Chapter 72: Miura Yumiko had her heart broken

As he pondered, an inexplicable image suddenly flashed in Renji's mind.

He pushed the second Yukinoshita woman against the wall.

The second woman bit her lip, looking at him pitifully, and placed her small hands on the man's chest.

"Don't be like this, brother-in-law, you're my sister's fiancé, and I'm your sister-in-law!"

Renji unceremoniously wrapped his arms around her slender waist and hugged her tightly.

"No, you're my sweet little cotton-padded jacket!"

No.

The fantasy suddenly shattered into a million pieces.

Shiina Mahiru poked his waist with a pen and said unhappily, "What are you grinning about? You're drooling."

Renji quickly wiped the corner of his mouth, but nothing came off. Mahiru covered her mouth and laughed silently, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Look at your silly face, you fool~" she whispered, a sweet, teasing note in her voice.

Renji glared sharply at her and mouthed a few silent words, "Wait for me tonight."

Mahiru's face suddenly turned crimson, she shrank her neck, a little embarrassed but unable to hide her faint smile. However, she quickly raised her eyes and looked at Renji proudly, her chin slightly raised. "Just you wait, I have helpers, I'm not afraid of you!"

Renji suddenly laughed. No matter how many helpers you have, he was the one who enjoyed it. Of course, he certainly wouldn't just have fun.

Renji and Mahiru interacted amicably, their playful banter filling the corner of the classroom. The other boys in the class saw it and felt a surge of anger in their hearts. What an enviable man. We also want to sit at the same table as the Angel and joke with the Angel! If envious eyes could kill, Renji would have died many times over.

Compared to the pleasant atmosphere on Renji's side, Hayato Hayama, who had just returned to class, had a gloomy face and was not at all in good spirits. When Kakeru Tobe approached him to talk, he just gave a casual smile that didn't reach his eyes and laughed at him, as if his mind was miles away. This made Miura Yumiko, who was secretly observing, very worried.

After thinking it over, she took out her phone and sent a message to Renji.

Miura Yumiko: "Uh, Renji, excuse me, what did Hayato take you out for just now? Did you misunderstand that we went out together yesterday?"

The mentality of the little girl Miura Yumiko was very clearly visible. Because she cared too much, she asked eagerly. But Renji felt it wasn't worth it for him.

After thinking for a moment, he replied on his phone:

Renji Kamisaka: "Yumiko, you're overthinking. Hayato didn't mention that we went out together yesterday. He asked me about the relationship between a woman and me."

Seeing this message, Miura Yumiko's eyes widened. Hayato Hayama asked Renji about the relationship between a girl and Renji? Could it be Shiina Mahiru! Hayato Hayama, similar to Shiina Mahiru? Thinking of this, Miura Yumiko felt like a knife had pierced her heart, a deep, piercing pain.

Suddenly, another message came from his phone.

Renji Kamisaka: "Yumiko, you don't think Hayato asked about Mahiru, do you? You must be overthinking. He didn't ask about anyone from our school."

Seeing this, Miura Yumiko breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping. She couldn't help but shoot a reproachful glance at her phone. Why didn't you say so earlier! She felt very upset. She almost cried.

Oh, wait! Even though Hayato didn't ask about Mahiru, he still asked about a girl! Miura Yumiko's heart tightened and she immediately typed:

Miura Yumiko: "Renji, who did Hayato Hayama ask about? Can you tell me her name?"

Renji Kamisaka: "..."

He went silent. Miura Yumiko felt embarrassed, her cheeks flushed with surprise. She immediately sent an apology message:

Miura Yumiko: "Sorry, I was too sudden asking you such a question. That girl must be very close to you..."

Renji Kamisaka: "It's alright, I'm not angry, I just don't know how to tell you."

Renji Kamisaka: "Yumiko, you and Hayama are very close... Didn't he ever say he had a girl he liked? I mean, didn't he ever say what the name of the girl he liked was?"

Seeing this message, Miura Yumiko's head buzzed. She wasn't stupid. It's just that she was very thoughtful when dealing with her friends, so she trusted her friends' words more. But Renji's words were like a sharp sword, piercing her innocent heart, tearing her hopes to shreds.

Hayato, he really never mentioned the name of the girl he liked. He didn't even say he liked a girl.

That was it. She had always been friends with Hayato. She thought she had a good relationship with Hayato. Hayato was very gentle, always patient and smiling in front of her, and he must have had a good impression of her. Others even thought that she should be Hayato's girlfriend and they would definitely date in the future.

But Renji's question broke her reverie, destroying the foundation she had built. Suppressing the pain in her heart, she continued to consult Renji.

Miura Yumiko: "Renji, did Hayato, Hayama, tell you the name of the girl he cares about?"

Renji Kamisaka: "Yes, but for Hayama's privacy, I can't tell you, but what I can tell you... that person isn't Yumiko."

