The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 88: Akane Minagawa Feels Happy

"Shunsuke-kun, what do you think about this? Would it look good in your room?"

In a large shopping district, Tachibana Hina held up a small trinket and asked Shunsuke.

"Hina-san, I'm a guy, you should give that to Rui instead."

"Mind your manners, call me Hina-nee."

"Alright, Hina."

"Mo, you never listen to your elder sister," Hina pouted. "Let's go check out the next shop then."

"We've been walking for so long now, Hina, you must be thirsty. I'll go grab us some milk tea."

Without waiting for Hina's reply, Shunsuke quickly bolted.

---Accompanying a woman while shopping is torture; I need a break.

"Shunsuke-kun is still such a kid. I'll have to remind him that when he gets a girlfriend, he can't behave like this anymore."

Pretending to sigh maturely, Hina found an empty bench and started playing on her phone while waiting for Shunsuke to return.

"Ah, isn't this Tachibana-sensei? Why are you shopping alone? Where's your boyfriend?"

Just as Hina was looking down, fiddling with her phone, a pink figure approached slowly.

In her right hand, she was pulling along a gentle-looking handsome man whose expression had stiffened.

"Minagawa-sensei, I—" Hina looked up to explain, but in the next second, her face froze as well. "Shuu?"

"Hm? Tachibana-sensei, you know Shuu? You sound so close," Akane's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Minagawa-sensei, this is one of my former students from when I was still teaching."

"Tachibana, long time no see. I didn't expect you and Minagawa-sensei to be colleagues now. What a coincidence."

Shuu's expression was awkward.

Akane had been acting too boldly just now, and his attention was completely on her. He hadn't noticed his former lover at all—this was trouble.

Though the situation seemed hopeless, Shuu still tried his best to salvage it.

He put extra emphasis on the word "teacher," subtly reminding Hina of their past relationship and pointing out that she and Akane were now colleagues.

If something blew up here, it could cause serious trouble down the road.

An inappropriate affair involving a teacher could easily result in dismissal if the school found out.

But to the current Hina, Shuu's efforts were as good as wasted.

Hina, flustered and overwhelmed, completely missed Shu's hints.

Her face was filled with disbelief and heartbreak, yet she forced herself to smile—a bitter, ugly smile. "Shuu, so you and Minagawa-sensei are friends too? What a coincidence. But Minagawa-sensei doesn't have a boyfriend yet, and you already have me. Being this close to her isn't appropriate—you should pay attention to these things."

Shuu shot an anxious glance at Akane, about to say something, but before he could, Akane covered his mouth with her hand.

"Darling, don't say anything just yet."

—Darling?

Hina's head spun. Suddenly, she clutched her mouth with one hand, looking as though she might retch.

Akane watched the scene with a brilliant, almost radiant smile. Once Hina seemed to have recovered, Akane spoke softly, her voice delicate and sweet. "Tachibana -sensei, what do you mean, you already have you? Shuu told me the person he loves most is me, and he's going to marry me."

—Marry…?

Hearing that word, Hina swayed on her feet, tears streaming down her face. "Shuu, didn't you tell me you were going to divorce your wife for me? Why… why is it like this now!?"

—This expression. Yes, this expression! It was worth all the effort I put into pleasing this man over the past few days. Perfect!

Akane involuntarily pressed her thighs together, a shiver of satisfaction running through her.

Absolutely perfect.

"Shuu, I believe in you," she said softly, squeezing Shuu's hand as if transferring strength to him.

Shuu's face darkened as he glanced at the near-collapsing Hina, then turned to look at the composed, beautiful, and trusting Akane. The scales in his heart began to tip.

---Yes, Hina, I liked you at first. But compared to Akane, who understands men so well, you were impossible. You refused any intimacy, saying we had to wait until marriage. Now you're no longer cute at all—you don't understand my struggles or feelings as a man.

---Do you remember how adorable you were at the start? Just a little bit of care, a small gift, or a few sweet words could make you happy for the whole day. But now? You keep forcing me to divorce my wife, to confront everything and marry you.

---Every time we meet, you wear that gloomy expression. What kind of emotional support is that? Who do you think you're showing that face to? Do you have any idea how I got my position in the university's biology lab? It's because my father-in-law is a professor there!

---If I divorce my wife, what will happen to my future? Will I lose my job and starve to death? Akane understands me. Why are you so selfish?

With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Shuu's expression soured further as he looked at the crying, snot-nosed Hina, her makeup smeared and pitiful.

A look of irritation and disdain flashed in his eyes. But on the surface, he maintained his act, his face creased into a sigh of worry—an expression of regret, as though he were lecturing someone who couldn't do better.

A performance worthy of an actor:

"Hina, back when you were still a student and pursued me, I always rejected you because we were teacher and student. But you were so persistent, and I worried about what you might do to yourself. I did say some things back then… sigh… Ultimately, it's all my fault."

Hina stared at the man she loved most, disbelief etched across her face.

What… what had he just said?

"This is a lie. It's fake, isn't it, Shuu? Tell me it's fake."

Hina clung to Shuu tightly, but this time it wasn't out of love—it was a reflex, born of habit, and a desperate need to understand what was happening.

"Hina, let go!" Shuu growled, trying to pry her off.

At that moment, Shunsuke returned, holding two cups of milk tea.

Seeing the three of them arguing from afar, he froze for a moment.

Then, like a lightning strike, he understood everything.

With a sudden "thud," Shunsuke tossed the milk tea into a nearby trash can. His face expressionless, he turned and walked into a print shop.

"Boss, you have three minutes. Print as much of this material as possible—however much you can. I'll pay you a hundred times the price. If you're satisfied, I'll add a million as a tip."

The print shop owner's eyes widened when Shunsuke flashed a black credit card.

Without hesitation, he kicked an employee still busy with other customers. "Takada, use your damn head! Fire up every single machine in here, right now!"

After forwarding the files on his phone to the shop owner, Shunsuke made a call. "Momobami-senpai? I need a small favor here… Mm-hm, none of that is an issue… Okay, I'll agree to it. Thank you—please hurry."

By the time Shunsuke hung up, the print shop owner stood before him with a dog-like grin, holding a towering stack of freshly printed documents.

Shunsuke casually grabbed a thick pile of the papers and walked back toward Shuu, Hina, and Akane.

"Hina, let go already. I'm disappointed in you. You should know what shame is—"

SMACK!

Before Shuu could finish his sentence, Shunsuke swung the heavy stack of papers and slapped it across Shuu's face with full force.

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