Oga Masato immediately went to find the only person who knew, Misima Namie. He suspected that this foolish woman might have leaked the news.
"How is that possible! Why would I do such a thing!" Misima Namie shook her head desperately: "Masato, I would never betray you, besides, I was involved in that matter too..."
"Then who the hell was it! Who else knew about this at the time!" Oga Masato roared.
The name Taiga Naoki represented a nightmare for Oga Masato. He couldn’t even remember the time when he was overshadowed by him and everyone was focused on that man.
It was as if all the flowers and applause were always around him. He was always the dazzling Oga Masato, not the marginalized person overshadowed by Taiga Naoki.
He was angry, he was unwilling, why should I, equally sunny and handsome with a similar level of tennis skills, only be known as Taiga Naoki’s best friend!
A strong sense of jealousy clouded his judgment. During a major tournament, he conspired with Misima Namie, who liked him, and secretly gave Naoki performance-enhancing drugs, successfully ending his tennis career.
The coach once said regretfully that if nothing unexpected happened, Taiga Naoki might have become a professional player.
Upon hearing that, Oga Masato felt secretly relieved.
Thank goodness... If I hadn’t acted, I might have been overshadowed by him my whole life.
After the incident, Oga Masato led a group to confront Taiga Naoki. He still vividly remembered his best friend’s pained look as he asked him: "Masato, do you believe me?"
"Everyone doubts me, I only ask you, do you believe me?"
He didn’t answer, letting the voices of suspicion and insult drown out his former nightmare.
Taiga Naoki left school. As for whether he transferred, he did not inquire.
He thought he had lived in the light for so long that all shadows had been left in the past. But who would have thought, this matter would be brought up again!
Misima Namie hesitated and said, "Could it be that Taiga Naoki discovered something on his own and came back to find you?"
"Impossible!" Oga Masato’s face was dark: "He left so long ago! How could he come back!"
"Then did you offend someone... Isn’t your uncle a director at Akihisa High School? Have him put pressure on the school to suppress this matter!"
"Are you an idiot!" Oga Masato shouted impatiently. Of course, he knew he should call for help at this time, but that wasn’t a reason for Misima Namie to intervene.
"It must be Shirakawa Sawahei! It must be that guy!"
"Shirakawa Sawahei? The one who stood up for Tachibana Tomoku?" Misima Namie had a spark of anger in her eyes: "Damn, if I had known, I wouldn’t have held back then. I should have let them deal with Tachibana Tomoku properly!"
"What’s the point of saying so much now, can you still rally people?"
Misima Namie’s face froze, insisting, "If I can’t rally people, I’ll go myself!"
What a fool, Oga Masato cursed inwardly again. He could no longer stand the sight of this woman and turned to leave.
"Masato... where are you going!"
"Mind your own business!"
Shirakawa Sawahei had been spending his lunch breaks with Hayakawa Kashi these days.
The two kept a distance from the only witness Nagashima Asami to avoid Oga Masato’s suspicion.
This girl was indeed cautious enough. When she accidentally learned the truth back then, she chose not to expose it immediately, bearing the burden silently until now. If it weren’t for knowing that Hayakawa Kashi was going to intervene, she might have kept it buried forever.
It wasn’t about a sense of justice; it was about whether someone would believe you if you spoke out, and whether there would be retaliation.
Shirakawa Sawahei also had to admit, Hayakawa Kashi’s name indeed carried some magical power. The once highly alert Nagashima Asami, upon seeing Hayakawa Kashi step forth, tearfully revealed everything.
Moreover, she offered a crucial piece of evidence: a recording of a conversation between Misima Namie and Oga Masato.
She believed that with Hayakawa Kashi involved, justice would be served, and Naoki’s innocence restored.
Even if he no longer attended this school.
He couldn’t help but glance at Hayakawa Kashi’s face, wondering if she had some hidden talents, like an emperor’s aura, that made people want to submit upon seeing her.
"What are you looking at?" Hayakawa Kashi asked softly, without looking directly at him, her voice gentle yet cool.
She lightly nibbled on a wagashi, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed, as if she were wrestling with something.
"Nothing." Shirakawa Sawahei took a bite of his bread. Even with the same actions and with ordinary wagashi, Hayakawa Kashi eating somehow looked more graceful and pleasing.
Indeed, beauty allows one to do as they please, especially with someone as stunning as Hayakawa Kashi. Shirakawa Sawahei suddenly understood why everyone was willing to believe her.
Beauty is justice, after all.
"If you don’t like sweets, then don’t force yourself." Shirakawa Sawahei couldn’t help but say.
Hayakawa Kashi paused and her eyes moved slightly: "Oh?"
"What makes you think I don’t like sweets?"
"Girls should like sweets, right? Or do you think I don’t look like a girl?"
"To make such an arrogant assumption, Shirakawa, you remain as conceited as ever."
Shirakawa Sawahei thought to himself: You’re lying, it clearly states you don’t like sweets in the system, this girl certainly has a little arrogance to her.
Hayakawa Kashi’s image seemed to become even more vivid in his mind. Not dwelling on the sweets issue, Shirakawa Sawahei asked: "How soon do you think Oga Masato will retaliate?"
"Soon," Hayakawa Kashi said calmly. "Shirakawa, aren’t you going to arrange for your friends?"
"They should already be arranged." Shirakawa Sawahei recalled two suck-up delinquents and a tough guy delinquent, hesitating.
They shouldn’t... at least there shouldn’t be any problems, right?
"That’s good." Hayakawa Kashi packed away her lunch box and stood up. The hem of her red and black skirt swayed slightly, revealing enticing white lines.
"Next, it’s time to meet one of the protagonists of the incident, Naoki," she said.
"Why not?" Hayakawa Kashi countered.
"Do you want to bring him back here?" Shirakawa Sawahei was a bit confused.
"I don’t," Hayakawa Kashi shook her head. "Him being back or not doesn’t mean much to me."
Shirakawa Sawahei was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking: "You didn’t report this to the police, did you..."
A smile appeared on Hayakawa Kashi’s face.
"Would you let that person go? Leave them to stab you in the back at any time in the future?" Hayakawa Kashi mocked: "Come on, Shirakawa, you’re not some harem do-gooder protagonist."
"I just did what you would have done next."
Shirakawa Sawahei couldn’t help but laugh softly.
This study queen of his was indeed a very interesting girl.