Haruto looked at the girl standing before him. Her long, wavy hair was slightly disheveled, and her hazel eyes glinted in the warm, golden light of the evening.
She wore a junior high uniform, complete with a blue bowtie and short blue skirt, her face a mix of anger and concern.
"What do you think you're doing with Julie and Catherine?!" she demanded, raising her fists in a stance that signaled she was ready to strike again.
Her gaze drifted down to the cat carrier on the ground. "And is that Mochi?! Did you kidnap him too?!"
"No, you've got it wro—"
Haruto began, but before he could finish, her fist came flying toward him. He sidestepped the punch, his movements swift and effortless.
She blinked, clearly taken aback by how easily he dodged her.
"Huh, so you're not just some ordinary thief, huh?"
She challenged, spinning around and aiming a sharp kick at him. But Haruto was quicker, catching her foot mid-air.
"Wh-What are you doing?! Pervert!"
She stammered, trying to pull her leg free, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she noticed his eyes had briefly landed on her exposed underwear.
"I told you I am not a thief! I'm Daiki's friend!" Haruto finally talked freely since the girl couldn't move, his eyes couldn't stop looking at her white panties.
Haruto immediately let go of her foot, stepping back. "I told you, I'm not a thief! I'm Daiki's friend! You're the one who jumped at me, of course I don't have a choice to look at it!"
"You should have the one who apologized! You just kick me!"
She huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, if you're really his friend, then prove it."
Haruto exhaled in exasperation and gestured to his uniform. "Do thieves usually wear school uniforms?"
He fished in his pocket, pulling out the car key. "Here, Daiki's car key," he said, handing it to her, followed by a slip from the pet store.
"And here's proof I picked up his pets."
The girl's face turned bright red, her anger shifting to embarrassment as she realized her mistake.
She mumbled, "Ah... you're right... I'm sorry," and gave a quick bow.
Haruto sighed, taking another glance at her. There was something familiar about her—a resemblance to Daiki.
He swallowed hard.
'Wait... is she his sister?'
He felt a pang of dread, realizing what a mess he'd made of their first meeting.
"I'm Akane Yamada," she replied with a soft smile.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sliding door.
The elderly woman returned, bringing medicine and an ice pack, followed by a middle-aged woman carrying a tray with tea and snacks.
After arranging the items, they slipped away, leaving Haruto and Akane alone again.
Haruto grabbed the ice pack, lifting his shirt to press it against his bruised abdomen that wasn't from her kick.
He glanced at Akane, noticing her gaze flicker over his muscular build with an interested gleam.
Smirking, he thought,
'Got her attention. No one can resist this physique.'
Akane's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, genuinely intrigued. "Hayase, are you a wrestler?"
Caught off guard, Haruto blinked. "Uh... more like an MMA fighter," he replied, rubbing his neck awkwardly since what he was doing was illegal, but he couldn't just say that, could he?
"Wow, that's so cool! Can you do moves like the scorpion deathlock?" Her enthusiasm bubbled over, and she shifted closer, eyes wide with curiosity.
Though he wasn't familiar with the move she mentioned, he could tell one thing: Akane was a big WWE fan and to make her more interested in him, he needed to lie.
"I think I could manage," he chuckled.
Akane's eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched him. "Do you have any match videos? I'd love to see one!"
As his limited understanding WWE and MMA was a different sport, but it seemed Akane didn't mind, she might love everything related to martial arts.
Haruto smirked, already planning ahead. If she saw him in action, maybe he could win her over further.
"I don't have any video, but I'll bring you along to one of my matches if you want."
Akane's face fell, disappointment clouding her expression. "My big brother wouldn't allow it," she sighed. Continue reading at M V L
"Daiki?" he asked, curious about her response. If Daiki was that protective, it could mean he really cared about his sister.
The more Daiki cared, the more he could hurt him further.
"No, my oldest brother, Shohei," she clarified. "He thinks those places are too dangerous, but it's not even illegal, right?"
Haruto leaned back, piecing together her words.
'Shohei... must be the yakuza brother.'
He hesitated, but his curiosity got the better of him.
"But, isn't your family a yakuza?"