Hyuga Ryosuke swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.
"You... you're not playing some... special Transformation Jutsu game with your Shadow Clone, are you?"
"Aokawa, I know the pressure on the Battlefield is intense, but this is a bit too much..."
The air froze for a second.
The veins on Aokawa's forehead throbbed, but before he could speak—
The Shadow Clone on the chair had already snapped.
"Transform my ass!"
The Shadow Clone launched itself off the chair, charging forward like a cannonball.
It raised a leg and delivered a fierce kick right to Hyuga Ryosuke's fleshy backside.
"I'll give you 'transform'! Can't you think about something normal for once!"
"Ow!" Hyuga Ryosuke cried out, clutching his buttocks as he scurried behind the real Aokawa.
"Crazy! How is your Shadow Clone even more short-tempered than you are!"
He poked his head out with a look of grievance. "I was just saying! Who told you two to look like that? It's hard not to misunderstand!"
Aokawa reached out to stop the Shadow Clone, which was about to charge back in for another blow.
"That's enough." He glanced at the Shadow Clone. "Since you're out, go take a walk outside."
The Shadow Clone straightened its clothes and gave Hyuga Ryosuke a fierce glare.
"Watch fewer of those trashy novels from the Black Market. Your head is full of garbage."
With that, the Shadow Clone pushed open the door and swaggered out.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Aokawa casually poured a glass of cold water and handed it to the fat boy.
"Speak. What's so urgent that you came looking for me this late at night?"
His tone was flat, the joy from his successful surgery perfectly concealed.
Hyuga Ryosuke took the glass, gulped down more than half in one go, and let out a long sigh. "I saw Nanako."
"It's the middle of the night. You didn't use your Byakugan to watch her, did you?" Aokawa raised an eyebrow.
"What are you thinking! I saw her while on patrol during the day. I came straight here as soon as I got back," Hyuga Ryosuke explained hurriedly.
Aokawa nodded. "I saw Nanako a few days ago too."
"And you didn't tell me?" Hyuga Ryosuke said resentfully. "What happened to introducing me to a wife as promised?"
"You're only thirteen. What's the rush? It's way too early for puppy love!"
Aokawa rolled his eyes, sat back on the edge of the bed, and picked up a dry cloth to wipe the moisture from the back of his neck.
Hyuga Ryosuke was displeased. He plopped down on the chair, making it creak under his weight.
"Puppy love? You have so many girls around you that you can't even handle them all, and you're calling me out for puppy love?"
"Besides, if I don't hurry at thirteen, am I supposed to wait until I'm thirty to be nagged into marriage? Hurry up and introduce someone."
In his eyes, narrowed by fat, a longing for love flickered.
"Let me think who would be suitable!" Aokawa stroked his chin, pondering seriously.
A moment later, he snapped his fingers. "Kurenai does have a best friend from the Akimichi Clan..."
"Stop!" Hyuga Ryosuke interrupted immediately, crossing his fleshy hands in a large 'X' in front of his chest.
"It's not actually that urgent."
The longing on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of terror.
The physique of the Akimichi Clan, combined with his own build...
If the two of them really got together, the bed at home would probably have to be replaced with reinforced concrete.
"I actually don't think you need to think about it. I think Nanako is quite nice." Hyuga Ryosuke rubbed his hands together with a flattering look. "You just take me along and ask her out. It's that simple."
"Asking her out is easy, but the problem is that an introduction should be a good match." Aokawa sized him up, his tone teasing. "Put yourself in her shoes."
"Suppose Nanako asks you out for dinner tomorrow, and you go happily."
"When you get there, she says she's introducing someone from the Akimichi Clan to be your girlfriend..."
Hyuga Ryosuke's face fell instantly, and he looked at Aokawa with an unfriendly gaze. "Hey, hey, hey! I'm a bit chubby, but I'm not that bad!"
He puffed out his belly, trying to reclaim some dignity. "In the past, there were even people in class who liked me!"
Aokawa was drinking water and almost spat it out upon hearing this.
He set the glass down, his curiosity piqued. "Quick, tell me about it."
"Back in class, there was often a girl who would secretly write my name in her notebook." Hyuga Ryosuke scratched his head sheepishly, a suspicious blush appearing on his face.
"The frequency was insane—she'd write it several times a day."
"That actually happened? What happened next?" Aokawa pressed.
Although this fat guy looked simple-minded, he wasn't the type to tell such clumsy lies.
"Next!"
At the mention of what happened next, the shyness on Hyuga Ryosuke's face turned into anger, and he glared fiercely at Aokawa.
"Later, she was snatched away by you!"
"Huh?" Aokawa was stunned.
He carefully recalled the memories of his previous self, which were indeed a bit blurry.
His predecessor was handsome and talented, and was indeed always surrounded by a group of girls.
But he didn't feel like he had ever done anything to steal someone's girl.
"She must have just had a crush on me," Aokawa explained hurriedly.
"Of course it was just a crush. If you had dared to openly date her, I would have come knocking on your door long ago."
Hyuga Ryosuke snorted angrily and grabbed the kettle on the table to pour himself a glass of water.
"Who was it, anyway?" Aokawa was truly curious.
"I think her name was Akita Naiichi," Hyuga Ryosuke said gloomily.
Pfft—
This time, Aokawa really couldn't hold it back. The water he had just sipped sprayed directly onto the floor.
He looked at Hyuga Ryosuke as if he were an idiot. "You were late for school every single day back then."
Hyuga Ryosuke felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and stiffened his neck. "What does that have to do with being late?"
"She liked me, that's why she paid attention to whether I was late or not!"
Aokawa facepalmed helplessly, feeling that this fat guy's logic was simply bizarre.
"She was the Discipline Officer. You were late every day—what else would she be writing your name for?"
Dead silence.
Only the sound of water dripping onto the floor remained in the air.
Hyuga Ryosuke's mouth hung open, the water glass frozen in mid-air.
His expression shifted from anger to frozen shock, then slowly crumbled, finally turning into the kind of embarrassment that made him want to find a hole to crawl into.
"Ahaha... is that so?" He gave a couple of dry laughs that sounded worse than crying.
"It's all your fault for being surrounded by girls every day. It made me become narcissistic too."
He quickly shifted the blame. As long as I'm not embarrassed, someone else will be.
"Don't wrongly accuse me." Aokawa stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open, letting the night breeze disperse the stuffiness in the room.
"Look, from last year until now, I've only been close to one or two girls. I've politely rejected all the other 'flowers and plants'."
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore!" Hyuga Ryosuke waved his hands hurriedly. This topic was too dangerous and could lead to social death.
He put away his playful grin and looked at Aokawa standing by the window.
Moonlight spilled over Aokawa, casting a long shadow.
For some reason, Ryosuke felt that Aokawa was a bit different tonight.
That feeling was like a blade that had been hidden in its scabbard suddenly revealing a hint of its sharp edge.
"What have you been up to lately?" Hyuga Ryosuke asked. "You've been shutting yourself in your room, acting all mysterious."
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