The Story of A Beautiful Girl I Rescued From An Attacker Who Became My Seatmate. - Chapter 34

“It’s raining.”

The rain is falling lightly. It’s the kind of weather that feels like the start of the rainy season.

I’m about to go home, but rain is always such a hassle. Even if I use an umbrella, my leather shoes still get slightly wet, and my bag gets damp too. I often hear people say they like rain, but I can’t quite understand that feeling.

“Well, see ya.”

“Yeah.”

Hoshino seems to be leaving too. It appears that Hoshino is also fed up with the rainy season, as they leave the classroom with a grim expression.

Now, instead of lingering here, I should hurry up and go home. Since Kirishima doesn’t seem to be in the classroom anymore, she’s probably waiting near the school gate.

“Alright.”

Today, we had physical education, so I have to take my gym clothes home. Also, carrying all the textbooks and materials is quite heavy, especially with the school-issued bag weighing me down. It’s quite a burden to walk home with all of that.

“Hey there.”

As I trudge along, burdened by an incredibly heavy bag, someone calls out to me. I’m taken aback by the sudden interruption.

When I turn around, I see a guy who appears to be in the same grade as me, smiling cheerfully behind me.

“Um, what is it?”

“This is you, right?”

He holds up his smartphone. The screen displays a photo that I saw Hoshino show me the other day.

But how did he recognize that the person in the photo is me? For now, I’ll try to evade the question casually.

“I have something to do, so I can’t stay.”

“Hey!”

I try to leave the situation nonchalantly, but my attempt fails. This guy seems to have some ulterior motive, and my intuition is sounding the alarm bells.

“Oh, you’re still trying to play dumb?”

“What are you really after?”

With an eerie smile, the guy scans my entire body intently. Then, with an air of confidence, he starts operating his smartphone.

“So, what’s this?”

He shows me the screen of his smartphone, which displays a snapshot of me and Kirishima side by side, holding shopping bags.

“Why do you have a photo like this? Isn’t it secretly taken?”

“Secretly taken? Who knows? But more importantly, what’s the relationship between you and Kirishima?”

As I show signs of panic upon seeing the candid photo, the guy suddenly changes his tone and interrogates me. I can’t help but feel a slight sense of danger from his sudden change.

I’m currently in a less crowded area of the hallway. Moreover, I’ve been stopped just as I was about to descend the stairs, meaning we’re in a secluded spot with almost no foot traffic.

“Why do I need to tell you about my relationship with Kirishima? We’re free to do whatever we want.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“No offense, but I don’t understand what you’re getting at. Do you have some kind of relationship with Kirishima?”

It might be better not to provoke this guy, but his selfish attitude has irritated me a bit.

“You’re seriously annoying. What’s your deal?”

“Well, even if you get defensive. If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving here.”

I forcefully cut off the conversation and left the scene. In the end, I still didn’t know who this guy was or anything about his background, but I at least understood that he was fixated on Kirishima.

And I realized that he harbored clear animosity towards me. It was evident from his gaze and expression.

After I left, I didn’t miss the fact that the guy made a loud sigh. But for now, I decided to go home. It was clear that getting involved with this guy would lead to nothing good.

I hurriedly descended the stairs, carrying my heavy bag, as if trying to escape the situation.

“Tch. Who does he think he is?”

The guy who had been talking to Kurata had a face flushed with hatred in the dimly lit corner of the staircase. Moreover, he gripped his pants as if about to tear them apart.

“Reina is mine. Why is she hanging around with him? He’s just an introverted guy with no redeeming qualities.”

Muttering such things, the guy operated his smartphone and made a call to a certain person.

“Hello? Take action quickly. You already have his address, right?”

“But, there’s pressure from the police and the parent company…”

The person on the other end of the call responded with a frightened voice. However, the guy didn’t pay any attention to it and continued to vent his frustration.

“Just get it done quickly. By any means necessary. Got it!”

The guy threatened the person on the other end of the call with an angry tone and hung up. His voice echoed throughout the corridor, but unfortunately, it was after school, and no one else heard it.