The classroom was loud as usual, the chatter and laughter of students filling the air, but Izumi wasn't paying attention to any of it. His mind kept wandering back to the events of yesterday—Ren's smug grin, the way he seemed to have everything figured out while Izumi was just... there. Watching.
Izumi couldn't stand it. He was tired of being passive. Of just sitting back and letting things happen. Especially when it came to Marina.
"Why do I care so much?" Izumi muttered under his breath as he scribbled aimlessly in his notebook.
It was a question he had asked himself for a while now. Every time Ren spoke to Marina, every time he saw the way the girls surrounded him, it stirred something inside of him. Something he couldn't ignore anymore. He had to do something.
After school, Izumi walked down the familiar hallways, his mind set. It didn't matter if he was nervous or unsure. He wasn't going to let Ren get away with whatever game he was playing.
He found him quickly. Ren was surrounded by his usual crowd of girls, all giggling and hanging on his every word. The moment Izumi saw him, something inside him snapped.
Without thinking, he marched straight up to the group.
"Ren!" Izumi's voice was firm, even though his heart was pounding.
Ren looked up, eyes narrowing slightly in surprise. "Izumi? What's up, man?" His tone was casual, almost mocking.
Izumi didn't care. "Stay away from Marina."
The words came out before he could stop them, and as soon as they left his mouth, he immediately regretted it. It was too forward. Too direct. But there was no taking it back now.
Ren's smirk only grew. "What's the matter? Jealous?" He chuckled lightly, glancing at the girls around him. "You're cute, Izumi. But I don't think Marina is the type who's interested in you."
Izumi clenched his fists. "I'm not playing your game. Just leave her alone."
For a moment, Ren just stared at him, his amused expression shifting slightly. He was trying to size Izumi up, maybe decide whether it was worth his time. "You're not in my league, man. Don't kid yourself."
Izumi's chest tightened. He was right. Izumi knew that. Ren was smooth, confident, and everything that Izumi wasn't. But that didn't mean he could just let him walk all over Marina.
Izumi straightened up, forcing himself to look Ren in the eye. "Maybe I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to stand by and watch you mess with her."
Marina had been watching from a distance. At first, she hadn't realized what was happening. It all unfolded too quickly. But as soon as she saw Izumi step forward, confronting Ren like that, she couldn't help but feel a strange pull in her chest.
What was going on?
The group of girls around Ren was whispering, and Izumi's words echoed in her mind. He had... defended her?
She slowly walked toward the confrontation, her steps purposeful.
"Izumi," she called out, her voice steady, though there was a slight edge to it.
Izumi froze, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn't expected her to show up right now.
Ren grinned, sensing an opportunity. "Oh, Marina, just the person we were talking about. Your friend here seems to have something to say about our... little chats."
Izumi's heart sank. He hadn't wanted her to find out like this. He wasn't sure what he was even trying to do.
But Marina didn't immediately scold him. Instead, she gave him a long, unreadable look. "Izumi," she repeated, and for the first time, there was something softer in her voice. "You don't need to fight my battles for me."
Izumi opened his mouth to protest, but she raised her hand, silencing him.
"It's sweet that you care," she said, her eyes lingering on him for just a moment longer than usual, "but I'm not a helpless damsel. I can take care of myself."
Izumi's face flushed, but there was something else too—a tiny spark of relief. She hadn't rejected him. She hadn't scolded him either.
Before he could say anything else, Ren spoke up again, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Looks like your little hero here doesn't get the picture, Marina. I'm sure Izumi means well, but don't you think you can do better?"
Izumi gritted his teeth. He didn't need Ren's approval. But he couldn't deny the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Marina just stared at him, her face unreadable. "Ren, I don't need anyone to tell me who I can or can't talk to."
Izumi's heart skipped a beat when he saw Marina's gaze shift back to him, a flicker of something in her eyes. "Thanks... for stepping up," she said softly.
Izumi was stunned. He hadn't expected her to say that. He thought she would think he was overstepping.
But there it was. The validation he hadn't realized he needed.
"I... I just don't like it when people mess with you," Izumi mumbled, his voice quieter now.
Marina smiled, just a little. "Well, I appreciate it. But next time, don't go picking fights with people like Ren. It won't end well."
Izumi nodded, feeling a little foolish, but also... lighter somehow. Maybe he didn't have to be perfect to stand up for the things he cared about.
Ren, still smirking, turned and walked off with his group of followers. But as he left, he shot Izumi one last glance—one that was far from friendly.
Izumi watched him go, feeling a mix of frustration and something else he wasn't ready to understand yet. But for now, at least he had done something. He had taken action. And that felt... good.