'Is there something wrong, guys?'
My breath caught at the sound of that voice.
Shunsui!
Startled, the three boys flung around to stare at the reddish-brown-haired young man and Gōjun, who had appeared silently behind them and who were watching them with an unhappy look on their face, and smashing their fists in their palms in a threatening way.
In fact, they were standing so close that the three boys cowered in front of their imposing figure.
'So, is there a problem or not?' demanded Gōjun, and Satori Hasegawa replied, very quickly, in half a stammer, 'No-No! No problem!'
And on these words, his two friends and he scooted out of sight.
'Shunsui! Gōjun!' I whispered, brushing the back of my hand over my eyes before my tears would fall, and smiling gratefully.
The temporary immunity the scholarship students and I were enjoying was far from being an alliance without struggle and I was thankful for their intervention.
'Those as*h***s have almost made you cry!' Gōjun grumbled under his breath, in an unhappy tone, as he looked at me, and staring into the direction the direction the three males had taken, Shunsui muttered, 'I should have kicked their faces!'
'It's okay,' I murmured, touched by their solicitude.
The reddish-brown-haired young man's eyes shifted onto me after that, and my emotions were in turmoil again.
Bowing down, I thanked both of them for having come to my rescue, before I presented my apologies to Shunsui.
'I'm really sorry about what I said last night.'
'Why should you?' he demanded, coldly. 'After all, you only said what you think, right?'
'No, not anymore,' I replied, truthfully. 'I've thought a lot about what you have told me and I have realized how much I was wrong.'
'Is that true?' he asked, his tone softening, and I lifted my head just a little to meet his eyes and nod.
'Well then, that's excellent news!' he exclaimed, with a large cheery smile, and without giving any warning, he sent his arm around my neck and pulled me against his side, to ruffle my hair with his other hand. 'I'm so glad that you changed your opinion!'
I lifted my head up completely now to look at his face while I straightened my hair back into place with my hand, puzzled by his sudden change of mood. But he was so gay, that his gaiety gained me, and I began to smile.
'When I think about it,' Gōjun commented, 'it is very surprising to hear a Don Juan like him talking about human relationships on those lines, don't you agree?'
At this, Shunsui was peeved, and closing his eyes and putting a fist up at Gōjun, he asked the latter to shut up, telling him that that comment had been completely unnecessary.
I couldn't help but giggle. I had to admit that, indeed, it had surprised me a little. But, this had helped me to understand something about Shunsui.
Despite his questionable lifestyle, Shunsui Shigeizumi believed in human relationships and true love; his heart was still pure.
'Now, come on, let's go to the canteen! I'm dying with hunger!' he told us, and letting go of my neck, he was about to start for the staircase with Gōjun, when I told them, 'No wait! I've prepared both of you a bentō!'
The two young men came to a stop and turned half-around to look at me in astonishment.
I lowered my eyes, squirming a little in shyness, as I murmured, 'Yesterday, on my way to work, I was passing by the supermarket when I realized that you've forgotten everything about your bentō for today! And so... I took the initiative.' Looking up again, then, I told them, anxiously, 'But you don't have to eat it if you don't want to!'
They had turned to face me completely now, and unexpectedly, Shunsui lifted his hand to put it down on my head in an affectionate pat.
I stared into his eyes, stunned. He was watching me tenderly, with a gentle smile on his lips.
'Oh, Hime, you're endearing!' he whispered, and I blushed.
Something seemed to occur to him at that moment, and he inquired, warily, 'But wait! Does it mean that you bought all the ingredients with your own money?'
'It's okay,' I assured him, putting one of my hands up at him and smiling. 'It's nothing compared to the sum that I owe you!'
'You're a fool!' Gōjun stated, out of the blue, and my eyes shifted onto him instantly.
He was wearing a cynical expression on his face.
'Do you realize that for once, you could have been on easy street, while avoiding yourself the expense?!' He shook his head at me. 'That's why I always say that the poor will always remain poor; they're too kind with others!'
I cringed.
'Oh?! Does it mean that you don't want your part?' Shunsui asked, with a playful smile, snatching the bentō box from my hand to dangle it up in front of Gōjun face as though it was some bait. 'If it's the case, I wouldn't mind to eat your bentō alongside my own!'
Gōjun's face scrunched up at him.
'Give me this!' he growled, and snatching the bentō box away from the reddish-brown-haired young man's hand, he turned his face away to brood.
Shunsui and I smiled to ourselves at his reaction.
He wanted to eat it after all!
***
Later...
In the early evening…
'Tomorrow, it's Saturday! I was thinking that all three of us could go to the cinema to watch a film in the evening together. There's a film that's starting at 7:30 pm.'
'Tomorrow?' I asked, looking at the reddish-brown-haired young man over my shoulder, where he was sitting at the table with Gōjun.
