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

Chapter 484 Keep a secret

Because her cousin had told her on Line, Eda Akane braved the torrential rain, ran out of school, crossed the street, opened the door of Yasuhara Risa's car, and then nimbly slipped into the passenger seat like an eel.

"The rain is so heavy."

As she complained, she pulled out two tissues from the storage box in front of the gear shift and started wiping her wet hair.

The rain came so suddenly that she was completely unprepared.

Or to be more precise, 95% of the people in the entire school did not expect it.

When she came out of the school stairs, the students who came out first either sheltered from the rain with their backpacks over their heads, or they just gave up and rushed straight into the rain, looking just like the male protagonists in movies and TV dramas.
—At least that's how the parties involved see it.

As for how others perceive it, that's another matter.

Anyway, she thought that boy was silly and so immature.

“Yes, it’s almost as bad as the torrential rain last month.” Risa Yasuhara nodded, then pulled out two more sheets of paper and handed them to Akane Eda. “Wipe yourselves off. When you get there, you can use their bathroom to take a shower.”

People with good physical fitness are fine if they get a little rained on, but those with slightly poorer physical fitness, or those who are already prone to cold and dampness, will be in serious trouble if they get rained on. If they don't take a hot shower as soon as possible, they will either catch a cold or get a fever the next day.

She saw far too many people like that when she was in college.

This includes, but is not limited to, wanting to have a romantic time with your girlfriend and running headfirst into the rain, getting soaked in the downpour, and ending up coughing the next day; or wanting to go to the playground to practice your skills in a rainstorm and ending up doing street dance.

All I can say is that when she was in college, everyone at the school was so youthful, it felt like they were getting younger as they got older.

"Isn't this a bit inappropriate, Risa-nee?"

Taking the paper from Risa Yasuhara, Akane Eda continued drying her wet hair while refusing the offer.

In her opinion, going to someone's house for a free meal is already considered inappropriate, but to also ask to use their bathroom is just being overly familiar.

Although she doesn't care much about those tedious formalities, she still maintains a basic sense of distance.

“What’s wrong with it?” Risa Yasuhara rolled her eyes. “Do you want to go to school coughing tomorrow? Or are you trying to lie to me and say you’re perfectly healthy?”

Other people might be fooled, but she won't.

Yu Mei has complained a lot about how Qian's health has never been very good. Among her peers, she catches colds relatively frequently. It's only been a little better in the last two years, but she still easily catches colds, especially during seasonal changes.

Because of this, Qian's mother was very worried, but due to her busy work schedule, she could only call to check on her and ask relatives to help take care of her.

And this caregiving job mostly fell to Yu Mei.

So in a sense, Yumi is less of Akane's cousin and more of a biological sister.

“But that’s someone else’s house after all, it’s not good to make such a request rashly.” Jiang Tianqian paused, carefully choosing her words. “Besides, they might not agree, and I don’t even have any clean clothes to change into.”

She knew Risa Yasuhara's personality well; the latter was a decisive person who would do what she said she would do.

"They can lend them to you."

Risa Yasuhara raised her chin, gesturing for Akane Eda to look up at the rearview mirror.

"Sister Risa, you're not one of those older sisters, how do you know they're willing?"

As Jiang Tianqian spoke, she looked up suspiciously at the rearview mirror inside the car.

then……

"Oh? What are you doing here?"

She widened her eyes.

My sister never mentioned this on Line.

"Because it's on the way."

So Ayana Amamiya smiled and answered the question first. Then, she pointed to the buckle on the passenger seat belt, indicating that the passenger could fasten the seat belt.

The rain is getting heavier; if we don't leave soon, we'll easily get stuck in traffic and drive everyone crazy.

She had no expectations for commuting in Tokyo during bad weather.

"Because I don't want to walk."

Hayakawa Yuki gave her answer a step later.

"Oh..." Eda Akane nodded thoughtfully. "Well then, hello Amamiya-nee and Hayakawa-nee!"

If that's the case, then it certainly makes sense.

