My name is Hitori, and one year ago, I found out what love is.

It was a Saturday and I remembered I forgot my notebook at school. I planned to meet my homeroom teacher so I can pick up my notebook.

"Finally, it took you long enough." My homeroom teacher Mrs. Tachibana said to me. "You're lucky I support your future as a novelist."

"Yeah I'm aware" I told to Mrs. Tachibana. Mrs. Tachibana is the 3rd year reading teacher at Winding Hills Middle School.

While we were walking to one Mrs. Tachibana's classroom, I looked out one of the school's windows and saw her. A girl with straight black hair under a tree. Waiting there, for something. No, for someone.

I could see two girls walk up to her and talk with her. "Surprised?" Mrs. Tachibana asked me.

"What do you mean surprised?" I asked.

"That Akari is talking to people."

"I didn't even know she's a student here. Wait, what's happening there?" I asked.

"Not really sure." Mrs. Tachibana replied.

Two boys walked up to Akari and started talking to her. Then, one of the boys slapped her. Without hesitating, Hitori started running down the hall trying to get to Askari as fast as he could. Why am I doing this? Why am I running to help a stranger?

Hitori ran toward Amati and grabbed her arm. "Let's go." South told Akari. Akari and I ran as fast as we could while the two boys were still chasing us.

"Get back here you whore!" One of the boys yelled. The boy had anger in his voice, like Akari did something wrong.

Once Akari and I got to a safe location, I asked Akari why the boys hit her. "So, why did the boys hit you and chased after us when I grabbed you?"

"It's because one of their girlfriends tried stealing from me and I hit her." Akari stuttered with tears forming in her eyes.

Akari was scared and traumatized from what she just went through. I could see that she's starting to regret something. But, what could that something be?

"Thank you, for saving me. And, I'm sorry for putting you through all that. It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, you did what you needed to do." I said without even thinking. "I'm sure that they will try to do that again. What about this, I'll help you if those boys come back. I promise, I won't let them hurt you." I said, but why did I say that. It's not like I know this person. Or, do I?

Two days past, and then the boys tried picking on her again. But, they brought two more boys and a girl with them.

"Listen you, we just want to talk to the whore, that's all we're asking." One of the boys said with a grin on his face.

"Hey bud, back off! Stop picking on people that can't fight back. Also, your girlfriend shouldn't try to steal from people." I said with anger in my voice.

"Who told you that? That's a lie. My girlfriend said that Akari attacked her." The boy looked at his girlfriend and then Akari. "I never thought Akari would attack a person for no reason. Tell me now, are you lying to me?" The boy said to his girlfriend."

"Well, I didn't tell you all the details, all I said is that Akari attacked me." The girlfriend said with a scared look on her face.

"Did Akari attack you for no reason, or was there a reason?" The boy said with a serious look on his face, like he was going to hit her.

"Fine! I tried to take Akari's wallet because I needed money, then she attacked me." She finally told the truth, I thought to myself.

"So, you made us do all of this because you failed at robbing her!" The boy yelled. Raising his hand, the boy started to move it towards the girlfriend.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Just because she lied to you doesn't mean you need to hit her. As the girl was looking at me, tears started to form in her eyes. One by one tears started to flow down her face.

She mouthed to me "Thank you." At the time, I didn't know why she said thank you. But I knew one thing, I helped her.

After that, every few days the girl would talk to me, her name is Yuki and she's in class 2-3. Akari started to join the conversations me and Yuki had. And eventually, we all became friends.

The next day, I saw Akari crying. Confused, I walked up to her thinking, why is she crying, did something happen? "Hey Akari, what's wrong?"

Akari looked at me, then starting crying harder then she did before. "I can't go back, I can't go back there." When Akari was looking at me, crying her eyes out. I thought, I want to help her, I need to help her.

"What do you mean, you can't go back?" I asked.

"He hit me…" She stuttered

"Who hit you?" I said with anger in my voice.

"My dad hit me." Akari stuttered with even more tears going down her face.

"That bastard..." I said as I stood up.

"No don't. You're gonna do something you'll regret."

"Sorry, but I can't stand someone hitting my friend. Even if it is a family member." I said as I walked away.