Chapter 61: The Breakthrough Strategy of Satou
Being pursued to the point of having someone show up at your home is truly a rare occurrence in this world.
It wasn't until the next morning that Ren belatedly realized how terrifying Yuno and Satou really were.
He'd initially thought they were just mentally unstable, but it seemed there was more to it than that?
Looks like he'd have to deal with them properly. If they dared to sneak into his home today, he didn't even want to imagine what they might attempt tomorrow.
As usual, Ren went to pick up Hitori for school. Once they arrived, he discovered an envelope sealed with heart-shaped stickers inside his desk.
"Oho~ Even with a girlfriend, you're still getting confessions? You're quite the charmer."
Without even looking, he knew it was a love letter. Gabriel teased him as she passed by.
A month had passed since school started. Those wanting romance, those devoted to studies, and those focused solely on club activities were all emerging like bamboo shoots after spring rain, each scouting for their preferred choices.
Even though Ren already had a girlfriend, those love-struck girls still boldly expressed their feelings.
Noticing the love letter in Ren's hand, Hitori glanced at him uneasily.
Rather than opening it, Ren directly tossed the love letter into the trash.
Yuno and Satou were already giving him enough headaches. If others got involved too, he didn't know when this would ever end.
So he acted decisively, at least to signal that he wouldn't read love letters or accept any invitations, hoping to reduce the chances of receiving more.
"Bocchi-chan, I need to discuss something with Yuno and Satou during lunch. Will you be okay practicing guitar with Ikuyo?"
Today was supposed to be his usual cuddle time with Hitori during lunch break, but since the matter with Yuno and Satou remained unresolved, Ren decided to tackle the troublesome issue first.
"Mm."
Hitori didn't ask what Ren wanted with Yuno and Satou, instead taking her guitar to find Ikuyo, who happened to be busy with band matters during this period.
After writing lyrics, they still needed to compose music and practice together. Their skill levels varied considerably, requiring significant time to harmonize to a performance-ready state.
"Come with me."
Ren looked at Yuno and Satou and led them to the rooftop.
No one else was on the rooftop besides them. Just as Ren was about to get straight to the point, Satou spoke first.
"Ren, I'm facing some difficulties. Could you please help me?"
"I think it would be better to consult your parents."
Seeing Satou interrupt his planned approach, Ren turned his gaze to Yuno. He hadn't forgotten that Yuno could foresee his future—this was likely a scheme they'd plotted together to prevent him from speaking frankly.
"But... I don't have any family left....."
Satou said sorrowfully. Her family might as well be dead to her—seeking their help would be less effective than hiring some thugs.
However, after Yuno's reminder, Satou had been inspired to use her recent circumstances to play the sympathy card.
"...What kind of difficulties?"
No one would joke about their own parents and family. Ren could understand the unease of having no one to rely on, and he couldn't ignore the difficulties Satou mentioned when he had the ability to help.
"There's a male senior at my part-time restaurant job who's been trying to harass me. Also, my former teacher has been constantly asking about me recently and has come to my place several times, but I haven't responded."
Satou said with an anxious expression. Everything she said was true—to make a living, she had to work part-time every day after school.
Being a beautiful girl who was all alone and forced to work for survival, things were fine when she met good people, but it became troublesome when she encountered bad ones.
Lately, a male employee at the restaurant had been persistently hitting on her with ill intentions in his eyes. Even though she firmly rejected him, he continued to pester her.
She had even planned to find an opportunity to kill him. She would only belong to Ren—aside from him, she didn't want anything to do with anyone else.
She originally didn't want Ren to know about this, not wanting to worry him since she could handle it herself.
But last night, she and Yuno had gone too far, causing Ren to want to cut ties with them today. If Yuno hadn't told her in advance, she wouldn't have known this would happen.
So in the final ten minutes, she thought of a way to change the subject—by seeking Ren's help.
And it wasn't just the male employee at her part-time job; her former teacher had also inexplicably wanted to visit her home, claiming to be concerned about her and her family situation.
But the lust hidden beneath his feigned righteous expression couldn't escape her notice. He was a hypocrite who had developed wicked intentions because she was alone and vulnerable, wanting to possess her.
Disgusting!
That teacher was also on her kill list, but before she could formulate a plan, Yuno told her that Ren intended to cut ties with them.
So she simply brought up this matter as well.
"Why not report to the police?"
This kind of situation was quite serious, but Ren didn't immediately believe Satou's words. In his previous life, he had seen too many news stories about false accusations, so he suggested that if Satou was truly in trouble, she should just go to the police.
"I have no evidence. They're both very cunning—right now it's just harassment, and they won't show their true colors until they have an opportunity."
Satou pretended to be helpless. Matters of harassment were always ambiguous, but she had genuinely encountered it, and both men were being cautious, clearly afraid she might report them—probably waiting for the chance to say "you wouldn't want xxx to happen."
"...I can help you, but you must never break into my house again."
After thinking for a while, Ren decided to help Satou, seeing it as an opportunity to make her accept his conditions—provided everything was true.
If it was false, that would be even better, as it would allow him to see Satou's true nature and he wouldn't need to maintain appearances.
"Yes, sorry for causing you trouble, Ren. I'll prepare the compensation."
Satou nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, her feelings for Ren growing even stronger. Even in such a situation, Ren was still willing to lend her a hand—he truly was gentle.
And thanks to my good friend Yuno's reminder, otherwise I might have been forced to cut ties with Ren today.
As for repayment...
She didn't have much money, and her family didn't care about her, so she couldn't offer any suitable gift. The only thing she could do was offer herself~
...
On the other side, Hitori was somewhat absent-minded while teaching Ikuyo how to play the guitar.
"Bocchi-chan, are you thinking about Ren-kun?"
Noticing her unusual behavior, Ikuyo put down the guitar and asked Hitori curiously.
"No, I'm just a bit worried. Ren received a love letter today."
Hitori shook her head and shared her unease with Ikuyo.
She had been very happy while writing songs recently, but during her free time, the pressure was actually quite heavy because more and more outstanding girls were appearing around Ren.
It seemed that aside from being somewhat good-looking, she couldn't compare to them in anything. Although Ren had always reassured her, she still lacked confidence in herself.
"Isn't that inevitable? After all, Ren is so handsome—there are bound to be persistent people who'll try their luck. So, Bocchi-chan, you don't need to worry too much. Ren-kun would never let you down."
After understanding the situation, Ikuyo smiled and comforted Hitori. Even she had received love letters, let alone Ren. But there was no need to worry about such things, as it was extremely rare for people to start dating just because of a love letter.
How could a normal person possibly agree to a confession just because of a love letter? It's hard to be together without understanding anything about each other.
So Hitori really didn't need to worry.
Even so, the inferiority complex and social anxiety she had carried since childhood made it impossible for Hitori to calm her mind. She still felt somewhat uneasy.
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan