Seems like everyone really hates Ryo in this fic. xD. No worries, Ryo shall be punished.
CHAPTER 6
On the night street of the shopping district, Airi together with Ryo is silently walking beside each other as the lonely girl’s mind is not with him at the moment, but she’s overthinking of things. Airi wants to part ways with him as soon as possible but she doesn’t have the courage to do so. All she wants is to be alone, and think by herself, but Ryo isn’t giving her a time to do so.
“Airi-chan, you can always open up to me if you feel bothered.” Ryo broke the silence. “You’re not alone, you have me, you can always tell me everything that’s bothering you.”
“Thank you but I’m fine.” Airi said while they walk. “I admit I’m feeling down these days, but it’s not something to be worry about. I’m always like this when it comes to family problems so having this sad feeling isn’t new to me anymore.”
“Then…” Ryo stopped. “… let’s have some fun tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know a new place where you can forget all your problems. Trust me, you’ll have a good time there.” He winked and dragged Airi with him.
Maimi on the other hand went to Airi’s place but she’s not yet home. She tried to call Airi a lot of times but she’s not picking up. Maimi is worried, receiving a blank e-mail, and now it’s late night yet Airi isn’t home. The lights from the posts aren’t even working well, keeps on blinking which made it more dangerous to come back home at late time. Maimi looked around her and found Risako who is facing the other side.
“Excuse me…” Maimi tapped her back.
Risako turned and her eyes almost fell on the ground, “OH MY GOD! Maimi-sama!”
“Uuhh… By any chance, are you waiting for Suzuki-san too?” Maimi cautiously asked.
“Yeah! I’m her best friend Sugaya Risako.” She introduced. “Listen, I’m so worried for her! Airi-chan is feeling so lonely and so down these days. I don’t know exactly why, but I guess it’s about family problem.”
“Family problem?”
“I heard from the teachers that her parents called because they found out Airi failed on one of her exams last time. They’re trying to put a lot of pressure on Airi, and she’s being forced to study hard. Because, if Airi won’t do the things like what her parents want…” Risako frowned.
“What?”
“…her parents will definitely throw her away and won’t give her any support anymore. A while ago at school, they handed us out papers regarding our college plans since graduation is approaching fast. I know Airi is feeling so heavy and stressed with all these things and yet she’s with a guy that I don’t even trust right now.”
“She’s with a guy?” Maimi questioned. “Hey, where did they go?”
“I don’t know! Airi isn’t picking up her phone either. I followed them when they left the school campus, but I lost my sight on them when they reached the shopping district. Now I’m here waiting for her to come back. I don’t know what to do anymore.” Risako cried.
“That girl…” Maimi sighed in worries.
Maimi didn’t waste any second standing and runs fast away to search for the missing girl. Risako followed her from behind, hoping to find her best friend. From left to right, to the dark roads and to the malls, they’re trying to look for her everywhere but she’s nowhere to be found. Maimi is starting to feel the ache on her ankle injury, but she tries to ignore it just to find Airi.
“Risako-chan!” Nakky and Chisato came as they received Risako’s message that Airi is missing. “What happened to Airi?” Chisato nervously asked.
“Yajima-san, do you have an idea?” Nakky questioned the panting player.
“No…” Maimi simply replies while she catches her breath. She wonders her eyes around the thick crowd passing back and forth, from adults to young ones, to high school students holding on to their lovers. With that sight, Maimi was able to form a guess, “Wait…”
“Why?” They all asked.
“Who’s that guy whom Airi is with?” Maimi twitched her eyebrows.
“Well… he’s studious like Airi-chan, he rarely talks to other but these days he often talks to Airi-chan. She is socially awkward, but since she doesn’t know how to reject offers, she accepted Ryo’s invitation to walk her back home.” Risako informed.
“Ryo wears eyeglasses, he’s tall and handsome. Most girls in our school like him but he doesn’t really care about it. Some says he often lurks around the town at night, some even said that he looks so different outside the school.” Nakky followed up.
“Different outside the school?” Maimi again twitched her eyebrows and tries to think deeper, “C’mon Yajima Maimi! Don’t be an airhead!” She said to herself.
Then this came into her,
“… you better find a new path on going back home. This road isn’t safe anymore since a new night club was built around here. I think it would be better for you if you walk by the city, it’s safer there than here in this narrow road.” It was the thing that Maimi advised when she saved Airi from the drunken old man.
“Different outside the school…” Maimi started to mumble by herself as thoughts are now rushing into her mind. “Lurks around the town at night… wears eyeglasses…”
“Hey, what are you thinking Yajima-san?” Risako asked.
