| Psithurisim |

| Chapter 16 |

"Haru." Shun spins around in his seat, looking a mix between serious and scared.

"Huh?" The past week or so he's been on edge for seemingly no reason. Anytime I'd ask, he'd just brush me off and lie about Dark Reunion being the cause, or simply change the topic. Maybe now he's finally cracked.

He glances around, looking for something, someone, "you probably should be careful around a certain – uh – Kuboyasu."

"Why – did something happen between you two" I tilt my head to the side, as Nendo comes over to us. Maybe something happened over New Year and it just set in for him? That's the only real time he hasn't been around me - we hang out so frequently now. Unless. I swear if the girls have got to Shun I'm going to internally cry. I don't need him being an overprotective friend on top of the girls being high on matchmaking. They're determined to make this 'new year' a year of romance - something spurred by Kokomi's date with Saiki that happened close to the holiday.

"Whatcha talkin' about" Nendo is casual as ever.

"It's about Kuboyasu" and on queue, the purple-haired boy walks in.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing sir" Shun goes rigid, scared. It isn't long before he's hiding behind Nendo and trying to get me to join him. Shun's hands try to grab me from behind Nendo's body, but I just raise an eyebrow at him, refusing to move from my seat.

Maybe this isn't the matchmakers' doing. But then, what's gotten into Shun? And why has Kuboyasu been such a hot topic lately? First the girls, now Shun. It is just because he's new?

"This guy's really acting weird, huh" Nendo asks, leaning on Kuboyasu's shoulder. Then, he sneezes.

Kaido once again gets all panicky, as Nendo wipes both his nose and then Kuboyasu's face. I sigh, grabbing a hand sanitizer from my pocket and holding it out to both of the boys, "here, don't need anyone getting sick."

They both take it, but I can't help but feel sorry for the guy who got sneezed on. Maybe I should start carrying facecloths. Something like a moist towelette, perhaps. Then if this happens ever again, I'd be prepared.

Class passes by in a flash, and soon I'm on auto-pilot, walking home with Kaido and Saiki.

"Abeno, you don't understand. He's scarred – like a completely different person from the neck down."

"Oh." I can't help but rub at my own, scarred, arm. Is my scar scary? Does it make me a different person than before? Can scars really have that much of an impact on how someone is perceived?

"I-Your scar is different. Yours was from an accident. His look like battle wounds! There's no way he wasn't a delinquent. He's bad news, I swear. Just be careful around him. Please," Kaido all but begs.

"Even if he was," I sigh, "he's been acting like a normal person in school. Maybe he just wanted to start over – that's not too hard to understand."

As we round the corner, we come face to face with some actual, practicing, delinquents. I gulp, reading myself for anything. It's ok. Between Saiki and I we should have this handled. Even if there aren't really any plants. And I have yet to wear that bracelet out in public.

"Oh, and you've got a pretty girly with you." One says, reaching forward to touch my face.

I step back, gulping, as they slowly but surely circle us. Then they back us against a wall. Kaido completely zones out when one of the guys grabs his shirt, holding him off the ground as I stare wide-eyed. No matter what we should be some degree of safe. I've got more power at my disposal than before and Saiki is here. He wouldn't let us get murdered. Hurt maybe. But killed, never. Especially since I can easily pay him back with coffee jellies.