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Chapter 2 — New Acquaintance
part II
The sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, painting quiet lines across the ceiling. Kazuna's eyes fluttered open. She didn't remember falling asleep, but the weight in her body said she hadn't rested well.
Still, she sat up, rubbing her eyes gently as she yawned. No use in staying still when the world kept turning.
Quickly she jumped off the bed and went into the bathroom with her shaggy hair as if she's just faced a storm. She got ready earlier than usual.
Thankfully, she didn't forget to pack her schoolbag last night. But still, she needed to check that everything was ready.
After slipping on her uniform blazer and tying her hair up in a low ponytail since she has short hair—even though it was pretty useless to tie her hair because she knew her hair was going to be messy not long after.
She opened the door gently, hoping not to wake anyone else. But as soon as she walked down the stairs, she found out that her mom was already awake and now cooking for breakfast in the kitchen. While she still had time, she stopped by the kitchen.
"Hm? You're earlier than usual, are you excited about something?" Her mom noticed her presence.
Kazuna slightly shook her head without saying anything. But then she looked back at the table near her and noticed some bread on a plate with a glass of milk beside it.
"That's for your breakfast. Eat up before you leave, okay?" Her mom added with a gentle voice.
She nodded, "Thanks, mom."
Kazuna pulled out a chair and sat down, picking up a slice of bread. After that she grabbed the butter then smeared it over the bread with the butter knife, then continued with the jam, a strawberry one.
She brought the bread to her mouth and took a bite of it. The rich strawberry flavor lingered on her tongue, pure of sweetness she could never complain about. It has always been her favorite.
Kazuna quickly finishes her breakfast, washing it down with the milk. The perfect combo for a breakfast and it's more than enough for her.
She was full, at least for now. Then she grabbed her bag after putting on her sweater and went to the front door, putting on her shoes before her mom came forward.
"Take care." Her mom said, waving her hand at her.
Kazuna nodded her head. "I'm going now. Bye, mom."
She was ready—from head to toe, then it was time to step outside and greet the morning sun. The early morning air greeted her like an old friend. Crisp, a little cold. Perfect for a slow walk.
She looked around and up at the sky, it was gorgeous, really. Today must be a lovely day—probably, and the birds chirping in the background only made it better.
She took a step one by one on the stepstones really carefully, at this point—she remembered the game 'the floor is lava'.
But anyway, Kazuna continued to walk to her school after she walked out of the gate while she's enjoying the view around. It was always calming when every time she was mesmerized by the golden gradient melting into the blue sky, just like a painting.
Well, it didn't take too much time to arrive at the school since it was only about a 20 minute walk—in her opinion.
Along the way she walked, she saw the lamp in the neighborhood light up one by one, meaning people had started their day. So then, she quickened her pace. Hoping the road wouldn't get busy right away.
Thankfully—when she arrived, the gate was already opened. Deep inside she was hoping that there were a few who had come to school. She didn't want to go through a busy hallway.
As she entered the school, she immediately changed her shoes into her indoor shoes, and placed her outdoor shoes in the locker. She did take a look around as she swapped her shoes, it was pretty calm, maybe there was a chance.
Kazuna continued to walk down through the hallway, almost too excited. But she was relieved, she had never been too early like this.
Finally, she got into the class, there was no one there yet. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and went to her seat in the 4th row from the front, in the middle—then put on her schoolbag before she sat down.
She grabbed a book from her bag, flipped the pages one by one just to make sure there was no unfinished homework and everything was correct because last night she was so sleepy.
Kazuna stares at the window on her left, resting her head down on the desk. Her mind starts to wander off as she looks at the sky.
This moment calms her, surrounded by the quiet that was never haunting. It feels like for a second she was given a chance to brush it off, no need to worry about anything.
Kazuna let her head down gently on the table, cushioned by her own arm under it, her gaze almost fading slowly.
Deep down—she was hoping today wasn't going to be chaos like yesterday...
But maybe it was hopeless saying that.
A loud noise suddenly woke her up, opening her eyes immediately in shock. She swore she could hear so many shouts echoing.
And as she thought, she fell asleep. But the nap wasn't too bad, though. She gazes around the class, it was chaos like usual in the morning.
People—the students... already present in the class. Staring at the clock right now, it was almost the school bell ringing.
Somebody was throwing paper, someone else was screaming about lunch money, and anything else. But then she saw a familiar face.
It was Arai Itsuki. He seemed panicked.
