Even with chuunibyou, let's learn together!

Page 272

I bought too few. Next time I'll queue up and buy a few more boxes. I'll give them to May; she'll be so happy. Nino also loves these cute pastries, and Ichika loves snacks. Miku likes matcha, but I'm sure I can find a flavor that suits her.

All four sisters need to receive gifts, looks like I'll need to buy a lot of boxes, and then…

Let's also buy some for Hayakawa.

He has to study every day and write so many papers, which is very mentally taxing. So buying him some food is like having me by his side, so he won't be lonely when he studies at night.

Four Leaf's expression shifted as she recalled what had just happened.

Speaking of which, Hayakawa actually fed me some pastries just now. Is it really possible for Hayakawa to do something like that? It feels a bit unbelievable. It seems we have a good relationship.

And I am now Nino, which means...

Yotsuba secretly glanced at Hayakawa, her heart skipping a beat.

"Hayakawa and Nino...have their relationship progressed to the point where they can feed each other snacks?"

"They're practically boyfriend and girlfriend now... Even if they aren't, they're probably going to be soon."

"..."

That's great.

Yotsuba thought to herself, a relieved smile appearing on her face.

Are they finally together? True love prevails in the end. Nino and Hayakawa must be very happy now, and I can better wish them well.

I just hope Nino's grades will improve, otherwise the two of them won't be able to go to the same university... But with Nino's academic ability, even with Hayakawa's help, it would be difficult for her to reach the same level, which is the University of Tokyo level.

Besides, Hayakawa works so hard, studying until so late every day, doing so many tests, it must be exhausting, and studying alone in another city must be lonely... Nino has a rather strong personality, what if the two of them can't understand and tolerate each other and have conflicts...

Thinking about this, Yotsuba couldn't help but feel worried. She didn't want to see the two of them get hurt after their relationship broke down.

She prayed silently in her heart, praying that everything would have a good ending.

All I can do is wish her well. I hope Nino can do her best, achieve good results, and be happy with Hayakawa. And then... take good care of Hayakawa for her.

Yotsuba pouted, a bitter feeling welling up inside her. Resentment and bitterness surged from the bottom of her heart, while feelings of relief and sadness swirled within her, turning into tears that hung precariously at the corners of her eyes.

It was complicated, incredibly complicated, as if all the seasonings in the world had been spilled into Yotsuba Nakano's little world, turning into a continuous, cold autumn drizzle, and she had returned to that familiar elementary school, to that familiar school gate.

It was the time for school to let out. As a child, Hayakawa was walking with a girl who looked exactly like him. Under the sky, the two figures seemed to merge into one. Meanwhile, he was hiding behind a pillar at the school gate, his forehead wet with rain and his vision blocked by his hanging hair.

"No...you can't cry."

"At least not now."

Yotsuba said to herself in her heart.

"You're Nino now. If you cry, you'll be discovered..."

"If Hayakawa discovers my identity, it will be troublesome if misunderstandings arise."

That's good. Continuing to develop like this is the best approach.

This moment is the best ending, the ending that belongs to Nakano Yotsuba, to Hayakawa Shiro, and to those two figures walking side by side on the road, far from the crowd, their heads elongated by the twilight.

"call…"

Yotsuba took a deep breath. She knew it was all over. If there were a book called Hayakawa Yotsuba, then the story of that book had reached its final page.

She had always held onto a sliver of hope, and even knowing that Nino had fallen for Hayakawa, that hope was merely sealed away and never dissipated.

She couldn't let Nino down, so she couldn't do anything—she couldn't pursue Hayakawa or express her feelings to him… But what if Hayakawa liked her?

If Hayakawa were like him, if the two of them were actually in love with each other, would... the ending be different?

Yotsuba knew that her fantasy was absurd and unrealistic, but she couldn't help but think about it and held onto this small expectation.

Subconsciously, she hoped that Hayakawa hadn't changed, that he was still the same figure from her childhood, that somewhat stubborn boy who didn't know how to adapt or read the room and therefore couldn't make friends, hoping that they would be each other's only one; she hoped that he would still lean against the pillar by the school gate like before, waiting for her to run out, and then the two of them would go home together.

However, the truth is that the two were never each other's only one. Even during their most isolated elementary school years, besides Yotsuba and Hayakawa, they still had Umaru as a friend; and people can't help but change.

Hayakawa won't stay at the school gate waiting for him forever. He will grow up and have a girl he likes, whether it's Nino or someone else. In short, it's all just wishful thinking on her part. The Hayakawa she knows and longs for the most has already drifted away over the years, while she is still stuck in the same place. It's not that he has changed his mind and become a scumbag, but that it's her fault for remaining unchanged and still a child.

"call…"

Yotsuba took a light breath, and the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing her signature sunny smile.

it's OK.

Deep down, I had already made room for Hayakawa, hiding all the memories that belonged to me and him there. As for the rest, I would just forget them.

Take it easy. Hayakawa is now with Nino, so they're practically family, right? You'll still see each other often in the future, so this is the best possible outcome.

At least I am still Nino now, and I can still enjoy a little bit of... the gentleness that belongs only to Nino.

For example, feeding them.

Yotsuba thought to herself with a touch of self-mockery, but then froze in shock.

Wait a moment…

I am Nino...

Am I Nino?!

Chapter 423 The Useless Four-Leaf Clover with Low Attack and Low Defense

Yeah, right now, I think I'm Nino.

Four-Leaf looked stunned, muttering to herself.

If I were Nino... I should be able to subtly probe the feelings between Hayakawa and Nino, right?

Of course you can. If you're on a broader scale, you're Hayakawa's friend, so it's normal to ask about his feelings. If you're on a closer scale, you're Nino's sister, Hayakawa's sister-in-law!

