Chapter 290: Discussing the Southern District Issues

Kaori smiled warmly, even though her heart still felt heavy.

"Of course, dear. I promise I won't cry anymore, so you shouldn't cry either, okay?" Kaori said gently while affectionately stroking Kyoko's head.

"Heem!" Kyoko finally nodded with a bright smile, even though her cheeks were still wet. Kyoko hugged her mother tightly, as if she didn't want to let go of Kaori.

...

...

...

Meanwhile, somewhere else, after leaving the house, Haruto stood in silence. Haruto's gaze was blank for a moment before it finally landed on Kakashi and Sakura, who were already waiting for him.

"Hey... We know that woman's words are painful, but don't be discouraged just because of that," Kakashi said in a flat voice, his hands tucked into his pockets. "Besides, there are more important things to discuss right now, right?"

Haruto sighed and then nodded slowly. A faint smile formed on Haruto's face, although his eyes still hinted at something deeper.

"You're right..." Haruto said in a dull tone.

Haruto knew that the words Kaori had thrown out were actually directed at the previous owner of this body. But still, hearing that hatred and scorn felt painful. It was as if wounds that didn't belong to Haruto were etched into his heart.

Haruto didn't care if others called him weak, useless, or pathetic. That wasn't a big deal for him. However, hearing harsh words from Kaori... for some reason, it felt different. There was something that scratched Haruto's heart deeper than just ordinary insults.

Was it because of the guilt inherited from the previous owner of Haruto's body? Or... because Haruto had been watching Kaori for so long that he unconsciously started to develop feelings for her?

"Damn! That can't be, right?" Haruto muttered quietly, his face suddenly turning a bit red.

Haruto had never been good at dealing with women. In his previous life, he had never even had a close relationship with any woman. But now? Why did these feelings suddenly arise?

"Haah... Besides, why does it have to be Kaori? Isn't there still Miss Jie?" Haruto muttered again, his eyes looking down as if he was trying to reorganize his thoughts.

However, when Haruto looked up, he immediately met the gaze of Kakashi and Sakura, who were now looking at him with flat expressions.

"Damn it! Don't tell me you haven't been focused this whole time just because you're thinking about women?!" Sakura glared at Haruto with an annoyed expression.

"Ah! It's not like that! It's just..." Haruto stammered, his face turning even redder. He hurriedly turned away, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Tch! I thought we agreed not to get involved with any women until we reach a higher level!" Kakashi huffed, looking at Haruto with disappointment. "But now? You've already started getting distracted by various women? Wow, you're really a bastard!"

"He—Hey! It's not like that!" Haruto quickly protested with a panicked face, but both Shadow Clones just looked at him with doubt.

The atmosphere suddenly became more awkward. Haruto felt like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Maybe, Haruto really needed to reorganize his thoughts before everything became more complicated.

"Alright, stop. Let's refocus. We're going to discuss the Southern District, right?" Haruto said with a calm face, trying to change the subject.

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah, you're right... So what now?" Kakashi looked at Haruto, waiting for an explanation.

Haruto took a deep breath before speaking in a serious tone. "The Soul Collectors' plans have been uncovered. That means the likelihood of their attack on Fortress City 085 is decreasing. However, that doesn't mean we can consider it impossible. After all, they are a group of crazy people who won't give up easily."

Sakura crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "That's true. They could change their strategy and directly attack the City Academy as an alternative. We still need to be prepared."