However, Maimi ignored her and continues on thinking, “Could it be… a man in disguise?!” She gasped when an image popped out in her mind.
“Quit thinking by yourself and tell us!” Nakky said.
“Sorry.” Maimi said. “You guys can go back home, and don’t follow me.”
“Why?!”
“I think I know where Airi is, but it might be dangerous.” Maimi explained. “That’s why, it will be better if I’ll go alone.”
Risako gives her a glare, “Promise me you’ll bring Airi-chan back safe.”
“We’ll entrust Airi’s safety to you.” Nakky said.
“Please come back safe too Yajima-san.” Chisato said last.
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely get Suzuki-san back. I promise.” Maimi nodded and ran fast away.
As if she’s on a soccer field, Maimi runs faster than the vehicles and passes through the people around like her opponents. Until she reached the place she thought where Airi is, the new night club built not long time ago. As expected, a lot of minors are walking around it, and some are still wearing their school uniforms. Maimi sharply looks at every person and walks in the club full of young ones dancing on the dance floor, and some are old man enjoying with them.
“Look! It’s Yajima Maimi!” Some were able to recognize her but Maimi only forced out a smile on them and still on search for Airi.
Maimi pushes herself onto the dancing crowd and completely lost at the middle. The lights are making her dizzy plus the sound is so loud that it could break her eardrums. “Ah…” Finally, at the end corner, she saw Airi with group of guys around her as they all sit on the couch.
“Excuse me!” Maimi stands tall in front of them with her eyebrows almost meeting on the middle due to anger towards Airi.
“Oh, it’s Saitama’s ace soccer player Yajima Maimi!” Ryo said and welcomed her. “How may I help you?”
Airi saw the way Maimi is glaring at her and only avoided eye contacts with her. Then she felt a tight grip on her wrist and was pulled up in a harsh way.
“You have something that belongs to me so I’m taking it back.” Maimi belatedly answered Ryo with a sarcastic smile.
“Hey, she agreed to be with me tonight!” Ryo argued. “Let her go!”
Maimi threw him the deadliest glare she has that made Ryo to sit back on his place. “Back off or else I’ll cut your head off.”
After that, she pulled Airi out of the night club but Ryo and his gang followed them but now holding weapons. They surrounded the bare-handed Maimi with Airi not uttering a single word behind her.
“Give that girl back or else…” Ryo threatened and removed his eyeglasses.
“I knew those are fake glasses.” Maimi smirked. “I might be an airhead, but the way Suzuki-san’s friends described you, I found it strange that someone a studious guy like you would have an interest with such a stubborn girl. You disguise yourself as a good guy at school but totally a bastard outside.”
“So what now? Airi knew about that before we entered that night club but she still came with me!” Ryo laughed loud. “See? Airi-chan can’t even talk back because she knows I’m telling the truth! Airi-chan came with us on her own will, none of us forced her!”
Maimi looked back and found Airi with her guilty eyes. After she heard Airi’s story from Risako, Maimi couldn’t blame her at all, high school students who have many heavy problems tend to do bad things as they can’t handle it anymore. But, Maimi is somewhat mad deep inside her.
“I don’t care.” Maimi answered back. “Suzuki-san is an innocent girl who easily gets hurt, that’s why forcing her to come at a place like this is not right. You… You’re the kind of guy that I detest the most!”
“There’s no way we’ll let you go away after giving us a bad look!” One of Ryo’s friends said and gave Maimi a strong punch on her face. People around the club are starting running away because of the fight which eventually started.
“Yajima-san!” Airi finally talked now that Maimi is down on the ground. “Are you alright?”
“Back off Suzuki-san.” Maimi said under her breath and realized she got a cut on her lower lip. “There’s no way I’ll let you go with this guy. I told you right? If you feel lonely… or maybe if you need someone to talk with… or if you feel down or anything… just give me a call… Then why didn’t you do so?! And yet you came at such place with these guys!” She roared at the defenceless Airi.
“Stop the drama you idiot and stand up!” Ryo yelled.
Before Ryo could even smash his bat, Maimi blocked him using her left hand. “Why did you hesitate, Suzuki-san? We’re friends right?” She said still holding onto Ryo’s weapon. “Don’t keep your problems by yourself. What’s the use of your friends who trust and worry for you? Why don’t you depend on us if you think no one is there for you?!”
Maimi bent all her anger on Airi to Ryo. She strongly pushed him and rushed to a strong punch right into his face that he’s totally thrown away. His comrades run away as they witness Maimi’s strength and left Ryo on the scene alone. “And you…” She pinned Ryo on the ground and grabbed on his collar, “I won’t forgive you. How dare you take an advantage on her weakness?!”
