Your Protector

Chapter 32

The guidance counselor had sent multiple emails and texts to the headmaster, asking him if they should continue school, or just cancel for the rest of the week. When he wasn't answering, not even to the teachers who were also asking him the same question, the guidance counselor decided to cancel school for the rest of the week. She also decided to go over to the headmaster's to see why he wasn't answering any texts or emails.

She knocked on the door, but got no response. His car was in the driveway, so he was home or perhaps on an early morning walk. She peeked through the living room window, and to her horror, she saw the man lying in a pool of his own blood. She gasped at the sight and immediately called the police, who barged into his house and investigated the scene.

It was no doubt a suicide. News spread quickly about the death of the Headmaster of Akademi, and now everyone at the school was in distress.

Taro had become a shut-in all week. He barely left his room, mostly to avoid his parents, and he hasn't gone to the station to visit Budo.

He felt guilty for not doing so, but he couldn't bring himself to see his boyfriend in a criminal uniform, at least not yet. It has been such a traumatizing week; what he really needed was to get out and clear his head.

Sighing to himself, he changed into a black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans and left his house, not telling either of his parents where he was going—not that they cared.

He walked to the town, where he found the very bench he and Budo had their first real argument. It wasn't Budo's best moment, and frankly, it wasn't his best moment either. They both made poor decisions that they regret now, so now it was to be left in the past.

But now with Budo in prison, it actually brought a little bit of joy to look back on their argument. It was during a time where they didn't have much trouble to worry about, but now a murderer was walking around their school free as a bird.

Taro shivered at the thought that perhaps he may have interacted with the killer before. He could've actually spoken to someone who would one day spill the blood of another.

"E-excuse me?"

Taro turned his head at the voice and looked up to see a girl he recognized from school: Amai Odayaka, the leader of the Cooking Club.

"I know you from school," she said. "You're Taro Yamada, right?"

"Yeah, that's me..."

Amai smiled, only a little. She stood in silence for a moment, rubbing her foot against the concrete. Taro wasn't sure what to say; he had never really spoken to the girl until now.

"So... would you mind if I sat here with you for a moment?" she asked.

Taro shook his head. "Not at all."

Amai smiled a little more before sitting down next to him. There still remained this uncomfortable, awkward tension, and neither knew how to properly make it disappear.

"Pretty day, isn't it?" the girl said, looking up at the sky. "That's why I was so excited for my break at the bakery. I love spring."

Taro just nodded. He decided it was best to just confront it. "Um... Odayaka-San, I don't mean to be rude, but... why are you sitting next to me?"

Amai looked at him innocently. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Surely you've heard the rumors at school about me. No one at school wants to come near me in fear that I'll infect them with my "gayness"," he chuckled dryly as he made quotation marks with his fingers.

Amai held back her laughter with a snort. She quickly composed herself. "I don't think being gay is a bad thing, and it was wrong of Ronshaku-Chan to post those pictures of you and Budo-Senpai."