"Hmm~" Ayana Amamiya smiled and nodded in response to her greeting, then said, "Anyway, don't feel embarrassed. When you get there, just go to the bathroom and take a shower."

With such heavy rain, and it being autumn, the humidity in the rainwater is really high. She can only say it's unimaginable that if she catches a cold, it will be too late to regret it.

After all, there's a saying that goes, "If you can avoid getting sick, then try to avoid getting sick."

"This……"

Jiang Tianqian pursed her thin lips, her expression somewhat troubled.

"Don't worry about it. It'll be too late once your nose gets stuffy and your voice gets hoarse," Hayakawa Yuki chimed in. "It's just a bath. Besides, isn't it comfortable to soak in hot water? Ayana and the others will lend you their clothes."

Perhaps because of their similar experiences, she was relatively closer to Eda Akane.

Even before this, she had been jealous because Eda Ikumi and Eda Akane had freeloaded meals.

"… Sorry to bother you then."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tianqian remained silent for two or three seconds before finally lowering her head and agreeing.

Having said all that, what else could she say?

I can only silently remember this favor in my heart.

"There's no such thing as 'don't bother me'."

Ayana Amamiya clapped her hands gently, as if coaxing a child, and uttered those words.

For some reason, she really felt a sense of incongruity. Even though Jiang Tianqian acted very 'mature', she just felt that Jiang Tianqian was very childish.

But she's just a high school student.

Perhaps this is what You meant by a maternal outburst?

"Okay, enough chatting, buckle up, we need to get going."

Risa Yasuhara coughed lightly, reminding the two people who were chatting.

Once they fastened their seatbelts, the three of them could talk however they wanted, but not yet.

"Ah."

Jiang Tianqian nodded, obediently turned around, sat down in the passenger seat, and then pulled over the seatbelt to fasten it.

The black sedan started up and smoothly drove onto the main road, weaving through the slightly dense traffic.

Outside the car window, a torrential downpour was pouring down, indiscriminately soaking everything in the city.

Students and passersby without umbrellas either ran wildly in the rain or took shelter under bus stops and in convenience stores along the street. The heavy, pattering rain seemed to engulf the entire world at that moment.

"Speaking of which, is your schoolwork difficult these days?"

After the car had traveled some distance, it was Hayakawa Yuki who took the initiative to start a conversation.

Although she knew that starting the conversation in this way was somewhat abrupt, and even a bit annoying when elders asked questions during the New Year, she really couldn't think of a better way to start the conversation.

"well enough?"

Jiang Tianqian gently pressed the button on the car radio and gave a natural answer.

Perhaps it was because Hayakawa-nee's expression was very friendly, or perhaps it was because Hayakawa-nee's blonde hair gave her a sense of kinship; in any case, she wasn't as wary of Hayakawa Yuki.

"Why a question?"

This time, it was Hayakawa Yuki's turn to be completely baffled.

"Because I wasn't paying attention in class." Jiang Tianqian didn't make excuses and gave the reason directly.

"...?"

Risa Yasuhara glanced at Akane Eda with a surprised look on her face.

She wasn't surprised that the other person said they hadn't been paying attention in class, given their steadily declining grades, but she really hadn't expected them to say it so confidently.

"Because I don't want to listen, the teacher's lectures are boring, and I can't find a reason to listen to the lectures. School... is boring to stay at."

Akane Eda turned her head to look at Risa Yasuhara's profile and gave her answer.

She didn't want to lie, and she especially didn't want to deceive Risa.

"……All right."

Risa Yasuhara remained silent for a moment before finally slowing down, turning on her turn signal, and turning back into the intersection she had come from.

Although visibility is very poor during heavy rain, she can still determine her direction, especially if she has been there before.

"I actually think school is quite interesting."

Hearing the familiar song coming from the radio, Hayakawa Yuki once again chimed in.

"Is this interesting?"

Jiang Tianqian asked a question in return.

She couldn't find anything interesting about it at all.

Disgusting classmates, teachers who turned a blind eye to her problems, and subjects she couldn't understand at all—every minute at school felt suffocating for her.

The reason I insist on going to school right now is simply because I don't want to disappoint her again.

