The Strongest Loner Redo His Youth With Unmatched Prowess!! ~In the Second Round of School Life, He Made Beautiful Girl Friends!~ - Chapter 12: Friend

Around the end of lunchtime.

Yuito finished his daily lunch with Kirika. 

When he returned to the classroom, it was a bit noisy. 

The population density was high. 

The cause was immediately clear. 

“Hey, Yuito-kun. It’s been a while since that stab incident.” 

“Ah, Asakaze-san. Thank you.” 

The refreshing, handsome guy Asakaze, had come. 

Apparently, his group of friends had come along too.

The classroom is buzzing with excitement. 

“…So, Yuito-kun is spending lunch break with Kirika, right?” 

“Huh? Ah, yes.” 

He wonders where they found out. 

Maybe because popular kids have more friends, they catch on quickly. 

“Have you been invited to the social gathering?” 

“Um, that’s the first I’ve heard of it.” 

“I see… We’re actually planning to gather the first years for a small meal. Well, it’s just at a family restaurant.”

(Huh, they actually do that?) 

To Yuito, it’s someone else’s business. 

He won’t be invited anyway. Even if he went, he wouldn’t talk to anyone. 

Yuito knows this. 

Introverts shouldn’t show up at these kinds of dinner parties or drinking parties. 

Yes, it was when Yuito had just been promoted to an S-rank explorer. 

There was a party held for the young high-ranking explorers.

From the organizers’ perspective, they probably wanted to reward the young explorers and create a space for new encounters. 

Whether it’s friendship or love, new encounters enrich people. 

Yuito himself thought he might make some friends and happily attended. 

The result was hell. 

No one spoke to him. He couldn’t speak to anyone. 

He could only quietly eat in a corner.

Loneliness amidst the noisy crowd is tough. 

Seeing many familiar faces made it even harder. 

He never wants to go through such an experience again. 

(Huh? Is Asakaze-san looking at me?) 

As Yuito trembled at the memory of hell, he realized he was being stared at by Asakaze. 

He thought, “Is there something on my face?”

“…If it’s okay, would you like to come too, Yuito-kun?” 

“Uh, um, yes… I’ll go…” 

A true introvert can’t refuse. 

Because they are like jellyfish, only able to go with the flow. 

They can’t go against the current by saying ‘no’ or create a new flow by starting a conversation. 

“I see. The place and time are――” 

(Nooo!! I don’t want to gooo!!)

Yuito shouted in his heart. 

That aside, he firmly remembered the time and place. 

Because he couldn’t reconfirm the time and place with another friend. 

After all, a loner can only rely on themselves.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Well, I invited him, just in case.”

Asakaze stood in front of the door leading to the rooftop. 

It was a perfect spot for secret meetings due to its lack of foot traffic. 

There, Asakaze and Arai had gathered. 

“Thanks. Now we can make that loner look foolish.”

Reimei Academy has a middle school division, and the two have been friends since then.

During middle school, they were part of the top caste that dominated their grade. 

Of course, they aimed to dominate the high school grade, no, the high school itself, in the same way. 

They didn’t like Yuito. 

“Can’t we just deal with him behind the scenes like usual?” 

“No way. I have a bad feeling about him…”

“Do you really think you fainted during the mock battle because of him?” 

“I don’t think so… it’s impossible.” 

Arai faints during the mock battle. 

It was concluded that it wasn’t Yuito’s fault, but rather because Arai got too excited. 

However, was it because he was targeted with killing intent?

Arai was unconsciously afraid of Yuito. 

“So, your plan. Is it really going to work?” 

“Don’t worry. I had the introverted kids from middle school help me come up with it. Apparently, the most effective way is to throw the loner into the popular kids’ group and leave them there.” 

It was a devilish kind of harassment.

In reality, the effect on Yuito would be outstanding. 

Given his physical strength, his weak heart would likely break in an instant. 

“If he shows such a pathetic side, even Hakari would give up on him.” 

“…I wonder about that.”

◇◆◇◆◇

(…I want to die.) 

A family restaurant near Reimei Academy. 

In a corner seat, Yuito was quietly having his meal. 

There was no one else at the same table. He was reliably alone. 

Moreover, the family restaurant was reserved. 

It seems the president of the restaurant chain and Asakaze’s father are acquaintances.

Asakaze said it was easy to borrow. 

Thanks to that, the inside of the store is lively with energetic high school students. 

