Ugo-sensei made them wait after class. They were now class representatives, and that meant they had some kind of chore they had to do. Megumi had no idea what, though...!
Her idea of a class representative was a little muddled.
Weren't they just those guys with glasses who stood in front yelling at their classmates all day? To be honest, she was kind of offended that everyone just unanimously decided that she would be a good representative. Though, she thought as she looked at Haruki, it wasn't really their fault. He had manipulated them, and it looked like he was used to doing underhanded stuff like that. Besides...before today, she was sure they hadn't even known her name.
'Well, whatever!' she decided. She was going to do this class representative thing well! That way, she would prove to Haruki that nothing he did could hurt her!
"What are you muttering about by yourself?" said a distinct voice.
Maeda Haruki. Megumi's eyes blinked, as she turned in his direction. He was leaning on his desk, a strangely languid stance for him.
"N-none of your business!" came Megumi's reply.
Ah, she thought, social anxiety was a monster! She couldn't even attempt a nice tone. Usually, you'd do that, right? But every time she thought of acting nice with this absolute tool of a human, her grudge reared its head. No way about it then.
"Oh? What's this? The little mouse has a backbone? Not that it matters to me," Haruki said, intrigued.
Megumi's heart stilled. Hold up, Haruki-kun, did your real thoughts just leak into the world?!
Her eyes said as much, as she turned to him in shock. "B-B-Bully! That's such a classic bully line! You, what kind of crap are you spewing like its normal?!" she exclaimed while pointing to him.
'Didn't he care about his image or whatever?'
He only smiled cruelly. "Well, what's the point? With the others, there's a point in acting nice. It'll get me far. To them, I'm just kind responsible Haruki - and the teachers eat that crap up like crazy! But with you? Fat chance," and he laughed that sarcastic laugh.
He put a hand through his dark blue locks. "Seriously though, where is Ugo-bastard? Old man should retire instead of making me waste time like this."
Megumi, feeling sufficiently pissed off, replied: "Maybe he wants to instill some manners in you? You've never had to wait for a single thing."
Haruki smirked. "What, jealous? You should be."
Megumi wanted to laugh. He was so pathetic!
"What's there to be jealous about? I might be quiet, but I live how I want unlike you, shitty imposter!"
That must have struck a nerve, because Haruki came closer and glared. "Aah? Big talk coming from a no-name. Hey, how did you enroll here again? Principal must've felt particularly generous to let someone like you in."
Did he think Megumi cared? She knew she was different from these rich kids, and she was glad! "I don't know. You tell me, Daddy's boy! You probably max out your dad's card on the regular."
And she crossed her arms victoriously, knowing she'd won. Hah!
Haruki (irked): "This gloomy loser!"
He probably thought she would fall to pieces, but Megumi knew how to get under his skin.
Megumi: "Oh yeah? Do you bother girls like this every day, or is it just me? Oh! Could it be, this is your version of a confession? I'm flattered, but as expected, I have decline! You see, I don't date trash."
'Con-confession..?!'
'Love...nerd...him?'
Haruki's mind short-circuted, before he ran to the class sink to throw up.
Truthfully, it was more likely the bad tuna sandwhich he had for lunch, but that nerd didn't need to know. The nerve! How could she...with a 100% knockout like him...was she crazy?! He had wanted to insult her a bit, so she'd stay away from him during their Class Representative work, but how come she was so aggressive?!
Crazy nerd!
And now, she had sullied his pure mind with that horrible thought!
Haruki's eyes shone with fury. "That's it! Like I'm going to let a little loner like you talk to me like that!" he said, raising his hand.
'How could she talk to him like that?! A daddy's boy...?! this extra, what did she know about him!'
Megumi, fueled on her frustration, raised her hands too. "Oh? Too afraid your fragile ego can't take it?"
Haruki: "What did you say!"
"Listen here mister! I may be a quiet little loner, but I'm not so pathetic that I need to spew insults on everyone else just because I feel inferior! If you feel bad about yourself, hire a shrink! Why should I get involved? You feel insulted? I'm the one getting bullied here, you piece of shit! Read the room!"
Megumi faced him fully, anger radiating from her small frame. Megumi knew this was crazy, but she was done running away. How come guys like Haruki could run around as they pleased, while she couldn't even be left in peace?
'Give me a break!'
"And as for that invitation, I'll definitely accept."
'Eh..?' thought Haruki. Surely he must've heard wrong.
"I mean it! If you want to fight, come here!" Megumi raised her knuckles, eyes blazing.
"You think you know me? I'll destroy you, daddy's boy!" Haruki retreated, shocked by her outburst.
Just then, a hand reached over to her shoulder, stopping her.
'Who's this? She hadn't even heard anybody coming inside...? She hoped it wasn't the teacher. That would be horrible!'
There was Touzenji. She stood by Megumi's side. Her concerned eyes moved onto Megumi, seeing her body taught with tension.
What had happened?
"Megumi, what's with you?" She looked at Haruki's frightened face. Touzenji couldn't believe it...
That mousy little girl, about to fight a guy twice her size? Was this April's Fool's?! Touzenji would normally assume the other guy to be the perpetrator, but she saw the fear and gratitude in his eyes. He was two seconds away from a knockdown, and he knew it.
