I look at her and tilt my head.
"What are you doing here, Aiko?"
Aiko looks at me drenched in the rain.
"I came here to see Erii, is she still here?"
I nod and I look back to see signal Ryo and Erii that are outside the school's entrance by waving at them. Erii is opening her umbrella and turns out Ryo didn't bring an umbrella as well and he's under Erii's umbrella with Erii while walking toward us. Aiko is looking at me for quite a while and I know what's she looking at.
"What happened to your face? That looks new."
I look at her and raise my eyebrows.
"Some seniors are trying to mess with me, and I just handled them in the backyard."
Aiko is smiling and then she's approaching and put me under her umbrella. I smile at her and thank her, she just nods with understanding. Erii and Ryo are standing in front of us and the atmosphere is already awkward, Ryo and I are just looking at each other while Erii and Aiko are holding the umbrella for us, we both realize that we look stupid and unmanly but we stay quiet because we don't want to interfere with these two girls.
Aiko looks at Erii.
"Hi, Yamaguchi-san."
Erii looks at Aiko without showing any expression.
"Hi, Hasegawa-san."
As soon as Ryo and I heard them both calling each other so formally we realize that things about to go down. I'm slowly pointing my thumb on my back while keep staring at Ryo, we both don't need a word but we both know that we want to bail, and when we start to move our bodies, Erii is grabbing Ryo's arm and Aiko is holding mine. We both can't get away and we must endure this heavy atmosphere.
Aiko keeps her eyes on Erii.
"Can I have a talk with you later?"
Erii shakes her head and forces her to smile.
"I'm sorry, but I'm quite busy today."
Aiko closes her eyes and sighs.
"I see that you're not planning to talk to me ever again, then I will say this."
Erii is looking at her and nods. Aiko suddenly grabs my arm and wraps it around.
"If you don't want to talk, then I will take Aze from you."
Erii is staring at her hand that grabs my arm, she smiles and then looks at Aiko.
"If that's what you want, then go ahead."
Erii looks down and continues.
"If you have nothing else to say then I should get going now."
Erii walks past us and Ryo is just speechless and can do nothing but follow Erii since he doesn't want to get wet from the rain, Aiko leans toward my ear and whispers.
"Don't interfere."
I look at her and raise my eyebrows, then Aiko turns around and smirks.
"Erii, you will regret your decision because I will make him the happiest person compared to when he was with you. Just because he made a mistake you treated him like this? I'm starting to think that he's better off without you."
Erii immediately stops walking and she turns around, her eyes are watering and she looks very mad at what Aiko just said to her. She walks back and Ryo is just following her like a chick following his mother. Erii clenches her fist and when she gets closer to Aiko she immediately slaps her in the face so hard that I can feel the sting just by hearing the slapping sound but I'm amazed that Aiko doesn't flinch and takes the slap like it was nothing.
"Don't you dare to say a word when you're the problem in our relationship! Do you think just because you're someone more superior than me you can say and do whatever you want without even having to take any responsibility for your action? At first, I was envious of you, but now I just realize that you're just an arrogant person that lives above the clouds who knows nothing about how hard it's for us normal people to have to live our life!"
Aiko raises her eyebrows and smiles.
"Did you just hear yourself talking? You said that your life is hard and yet you easily give up with him just because of this accident? Your words and your action didn't match at all, and if what you said is true, then you won't be able to survive in this world because you would easily give up once you're facing a problem. Isn't that quite ironic or is it that you're just being a hypocrite?"
Erii grits her teeth and she's clenching her fist again, and when she raises her hand to slap Aiko again, Aiko is glaring at her hand very viciously.
"You put your hand on my face one more time and I will chop that hand off from your arm because you said that I live above the clouds and you should know that I'm capable of doing so without even having to care about the consequence."
Erii looks scared and immediately puts down her hand. Aiko looks at her and stares at Erii's scared face for quite a while.
"Have you calmed down? Because I came here to talk and yet you used your hand in a conversation."
Erii isn't replying and she regrets what she did. Aiko sighs and puts her hand on her waist.
"I think you haven't calmed down, so let's meet up tonight in Aze's restaurant. If you still care and have feeling for Aze, meet me there at 7 P.M., and if I didn't see you there, I will take Aze from you and I swear that I will make him forget about you because we both know that I'm capable of doing so."
Aiko looks at me and she offers her umbrella.
"You can borrow my umbrella, I don't want you to get sick because I want to taste your ramen tonight. I will see you tonight."
I tilt my head.
"What about you?"
Aiko looks at the black luxury car parked on the side of the road.
"I can ask them to use their umbrella."
The car starts the engine and slowly drive in front of us, two guys with black blazer come out from the car and walk toward us then open the umbrella for her. Aiko walks toward them and they both are escorting her into the car and then they leave. Erii and Ryo are looking at the car leaving and they both look terrified.
Ryo looks at me and gulps.
"Did they see everything?"
I sigh and nod.
"Yeah, I think they saw everything."
Ryo is panicking.
"What's going to happen to Erii then? Are they going to do something to her?"
I look at the car and shake my head.
"No, I don't think they would do anything to her."
Ryo furrows his forehead worriedly.
"Are you sure, Aze?"
I nod.
"Yeah, I hope so."
(Inside the car)
Aiko is sitting in the backseat while the driver and the guy in the passenger seat are focusing on looking at the road. Aiko touches her cheek where Erii slapped her very hard, she sighs and looks at the window.
"Grab me some ice."
They both nod and immediately find a convenience store to grab some ice for her. The guy in the passenger seat gets out of the car to grab the ice while the driver looks at the side mirror to look at Aiko.
"Ojou-sama (A way to call a young lady of someone who is in a higher status), do you want us to take care of that girl who did that to you?"
Aiko glares at him.
"Don't you dare interfere with my own problem, mind your own business."
The driver immediately nods with understanding. Aiko keeps glaring at him and the gaze is making the driver so nervous because he just got himself in trouble.
"If you said a single word from what you just saw to anyone, I will ask Nii-sama to punish you."
The driver immediately turns his body and bows down to Aiko.
"I will not say a single word to anyone, Ojou-sama! Please forgive my rudeness!"
Aiko nods and hums with understanding.
"You should tell the same to him when we are back home."
The driver is still bowing his head.
"Yes, Ojou-sama! I understand!"
The other guy comes back and gives the ice to Aiko, she grabs it and immediately puts them on her cheek. The driver looks at the other guy and he shakes his head, and for some reason, the other guy understands by nodding his head. Aiko is holding the ice while she's playing with her phone and then she calls someone.
Someone picks up the phone and Aiko immediately raises her eyebrows.
"Ritsu-nee, are you free tonight?"
-
"Tonight? Yes, I'm free. What's wrong Aiko-chan?"
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"Are you planning on going to Aze's restaurant tonight?"
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"Maybe, why?"
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"Can you go there tonight? I need your help."