Seeing this, Miura Yumiko's eyes were already misty. Tears began to well up, blurring her vision. She had briefly doubted Renji's words, thinking that he deliberately wanted to cause a rift. After all, he had confessed to her yesterday and said that he admired her.

But Renji was so forthright that Mahiru liked him. He had no reason to deceive her with a lie that could be immediately exposed. So, what Renji said was true. Hayato called Renji and didn't ask about Miura Yumiko at all. Instead, he asked him about the relationship between the girl he liked and Renji.

"Yui, come with me to the bathroom." Miura Yumiko's voice trembled.

"Yes, okay." Yuigahama Yui followed, sensing a thick aura of sadness.

Then she saw Miura Yumiko crying loudly, sobbing uncontrollably in the toilet stall. Yuigahama Yui immediately hugged her to comfort her, gently patting her back. "Don't cry, Yumiko. What's wrong with you? If you have problems, just tell us and we'll solve them together!"

"Yui... Uwaa..." Yumiko's sobs grew louder.

"You mean, Hayato Hayama already has someone he likes, and that person is close to Renji, and it caused Hayato to misunderstand that the person Hayato Hayama likes isn't you, Yumiko?" Yuigahama Yui tried to piece together the situation, her tone filled with confusion and sympathy.

"Wuwuwu... Yui, I'm so sad."

Yuigahama Yui sighed and gently patted her back to calm her. I didn't expect the usually strong Yumiko to cry like this.

"Yumiko, don't worry. We should ask clearly. Maybe, maybe Renji is lying?" Yui tried to offer a glimmer of hope. "Look, he confessed to you yesterday. He must like you."

"But you like Hayama, he's seen it for a long time, so he deliberately said that, so he has a chance to get close to you."

"Stop talking nonsense, he likes Mahiru, and he wouldn't lie like that just to get close to me," Yumiko retorted between sobs.

"But what if he's really lying?" Yuigahama Yui thought to calm her emotions first, so she could only let Renji bear the blame first. Actually, she didn't expect Renji to lie. He was their savior. He had given them enough good feelings, so he wouldn't do something so stupid, lying and deceiving people.

Miura Yumiko's head buzzed, and she believed her a little. "If he really lied, I... I won't agree to him!" she said exasperatedly, yet her cheeks felt hot. Why, even though I think he did this, he doesn't seem so annoying? Is it because he saved me?

Renji was about to agree on tonight's battle time with Mahiru, but Yui called him. She also called Mahiru and Hina. Fortunately, it was a big break, so there was plenty of time. Otherwise, if they were late for Chinese class together, Shizuka Hiratsuka sensei would definitely be angry.

Renji came to a quiet place. The girls first exchanged information behind his back, then turned and looked at him silently. Mahiru, of course, trusted him, so her eyes were full of flirtation, as if encouraging him. Yuigahama Yui hugged Miura Yumiko, who seemed fragile, and looked at Renji seriously.

"Renji, tell us the truth. Did you want to pursue Yumiko, so you lied and said that Hayato Hayama had someone he liked?" Yui demanded.

"That's right, tell us the truth! Even if you like someone, you can't use such divisive methods! That's horrible!" Hina Ebina supported her friend, but her eyes were full of gossip, wanting to know what would happen next. She also believed in Renji. She just wanted to hear his answer. If he could really make Yumiko get out of her sadness, that would be a good thing. This boy, Hayama, was really nasty. He kept Yumiko hanging even though he didn't like her, using her as a shield. She had been fed up with that for a long time.

"Just tell the truth, Renji, I'm on the girls' side too," Mahiru winked at him sweetly, a little mischievous.

After the girls finished speaking, Miura Yumiko blushed, wiped her remaining tears, and looked at him nervously, waiting for confirmation.

Renji sighed. "It's a good thing I left evidence. Otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to explain it clearly."

He took out his phone and played the recording of his conversation with Hayato.

[Renji's voice]: Hayama, what do you want to consult about?

[Hayama's voice]: It's nothing, I'm just a little worried... Um, what's your relationship with the woman who parked in the car at the school gate?

[Renji's voice]: ...

[Hayama's voice]: I won't hide it from you, Haruno-san, she's a very important person to me.

[Renji's voice]: You can just say you like her, I can understand...

The conversation between the two men was clear, filling the quiet corridor.

Miura Yumiko let out a small shriek and immediately ran away, wiping her tears, unable to face the bitter truth.

"Yumiko!" Several people looked at each other, surprised by Yumiko's reaction.

"I'll go after her, after all, it's my fault." Renji sighed and immediately followed, his steps quick.

Yuigahama Yui hesitated to speak, looking at Renji's back.

Hina Ebina patted her shoulder and smiled, "Trust him. If he can really make Yumiko get out of her sadness, that will be a good thing."

