Rumors swirled around the school that Ryou and Yumiko had broken up. This news had serious consequences for Ryou — every class time girls came to him from everywhere and asked about his condition and whether he was really single, to which Ryou only ran away. He was uncomfortable.
Akiko was worried about Ryou for a number of subjective reasons, hidden within herself, and hated Tomoyuki for his act and for not letting him know that he could have made such a move. But most of all, the young maiden consoled herself by despising Glenn, for according to Tomoyuki, it was the dark-haired fellow who prevented them from achieving their goals.
As of this day, Tomoyuki said he was sick and would come in on Tuesday.
The only place where Ryou could take a break from people was the club room. On this day there were three people in the clubhouse at the same time, Akiko, Yumiko, and Ryou .
"I don't like it," said Ryou wearily, putting his cheek to his palm. "I have five girls breaking in to me after every class… How could this happen?"
"Hayashi-kun," replied Yumiko with a rank look, not taking her eyes off writing all kinds of assignments on her notebook, "More classmates come up to you. What are you going to do about it?"
And that's when Akiko, also sitting at the common desk, entered the conversation. "I can understand you, Hayashi-kun. But still… aren't you happy with your situation?"
"Hmm? Of course I'm not, I could go crazy running away from strangers."
"Sure, but… You get cute girls your age or younger coming up to you every class. They ask how you're doing and are always asking to go out with them. Isn't that great for guys?"
"I don't care who approaches me. I just don't like it."
"You attract people…"
"I don't care about dating."
"Maybe you feel uncomfortable interacting with people like those?" wondered Yumiko, to which Ryou squeezed his eyes shut.
"I haven't since I was young," he lifted his gaze, and became confused as he thought about it. "Why are you so thoughtful? Didn't you realize that before?"
Yumiko put a hand to her thin chin.
"Of course we might have thought so."
"Indeed," Akiko folded her fingers. "Hayashi-kun, you only socialize with club members, after all," she added, and Ryou's gaze was all over her attention. "Hayashi-kun, are you… scared to talk to people?"
"Scared?"
"Son, are you scared?" came from out of nowhere a chorus of sounds from Ryou. His father's unbearable howl did not cease, and a long-ago memory wandered into his mind that he was trying hard to forget forever. "Bow," issued his father's stern voice, and it was repeated over and over again. The boy broke into a sweat, hearing the same word dozens of times. The subconscious glass that held these memories shattered, and fragments from Ryou's difficult childhood blended into each of the sharp pieces of glass. "Bow before your eldest!" his father continued to yell, to which Ryou fearfully covered his ears. "Why won't you listen to me?!"
Ryou's eyes sharpened and he could not blink. His teeth gritted and his lips pressed together as if all the life energy had been squeezed out of them.
"Scared…?" shook Ryou, and lifting her panicked gaze, the girls could see all the terror the boy was feeling at that moment. "Am I scared…?"
"Hayashi-kun!" crouched to him with trembling hands, but could not think of a sensible thing to do in such situations. "Wake up…!"
"Indeed, I'm scared… To see their faces. Humans, they are bloodthirsty… insatiable. I'm afraid to mingle… with them."
Ryou repeated one word over and over again, remembering the tall men in important robes with ties. The boy's lifeless face, seeing the shock, spoke of a shattered psyche, but his father could not take away his pointed, confused gaze at the important people. The mocking sounds came out in the darkened room, and the boy's eyes found themselves covered in gloom.
The boy stretched out his palm and lowered his gaze to discern his trembling, amidst the noise coming out through his ears. His hands shook like an unprotected skyscraper in the moment of a violent earthquake.
Yumiko and Akiko were in great agitation. Akiko periodically begged for forgiveness, but did not move from her seat, waiting for a miracle. Yumiko rummaged through her purse.
"Come to your senses…" grieved Akiko, dropping a tear. "Please… I'm sorry I hurt your feelings…" she said with a hoarse voice, but Ryou heard no one else's voice.
A moment passed, and taking a full bottle of water from her bag, Yumiko hurriedly opened the lid and poured the contents directly onto the young man's frightened face. There was no water left in the crumpled bottle, but you could see his surprise through Ryou's drooping wet hair. The boy woke up, and the tension was gone from Yumiko's shoulders. The girl sighed, thinking that all was forgiven. Akiko, on the other hand, couldn't believe her eyes and stared at the guy intently.
Lifting his head slowly, Ryou saw Yumiko's stoic face standing in front in confusion.
"What…" the girl with the pink hair could not drop a word.
"S-thank you."
"All people have their fears," Yumiko replied with kindness in her words, and Ryou could taste the warmth coming from her lips. "It's hard to grapple with them at times, but you can't give in to them in any way. One must break their fears!" she added, following up with a napkin from her bag. She gently fixed her fallen hair and wiped the water from her desk. Her notebook was soaked, but Yumiko did not flinch. "You don't have to worry about them every time, though, because there will be people who will take advantage of your flaw. So, Hayashi-kun, I'm not asking you to open up to us if you don't want to yourself. Just, be strong."
Ryou saw her sincere smile, and after a few seconds she held out her pink handkerchief for the young man to wipe his wet face with. Drops of water fell periodically to the floor, leaving behind the brief sounds of their falls. Ryou was reassured that he no longer heard the scornful and sharp sounds.
"Thank you, Yumiko-chan."
"You're welcome," the girl answered him with a sincere smile, and Ryou felt a previously unexperienced sensation. Casting his thoughts aside, the boy squeezed his handkerchief and smiled.
Akiko noticing the adorable look the young man was giving Yumiko, who was wiping his part of the desk, was upset. She was disappointed in her abilities, as Yumiko had taken control of the whole situation and left the best possible impression on Ryou.
The next day, Tuesday, Tomoyuki returned to school. During the long break and club activities, all the club members except Glenn were seated near the common desk, and looked at each other aimlessly. No one could begin their conversation, and especially not Akiko, being in the same room as Tomoyuki. After a brief silence, a confused Yumiko dared to move her lips.
"There is some news…" looked up at Yumiko's peers, glancing back and forth between Ryou and Tomoyuki. "I've been declared in love."
"Really?!" panted Tomoyuki, opening his mouth. Ryou's pupils dilated. "And who did?"
"Several people."
"Wha-oh! Several at once?"
"I've noticed," Ryou said, pondering. "Yumiko-chan has been approached more lately. Maybe it has something to do with you getting involved with people?"
"Well, well, well!" shook his head Tomoyuki, to which Yumiko was confused.
"Did I really look that aloof?" she asked, and the guys nodded in sync. The maiden didn't think she looked lonely on the outside at all.
"By the way, Sato-chan," Tomoyuki was suddenly interested, as if a light bulb hung over him. "Who exactly confessed to you?"
"I think… From the parallel one big guy, what's his name… I remember, Yamada."
The room subsided, and it was as if a gray cloud had suddenly formed from above, heralding confusion and misunderstanding at the same time. Tomoyuki and Akiko instantly responded to the name of the guy who confessed his love.
"What is it?" asked Ryou, for this was the first time he had heard the name.
"It's the school bully," Tomoyuki added with a deadpan look, and scratching his head, he laughed hard. "But I didn't know his tastes! He, and fell in love with you? That's sensational!" he added, chuckling, and Akiko also chuckled. "I wish I could have seen his face during the confession. He must have been red as a tomato."
The girl followed by naming another high school student a grade below him, but his name was unremarkable to Tomoyuki and Akiko's ears, so the subject was silently dropped.
"Tamotsu Kawasaki."