Chapter 63 Visiting
“Grandpa Sato, is Shinichi-kun really okay?”
In the moving car, Tsukasa Hamano looked up at the girl who had asked him about Shinichi Sato for the third time, and the coldness in his eyes softened a little as he said.
“It was just a small accident during training, not very serious. You’ll be able to see him when we get to the hospital later.”
Kazumi’s reaction was intense. Even the unyielding, icy expression changed after hearing Hamano’s words. Her cold, small face was filled with worry, and she directly requested to visit Shinichi Sato at the hospital.
Hamano, who was already here for Kazumi Shimizu, naturally wouldn’t refuse such a request. Moreover, if the girl went to the hospital to visit Shinichi Sato, that brat probably wouldn’t resent him too much… right?
The girl’s actions and expressions were very sincere, with no trace of acting. Even though he knew from the information that she was such a cold person, her concern for Shinichi Sato couldn’t be hidden in her words and demeanor.
This result made Hamano’s previously stern expression soften slightly. At least, it seemed that the thin and small girl named Kazumi Shimizu was not the vicious girl who simply used Shinichi Sato as he had imagined.
After all, in the eyes of an old man like Hamano, who had lived for more than half a century, the schemes of a girl around fifteen or sixteen years old were like a joke. His years of experience and judgment allowed him to feel the youthful essence emanating from the girl, and although her concern and love were clumsy and cold, they were exceptionally sincere.
“Aoo—”
Kazumi nodded, lowered her head listlessly, her eyes filled with unstoppable worry as she leaned against the car window, staring blankly at the scenery outside.
This Grandpa Sato is definitely suspicious!
Of course, it’s not that someone could impersonate Shinichi Sato’s family member to deceive her at school. The number one hero high school definitely has measures in place for such things.
The real problem is the words he just said to her.
Kazumi wouldn’t believe that Shinichi Sato was hospitalized due to an injury during training, not a single punctuation mark. Although it might be the truth, it was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Things couldn’t be such a coincidence that after Shinichi Sato went missing, he then got injured during training to the extent of being hospitalized, and his guardian, Grandpa Sato, naturally came to the school.
Coupled with the incident involving Minako Hishiyama they encountered earlier, the lingering remnants of the [Dark] Organization that she hadn’t completely cleared herself of, and Shinichi Sato’s sudden disappearance.
Based on her understanding of that dense boyfriend, even for training or taking leave, Shinichi Sato would definitely have informed her. A true simp would report everything in detail.
But Shinichi Sato suddenly went missing. More importantly, after saying those words, he just disappeared. If he truly went to the hospital as Grandpa Sato claimed, it would mean he was so severely injured that he couldn’t even send a message.
Or, he was imprisoned!!
All of the above were just Kazumi’s own speculations. So many things were involved that even Kazumi couldn’t sort out the problems directly.
And an experienced old man like Grandpa Sato, who had been through many battles, was far easier to fool than a pure virgin boy like Shinichi Sato who had never seen a woman. Forget about getting any useful information from him; now, Kazumi didn’t even dare to have a fleeting thought, she could only go with her body’s natural reactions and emotions.
Kazumi was self-aware. She knew that her hastily acquired acting knowledge from the past two days was full of loopholes in front of people with rich experience. Therefore, her best choice now was…
To be herself.
Regardless of the purpose, Grandpa Sato’s concern for Shinichi Sato was definitely not fake. As for herself, she didn’t have to act, or rather, she didn’t have to deliberately act.
As long as she didn’t suppress her inner thoughts and presented herself as a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl who was very concerned about her boyfriend, she at least wouldn’t incur his hostility.
Staring blankly out the window, Kazumi quickly thought about the possible events and countermeasures. However, a shop outside the window made Kazumi suddenly pause.
“Grandpa Sato, can you stop the car for a moment?”
Tsukasa Hamano was also looking out the window, contemplating something. The current situation wasn’t suitable for saying anything. The reply from [Crimson Flame] had also come through, proving that this incident was indeed just an accident that occurred during a friendly spar between the two, but Hamano couldn’t shake the feeling that this matter was not as simple as it appeared.
The girl’s cold voice interrupted Hamano’s thoughts. He turned his head and met the girl’s calm face.
“Yes, okay. Little Kazumi, do you want to buy something?”
“Yes, please wait for me, Grandpa Sato.”
Kazumi bowed to Hamano. After the car stopped, she opened the car door and walked towards the roadside shop, leaving Hamano looking at the girl’s thin and small back with some confusion.
His purpose shouldn’t have been seen through, and given the girl’s current state, she was still very concerned about Shinichi Sato’s condition, and there was no possibility of her running away.
Moreover, in this era, anyone who could escape from him probably hadn’t been born yet!
…
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Grandpa Sato.”
Kazumi’s actions were swift, as if she didn’t want to keep Hamano waiting. She ran back to the car with the item in her hand. Her neat school uniform was slightly disheveled from exertion, and a few beads of sweat appeared on her cold face, but she held the basket in her arms as if she had obtained a treasure.
[This is…]
Hamano looked at the seemingly cold little girl in front of him with mixed feelings. The large fruit basket seemed exceptionally big in the girl’s arms, and there was an inexplicable cuteness in the way she held it.
The girl’s family conditions were not good. Hamano, who had investigated Kazumi’s background, naturally knew about her current living situation. Her parents had died early, and relying on her uncle’s support, Kazumi lived a very frugal life.
Especially now, with Akihiko Fukada being pursued, the girl, who had lost her only financial support, could only maintain her life by doing some part-time jobs, and even her meals were the simplest and plainest rice balls. This was also why Hamano had previously tacitly allowed Shinichi Sato to secretly bring more food to school every time.
Even so, Kazumi had never inquired about Shinichi Sato’s family background, nor had she ever brought up anything related to money.
And the fruit basket the girl was holding now was the most expensive one available at the fruit shops in the market. Perhaps this amount of money was insignificant to Hamano, but to the girl now, it might be several days’ worth of living expenses.
But she still did it, holding the fruit basket tightly in her arms. Her small, cold face bore worry and resilience. She just sat there quietly, without a word.
For some reason, the thin and small figure before him resembled a shadow from his memory. Although the two were completely incomparable in terms of appearance and personality, the resilience in their brows was remarkably similar.
A trace of reminiscence flashed through his cloudy eyes, and the originally cold corners of his mouth curved slightly. Hamano signaled the driver in front and said.
“Let’s go.”
