Chapter 204

The smile on her face finally faded.

The person beside her asked with a smile:

"Senior, why did the Senior leave?"

Mouri Ran withdrew her gaze and answered expressionlessly:

"His surname is Hoshino."

The teammates were all dumbfounded upon hearing this.

So what?

Mouri Ran paused and added another sentence:

"So you can call him Senior Hoshino!"

???

Fine.

On the other side, Hoshino Ki had left to a place very far from the competition venue.

Just as he answered the phone, a bewitching female voice came from the other end:

"Hi, Louis! Do you miss me?"

"..."

Hoshino Ki was expressionless.

"What is it?"

"Seriously, you're so cold. How can you not recognize someone after pulling up your pants?"

Hoshino Ki frowned slightly:

"If there's nothing, I'm hanging up."

Perhaps feeling she had teased him too much,

Vermouth's bewitching tone shifted to a serious voice.

"It's about the Organization."

Hoshino Ki remained expressionless:

"Oh!"

"Oh?! I'm telling you, why are you so... dragging"

The person on the other end seemed somewhat exasperated.

....Divider....

Vermouth returned to normal after a pause:

"The BOSS already knows what you've done. He should be summoning you back soon."

"Be careful yourself, prepare well."

Hoshino Ki was silent for a moment:

"Prepare..."

He was just about to thank her when he suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind.

Hoshino Ki swallowed the words he hadn't yet spoken.

He changed the subject:

"Is it time for a paycheck?"

Paycheck?

Vermouth on the other end of the phone was stunned.

Was Hoshino Ki... that short of money?

The previous Hoshino Ki was only an outer member of the Organization.

The tasks he did were all simple chores.

He really didn't make much money.

And now Hoshino Ki had just joined the inner circle of the Organization.

The BOSS wouldn't feel at ease letting him go on missions alone without understanding him first.

And for Organization personnel, no missions meant no money.

It was obvious!

Hoshino Ki was really poor!

"I'll talk to the BOSS. I'll take you on the next mission, and you'll have a salary."

Vermouth said helplessly.

"Okay, thanks."

Hoshino Ki hung up the phone quickly and turned around.

Who exactly was the person who had just snuck up behind him?

Hoshino Ki walked slowly toward the competition venue.

Upon entering the venue, he saw Mouri Ran sitting in the first row.

She was staring intently at the ring, as if she had never left.

Could it be a reporter?

No, judging by the aura, it should be an expert.

Definitely not an ordinary person.

Hoshino Ki came to Mouri Ran's side and sat down.

Mouri Ran also noticed that Hoshino Ki had returned.

So she turned her head to look at him:

"Ki, what a pity, you didn't see it just now, the last match was truly wonderful!"

"..."

Hoshino Ki opened his pitch-black eyes and stared fixedly at Mouri Ran.

It seemed he was judging whether what she said was true or false.

"Uh... Ki, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to do?"

Mouri Ran felt a bit guilty being stared at by Hoshino Ki.

She looked away the moment she met his gaze.

A thin layer of sweat even appeared on her forehead.

"No, it's just that the place where I work part-time is about to pay wages."

Hoshino Ki glanced at Mouri Ran, then shifted his gaze to the competition ring.

Mouri Ran wasn't very good at lying.

It seemed it was confirmed that she was the one who had been eavesdropping!

Fortunately, it wasn't anyone suspicious.

"Is that so? Then you won't leave, right?"

It was indeed Mouri Ran who had been eavesdropping in the shadows just now.

But she hadn't heard anything suspicious from beginning to end.

She only heard Hoshino Ki mention "wages."

Hoshino Ki turned his head to look into her eyes.

His pitch-black pupils were full of seriousness:

"I won't leave."

Mouri Ran smiled sweetly.

"Please, contestant number 3, Mouri Ran, come to the stage!"

The loudspeaker in the arena sounded.

It was finally time to go on stage.

Just at the moment Mouri Ran left,

gazes from all around were attracted to Hoshino Ki.

Among those gazes were admiration, envy, and jealousy.

Overall, admiration still accounted for the majority.

Hoshino Ki didn't care about those boring things.

He just sat up straight and focused on the direction of the ring.

