When I looked up in a daze, I saw him.
The flow of time seemed to have slowed down in that moment.
Suspended glass pieces slowly erupted into the air, creating the illusion of glitter around the appearance of the youth who seemed my age. With raven black hair and bangs covering one side of his face, dyed velvet highlights around his fringes.
He had crimson red eyes, like a vampire. A gaze so cold yet sharp that it seemed like he was from some foreign nobility. A cross earring hung on one side, giving him the vibe of a cool delinquent.
My heart skipped a beat.
But time resumed, and that figure flew past me.
"Nngh!" A loud grunt could be heard from behind where the thugs were.
"Ugahhh!" Someone was punched, as they made a distorted sound from their mouths.
"B-Boss?! What are you..."
"Uryahh!" As if to drown out and cover up their voices, the black-haired teen raised his own intensely.
"Gaahhh!" Another one was punched. And after a few seconds of groaning, silence returned to my surroundings.
Only the sound of teeth stammering could be heard.
When I returned to observe the situation, I realized that two of the men had collapsed with foam in their mouths. The biggest one, the leader was shaking with dilated pupils.
"B-Boss, I can explain, It's, it's—"
"—Doryahh!"
"Gufuu—" A strange-sounding yelp leaked out of the leader's mouth as he was a given a palm chop on his head.
He ended up turning unconscious too.
This turn of events cause me to open my mouth agape.
But eventually I snapped out of it. Thinking that this person might come after me next, I steeled myself mentally for what's to come next...
...But he merely spared me a quick glance, before tending to the unconscious on the scene.
Confusion filled my mind, yet relief was washing over my body. My feet felt weak, and my heart was racing with adrenaline. These waves of hectic feelings that I was not used to prompted me to speak out. Act out. Do something.
I didn't do anything. For the longest time, I felt myself attracted to the back of the young man.
...Somehow I could tell. This person... saved me. I understood immediately.
My benefactor. As such, I should say something to return my thanks. And...
Wh-What's wrong with me now. ...When I snapped out of it, I realized that the young man hadn't moved for a while.
Huh, he seems to be deep in thought about something. Benefactor-san is staring deeply at the unconscious bodies of those thugs.
"...Seriously understaffed... ...safer... ...mafia... Restructuring?"
In bits and pieces, I heard the voice mutter under his breath. He drew out a small vial of cloudy liquid from his pocket and fed it to their mouths one by one. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't dare to say a word.
Or more like, I was too fearful of knowing what he had just fed them.
"...U-Uhm!"
It was then, my benefactor took notice of me. He turned his head and stared at me.
My heart felt strange as his gaze lingered on me. I-I don't look strange, do I?
Before I avoided his fervent eyes, I seemed to have also noticed a tinge of guilt in them.
It must probably be just my imagination.
Without waiting for my clumsy response, my benefactor suddenly knelt and leaned in forward.
"H-Hueehh?!"
"Hold still." He said calmly as he raised my arm that was hit by one of those thugs.
It left a bruise.
"Tch..." A look of pain and regret appeared on his face.
He's concerned about my injury? Something like this is...
I suddenly noticed the posture that the man was in.
Kneeling before me like this, as if he were a knight. His eyes that seem fleeting and distant, yet worried about me.
H-How long has it been since my heart raced?
This scenario... isn't this... bad for my heart?
"Lean here."
As I looked at him with a bandage that had mysteriously appeared in his hands, I realized his intentions immediately.
"...A... un..." I nodded meekly, and lied down as he asked.
"...It will hurt a little."
The smell of antiseptic filled the surroundings.
"Nngh...!" He applied some kind of cream over the bruise.
"...This will heal by tomorrow."
T-Tomorrow?! Before I could say a word, he continued.
"The other shoulder."
I nodded. Then I pulled up my sleeves to expose my right shoulder.
There was a slit of red there.
Eh? How did he even notice it? Even I...
I found myself wondering about this person before me even more.
Silence, except the workings of his nimble fingers as he carefully tended to my superficial wound.
Delicate, careful yet giving off an unapproachable feeling.
They say men look the coolest when they focus and concentrate on their work. It seems like there is much truth in that saying.
