16 Chapter 15 - Noblesse Oblige

"Good morning, class!"

Kouta barely paid his homeroom teacher any attention as the man grasped the edges of his podium and smiled at his students. Unlike his teacher, Kouta felt no joy these days, having been tormented over and over again by his bully, Baba Tetsuo, regarding his relationship with Kouta's beloved childhood friend, Sakuraba Ayaka.

It'd all began months ago, after Tetsuo managed to hound Ayaka into agreeing to a date, which had rather alarmingly progressed to a carnal relationship that Tetsuo had gleefully used to torment him further with. And, to make things worse, Makiko, a kind senpai who'd listened to him, had grown distant as well.

She probably hadn't realized it yet, but Kouta had spied Tetsuo leaving the area once, which had helped tell him everything he needed to know about Makiko and Ayaka.

He was alone.

Alone in his misery.

The sudden sound of gasps of astonishment and excitement broke him from his despair-fueled misery and he turned his gaze to the front, where the arguably prettiest girl he'd ever seen stood with a radiant smile gracing her beautiful and exotic features.

"Everyone, say hello to Arias Maria-san!"

Goddess.

That's what came to Kouta's mind as he looked upon the girl at the front. She was, as her name suggested, most definitely foreign, and yet despite not conforming to most Japanese standards of beauty, she was nonetheless a stunner! Between the light, tanned skin that looked natural and well-cared for (compared to some gyaru fashionistas, for example), the clear, light-green eyes; naturally blonde hair, and curvy figure, she was about as far away from the typical yamato nadeshiko as one could get, and yet Kouta was certain not a single male eye wasn't fixated upon her.

"Thank you, everyone, for your kind reception!" Maria greeted the class with a radiant smile as she bowed just enough to be polite and spoke in lightly accented Japanese. "Please, treat me well!"

Normally, a transfer student's introduction would've immediately ended at that point, but the sight of a foreign transfer student at their school was such a novelty that the teacher, who seemed equally fascinated by her, allowed the class to ask her all manner of questions.

"Ah, no, I'm not European. I'm Latin American actually."

"Well, it took me about eight months to be able to speak this good…did I say that right? Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Hmm…I would say…ice cream and archery, I guess?"

"Oh my! I'd rather not say…"

That last one, regarding whether she was single or taken, probably garnered the most excitement among the boys and some of the girls. Her demure response, in turn, also seemed to get everyone's engines revving, so to speak. Even Kouta was immediately charmed by her mannerisms and beautiful eyes.

Naturally, because of this positive reception, everyone wanted to be Maria's guide through the school. And, for a moment, Kouta's own worries did seem to fly away as he tentatively raised his hand when the teacher asked for volunteers. Not that he expected to win the draw – there were far better options to be had, like the Class President, Kurata Nozomi.

The name caused him to feel another dip in his emotional stability. Nozomi, as he well knew, was one of Tetsuo's conquests. It had made his respect for her plummet significantly ever since he'd known, to the point where he could barely take her seriously when she acted out her responsibilities.

He knew he wasn't the only one, either.

"Alright, then! Yamada-kun! You do it!"

Kouta's head snapped up in surprise as he watched the teacher smile at him, accompanied by a pleased smile from Maria.

What? How?

No, wait, how?!

Despite every expectation to the contrary, and even his classmates seemed stunned by the choice, the teacher had actually saddled him with guiding the new beauty queen of the class – if not the school – around the place!

That was…preposterous! Absurd!

Surely, a mistake!

So convinced he was, actually, that as soon as class ended (Maria ended up taking a seat nearby, but was immediately swarmed by interested classmates) that he rushed to the teacher to demand answers.

"Teacher!"

His homeroom teacher turned and smiled at him. "Ah, Yamada-kun! Thank you for volunteering to guide Arias-san!"

"About that…" Kouta said, swallowing nervously. "T-Teacher, are you sure you want me to do this? I mean, wouldn't Kurata-san…?"