"Please, somebody," He said to the boys with a pleading look, asking for their permission to borrow their homework.
Probably he wouldn't stop begging to all of the people inside the class. "Can I borrow the science note? It's for the last question, please. I couldn't figure out the last one—!"
Suddenly, a book was thrown at his head.
He widened his eyes, wasn't expecting it to come, almost left speechless. Looking around, finding who threw the book at him.
Kazuna did it, she threw her science note at him. Gazing at him from afar, but glanced away immediately as they almost made eye contact.
And he noticed that, switching his focus down to the exercise book before looking up at her again.
"Thank you... Inoue!" He shouted at her.
And she didn't respond.
But she couldn't help herself to glance back at him not long after with a blank stare. He sat down on his own seat, finishing his homework with her book.
Then, the bell rang. Everyone gets in their own seat. Starting the school.
During the lesson, Kazuna kept quiet and watched her teacher explaining in front of the class. Sitting casually. Well, it was going pretty well, nothing weird or bad happened for now.
And as the lunch bell rang, the classroom exploded with noise—again. Chairs screeched, desks slammed, wrappers crinkled. Well, she didn't want to wait any longer either, it felt like almost a decade.
Someone was already yelling about a bread trade while another argued with the vending machine beside her. While Kazuna, just stay silent and completely ignore everything.
Thankfully, as she opened her bag, her bento was inside, she almost forgot about it, again. Her mother should be putting her bento right before she leaves.
She took out her bento, unwrapped it neatly, and began eating without a word.
No one talked to her. Not that she expected them to. Honestly, it was better this way, she too loved 'me time'.
Her lunch was simple; rice, tamagoyaki, and pickled vegetables. Nothing fancy, but enough to fill her stomach.
She ate it quickly, like it was just another task on a checklist. She didn't want to waste the time because she always planned to go somewhere as she finished with her lunch.
Not long after that, she closed her bento, wiped her hands with a handkerchief before standing up and slipped out of the room. Dodging the other students like an expert ninja, moving swiftly without any sound.
She wandered the halls in silence, her indoor shoes padding softly against the wooden floor. The building was quieter here—only the occasional echo of laughter or a distant shoe squeak.
She wanted to go somewhere quieter...
It was the library.
However, she hesitated as she arrived in front of the library.
Why is the library busier than usual today...
But without thinking much, she turned around and her legs started to take her to another place to go.
Maybe for now she needs to try something new.
The hot radiance reached her skin, she could feel it reflected by the window. The air felt tight. But she considered going to the rooftop, maybe the air felt nicer there than staying in this building flooded with people.
Kazuna took the stairs two at a time. The door to the rooftop creaked open with a groan as she pushed them, and a gentle breeze welcomed her like an old friend.
Peace, finally.
Or that's what she thought.
"Oi, loner-chan. Fancy seeing you here."
Kazuna's body almost flinched, turning around sharply. Only to find him, Tanaka Shougo. That annoying kid again. It was a mistake to go here. Seriously, she deeply regretted coming here.
He leaned casually against the railing, drink can in hand. His tie was loose, sleeves rolled up, and his expression as annoyingly smug as ever.
If she could, she would punch that annoying face immediately.
"Are you following me or something?" She muttered, narrowing her eyes.
Tanaka shrugged with a lazy grin. "You wish. This is my napping spot, y'know. You're trespassing."
Kazuna silently turned around while rolling her eyes secretly, walking towards the far end of the roof to put distance between them, she just wanted to be alone.
And he was following. Of course he did.
"Geez," he said, trailing after her, "You could at least act surprised to see your favorite upperclassman."
"Who said you're my favorite?" She replied flatly.
"No one has to. I can tell. It's in your eyes."
She stared at him, expression deadpan. "My eyes are literally screaming, 'get lost.' "
He laughed, he was clearly enjoying this. Chuckling before he takes a sip of his drink.
"Y'know... you're the weirdest kid I've ever known."
Kazuna stayed silent, she swore deep inside her that if she started acting up or something else that was clearly going to piss her off. Taking a deep breath.
"...Why?"
But really, that 'weird kid' nickname has been something to her. It felt like somebody had been calling her that long ago.
"Nobody ever shows that kind of attitude to a senior, especially to me." He dares added a wink.
"I don't give a damn about it." She clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes.
Tanaka chuckled again, hardly. He could feel a tear at the corner of his eye.
