Your Protector

Chapter 3

Budo finished his cleaning duties, and he wasted no time searching for Taro, praying that he hadn't left yet.

Soon enough, he found Taro at his locker, putting on his outdoor shoes. Budo then darted up to his club room, where he found one of his pupils already there and dressed.

"Sho, I gotta leave due to family business. You're in charge of club activities," he informed him.

"Oh, okay Sensei–" Budo was already gone before Sho could say anything further.

Budo raced down to his locker and quickly changed his shoes. He spotted Taro already walking past the school gates, so he followed at a safe distance, hoping that no one would notice him obviously following Taro like a stalker.

Budo, and the unsuspecting Taro, got to the park that was located nearest to Akademi. Both boys spotted Osoro already there, sitting on the bench he and Taro always sat at when having these private meetings. While Taro walked to Osoro, Budo went off path to hide behind a couple of bushes behind the bench Osoro was sitting at. Crouched down, Budo listened in on their conversation.

"Did you help with cleaning time?" Taro questioned Osoro as he crossed his arms.

The delinquent groaned as he huffed out a puff of smoke. "I'm not in a good mood, Taro, what did you expect?"

"Well you know who else isn't in a good mood? Me!" he snapped. "Why? Because after six months of helping you become a better person, you showed me today that we still haven't gotten past unnecessary violence!"

"Please," Osoro muttered. "You weren't even there when it started. What do you know?"

Taro narrowed his dark eyes at him. "Osana and Raibaru-Chan told me that you and your gang were making crude comments at them."

The delinquent rolled his eyes, dismissing the problem. "I only said one thing, and Fumetsu was too pussy to ignore it."

Taro's blood began to boil at his cruel words, and Budo was feeling the same rage behind the bushes. How did Taro ever become friends with this bastard?

"Osoro Shidesu–" Taro began to scold him, but Osoro immediately cut him off.

"You're wasting your time with me, Taro. Go find someone else to cater to who isn't as broken as me."

He was about to take another smoke when Taro suddenly marched up to him and slapped the cigarette right out of his hand, stomping it under his shoe right afterwards. Budo smiled proudly at his angel.

"I'm "wasting" my time on you because I believed there was something in you that desperately wanted to change!" Taro retorted in the delinquent's face. Despite that, Osoro didn't make a move.

"Well, you were stupid to think that!" he replied in a low, threatening voice, mimicking Taro's glare.

The boy flinched at those stinging words. He took a step back, using all his willpower to not let any tears show. He couldn't believe Osoro would say that. "Well I'm sorry for caring," he spat bitterly.

Osoro turned his head away, pouting with his arms crossed as he leaned against the back of the bench.

As hurt as he was, Taro still had the empathy to sit down next to Osoro. This was causing Budo to become more suspicious by the minute.

"I really believed in you, Osoro... and I was proud of you."

Osoro turned his face forward and shifted his eyes towards Taro, not actually looking at him.

"You were actually willing to improve yourself. The world has beaten you down, but you still desired to be the best you you could be. And I saw that," Taro genuinely confessed, "which was why I wanted to help you in this journey. Everyone deserves a second chance if they are willing to improve," he smiled, but it soon turned into a frown. "But it seems that was all a lie; you took your second chance for granted."