Your Protector

Chapter 25

While Taro normally spent his morning reading in the courtyard or talking with Osana and Raibaru, the boy was spending this particular morning touring the new student around.

Ayato Aishi—a cashier he briefly chatted with when he went to the grocery store that one day. Quite odd how one little exchange can turn into something bigger. Now, Ayato was attending Akademi High School, and Taro was giving him a tour.

He started the tour outside, showing Ayato the Gardening Club, the Sports Club, the swimming pool, the track, and even the legendary cherry tree. He explained the myth to Ayato, and the boy seemed to take a keen interest in that. Well, it is a nice thought, to guarantee the person you confess your love to will accept it. Taro wondered if Budo ever thought of confessing to him there. He's kind of glad he didn't; the myth behind the tree felt just like that... a myth. It was a pretty place to confess your love, however.

Taro then introduced Ayato to each of the clubs on the first floor: the Cooking Club, the Drama Club, and the Occult Club. He asked if Ayato had any interest in any of them, and he seemed to be indifferent about them. To be honest, it felt that his attention span was... limited. The only time Ayato ever seemed truly focused on the tour was when Taro was explaining to him about the delinquents and how they claimed the incinerator as their "territory".

They finished touring outside and the first floor, so they now headed up to the second floor, and the first room caught Ayato's attention for a very specific reason.

"This is the Martial Arts Club, the club Budo leads as you know," Taro explained.

"Impressive," the new boy mumbled, gazing inside the club room closely, as if he was memorizing the interior.

"You have any interest in joining? I know Budo is always looking for new members to join."

Ayato turned to Taro's cute face with a soft smile. "No thanks. I'm not a fighter."

"That's okay, neither am I."

They continued on, passing by the Martial Arts Club. Budo was assisting Juku with his balance, so he didn't notice Taro and Ayato talking in front of his club, but when he turned towards the window showing the hallways, he caught sight of two black-haired individuals walking away. He knew what he saw, and his jaw tightened slightly. This day was not going well at all.

They finished touring the bottom floor and were now headed to the stairs leading to the third floor. "You know, Yamada-San, I have noticed that we share quite a few similarities," Ayato suddenly commented as they walked.

Taro raised a brow. "Oh? Like what?"

A slight pink tint painted Ayato's cheeks. He scratched his nape. "Well, you told me you liked reading when we passed by the library, and when we were outside, you told me the Gardening Club was the club you were most inclined to join. I feel the same way," he smiled at the smaller boy.

Taro wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. There was something odd about the way Ayato said that. He was probably worrying over nothing, but there was something in the pit of his stomach that was telling him to be wary of the boy he barely knew. "Ah. Yeah, I guess we do. Funny that," he chuckled awkwardly.

They passed by and discussed the other clubs on the second floor: the Gaming Club, the Science Club, and the Art Club. Once again, none of them piqued Ayato's interest. Taro could identify with that. Over the years, Budo and a few of the other students in his class have tried to coerce him into joining a club, but he always refused. Unless a Reading Club shows up within the next several months, he was going to graduate as a clubless student, and he was fine with that.

As they walked through the hallways, they passed a few students in a huddle chatting. When they spotted them walking by, they stopped to stare at them. Taro found that odd, but he ignored them as he usually does. However, when he and Ayato passed the small group, one of them grumbled 'slut' between coughs.