But for a split second—he remained silent, just stared at her quietly. That sudden demeanor change sends her a shiver for a bit.
"Inoue,"
"...Hm?" She responded.
"How did you learn... martial arts?"
Kazuna paused, caught motionless. And it happened again, he asked something she didn't even think about. She turned her head at him, not fully, just enough to glance.
"...Why are you asking me that?"
Tanaka leaned against the rail again, this time without the smirk. "You don't look like the kind of person who'd pick fights... but last night I just heard what Arai said otherwise."
She remained quiet. The breeze brushed her bangs, she didn't even realize her fingers were twitching.
She exhaled slowly, eyes half-lidded. She didn't answer right away. Deep inside, she didn't know if she wanted to lie or tell the truth. She'd been trying to hide it—always had.
"My dad knows about taekwondo," She paused. "Then I asked him if he could teach me—for personal purposes, so I could defend myself, I think." She gave a half-shrug like it wasn't a big deal.
Tanaka hummed. Then another pause. Not an awkward one—but... quiet.
He looked away, staring at the blue sky like it had answers. Sighing before he turned at her again.
"After... yesterday," He said suddenly. "I wonder how you could gain the courage to fight those bastards, especially since you're a girl." He turned his gaze toward her.
"You're really cool, like, really cool now." He added.
What now?
"Whoa." She slightly widened her eyes—trying to act surprised, slowly turning her head at him.
"What?" He asked.
She wanted to say it, but she changed her mind anyway. "...Nothing."
"Hm, yeah." He paused. "...But I'm still way cooler than you, y'know? Maybe ten times cooler." He dares to add a wink.
Cold stares locked at him. "Seriously?"
Before Tanaka could even say anything, Kazuna was already taking her leave.
"H—Hey…! Where are you going, I haven't finished talking with you!" He insisted.
"Nu-uh." She fastened her pace. "I'm not buying your bullshits."
She was a bit annoyed right now, really. Kazuna went out of there immediately.
Her fists almost clenched, she ignored him, and of course she wasn't going to look back again.
The door to the rooftop slammed behind her with a loud clang. She didn't even realize how fast she was walking until she reached the end of the corridor and had to stop to breathe.
"...I swear if I met that guy again…" She muttered, sighing deeply.
After a moment, she continued walking down the hallway, going back to her classroom—but slower this time, keeping her head down without even looking at where she was going.
But as she was nearly entering the class, she got bumped by someone who was going to leave the room. Stumbled back—looking up and that's when she saw Arai Itsuki.
"U—Uhm hey, Inoue... I just put your science book on your desk, thank you fo—"
"Yeah, you're welcome," She immediately answered.
Arai nodded. "Are you... okay, perhaps? You're sweating so much."
Kazuna stopped there for a moment—placing her hand on her forehead. Well, he wasn't lying then.
"I'm okay."
She nodded back before she moved forward, walking past him and quickly getting on her seat.
Then she took her bottle and tried to drink slowly.
Arai watched her silently and seemed not to know what was going on, but didn't want to ask further again. "Inoue,"
Her eyes rolled at him, still drinking from her bottle. Then she finished it up immediately and put down the bottle. "What...?"
"U—Uhh... just asking, if we could eat together on the next break? Tomorrow?" He stuttered.
Then he added, "I mean... you're always alone, and it's kinda lame seeing you eat silently while people throw curry bread around."
Kazuna raised an eyebrow. "...You think I'm… lame?"
"N—No! Not like that—I meant they're lame—look, never mind." He scratched his cheek nervously. "You can say no, I just... thought I'd ask."
Pause for a moment, she tries to think about it.
"...Maybe," she muttered.
"Huh?"
"I said maybe," she repeated, shrugging her shoulders. "Don't get your hopes up."
Arai stood there, stunned for a second, then he nodded silently before he walked, leaving the classroom, and suddenly grinned like a golden retriever getting head pats.
"Yes!! 'Maybe' is like... 75% of a yes!" He shouted internally, a surge of excitement bouncing in his chest like a kid on a sugar rush.
Finally... peace. Again.
Kazuna let out a long sigh. On this point, she really hoped that nothing would disturb her. All of that drama really drained her energy.
Right now, all she wanted was silence—and preferably a nap.
And there she goes, slumped forward, resting her head on her desk. Her eyes, half-lidded and heavy with fatigue, flickered shut as the quiet hum of the classroom lulled her into sleep.
At least for now, the chaos had settled.
