“Isamu Sensei and everyone, good evening,” Hide calmly said as his group arrived on the table next to Isamu Sensei’s group. “It seems Sensei and the others had just watched the match.”

“Yeah,” Isamu Sensei smiled and politely nodded at Kaede Sensei and Hanna. Then, he turned his gaze to Aizawa and Kana. “Are they your little sisters?”

“This one is Aizawa, my little sister.” Hide said as he helped Aizawa pulled her chair. Then, he continued as he helped Kana pulled her chair. “This one is Kana, my little sister’s best friend.”

“I see.” After looking at their jacket Isamu Sensei said, “They must be very happy right now.”

“Yeah, we are. Yuko Mountain crushed Nakamura Ocean one more time,” Kana smugly said while Aizawa and Hanna nodded in agreement.

And somehow, it triggered some irritation from Sayaka. “Hide, why you and your group don’t go to rest and merchandise area, and celebrating it with the rest of Yuko Mountain’s supporter?”

“We park our car here,” Hide casually replied as he handed over the menu book to Aizawa and Kana.

“What a coincidence,” Sayaka sourly said but after she looked at Aizawa for a moment, the irritation on her eyes for some reason subsided and gone without a trace.

At the same time, Hanna took a glance on Sayaka before giving Hide a gaze as if she said, ‘You have a fierce friend’, and Hide replied it with a light smile.

After that, as he sat next to Aizawa and Kana, Hide said, “Everyone, please order whatever you want, it’s on me.”

In an instant Kaede Sensei said, “Hide, please, let me have the bill. You have already brought me and Kana to the match.”

Before Hide said anything, Hanna explained, “Sensei, don’t worry, Hide just won a big and fat jackpot.”

“Really?” Kaede Sensei asked as a question mark appeared in her forehead.

“Yeah,” Hanna firmly replied without mentioning that Hide put a bet of 200 thousand ren and won 80 thousand ren. “Today also his cheating day, so let’s accompany him enjoying the feast.”

“Okay.” 

In the end Kaede Sensei chose to comply with Hanna’s suggestion, and followed the flow as Hanna took the menu book and shared it with her.

A moment later, the group ordered a family package of skillet chicken cheese pasta, skillet chicken corn cheese, along with onion soup and big serving of potato chips. As for the drink, everyone had their own preference. 

But from the beginning, Hide had guessed that Aizawa would order mint and strawberry milk. Basically, it was rough chopped strawberry and mint leave being sweetened using honey, and then was added into a glass of cold soy milk. Emily had made it once when the whole family celebrated Aizawa’s second birthday, and it seemed Aizawa still clearly remembered it.

A moment later, as Hide and the rest started eating their meal, three Hiking Club’s members from first year arrived and joint Isamu Sensei’s group. However, their table had already full while other tables had been occupied. At the same time Hide realized. It seemed Isamu Sensei actually preserved the table he took for the new arriving Hiking Club’s members. It was also clearly visible that Isamu Sensei didn’t have the heart to ask the first year kids to leave.

Wasting no time Hide made an offer, “Sensei, we still have some empty seats here. If they don’t mind, they can join us.”

“Thank you, Hide.” 

Without second thought Isamu Sensei accepted the offer, but he also didn’t want to cause discomfort for Hide’s groups. So, he took two second years he deemed the most polite compared to the rest to move to Hide’s table with him. In short, Isamu Sensei chose Sayaka and Tenma. He sat next to Hide while Sayaka and Tenma sat next to Hanna and Kaede Sensei.

“Hide, you are truly a savior.” After took a glance at Kaede Sensei, Isamu Sensei then said, “Can you introduce me to your… um….. young aunt?”

After a light smile Kaede Sensei immediately said, “Sensei, I’m not Hide’s aunt, but her little sister’s teacher.”

“Aahhh… I’m sorry, Sensei.” Even if he said sorry, Isamu Sensei’s face didn’t show it a bit. Instead, his face was brimming with happiness as he continued, “Let me buy something for this table as an apology.”

