My Girlfriend is an Evil Woman

In the afternoon, after school, Uchida Yuma suggested that they go play video games, but Kitahara Hideji firmly refused and instead took the tram back to his apartment.

Uchida Yuma didn’t mind and dragged Shima Rei along with him. It was unclear what had happened between these two close friends in the past, as Shima Rei always seemed annoyed with Uchida Yuma but still stuck with him like glue. They were practically inseparable.

Kitahara Hideji spent the tram ride listening to English lessons, trying to gain experience in the skill and increase its level. Unlike Ancient Swordsmanship, where a slower reaction time could be tolerated during exams, Sword Technique required muscle memory to be formed, as a slow reaction could mean getting killed in a real battle.

As the tram swayed along, he held onto the handrail and quietly recited the English texts, while halfway through the journey, a large group of chattering girls from a nearby girls’ school crowded into the tram, filling up the carriage.

Kitahara Hideji inwardly cursed as he imitated the mannerisms of the male students and office workers around him, raising both his hands above his head to demonstrate that he had no intentions of taking advantage of the situation and groping any of the girls’ buttocks. Lately, there had been a crackdown on perverts on the Nagoya City trams, and being wrongly accused of such an act would leave a lifelong stain on his reputation. Now, male passengers were more afraid of being accused than the female passengers were of being victims, and they wished they could have “I’m an impotent fool” tattooed on their foreheads to prove their innocence.

“Um… are you a student from Fukuda Private Academy?” Four girls wearing the uniform of a girls’ school huddled together, whispering to each other before the baby-faced one mustered up the courage to ask, looking a bit shy.

Kitahara Hideji wore earphones and pretended not to hear. What a silly question – dressed in his school uniform with the school emblem, was there really a need to ask?

To his surprise, the girl was quite bold; when she noticed he didn’t respond, she reached out to take off his earphones. Unable to tolerate this, Kitahara Hideji slightly turned his head to avoid her hand and looked at the girl expressionlessly.

Among the three girls behind the baby-faced one, someone mumbled, “Wow, he seems aloof!” but was quickly silenced by the others.

The baby-faced girl became a little flustered under Kitahara Hideji’s gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “We’re from Hachisakura Academy… um, would you like to have a joint event with our Fukuda Academy?”

Kitahara Hideji replied calmly, “Study hard and progress every day.”

“What?”

“Study hard and progress every day.” (TN: Lmao)

After the encounter on the tram, Kitahara Hideji felt disheartened about the world that judges people by their appearances. He even contemplated shaving his head, hoping it would lower his “Charm Value” and make him less appealing to others.

When he got off the tram, he noticed a familiar figure but hesitated to greet her. Instead, he hid behind a pillar.

It was Ono Yoko.

She was wearing her school uniform and a hat, carrying a crimson backpack. In her hands, she held a black garbage bag, and she was engrossed in rummaging through a recycling bin.

Her height was insufficient, so she struggled to reach items by tiptoeing. While searching, she remained vigilant, like a cautious little animal that had just left its burrow. Whenever someone came to dispose of trash, she would quickly hide to avoid being noticed, sneaking glances from time to time.

Kitahara Hideji observed her from behind the pillar for a while but decided not to approach her. He understood that he wouldn’t want anyone to see him in such a situation either, so he let it be.

He returned to his apartment, changed clothes, and freshened up while inspecting the place. He also considered whether he should chase Hyakujirou out onto the street. However, since the dog seemed relatively well-behaved, he decided against it. Instead, he laid out a few old newspapers as makeshift toilet training, making sure the dog wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

Afterward, he started practicing Suburi inside his apartment. Hyakujirou, who had been bored enough to lie down and doze off, suddenly perked up, wagging its tail and barking as if eager to go outside.

Kitahara Hideji rubbed his wrist and said, “You want to go to the bathroom, right?”

Hyakujirou barked and stood at the door, unwilling to move. Its eyes gleamed with anticipation. Confused, Kitahara Hideji opened the door and found nothing outside. However, Hyakujirou rushed into the hallway and headed for the staircase.

