manynovel Chapter 1033 The Strongest Hairstylist
Chapter 1033 The Strongest Hairstylist
Chapter 1033 The Strongest Hairstylist
"I... abstain!"
If Hachiman Hikigaya had said that, no one would have found it strange... just kidding, it would have shocked everyone!
We've come this far! Everyone has given their all to stand here until the very end.
No matter how bleak his past may be, he was able to fight his way out of a hundred people and secure a spot on the final nine list. Even Hachiman's dull, lifeless eyes seemed to be filled with murderous intent in everyone's eyes.
He has no brilliance because he has killed countless people and has no emotions left, so he has turned to darkness and become a ghost.
Yes, some ambitious people are already coming up with nicknames for Hachiman.
Even Hikigaya has so many people placing their hopes on him, let alone Kuroda Kaito!
This boy, who had followed Hojo Kyosuke in the national tournament since his first year of junior high school, entered Soubu High School with the highest scholarship.
He was Hojo Kyosuke's most devoted follower, with the purest blood of a berserk angel flowing through his veins, and his hands were born to hold swords and handlebars.
The members of the kendo club were looking forward to seeing him wield his bamboo sword and ruthlessly cut down his companions who had challenged him and coveted the regular seat.
But now, this man who was least likely to fall behind actually said...
Hearing this shout, Hachiman Hikigaya, after a brief moment of elation, was also filled with disbelief. No one desired a regular spot more than him; he had considered Kaito Kuroda his number one rival, and now the latter had voluntarily withdrawn?!
What the heck? Could it be that after more than ten years of bad luck, my luck is finally about to change?
Suddenly he felt a pain in his hand, and when he turned around, he saw that the woodworker was gripping his wrist tightly.
"Hey... Zaimuza, don't laugh so obviously..." he muttered to himself, speechless.
Zaimokuza is such a shameless guy. Hachiman has no doubt that if he could, he would send everyone pornographic videos the day before the match to make them weak in the knees, and then beat them up when they're down.
Wait a minute...
"Zaimuzuta, you bastard... could it be that you're the one behind this?"
Hikigaya looked suspiciously at his best... frenemy.
"what?"
The woodcutter, his face beaming with elation, turned his head.
Okay, suspect ruled out.
Hikigaya expressionlessly opened the wooden stand's hand. If this guy really was behind it, he should be facing away from everyone, pushing up his glasses, letting out a strange "cough cough" laugh, his face full of smugness.
It wasn't that he was very shrewd, but rather that he was afraid of being beaten.
So, why is that?
Everyone present shared the same question as Hachiman.
"What are you talking about, you alien?!"
Ryoma Mitsuhashi exclaimed incredulously, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Hata Goro, head down, haphazardly pushed aside the people blocking his way and barged his way to Kuroda Kaito's side. He was also 1.7 meters tall, but much shorter than his friends; he was one of the shortest in the entire group of berserk angels.
Kuroda Kaito had been kneeling on the ground since earlier. Someone had asked him if he wasn't tired and why he wasn't sitting cross-legged, but he brushed it off with a smile.
Now everyone finally understands that he intended to apologize from the very beginning.
Hata Goro reached out and quickly pulled away the people surrounding Kuroda. Then he grabbed Kuroda by the collar, his arm muscles bulging instantly. Kuroda, who was over 1.75 meters tall, was lifted up by him.
Do you know what you're saying?!
Hata Goro was furious. The veins on his forehead and around his eyes bulged, making it a terrifying sight, as if the boy was about to explode and die at any moment.
Kuroda Kaito showed no intention of resisting, or rather, just as Hikigaya had said before, things had now shifted from a contest of swordsmanship and physical strength to a battle of will and resolve.
Unlike the others who were still full of fighting spirit, Kuroda had already lost his last bit of energy before he even announced his withdrawal.
Kuroda Kaito forced a weak smile and said, "I'm sorry, Goro."
Unlike his single brothers, he was always popular with girls, and even had a girlfriend from another school in the junior high school near the Buddhist temple.
So his hairstyle isn't like Hatake Goro's simple chestnut cut, which is convenient, nor is it as trendy as Onizuka's.
He had only medium-length, choppy hair, which made him very handsome with his delicate features.
He then untied his headscarf, revealing sweat-soaked bangs plastered to his forehead, making him look like a pathetic second male lead in an idol drama, chasing after the female lead in the pouring rain.
