Crossing over, and then being blocked by a rich JK.

Chapter 454 How do you usually get along? [4K]

For Ryoko Hamabe, there are many things she wants to do with Yu, or rather, experiences together.

For more distant possibilities, it would be traveling abroad together; for closer possibilities, it would be going to the beach and having him help apply sunscreen; and for even closer possibilities, it would be like this right now, where she stays with him while he practices.

So, she indulged in this little bit of 'willfulness'.

After using her privileges as the top student in her grade to request leave from the teacher, she went to the cafeteria, bought two bottles of water, and then immediately went to the outer playground.

Perhaps it was because he was always so special in her eyes, or perhaps it was because they were bound together by the red thread of fate, so when she wanted to find him, she was sure she could catch a glimpse of him.

In short, she found him easily in the crowd.

"Yu! Here you go."

Ryoko Hamabe called out to the tall figure and then tossed the bottled water in her hand to him.

The mineral water flowed through the air in a beautiful arc before being caught steadily by Watanabe Yu.

"Thanks."

Watanabe Yu opened the bottle cap, took a sip of mineral water, then squatted down and placed the bottle on the side of the track before turning around and walking onto the track.

He had already done warm-up exercises when he arrived at the outer playground, so he only did one or two simple stretching exercises before starting to run on the rubber track.

"this is for you."

After taking one last, reluctant look at his retreating figure, Ryoko Hamabe turned away and handed the remaining bottle of mineral water to Kazuma Kiriyama.

"For me?" Kiriyama Kazuma was taken aback for a moment, then accepted the bottled water with a flattered expression. "Thank you, Hamabe-senpai!"

Thanks to Watanabe's connections, he had much more contact with Hamabe Ryoko than with anyone else on campus. He knew very well that Hamabe-senpai was not a difficult person to get along with, and was even a little too easy to get along with, but he really didn't expect her to bring him water.

Of course, he knew that this was just something someone did on a whim, and if you had to put it in perspective, he was the one who was 'incidentally' dragged along, but that didn't stop him from being surprised.

"You're welcome."

Ryoko Hamabe took two steps back and then sat down on the flower stand in a very ladylike manner.

It's just a coincidence, but the spot she was sitting in was exactly where You had stood up earlier.

She had her own selfish reasons for giving the water to Kiriyama and Ma Daisui.

Firstly, Kiriyama and Yu are good friends, and Kiriyama has helped Yu without expecting anything in return. She hopes to use this small favor to strengthen their relationship, so that Yu will have another loyal ally in the future.

Secondly, she wanted to gain more favor within You's social circle.

After all, she will be going to university after the third semester of this academic year.

At that time, she and You will really be far apart. If she wants to come to the classroom to find him, she will no longer have to cross a few steps, but several subway stops.

Therefore, she needed someone to say good things about her and mention her to You from time to time.

Even though she and Yu could meet every night
—The kind at both ends of a pillow.

"By the way, Hamabe-senpai, what are you doing here? I mean, shouldn't you be in class right now?"

Kiriyama Kazuma also sat down on the flower stand, but he consciously sat a little further away, leaving enough space for Watanabe Yu to sit down.

"I've taken leave."

Ryoko Hamabe's answer was concise and to the point.

"The teacher will grant leave!?"

Kiriyama and Ma stared wide-eyed in surprise.

In his memory, whenever the term "college entrance season" is mentioned, it is extremely difficult for students to ask for leave.

For a student like him whose grades were already in the middle of the month, it was even more difficult than climbing to the sky.

Those with good grades might be able to get a leave of absence, but given the temperament of those top students, they generally won't ask for leave.

As for those at the bottom of the class, needless to say, they couldn't even pass the first hurdle of becoming teachers.

So, eugenics really does come with special privileges!

"I got first place in the grade in this monthly exam."

Ryoko Hamabe slightly shifted her gaze, her eyes fixed on the running figure.

He wasn't going all out at that moment, just a little over half the speed he used during his morning run, maybe two-thirds? Even so, he still managed to lap quite a few people.

