Yumiko Miura used to trust her friends too much, so she wouldn't overthink what they said. That didn't mean she was stupid. In fact—aside from a certain "monkey king"—girls are very sharp.
Satania is an exception; she's just a bit chūnibyō. When she grows up she'll probably mature a little.
Now that Yumiko has seen through Hayama, she naturally won't accept his invitations. In reality, she's barely speaking to him at all. After all, a certain someone gets jealous easily and has a strong possessive streak. If he saw her chatting with Hayama and decided he didn't like her anymore, what then? Besides, she had a feeling she'd be "punished."
Sure enough, her phone buzzed with a message from Hayashi Maki.
Hayashi Maki: "Yumiko, my mouth suddenly feels itchy."
Yumiko's cheeks flushed, and then she felt a bit wronged, thinking of how he'd "bullied" her. She was trying to accept him now, but still—being bullied was being bullied. So she sent the same reply Yukino-chan had used earlier.
Yumiko: "Your mouth's itchy? Want me to slap it a couple times? That should fix it."
Hayashi Maki: "... Now my hands are itchy too."
Yumiko immediately felt a phantom pain in her butt and shot a fierce glare in his direction. Tobe, who'd been chatting with Hayama, jumped—was Yumiko glaring at him? Did I do something wrong? I only talked to Hayato a bit…
After third period, Yumiko dutifully came to the science lab. Hayashi Maki followed with a grin. Without a word, he slipped an arm around her waist and settled her on his lap, then lowered his head and covered her soft lips. She gave a token push—then returned the kiss warmly.
A few minutes later, she nudged him away, panting. "You've had your kiss—no hitting. And… Hayama invited me to play tennis this afternoon. I refused."
Seeing her a little tense, Hayashi Maki stroked her golden hair. "Okay. Got it. Good girl, Yumiko. I'm liking you more and more—what am I going to do about that? So… can we do something grown-up and naughty?"
Yumiko shivered; her head went light. "Don't ask me that, you perv!"
He chuckled. "Then I'll just follow my own ideas?" His hand had already slid to her smooth thigh. She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes without answering.
He kissed her cheek, then set her down. "Kidding. I cherish you, Yumiko. I wouldn't do that here. Alright, class is about to start—let me hold you a little longer, then we'll head back."
"Mm." She exhaled in relief, feeling even fonder of him. Shyly, she slipped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his chest, heart racing. She was, in truth, very easy to coax.
…
Hayashi Maki felt his break times would need to be scheduled tight—the road of a time-management master is long. Back in class, he poked the small of Megumi Kato's back and teased her; she stayed calm, trading gentle barbs with him—adorable as always.
Hayato Hayama glanced curiously at the pink-cheeked Yumiko. He wasn't stupid; he could read the joy in her face. So… she'd just gone to see a boyfriend? Who? Someone from another class? He couldn't figure it out. Why had his good friend suddenly grown cool toward him? He didn't even know what he'd done wrong.
Even "central AC" Hayama couldn't avoid that anxious, grasping feeling. He'd have to ask Yui and the others what was going on with Yumiko—she'd been conspicuously unenthusiastic with him lately, even a little impatient at times.
Of course, Hayama's concern wasn't romantic; he just cared as a friend. As the center of the small group, he wanted to maintain a harmonious vibe. He didn't want to lose friends. Because Hayato existed "for everyone."
If Hayashi Maki had heard that, he would've rolled his eyes. Hayama didn't realize his biggest flaw—the very one Haruno disliked most: he cared too much about the group atmosphere.
Such people become elite and core members—but they can't favor one person within the group, which means they can't offer someone they work with a singular kind of care and love. He's "everyone's Hayama," not "someone's Hayama."
That said, nothing is absolute. Maybe he'll wake up someday and see it. But after wearing the mask so long, can he take it off? By the time he realizes, Haruno will probably be carrying Hayashi Maki's child.
Hayashi Maki, for his part, was perfectly content. Haruno and Yumiko were his; he wouldn't let anyone take them. A demon's possessiveness is no joke.
Ignoring Hayama's gloom, Hayashi Maki kept tending the bonds with his familiars by phone. Time slipped by to noon. He now had two love-filled bentos—one from Yukino-chan, one from angel Mahiru. Double happiness. Both cooked very well; if forced to compare, Mahiru won. She knew more cuisines and made them all picture-perfect. Yukino's was delicious too—but she still had much to learn.
He'd planned to polish off both and then go claim Senpai's lap pillow, but a loud stomach grumble sounded behind him. He turned—Gabriel quickly looked away. She'd filled up with instant noodles in the morning; no nutrition, so she was weak.
"I, uh, accidentally brought an extra bento today. Gabriel, if you don't mind… help me finish one?"
"I don't mind! Thank you!"
Her eyes lit up; she looked at him with sparkling gratitude. In her heart, his image soared—what a good guy! She was moved.
So he gave Gabriel Mahiru's bento and ate Yukino's himself. He rarely got to taste hers; today he would. As long as there was no waste, it was fine.
After lunch, Hayashi Maki headed up to the rooftop—to collect Utaha-senpai's "reward."