After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

Chapter 165 Lost in Mahjong

As things turned out, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kohinata Motoyo didn't end up fighting.

After all, they were in a public place, and both were normal females with a sense of shame; they would not do something as crass as grabbing Kagura Hikaru's hands from both sides and fighting over a man.

But even their sarcastic remarks were enough to change the temperature of the air around them.

"This ex-girlfriend classmate, you really have an unexpectedly thick skin, don't you? Could you let go of our vice-president now? We need to get back to work," one of them said.

"Classmate Ayakoji, indeed we 'twice' dated and 'twice' became exes, but it doesn't prevent us from being friends now. Interrupting a conversation between friends is quite rude, you know."

"What a joke, couples who can stay normal friends after breaking up do not exist in this world," the other retorted.

"Ah, that must be because of your limited knowledge."

"It's just your wishful thinking, don't drag Kagura into this. Come on Kagura, let's go, the reporting software is your creation and today we're doing the final check."

"Can I tag along?" one asked.

"That won't be possible, ex-girlfriend classmate."

"Ah, then what about a 'former' Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee who's not even an 'ex-girlfriend' anymore?"

"..." Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

The surrounding Discipline Committee members practiced selective hearing, all wearing invisible earplugs, not hearing anything. They formed a human wall to shield the curious gazes of other students.

At that moment, a figure sneaked out from a crack in the wall, straightened their clothes, and quickly walked away.

It was a while before Kohinata Motoyo and Ayakoji Chiyoko realized that Kagura Hikaru had slipped away.

Stepping out of the school auditorium, the air outside was clearly fresher than inside.

The summer sun turned the ground and buildings it touched into gold, as a refreshing breeze blew by, rustling nearby branches and maple leaves, temporarily taking away the heat.

This special sense of comfort, it could only be experienced in the summer.

Kagura Hikaru stretched extensively and was about to head back to the classroom for lunch, when suddenly a hand tapped on his shoulder from behind.

He turned around to see Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami, whom he had just met a few days before.

"Good noon, Kagura," they greeted.

"Hmm, good noon," he replied.

Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Kagura Hikaru greeted each other.

"Mr. Kagura, let's have lunch together!" Ruzaki Mami proposed, raising her small hand.

Thinking it over, he didn't have anything urgent to attend to, and the software testing that Ayakoji Chiyoko had mentioned could be postponed, so he agreed.

The three of them each went back to their classrooms to grab their bentos and then met under a quiet tree in the courtyard.

Yes, it was that same diligent place.

After conversing there once with Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian had found she rather liked the spot.

As a place to eat, it had many advantages: the maple tree provided scenery, the shade meant it wouldn't be too hot, it was far from the pathways and classrooms for quiet, and there was a bench to sit on, among other things.

Kagura Hikaru was pleased to find that Ai Cheng had the same aesthetic taste as him.

Although this had been his secret base before, he would be more than willing to share it with Ai Cheng.

"I'm the first~"

Ruzaki Mami ran to the bench like a little kid trying to beat others in a race, holding her bento and sitting in the middle.

As a result, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian had no choice but to sit on either side of her.

Ruzaki Mami lowered her head slightly, her mouth curving into a smug smile under the shadow of her fringe, looking as if her plan had worked perfectly.

The spot between Karen-chan and Mr. Kagura, perfect!!

The three took out their own bentos and placed them on their laps to open them.

At a glance, both Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian had fairly standard home-cooked bentos, while Ruzaki Mami's looked a bit fancier, including regular bento items such as rolled omelet, meatballs, and octopus sausages, plus three different flavored sushi pieces.

"Let's all share," Ruzaki Mami offered, looking left and right at Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian like a considerate wife, passing her bento box over.

"A bento exchange, sounds good. In a bit, take whatever you want from my bento as well," another chimed in.

Ai Cheng Hua Lian reached out with her chopsticks and picked up a piece of sushi with fish.

"Mr. Kagura, please help yourself," Ruzaki Mami said with a smile, turning her head and handing over the bento box.

"Thank you."

Kagura Hikaru picked up a tamago (egg) sushi.

The last piece left was fish roe sushi, which Ruzaki Mami elegantly covered her mouth to eat in one bite, following sushi etiquette.

The three of them enjoyed the meal together deliciously.

Afterward, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian also shared items from their own bento boxes.

If it came to taste, surprisingly, Kagura Hikaru's bento was the most delicious among the three.

"My bento was made by my stepmother; she's really good at cooking."

"Eh, I'm so jealous!" Ruzaki Mami was a beat slower to realize something, "Wait, stepmother?"

"Yeah, my father remarried."

"I see...that's how it is....."

"Um, Kagura," sensing the mood was becoming gloomy, Ai Cheng Hua Lian hurriedly spoke up, "I heard you broke up with Classmate Kohinata, is that true?"

Kagura Hikaru was surprised, ".....Where did you hear that from?"

Ayakoji Chiyoko was one thing; he had told her himself, but how did Ai Cheng Hua Lian come to know?

It only happened in the morning; surely, the news hadn't spread to the third graders in just a few hours, had it?

But when he asked, it turned out the news had indeed spread from the second grade.

It seems Kohinata Motoyo had proactively told her classmates that because the current school rules do not allow students to date, her boyfriend, which is to say Kagura Hikaru, decided to break up temporarily to not cause her trouble in school but they would get back together once the new school rules were implemented.

...That excuse seemed far-fetched, the whole temporary breakup to avoid trouble and getting back together when the new rules come into effect, as if they were exploiting legal loopholes like new energy car manufacturers!

However, when you considered this was the Island Nation where reading the air meant everything, it wasn't that incomprehensible.

But according to Kohinata Motoyo, it sounded like she wasn't ready to give up yet.

He had already said they were breaking up.

Was it a mistake to give her hope before? No, ultimately that wasn't a mistake.

Sigh, he really hoped she could figure out how to resolve this situation on her own eventually.

Having confirmed the news with Kagura Hikaru, Ai Cheng Hua Lian breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad it ended smoothly."

"Hmm....."

Both of them fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own troubling thoughts.

Only Ruzaki Mami, oblivious to the actual situation, was left looking around in shock.

Eh? Eh??

It's normal for Karen-chan to be happy about Mr. Kagura's breakup, but why doesn't she hide her feelings in front of him?

Could it be that those two...

"Mr. Kagura, are you going to date Karen-chan?" Ruzaki Mami asked cautiously.

"Zhen Chun?!?! What are you talking about!" Ai Cheng Hua Lian was both astonished and blushing red with embarrassment.

This was too sudden!

"There's nothing like that."

However, it was Kagura Hikaru who replied with a calm tone, coolly denying it, "Ai Cheng is my friend, I respect her and wouldn't see her in that manner."

"Is...that so," Ruzaki Mami couldn't help but smile secretly to herself.

That meant she still had a chance, right?

On the other hand, Ai Cheng Hua Lian pouted, looking down and poking the rice in her bento with her chopsticks, muttering quietly, "Even if you look at me slightly, just slightly, with those eyes... it would be okay..."