Just as he stepped out of the restroom, Takashi immediately spotted Shizuka leaning against the wall, a slender ladies' cigarette dangling from her lips.
Takashi inwardly cursed himself.
If nothing unexpected had happened, she must have overheard the entire conversation just now.
This was completely at odds with the obedient and well-behaved image he usually maintained.
He had no regrets about warning Umeno Kentarou.
A man can be soft, but he can't be soft all the time.
Standing firm at the right moments lets others know you're not someone to be messed with.
Of course, if he had the kind of background that Kashiwagi Nagisa or Shinomiya Kaguya did, then just forget everything he said earlier.
Takashi forced down the turmoil in his mind, maintaining his usual obedient demeanor.
"Mm~" Shizuka responded lightly, removing the half-smoked cigarette from her lips, extinguishing it, and discarding it.
Ever since she had made Takashi cough the last time she smoked near him, she had rarely smoked in his presence.
Takashi nodded silently and followed her.
As they walked through the narrow hallway, Shizuka suddenly spoke,
"Don't get the wrong idea. I wasn't intentionally following you or eavesdropping on your conversation. I was mainly worried that he might try to bully you."
"But now it seems I was overthinking things." She gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
At first, she had genuinely believed that Takashi was harmless, a little lamb in need of protection.
But now, it seemed that his obedient and gentle act in front of her was just that—an act.
Judging by the words he had spoken in the restroom, he was far from the weakling she had imagined.
"Big sis, do you dislike me now?"
Takashi lowered his gaze, staring at the wooden floor beneath his feet.
"You stood up for me. Why would I be mad at you? Just what nonsense are you imagining in that head of yours?"
Shizuka gave him a light smack on the head.
"Ah! That hurt!" Takashi yelped, covering his head with both hands, pouting as he looked at her pitifully.
"Big sis, that really hurt."
Meeting his puppy-like, watery gaze, Shizuka turned her head away awkwardly and grumbled,
"Quit acting. I didn't even hit you that hard."
She couldn't handle him acting .
Even though she knew he was faking it, she just couldn't resist.
Now she understood why men liked girls who play coy.
Beautiful, good at showing weakness, good at acting spoiled, great at pretending, emotionally intelligent, and willing to stand up for you—who wouldn't like that?
Even someone like her, a woman as fierce as an eagle, couldn't resist the charm of this little "green tea" actor.
Shizuka finally understood. She didn't hate "green tea" personalities—she only hated it when she wasn't the target of their affection.
The moment they returned to their seats, Umeno Kentarou followed soon after.
After Takashi's warning, he had obviously quieted down and stopped stirring up trouble.
However, the occasional glances he shot toward Takashi were filled with malice.
Whenever that happened, Takashi would silently lower his head.
Eventually, the others started noticing as well.
"Kentarou, why are you picking on little brother Takashi?" A woman finally couldn't hold back and spoke up.
Umeno Kentarou sounded completely incredulous.
As if he could even manage to bully him!
These people hadn't seen what had happened in the restroom.
"Then why do you keep glaring at him?"
"So just looking at someone now counts as bullying?"
Umeno Kentarou found these women utterly unreasonable.
He had just shot a few glares, and they called it bullying? Meanwhile, they all conveniently ignored the things Takashi had said before the meal?
"You've been targeting him since dinner started! You just want to rekindle things with Shizuka, don't you? Who doesn't know what you're up to?"
Umeno Kentarou turned red with anger. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"
It was true that he wanted to get back together with Shizuka—everyone knew that.
But knowing was one thing; being called out in public was another.
"Shizuka, don't listen to them."
Umeno Kentarou anxiously turned to Shizuka, trying to gauge her reaction.
She remained completely calm, as if she had known all along.
'Could it be that she still...'
This time, Shizuka didn't give him the chance to indulge in wishful thinking. She put down her chopsticks, looked at him steadily, and said,
"The past is in the past. Let it stay there."
Her words were gentle, but her rejection couldn't have been clearer.
Umeno Kentarou turned pale.
Realizing this might be his last chance, he clenched his teeth and abruptly knelt before her.
"Shizuka, I was wrong back then. I've changed. Please, give me another chance!"
"I know you haven't moved on from me either, right? Otherwise, why haven't you dated anyone all these years?"
Takashi almost wanted to give him some of his own self-doubt.
"..." Shizuka patiently listened to everything he had to say before falling silent for a moment. Then she said,
"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I just haven't met the right person yet?"
When a woman says she hasn't found someone, it's like standing in front of a vending machine—she simply hasn't picked one yet, not that there aren't any options.
When a man says he hasn't found someone, it usually means he actually can't.
If a beautiful woman posts online about how no one is pursuing her, surely no one would be dumb enough to believe it and actually confess, right? Right?
Umeno Kentarou, full of confidence, declared, "I don't believe it!"
Everyone in the room: "..."
Those three words left everyone speechless.
How could someone be this self-assured?
Takashi didn't doubt that such people existed.
The world was vast and full of wonders.
There were even people who thought Jiang Ping cheated in the Global Math Competition.
Seriously, those problems weren't something you could even cheat your way through.
Even if someone handed him the answers, he wouldn't know how to copy them.
Reality was sometimes more absurd than fiction.
Still, he had to give credit to Shizuka for her taste in men.
She had actually dated someone ?
She must have been really desperate back then.
Takashi couldn't take it anymore. He tugged at Shizuka's sleeve. "Big sis, let's go home."
"Yeah, good idea." Shizuka had also had enough.
She immediately stood up. "Takashi and I have something to do, so we'll be leaving now. Let's meet up some other time."
She had made up her mind—if Umeno Kentarou was going to be present, she would rather die than attend.
Dating someone like that was akin to having a criminal record—an embarrassment that could never be erased.
Shizuka pulled Takashi along and quickly left the restaurant, which had now been permanently blacklisted in her mind.
Umeno Kentarou tried to chase after her.
"Don't come any closer!"
Shizuka finally snapped.
If he took even one more step, she swore she'd punch him with all her strength.
Takashi also turned back and shot Umeno Kentarou a cold glare, making a throat-slitting gesture.
Seeing this, Umeno Kentarou hesitated, recalling the scene in the restroom.
But the moment Shizuka turned around, Takashi immediately returned to his usual obedient expression.
Just then, a car pulled up in front of them.
A woman in the driver's seat rolled down the window, whistled, and said,
"Hey, gorgeous, need a ride?"
Takashi looked at the woman—she had delicate features, striking black hair, and flawless, fair skin.
There was a certain purity to her, and her friendly smile made people feel at ease at first sight.
For some reason, she looked familiar to Takashi.
Almost like a certain A-sister he had seen before.
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