Altered reality

As the afternoon sun cast long shadows over the campus, most students had already begun heading home. However, within the quiet confines of the school library, Hayato and Yuka remained, engrossed in their studies. With no upcoming tests to prepare for, few students didn't saw the need to stay behind, leaving the vast library nearly deserted. Aside from a handful of others scattered across the room, the two of them were practically alone in the tranquil silence.

After some time, Yuka gently closed her book and turned to Hayato. Leaning in slightly, she spoke in a soft whisper, careful not to disturb the library's quiet atmosphere. "Do you have any more questions, or should we call it a day?"

Hayato looked straight at Yuka, pausing for a moment before speaking. "Actually, I have something to say… Umm… I don't have any more trouble understanding anything, so let's stop these study sessions from now on."

It was something he had wanted to say soon, but he was waiting for the fight opportunity. It wasn't that he disliked spending time with Yuka—far from it. In fact, hardly anyone would find it unpleasant. She wasn't the talkative type, but there was an odd sense of comfort in her presence. She didn't concern herself much with others, yet when she deemed someone even slightly important to her, it showed through her actions.

For Hayato, that care manifested in the way she patiently and carefully explained everything, ensuring he grasped each concept. She always paid close attention, subtly watching for any mistakes he might make. It was that aspect—the studying itself—that Hayato didn't like. Everything else was perfectly fine.

Besides, his need for help with studying was a big fat lie in the first place.

Yuka fell silent, her fingers tightening slightly around the closed book.

After what she had said yesterday, it was no wonder he would feel uncomfortable meeting her now. 'So… he doesn't need me anymore.' The thought settled heavily in her mind. Their study sessions had been the only reason for them to meet. If that ended, then… what else was there?

A dull ache spread through her chest. No—this couldn't be the end. She still had to repay her debt. 'Yes, that's right. I still owe him.' If she wanted to repay him, she had to find another way to be useful to him.

But… what?

Yuka knew herself well enough to admit she wasn't good at socialization. Conversations that weren't driven by purpose, by necessity, had never been her strong suit. She couldn't just come up with something on the spot. And yet, she had to.

Otherwise, he'd slip away.

"I know what you're thinking." Hayato sighed, his gaze fixed on Yuka.

Her eyebrow twitched slightly as she lifted her eyes to meet his, clearly caught off guard.

"You're thinking about how to repay me again, aren't you?" He pointed a finger at her, his tone confident.

Yuka stiffened, nodding silently. 'How can he tell?' Was it really that obvious?

No, it wasn't. With her usual poker face, nobody should be able to read her thoughts. But Hayato knew her well enough—her habits, her personality, the way she processed things. And right now, it was easy to guess what was going through her mind.

Hayato frowned. "Listen here, I never helped you expecting anything in return. So can you stop thinking that way?"

Yuka lowered her gaze slightly, feeling a pang of disappointment. 'He really wants to end this.' No matter how much she tried to think of a way to keep their meetings going, it seemed nothing would change his mind. If that was his decision, she should respect it. 

But then—

"But if you're really that adamant about repaying me," Hayato continued with a small gentle smile, "then become my friend. We'll call it even."

Yuka's eyes widened in shock. Now that he mentioned it, she had never really had a friend before. To her, friendships always seemed troublesome—requiring effort to match conversations, keeping in touch, and dealing with unnecessary distractions. She had never considered friendship an important aspect of her life.

She looked up at Hayato, her expression filled with confusion. "How can me becoming your friend be enough to repay you?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

His answer came instantly, as if he had already expected her to ask.

"I told you, I don't care about things like that. But if you become my friend, then it's only natural for me to help a friend in need. There's a saying—'there's no sorry nor thank you between friends.' Got it?"

His tone then shifted into something more playful. "Besides, you've never experienced friendship before, right? That means I'm your precious first."

…Wait.

That sounded kind of wrong.

Hayato realized it a second too late. This is bad… He was picking up a terrible habit—teasing others without thinking. And there was only one person to blame for this. 'Kojima… this is definitely your influence.'

Hayato hesitated before glancing at Yuka, bracing himself for a look of disgust. After all, that last comment had sounded way too misleading.

Yet, to his surprise, Yuka sat there frozen, her expression slightly dazed—cheeks dusted with a faint blush.

'What?'

His mind blanked for a moment. 'Why are you blushing?!'

What Hayato said was true—it made perfect sense. And yet… why did it sound kind of lewd to her?

