Some days passed since the funeral of their neighbour's son, Miyauchi. The memories of that sad occurrence vividly lingered in the mind of Harue.
His hand was moving slowly to sew together the pieces of clothes.
"Harue-senpai!" Hishimi smacked the back of Harue's head, snapping him back into reality.
"What was that for!?"
"You were making such a depressing face."
".....It's nothing."
Harue went back to the normal speed of his sewing skills. He was currently working on a final attire. It was for the first year Konishi Rina, that was supposed to play as the little sister of the protagonist.
Since the protagonist in the story that Paro wrote, is originally from a poor village before acquiring a royalty title, the protagonist's family should also be from a poor background.
The same for his little sister. So this was the easiest to make since no extravagant design was needed or no colourful cloth was obligatory.
He just needs to sew it to Rina's measurements.
"I bet you were sad that you do not have a girlfriend."
"I'm not that desperate." Irritated as Harue was, he felt insulted by her comment.
"Then, do you already have someone in mind?"
Hishimi came closer and kept on tapping his arm with her shoulder. Her smugness was displayed by her mischievous grin as she continued nagging him.
"Not really."
For an instant, Harue glanced at Yuna, who was practising her part in the story act.
He wanted to hide this fact from everyone until he confessed for his love. About 2 weeks ago, at the Heisei Shopping Mall, he had finally mustered the courage to confess.
But then the terrorists ruined it for Harue. Till now, he hasn't restored the courage to again open up to Yuna.
It is going to take some time to achieve something this special for him.
"Heee~" Hishimi's voice just wouldn't get out of his head, pestering him. He would push her away with vague responses.
The bothering went on for a few minutes before Hishimi got bored with his dull answers.
She was about to take a different approach for another attack but a small thump just interrupted their interaction.
"Kya!"
They both veered to that girl's voice.
They saw the first-year Rina just on the stage on her belly, laying down. All of the members that were practising beside her rushed to her aid.
Seita was the first one to call out to her, "Rina-san! Are you alright?"
The other members were surrounding Rina with worried faces. Nami, who was amongst the small crowd, supported Rina to stand up carefully alongside Seita.
"I-I am alright.....I just tripped on my own feet." Rina reassured all her clubmates.
Nami checked and saw that there were only minor bruises on her left knees.
"Let's get off the stage and rest a bit."
"I-I....can still go on." Rina persisted. Seeing that behaviour, Paro stepped in.
"Rina-san. Please rest a bit. Once you feel better, then you can rejoin."
".....Yes."
She used her authority and forced her to rest. As she got off the stage, Hishimi supported her, replacing Nami and Seita. All of the others went back to practice.
Hishimi made Rina sit just on the front row of seats.
She took a look at the bruises and shrugged it off with no significant worries.
"Well, it is just a small bruise. Want me to lick it to make you feel you better?"
"Eh? Huh? Heh!?" The genuine confusion and shock embroiled into her mind.
Hishimi brought her lips near her knees. She was forming a kiss and was really going for it.
Quickly, Rina moved her legs to another direction and covered it with her hands.
"I-I'm g-good!" She embarrassingly declined Hishimi's favour. At the moment, the fall she had on the stage was the last thing on her mind.
Hishimi smirked playfully and teased Rina for the last time.
"Oh? Would you have preferred it on your lips?"
"Eh!? I did not m-mean that!"
"Is that so?"
Hishimi leaned to her face and her lips were closer to Rina's mouth. Her ears became redder as she rapidly turned her head and covered it.
"I-I am straight, H-Hishimi-senpai!"
"....Phuahahahaha!! Your reaction is cute."
Hishimi swept a finger at the little tears that started to form at the corner of her eyes since she started laughing hysterically. Mainly because her joke was taken seriously.
Harue, who was sitting at his seat all the time, decided to break them up.
"Oi Hishimi-san, that's enough bullying."
"What is it Harue-senpai? You jealous?"
"Jealous of what?"
"That I can get a girlfriend and you can't."
"Hah? As I said, I am not desperate."
This was now another start of a quarrel between an upperclassman and a sophomore.
While they were fighting, a girl entered the auditorium. No one noticed her until Higashiyama Ike glanced at the new face.
The girl noticed Ike and approached him.
"Excuse me Senpai, is my brother here?"
"Your brother? Yeah, he is just in the third-row seats in the middle section."
".....Thank you."
She went and detected three individuals sitting fairly close. It was Hishimi, Rina and Harue.
She called out to Harue, "Nee-chan."
He turned his attention to the girl and replied.
"Oh, if it isn't Kana.....Wait?.....It's Nii-chan!!"
Hishimi interrupted Harue's outburst as she greeted Kana, "Kana-chan. What brings you here?"
"Nothing really. Our club finished training earlier today."
"Oh is that so? Come and sit then."
Kana complied and approached a seat. But momentarily after, she heard the door opened.
She swept a glance at the door and there was a male student. It was not a member of the Drama Club so no one knew this boy. But seeing him, Kana's eyes widened a bit and clicked her tongue.
She hopped over the seats and went close to Harue. She then ducked under the seats next to him.
Harue, Rina and Hishimi were confused at what she was trying to do. Kana signalled Harue to not disclose her hiding spot by putting a finger close to her lips.
All he had in his head was questions. Harue looked at the boy, scanning his features. He had medium-length chestnut brown hair, black eyes and a decent jawline.
His looks were decent and seem to be of average height. Overall, an average boy.
The boy called out to the nearest person.
It was Ike again who was helping out with the lighting arrangements.
"E-Excuse me... But have you seen a girl called Fukuyama...?"
Ike did not know this boy so he investigated.