The day went on, and eventually she woke up after hearing the familiar bell ring. Continuing her school like usual, paying attention to the teacher when they were teaching, doing the tasks, and many other things.
As she was in the middle of doing her task, she got distracted. Turning her head to the side and stared at the window, daydreaming.
Until finally...
The last bell rings.
The sound feels like music to her ears. She swears she could jump excitedly every time she heard it.
Yup, going home!
Students flooded out through the gates, laughing and yelling about tests, clubs, and who stole whose juice. While some of the students were intended to clean up the classroom according to the schedule each day.
Thankfully, today isn't her turn, and Kazuna didn't wait any longer—she left after a minute the bell rang, packing her things into the schoolbag and walking with her hoodie up, earphones in, and turning the music on with a wired earphone. A retro one.
Kazuna walks through the hallway to her locker. Swapping her shoes and jumping forward to leave the school immediately.
The air breeze swaying her hair to the back is refreshing. Walking slowly past the gate, letting out a soft sigh. She reached for her earphones, blasting the music on while keeping her hands inside the hoodie pocket.
Breathes in, finally... peace.
Or that was what she thought, until someone poked her shoulder from behind. "Yo, Inoue—"
She flinched. Her walk stopped immediately.
She turned halfway.
And it's the same face... there he was—
Tanaka Shougo.
He swiftly walked, trying to catch up beside her with a soda in one hand and zero shame in his face.
But as she tried to walk away, oh how cruel her fate is... she felt a hand on her shoulder. He was already beside her, currently preventing her from running away.
"Wait up," he said, slightly out of breath. "You walk too fast for someone short."
"Say that again and I'll rearrange your face." She threatened him.
He chuckled while he chugged down the soda, letting out a gargle after.
Ew.
And weirdly, she waited for him to say something and watched him silently.
She folded her arms, eyes narrowing. "What do you want?"
He ran his hand and scratched the back of his neck, his gaze shifting slightly.
"Just... came to say sorry. For earlier."
"...Obviously."
There it is... silent. Again. A bit more awkward this time. She turned her head away.
"I mean it," he added, this time more serious.
Kazuna blinked and turned around again, unsure how to respond. "Yeah, sure..."
But Tanaka only let out a sigh. They both went silent again, eventually. Looking away at the same time.
Kazuna took a deep breath, lowered her head—and was still looking away, fidgeted with the cord of her earphones.
"...It's fine," she said quietly, almost like she will surely regret saying it.
"But if you won't shut up, I will break your ribs into pieces," She added.
Tanaka grinned, tilting his head. "Will you?" He giggled.
She swore she could just punch his face now. But this time she decided to stay silent, she still could maintain this, probably. She even kept walking beside him instead of quickening her pace.
And they both walked in silence, for once it wasn't that awkward.
Until he casually added, "You know, that punchline would've hit harder if you weren't blushing."
She turned so fast it was a miracle her neck didn't snap.
"I'm not blushing."
"Really? Then why's your ear red like the roses?"
"I am not."
She really wasn't.
"And the fact that you gargled a soda like an orc just a minute ago."
Tanaka gasped. "Excuse me, it was a tactical refreshment. Soda heals all wounds—"
Then he dramatically added with eyes sparkling. "Science."
Kazuna rolled her eyes with a groan. If only she could prove to the world that he is the worst person she's ever seen.
"You're impossible to handle."
He smirked, trailing behind her. "I am your problem now, shortie—"
Her jaw dropped.
"Say that again and I'll show you what science can't heal." She furrowed her brow.
His smirk widened, thinking to challenge her. "Shor—"
BAM.
She stomped on his foot really hard—then ran away fast.
He jumped in hurt, whining like a dog.
"OUCH...!"
Kazuna finally escaped, leaving him behind really fast, she didn't even look back. All she was thinking about was getting home as fast as she could.
The thing is, she couldn't run too fast. The ground was a little steep. If she got too fast, she would surely fall forward right away and hit the ground.
But if she really did, she would blame the school because it builds a road that could harm anyone.
After a few minutes, she started to slow down—believing that it was already a bit far away. Then looking back and checking if that 'pain in the ass' was coming after her.
She sighed in relief, knowing that he was not in sight. Finally…
At least until she heard the faint, echoing voice from behind her.
"YOU'RE GONNA REGRET THAT, INOUEEE—!"
She flinched. "Ugh—Shut up!" she yells over her shoulder, not even slowing down.
