Chapter 28: A Brewing Confrontation (4)
[Morikawa Chinatsu's POV]
I stripped off the clothes I had tried on and folded them neatly. It had been quite embarrassing to parade in front of Tsubasa and ask for his thoughts on each outfit, but the effort had certainly been worth it. I couldn't help but notice how his eyes lit up every time he saw me, and my affection for him grew with each passing moment.
However, I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of my suggestion about wearing that sexy corset after our graduation.
"...Sex after graduation, huh? And then, we'll be college students..."
Tsubasa, Natsumi, and I were all planning to attend the same college. Tsubasa and I had already made our decisions, and so had Natsumi. However, there was a hurdle preventing Natsumi from joining us at the same university. Her strict mother wanted to control Natsumi's future, and convincing her to let Natsumi attend the same college as us would be a challenge. While the idea of having Tsubasa all to myself was exciting, it left a bitter taste in my mouth to think of Natsumi being left behind.
After purchasing our clothes, Tsubasa and I exited the store and left the mall.
"You've finally come out. I've been waiting for you two for ages."
We were greeted by a voice behind us, and when we turned around, we saw a man leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He was accompanied by three girls and seven other men.
"Now can you delete the photos? I've held up my end of the bargain," said the blonde-haired girl. She resembled Chika-chan but gave off a sense of ruthlessness, as if she would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, no matter how dirty the tactics.
"Alright, since you managed to find them so quickly, I'll reward you for your efforts," the man replied. He showed her his phone and tapped something on it while displaying it to the girl. "Deleted," he confirmed.
"Good. Now can I go? I want to continue having my fun."
"What? You're leaving already? It's about to get interesting. Why not stick around for a bit?" the man suggested.
"You're just going to beat them up, right? I don't want to get involved in some mundane activities. Besides, I don't want to be associated with juvenile crimes," she replied, her tone dismissive.
"Come on, Kana, lighten up. Don't you wanna see me teach that guy a lesson right in front of his girlfriend while she watches in shock? It's pretty damn interesting. And don't worry, it's not a crime; it's just how things roll. If you're strong, you gotta show it, or people start to rebel. That's how it's always been. If a boss doesn't flex, the underlings get ideas." He clenched his fist and cracked his knuckles. "Since that girl over there doesn't get the whole food chain deal, I'll have to educate her. And to do that, I'm gonna give her boyfriend a real beating."
Tsubasa glanced at me, looking puzzled.
"Do you know this guy, Chinatsu?"
And there it was, Tsubasa had already forgotten this guy he met earlier.
"Yeah, that's the dude who got a taste of my wrath earlier. Remember? The one I hit below the belt?"
Finally, it clicked in Tsubasa's memory.
"Him, huh... So he's gonna stir up trouble again, eh?" Tsubasa mumbled. Even though he was facing the threat of a merciless beating, he seemed oddly relaxed. I didn't know why, but his calm demeanor in the face of danger was kinda badass. "Chinatsu, you're not gonna stop me this time, are you?"
He asked, and I just grinned at him. "This guy dug his own grave. Now he's gotta lie in it."
The guy seemed suspicious of our hushed conversation. "What are you two whispering about? Don't you grasp the reality of your situation? You're both headed straight to hell! I'll send you both to the hospital."
I heard a crack from inside Tsubasa. I glanced at him and saw a vein throbbing on his forehead. He took a deep breath to regain composure, then shot the guy a menacing look. He looked way scarier when he smirked.
"You really think you can put me in the hospital?" Tsubasa retorted.
The guy burst into laughter at Tsubasa's audacious response, almost as if he found it amusing that someone would dare challenge him. His laughter was infectious, and soon enough, his buddies joined in.
"Haha! You hear this, guys?" he said between laughs, addressing his friends. "This dude's got guts, I'll give him that! Thinks he can take me on? What a riot!"
His friends chuckled and chimed in with comments of their own.
"Yeah, man, this guy's got some balls!"
"You sure you're up for it, tough guy?"
"Hey, maybe we should let him try. Might be fun to watch!"
The guy's laughter faded as he locked eyes with Tsubasa. "You don't seriously think you're the protagonist of some manga or novel, do you? Like you're some enigmatic guy who seems quiet and introverted but is actually a hidden monster?"
Tsubasa shrugged, that smirk of his still intact. "Nah, I ain't anything like that. But I damn sure won't let a punk like you send me to the hospital."
"You're really sure about that? Even though you had your girlfriend protecting you earlier? If it weren't for your girl, you might be in the hospital by now."
I couldn't help but burst into laughter. This guy had it all wrong. He was getting the wrong ideas, and it was downright hilarious.
"Why the hell are you laughing?" He asked, clearly suspicious.
"Haha, well, you see..." I said, wiping a tear from my eye. "I didn't protect Tsubasa from you. I protected you from him."
"Huh? You're messing with me, right? This guy doesn't look like he could hurt a fly."
I could see the disbelief on his face, and I couldn't blame him. Tsubasa, with his easygoing demeanor, didn't appear like a brawler. But there was something about him that made him truly formidable when provoked.
A mischievous grin spread across my face. "You've got it all twisted. Tsubasa might not look like much, but trust me, you don't wanna push his buttons. He's got this... unpredictable side to him."
He eyed Tsubasa with suspicion. I kept going, "He's not some main character hiding his skills behind a facade, and he's not a monster either. He's just a guy who knows how to handle himself when things get heated."