Ryo received another punch and this time he begs for forgiveness but Maimi didn’t listen. Before Maimi could even go out of control, a police was heard approaching fast. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you.” Maimi said and let him go covered with blood on his face before the police came.
“Let’s go.” Maimi held Airi’s trembling hands and escaped away from the night club.
Maimi together with Airi successfully made flee, and now far from the trouble. Airi couldn’t lift her head up and fixed her gazes on the ground. She’s scared to face Maimi who is obviously mad at her. They stopped near the riverbanks and there they sit beside each other on the bench. Five minutes had already passed and yet none of them talked yet. Maimi is waiting for Airi to talk first, but the younger girl never let out anything.
“Why…”
With that single word from Airi, Maimi heard a sob and later grasped that she’s already crying. Maimi can’t really see her face for her long hair is covering it but the tears are visible, dropping on her lap while she tightly grips on her skirt.
“Why… did you come for me?” Airi cried.
“You sent me a blank e-mail and I found it weird then I remembered what I told you back then. I went to your place and your best friend is really worried for you. We searched at the whole city found nothing.” Maimi replied looking away.
“How did you know I was at the club?” Airi sobbed.
“I was once a high school student too. A girl like you who is carrying a lot of burden often unconsciously does things. I knew a lot of people like you when I was in high school too. And your best friend told me about your problems too that’s why I thought that you might be on a place where you never stepped in.” Maimi properly explained but looking away.
Airi cries harder, “Sorry… Sorry… Because of me… You’re put into trouble again. I’m such an idiot! You shouldn’t have come for me. I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Maimi knows that a handkerchief that will wipe her tears won’t do, so she pulled Airi closer to her and let her cry on her chest, “It’s alright, you can cry it all out. I’ll be here. I’m sorry for yelling at you too a while ago. I was just frustrated.” She whispered.
Airi grips on Maimi’s shirt and cries it all out. Maimi doesn’t know what to say. She thinks that if she talks more, it might end up hurting Airi even more. All that Maimi can do is to give her comfort and hug her while she cries. Just then, Airi fell asleep on her chest and completely unconscious.
“She’s cute.” Maimi smiles while she looks on Airi’s sleeping face resting on her chest. “What should I do now?”
Knowing that Airi is tired and fell asleep due to fatigue, Maimi carried her on a bridal way and let her to continue on sleeping. As she tries to walk Airi back to her place, she stopped halfway.
If I put her back to her home, she’ll be alone again once she’ll wake up. No one will be there to look after her, no one will take care of her. She has no one to comfort her when she wakes up… Maimi thought. Instead of putting Airi back to her home, she went the opposite way and brought her to their dorm.
“Maimi-chan! What happened?!” Erika immediately rushed to her as she entered the dorm carrying Airi.
“It’s a long story!” Maimi placed Airi on her room and let her rest on the bed. “To make it short, I saved Suzuki-san.”
“Again?” Momoko said and helped Maimi on fixing Airi. “This girl is troublesome.”
“Forget it. If I didn’t help her, those guys probably did something bad to her already. She’s a strong girl but she wasn’t able to take it anymore. What a pity girl…” Maimi said and left the room.
“I told you.” Erika grinned. “Often times, the person who understands you is the one who also have a heavy problem. So, this is the proof.”
“I know that’s why I want to help her.”
“Where will you sleep then?” Momo asked.
“I’ll just sleep on the couch. It’s only for one night so it won’t be a problem. Our soccer practice will start late tomorrow so I guess it’s fine.”
Midnight, Maimi can’t sleep on the small couch on the living room for making her uncomfortable. Mosquitoes are everywhere which makes her even more uncomfortable. As much as she wants to go back to her bed, she can’t for Airi is there soundly sleeping. Thoughts that she should share the bed with Airi also came into her, but immediately erased it for they’re not close to share the bed.
“What’s this?” In the end, Maimi walked around the dorm until she found Airi’s bag and scans her things. On her hand at the moment is Airi’s memo pad which only contains her study schedules, nothing more. From morning to night, everything is about her studies. Then Maimi remembers what Risako said, that Airi is only being forced to study hard.
“She deserves to be happy too even without a family. What can I do?”
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Yay~ second page. LOL.
Honestly, I'm trying to put a lil' comedy or something on my fic but I'm failing. >.< Anyway, thanks for all the comments guys~ I appreciate it so much! XOXO!
See y'all on the next chapter~