Aya greeted Kai brightly as they walked to school, suddenly wrapping her arms around him and leaning her chest against him.
"Morning, Kai!" she said cheerfully.
Kai froze, his face turning red. "Aya, stop! People are staring!" He gently tried to pry her off, but Aya clung to him, laughing.
Unbeknownst to them, Haruto was watching from a distance. His eyes narrowed with jealousy.
During class and throughout the school day, Aya stuck close to Kai, making him feel awkward and overwhelmed. When school ended, Aya tried to walk home with Kai, but he declined.
"Maybe next time, Aya," he said, walking off quickly.
Before she could insist, Haruto appeared, confidently inviting Aya to walk home with him instead.
"I don't think she wants to," Kai interrupted, grabbing Haruto's arm. He sighed and turned to Aya. "You know what? I've changed my mind. Let's go, Aya."
Kai took Aya's hand and led her away. Haruto stood behind them, his expression darkening.
"You'll pay for this, Kai," he muttered under his breath.
The next day, Aya continued her cheerful attempts to invite Kai on a short date after school, but he stubbornly refused. This routine went on for over a week, and Aya grew visibly upset.
"Kai... do you hate me?" she asked softly, her eyes glistening.
Kai didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.
Feeling hurt, Aya decided to leave school alone the following day.
On his way home, Kai bumped into Ai, the fallen goddess of love who loved meddling in his life. Ai smirked knowingly.
"So, Bakachin," she teased, "you're giving Aya the cold shoulder? Aren't you being a bit too harsh?"
Kai rolled his eyes. "It's for the best. I don't want to get romantically involved in this ridiculous harem novel setup you keep throwing at me, you annoying goddess!"
Ai giggled. "Oh, Kai~ You're just in denial. You'll see."
The day after that, Aya didn't greet Kai at all. She kept her distance, avoiding him entirely.
Kai felt uneasy. His usual mornings were filled with Aya's bubbly presence, but now the silence was deafening. He caught himself missing her, which only confused him further.
After school, Kai spotted Haruto walking over to Aya and inviting her out. To his shock, Aya accepted.
Haruto suggested they go on a date, and Aya nodded hesitantly.
Kai watched from afar, his heart sinking. "No way. Aya can't go on a date with him. Haruto's a creep."
Determined to protect Aya, Kai decided to follow them. Disguising himself with a hoodie and sunglasses, he trailed them to the mall.
"Stalking is a bad look on you, Bakachin," a familiar voice chimed.
Kai turned to see Ai, also in disguise, smirking at him.
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.
"Same as you," she said with a shrug. "This is getting interesting. Shall we team up?"
Reluctantly, Kai agreed, and the two continued following Aya and Haruto.
Haruto grew bolder during the date, casually touching Aya's shoulder and leaning in to sniff her hair. His sleazy grin made Kai's blood boil.
"You're jealous, aren't you?" Ai teased, nudging Kai.
Kai clenched his fists. "This isn't about jealousy. I just... I don't want her to get hurt."
After following them for a while, Ai got bored with Kai's response. She eventually decided to go home first, leaving Kai alone to follow Aya and Haruto.
...
That evening, as Haruto and Aya walked home, Haruto crossed the line. He tried to wrap his arms around Aya and kiss her. Aya resisted, pushing him away and calling out desperately.
"Kai!"
Hearing her cry, Kai couldn't hold back. He charged at Haruto and delivered a flying punch to his face.
"She said no! Don't force yourself on her, you creep!" Kai shouted.
Haruto stumbled, then chuckled darkly. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."
"Huh, prepare to lose! Don't underestimate me, the Conqueror from the East!" Kai took off his jacket and rolled up his uniform sleeves. He posed like a martial arts master.
The two began fighting in earnest. Haruto, known for his street-fighting skills, quickly gained the upper hand. Kai struggled to keep up, taking punch after punch.
"Ugh! I knew he was strong. In that trashy harem novel, he was the MC who could defeat a gang by himself. That damn goddess of love made her MC too OP!" Kai muttered in his heart.
As Kai fell to his knees, Haruto raised his fist for a final blow. Suddenly, Aya stepped in front of Kai, shielding him.
"Stop it, Haruto! Please, just leave us alone!" she cried.
Haruto hesitated, then lowered his fist. With a shrug, he walked away.
"Damn it..why do I always lose.." Kai collapsed from exhaustion. The last thing he saw was Aya's worried face before everything went dark.
...
Kai woke up in an unfamiliar room. He realized he was lying in Aya's bed, covered with a blanket. Warmth pressed against his side.
Looking down, he saw Aya asleep, hugging him tightly. She had treated his injuries while he was unconscious.
Kai's face turned bright red. "This is... too much," he muttered.
He considered waking her up, but the sight of her peaceful expression made him pause. Instead, he decided to let her rest.
As the night went on, Aya shifted in her sleep, hugging him even closer. Kai could feel her soft warmth against his arm. Despite her pajamas, her chest lightly pressed against him.
Kai tried to stay calm, but his nose started bleeding.
"I hate this position. I can't even move," he grumbled to himself. "But... maybe I'll allow it, just this once."
Suddenly, a notification popped up in his vision:
---
[Physical contact detected!]
View heroine's status:
Name: Takashima Aya
Affection Level: 3/5
Thoughts: "Kai... I want to hug you forever... Thank you for protecting me..."
---
Kai stared at the notification in disbelief. Aya's affection level had risen again.
"This is exactly what I was trying to avoid," he groaned. "Why does everything keep going wrong?"
Resigned to his fate, Kai closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
The next morning, Aya gently woke Kai up, giggling as she poked his cheeks.
"Kai, wake up. Your sleeping face is so cute!"
Kai jolted awake, startled by how close her face was. Her sweet scent made his heart race.
"W-What are you doing?!" he stammered, lightly pushing her away.
Aya laughed. "Thank you for protecting me last night. You even fought Haruto for me... I'm sorry you got hurt."
Kai rubbed the back of his neck. "It's fine. I couldn't just stand by and let him force you into anything. But I couldn't even win... I'm so pathetic."
Aya gently lifted his chin, making him meet her gaze.
"That's not true, Kai. I think you're amazing," she said with a warm smile.
Her words pierced straight through Kai's heart. He had never been praised like that before. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Thank you, Aya," he whispered, "and you know..i don't hate you." Kai smiling at Aya softly.
For a moment, Kai felt an overwhelming urge to hug her, but he held himself back. Instead, he stood up and prepared to leave.
"I should head home and get ready for school. See you later, Aya."
Aya walked him to the door, waving as he left.
"Bye, Kai! See you at school!"
Kai waved back, feeling a strange warmth in his chest.
...
When Kai arrived home, Ai greeted him from the kitchen, where she was cooking breakfast.
"Well, well! Look who decided to show up!" she teased. "So, how was your night with Aya? Did you finally confess your love? Or maybe... did you lose your virginity?!"
Kai's face turned red. "Shut up, Ai! It's nothing like that!"
Ai burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying his embarrassment.
"Oh, Bakachin, you're so fun to mess with. But seriously, don't be such a chicken. Aya really likes you, you know."
Kai sighed, wondering how his life had become such a chaotic mess.