(Today Yuta didn't come to my house. I wonder if he is at school or not.) 

I was outside his classroom before I knew it. (He had told me that he has always been in section A because of how talanted he is...) I looked around but he wasn't in the classroom. There were few students sitting in the teacher's chair, so I went to ask them, “Um, do you know where Takeichi-kun is?” 

The tall and bulky guy pointed right at me and said, “Hey, isn't he that stalker guy everyone talks about?” The second guy snorted and joined in, “Yeah, talk about being such a drag” 

They both laughed so hard that everyone in the class looked at me. Then the third and small guy quietly pulled the second guy’s sleeve and said, “Hey, let's not get involved with him. I don't want to risk things.” 

(I don't even know why I’m asking others about Yuta.) “Ah, my bad,” I muttered, turning away from them.

“Hey, are you ignoring me?” the tall guy said, placing his hand tightly on my shoulder.

“I told you, I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“You’re such a worrywart, Reia. What’s he gonna do—besides tail a pretty girl?”, the second guy said mockingly.

Everyone in the class was staring sharply and whispering among themselves. (This is what I get for carelessly opening my mouth.) 

I turned around, no reaction, trying to ignore the stares. “I’m not inter—”

“Hey, what are you guys playing at?”, a firm voice cut clean through the noise.  

The room went silent in an instant. I spun around—I knew that voice.

(It is Yuta) 

The tall guy slid his hand off my shoulder and went to Yuta and said mockingly, “Hey dude, this stalker was looking for you. Are you in trouble or something? We will help you, no need to worry.” 

Panic clenched my chest. “No, I just came to see you cause—” , my head went heavy, and I could not meet his eyes. 

(I need to talk— or else Yuta will misunderstand, but... if I say it...) 

I tried to continue my sentence, “cause...”, I could not say it, the words stuck in my throat. The second guy who was jeering at me stepped between us, doing a casual shrug, “Because what? HAHA, just admit that you had enough with stalking a girl, so you are stalking a guy now?” 

(Yuta, no don't listen to them please.) I gathered my courage to look at him and raised my head. (HUH?)

(Why does he look so... angry? Is it because I came to his classroom? I mess—) 

“HAHA, talk about a lame hobby.”, the guy in front of Yuta put his hands on his shoulder. “Dude, don't worry we will be sure to beat h—.” 

Yuta's light blue eyes went sharp, and, in an instant, he grabbed the hand that was placed on his shoulder and smacked his face with the other. 

*Doom* A sound that left the whole class panicked. 

He began hitting him with all his might and others tried to stop him. When the guy infront of me went in to stop him, Yuta grabbed him by the collar and smacked him across the face without hesitation.

“Huh? What is happening?” 

(I need to stop him.) I went in the crowd and grabbed his hand. My hands were shaking because he looked scary.

He looked...

different. 

Yuta immediately stopped the moment I grabbed him. Looked at me with a face as if he was  about to cry, “I am sorry.” 

(Huh? Why are you apologizing to me? And... why do you look so SAD?) 

I pulled him my way and ran outside. Some students had already gone to call a teacher, and two students were down in blood. 

We ran through the hallway and stairs. “Hey” 

Huff...Huff... “Hey.” 

We reached the backyard. 

(We are far away from the class now.  What do I do?) 

“HEY!!” he called out, stopping me in my tracks. 

His hand slowly slid up from where I was holding onto him, until his fingers reached the center of my palm. He held it—firmly, but gently.

“...I’m sorry,” he said softly.

His voice soft and full of vulnerability. 

“Why?”, “It's me who should be sorr-” 

FLICK! *Ouch* 

HE JUST FLICKED MY FOREHEAD, DIDN'T HE? 

I was in total denial and confusion. 

“ Wh- Why?”, tear drops slowly flowing down by eyes. 

“Haha, you finally cried.”, he chuckled softly closing his eyes. 

My eyes widen. (He looks so good smiling like that.) 

He slowly opened his eyes still holding my palm and smiling,

Held the palm of my other hand as well, "I am sorry for using violence in front of you.”  

He slightly bent forward, resting his forehead against the backs of my hands, eyes lowered, “I am sorry for showing that side of me to you. They just pissed me off—bad.” 

There was a pause, then in a softer voice, he added, “I am sorry for prying in too much... but I will say this, you don't have to hold back your emotions.”,  

Raised his gaze and looked straight at me, “Cry when you need to and smile when you want to.” 

Then he straightened up, gently releasing my hands, “I know you are a really nice guy, and you won't be angry even if someone kill you, but don't worry...”  

He suddenly struck a goofy pose, flexing his arms with a grin, “I will be angry in your stead.” 

“So don't hide your emotions. I am always in your side.”, I could not see what he did next cause my eyes blurred all of a sudden. 

I rubbed my eyes and laughed. “Haha, what is that supposed to mean?” 

My tears were still falling down, and I was covering them, “And what is with that funny pose?” 

I didn't understand whether I was crying or laughing. But I understood... that I felt nice. 

(Hearing someone say such a thing to me. 

Seeing someone being angry in my stead. 

And seeing someone trying to make me laugh. 

It feels unexpectedly nice.) 

I laughed again, this time after rubbing off all my tears and he laughed beside me. Sitting on the bench in the corner. 

“Besides…” he added quietly, almost to himself, “they made me remember things of the past.”

“Huh? What was that?” I asked, not quite catching his words.

“Nothing,” he said quickly, brushing it off. “Anyway—what were you about to say back in class?

"Class?"

“Yes. The thing about coming to my class.”, pointing upward as if to jog my memory.

“Ahh, that... I came to see you since you didn't come to get me this morning so I just thought I would come see you. But...”, I paused for a while. 

“But?”, he slightly tilted his head.

“I thought that your reputation would not be good if I said we come to school together so...”, I said in a sad tone. 

“What a useless thing to worry about.”, he said casually. 

“Useless?”, that was an unexpected reaction. 

He leaned back slightly, resting his hands behind his head and tilting toward the bench. “After all, everyone already knows that we come to school together. Those idiots were just the only ones dumb enough not to realize it." 

He let out a short breath, almost a laugh. “But not everyone’s like them, you know. There are plenty of students who don’t buy into those shallow stereotypes. And even more who just don’t care—it’s all ancient history to them.”

“And if you are still anxious about that then you don't have to anymore, cause you know, because of today's incident, my reputation is already set to doom.”  

He laughed so brightly and proudly. (Is it something to be proud of?) 

I laughed following his lead and leaned towards the bench relaxing my muscles. 

Both of us looked up in the sky which was clear today unlike those cloudy days before. 

“Ah, and don't worry if I don't come to school for some months. I feel like my suspension will last long.” 

“Ah...” 

“Also, if someone ask you about it, just say that you don't know anything about it alright?” 

“Ah...” 

“Alright?” 

“Okhay...” 

***