Kazuna cuts into a side street, slowing her pace but still walking fast. Her foot's a little sore—stomping him with full force was not part of her plan today.
Not like she had a plan anyway.
She finally reached the corner convenience store and ducks behind a vending machine, panting.
"He better not be following me with a limp," she muttered while looking around, peeking out just to make sure.
Pulling out her phone, she opens her notes app and types:
Reminder: If you stomp on a man's foot, don't do it with thin sneakers. 0/10 pain absorption.
She groaned, leaning her head back against the machine. The sky's already darkening—great, now she gotta deal with homework after this.
Her hoodie's damp with sweat, and she was too tired to care if anyone saw her looking like a disaster.
Suddenly—
"Oi."
She froze. Slowly, she turns up her head.
Yep.
He was right behind her.
He caught her by the hoodie before she even could sprint away. His grip tightened.
"Now you can't escape~" Tanaka laughed playfully.
He dragged her along effortlessly, going forward deep into the alleyway. It was futile for her to slip away from his grip on her arm.
"You... Dammit!"
"Pretty girls don't curse, okay?"
Tanaka smiled devilishly, she couldn't guess what he wanted to do. Well, she hopes it isn't something bad.
Until he stopped, yanking her roughly to a halt. The alley was silent and narrower than the alleyway last night, save for the echo of their footsteps dying behind them.
The only light came from a flickering bulb overhead—buzzing like an angry insect.
She turned her head slightly, not daring to meet his eyes. "What are you gonna do, Tanaka?"
He leaned closer, lips near her ear.
"Relax. I'm not gonna kill you or anything."
He chuckled like it was a joke, but she didn't find it funny. At all.
She didn't listen, no, she didn't want to. Kazuna tried to walk away again, however Tanaka stopped her before she could even move.
He noticed it, then he dropped the joke. "Okay fine, I'll stop but just… stay, only for a few minutes, okay?"
Her shoulders tensed, heart pounding. But he sounded… desperate.
"Then what do you want?" She asked for the last time.
Tanaka finally loosened his grip a little. Enough to make her think she could run—but not enough to try.
"I just wanna talk," he said, grinning. "You ran away before I could tell you something important."
She narrowed her eyes. "If this is about calling me 'shortie' again..."
"Oh, no no." He waved it off. "I mean something really important."
"Like... about what happened last night, you faced those guys." He dropped it.
Her breath caught.
Tanaka leaned against the grimy alley wall, watching her like a cat cornering a bird.
"You were fighting last night," he said casually, like he was talking about the weather.
"But I'm guessing you already knew I'd find out." He added.
Kazuna tensed, furrowing her eyes. "What about it?"
"Oh, so it was true what Arai's talking about." He tilted his head.
They went silent for a moment, Tanaka glanced down at her.
"I guess you're bad at hiding something, huh? Your shoe still has a bloodstain, by the way."
She looked down and cursed silently. "Damn it... should've changed shoes..."
Tanaka took a step closer. His voice dropped lower—serious now, no more teasing.
"Tell me. Were they wearing black jackets with a gold chain patch on the sleeve?"
She blinked. Her silence gave her away.
He was right...
He scoffed. "Figures. Those bastards don't know when to quit."
Kazuna's brows furrowed. "Wait... you know them?"
He didn't answer right away. Pulled something out from under his hoodie—a crumpled photo, torn at the edges.
Four guys, blurry, taken from some distance.
"Recognize any of them?"
Her eyes widened a bit. The second one from the left—the same guy she kicked in the jaw last night. He had a silver eyebrow piercing and a tattoo peeking from his collar.
She nodded slowly.
"Yeah. That one. He was the loudest. Didn't shut up even after I knocked him down."
Tanaka's eyes darkened. His playful grin was gone.
"Good. Then we're chasing the same trash." Tanaka's jaw clenched. His usual smugness was gone—completely wiped off his face.
"They used to jump on my friend." His voice was low and tight. And immediately she fell silent.
"Almost every week. He never told anyone... not even me. I found out late."
Kazuna kept quiet, watching him while swallowing hard. There was something in his eyes—guilt, heavy and sharp. She gets it.
"One day," he continued, "...he stopped showing up. No message. No signs. Gone."
She looked down a bit. "...I'm sorry."
Tanaka went silent, shoving his hands into his pocket. "...I've been trying to find him. I think those bastards had something to do with it."
Then his eyes locked on hers, serious and sharp like a blade.