'Private school kids,' she groaned. 'So pathetic.'
In that moment, she knew she had to de-escalate things quick.
"I'm going to take Megumi outside. You, you'll be alright without her, right?" Touzenji announced as she pulled the agitated Megumi outside the classroom.
And then, in that wide classroom, there was only Haruki.
Haruki, who had never been told 'no' in his life.
Haruki, who arrived at school by limo and had servants do his homework.
Haruki, who was sure Kanazawa was an easy target. How could he have known...?
Honestly, he had never wanted to fight her, but since he was a guy, he figured she would at least feel scared that he might hurt her. Instead, it was him who was almost reduced to dust. It was safe to assume he had either pissed Kanazawa off so much that she didn't care that he was from a wealthy family.
Or, was it just her real personality...?!
'Eh? EH!!!'
Snot dripping from his nose, Haruki's bewildered eyes widened as the truth dawned on him.
'S-s-so...all this time...that mousy loser thing was just an act! She was really...a delinquent?!' He clenching his shaking fists. Fighting seemed easy to her. No way would she just attempt to fight him if she wasn't well-versed, so...
Haruki couldn't have known, and he would never know. The truth was, he had just pissed Megumi off. She was no fighter. He was just that weak.
But he didn't know that.
'Then, then! That white-haired guy just saved my life...no way could I keep coming to school if I got beat up by a small girl...' thought Haruki.
'Thank you, my white-haired savior!' he thanked in his heart, tears flowing.
Touzenji had brought Megumi to the school roof-top. She was pulling her pretty ruthlessly, and she didn't care what she said until they reached their destination.
Only then did she let her go.
Megumi was not pleased.
"Touzenji! What are you doing here?!" Megumi was furious. She didn't care what would happen tomorrow, she just wanted to break the nose of that bully!
Touzenji sighed. "I'm here to visit family."
"Family?" Recognizing Megumi's attempt to stear the conversation somewhere else, her eyes narrowed.
She sighed, "More than that, Megumi, what's wrong with you?"
Megumi felt strangely raw, and deflected instead. "What's it to you? We've only had one conversation." Translation: We don't know each other, so butt out!
Megumi knew she would regret it, but right there and then, she felt more like her past self than she had in, well, years! Maybe fighting Haruki would make her feel..less like a failure.
Touzenji's face contorted, but she said nothing. A thin silence passed. Then, she said, "You don't mean that. You're just angry and you're directing it at me instead."
Megumi's face reddened in shame. "Y-y, you don't know that."
She smiled. "Actually, I do. I have a brother that you remind me of. That guy's off to college, but... Man! Talk about carbon copies. He's so afraid of hurting others that he wears himself thin catering to everyone. That's no good, you know? All that amounts to is bottled up feelings and a miserable heart."
She stepped closer. "Megumi, I'm glad that you finally found your backbone. But please don't do something you'll regret."
Those words cut her deep. It wasn't fun, feeling so transparent. Megumi had been invisible for so long.
The light...it was so scary. Her hair obscured her face as she looked downward.
"You.. how do you know I'll regret it? Maybe this is what I want. Thinking about me like that...I had to do something. I'm tired of being looked down upon!"
Her eyes shone with determination. "If it comes to that or this...I'd rather have it like this. That bastard had it coming!"
"So? I care about you. Not him." came the swift reply, and the quickly assembling darkness stopped like that. Megumi stumbled.
How...how could she know what to say? Even though she was being horrible towards her...
Touzenji continued on. "In any case, that was...that football idiot, right? Megumi..." She started to laugh, probably remembering how they first met. First, it was giggles, then it was belly aching laughter. And Megumi, even as confused and defensive as she acted, felt something fall from her heart into the pit of her stomach.
Her limitations. Her anger. Her misery.
Because it was no fun being alone. Because she wanted to laugh whole-heartedly too. Because she was so, so thankful. Because she could finally feel the sun's warmth on her face again.
And she laughed too. They stood there, making eye-contact before more laughter escaped their mouths.
It all fell from her.
What was she so angry about? What did she spend so much time crying about? She felt strangely foolish, giggling. But maybe, she had been foolish all along.
Megumi: "What, like I said, he had it coming! And, and...I did something crazy, didn't I?"
Mizuki: "You did. You really, really did."
Megumi: "Hey, stop laughing!"
Mizuki: "What? Is that the thanks I get for sticking around? And keeping you out of your messes."
"...I, uh..."
"Don't. We're friends." Megumi stilled. She could hear her pulsating heartbeat rumbling in her ears.
What...that's...?
"The two of us... we're beyond saying thank you."
"More importantly, I'm so hungry...Let's go to a restaurant before they all close."
With a calm smile and a knowing look, Touzenji turned her back on Megumi. Like it was nothing. Like she hadn't just colored her dreary world in sunset shades. Megumi knew she was being silly. She knew. But that didn't make it anymore false.
White hair blowing in the wind, all she cared about was finding something nice to eat.
But Megumi couldn't.
She was rooted to the ground.
Slowly, a marvellous grin bloomed on her face, the corners of her smile expanding further. That feeling spread in her heart, and fearing she would be left behind, but not really, she eagerly jogged up to Touzenji's side once again.
It was genuinely nice, having a friend again.