However, it’s a tough environment for an introverted loner. 

Just like mold exposed to the sun, Yuito’s spirit is being slowly sterilized. 

(Even in the second week of high school life, a loner is still a loner.)

He thought he could do better in the second round of youth. 

However, reality has been a series of failures. 

He still can’t get along with his classmates, and no one talks to him in situations like this. 

He doesn’t have anyone he can call a friend. 

He’s scared to talk to people. He’s scared to be talked to. 

He keeps running away and ends up alone.

(After all, maybe being an explorer suits me better…) 

If he’s going to feel pain and misery, there’s no point in going through high school. 

He will drop out and become an explorer. 

That way, he can live a more luxurious life. 

As for youth―― 

“I’m sorry! Did I keep you waiting?” 

“…Thank you for waiting.”

The ones who noisily entered the family restaurant were Hakari and Kirika. 

Kirika looked around the store, her eyes darting. 

“Kirika! Amano-san! Over here, over here!” 

“Oh, that’s them. Shall we go?” 

Kirika responded to Asakaze’s call. 

She took Hakari’s hand and started walking towards Asakaze. 

“I want to go home and study…”

“I think Hakari-chan should pay a bit more attention to her relationships.”

Asakaze sat at a six-person table with two seats firmly reserved. 

Arai is also there. 

“Haha, isn’t Amano-san serious?” 

“Hey, Hakari-chan, how about giving me your contact info soon? I’ll treat you to a matcha white gem parfait.”

“…”

“Hey, Arai-kun, don’t try to lure her with things. Hakari-chan won’t be swayed!” 

“…I’m not swayed.” 

The lively conversation continued. 

Just as Hakari and Kirika were about to sit down.

“…Akizuki-san?” 

Yuito and Hakari’s eyes met. 

He didn’t want anyone to see him being alone. 

…No, maybe he’s been seen a lot already.

“Huh? Oh, you were here?” 

Arai looked at Yuito with a smirk. 

His eyes seemed to twist with sadistic pleasure. 

“I was so inconspicuous that I didn’t even notice.” 

It was so miserable that he felt like crying. 

He wanted to run out of the store and go home… 

No, he should really go home. And quit school too.

It was when Yuito was trying to pack his things. 

“If Akizuki-san is here, I’ll sit over there.” 

“Huh!? Wait a minute, Hakari!” 

Arai tried to grab Hakari’s arm. 

However, Hakari smoothly avoided it. 

“…I don’t know how many times I’ve warned you, but please don’t call me so casually.”

After saying that, she walked with a click-clack sound and sat down in front of Yuito. 

“Well, then, I’ll go sit next to Hakari-chan. I’m always with everyone else anyway…” 

Kirika, while glancing at Asakaze and the others, sat down next to Hakari. 

Then, she whispered to Hakari.

“Hakari-chan, that’s not good. You should at least pretend to get along with Arai-kun on the surface…” 

“No way. I’m not going to school to play shallow friendship games.” 

“Ugh!! That knife is stabbing me…” 

Yuito watches their exchange with a blank expression.

Why did the two of them come to Yuito’s seat? 

“Akizuki-san? What’s wrong?” 

“No, I was just wondering why you came to this seat…” 

Hakari tilted her head in confusion. 

“Why? Is it strange to have a meal with a friend?” 

Friend. 

Hakari said that. 

Yuito was surprised. 

He only recognized her as an acquaintance he occasionally met on campus.

When on earth did that happen… At what point did he become classified as a friend? 

“Ah, that face… Yuito-kun. You didn’t think we were friends, did you?” 

“…Kirika-san. Can you really read Akizuki-san’s facial expressions?” 

“Well, yeah. He usually has a blank expression, but I was observing him the whole time during lunch.” 

“Lunch…? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Ahh… was it?” 

The two were engrossed in their chatter. 

Yuito couldn’t join the conversation. 

However, he strangely felt included in the circle. 

Is this what friends are like? 

(Maybe I should try a little harder with school life…) 

“Oh, this is the face when you’re happy!” 

“…I can’t tell the difference.”

☆☆☆

Afterword

Thank you always for reading. 

Your follows and stars are very encouraging. 

Up to this point, these were prewritten. 

The story from next time is undecided. 

Therefore, your feedback would be helpful in determining the direction of the story. 

For now, I plan to lean towards a slice-of-life or romantic comedy.