Rindou observed Seijirou from the side. Despite his fierce expression, he's really kind, he just hides it under that tough exterior.
Is this what they call a Tsundere? So cute! She didn't know there could also be male tsundere!
What a rare creature!
Rindou quickened her pace until she was walking ahead of him, then suddenly stopped and turned, standing directly in Seijirou's path.
Her expression was determined, though her hands still trembled faintly.
Seijirou slowed, his steps coming to a halt just a few feet from her. His hazel eyes flickered with mild surprise, then shifted into a quiet, tired stare, as though he was already anticipating whatever she was about to say.
For a moment, neither spoke. The air was still between them, the distant sound of cicadas echoing faintly through the schoolyard.
Then, after drawing a breath, Rindou bowed deeply. Her voice was steady but soft. "Thank you, Kageyama-kun… for saving me."
Seijirou sighed, scratching the back of his neck.
"Don't worry about it," he muttered, his tone flat, his eyes already drifting past her shoulder toward the gate. "Move aside. I'm going home. It's almost night."
Rindou lifted her head, blinking, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
"You really are kind, you know," she said gently. "I guess the rumors were wrong after all. Lots of fake news nowadays huh?"
That made Seijirou stop for a moment. He turned his head slightly, meeting her gaze with an unreadable expression.
Then, slowly, he raised his hand as if signaling her to stop talking.
"Don't say that," he said, voice calm but edged with firmness. "You should trust the rumors. They're true."
Rindou frowned slightly, tilting her head, clearly unconvinced.
"I don't believe that," she replied. "Aside from skipping classes sometimes, I've never seen you cause any trouble in school. You don't pick fights and you don't harass anyone. People say a lot of things, but I've never seen any proof."
Seijirou looked away, clicking his tongue softly. Of course you haven't, he thought. That's because the principal keeps everything under control.
His parents' influence had long silenced every incident, every record, every complaint. The school's reputation mattered more than anything, so his messes were always buried.
He remembered the last incident, it was at the first day of school where he tricked a girl into going to a KTV with him, got her drunked, and have his way with her before leaving here there, throwing a few stacks of money as compensation.
If someone who can do that is a good person, then everyone else is a saint.
He didn't bother explaining that to her though. He simply said, "You shouldn't get involved with me, President. You'll regret it."
Rindou blinked, then smiled again—this time brighter, almost teasing. "Then let me take that risk."
Seijirou gave her a blank stare. "What?"
"You should join the Student Council," she said, straightening her posture proudly, as if she had just come up with a brilliant idea. "You're strong, confident, and students already listen to you. We've never had a Disciplinary Committee before, so you can be the first! You'd be perfect for it. We can uphold justice and order in school!"
Seijirou's face twitched slightly, then he gave a short, dry laugh.
"Yeah, no," he said, brushing past her without slowing his pace. "Not interested."
Rindou turned to watch his back as he walked away, her lips curving into a soft smile.
His steps were casual, his shoulders relaxed, his hands buried in his pockets as the orange light of sunset outlined his figure.
"Rumors really can't be trusted after all," she whispered, half to herself. "He looks fierce, but he's actually kind."
She didn't see Seijirou glance slightly over his shoulder, his expression unreadable for a moment before he looked ahead again.
He didn't correct her. There was no point. If she wanted to believe he was kind, that was her problem.
Still, for some reason, as he walked away, he realized the headache she'd just given him might last a lot longer than he'd like.
He stared at the already dark skies snd sighed. This incident took a lot longer than he anticipated.
*
*
*
While walking through the quiet evening streets, Seijirou pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen, his thumb moving with practiced ease as he opened the group chat with his friends.
Earlier that day, he had asked them to dig into why those delinquents suddenly had the courage to lay a hand on Rindou.
Something about the whole situation didn't sit right with him.
The timing was too strange, and those guys were usually smart enough to stay in their lane.
Everyone in school knew that Rindou was strong, both in skill and in reputation.
She had a sharp tongue and a presence that demanded respect, the kind of girl who didn't need to raise her voice to make people back off.
Even the delinquents who often caused trouble kept their distance, gritting their teeth but never daring to challenge her openly.
After all, she wasn't just strong physically. Her background alone was enough to keep them in check. Her father was a police officer, her mother a lawyer, and she made no effort to hide that fact.
If someone messed with her, they weren't only dealing with her fists, but also the full weight of her family's influence.
In the game, the only one able to actually touch her is Seijirou due to his background and superior combat skills.
The only reason why other guys became confident on taking her on is if Seijirou ordered it, or if the protagonist got closer to Rindou and through her encouragement, become part of disciplinary committee and start reprimanding the delinquents.
This would anger those delinquents and they would use Rindou who was close to the protagonist to get their revenge.
His phone vibrated softly in his hand, pulling him out of his thoughts. A new message appeared from Shou.
Shou had finally found something.
According to him, someone had filed a complaint to an organization called the Hunter Gang—a group that, ironically, made money by handling school disputes in the shadows.
They were the kind of people who thrived off chaos, always ready to intervene if the price was right.
The message continued, saying that whoever made the complaint offered a large sum of money to have Rindou "taken care of."
Seijirou frowned as he read, his expression darkening.
It wasn't surprising that someone would hold a grudge against Rindou, but for someone to go that far, to hire an outside group to stir up trouble inside the school, that was serious.
Shou added that he was still tracing the source of the complaint, but it seemed like whoever was behind it knew how to cover their tracks.
Seijirou typed a short reply, acknowledging the update and telling Shou to keep digging.
Just as he was about to put his phone away, another notification came in, this time from Suzune.
Her message was simple and familiar, the kind of thing that reminded him of normalcy.
She told him not to wait for her tonight because she'd be going shopping with Touka. She ended the message by reminding him, as always, to eat his dinner properly.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he typed a quick response, telling her to take care and enjoy her time.
After sending the message, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued walking.
The night air was cool, and the distant hum of the city filled the silence. It was peaceful, almost too peaceful, considering the kind of day he'd had.
When he finally reached his house, Seijirou unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The quiet greeted him immediately. He kicked off his shoes, tossed his bag onto the floor, and went straight to the living room.
Without bothering to turn on the lights, he dropped onto the sofa, sinking into the cushions with a long sigh.
He pulled out his phone again, scrolled through his delivery app, and ordered Chinese food.
Some rice, sweet and sour pork, and a side of dumplings. Something simple and comforting.
When the order was placed, he tossed the phone onto the table beside him and let his eyes close.
The faint buzz of the city outside mixed with the rhythmic ticking of the clock on his wall.
It had been a long day, and for once, Seijirou didn't want to think about rumors, student councils, or shady organizations.
He just wanted a quiet evening and a warm meal.