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Asahi’s concerns about her around other people, which he’d waved off the day before, would turn out to be all too true.
There’s Fuyuka, and... huh. Who’re those guys with her?
It was lunch break, and Asahi stopped by Fuyuka’s classroom on his way to the cafeteria. He was alone this time—“The Obnoxious Couple” each had their own business to attend to. Chiaki was... busy in the restroom with an upset stomach and Hinami was resubmitting an assignment.
Hinami was usually the one in charge of inviting Fuyuka over, since they were in the same class, so it was unusual for Asahi to pop in.
That was when he saw Fuyuka circled by multiple guys. He stopped dead in his tracks.
“Damn, girl, you’re bangin’.”
“People were right—she’s a real babe.”
“Hey, sexy, how’s it hangin’? You’ve probably heard of us already, but we’re from the soccer team.”
Three guys, their uniforms unkempt and their hair thick with styling wax, chatted nonchalantly with Fuyuka. They all wore indoor slippers that indicated they were senior students based on the color.
Unlike the boys’ casual attitude, Fuyuka wore a rigid expression. It was far from a lighthearted, wholesome atmosphere.
“Wanna hang out with us after class? It’ll be fun.”
“I’m sorry, but I already have plans,” Fuyuka declined.
“Hey, if it’s with a girl, she can come too! Especially if she’s as cute as you, haha!”
“We can go grab somethin’ to eat, okay? Our treat, obviously—to celebrate our new friendship. Whaddya say?”
The three punks were shamelessly flirting with Fuyuka, eliciting faint murmurs from the students who observed from afar. Everyone felt pity for Fuyuka, though nobody dared to lend a helping hand.
“Aight, let’s exchange contact info for now. We’ll hash out the details later,” the leader of the group—his hair dyed a bright blond—approached Fuyuka and flashed an artificial, nasty smile.
Asahi couldn’t just stand and watch any longer. He marched into the classroom to help Fuyuka.
“No,” an austere voice rang across the classroom. “I don’t know you well enough to give you my number or any other sort of contact information.”
Her words might’ve ended up sounding harsh, but her tone was polite. She took care to avoid hurting their feelings. Despite Fuyuka’s nickname around the school, her innate kindness had amassed her popularity and secured her exalted status amongst her peers.
The students allowed a relieved sigh to escape, while the three seniors stared at each other in bewilderment.
“Ice cold, dude. Thought you said she’d changed?”
“Hey man, that’s just what some junior told me.”
The two guys at the side argued back and forth, then peered at the leader of the group.
“Look, ‘Ice Queen,’ or whatever it is, miss me with the hard-to-get act. Let’s get real intimate.”
The brash blond reached his hand out. Fuyuka promptly took a few steps back in response.
“She just told you she’s not up for it,” Asahi cut in, coming between them and tossing Fuyuka a reassuring glance.
“Asahi!” she called out, her face lighting up.
The class only grew more turbulent, and onlookers stared from every direction. The three seniors bore vexed frowns, while Fuyuka was practically beaming with happiness behind Asahi.
“And who the hell are you, tough guy?”
“Just a friend of hers,” Asahi answered promptly.
“Listen here, pal—we were just having a nice ’lil chat with the lady. Go be a white knight somewhere else.”
“Really? That’s not how it looked to me.”
Asahi held his ground, keeping them away from getting closer to Fuyuka. The tumult grew as curious rubberneckers gathered in the hallway.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Gah, whatever,” the blond guy spat and turned away. His two cronies followed behind. They exited the classroom without causing any more trouble. They likely figured that it wasn’t worth it to push things any further.
Suddenly, a round of applause rose in praise of Asahi’s bravery. Even the person at the center of all the drama—Fuyuka—joined in. He smiled awkwardly.
“Thank you, Asahi. Really.”
“We might need to invest in a bodyguard after all, huh?”
“I still don’t think that’s necessary. It’s just because it’s my first day socializing,” she said with a gentle grin. “But maybe I should hire you if I’m in the market for one.”
“Haha, no pressure.”
They both laughed, then headed out to the cafeteria.
“Oh yeah, you mentioned you had some plans or something. What’s on the agenda?” he asked.
“Having dinner with you,” she whispered to him, quietly enough so nobody could hear.
“Ah, so that’s what it was.”
It was still awfully noisy around them, but they paid it no heed as they walked together, side by side.