HΣIШΔ

why must i talk about romance?

back at the hotel, after getting treated by the octopus, i went back to the others, and was jumped by kayano.

"wah, heiwajima-chan! i cant believe you were keeping them from us the whole time! you're so brave!" she cried, clutching onto me as kanzaki and okuda agreed, them all thanking me for trying my best to protect them.

"it wasn't enough."

"huh?"

looking down at my feet, i can't help but beat myself up over this.

"i wasn't enough. i couldn't stop them from getting you guys, i didn't notice they were following us, and all i did was make it to where okuda could get away. just because i kept their attention on me for the most part, doesn't mean i didn't fail in trying to keep you guys safe. it's my fault for letting you get kidnapped when i should've taken into account that we were ambushed in that alley."

they look at me in shock, not expecting me to have gone off like that, but i wince when someone harshly slaps my back.

"don't sweat it, heiwajima~. you did your best, and you helped keep those thugs from roughing sugino-kun and nagisa~kun up too much~. you did good, so stop beating yourself up over this~," the annoying redhead states, a teasing tone in his voice, but i turn away from him as the girls agree and smile at me.

———

the boys were talking in their room, surrounding a paper that had scribbled drawings of all the girls in their class, and votes next to them.

"how about heiwajima?"

"i mean, she's pretty and all, but she's so off and strange and all, that it kinda makes you want to avoid her and not even try asking her out, you know?" maehara replies, a couple of the other guys agreeing, before the topic shifts back to the other girls.

karma walking in only fed the fire of the boys trying to get each other to spill which of the girls they all liked in their class.

"karma! great timing! which of the girls in our class do you like?" isogai questions, smiling, and the others all listen carefully to what the redhead has to say.

"hmm. i believe i'll have to go with okuda."

"dude, you're kidding. really?"

"huh, interesting. but why okuda?"

"she's a demon in chemistry. think of all the concoctions she could brew up to enhance my shenanigans. it'd be a match made in heaven," karma explains, a dark tone to his voice as he evilly states his thinking.

"yeah. heaven. sure."

"well, what about heiwajima? i've noticed you actually put in the effort to talk to her, even though she acts like such a bitch. and you mess with her, too! do you like her, too, or something?" sugino asks, turning to his group mate, who smirks.

"i just find her amusing. her telling me to piss off just makes me want to make her mad even more. it's amusing to watch her get upset, and after seeing her fight today... that just makes me want to know more."

nagisa sweat drops at his friend, a nervous smile on his face, but turns back to the other boys who continued talking, mentioning hiding the ratings.