Living Normally In An Abnormal World

Chapter 102: Interception

“Hey, come with me for a moment.”

“What do you want?”

“Not here. Too many people. I don’t want anyone else to hear this.”

“Understood.”

Yuuto was approached by someone who wasn’t in his class. In other words, someone from the neighboring class. However, since there was only one class per grade in their school, this person was either a second- or third-year student.

He wondered what the reason for this was. After some thought, he guessed it was either that his identity had been uncovered, or it was something to do with the love letters from Maria or Hanaka. Either way, it was clearly not a topic meant for prying ears.

Yuuto followed the man who had called out to him, trailing behind him. They eventually arrived at the back of the gym storage shed.

“So, what’s your business?”

“I know you’re the Growser.”

“I see. And?”

“Well, now that your identity is out, it must be hard for you to enjoy a peaceful school life, right?”

“It’s already too late for that. My classmates have probably already figured it out. I can feel their stares.”

The man was inwardly shaken.

On the media, Growser had been adamant about never removing his mask. Yet here he was, acting like revealing his identity didn’t matter at all.

“Well, it’s not just that. This is also about Tachibana Maria and Yamazaki Hanaka.”

“Maria likes reading. Especially romance novels. Recently, she’s been enjoying the Midsummer Heat series and has been rereading it several times. There’s a drama adaptation, so I recommend starting with that.

As for Hanaka, she enjoys talking to people. Not just sharing her own stories but also listening to others. She’s particularly interested in stories involving men. If you have any amusing tales from the past, she’d love to hear them. Just a note, though—coming on too strong will only push them away. It’s better to keep a respectful distance when you approach them.”

“Wait, what?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Is this really the kind of conversation we’re supposed to be having?”

“Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a lunatic.”

From the man’s perspective, this was the situation:

It was clear from the live broadcast that Growser had a close relationship with both girls. Even so, he thought he might as well take a chance. If things went well, he stood to gain considerable power and wealth. His goal was to warn Yuuto not to get in the way. But instead of a territorial declaration like “Stay away from my girls,” Yuuto had casually handed over small bits of personal information about them.

“I’m not dating either of them, so I’m not in a position to object to them being approached. If you want to try, go ahead.”

“… Are you really okay with that?”

“Cutting off potential connections in advance doesn’t benefit them. It’s up to them to decide whether to build or sever ties. But one thing—don’t do anything violent.”

“…”

“Make sure to tell the others as well, senpai.”

The cold gaze directed at him froze the man in place. He had planned to intimidate Yuuto into staying out of the way, but instead, he found himself on the receiving end of a sharp warning.

After Yuuto left, the man muttered to himself, “What you just said was practically a threat…”

Later, this conversation spread, and no one else dared to approach Maria or Hanaka.

“Yuuto, you can be surprisingly scary.”

“Excuse me?”

“That was terrifying.”

“You were watching, weren’t you?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to go after either of them.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No, seriously, you were clearly threatening him.”

When Yuuto returned to the classroom, he was met with remarks that ignored any semblance of privacy. From the conversation, he could infer that his identity had already been figured out. Judging by how his classmates nodded as he walked in, they must have overheard his earlier conversation.

It was natural, really. If you hear something that juicy in the middle of class, curiosity wins out every time.

“You have to issue at least one warning, or it won’t mean anything.”

To Yuuto, there was no point in being overly polite to arrogant people. It would only embolden them. Better to issue a clear warning and set boundaries. But it was, at its core, just a warning. If they behaved properly, they were free to approach Maria or Hanaka.

“Am I really that scary?”

“When you apply pressure like that, yeah.”

“I see.”

“Honestly, you seem like the type who thinks girls are made of cute things and sweetness.”

“Not really.”

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s true.”

Yuuto’s slightly chivalrous tendencies sometimes led him to act a bit leniently. However, to others, his actions often appeared overbearing.

“Anyway, let’s drop the subject. Aren’t we going to play basketball?”

“Yeah, let’s head to the gym.”

“What do you want to do?”

“One-on-one!”