"Therefore, they have the right to be willful."

She added this sentence.

To be honest, she had never done anything so unconventional before, but now that she had done it, she felt an inexplicable excitement.

"Brilliant."

Kiriyama and Ma sincerely praised him, then changed the subject. Although he did well on the monthly exam, talking about studying with the top student in the grade was just asking for trouble.

"Speaking of which, do you know, senior Hamabe, that our school's running track is, in a sense, 'outrageous'?" He paused, but didn't keep them in suspense, "The vast majority of public schools, and about half of the private schools, use sand and soil for their running tracks."

"Although it's not just about hauling in a truckload of sand and filling it in, the actual effect is quite similar to what was described earlier."

Most schools claim that sandy playgrounds are more traditional and that sports like baseball require them, but in reality, the biggest reason is cost.

The cost of building a new playground is at least half as much again as that of a sand playground.

Coupled with the issue of student enrollment, the vast majority of schools have chosen to maintain the status quo.

Schools like Chengnan Private High School, which introduce new teaching equipment every year and renovate their facilities every two years, are extremely rare.

"Ah."

Ryoko Hamabe responded with a reply.

Her eyes reflected the scene on the track: two or three students, seemingly from the sports club, were following closely behind Yu, eager to overtake him, having been caught halfway around the track.

But it seems they haven't found a good opportunity, so they can only stay half a step behind him for now.

"Their expressions were quite serious."

Kiriyama and Ma didn't seem to care about Hamabe Ryoko's brief reply and followed her gaze.

Rather than saying I don't care, it's more accurate to say I've gotten used to it.

When he tried to explain some useless trivia to Maki before, Maki was much more perfunctory than Hamabe-senpai.

Do you think they can surpass Yu?

Ryoko Hamabe asked a question.

"Hard to say." Kiriyama Kazuma observed Watanabe's condition, then added, "Let's wait until they run two more laps before we say anything."

The synthetic track at Chengnan Private High School is 400 meters long. After two laps, which is 800 meters, you can basically tell who is stronger and who is weaker.

But from his own perspective, compared to Watanabe's nonchalant attitude, those guys who were clearly eager to win were definitely lacking.

Some obvious differences mean that just because you present a compelling reason to win doesn't guarantee victory.

Life isn't some epic, action-packed manga. You need to have the corresponding accumulation of knowledge and experience to truly succeed. Situations like reaching the final battle or breaking through during the final battle are too rare in real life.

It's still that somewhat cold, or rather hurtful, statement: How can someone who mostly just goes through the motions and gets by defeat someone who is usually diligent and trains hard?

Based on your idealism?

Stop being funny.

However, looking at it from another angle, what Watanabe is doing now seems quite villainous, just missing a few cackling laughs. On the track, the boy who was half a body length behind Watanabe Yu started to accelerate, and then gritted his teeth and overtook Watanabe. Although his expression showed some effort, he still managed to maintain his advantage for the time being.

Seeing their companion succeed, the other two students who were lagging behind also gritted their teeth and sped up. However, just as Kiriyama and Ma thought to themselves, even if they gritted their teeth and tried their best, they could not break through two 'limits' in a row.

One barely kept up with Watanabe, while the other gritted his teeth and pushed himself even harder, but still lagged behind Watanabe by half a body length.

"Why do I suddenly feel like Watanabe is a bit bad?"

Kiriyama and Ma muttered something to each other.

"He can be quite cunning at times."

Ryoko Hamabe gave an affirmative answer.

"but……"

She changed the subject.

"but?"

Despite his physical reluctance, Kiriyama and Mazui still took on the role of the straight man.

“Yu never intended to compete with them from the beginning; he was just ‘completing a mission’.”

After saying that, Ryoko Hamabe leaned forward slightly, rested her left elbow on her knee, lifted her chin, and waited confidently for things to develop.

“I agree with that, but…”

Kiriyama Kazuma had intended to be defiant, but when the words actually came to his lips, he simply couldn't utter them.

"Fine, let's see."

He sighed and began to observe the actual situation inside the runway.