"You're right." Yui sighed and pulled Mahiru. "Let's go back to class first."

Miura Yumiko was truly devastated this time, her dreams shattered.

Renji finally found the beautiful blonde girl crouching on the school rooftop, hugging her knees and sobbing, her shoulders trembling violently.

After thinking for a moment, Renji crouched beside her, pulled out a tissue from his pocket, and handed it to her. "Wipe your tears, Yumiko."

The girl trembled, unwilling to turn her head. "Go away."

"It's almost time for class. Yui and the others are worried about you."

"Don't bother me!" Her voice was hoarse from crying.

"Stop it."

"Go away. Are you happy now? I know Hayato doesn't like me anymore. I feel so wronged." Her tears began to flow freely again. "Do you think you'll have a chance? I'm telling you, there's no chance!" Her voice was almost a scream. "I don't want you to comfort me."

Renji's mouth twitched.

"What do you think of me?"

"I'm a bad person! Why did you say this to me? Why did you tell me that Hayato always liked someone? Wasn't that person me?" The longing that had been suppressed for several years was shattered. At this moment, she was in emotional turmoil. In her daze, she treated him as a punching bag, venting all her pain. In reality, she knew that she couldn't blame him, but she couldn't resist the urge to be angry. Perhaps this could distract her and make her feel less uncomfortable.

As she thought, her body became light. "Ah, you... what are you doing?" She was suddenly carried, Miura Yumiko panicked and patted the man's chest with her hands, her cheeks also flushed with surprise. The girl glared at him fiercely and struggled hard.

But Renji grabbed her hands and stopped her from moving, carrying her to the bench beside them and sitting down.

"Didn't you say you hated me? Then I thought since I'm hated, even if I do something excessive, I'll just keep being hated," Renji said flatly, yet there was a serious look in his eyes.

"I'll do it to you!"

"Ah! No, this isn't right!" She shook her head unconsciously, and her tears stopped falling, replaced by unparalleled panic.

"So you're right to use me as a punching bag after breaking up with me?" Renji teased her again.

"A... wuwuwu, I'm sorry." She started crying again, realizing her rudeness.

"Don't cry, or I'll kiss you!" Renji threatened, a faint smile on his lips.

"Ah, you... how can you be so mean?" She looked at the man who was threatening her with those words with a sense of disbelief, mixed with a little fear and confusion.

"Congratulations, you've discovered my true face." Renji grinned, looking at her, who was no longer struggling in his embrace, with a half-smile. "Then, what do you guess Hayama's true face is like?"

Miura Yumiko was silent. Yes. Why was she crying so sadly? Besides being ashamed of herself for always thinking Hayama liked her, there was also the reason why her dream was shattered.

Hayato actually said bad things about a girl for the sake of the person he liked, hoping that Renji would leave that girl on his own initiative. Such a cruel behavior was not the image of the kind-hearted Hayama in her impression.

"Such a foolish girl, why are you so foolishly unaware of something that others should be able to know?" Renji whispered, his tone now softer. "Actually, I originally wanted to confess directly, I just wanted to mess with you, so I deliberately said bad things about Hayama."

"But I thought about it and felt unhappy. Why can Hayama feel comfortable using such a kind classmate, Miura Yumiko, as a shield?"

"I'm a very bad person, and I made Yumiko cry. Do you hate me even more now?"

Hearing this, Miura Yumiko's cheeks flushed. She struggled gently in Renji's embrace and said in a soft, barely audible voice, "Your hand, you're hurting me."

"Who told you to hit my chest?" Renji mumbled and loosened his grip on her wrist.

Miura Yumiko carefully left his embrace, wiped her tears, took a deep breath, and bowed deeply to him. "I'm sorry, I was unreasonable."

Renji didn't reply, but opened his arms and hugged her again, tighter than before.

"Eh... why are you still hugging me?" She cried out in surprise, her body trembling slightly at the sudden contact.

"I feel bad." Renji said, his voice containing a hint of pretense. "You hate me anyway, you definitely won't care about me anymore. It's better if I hug you now, so I can get back what I've paid."

Miura Yumiko's cheeks were hot, but she gently shook her head. "I don't hate you."

"Really?" Renji looked into her eyes seriously, searching for honesty.

"Really."

"Then I'll believe you for now, it's time to go back."

"Yes."

The two left the rooftop one after another, with Miura Yumiko walking slightly ahead. She glanced at Renji occasionally, then immediately averted her gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't say what she felt at that moment. But it seemed she didn't dislike Renji's "bad" hug just now.

Renji truly took advantage of the situation. When Yumiko was sad and her dreams of Hayama were shattered, he hugged her. This made the girl see how much he cared for her. So strong. Shameless. Letting her know how much he cared for her for no reason. Renji's figure had quietly entered her heart, carving a deep imprint there.