Coupled with his identity as one of the last nine, and the image of him being held up in the air by Hatake Goro by the collar, he has a completely beautiful, strong, and tragic image.
The female members around them were momentarily stunned, wondering why they hadn't noticed that there was such a handsome male classmate in their club before.
But this doubt only lasted a second, because the next instant they saw Hojo Kyosuke walking behind Hiratsuka-sensei.
Yeah, that's not surprising.
Having watched Hojo every day, my eyes and mind have completely become his shape. How can I see anyone else?
However, Kuroda Kaito's captivating appearance did nothing to quell Hatake Goro's anger; on the contrary, it made him even angrier.
He dropped the bamboo sword in his left hand, grabbed Kuroda's collar with both hands, lifted him higher, and then shook him violently.
"Are you out of your mind?! Huh? Are you an idiot?!"
He questioned angrily.
If it weren't for the fact that Hata Goro never dreamed because he was too simple-minded since childhood, he would have doubted whether he was dreaming.
Didn't we agree to always follow our big brother and dominate the country together?!
Didn't we agree to beat up geniuses from all over the country and show them what true strength is?
Why! Why!?
Hatake felt his body burning up, a fierce flame scorching his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and even making his eyes blaze.
betray!
betray!
This is blatant betrayal!!
"Jieren! What...what do you want to do!?"
Goro Hata ultimately couldn't utter the word "betrayal," even though his eyes were bloodshot with rage. But... we're brothers—Kajin!!
Mitsuhashi Ryoma also came over, and everyone surrounded Kuroda Kaito, including Hojo Kyosuke and Hirazuka Shizuka.
Under normal circumstances, Hojo Kyosuke would have told Hata Goro to calm down, since there would usually be a turning point in such situations, something he, as a manga artist and novelist, knew all too well.
But at the same time, he also knew that Kuroda Kaito wasn't some kind of idiot with a screw loose. He knew about the previous incident with Hata Goro in drag and had privately sought help from the Service Club, but this time there was no warning whatsoever.
This shows that this is not something that can be resolved privately, and the current situation is exactly what he wanted.
Hmm, maybe he just wants Hatake Goro to punch him a couple of times?
"Jieren? Why? What's wrong with you?"
Ryoma Mitsuhashi asked in a trembling voice, while simultaneously placing his hand on Goro Hata's hand, signaling him to release Kuroda.
Goro Hata's hands were bulging with veins. He gritted his teeth and let go, but his eyes, red with anger, were still glaring fiercely at his best friend.
"Cough cough..."
Kuroda Kaito, who had fallen, coughed twice while covering his neck, then looked around.
He saw the Chief of Staff, whose eyes held no doubt or anger, but were dark and deep, as if they could see through all secrets.
His expressionless face during the selection competition now carried a faint smile, instantly transforming him from a fierce and cold man into a sunny and warm handsome guy.
Kuroda knew in his heart that this was the gentleness unique to his older brother. Although he didn't say anything, he was telling himself not to be afraid or feel pressured in this way.
Just like when they participated in the national tournament in junior high, no matter how strong their opponents were, they could wield their swords without restraint. There was no need to worry about defeat, because the eldest brother who remained at the end would cut down the entire opposing team.
Unparalleled sense of security
This is also the most important reason why he dared to choose today as the day of the showdown.
The elder brother's gentle and calm gaze gave Kuroda Kaito immense courage, even though he couldn't understand why Hiratsuka-sensei, standing next to his elder brother, was winking and making encouraging gestures at him.
Oh, so it was to cheer me on!
Kuroda Kaito suddenly realized, "Although it's not very useful, thank you for your kindness, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'll introduce you to potential partners sometime in the future."
Looking around, the worry on Mitsuhashi's face made him feel ashamed, and Goro's angry eyes made him tremble. When this guy got angry, he really wouldn't care about anything.
The concern on the faces of Kisaki, Vice-Captain Tamaki, and Hachiman warmed his heart. It was because of these lovely companions that he was determined to speak his mind today.
"Everyone--"
Kuroda Kaito stretched out his arms, palms facing upwards, and said:
"What do you think these hands are for?"
Kyosuke Hojo examined the calluses and first ruled out gymnasts, because the location of the calluses didn't match. He then ruled out masturbators, since such thick calluses would have been worn down to needle size long ago. So, the only other possibility was someone who practiced kendo.
Yes, very rigorous reasoning.
Kuroda Kaito's hands were quite different from his handsome appearance; they were rough and calloused. Well, they weren't the invincible Hojo Kyosuke.
