Seeing how serious Mari had become, Kota grew visibly nervous. His eyes darted to Haruto, scrutinizing him more carefully. The realization hit, and his palm began to sweat.
"Ah! Of course, I know who you are! I'm just joking, right, Haruto?"
Kota forced a laugh, his voice cracking slightly as he slung an arm around Haruto's neck, pulling him uncomfortably close.
Haruto's fists clenched at his sides. The urge to punch Kota in the face was hard to suppress, but he knew better.
If he wanted to stab Kota in the back, just as the man had done to him in the past, he needed to play the part of the 'best friend.'
Patience was key.
"Yeah, you're always joking like that," Haruto responded, his voice cool, though his eyes held a darker glint.
With deliberate force, he reached up and ruffled Kota's hair, his grip just rough enough to make him wince.
He didn't let go until he saw the hint of pain flash in Kota's eyes, his lips curling into a barely-there smirk.
Mari, watching the two of them, sighed in relief. She hated seeing friendships with uneven power dynamics—it always led to someone being bullied.
She relaxed slightly as the tension seemed to ease between the two boys.
"Well, if you say so..." she trailed off before glancing at the clock.
"Ah, I think we should finish up our lunch. The break's almost over."
She gave Haruto a quick look, her expression softening.
Haruto nodded in understanding and returned to the dining table, with Kota reluctantly following behind them.
As they sat down, Mari broke the silence. "Haruto, you've really changed. At first, I didn't recognize you," she said, her voice light but sincere.
"But once you started talking and acting like yourself, I just knew it was you!" Her eyes brightened with excitement.
"Really?" Haruto replied with a playful sigh.
"Now you've got me overthinking how I behave."
Despite his teasing tone, he was genuinely curious. It intrigued him that Mari had recognized him so quickly, the same as Mrs. Inoue too.
It makes the words from Kikuchi make more sense, was he that pathetic to look at?
Kota, not wanting to be outdone, jumped in. "Oh, I recognized him too. You know how it is—he's still the same old Haruto deep down."
"He might've bulked up, but the guy's always had that slouchy, awkward posture. Bowing like he's terrified of taking up space."
He chuckled, eyeing Haruto with thinly veiled disdain. "You can slap some muscle on a guy, maybe even fix his face, but come on—once a loser, always a loser."
Haruto remained calm, refusing to rise to the bait. Kota's words were a transparent attempt at a power play—to remind Mari that, no matter how much Haruto had changed physically, he was still the same weak, forgettable guy.
But all it did was reveal Kota's insecurities and jealousy. Haruto didn't need to say anything; this kind of move was one of many things women hated the most.
Mari stood up abruptly, her irritation barely concealed. Before the situation could escalate further, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped in with a casual smile.
"Oh my, what a crowd. No wonder the store feels understaffed."
Inoue's voice was light, but there was an underlying sharpness in her tone as she surveyed the room.
Mari, immediately recognizing the woman's presence, straightened up and bowed respectfully.
"I apologize. I'll get back to work right away," she said, her voice tinged with nervousness as she tidied up her lunch and excited the room.
Kota, on the other hand, didn't hide his frustration. He marched over to his mother, his face still flushed from embarrassment.
"Mother... Why did you hire someone like him?" His voice was full of contempt as he gestured toward Haruto.
Inoue crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her expression unbothered. "And? This isn't your store, is it? Now, go home and start studying."
She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples as though Kota's mere presence gave her a headache.
"I don't want to have to bribe your teachers again just to keep you in school."
Kota's face turned an even deeper shade of red, the weight of his humiliation now fully exposed.
His eyes darted to Haruto, who remained calm, watching everything unfold with a faint smirk. Without another word, Kota stormed out, his footsteps heavy with frustration.
The satisfying feeling he gets when seeing his 'friend' being humiliated by the one who was supposed to 'love' him was amazing.
"I'm terribly sorry for my son's behavior," Inoue said, her smile returning as she approached Haruto.
Haruto, who had been a silent spectator to the unfolding drama, gave her a polite nod.
"No need to apologize. It was just a little misunderstanding between friends."
Inoue chuckled softly. "I see. That's good, then."
Her sharp eyes wandered over to Haruto's clothes, and without warning, she reached out, feeling the fabric of his shirt between her fingers.
"This is quite a cheap brand, isn't it?" She frowned slightly, tilting her head in disapproval.
"It wouldn't look good for our store if one of our employees dresses like this."
Haruto felt a sudden jolt of discomfort like he had been caught off-guard. "Ah, I'm sorry. I'll get some new clothes tomorrow," he said quickly, feeling out of place under her scrutiny.
But Inoue merely laughed, her eyes narrowing in amusement. "Why wait until tomorrow? Let's go shopping now. It wouldn't do for you to continue wearing such outdated, unstylish clothes."
"After all, you represent our store, and we can't have you tarnishing its image with this look."
Her tone was teasing, but there was no mistaking the expectation behind her words.
[Ding!]
[New Quest available!]