After one lap, the boy who was half a body length ahead of Watanabe Yu started sweating and his chest began to heave violently, looking like he was about to reach his limit. The one who was barely alongside Watanabe Yu was unwilling to return to his original position of being behind. As for the one who was already half a body length behind, he moved back another body length, and now he was a body length and a half behind.

Watanabe Yu, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, with only a few beads of sweat on his forehead.

"I think he'll take back first place in about half a lap."

Kiriyama and Ma offered their own assessment.

"No, he'll be back in first place in another hundred meters."

Ryoko Hamabe shook her head, her tone full of confidence.

No one knew his athletic talent better than her.

"It can't be that bad. The one leading the pack is a second-year student in the track and field club. No matter what, he can finish the 200 meters... Huh?"

Before Kiriyama Kazuma could finish speaking, the 'second-year student of the track and field club' deflated like a punctured balloon and was easily overtaken by Watanabe Yu.

Similarly, this scene was also witnessed by the other students sitting on the playground, watching this 'competition' based on the desire to win or lose on the track.

Many people glanced at Watanabe Yu, while some students who recognized the person who had been surpassed carefully memorized Watanabe Yu's face.

They are a formidable opponent in the upcoming sports meet.
“From the moment he gritted his teeth and surpassed Yu, he was already at his limit.” Ryoko Hamabe said this at the right time. “It’s already quite remarkable that he has been able to hold on until now.”

Even among members of the track and field club, there are those who run sprints and those who run long distances.

Making sprinters run long distances is just annoying, isn't it?

Moreover, Yu's physical condition is undeniable.

She actually had a prediction in her heart: if Yu really joined the sports club, she should be able to advance to the national level and win at least the top three in the country.

After all, Ayana had vividly described how Yuna displayed amazing dynamic vision and reaction speed during that impromptu kendo duel.

"I hope their resolve won't be broken."

Kiriyama Kazuma shrugged and fell silent.

What else could he say.

Damn it! Is the difference between people really that big?!
Kurushi!
"I don't know about that."

Ryoko Hamabe shook her head and turned to watch him run.

On the track, seemingly affected by the defeat of the leader, or perhaps because the remaining two had already reached their limit, they also stopped, supporting themselves on their knees and panting heavily.

It's fortunate that there weren't many people on the track at the moment, otherwise their stationary position would have been enough to get them yelled at by the other runners.

"Actually, I'm quite curious."

Kiriyama Kazuma withdrew his gaze, tilted his head back, squinted, and looked again at the dappled light and shadows falling from above.

"You can speak, but I have the right to choose not to answer."

Ryoko Hamabe picked up where he left off.

"..."

After listening to the same statement that Watanabe had made several times, Kiriyama and Kazuma fell silent for a moment.

Whether it's true or not, is this what they call a harmonious and supportive wife?

Ugh.

Why am I suddenly a little envious of their relationship?
Ah.

He chuckled to himself and then asked the question.

"Hamabe-senpai, how do you usually get along with Watanabe? Do you ever create little romantic moments together?"

To be honest, in his opinion, the way Ryoko Hamabe and Ryoko Watanabe get along is very much like that of an old married couple.

It may not be romantic, but it's definitely a style that makes you know at a glance that the two have been living together for a long time.

He was envious, but didn't know where to start.

He wanted to take that step with Maki as well.

"Just treat him normally. What you see is what you get. As for little romantic gestures, there are some, right? But you know his personality, you can't expect too much from him... you know?"

Ryoko Hamabe shrugged and gave Kazuma Kiriyama a somewhat helpless look.

To be fair, Kiriyama's question was indeed quite unexpected.

She thought he was going to ask her how she got along with Ayana and Yuki.

If you ask her that, she won't answer.

"If I want to interact with Maki naturally like this, what's a good way to do it?"

Kiriyama and Ma looked at her with anticipation.

"If this is the case..."

Ryoko Hamabe looked away somewhat awkwardly.

"Feel sorry."

Forget about being a love strategist.

She's just not cut out for this.

(End of this chapter)