“Please don’t, as you can see, the family package we ordered turned out to be very huge.” Kaede Sensei took an empty plate and put a slice of chicken cheese pasta on it before handed it over to Isamu Sensei, “Instead, please help us enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” Isamu Sensei happily received the chicken cheese pasta and immediately took a bite.

With a glance, it was easy to tell that Isamu Sensei had a very good interpersonal skill. Traveling to lot of place and interacting with countless people when he was an active climber, had taught him how to be connected with someone he had just met for the first time. He could even smoothly make an offer to buy Kaede Sensei a drink in the mini-bar, and Kaede Sensei happily accepted the invitation. 

As he looked at Isamu Sensei and Kaede Sensei happily walked to mini-bar, Hide said, “It seems we will see new couple here.”

“It has been an age since Aunt Kaede had a date,” Kana casually said before taking a big bite of chicken corn cheese.

After slightly nodding her head Hanna said, “Let’s not disturb her then, and hopefully Kaede Sensei find some happy moment.”

“Yeah,” Kana obediently replied.

Hanna then turned her gaze to Hide “Hide, introduce me to your friends.”

“This is Sayaka, a classmate and leader of Hiking Club, and this is Tenma, my senior in Hiking Club,” Hide calmly introduced the two. “Sayaka, Tenma, this is Hanna.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hanna happily said.

“Nice to meet you too,” Sayaka replied.

Meanwhile, after looking at Hanna for a moment Tenma asked, “Hanna, are you from Central Nichiko High?”

Hanna happily smiled before replying, “No, I have graduated from high school.”

“”You have graduated from high school?”” Tenma and Sayaka asked at the same time, and surprise was clearly visible in their eyes.

“Yep,” Still in her cheerful tone Hanna replied. 

“Seriously.” After giving Hanna an assessment gaze Sayaka asked one more time, “Hanna, are you truly a high school graduate?”

“I’m, and now I work in Beauty & the Beast. Ask Hide if you don’t believe me. He exercises in Beauty & the Beast under my program.”

As Tenma and Sayaka turned their gaze to him, Hide immediately nodded. At the same time, Hide realized that when she didn’t wore her office suit, Hanna was truly had appearance like a high school girl. It was the opposite of Hide who would look more mature compared to his actual age when he didn’t wear high school uniform.

“So, how is Hide at school?”

“No friends, very quiet and gloomy, but his daily score spike significantly in the recent days, to the point the teachers keep talking it in front of student from other class,” Sayaka bluntly replied.

“I see,” Hanna took a glance at Hide and mischievously smiled before saying, “I thought he was popular in school.”

“No, he isn’t.”

“Does he have girl friend or such?”

“As far as I know he doesn’t,” Sayaka replied before taking a sip of her lemon tea.

“Actually, he had confessed to Sayaka last year,” Tenma added. “But Sayaka rejected him.”

“Really?” Hanna curiously asked.

“Yeah.” Tenma ignored Sayaka’s sharp glare as he continued, “He cried after that and the whole school knew about it.”

“You know, Hide once told me that he will cry if someone he love dump him,” Hanna smiled before continuing, “Never did I imagine it’s true.”

“Well, it was really painful at that time, as if my whole world was being crushed into pieces.” 

Hide openly admitted as he helped Kana and Aizawa took another slice of chicken corn cheese, and when his gaze accidentally met with Hanna’s gaze, he was instantly taken back. For some reasons, Hanna’s gaze was so clear, captivating, and full of passion. Most of all, it was as if through her gaze she gently whispered, ‘I love you’.

Without delay, Hide took two big gulps of his lemonade to calm his jumping heart. At the same time, Hanna amusingly smiled and enjoyed to the fullest how Hide losing his composure because of her passionate gaze.

After that, Sayaka and Tenma were eagerly chatting with Hana. The two asked Hanna a lot of advices about body development. Meanwhile, Hide attentively helped Kana and Aizawa enjoying their dinner. Actually, taking Aizawa to have a meal in Seiya was one of top priority in Hide’s list.

*****