He adjusted his grip around me. As the sensation of his arm around my stomach settled in, I blushed. Even though it wasn't much, it made me uneasy. Of all the positions he had to hold me in did it have to be like this? I felt like a sack of potatoes and this was seriously awkward. Was it because I wasn't used to being touched by others? Or was it because he was a boy?

Still, he was carrying me with so much ease. I was one hundred and ten pounds though...

"Aren't I heavy?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes."

New warmth blossomed on my cheeks. I punched him again. "Put me down!"

"Stop hitting me," he snapped.

"I will if you put me down!"

I socked him even harder. Ryu winced this time, holding me out away from him.

"You're the one trying to run!"

"Let me run if I want to!"

"No! Your dad will yell at me if I do."

"Then tell him I'm busy or something!" I squirmed vigorously for freedom. "Let me go, Iwasaki!"

"Why does it even matter if you go? Suck it up!"

"Delinquents like you don't understand how us normal human beings feel!"

Ryu nearly dropped me, giving me a heart attack.

"Hey!" I cried.

"I'm not a delinquent," he said.

"Don't care! I'm not going!" I reiterated for the umpteenth time. "Now put me down—"

All at once, Ryu dropped me. I stumbled slightly, and just as I thought I regained my footing, I fell right over. I landed on my bum, grimacing. Parting an eyelid, I sent him a dirty look. "Wow, thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I didn't actually mean that."

"And I care because?"

Scowling, I hauled myself to my feet and dusted my clothes off. Jerk... Sighing, I took in our current location. A frown grew on my face. "Why are we in the science hallway?"

"We're heading to the infirmary," he replied, sauntering forward.

He was kidding me, right? "The infirmary is down that way; the way we came from."

He halted abruptly. Visibly tense, he headed left. "I-I knew that."

I watched as he went towards the direction of the front entrance, puzzled. "Where are you going?"

Again, Ryu stopped. He went forward towards the staircase this time.

"Uh... Iwasaki?" My words trailed off as I witnessed him pace back and forth. It was almost as if he couldn't remember where we came from. My eyes widened at the notion that came to mind. "Are you possibly... bad with directions?"

Ryu came to yet another halt. His grey eyes flickered over to me, and I spotted as his expression shifted to a mortified one. "I-I'm not!" he denied almost instantly. "This school's just hard to get around!"

My mouth slightly fell. Oh my. I recalled the previous time we'd taken the bus, and everything clicked. It was true. Ryu really was bad with directions.

But it wasn't normal. He couldn't even remember what direction we came from (and I was standing in that very hallway). It was more sad than amusing, to say the least.

"Is this your first year here or something?" I asked him. If it was, it'd make sense.

"I've been in this school since last year," he replied.

Last year? So he started the same time I did.

I frowned. "And you still don't know this school well?"

His shoulders tensed. "I do!"

For emphasis, he went stomping left. Though, nothing had changed. He was basically still moving around in circles. After watching this happen for a few more seconds, an exhausted exhale escaped my mouth. Making a face, I shook my head. It was obvious he wasn't going to let me run and hide. I might as well man up and go anyway.

"I'll take you there."

Ryu, who was trying to head up the staircase, glanced back at me. "Wh-what? I can take you there myself—"

"No thanks," I stated firmly. "Now follow me."

Albeit speechless, he didn't move. With a groan, I stomped forward and up to him before beckoning with my hands for him to go. He narrowed his eyes at me as if to say no. "I'll go there myself."

He was embarrassed. Well, I couldn't blame him. If I was as bad with directions as he was, I'd be the same.

"You do realize that I'm actually agreeing to go with you there, right?"

Ryu hesitated.

"Let's go," I said.

I headed straight down the hallway we came from without bothering to look back. I heard the shuffling of feet pursuing me, signalling that I had succeeded.

"I... I knew it was this way."

I simpered. "Of course you did."

"I did!"

"All right, I totally believe you."

I peered over my shoulder to see just how hard the guy was blushing. I had to admit, for someone I detested and found so terrifying days prior, he really wasn't as bad as I thought. Getting to know Ryu was different than anything I had experienced. For one, when he was embarrassed he was definitely inferior. It was like one of those moments the main character of a manga realized the big, scary delinquent love interest actually had a soft side she couldn't help but find somewhat cute. Maybe Ryu was like that? Excusing the label of delinquent, I still think that character archetype still applied.

"You're walking too slow."

I was shoved to the side and into the wall. My hands reacted in time to stop me from hitting my face. Anger bubbled up within me and I immediately glared into his back.

Or he was your typical unsociable, jerky troublemaker.

Most likely that one.

Before I could dog Ryu and make sure he didn't randomly didn't take another turn to get himself lost, the door to the staff room slammed open. I lurched back just in time to miss the contact by one millimetre and my heart skipped a beat as a result. I lost my balance and was just about to fall when somebody reached out to grab my arm. I looked up in surprise to see the face of my dad staring at me.

"Reina!" he bellowed in just as much surprise as I was. "Where were you?"

He unhanded me and I blanched. "Dad, uh..."

A frown plastered on his face. "Don't tell me you were trying to escape?"

"I promise I was coming now!" I cut him off before he exploded. "But the room was full of the delinquents and Iwasaki was lost and—"

"I sent him for you a half hour ago!" Dad sucked in a quick gasp of air, running his finger through his hair and shaking his head. "Never mind. Not important. There's a bunch of people waiting to be treated. Let's go."

I crinkled my nose at the idea. I digested how he had emerged from the staff room and confusion welled up inside of me. If it was so busy, why was Dad here and not in the room then? Don't tell me he was looking for us? That meant that he had more of a reason to berate me later on...

"Where's Iwasaki?" Dad demanded.

I looked to my right only to see that Ryu was gone. Bug-eyed, my head whipped back and forth. Don't tell me... "He probably got himself lost again," I groaned. Already? I couldn't take my eyes off him for one second could I?

It took no time at all to track the male down and drag him back to Dad, who seemed to grow more impatient by the second. He gave me that look that told me he'd have to talk to me later then turned around and headed inside of the staff room. Puzzled, I watched him.

"Dad, where are you going? The infirmary isn't that way."

Dad halted in place. His glasses glinted as if realization just dawned on him. "Oh," he drawled, "I didn't inform you of it?"

A premonition gnawed its way to the pit of my stomach. "Inform me of what?"

He gestured for us to follow him.

"Stay close," I told Ryu before doing so.

"Shut up," he barked in defence, probably because he was still a little bashful about what had happened earlier.

Dad led us past the front desk and towards the first room to the left. On the name tag sitting on the desk, I read Dad's name. This was his room...? Blinking, I watched as he made his way to the corner of the room where a tall trophy case stood. Squeezing through the small opening, I heard the click of a knob. Astonishment washed over me all at once as I took in the door and also the familiar curtains from the infirmary peeking through.

"I can't believe I forgot to tell you two," Dad said as he turned to face me, hand gesturing to the entrance. "You can get into the infirmary this way, and much quicker. Now you don't have to fear passing through those students daily, Reina. Good thing I told you, right?"

Dad was smiling so innocently, but in that moment so much frustration swelled up inside of me I swear all I saw was red.

Of all the times he could've mentioned something as wonderful as this, it had to be now?

Let's just say I would've honestly jumped my dad if Ryu wasn't there to hold me back.