frustration.
The satisfying feeling he gets when seeing his 'friend' being humiliated by the one who was supposed to 'love' him was amazing.
"I'm terribly sorry for my son's behavior," Inoue said, her smile returning as she approached Haruto.
Haruto, who had been a silent spectator to the unfolding drama, gave her a polite nod.
"No need to apologize. It was just a little misunderstanding between friends."
Inoue chuckled softly. "I see. That's good, then."
Her sharp eyes wandered over to Haruto's clothes, and without warning, she reached out, feeling the fabric of his shirt between her fingers.
"This is quite a cheap brand, isn't it?" She frowned slightly, tilting her head in disapproval.
"It wouldn't look good for our store if one of our employees dresses like this."
Haruto felt a sudden jolt of discomfort like he had been caught off-guard. "Ah, I'm sorry. I'll get some new clothes tomorrow," he said quickly, feeling out of place under her scrutiny.
But Inoue merely laughed, her eyes narrowing in amusement. "Why wait until tomorrow? Let's go shopping now. It wouldn't do for you to continue wearing such outdated, unstylish clothes."
"After all, you represent our store, and we can't have you tarnishing its image with this look."
Her tone was teasing, but there was no mistaking the expectation behind her words.
[Ding!]
[New Quest available!]