Realization 3

Kamishiro continued to meet up with cute girls. It’s annoying but that’s the truth. I don’t fully understand how he juggled them, but from what I could see everything was going smoothly for him.

Except when he butted heads with Kazama, of course. But the guy isn’t exactly the most pleasant person ever. Kamishiro quickly learned to keep his mouth shut, just as I remember. But we largely didn’t interact save in the corridors and maybe once or twice when school ended. I hadn’t exactly given up on trying to understand what’s going on but… It doesn’t feel like I gained much knowledge. Except, perhaps, for the things I already knew and could exploit during classes.

It’s not like I would ace every subject this time around, but having some rudimentary information on the material did help. I didn’t have as much trouble as some of the dudes, so vacation remained my top priority.

However, and this would’ve eventually come up regardless of how I did at school, ‘it’ ended up happening too.

In this world where I have a vague understanding of how things went, I couldn’t help the apprehension I developed to our usual outings.

I told myself that I’d figure it out when it came to it. I offered to buy stuff for the guys so that I could observe from afar just in case. But it still ended up catching me by surprise.

I don’t think I lowered my guard. I knew that it’d happen and acted accordingly this time around as well. But we ended up hanging out at the mall one fateful day close to summer break. And although I did my best to avoid this situation, the group still ended up finding Akamine before I did.

“C’mon, we’re not at school! How about it? We’ll do something fun!”

“No, thanks. I am waiting for someone.” Ah… Did Akamine actually answer this resolutely last time? Her voice might’ve been small. But that’s because she doesn’t usually raise or add too much emotion to it. She always gives this mature vibe, after all. But here, in this place, it makes her sound… Quiet.

“Ah? Don’t tell me you have a boyfriend! You’ll make me cry!” One of the guys looms closer over her. It’s obvious that Akamine doesn’t want him in her personal space. But I am holding a tray of food this time around. I can’t interfere!

Just kidding.

“Hey, Kazama. This chick’s in the student council. You sure this is fine?” I can’t physically move people out of the way, but I can certainly talk to the head of the operation!

I haven’t just spent my time avoiding this, after all. I’ve thought about what to say, what to do to de-escalate. It doesn’t always work, but Kazama’s a pretty straightforward guy.

I’ve got this.

“We’re not at school.” Kazama’s retort is expected, if a bit childish. But his grin makes me switch mental gears. Seems like this time he wants to participate. “We’re just having fun, and extending an invitation to someone else. What’s the harm in that?”

Akamine is taken aback by his words. And takes a step back when he takes one forward.

His size and face are pretty intimidating. It can’t be helped that she’d lose her composure with him.

“No, dude. That’s not gonna fly!” I can’t let him do whatever he wants. I push the food on someone else. The guy doesn’t grab it on time, so stuff spills before he does. But my focus is now wholeheartedly on Kazama. To hell with everyone else. “Come on, man. Let’s not get in trouble here.”

“Trouble? For what I do in my spare time?” Kazama scoffs at the notion. One way or another, he seems dead set on this.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to argue that with the principal.” My words take their toll on everyone else. Even if Kazama doesn’t want to relent, everyone else understands that he doesn’t exactly have the best rep at school.

If Akamine really wanted to expel him, she could probably argue about what happened today.

…Why hadn’t she the first time around though?

“Kazama-san should probably listen to Saruya-senpai.” Akamine’s tone gives me pause, and it does not rub Kazama the right way.

“What did you say…?”

“Saruya-senpai has been toiling endlessly to keep Kazama-san out of trouble… Please do not throw away your friend’s kindness like this.” Her words are sharp, but that tone… It is less girly than before.

I don’t like it.

“I do whatever I want.” Kazama growls and gets closer to Akamine.

“Hey, dude. Quit it. Seriously!”

“Nah, she’s not gonna say anything. This is technically not in the school’s jurisdiction. And she swore not to abuse her power.” Kazama shows his teeth at her. I can’t say in good faith that it was a smirk, because it looked way too threatening. More like a chimp showing its fangs: A threat of violence unlike anything we understand. “Right?”

“Were you waiting for me, Akamine-san?!” Ah… There it is. An unremarkable guy, clearly scared out of his mind, drawing all attention to himself. He’d never show this much boldness except in times like these, huh.

Except… Kamishiro tried to snatch Akamine away directly from Kazama this time.

“Beat it, asshole.” Kazama just bashed the dude away. Making him fall on his rear before getting on one knee and grabbing him by the collar of the shirt. “Who the hell invited you to this?”

Damn it!

“Dude! Seriously quit this already!” The others don’t want to interfere, but I’m beyond the point of being scared already. This is exactly the kind of situation that started the ugliness. I cannot let this happen again! “You’re going too far. If you don’t listen to me, I’ll tell on you myself.”

Kazama stops in his tracks and turns his glare toward me.

“Saruya, you bastard…” This is the first time I’ve heard him say my name with this much intensity…

“This is going too far.” I can’t do anything but insist. Kazama will not listen to anyone that would backtrack due to being intimidated.

It’s either stand my ground and get punched or flee and get beaten up even worse.

“Too far, you say…?”

“It’s all fun and games until you lay a finger on someone. Then there is trouble.” I give him a knowing look. All of this is wrong, of course. I’d never considered what we do ‘bad’. But it’s also true that, when lines were crossed, there was always a reason that I could understand.

Akamine was not worth getting back into things like the first time.

Everyone is silent now. The guys have lost their guts since their leader could turn on them at any moment. I can’t talk more or Kazama will think that I’m trying to bullshit him.

All we can do is wait.

“I can take care of myself.” Kazama elbow checks me and walks away in the end.

I can’t help the sigh of relief that escaped me.

Except… Akamine has that murderous glare again. Things have gone wrong like they did before. I can just feel it.

“Ugh…”

“Touya-kun!” Akamine’s voice becomes girly again as she rushes to kneel beside Kamishiro. “Are you alright?!”

“I-I’m fine Akamine-san… Sorry for being so useless…”

“Don’t worry about it! This has nothing to do with Touya-kun!”

Ugh, the scene is sickening. I don’t know how Akamine can change this much in a split second. I’ll actually puke now that we’re here again.

“Beat it.” I push one of the guys away. I seriously don’t want to do this anymore. “Scram!”

“S-Senpai…” Kamishiro’s voice stops me from following my own advice. I turn to glare at him. “Senpai tried to help Akamine-san, right?”

Ah… Don’t tell me. He’s going to be grateful and try to grovel? Perhaps say that he’s indebted to me?

Give me a break.

I push one of the hangers on even further. They won’t go with Kazama, but at least I’ve made it so no one can catch us bullying a dude on the ground.

“Saruya-senpai!” Akamine also calls for me.

I ignore her too.

“Senpai!”

“Shut up already!” I snap back at Kamishiro. Seriously, how damn annoying! “Just go be lame somewhere else! Shit…”

“Saruya-senpai.” Akamine’s voice is lower now. But not softer. Instead… It is cold. “Senpai doesn’t have to deal with this all the time.”

It seems like this Akamine thinks that I put up with Kazama in spite of myself.

“Sure.” I leave. I don’t really want to talk to them. I’ll have to deal with a very angry brute tomorrow.

Except, this time, Kazama was the one that didn’t come to school anymore.