We were in the kitchen. We had just finished taking dinner. I was now doing the dishes.
'Yes, why?' he inquired, without looking up from the newspaper he was reading; his expression serious.
Closing the tap, I turned around to face him completely to tell him in an uncomfortable tone, 'Well, tomorrow evening is going to be a little difficult.'
'And why is that? You don't have to discuss! You're my slave, remember?!'
'R-Right,' I replied, lowering my eyes and smiling uneasily at the floor for a minute.
He put his newspaper down then, and removing the spectacles that he used for reading, he looked at me, to ask me, 'Do you already have something to do?'
I gave him a small nod, and informed him, timidly, 'I have a job interview. It is about this subject that Jojima-san wanted to talk to me.'
I knew that I was bound by my arrangement with Shunsui, and the idea that I was not sticking to it made me uncomfortable. But if I could obtain another part-time job, I could help Ojii-san and Obā-san better with their finances; they were already doing so much for Okā-san and I!
'The guy of yesterday, huh?' he said, putting his spectacles back on and picking his newspaper up again to have another look at it. 'Can you remind me of his full name again?'
'It's Hibiki Jojima.'
'And he works in the office of the company where you're employed as a cleaner?'
Even if it was not really a question, I gave him another nod, feeling anxious about whether he would allow me to go or not.
'You already have a part-time job, haven't you?' Gōjun said, and my attention shifted onto him. 'Do you really have to work so much?'
His question was so direct that it took me a little by surprise.
'Uh… well...' I began, with an awkward smile.
'It's fine. You may go!' Shunsui decided, at that moment, and I looked at the latter again. 'But, mind you, I'm going to add this to your debt!'
Eh? I cringed. Has my debt just been extended?!
'O-Okay, thanks,' I said, even if what I really wanted to do was to cry out for help to the Kami.
Turning back to the sink, I closed my eyes and hung my head, sighing heavily.
I guess that that was inevitable!
After I was done with the dishes, I had been about to leave and had reached the front door of the house when, out of nowhere, Shunsui's hand closed over mine on the door-knob, causing me to freeze.
Instantaneously, I turned my face to the side to look at the reddish-brown-haired young man's face. He had appeared right behind me in the living room. I had not realized that he was following me up to the door until this instant.
'Hime,' he said, in a low, but serious tone, holding my gaze, 'Be careful with that Hibiki Jojima, alright?'
My eyes widened at him in puzzlement.
To be careful… What does he mean?
'Just like I told you before, people cannot be defined by their social class. There exist rat-bags in all social classes.'
'Huh?!' I cringed, suddenly scared. Why is he telling me this?
Letting go of my hand, he straightened up, such that he wasn't bending over me anymore.
He didn't say anything else, and simply watched me with a meaningful look.
I continued to stare back at him, my mind working at a million miles per second now, my heart filled with apprehension.
It's true that I do not know Jojima-san very well.
Our relationship was strictly formal.
And what if he is a rat-bag?! A sort of con-man who lures his victims by promising to help them to find a job, but who is in fact involved in human or organ trafficking or something of the same horror?!
I broke into cold sweat and paled.
Swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat then, I said goodbye to the reddish-brown-haired young man, and left, feeling all jittery.
***
'Why did you say this to her?' Gōjun demanded at Shunsui, the moment the latter had closed the door after the dark-haired girl.
The reddish-brown-haired young man turned around to look at his friend.
Gōjun had followed them to the living room, and was leaning against the side wall, just outside of the corridor, with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression a bit cynical.
'Now she's all scared to go to her interview!'
'That guy really worries me!' Shunsui declared, almost to himself, and Gōjun followed him with the reddish-brown-haired young man with the eyes as the latter strode his way up to the coffee table to pick the telephone up and dial a number.
'Hello, Daicho-san?' Shunsui said, and Gōjun's mouth hung open.
He couldn't believe it! He was calling Hideyoshi Daicho! The detective! Shunsui was instructing a detective to investigate on the said Hibiki Jojima! Gōjun didn't know Hideyoshi Daicho personally, but he knew the man has provided his services to the Shigeizumi family on countless occasions and could be considered as the family's detective. He had seen Shunsui has recourse to his services only once or twice before!
'I need the information rather rapidly; before tomorrow evening. Can it be done?' Shunsui marked a pause, before saying, 'Alright.'
Gōjun waited for him to have hung up before he demanded at him, in an incredulous tone, 'Are you serious?!'
'I don't know how to explain it,' Shunsui told him, cupping his own chin and frowning at the floor thoughtfully. 'There's something about that guy... The way he was looking at her…'
Gōjun rolled his eyes and shook his head.
'You're just imagining things! I'm sure it's nothing!'
'Yeah! Let's hope so!'
Thank you for reading!