Why did her heart skip a beat?

'What am I even thinking?'

She had never been like this before. But ever since meeting him, she had started experiencing things she never had before—confusion, warmth, emotions that unsettled her yet felt strangely addicting.

'No, considering what i did, i don't have any right to think this way.'

Yuka knew that getting more involved with him would be shameless of her and would only distract her from her goals. And yet… she didn't want to walk away.

The thought of him becoming her first (friend) somehow, didn't sound so bad at all.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself before responding.

"I may be boring and not fun to be around," Yuka said, her voice quieter than usual. "But if you're okay with that… then I'll be your friend."

There was no hesitation in her words—just a quiet acceptance, as if she was taking a step into unfamiliar territory.

-------

On his way home from school, as he stepped into his quiet neighborhood, a sleek car suddenly pulled up beside him.

Hayato's instincts flared—something was off. His body tensed, his guard immediately rising.

The doors opened, and a man and a woman stepped out. They weren't threatening in appearance; instead, they offered him a polite bow before speaking.

"Excuse us," the man said, his tone respectful yet tense. "Do you have a moment?"

Turned out they were the parents of the girl who had tried to stab him.

They had come with an offer.

"If you're willing to drop the charges against our daughter," the woman added carefully, "we are prepared to compensate you generously."

Hayato pondered for a moment.

It wasn't like he gained anything from that girl being arrested. Sure, he had been pissed at her—for killing Misaki in the previous timeline. But in this one, he had already prevented that. No real harm had been done. Given the circumstances, it was only a matter of time before she was released, albeit with a criminal record attached to her name.

And as for money? It wasn't like he "needed" it… but then again, there was no such thing as too much money.

His gaze settled on the couple, his expression unreadable. Then, with a calm voice, he asked,

"How much are you willing to pay?"

The couple's expressions visibly brightened, and they both let out a sigh of relief. It was clear this was an important matter for them, especially regarding their daughter's future. They had every reason to be tense.

The man spoke up, offering the amount without hesitation.

"We will pay you 100,000 yen," he said, his voice steady.

Hayato's brow furrowed deeply. "Huh?!" he scoffed, his voice laced with irritation. "Do you take me for a fool? You think I'd settle for this measly amount for your daughter's future?"

The couple flinched, clearly taken aback by his aggressive tone. They had assumed, given his age, that he would be overjoyed by such an offer, not realizing that he isn't a kid, at least his mentality isn't.

With a sharp exhale, he leaned in slightly, his gaze unwavering.

"Let me make an offer instead," he said, his voice cold and firm. "600,000 yen, and your daughter is transferred out of our school. No room for negotiation. Take it or leave it."

The couple exchanged a quick, nervous glance, clearly weighing their options. They had hoped to resolve the matter with a smaller sum, but Hayato's terms were clear and non-negotiable.

He clearly have the upper hand here, and he is clearly making use of it.

Reluctantly, they nodded in agreement.

"We... we accept," the man said, his voice tight with resignation.

They knew they had no other choice but to comply—any attempt to argue would only risk worsening the situation.

--------

In his previous timeloop, when Hayato had been desperately trying to get Misaki to the infirmary, he had made a promise. He told her that if she survived, they would watch an anime together next time.

That promise had been made in the heat of the moment, and despite everything that happened afterward, Hayato hadn't forgotten it. He knew that Misaki didn't remember any of it—after all, the events hadn't acquired in this new timeline—but for him, it was different. The promise still held weight.

Misaki had mentioned wanting to meet up on Saturday, and to keep his word, Hayato invited her over to his house. Even if she didn't recall the promise, Hayato was determined to make it come true.

And so here they were, sitting together on the sofa in Hayato's living room. Misaki, who had arrived early that Saturday morning, now found herself feeling a bit nervous.

She hadn't expected to be alone with him in his house. Sure, it was the end of the month, school was off, and she had agreed to meet him here, but still… there was something strange about being all alone in someone's house, especially when that someone is a guy.

Despite her nervousness, Misaki had enough trust in Hayato to know that he wouldn't try anything, which calmed her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and decided to ask him the one question that had been swirling around in her mind ever since she'd first heard about it.

"So," she began, her voice steady despite the lingering nerves. "How did you manage to drag the entire Hajime family to the ground?"

It had been on her mind for a while—Hayato's involvement with the fall of such a powerful family, and she couldn't help but be curious about how he had pulled it off.