Ren Nakamura wasn't a good person.
He never pretended to be. He didn't care about people. He didn't care about school. He didn't care about anything.
But lately...
Something was changing.
And he wasn't sure if he liked it.
After School – Behind the Gym
Ren didn't look for trouble.
But sometimes, trouble found him.
Like today.
He had been walking past the gym, hands in his pockets, mind drifting to what Yuki had said the other day—
"When was the last time you laughed?"
Tch. Why was he still thinking about that?
But then—
A voice caught his attention.
"Hey, come on. Just hand it over."
Ren slowed his steps.
It was coming from behind the gym. A bad spot. That was where fights usually happened. Where kids got cornered.
Normally, Ren wouldn't care. Not his problem.
But then—
He heard another voice.
Shaky. Quiet.
"Please... I don't have any more money."
Ren stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned the corner.
Three guys. Bigger than him. Upperclassmen, maybe. They had some first-year kid pinned against the wall, his bag ripped open, books scattered on the ground.
Ren exhaled.
Seriously?
Pathetic.
The leader of the group, a guy with bleached hair, grinned as he grabbed the kid's collar. "Don't lie. You've got more, right?"
The kid flinched. "I—I swear—"
The blonde clicked his tongue. "Tch. That's not the answer I wanted."
He raised his fist—
And then Ren spoke.
"You're really dragging this out, huh?"
The group froze.
The blonde turned, eyes narrowing. "Huh?"
Ren leaned casually against the wall, hands in his pockets. His expression bored. Unimpressed.
"I mean," he continued, "if you're gonna rob the kid, at least be quick about it. This is painful to watch."
One of the guys scoffed. "The hell's your problem?"
Ren shrugged. "Nothing. Just saying, if it takes three of you to shake down a first-year, maybe you're weaker than you think."
The blonde twitched.
"...You got a death wish, Nakamura?"
Ren smirked. "Oh? So you know who I am."
The guy clicked his tongue. "Everyone knows who you are. The idiot who sleeps through class and picks fights."
"That's funny," Ren said lazily. "I don't remember picking this one."
The guy clenched his fists. "You're seriously pissing me off."
Ren's smirk didn't fade. That was the point.
Behind them, the first-year kid was staring wide-eyed.
Ren sighed. "Look, I don't care what you do in your free time. But I really don't like idiots who gang up on someone weaker than them."
The blonde scoffed. "And what, you think you're some hero?"
Ren chuckled. "Hell no. But I can still kick your ass if you want."
The guy took a step forward—
But before things could escalate, another voice called out.
"Ren?"
Ren stiffened.
No.
No. No. No.
Not now. Not her.
And yet—
Yuki Hoshino was standing there, just a few feet away, holding her schoolbag.
She had that same expression she always did—calm, steady, unreadable.
Ren clenched his jaw.
This is bad.
The blonde glanced at Yuki, then back at Ren. A slow, nasty grin spread across his face.
"...Ohh. I get it now," he drawled. "She's the reason you're acting all tough, huh?"
Ren's eyes darkened. "Shut up."
"Didn't know Nakamura had himself a girlfriend," the guy continued, his tone mocking. "Maybe we should show her what happens when—"
CRACK.
The guy didn't finish his sentence—
Because Ren had already grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
The other two guys froze.
The blonde let out a choked gasp, eyes wide. "Wha—"
Ren leaned in close.
"Say that again," he murmured, his tone calm. Cold.
The blonde swallowed hard.
"...Tch."
Ren held him there for a long second, just to make sure he got the message. Then, without another word, he let go.
The guy stumbled forward, coughing.
"...Tch. Whatever." He shot Ren a glare before nodding at his lackeys. "Let's go."
The two other guys hesitated, then quickly followed.
Ren didn't move until they were out of sight.
Then, finally, he let out a slow breath.
He turned toward the first-year kid, who was still standing there, looking completely overwhelmed.
"Go home," Ren muttered.
The kid flinched—then quickly grabbed his stuff and bolted.
Silence.
Ren sighed, rolling his shoulders. Damn it. That was annoying.
Then—
"...Ren."
Oh. Right.
Yuki.
He had forgotten she was still standing there.
Slowly, Ren turned to her.
Yuki was looking at him with an unreadable expression.
"...So," she said finally. "You're a good guy after all."
Ren scoffed. "Don't be stupid."
Yuki smiled. "Too late."
Ren sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Tch. Whatever. It's not like I care what you think."
"Really?" She took a step closer. "Because you seemed really mad when that guy mentioned me."
Ren stiffened.
Shit.
Yuki's smile widened. "Ohh, I see. You got protective."
Ren quickly looked away. "No, I didn't."
"You totally did."
"Shut up."
Yuki giggled. "Ren Nakamura, the scary delinquent, standing up for me. How romantic."
Ren groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I hate you."
"Sure you do," she teased. "By the way, you owe me food now."
Ren frowned. "What? Why?"
"Because," she said matter-of-factly, "I just watched you almost get into a fight, and that was very stressful."
Ren rolled his eyes. "Tch. Fine. Whatever."
Yuki beamed. "Great! I want takoyaki."
Ren sighed. What even was his life anymore?
But despite himself—
He didn't mind as much as he should have.