Hanasaki Kenkyo was brought out by Aunt Minama from the room. You can still clearly hear the commotion from inside the room.

The sound of falling objects and the sound of glass breaking.

Kenkyo's eyes filled with tears as she was right in front of her father's door. She slowly touched the door. Tears welled up when she heard the words spoken by her father.

"YOU FUCKERS! WHY DO YOU CLOCK ME LIKE THIS, HUH? I'M NOT CRAZY! GIVE ME MY DRINK RIGHT NOW!"

It was suffocating, hearing those words spoken from the only place she depended on. Kenkyo realized this was all her fault. If only he was an adult. If only she had not been a burden to her father. If only her father didn't have an unreliable daughter like him.

"Kenkyo-chan, are you all right? You can go to school now. Let your father calm down first!" said Aunt Minama softly. She was stroking the black mane of the girl in front of her.

Kenkyo nodded. She could not ignore her obligation to seek knowledge.

"Take care of my father, Aunt! I'll go straight home this afternoon after finishing my part-time job."

Kenkyo bowed before she walked out of the house.

Aunt Minama saw Kenkyo's back which was getting further away.

"You shouldn't have gone through all this, son!"

Aunt Minama sympathized with the girl. Her mother had died giving birth to her. All this time she had only lived with her father, and in the past few months her father's attitude had changed.

It all started with the dismissal of Mr. Hanasaki Akira from his job. He had an accident at work, so his leg is now limp. No one wants to hire because of their limitations. He often gets drunk and often takes all his anger out on his daughter, Hanasaki Kenkyo.

***

"I'm trapped in your eyes. Every time I look into your eyes, there is only my image. Can I wish if you were born for me?"

Silence for a moment. The boy's words did not get any response from his interlocutor.

"I will always be by your side. I hope you only see me. Can you do that, Kyo-chan?" the boy continued.

"Heh?? If I see Yamada-kun while walking, can I get hit?" Kenkyo replied.

"Gosh! It's not like that. Seeing me means I want you to only see me as the only man for you. Got it?"

The teenager called Yamada exhaled roughly. He had to be extra patient with his lover who was too innocent.

The young girl in front of him only nodded once. Her boyfriend doesn't usually talk romantically. In fact, when the anniversary was just yesterday, his girlfriend gave him a pot instead of flowers and chocolates. I don't know what that means.

"Yamada-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"You watched the drama 'Our Promise' yesterday?"

"Ahahaha of course. What are you talking about, heh?"

"Hmm, that's right. I remember there was a scene like that in the drama. You must have quoted it, right?" said Kenkyo while smiling mockingly.

Yamada flinched slightly. He didn't think that his efforts to look romantic had to fail like this.

Yamada scratched the nape of his neck.

"Hehehe caught, huh?"

Kenkyo laughed. At least when she was with Yamada, she could forget for a moment about her problems. Even though her heart is actually fragile, she will try to be okay in front of the young man who has stolen her heart.

"Kenkyo-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"The university entrance exam is coming up, what are you majoring in?" Yamada asked while holding Kenkyo's hand. From earlier, Yamada saw the strangeness in Kenkyo. Even though Kenkyo looks happy, her cold and sometimes shaking hands can't lie to Yamada. There must be something her lover is hiding.

"Kenkyo-chan?"

Again, Yamada called his lover when he didn't get a response from earlier.

"Kenkyo-chan?"

Silence. All that could be heard was Kenkyo's breathing repeatedly.

"Hanasaki Kenkyo?"

"Oh, yes?" Kenkyo half jumped when she heard her full name being pronounced Yamada.

Yamada just smiled gently. Maybe not the right time to interrogate his lover. He pulled Kenkyo's head to rest on his chest.

Kenkyo looked up for a moment, looking at Yamada. For some reason, her eyes were sore right now. No matter how much she tries to be strong, it can't be denied that right now she needs a place to lean on.

Kenkyo's shoulders started to shake. Soft sobs were heard. In the end Kenkyo sobbed in Yamada's chest.

Yamada didn't say anything. He gently stroked Kenkyo's arm, comforting the girl who was his lover one year ago.

"Sob ... sob ... I hate myself, Yamada-kun! I hate myself this weak sob sob," said Kenkyo in the midst of her sobs.

Yamada tightened his embrace on Kenkyo. He also gently stroked Kenkyo's head which was still on his chest.

"It's okay, Kenkyo. You can look weak when you're with me," Yamada said softly.

***

"THIEF!! HOW CAN THIS CLASS HIDE A THIEF!!"

"GET OFF YOU!!"

"SCUMBAG!"

"YOUR INSIGHT LOOK HAD HIDEN YOUR EVIL BEHAVIOR!"

"DISGUSTING!"

Kenkyo's classmate had uttered vile rumors. Kenkyo sat in the corner of the classroom. It sounded so sad. Her body was shaking. The clothes she wore were dirty from the attacks of her friends. Some threw at Kenkyo using trash, paper bundles, milk boxes and much more.

"STOP THIS!!" cried a young man in the doorway. It is Yamada who currently comes and approaches Kenkyo in the corner of the room. He helped Kenkyo up, and cleaned the girl's clothes.

"Are you okay?" asked Yamada, gently shaking Kenkyo's shoulder.

Kenkyo nodded. She wiped away the tears that had betrayed him.

Yamada's sharp eyes were fixed on everyone in the class.

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL, HUH?!" snapped Yamada at the whole 3-F class.

One of the red-haired youths came forward. He's chewing gum right now.

"Oho, it turns out that there is a hero who protects the thief late," he said.

When he was right in front of Kenkyo, the young man spat his gum right into Kenkyo's cheek.

"HEY! HOW DARE YOU!!"

Yamada pulled the collar of the youth's uniform. He punched the handsome boy in the face several times.

"F*CK YOU, FUKUSHI!!" shouted Yamada, still punching Fukushi in the face.

Fukushi didn't fight back. The commotion only stopped when a teacher entered the room.

***

Kenkyo and Yamada are in the ponceling room at the moment. They were given a sentence to write a 'letter of apology' as many as 200 sheets.

Kenkyo had been silent all this time. Even repeatedly her tears escaped and fell onto the paper in front of her. She is not afraid even though she has to be hostile to the whole school, which she is afraid of only if her father is really called to school. What will she explain about the current slander? What if after that her father hated her even more?

What if her father got sick from thinking about this matter? Just imagining it already made Kenkyo's heart constrict.

"Kenkyo-chan?" call Yamada.

"Yes?"

"Now what are you trying to plan, huh?"

Kenkyo frowned. She didn't understand Yamada's direction at all.

"It means?"

"Is stealing now your favorite hobby, um?" Yamada said, continuing to write down his sentence.

Kenkyo was silent. Her anger flared. She can accept if it's an accusation from someone else, but if the accusation is from her own boyfriend, this really hurts. She took several deep breaths to control her emotions.

"Is stealing my heart not enough for you?"

"Heehhh???"

Kenkyo was furious. She threw her pen and it landed on Yamada's forehead.

"Not funny!"

"Aakh!! How cruel you are to a handsome man like me, eo?"

Kenkyo pursed her lips, ignoring Yamada's complaints and ramblings.

"Ahahaha smile!" Yamada pulled the corners of Kenkyo's lips, forming a smile. "Ah how ugly! You have to smile if you want to look beautiful!"

Kenkyo slightly pulled the corners of her lips. At least there was still Yamada who would always believe in her, so she felt a little at ease.

"Believe me! Justice will surely win," said Yamada, patting Kenkyo's head.

"Arigatou, Yamada-kun."

*Arigatou = thank you

To be continued ....