The Pretty Girl and the Delinquent

“A-Airi… I don’t think we can keep going through this path…”

Agatha meekly pointed out as her foot almost slipped on a small mud puddle near a creek in the woods.

They were following a cleared path that led to a thick log haphazardly placed from one side of the creek to the other, as if meant to be a bridge, suspended a couple feet off the water.

Airi stood in front of the log, bringing a hand to her lips as she examined its placement and how viable it would be for both of them to cross it successfully.

Conclusion: not too viable.

“Mm. You’re right. We’re supposed to walk through this creek to get to the other side, but it does look a little unstable…”

“M-Maybe we should wait for everyone else… o-or just go back…”

“Miss Fitzgerald.”

Airi suddenly addressed her, turning back to look at Agatha who was startled at the sudden mention of her name like that.

“Y-Yes? A-Ah, you can call me Agatha, it’s fine…”

Airi smiled warmly at her.

“Fufu. Agatha, then.”

She took a few steps in her direction, extending her palm at Agatha.

“Would you like to take my hand? Perhaps that way we’ll both feel less scared.”

Agatha could feel her face heating up.

“O-Oh…”

“I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Airi’s kind tone and demeanor made Agatha’s heart skip a beat.

She’d never spoken to a girl as beautiful as Airi before, much less been invited to take their hand.

It felt like a dream - like she was about to be pulled into a land filled with nothing but wonders.

She swallowed with some hesitation, then slowly reached her hand over in Airi’s direction.

But just as they were about to make contact, a masculine voice startled them both.

“Hey, what are you guys doing all the way out here?”

It was Yusei.

Agatha pulled her hand back immediately, scrambling nervously with a few steps back. She adjusted her glasses on her face with trembling hands as she took a good look at the boy that had just addressed them so aggressively.

“E-Eek! T-That’s Yusei Wilde!”

She ran to hide behind Airi, whispering in a tone that was anything but a whisper.

“He’s a delinquent! Airi, what do we do!?”

Airi remained composed with a smile on her face.

“Wilde… lovely to see you again. We were simply out on a nice stroll.”

Agatha’s eyes opened wide, looking up at Airi in disbelief.

“Eh!? Y-You know him!?”

Yusei grunted at the mere suggestion of being acquainted with Airi at all - although technically that was the truth.

He took a good look at Agatha for a moment.

Glasses.

Braids.

Meek, but excitable.

…Wait a minute.

“...Is that girl behind you Agatha Fitzgerald?”

“That’s right.”

“H-H-He knows me!?”

Yusei took a step forward, a vein popping on his forehead.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing with her all alone like this? I thought that was Rika’s thing!”

Airi’s smile didn’t waver, and she didn’t seem to mind that Agatha was right behind her listening to this.

“Fufu. I’m not limiting my choices. I might not have Miss Dumas’ assertiveness, but I certainly don’t want to be left behind.”

Yusei grunted and put his hands in his pockets, glaring daggers at her.

“And it never occurred to you that it was a shitty ass dick move to make a pass at this girl as soon as the sun came out?”

Agatha clasped her hands on her cheeks.

“E-Ehhh!? Make a pass!? O-On me!?”

Airi shook her head.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t want to play this any more than any of you, but I’m also not ready to go back to Heaven, and I certainly don’t want to risk leaving my fate in the hands of anyone else. I’m sure you can relate to that.”

Yusei scoffed loudly, stomping forward and standing right in front of an impassive Airi with an intimidating stance, reaching for her wrist and holding it in a tight grip.

“‘Relate to that’, my ass! You’re just some snooty girl. If anyone here’s gonna get to live and win her over, that’s gonna be me, you got that?”

Agatha clasped her hands over her mouth this time, her face so red it felt like it would explode any second.

“T-They’re fighting over me!? Like in shoujo manga!?”

Airi fixed her hair behind her ear.

“Oh, my. What a bold declaration. I’m simply beginning a friendship. The rest is not up to any of us, yes? Their feelings are their own - all we can do is hope we’re doing enough. Ah–”

“...What?”

“You’re touching me, Wilde. I thought you were scared of girls?”

Yusei’s eyes widened suddenly.

He was so used to picking fights with other delinquents he didn’t realize his body had moved on his own just like it had countless times before.

He saw the place where his fingers met her pale skin, and a shiver of fear ran down his spine. He brusquely let go of her arm and immediately took a step back.

“Gah!”

Agatha was stirring in place, her hands touching her own face and hair and glasses, both excited and confused about their conversation and the bits and pieces she could gather from it.

“Eh? I can’t keep track of what’s happening… But it feels exciting…”

Yusei stomped right past them, putting his hands back in his pockets and clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Tch. Whatever. You heard what I said, and I meant it.”

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks the moment he was in front of the log over the creek.

He turned around, addressing Agatha directly.

“You. Girl.”

“Y-Yes!?”

“You need help crossing the creek, right?”

“A-Ah… W-Well, Airi and I wanted to get to the other side, yes…”

“Hand.”

“Eh!?”

Before Agatha realized, Yusei was extending his hand to her, albeit not looking happy about it at all.

“Give me your hand, I said.”

Agatha shrieked.

This was a moment straight out of a romance visual novel, and neither her face nor demeanor did anything to hide her excitement.

She wasn’t too sure about having this moment with someone she only knew as a dangerous delinquent, but she’s played games where these kinds of guys save kitties from the rain and she’s romanced a few herself plenty of times, so giving him her hand felt natural - despite her entire body trembling like a chihuahua.

With slow and sure steps, Yusei carefully guided Agatha to the other side in silence.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Agatha clutched her chest, feeling her heart beating faster than ever before.

Her voice was quiet but excited, talking to herself, barely catching her breath.

“W-Wow… Did that really just… happen? To me!? Really!?”

She shrieked under her breath again, trying (and failing) to be discreet.

“Ooh my gosh… I have to treasure this memory for the rest of my life!!”