"And if they mess with him, they won't hesitate to mess with anyone else. So listen to me—don't go anywhere alone at night. Got it?"
His voice was dead serious. No teasing. No smirks. Just genuine concern.
Kazuna raised an eyebrow, trying to hide how that weirdly made her chest sting.
"...What's with the sudden protective mode? Scared I'll get kidnapped or something?"
He didn't answer right away. He stared at her like he meant it.
"Don't jinx it. Just... promise me. Don't be reckless."
She sighed, looking away with a softer one.
"You're being dramatic. I'm fine. Really."
Then she shrugged her shoulders, her voice casual—like it was no big deal. "I've dealt with them before. Beat a few of them up. Got some bruises, yeah, but I'm still here."
Tanaka blinked.
"You... what?"
Kazuna shrugged again, unfazed. "They're sloppy. Too confident. Once you figure out how they move, it's easy."
Then, leaning closer with a smug grin of her own, "Besides, I already got a bit of info from them. Rumors. About how they're dealing with something illegal. Drugs, maybe worse."
Tanaka's eyes widened slightly. He didn't expect that.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you?"
...Touché.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Just two people with too much going on, staring at each other under a flickering alley light.
Tanaka scratched the back of his neck, glanced away.
"...Okay, fine. You win."
Tanaka exhaled, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "...Then let's team up."
Kazuna blinked. "Huh?"
He crossed his arms. "You clearly know more than I thought. And if you already kicked a few of them down, we might as well combine efforts."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "But no hero stunts. This isn't a game. They're not just street thugs—they're probably connected to something bigger."
She raised an eyebrow. "True... but why should I trust you?"
He gave her a half-smile, calm but sharp. "You already do. Otherwise, you'd have punched me again by now."
Kazuna rolled her eyes. "Tch, cocky."
"Accurate," he replied, grinning.
Then the grin faded. "But seriously. Keep this between us. Don't tell Itsuki. Especially Riku."
"Why?" she asked.
He hesitated. "...Because if he finds out, he'll do something stupid."
Just as the words left his mouth—
"What'll I do, exactly?"
They both froze.
Kazuna turned her head slowly.
Standing at the edge of the alleyway, holding a plastic grocery bag, was...
Arai Itsuki.
His face was blank. Too blank. The kind of expression people make right before they explode in any second.
"...Hi?" Kazuna tried.
Arai stared at them. At the closeness. The alley. Tanaka.
"Why are you two here?"
"Why are you here?" Tanaka shot back.
Arai ignored him, stepping closer to Kazuna and pulls her a little, voice calm but cold.
"Inoue—why is this guy dragging you into alleyways?" He whispered
Tanaka, who's standing behind them, heard that loud and clear, raising both of his hands. "Okay wow, rude. No dragging. No weirdness. Just... talking."
Kazuna tried to speak, but Arai cut in again. "You said not to go out at night."
"You also said you were going straight home." Then another, "And now you're standing here. With him." He added three times in a row.
Tanaka muttered, "Okay, rude again—"
"Shut up." Arai glared at him.
Kazuna sighed and rubbed her temple. "Okay... everyone please... calm down—"
But it was too late.
The air between them already sparked.
Arai's jaw tightened. "If he's trying to do something, you need to tell me."
"I'm protecting her, you idiot." Tanaka gritted his teeth
"Okay—! I get it you two, but can you both hear me out for a second, please?" She almost raised her voice at the two boys.
And eventually, they calmed down. But still, they both tensed, staring at each other. Kazuna could only sigh at this point.
But just as she wanted to speak...
SLAP!
A hand smacked the back of Tanaka's head.
Taaka jerked forward, eyes wide. "Ow—WHAT THE HELL?!"
Standing behind him, completely unbothered, was Arai's older brother—arms crossed, flat look on his face.
"You freak," he said bluntly. "Walking with a girl in a dark alley? What is this, a shoujo manga?"
Kazuna choked on her breath, covering her mouth with her hand and staring away.
Tanaka turned red. "I—I wasn't doing anything sketchy, okay?!"
Arai blinked. "Wait, what are you doing here?"
His brother shrugged. "I saw you all walking from the street. Thought I was hallucinating. Followed you. Turns out, I was right."
Then he looked at Kazuna, his tone turning calm but serious.
"Both of you. My place. Now." He added firmly. "I think we all need to talk before this turns into a crime scene.
Right after that, she realized maybe she couldn't get home right away.