Taking money and getting the job done had always been Hakuto's principle, and he always did his best to complete every task.
Ever since he took on the request from Touka, he had been using his position to his advantage, taking every opportunity to subtly influence Rikka.
"Rikka, have you ever considered giving up this whole chuunibyou thing and returning to a normal life?"
"Huh? Hakuto... Have you been tainted by evil forces?"
"I'm just trying to change your situation."
Hakuto was relieved that, even after experiencing bullying, Rikka still maintained such an optimistic mindset.
At least, on the surface, she hadn't shown signs of depression. That was a lot better than certain delicate girls who would fall into mild depression over the smallest things.
Of course, there was always the possibility that her cheerful demeanor was just a facade, hiding inner turmoil—but that wasn't something Hakuto was responsible for.
So, he continued trying to instill the idea of abandoning chuunibyou into Rikka.
He tried every approach, using both kind and harsh words, analyzing the pros and cons, but none of it got through to her.
Hakuto could see Rikka's resistance, but there was nothing he could do—he had taken the money, so he had to get the job done.
Besides, he genuinely believed that this was the only way for Rikka to avoid being bullied at her new school.
Everything Hakuto had considered, Takanashi Touka had already thought through.
Perhaps, as an older sister, she didn't want to control her little sister too much. But there was no choice—this was just how society worked.
Touka was sincerely trying to improve her sister's life in her own way, even if some people might not agree with her methods.
At some point, Rikka started avoiding Hakuto more and more, even refusing to walk beside him.
Hakuto never expected her obsession with chuunibyou to go this far—even at the risk of being bullied again.
But he didn't want to see it happen again. So, he issued a warning to every delinquent he knew, telling them not to lay a hand on Rikka.
He didn't know if this would work, but at the very least, it was a layer of protection.
However, reality didn't always align with expectations. Despite Hakuto's long-term efforts, Rikka didn't abandon her chuunibyou—she abandoned him instead.
It was like reading about the harms of smoking in a book, and instead of quitting, the person just threw the book away.
Hakuto never realized that chuunibyou, the Evil Eye, and all that stuff had become so important in Rikka's eyes.
Without Hakuto's protection, Rikka was like a lamb thrown into a pack of wolves.
Bullies never let go of an easy target. After all, finding someone weak to push around wasn't that easy.
Even though Hakuto had warned them, back then, he wasn't as feared as he was now. His warning worked, but not completely…
And so, on that day, when Hakuto returned to the classroom and saw that Rikka's seat was empty, he immediately knew his worst fear had come true.
"Damn it! Do they really think I won't settle this later?!"
Hakuto rushed out of the classroom, relying on his instincts and experience to search for Rikka.
But this time, the other side seemed to have planned ahead. He checked all the usual spots but couldn't find her—though he did stumble upon other bullying incidents.
He didn't care about those. Right now, he just wanted to find Rikka as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the school, pressed against a wall…
The blond delinquent covered in tattoos—the same one Hakuto had fought on the rooftop—was surrounding Rikka with a few of his lackeys.
"I've noticed that brat Hakuto has been paying a lot of attention to you lately. Are you two dating or something?"
Rikka didn't respond. She just turned her head away.
"Oh? Playing mute now?"
"Boss… Are we really going through with this? Aren't you afraid of Hakuto coming for payback?"
"Afraid of what? Last time, he only won because he had a bat. But this time, it's just fists—let's see how tough he really is."
Hearing his boss's absurd logic, the lackey who had delivered a message last time could only sigh, rubbing his forehead and quietly stepping to the back of the group.
Just as the blond delinquent was about to interrogate Rikka further, Hakuto appeared behind them without warning.
"It's been a while. Fresh out of the hospital, and you're already eager to go back in?"
"H-Hakuto?! How did you find us so fast?"
"Maybe because the stench of trash like you carries for hundreds of meters."
In truth, Hakuto had found them quickly thanks to other students pointing the way.
After all, this kind of thing was always noticeable in school—it was just that people usually chose to ignore it.
"Wait, wait, wait! We haven't even done anything yet! You can take her and leave, and we'll call it even. How about that?"
"Fine."
Hakuto nodded, agreeing to the deal.
Then, he stepped forward, pulling Rikka—who was curled up in the corner—out of the crowd.
"You okay?"
"Yeah…"
Rikka shook her head, gripping Hakuto's wrist tightly, refusing to let go.
"You should head back. I've got some business to take care of."
Rikka was reluctant, but in the end, she obediently ran off.
Seeing her leave safely, Hakuto let out a sigh of relief.
"I remember warning you guys, didn't I?"
The blond delinquent, sensing Hakuto's tone shift, quickly tried to de-escalate.
"You agreed to let this go!"
"I just don't get it. If you're so afraid of me, why go out of your way to provoke me? Trying to save face?"
Seeing Hakuto warming up, the blond delinquent knew there was no escaping this fight.
"Don't push it. You think I'm scared of you?"
"The moment you started this, you should've expected this outcome."
A few minutes later, Hakuto strolled away with his hands in his pockets, leaving behind four or five delinquents writhing in pain on the ground.
At a nearby corner, Rikka had been waiting for him.
When she saw Hakuto return unharmed, her face lit up with joy, and she ran up to him.
"Hakuto…"
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"Wh-what do you mean…?"
"You've been bullied so many times. Why cling so desperately to chuunibyou?"
Hakuto was truly angry this time—frustrated in a way that felt like disappointment.
He reached out and forcefully pulled off the white eyepatch covering Rikka's right eye.
Seeing her heterochromatic eye, altered by colored contacts, Hakuto felt a wave of frustration.
"Do you even realize what could've happened if I had been a little later? Can't you just listen for once?"
"If not to me, at least listen to your sister! Why won't you just listen!?"
Rikka was terrified by Hakuto's outburst, covering her eye and slowly backing away.
Because, at this moment, Hakuto looked just like the people who had bullied her before.
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