"Who are you?"
He came off intimidating to the boy. Well, Ike was not to be blamed because he was tall and had a bit of a deep voice. The boy replied stutteringly as he was flustered by the sudden pressure he felt.
"I-I'm s...sorry. My name is Eiji...Kisano. A freshmen and I am in class 1-5. I am just looking for a girl."
Ike know who he was talking about so he was about to tell him about Kana. However, Harue intervened him from afar.
"Ike-kun. Who is he?"
Ike turned to Harue, "A freshmen. Says he is looking for a girl named Fukuyama."
He smiled thinly and Kana thought that he was going to tell that boy the truth.
"Tell him that there is no girl named like that here. The members are practising right now so don't disturb them."
Kana sighed quietly.
Ike noticed Harue's gaze and decided to go alongside his lies.
"You heard him."
"Ah...Is that so. Then...I'll excuse myself."
The boy exited the auditorium with disappointment which made Kana relieved. But her problems did not stop here.
Harue nudged her with his leg and stared at her with a smug face.
"Well, who was that?"
Hishimi came jogging to Kana and asked her with the same expression as Harue.
"Kana-chan! Was that your boyfriend?"
They both were grinning so wide as they were expecting a desirous answer.
"...I can explain."
.....
A flashback to when Harue was still bedridden at the hospital.
The 3rd day that Kana went to school, she was strolling around the back of the main school building to find a spot to eat lunch.
Fortunately for her, she found one near a tree. She sat down below the shades and proceeded to eat.
Finally, she had escaped from Kouki's sight. He would always get to her class and accompanied her during lunch. He was just obeying orders from her girlish brother.
'I wonder why does he look somewhat forced to do everything Nee-chan says despite his carefree expression.'
It was a mystery to Kana. After all, Harue and Kouki have known each other since elementary school and Kana first met Kouki when he was in middle school.
So he wouldn't know about their friendship's origin.
She brushed off that thought and continued to fill her stomach.
From afar though, there was a commotion that she heard. With no interest whatsoever, she still peaked at the situation.
Two students were standing and staring at another fallen student. Those two seemed like a second-year or third-year judging from their tall appearance.
The student that was on his knees pleaded to them.
"Please Senpai..... I have no money on me right now....."
One of the upperclassmen kicked him in the stomach with no remorse.
"Gah!" The battered student fell on his back.
"You better bring some more tomorrow."
".....But-Gah!!"
He mercilessly got kicked again in the chest while the senior kept thrashing him.
"I don't want to hear any 'but' or 'if'! Get me money using any means possible! Heck just steal from your parents!"
Kana stared at this atrocious treatment. Yet, she did not budge to rescue that student. What was even the point of doing so?
It would just mean that the trouble would be passed over to her, which she doesn't want any of that.
Her eyes averted away from the bullying but suddenly, she saw a figure dashed past her with a determined look.
It was a boy with chestnut brown hair that went right for the bullies. The two seniors noticed him approached them.
The boy threw a punch at the senior who was repeatedly kicking the student.
*Whoosh!*
The punch was aimed exactly for his face but it was evaded. He was now vulnerable as the senior grabbed his hand and used the momentum to propel him onto the concrete wall.
"Kuk-!"
"What the fuck are you doing!? You are trying to be a hero?"
The senior punched the boy which made him fall beside the other injured student.
'How lame.' Kana thought after seeing that dreadful attempt.
"Now we have two living purses."
One of the other seniors stated with a condescending tone. But the boy with the chestnut brown hair still had hostility in his glare.
He yelled at them, "Aren't you two ashamed to bully someone!? You two are scums!"
A vein popped in the angry senior's forehead.
"The fuck did you say?"
He crouched and violently grabbed his hair. Then he smacked the boy hard on the cheeks. It turned red with just one hit.
"Say it again. I dare you."
"You are worse than scums! Bullying someone weaker than you. Pieces of trashes!"
*Smacks*
The belligerent glint in his eyes did not disappear even when getting beaten. Kana's indifferent gaze aimed at that boy was starting to change.
'Why does not give up and comply with them?'
Kana wondered about that boy's strange but alluring behaviour.
*Smacks**Smacks*
"C'mon. Say it again. What were we again?"
The boy was starting to get weak. His consciousness started to fade. But he still glared with such ferocity. He smiled as he uttered with all the little energy he had.
".....T...ra...shes..."
"Tsk!"
The senior prepared to punch him as hard as he could. At the last moment though, Kana sprinted and launched a knee attack at the senior's head.
*Bam!*
He was in a crouch position so it was easier to hit.
"-!?!?" The senior fell as he lost grasp of the boy's hair.
The strike was so unpredictable and impactful that he went unconscious just after a few moments.
The other senior was baffled at Kana's speed and force. He panicked a bit and lunged a jab since she was in a position that was difficult to block.
She ducked and did a sweeping kick at his heels.
'Fast!' The senior barely got his bearings back, yet he never had the adequate time to properly assess the situation.
He fell on his back but Kana wasn't finished.
She drove her fist straight down his solar plexus.
"Pua!!"
It was difficult to breathe. All he could do now was clutch his stomach in anguish and wait for his respiration to stabilize.
The two seniors were unable to move in just a matter of seconds. The two injured victims witnessed the short fight. It wasn't even a fight, but one-sided violence.
The chestnut brown-haired boy started to close his eyes unwillingly.
He wanted to express his gratitude to this girl that completed the initial objective that he wanted to achieve. He wanted to say thank you to her for saving him.
However, he did not have the strength to stop his eyelids from covering his sight. It slowly became dark for him as regret dwelled in his mind.
That is how the boy tardily lost consciousness.