Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 25

_Chapter 25~ Intimidating_

"Please don't hurt me!"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I shook my head vigorously. "Don't lie to me. Why else would you force me to come with you? It's because you want to hurt me!"

Aki gave me a flat look. "I didn't force you to come with me anywhere." With a groan, he beckoned me out the school doors. "Besides, you're the one who told me to bring you with me."

"If I knew who you were, I wouldn't have dared!" Picking up my hands in a pleading manner, I carefully slipped past him and out the door (I had no choice but to follow him). "Please spare me! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Stop whining already," he groaned. "Are you a baby or a high schooler?"

As I walked backwards, facing him with my raised hands, he had thrown his own behind his head as he continued forward. Though his words would've typically filled me with anger, right now I could only fear for my life. I mean, it wasn't an ordinary student in front of me, nor was it a delinquent like the ones back in that creepy room. It was the third most feared guy in the academy – one who worked under the Raidon Tsuki. Anger was not an option for this male. So I had succumbed to pathetically begging for my life as he took me to whatever place he was...

So why wasn't it working?

"Let me go back to class!" I begged for the umpteenth time as we left school property. Nobody was around to care that we did, which wasn't that surprising considering delinquents skipped class like this all the time. Even if a teacher was here, I highly doubt they would try to stop them. Especially if the ditcher they're dealing with was this guy.

"Nope," was Aki's answer.

"Why?" I demanded. "You don't need me! Please think this through! I'm not beneficial at all! I'm horrible in school, have a jaded personality – I get into all sorts of trouble all the time! I am not even a 'good girl.' I am not fit for this 'bad boys' and 'delinquents' story! Plea–"

"Reina Kikuchi!" he snapped.

"Y-yes!" I squeaked, halting my ramble entirely.

He met my eyes, them not harbouring any means of nonchalance. "Listen up."

"Yes, sir!" I replied, swinging up my arm and saluting.

Aki's eyes widened in astonishment.

No, why was I saluting? I mentally cried. Why must I always make even more of a fool of myself than I already was?

Aki sniggered at my pose – a reaction I had to start getting used to. "Jeez!" he said between laughs. "I-I love your weirdness! You have to put on this show for Raidon! Oh God, he'll love it!"

Colour left my face entirely at the mention. "R-R-Ra..."

"Raidon," Aki finished for me with a smile.

"R-R-R..." I still couldn't say it.

He snorted. "Rai-don. We're going to see him."

"R-R...d-don..." I was gaping. "W-we're...m-m...eeting...w-with..."

"Yes." He bobbed his head. "See, now we're on the same page."

I had stopped walking, unable to breathe. "M-m...eet...ing... R-R..."

"Listen, Reina," Aki began with a sigh. "Since we are going to meet my boss, I need you to stop crying and face this like a man."

My lips downturned, I glanced upwards. "B-but... I-I'm a... girl..."