"Ah."

Hayakawa Yuki nodded very honestly.

If she were in junior high, she definitely wouldn't have said such a thing. She would have even thought that people who say such things are disgusting and have the arrogance of the upper echelons of the school. But that's really how she feels now.

"But Hayakawa-nee, aren't you a delinquent?"

After carefully considering her words, Jiang Tianqian asked this question.

"Huh? Why would you think I'm a delinquent girl??"

Hayakawa Yuki paused for a moment, somewhat failing to grasp this highly abrupt line of thought.

"..."

Ayana Amamiya didn't reply; she simply turned her head away silently, then covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

If she can't hold back now, Yuki will definitely complain about her for a long time.

She doesn't want to be the bad guy.

“Because only delinquent girls, or rather, gyaru, dye their hair.” Eda Akane truthfully stated her thoughts, or rather, her analysis. “Hayakawa-nee, you’re not dressed provocatively, so I can only assume you’re a delinquent girl.”

At least for junior high school, this logic is completely correct.

As for high school...

She felt that it should be about the same, since there wasn't much of an age difference.

"Huh? You mean those delinquent girls in shonen manga who go looking for fights after school?"

Hayakawa Yuki's expression became subtle.

The boomerang from years ago has finally returned.

She simply hadn't expected to retaliate in this way.

"almost?"

Jiang Tianqian stuck out her pink tongue and gave her an answer.

“Then you’re judging me by my appearance.” Hayakawa Yuki took a deep breath. “First of all, I’m not a delinquent, and secondly, I’m not a gyaru. I only dyed my hair when school started, and I’ll wash it back to black after I graduate high school.”

This was something she had decided on from the very beginning.

The reason she doesn't dye her hair back now is mainly because Ayana and Ryoko both have black hair. If she also turned black hair, she wouldn't be as 'special' in comparison.

That was probably just one of her little schemes.

After all, women in love can be quite possessive.
"Then why did you dye your hair blonde in the first place?"

Jiang Tianqian tilted her head.

"Because I was bullied by classmates, I felt that as long as I became the dominant one, I would no longer be bullied."

Hayakawa Yuki said these words quite naturally.

In the past, she might have cared a lot about this, but now, especially after Yu stood up for her, she has completely let go of it.

"...Will it work?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tianqian's expression changed slightly. She carefully observed her expression and, after confirming that she had no emotional fluctuations, asked in a low voice.

“Theoretically, it’s effective, but in reality…” Hayakawa Yuki paused, then shrugged helplessly. “After entering high school, there was no bullying in my class, and everyone was very nice.”

"Because you get along with them?"

"No, it's because everyone is very tolerant and willing to accept me."

Hayakawa Yuki shook her head, correcting Eda Akane's statement.

Relationships between people are reciprocal; if you are sincere, others will feel that sincerity in return.

"So... Hayakawa-nee, what kind of retaliation do you think is the most effective if you're being bullied?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Tianqian asked the question hesitantly.

"I really want to say that it's about bullying back, but that's not actually the case. The cruelest and most heart-wrenching revenge is to make yourself live better than the people who hate you."

Yuki Hayakawa sighed.

She had thought about taking revenge in this way before, but the reality was quite the opposite.

When she finally took her revenge, she felt no pleasure at all.

"..."

Jiang Tianqian fell silent.

"Simply retaliating won't be very effective. Although it may feel satisfying, it doesn't have the same sense of relief as watching them get better and better while they feel increasingly powerless. Then, once you become powerful enough, they will be horrified to discover that they have actually been isolated."

Hayakawa Yuki ignored her and went on to talk about her own feelings.

"So how do you achieve this?"

Akane Eda turned her head.

"Well... you'll have to figure that out yourself."

Yuki Hayakawa didn't rush to answer, but instead kept everyone in suspense.

It's not very effective to say it now; Jiang Tianqian has to ask others herself to find out the answer before it will have any real effect.

"……Um."

"We're almost there."

Risa Yasuhara coughed lightly, glanced at the sign ahead, and then uttered these words.

(End of this chapter)