“Hey, Hyakujirou, what are you doing here?” Ono Yoko’s voice came from around the corner of the stairs. Moments later, she appeared, holding Hyakujirou in her arms, and the dog was ecstatic, trying to lick her face.
Once the master returned, the dog’s ears perked up. It could hear well.

He greeted Ono Yoko with a smile, “Yoko, you’re back.”

Ono Yoko was playing and laughing with Hyakujirou. When she saw him, she quickly put Hyakujirou down, greeted him properly, and sweetly said, “Onii-san, hello!” Then she glanced at the dog, and then at Kitahara Hideji, curious, she asked, “Did Hyakujirou spend last night on the street or here with Onii-san?”

“I softened my heart for a moment…”

Ono Yoko seemed somewhat pleased and somewhat reluctant as she asked, “Does that mean you’re adopting Hyakujirou?”

Kitahara Hideji quickly declined, “I haven’t decided yet. I just felt sorry for it, so I let it stay here temporarily… It’s still your dog.”

Ono Yoko seemed a bit regretful, “Hyakujirou is actually very smart and well-behaved… Oh, by the way, this is for you, Onii-san. I’m really grateful for yesterday’s trouble!”

She took out a handful of coins from her pocket and handed them to Kitahara Hideji, “This is the money for yesterday’s dinner, 555 yen. Is it enough?” Her voice trembled a bit at the end, as if she couldn’t determine how much the bento should cost.

Kitahara Hideji looked at her dirty little hand, remained silent for a moment. Was this money from selling scraps? But he didn’t say anything, he smiled and accepted it, after taking out three 100-yen coins, he wanted to return the rest to her, saying, “It’s more than enough, this is sufficient.”

He wasn’t being stingy to the point of charging a child for a frugal dinner; he believed that accepting money was a sign of respect. Just now, when he looked at those dirty little hands, he even felt a tingling sensation in his nose. His heart wasn’t hard enough, after all!

Ono Yoko seemed relieved when she saw him take the money. Her smile brightened up instantly. However, she shook her head repeatedly and said, “Keep it, Onii-san. I caused you a lot of trouble last night..” She paused for a moment, realizing that 200 yen was actually quite little as a token of appreciation, so she changed her words, “Consider it as Hyakujirou’s meal expenses!”

Kitahara Hideji weighed the coins in his hand, thought for a moment, and then smiled, “Alright!”

Ono Yoko smiled satisfactorily, crouched down, and patted Hyakujirou’s head, affectionately instructing, “No fussing or causing any trouble here at Onii-san’s place, alright?”

Hyakujirou didn’t understand, it just licked her little hand.

Ono Yoko giggled and bid farewell to Kitahara Hideji, “Alright then, Onii-san, I’m going home. If Hyakujirou has been bothering you, just let me know, and I’ll take it with me.”

“Sure!” Kitahara Hideji nodded with a smile as he watched Ono Yoko walk towards the end of the corridor. He gazed at her slender figure and recalled her slightly melancholic face. Her mother seemed unreliable, probably not taking good care of her. He couldn’t help but ask, “Yoko, would you like to have dinner together tonight?”

Although he was going through tough times too, he had the ability to support himself. His hardship was temporary, but when it came to Ono Yoko, she seemed to be facing even tougher challenges. Looking at her, he couldn’t help but see his past self—a heart that was too soft.

Ono Yoko was taken aback for a moment and quickly shook her head, “No, no, thank you, Onii-san. I have prepared dinner at home.”

“Then go ahead!” Kitahara Hideji didn’t insist; this child appeared sensitive and had a strong sense of self-respect. Ono Yoko bowed slightly, carrying her big backpack, and headed back home.

Hyakujirou followed her for a few steps, seeming to understand that it couldn’t go home with her. Perhaps it had experienced some hardships before, and now it returned dejectedly. Kitahara Hideji squeezed the still warm coins in his hand, kicked the dog’s butt playfully, and said, “Don’t look so down; tonight you get an extra meal, and your owner will take care of the bill.”

Later that evening, Kitahara Hideji couldn’t help but think of Ono Yoko again. He hoped she was doing fine and finding happiness despite her difficult circumstances.