Their brief exchange seemed lengthy, but in reality, less than ten seconds had passed.
Seeing them separate, Miyamoto Rei finally snapped out of it. Without thinking, she threw herself between the two.
Blocking Minami Rika, she shouted, "You! What do you think you're doing to my Su Yan?!"
Minami Rika stared at her, baffled.
'Your Su Yan?'
'Who said he belongs to you? Why are you stepping up?'
Still, she didn't feel like getting into a spat with a little girl like Miyamoto Rei.
After all, Su Yan was Marikawa Shizuka's man, not hers. The most she could do was give him a piece of her mind on behalf of her best friend.
Besides, the skirmish with Su Yan had only been a warm-up. She hadn't had enough yet.
Minami Rika looked past Miyamoto Rei and shot a provocative glance at Su Yan.
"Little Brother Su Yan, is she an enemy?"
Takagi Yuriko could tell at a glance that Su Yan wasn't being serious; he was just playing around with Minami Rika.
Only those who mastered Nen could truly understand the vast gulf between an ability user and a normal person.
Still, she chose to back him up. After all, the little flaxen-haired girl had already stepped forward.
However...
Takagi Yuriko glanced back at her disappointing daughter, Takagi Saya, with a slight headache.
'Saya, oh Saya, why can't you learn a thing or two from this girl?'
'Be a bit more courageous, a bit more honest.'
'Being a tsundere is so out of style these days.'
'Even if I said I'd help you, you have to pull yourself together.'
'Otherwise, you really are going to end up as the losing heroine.'
Su Yan shook his head at Takagi Yuriko, signaling her not to intervene.
Then, he patted Miyamoto Rei on the shoulder, giving her a reassuring look before stepping out in front of her.
Finally, he looked at Minami Rika and her provocative eyes, asking in confusion, "Ms. Minami, I don't think I've done anything to offend you, have I? Was it really necessary to attack me the moment I got back?"
Su Yan couldn't figure it out. Hadn't they been perfectly fine when they crossed paths on the road earlier?
Sure, she'd been a bit annoyed after learning he was Marikawa Shizuka's man and seeing him bringing other girls 'home'.
But she hadn't done anything then, right?
How much time had even passed?
Why the sudden change of heart now?
'Could it be that she found out I secretly used her property deed as collateral for a loan?'
'No way, right?'
In times like these, even if he didn't pay it back, it wasn't like the bank could send debt collectors to repossess the house.
Besides, Minami Rika didn't seem like the type to obsess over petty cash.
Minami Rika glared at him.
If looks could kill, Su Yan would have been sliced into ten thousand pieces by now.
'Not offended me?'
'Do you have any idea what you've turned my Shizuka into?'
'And you have the nerve to say you haven't offended me?'
Minami Rika glanced around the room.
If there weren't others present, she would have started screaming at him.
But in this situation, could she really expose Marikawa Shizuka's dirty laundry in front of everyone?
It was too embarrassing to mention.
"Exactly! If you have a problem, just say it! Why would you suddenly attack Su Yan? And using such a cowardly sneak attack too?"
Seeing Minami Rika remain silent, Miyamoto Rei assumed she was in the wrong and pressed her advantage.
Minami Rika was getting irritated.
But she really couldn't bring herself to spill her best friend's secrets.
She carefully organized her thoughts, running them through her head once more before testing Su Yan vaguely. "Do you know where Shizuka is right now?"
"Shizuka?"
Su Yan blinked.
'What does she have to do with this?'
Thinking about that lazy woman's typical behavior, he hesitated. "At this hour... she's probably sleeping, right?"
"Yeah, she's sleeping. And she's cuddling with a purple-haired girl," Minami Rika said, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Su Yan was utterly confused by her response.
It wasn't just him; Miyamoto Rei and Takagi Saya were equally baffled.
Was it really that strange for two girls to share a bed?
That seemed like a common thing for close female friends. What was the issue?
Besides, Miyamoto Rei and Takagi Saya knew that Busujima Saeko had already claimed Su Yan for herself right in front of them.
Marikawa Shizuka was also involved in a complicated relationship with him.
There was no way those two were into girls.
Takagi Yuriko made a shocking conjecture. "Wait, do you like this Shizuka woman? And now that purple-haired girl is acting as your substitute, essentially cheating on you?"
She didn't know Minami Rika, nor did she know this Shizuka, or the purple-haired girl Shizuka was sleeping with.
However, she deduced the situation based on the information provided.
Minami Rika clearly knew Shizuka. Since she used her first name, they were likely close friends or besties.
The purple-haired girl was a stranger to her.
The common thread was that both women had purple hair.
Yet Minami Rika was angry about Shizuka and the purple-haired girl being together.
Putting it all together...
Takagi Yuriko came to a conclusion.
Minami Rika liked Shizuka, but Shizuka was now cuddling with another purple-haired girl.
She was clearly being cheated on. Why else would she be this upset?
She just couldn't figure out where Su Yan fit into all this.
Takagi Yuriko found it quite entertaining. She'd just arrived and was already witnessing such a spectacle.
"Stop talking nonsense. Shizuka and I are just friends, and my sexual orientation is perfectly normal. I'm just standing up for her because I can't stand idly by."
Minami Rika was speechless at the explanation and couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Seeing that things were only getting more misunderstood, she gritted her teeth and demanded, "Do you know why Shizuka is sleeping with that purple-haired girl?"
"Because of... me?"
Su Yan pointed at himself, dumbfounded.
Although she was asking a question...
Given her actions, there was only one possible answer.
"Exactly. Shizuka said that girl smells just like you!"
Minami Rika finally laid it out.
Those light words struck everyone like a heavy hammer to the heart.
The entire room fell into a heavy silence.
Busujima Saeko smelled like him?
Everyone understood except Takagi Yuriko, who hadn't personally witnessed Busujima Saeko forcing herself on Su Yan.
Su Yan understood. Miyamoto Rei understood. Takagi Saya understood.
Realizing the truth, the two girls couldn't help but blush, lowering their heads while their eyes instinctively drifted toward Su Yan.
It wasn't just a vague relationship—they had already done that behind everyone's backs.
No wonder her best friend, Minami Rika, was so furious.
This was truly a death-sentence-worthy offense!
"Um..."
Miyamoto Rei tugged at Su Yan's sleeve and said weakly, "Su Yan... maybe you should just let her hit you once to let off some steam?"
Facing the gaze of the girls, Su Yan felt like a thousand-pound weight had suddenly dropped onto his shoulders. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
'It's a misunderstanding!'
'I really...!'
'I really haven't conditioned Marikawa Shizuka yet!!!'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]