There's no way to give useless hands special training, ordering them to be tough and sensitive, ensuring combat effectiveness without interfering with their daily enjoyment.
"What nonsense are you spouting! These are hands that are skilled at both riding motorcycles and wielding knives!"
"I'm annoyed," Hatake Goro said.
The others nodded in agreement, with Hachiman even showing a hint of envy. These were the hands of a true warrior; he was far from that. However, he didn't want to become like that, after all, Kuroda had a girlfriend, and his girlfriend…
Kuroda Kaito looked down at his hands, shook his head with a wry smile.
"Yes, these are the hands of a biker gang member, the hands of a swordsman, but only..."
He looked up at his two closest friends, his voice trembling:
"But not a barber's hands—!!"
"Nani?!"
“Masaka!!”
Ryoma Mitsuhashi and Goro Hata were both shocked, as were the others around them.
"That's right!"
Tears welled up in Kuroda Kaito's eyes.
"I……"
"Jieren!"
Hata Goro stepped forward, interrupting Kuroda urgently:
"Are you out of your mind?! Didn't you say before that you hated hairdressers the most? Why are you suddenly saying this?!"
Ryoma Mitsuhashi looked on incredulously: "You're kidding, right?"
Everyone in the show "Rampage Angels" knows that Kuroda Kaito is a rich young master whose family runs a chain of barbershops, a huge operation that ranks among the top five in Japan.
People usually patronize his family business, and some have even asked Kuroda if he plans to inherit the family business and become a barber.
But this guy always looked down on it, saying with disdain that a real man should chop up other men, how could he be doing a woman's hair every day?
But today...
"I don't want to hide it anymore..."
Kuroda lowered his head, tears streaming down his face.
"Mitsuhashi, Goro, do you remember when my sister forced me to dress as a woman...?"
"Yami!!!"
Hata Goro roared, his expression instantly changing from confusion and surprise to terror.
"..."
After a brief silence, a burst of laughter erupted. The fact that Hata Goro had fallen for a cross-dressing version of Kuroda Kaito and vowed not to change his underwear until he found his dream goddess had already spread throughout the entire school.
No, not just the whole school, because he said it while drunk at the Rampage Angels gathering, and thanks to the promotion by members all over the world, his title of "Underwear Master" is now circulating online.
The atmosphere in the dojo suddenly became very cheerful, except for Hatake Goro, who was filled with grief and indignation.
Kuroda Kaito's previously miserable expression instantly collapsed into laughter. After laughing, he raised his hand to signal Hata Goro to be quiet.
"The wig I used back then was actually a prop I used to practice hairdressing..."
"Nani!?"
Ryoma Mitsuhashi and Goro Hata were both greatly surprised.
"Yes, every night, whether it's extra practice by the Kendo Club or a gathering of the Berserk Angels, no matter how late it is, I will keep practicing my Kendo after I get home!"
Kuroda Kaito spoke calmly, but his words shocked everyone around him, causing their eyes to bulge.
You know, club practice alone is so tiring that people fall asleep in class and have no energy left to study, but Kuroda Kaito actually added barber training to his daily practice and still managed to maintain his academic performance.
Are you even human?!
Hachiman Hikigaya swallowed hard, and said in a strained voice:
"May I ask how many hours you sleep each day?"
Kuroda Kaito smiled slightly and said modestly, "Three hours! If you ask why, it's because I get three haircuts every morning before school!"
Gulu...
Everyone was now in shock, even Hojo Kyosuke couldn't help but glance at him.
Hajihei, you should be working as a cotton flufferer!
Hatake Goro, who had been furious with bloodshot eyes just moments before, had calmed down at some point. His hands hung at his sides, his head was down, and no one could see his expression.
Ryoma Mitsuhashi looked up at Kaito Kuroda, tears glistening in his eyes.
At this moment, Kuroda Kaito dared not look at his two friends. He stared straight ahead, but his eyes were unfocused, and his tone was erratic:
"The Kuroda family has been running a barbershop since my great-grandfather's time, and my father expanded the family business into a nationwide chain of barbershops."
Even now, my father still cuts hair for customers every day. He loves his job wholeheartedly, which is why he has achieved such success.
Grandpa, Father, and Mother always hoped I would become a hairdresser, but…
Tears finally welled up in Kuroda's eyes:
“I felt utterly disgusted by what they said. I told them that even if I starved to death or died out there, I would never spend my days holding a pair of scissors and tending to a woman’s hair, not even a man!”
