By the time Haruto dragged his beaten-up body home, he felt like he'd been hit by a truck. Every muscle ached from the fight at school, and there were definitely going to be some nasty bruises tomorrow. His uniform was wrinkled and his hair was a mess, but as he reached for the front door handle, a terrifying thought suddenly hit him like a lightning bolt.
Ah yes. Satsuki.
If she found out he'd gotten into a fight at school, she'd probably march straight to the school tomorrow and personally murder every single guy who'd laid a finger on him. And knowing Satsuki, she'd probably succeed too. The woman was sweet as pie most of the time, but when it came to protecting her little brother, she turned into some kind of terrifying warrior goddess.
He quickly straightened his clothes, ran his fingers through his hair, and forced himself to stand up straight despite how much everything hurt. He had to play this cool. Act normal. Pretend like nothing happened.
The moment he stepped through the door, Satsuki appeared from the kitchen wearing her cute floral apron, her face lighting up with that warm smile that always made him feel guilty for worrying her. She rushed over and wrapped him in one of her trademark bear hugs, and damn it, it felt so good even though his ribs were screaming in protest.
"Welcome home, Haruto!" she said, squeezing him tight. But then she pulled back slightly, and he could see those sharp eyes of hers studying his face. Crap. She always could read him like an open book.
"You look tired," she said, her voice taking on that concerned big-sister tone that made his stomach twist with guilt. "Did something happen at school today?"
Think fast, think fast. "Nah, it's nothing serious," he said, trying to sound casual while avoiding her gaze. "Just had a ton of math homework today. You know how it is – numbers make my brain hurt."
She didn't look entirely convinced, but before she could interrogate him further, he quickly grabbed her hand and started pulling her toward the dining room. "Come on, I'm starving! What's for dinner? It smells amazing in here."
Dinner was absolutely incredible, as usual. Satsuki had made his favorite – teriyaki chicken with perfectly seasoned rice, miso soup, and some kind of vegetable stir-fry that somehow made even Brussels sprouts taste good. She was an amazing cook, way better than most people twice her age. As they ate, she chattered about her day at work, some drama with her coworkers, and a new recipe she wanted to try tomorrow. He just nodded and made the appropriate responses, grateful that she seemed to have forgotten about his suspicious appearance earlier.
After helping clean up the dishes – well, trying to help while she basically did everything herself because she was a perfectionist – Haruto finally escaped to his room. He collapsed onto his bed with a groan, every muscle in his body reminding him of the beating he'd taken. He grabbed a manga from his nightstand, thinking maybe he could distract himself from the pain with some mindless reading.
But then he heard it. The sound of water running in the bathroom next door. The shower turning on.
His brain immediately went to places it definitely shouldn't go, and he felt his face heat up like someone had just set it on fire. Damn it, why did his mind always wander to weird places at the worst possible times? She was his sister, for crying out loud! But the sound of running water seemed impossibly loud in the quiet house, and he couldn't help but be aware of every little sound coming from the bathroom.
He buried his face in his manga, trying desperately to focus on the story, but the words might as well have been written in ancient hieroglyphics for all the sense they made to his scrambled brain.
The moment Haruto stepped into the classroom, an immediate wave of whispers erupted. The girls' eyes sparkled with admiration, some even giggling behind their hands, while the boys watched him with a mix of respect and envy. His sharp, cold gaze swept across the room, but he ignored the attention and headed straight for his seat.
Jun, his ever-enthusiastic classmate, waved excitedly. "Haruto! Everyone's talking about you!" he said, grinning. "Someone saw you take down three of the school's toughest bullies yesterday! Is it true?"
The classroom buzzed with excitement. A few students leaned in closer, eager to hear the story. Haruto sighed, rubbing his temple. He had hoped the incident would go unnoticed, but rumors spread faster than fire in this school.
"It wasn't a big deal," he muttered, slumping into his chair.
But Jun wasn't about to let it go. "Not a big deal? Those guys were huge! And you just—bam!—knocked them out like it was nothing!" He reenacted the imaginary fight, throwing exaggerated punches in the air. The class erupted in laughter and awe.
Haruto exhaled deeply, wishing the ground would swallow him. He hated unnecessary attention. All he had done was stop some idiots from harassing a younger student. He hadn't expected it to turn into some kind of legend.
Just as the chatter began to die down, a timid girl from the front row hesitantly approached his desk. Her face was flushed, and she clutched a notebook tightly against her chest. The entire class fell silent, watching the scene unfold.
"U-Um… Haruto-kun…" she stammered, avoiding his gaze. "C-Could I… have your autograph?"
Haruto blinked. "...Autograph?"
She nodded quickly. "Y-Yes! Everyone says you're so cool, and… I just thought…" Her voice trailed off as she nervously held out the notebook and a pen.
Haruto stared at her for a moment, then sighed again. He wasn't used to this kind of attention, but he couldn't just ignore her. Taking the pen, he scribbled his name quickly and handed it back.
The girl's face lit up like fireworks. "T-Thank you!" She bowed deeply before scurrying back to her seat, clutching the notebook like a treasure.
The class erupted in murmurs again. Some of the girls whispered excitedly, while a few guys exchanged impressed looks. Haruto just leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. Maybe if he pretended to sleep, they'd leave him alone.
The classroom door burst open, and another boy rushed in, panting heavily. His face was flushed from running, and his eyes darted around until they landed on Haruto.
"Haruto!" he gasped. "You—you gotta help! There's a guy getting jumped in the bathroom! The bullies from Class C—they've got him cornered!"
The room fell deadly silent. All eyes turned to Haruto, waiting for his reaction.
He didn't move at first. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and stood up.
Without a word, he walked toward the door.
The class erupted in cheers.
Jun jumped up, grinning. "I'm coming too!"
Haruto didn't answer. He just kept walking, his expression unreadable.
Another fight. Another mess.
But if no one else was going to step in, then fine—he'd handle it himself.