A couple of guys came at me all at once. It would seem impossible for a girl to overcome this many coming right at her. Though, I'm not just any girl.
They were just a bunch of animals charging mindlessly. The boy came rather gently. He half-jogged toward me and threw a half-assed punch.
I dodged it with ease and chopped at his neck, causing him to faint.
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, not wanting to hurt a girl. When the others came at me, it was obvious that they weren't swinging their fists at full power, even if they hated me.
I countered the next boy by running under his punch and kneeing his solar plexus. Of course, not too hard since he may die of suffocation due to my superhuman strength.
The third boy came at me with a bat. I kicked his wrist and then flipped and swung my leg at his head.
10 boys left.
"What is she doing?!"
One of the boys screamed.
"Just get her!"
Emi screamed, clearly dismayed.
"This is taking too long."
I decided.
I ran past all of the boys and gave them a quick finishing punch to knock them out. There was a possibility that a teacher might come and see me fighting. I'd rather just limit it to these guys.
Most of them won't remember this. Hopefully.
"Kei..."
Gah! I forgot about Aoi!
Well... It should be alright.
Aoi looked at me with shining eyes.
God, her innocence is next level.
"You're a Streia?"
"Huh? Wait, how do you know about Streia?"
Though she asked her question, she still seemed to be freezing. I took my hoodie out of my bag and gave it to her.
"Thank you."
"I'll ask you again. How'd you know what I am?"
I asked her.
"That's because I'm one too."
Eh?
She was a Streia this whole time?! With that attitude and look, she definitely doesn't look like it! I've never seen such a Streia.
Whenever I went to Dad's workplace, there were a few teenagers and they seemed much more... confident.
"I don't seem like it, do I?"
Aoi asked as if reading my mind.
I panicked and tried to respond.
"Oh, ah..."
"It's fine. Everyone thinks the same."
There was a soft smile on her face. I could also see a hint of lament in her expression.
"You!"
I heard a sound come from behind me.
It was Emi. She had picked up that guy's bat and came swinging at me.
She took a heavy swing and missed.
"You! It's always you!"
Emi continued swinging but I simply walked backwards, avoiding every hit at the last second, on purpose.
"Always! You always have to one-up me! One up, everyone!"
As things progressed, she quickly became out of breath.
I kept a nonchalant expression.
"I never asked to be popular. If you guys didn't slowly hype me up, then I would've been a normal student with better friends than you and Risa."
"Shut up! Don't act like you don't like being popular!"
Her swings became slower.
What is she talking about?
I progressively became furious.
I winced.
"I don't."
"All this time, you looked down on me, Risa, and the rest of us!"
No, I didn't... I simply left you to see where things would go. I know that I can read emotions but I had hoped that something in the future would change.
"Do you like it..."
Emi exhaled, finally stopping and lowering the bat.
"Do you get off on telling lies?"
"I don't want to hear that from the biggest liar of them all."
The girl chuckled.
"Heh... Maybe."
"It's fine if you hate me so much."
"Huh?"
"If I was affected by something as simple as somebody else's hate, then I wouldn't be Kei Sasaki. However, if you ever decide to take your hate out on Arisu or any other people again... I swear you will regret ever making an enemy of me."
I spat in her face.
Emi was panting, from continuously swinging that bat, she glared at me, gritting her teeth.
"My, my, what's this?"
"!"
We both turned to the door that I broke down. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest but when I saw her cigarette, I noticed who it was.
"Oh, it's you..."
It was Aihara-nee.
She glared at me, clearly pissed off.
"What'd you mean, it's me? Does it make the situation any better?"
"I, uh..."
"Come with me."
---
We were back in our classroom. It was me, Aihara-nee and Aoi. Emi and the unconscious boys were in another classroom and Aihara-nee would talk to them afterwards.
"You know what you did wrong."
"Well, I guess a girl definitely shouldn't try to help another who's being surrounded by 15, or so, guys."
Aihara-nee squished her cigar against the table.
That was dangerous...
"When you put it like that, it sounds like I'm in the wrong."
"Uhm..."
Aoi nervously put her hand up.
"Yeah?"
"Are you trying to say that what Kei did would be right if it weren't for her taking advantage of her Streia abilities and using it on regular people?"
I don't think she's trying to say th--.
"Exactly."
"Wait, what?! What'd you mean take advantage of?!"
I looked at Aoi. She calmly answered.
"What you did was right, don't forget that, Kei. But, to society, the right thing may not always be the good thing to do."
"Are you saying that you would've been alright by yourself?"
"No. I'm thankful that you did help me but you should think about yourself."
"Myself?"
Aoi nodded.
"What Ms Sasaki is trying to say is that if you were found by anyone else, you would be reprimanded seriously. She's saying this for your own safety."
I stared at her blankly and it seems like Aihara-nee also did. Then, I looked over at my sister.
"You're hella smart, Aoi."
Aihara-nee said.
"Oh, uh, thanks?"
She blushed.
I guess what she's saying is... right?