What's wrong with a sister-in-law showing concern for her sister and brother-in-law's relationship? There's nothing wrong with it.

"..."

A strange impulse welled up in Yotsuba's heart. The sinful allure was like the apple of Eden; plucking it would lead to a path of no return, either to heaven or to the abyss.

But she couldn't pull herself out of it.

"Hayakawa..."

Yotsuba responded, and the next moment her body movements suddenly became strange. She and Hayakawa were sitting side by side on the sofa, not too far apart, but now the distance was slowly getting closer, and finally their arms bumped together almost touching.

Hayakawa and Yotsuba's hands were both on the sofa, very close to each other, and the subtle distance that had always been there between them disappeared at that moment.

Yotsuba's heart suddenly raced. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, a mix of exhilarating freedom and terrifying crisis swirling in her mind. But this was only the first step she had to take!

The next moment, she gritted her teeth slightly and placed her outstretched hand on Hayakawa's hand, which was resting on the sofa.

"Ok?"

Hayakawa sensed something immediately and looked at her in surprise, only to see Yotsuba turn her head to the other side, as if there were flowers in the corner of the living room.

From Hayakawa's perspective, one can see her pretty cheeks, pink that extends to her neck, and her delicate, blood-red earlobes.

Her body trembled slightly, a clash between fear and the surging courage within her. In that moment, she summoned all the impulses of her life to resist the immense shame and guilt.

But she didn't pull her hand back.

"hiss…"

Hayakawa was shocked.

Is this still the same timid, cowardly Yotsuba who has never been frank in her life? What kind of mental journey could she have gone through in those few seconds to evolve into this in such a short time?

No, this isn't evolution, this is mutation!

"..."

Hayakawa looked at Yotsuba silently, but still didn't let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and took Yotsuba's hand in return.

As if stimulated, Yotsuba's eyes widened as if she had been electrocuted, and she instinctively tried to break free from Hayakawa's hand, but Hayakawa was prepared and held on tightly, preventing her from succeeding.

Yotsuba struggled for a moment but then gave up, after all, this scene was within her expectations.

In her mind, Hayakawa and Nino were in a relationship that was not quite lovers. Since they had reached this point, it was normal for them to hold hands. Although Yotsuba had never been in a relationship and had never held a boy's hand before, she still understood this common sense.

"Well, my first time holding hands was with Hayakawa."

Yotsuba thought silently, but various worries welled up in her heart.

Are my hands sweaty? I play basketball a lot, so my hands are actually quite rough. Could it be because I have a strong grip and am gripping too tightly due to nervousness? Is he already starting to dislike me?

No, no, that's not the point right now!

Yotsuba shook her head vigorously: The focus now is on taking it one step further!

She began to think about what would constitute taking the next step.

First, consider it based on your own dating experience... No, it's all unrequited love.

Okay then, let's think about it using the plot of the romantic soap operas we watch together: Now that you've already held hands with the male lead, the next step should be...

Amnesia.

Tearing apart the mistress.

The process of chasing after one's wife is like going through a crematorium.

Having children leads to disputes over inheritance.

"..."

This can't be right, can it? What kind of weird stuff does Nino usually watch?

Let's use common sense to consider this.

The next step after the handshake should be…

Yotsuba subconsciously looked at Hayakawa's face, her gaze lingering on his lips.

For normal couples, the next moment after holding hands is usually a kiss.

Yotsuba's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly lowered her head, pressing her pink lips tightly together.

However, kissing is still too early for her; even after her mutation, she couldn't possibly do that.

In short... let's give each other a hug first.

Yotsuba mustered her courage, tilted her body, and rested her head on Hayakawa's shoulder.

The moment it landed, a sense of security washed over it. Yotsuba subconsciously felt a little tired and sleepy, even a little drowsy, like returning to the classroom after exercising at school, only to find herself in math class, listening to the teacher's drowsy lecture, sitting in the last row of the classroom with her head feeling heavy and tired, her eyelids drooping.

Is this what it feels like to have a boyfriend? It's so strange.

Yotsuba was thinking to herself, while Hayakawa turned his head to look at her and gently patted her head.

For a moment, Yotsuba's mind seemed to go blank.

Is this how Nino usually interacts with Hayakawa? It's just too... too heartwarming!

"Cough cough..."

Yotsuba quickly coughed, then reached out and picked up an orange from the bag, peeled it off in a few quick movements, broke off a piece, and stuffed it into Hayakawa's mouth.

"promise"

Yotsuba appeared quite natural, but she couldn't suppress the shame in her heart. However, this satisfied her desire to feed Hayakawa and also repaid Hayakawa for feeding her earlier, so she still had to do it.

"..."

Hayakawa paused for a moment, looking at the orange being held to his mouth, wondering if Yotsuba was doing this because he and Nino would feed each other like this.

What is this idiot thinking? I just don't get it.

Hayakawa hesitated for a moment, but still ate the orange.

“Hmm…

When Yotsuba saw that Hayakawa ate the food directly instead of catching it with her hands, her face flushed red, and her hand trembled as if she had been shocked by static electricity. She quickly and silently withdrew her hand and never made any more feeding attempts.

She felt that this person was too frivolous and that she had been bullied by Hayakawa.

Yotsuba was furious, so she vented her anger on the oranges. Instead of handing any to Hayakawa, she ate all the remaining oranges herself.

Hayakawa almost burst out laughing when he saw her looking like a wronged child.

I thought it was really brave of me to only feed them once, but it turns out that's all they did.

Do you want me to break it for you?

Hayakawa tilted his head to look at her face, but she quickly looked away. From the moment Yotsuba took his hand, their eyes had never met; Yotsuba always avoided his gaze.