I felt my cheeks heat up. I couldn't help but try to say something to ease this tingly sensation in my body.
"...A-Ah..."
What should I say. That's right. Thank you.
But somehow, I found myself stammering incessantly.
Words couldn't form properly in my mouth. To think a simple 'thank you' would be so hard.
My heart is beating so quickly. I'm... nervous? No, this is adrenaline remaining from a dangerous situation.
That must be it.
"There. It's done."
Ah, the treatment was complete while I was stuck in a daze.
"Then, ...with this."
"Wait!" I found myself tugging at the hem of his coat as he turned to leave.
"..."
The rational part of me wanted him to stay behind so he could testify for this crime scene.
But at this moment, my brain was filled with various other thoughts.
"Y-Your name."
I wanted to know his name.
The teen sighed, and narrowed his eyes towards me. I swallowed my words, as I felt my heart skip another beat.
Even that cold glance... felt like it could shake my heart completely.
"It's probably best for you not to know."
"W-Why?!" I raised my voice, much to my own surprise.
"...You will get hurt."
Those words were short yet cryptic. As if they were spoken out of some kind of lingering burden that hurts him every time he says it. I found no words to refute him, and a sense of protectiveness overcame me.
The young man stared at me for a moment, before tossing his blazer over my body. I held out to it in a fluster. Before I could linger in that comfortable warmth, he dropped a shocking statement.
"...Those guys, they were here because of me."
"!!"
Many possible scenarios surfaced in my mind once more. And then it struck me.
At how fast he had reacted to all of this. It probably wasn't a coincidence.
...He must have been watching from nearby.
A face that I hadn't seen before on the student roll, even amongst the newcomers this year.
In the first place, the highlights on his hair were way too conspicuous.
...T-That.... That must be itttttttt!!!
This person, he must be a delinquent from another school! He said that these thugs were here because of him!
Which means they had somehow noticed a connection between us, and tried to use me as hostage?!
A connection. A one-sided connection.
Watching from far away.
...Could this be.... Could this beeee?!
He...
He's in love with me?
At this revelation, everything suddenly made a lot more sense.
Steam escaped from the top of my head as I came to that realization.
I didn't want to boast, but I was well known in this school for my looks. That was how I managed to have my confession accepted by Tom out of the many that fancied him in the first place. In fact, I was only aware of a beauty ranking that existed amongst the boys a few weeks ago. I confiscated a book for 'polling' during a surprise check, and found out that the poll revealed that I was ranked third within the entire school.
My face blushed at the thought of my benefactor's hidden thoughts. Did he think of me that way too?
He was masterful enough to hide that behind a poker face. It was to the extent that I wouldn't have noticed his feelings had I not known of the implications behind his words.
His regretful face revealed the undertones of a bittersweet love that can never come to be.
He was a delinquent and I was part of the student disciplinary committee.
We were worlds apart.
"...Sorry."
Yet he was the one to say sorry to me.
I couldn't move at all, agitated by the sudden revelation of what had just transpired.
It was his fault that this happened to me.
It was his fault, but why...
When I see that look of melancholy flashing past his expression, I felt weak in the knees.
I wanted to know more... about him.
He too, must have had his circumstances. It seemed like he hated violence.
Was he forced to become part of a gang? Coercion? Or was it financial problems? My imagination ran wildly again in my mind.
"...Here." I was handed a black card.
"...If you need anything, call the number on that card. Consider it as compensation for what just happened."
"W-Wait...!"
He was a bad guy, but I... what was this feeling in my chest?
How could I accept... something like this?
...Before I realized it, he was already gone.
"...I never got his name..." Disappointment? Was this disappointment I'm feeling right now?
"This way, sir!"
A voice came from afar.
There were a few students who'd noticed the sound of glass shattering and arrived together with the security guard.
...It seems like this little ordeal had shaken up the school.
But far from worrying about the testimonies that I would have to give later, I stared in the direction of where he had left.
As expected, I couldn't bring myself to ignore his presence.
My mysterious protector and admirer.
As the commotion approached me, I hurriedly hid the black card in my pockets on instinct.
I've decided.
...Without letting anyone else know, I must give him a call tonight.
As for the matters with Tom... it's clear that we're now over.