So You’re Telling Me I’m in My Popular Phase!? - Chapter 13: An Unexpected Protection!?

Chapter 13: An Unexpected Protection!?

Where did you go, Izumi?

I tried talking to someone nearby.

“Excuse me. Have you seen a woman with straight hair who’s a bit shorter than me?”

They thought for a moment, but seemed not to know, and shook their head.

“I see… thank you.”

“No problem.”

After that, I asked a bunch of people, and finally found someone who’d seen her.

From what they told me, Izumi had gone outside with some guy.

The moment I heard that, I just bowed to them and ran.

That idiot—what the hell is she doing?!

※

The instant I got outside, I spotted Izumi.

And I realized she was surrounded by three guys—more than that, they were even grabbing her arms.

What do I do?

I could feel disgusting sweat pouring out of me.

Then, in that moment, I saw Izumi’s face.

She was trembling, so scared she looked like she was about to cry.

That was it—my patience hit its limit.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!”

I could tell Izumi was startled.

“Huh? What’s this? Who are you?”

One of the guys spoke to me, but I ignored him.

Right now, Izumi is what matters.

“Are you okay, Izumi? Sorry I got here late.”

I checked her over carefully.

“Good. You’re not hurt.”

“Yeah… I’m okay.”

Izumi nodded quietly.

“What? Ignoring us~?”

Yeah, I’m ignoring you.

“Come on. Let’s go back inside the store.”

I took Izumi’s arm back and pulled her.

“Don’t ignore us!!”

All of a sudden, one of the guys punched me in the face.

But I didn’t do anything—I just glared.

What’re you laughing at?

Do you think I’m weak because I’m not hitting back?

Like hell I’m gonna start a fight in front of an Izumi who’s about to cry.

If I lose control here, I’ll only scare her even more.

“R-Ryu-kun…”

“It’s fine. Come on—let’s hurry and go back.”

“Hey. Listen when someone’s talking to you. Yeah?”

The guy holding Izumi’s arm yanked it.

Izumi let out a pained sound.

Hey—what the hell are you doing?

What the hell are you doing to Izumi—I’ll kill you.

“Don’t get cocky!”

He kicked me hard in the back.

It hurt.

I almost fell over.

But more than that, the rage felt like it was burning me alive.

Still—I held it in.

“Let’s… go. Now.”

The guy tried to punch me again.

“Please, stop… I’ll go with you, okay? That’s what you want, right?”

Hey—what the hell are you saying?!

“Hey, Izumi… what are you say—”

“Oh, you finally get it? Then, yeah—since you’ve got nothing to do with this, you can go home.”

I got kicked again.

They peeled Izumi’s arm away from me and started walking off with her.

“Don’t screw with me!”

I lunged at the guys and tore Izumi away from them.

“Ow, you bastard.”

I got punched.

Maybe it pissed them off that I fought back for the first time—now all three surrounded me, beating and kicking me.

Damn it… in the end, I scared Izumi even more.

How long was I getting hit?

Maybe it was only a few seconds.

When I came to, I could hear a police car siren.

Someone must’ve called it in.

“Tch, we stood out too much. Whatever—let’s go.”

The guys ran off somewhere.

Serves you right.

“Are you okay, Izumi?”

“I-I’m totally fine! More importantly, Ryu-kun—!”

“This is nothing but a scratch. I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Even as I said that, my whole body hurt so bad I felt like crying.

God, how lame.

For now, we went back inside the department store and sat on a bench.

“…Hey, Ryu-kun.”

After we sat there in silence for a while, Izumi spoke to me.

“What?”

“Do you remember winter break in our first year of middle school?”

Yeah.

There’s no way I could forget.