In the spacious hall of the kendo club, everyone listened quietly, silently experiencing Kuroda Kaito's mental journey.
"My sister got so angry when she heard what I said that she punched me, but surprisingly, my parents weren't angry, and my grandfather even laughed out loud."
At the time, I didn't know what Grandpa was laughing at; I just found the laughter grating. I ran out of the house and chose a boarding school like the one in Dongcheng for junior high, escaping everything that suffocated me.
I joined the kendo club, joined the Berserk Angels, and grasped a bamboo sword with the hands this family said were born to scissors.
Kyosuke Hojo was deeply moved upon hearing this. It turned out that out of all his friends, he was the only one who had been tricked into joining the Tojo Clan by his mother.
This feeling is like going to college, where everyone in your dorm was assigned to this major by others, but you were the only one who was excitedly admitted as your first choice.
It's truly...heartbreaking.
Kuroda Kaito raised his hand again, tears falling onto it. Before, these drops would have made him scream in pain when they dripped into his cracked calluses, but now they didn't hurt at all; his hand was strong enough to grip a fruit knife directly.
"Ho ho-"
Kuroda suddenly laughed, then looked up and tossed his hair.
“Mihashi, Goro, you don’t know, I get my hands treated every week now. Because they’re too rough, which affects their dexterity and makes it impossible for me to cut a decent haircut.”
Upon hearing this, Mitsuhashi Ryoma's pupils dilated violently. Hata Goro, on the other hand, kept his head down, his shoulders trembling.
"It wasn't until I truly understood my own heart and awkwardly asked my father for the secrets of hairstyles that my grandfather finally revealed the reason for his laughter."
It turns out that my father, like me, once didn't want to inherit the family business and longed to escape to the big city. But later, he used the barbering skills he learned in the big city to make the Kuroda family's barbershop a great success.
'Now, my son, the hairdresser's blood within you has finally awakened.'
That's what my father said.
At this point, Kuroda looked around, his gaze unwavering as he looked at everyone, finally settling on his two closest friends. He tried to control his voice and speak as calmly as possible:
"I'm participating in the selection competition today not to take up a precious spot, but to tell you that I'm still your teammate, your brother. I won't fall behind! I won't..."
"boom!"
Hata Goro, who had been keeping his head down and silent, suddenly punched Kuroda Kaito in the chest, interrupting him and making him spit out a mouthful of saliva.
Only then did the others get a clear look at Hatake Goro's face and realize that he had actually cried.
That face, which always seemed to hide anger, was now filled with tears.
"asshole!!"
Hata Goro cursed through gritted teeth.
He raised his hand and punched Kuroda Kaito in the chest again, causing the latter to stagger backward.
The people standing nearby, including Hachiman Hikigaya, were startled and tried to step forward to stop him, but were stopped by Kyosuke Hojo's hand.
Also blocked was the wonderful teacher Jing Ke'ai, whose little face was full of worry and anxiety as she looked at someone, only to see a relieved smile.
Laughing? Your subordinates are about to turn against you!
Ms. Jing was puzzled and raised her hand to push someone aside and step forward to mediate the fight.
Kyosuke Hojo, however, grabbed the beautiful teacher's wrist and forcibly restrained her.
"Watch quietly; you don't understand things between men."
I don't even have a male best friend, let alone a boyfriend, so of course I don't understand!
Feeling justified, Hiratsuka Shizuka started to get angry, feeling that she had been mocked again.
On the other side, Kuroda Kaito was being relentlessly beaten and pounded by Hata Goro, who was crying as if he were the one being beaten, even though he was the one doing the hitting. Kuroda, on the other hand, remained silent and even turned to look at Mitsuhashi Ryoma, his expression seemingly saying, "Aren't you going to throw a few punches at me?"
But Ryoma Mitsuhashi just cried, with an ugly smile on his face.
After throwing ten punches in a row, Hatake Goro finally stopped. The tears on his face had turned into a torrent, flowing down like a small river.
"asshole!!"
"Kuroda! Tell me, aren't we brothers!?"
Hatagoro yelled.
Kuroda remained silent.
"If we're brothers, why didn't you tell me sooner!"
Hatagoro shouted:
"Can't you even cut my hair?!"
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Would I hate you just because you like hairdressing?"
Ryoma Mitsuhashi, standing nearby, finally spoke up: "Is our friendship really that worthless? Kuroda? What do you take Goro and me for?!"
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(End of this chapter)