"I fucking said leave me alone. I don't want to go to a hotel with you, old geezer."
"Come on, baby. I'll give you 50,000 yen, just let me have my way with you."
Isuno-san was still struggling to break free from the old man. I didn't want to involve myself in a situation I didn't understand, but at that moment, my legs moved on their own.
"Hey, mister, let go of my friend's hand."
Both the old man and Isuno-san turned towards me.
"What will you do if I don't? You kids today think you're some kind of hero. Just leave this place and go about your business."
Why are these old geezers always so full of themselves? I took out my phone and showed him the video of him harassing Isuno-san.
"If you don't let her go right now, I'll send this video to the cops and your family. Then you'll have to deal with the aftermath. And if you think about approaching her again, remember that this video will also be shared with my friends and family. My family friend is a cop, and you wouldn't want your family to see this video. So, while I'm still being nice, leave this place."
After that, he let go of her hand and left without a word. I walked toward Isuno-san.
"Are you okay, Isuno-san?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for helping me."
"It's okay. Just take care of yourself."
"Aren't you interested in what happened? You're not asking me anything. Or do you plan to blackmail me with the video?" Isuno-san looked straight into my eyes, her expression filled with guilt and fear.
"I'm just not interested right now. I want to go home and read the manga. But if you want to share your story, I'll listen while I walk you home."
We started walking, and she began her story.
"My father died last year, and my mom left soon after. So, it was just me, my little sister, and my grandmother left alone in the house. My grandmother works as a nurse at the hospital, but money has been tight for my sister's and my school expenses. I learned about sugar daddies to earn more money quickly, and I started doing it in the first week of school. That guy became attached to me and turned into a persistent annoyance. Thanks to you, I think he'll finally leave me alone."
"From now on, don't do things like that, Isuno-san. If you're looking for a part-time job, there's a vacancy at the store where I work. I'd be happy to talk to the manager for you."
We reached her home shortly after, and after dropping her off, I cycled straight home.
The next day, while I was reading some manhwas recommended by my online friends, I heard a female voice say, "Good morning, Keto-kun!" It was Isuno-san.
I returned her greeting, and she sat in her seat. Just then, Momo-san approached me and stared at my face with an unreadable expression.
"Did Isuno wish you first? Mr. Keto, something's wrong. Did you do something to her? How is this even possible? The girl who barely spoke to you is suddenly greeting you?"
"No, it's nothing like that. I greeted her at the entrance, and she wished me back just now. Come on, she doesn't even look at me. How could you think something like that?"
We stared at each other, both wondering if someone would even like me and then Momo returned to her seat.
In the afternoon, Isuno-san approached me and asked, "Keto-kun, would you like to have lunch with me?"