Mouri Ran was worthy of being a national karate champion.

As soon as she got on stage, she knocked her opponent to the ground.

She had quite the demeanor of a "Valkyrie."

Cheers and exclamations continued in the arena.

The audience's eyes were all attracted by Mouri Ran's heroic posture.

Hoshino Ki's expression remained as usual.

His calm and indifferent personality was particularly conspicuous in the lively audience seats.

He lazily propped his head up with one arm.

The other hand was tapping rapidly on his phone screen.

And he was also paying attention to Mouri Ran's match on the ring from time to time.

Looking up again,

he discovered that a young-looking girl was sitting beside him.

Hoshino Ki turned off his phone screen calmly.

He glanced at the girl beside him with an indifferent expression, then turned to look at the competition ring.

He focused all his attention on Mouri Ran.

Hoshino Ki didn't speak.

But the girl beside him took the initiative to speak:

"Hello, brother."

"???"

Hoshino Ki frowned slightly.

He turned his head to look at the girl, and after confirming three times that he didn't know her,

he turned his head back.

But the girl clearly wasn't scared off by Hoshino Ki's indifferent aura.

She still had a grinning expression:

"Brother! You look so good."

Hoshino Ki didn't really want to bother with her.

He didn't answer her words.

Who knew this girl didn't know what politeness was at all.

She continued to talk to herself:

"My name is Yamamoto Keiko. What's your name, brother?"

Hoshino Ki didn't even want to give her a glance.

Because he saw Mouri Ran looking over here several times.

Yamamoto Keiko was the school beauty of the neighboring school.

She actually knew Hoshino Ki's identity long ago.

After all, there wasn't anyone living in this country now who didn't know Hoshino Ki's great name.

Her purpose in approaching Hoshino was also very clear.

That was, she had fallen in love with Hoshino Ki at first sight!

Whether on the television screen or in the real world,

Hoshino Ki's figure had left her completely infatuated.

Coming to watch the competition today was a complete coincidence.

She believed that being able to see Hoshino Ki in person today was an arrangement by heaven.

Hoshino Ki frowned, his gaze shifting away from Mouri Ran.

He glanced at Yamamoto Keiko indifferently.

Yamamoto Keiko's heart beat a little faster, and she revealed a sweet smile.

It seemed she was very much looking forward to Hoshino Ki's answer.

Hoshino Ki looked at Yamamoto Keiko with indifference:

"You're too noisy!"

So noisy that she couldn't watch the competition.

Yamamoto Keiko's voice wasn't loud; it was a very petite voice.

Hoshino Ki said this on purpose.

Just to pick on her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to get to know you."

Hoshino used one hand to prop up his head, his body moving a bit further away from her:

"And after getting to know me?"

Yamamoto Keiko became excited upon hearing this.

She felt there was a chance, so she leaned in and said:

"We can go out and play often, and after more contact, maybe we will..."

Yamamoto Keiko suddenly blushed.

Hoshino Ki's gaze wasn't on her at all.

He just leaned lazily on the chair.

His attitude was indifferent and detached.

"I don't like playing."

Despite this,

Yamamoto Keiko was still completely infatuated with Hoshino Ki.

She looked very anxious:

"But brother and Senior Mouri play very well together."

"Does brother not like me!?"

She always thought that by putting on a "weak" personality in front of Hoshino Ki,

the other party would at least give her some face.

Because the Hoshino Ki in her impression was gentle, generous, and protective of the weak.

But who knew that when she said such things,

Hoshino Ki replied like this:

"Yeah, I don't like you!"

Yamamoto Keiko's face suddenly turned pale.

Her body stiffened in her seat, not knowing how to react.

The two didn't speak loudly.

But as a dignified school beauty, when had she ever been rejected like this?

In the past, it was always others chasing her to confess!

There were so many people around.

Surely many people had heard their conversation.

A feeling of being humiliated suddenly rose up:

"Why don't you like me?"

Was it because she wasn't pretty enough?

Yamamoto Keiko couldn't understand.

And she just wanted to be friends with Hoshino Ki.

Since she was a child, every time she acted spoiled,

— Author's Notes —

New book is out, seeking flowers, seeking subscriptions!!