The teacher shrugged. "Between you and me?" he said, leaning towards him. "I admit, I thought so as well, but Arias-san is the one who asked me to pick you before class started. Do you happen to know her?"

Kouta stared at his teacher in bewilderment. "N-No!"

The teacher drew back, staring at him searchingly, as though he didn't or couldn't believe him, but then shrugged. "Well, then you might want to ask her for her reasons when you get the chance," he reasoned before smiling at him. "Now, best get ready for the next class. And please remember to do your homework!"

Kouta watched helplessly as his teacher left the classroom and then glanced over at where Maria was still surrounded by a loose circle of interested classmates. Despite barely being visible, he did manage to catch a glimpse of her – and in that moment, their eyes met, and she smiled and shot him a small wave before returning her attention to the others.

Kouta frowned as he continued to be stunned by the turn of events. What was going on? Why had Maria asked for him to be her guide? And, for that matter, why had the teacher cared about her preference at all?!

The questions tormented him through the next class, where what he did notice was that Maria was…well…

Remarkably smart.

Like, easily smarter than the Class President. Every question the teacher brought before her, she answered quickly and correctly – her only handicap being her unfamiliarity with the Japanese language.

Even when PE class came up, she managed to surprise everyone by displaying a level of athleticism that her prior classroom behavior had belied. Far from a meek flower girl, Maria appeared to be quite the accomplished runner and even a decent swimmer. Not enough on either end to win competitions, but certainly enough to breeze past most of her classmates.

Eventually, though, break came, and Kouta's assigned duties came to haunt him in the form of a smiling, eager Maria. For some reason, she'd seemingly figured out that he was going to make an excuse and bolt and had cornered him at his seat as soon as the bell rang.

"I'm ready for my tour, Yamada-san!"

Smiling nervously, Kouta nodded and amidst a storm of angry, jealous glares and clicking tongues, led the seemingly oblivious Maria out of the classroom.

More than a few times, they were stopped by other students from other classes who were surprised at the sight of a foreigner in their school uniform, but the break passed in relative peace as he showed Maria to the staff room, infirmary, cafeteria, and so forth. Rather than make a thousand questions, Maria simply nodded at his explanations, appearing to be giving him her full attention, and only made a few clarifying questions now and then.

"I see…and so all the grades come out for break at once? And in the same places? Isn't that just chaotic?"

"And to leave school, is there any particular protocol? No? You can just leave?"

"Are the track and pool open to students outside of class hours? Clubs? Ah, I see."

By the end of it, Kouta felt like he'd done a good enough job to acquaint Maria with the school. She certainly seemed to have absorbed his information like a sponge, for which he was grateful, though he was especially glad that she wasn't uptight or standoffish.

And then the bell rang and it was time to head back to class. Smiling at Maria, who shot him a smile in return, he led her back to the classroom and was rounding a corner when he heard the last person he wanted to hear from right now.

"Kouta?"

Tetsuo.

Despair and anger froze him to his spot – almost causing Maria to bump into him. Turning slowly around, ignoring Maria's worried query, he was cursed with the sight of his greatest, most hated enemy. The bane of his existence and the one person he wished, deep down, would die a horrible, agonizing death.

"I thought that was you!"

The ugly-as-sin son of a hotel chain magnate grinned nastily as he stared down at his perennial bullying victim, flanked as always by his two cronies. In all honesty, Kouta should've expected this – after all, Tetsuo's henchmen, Sano and Niiyama, were in his class, and had likely tipped off Tetsuo to Maria's existence.

"You never showed up at our usual hangout!" Tetsuo said with mock sadness as he sauntered up, his eyes clearly focused on Maria and eyeing her up and down like prized meat. "It really hurt my feelings!"

Kouta's fists balled tight and his teeth were grinding so powerfully he might as well have turned stone to dust. And yet, for all his anger, he knew he couldn't lash out. Tetsuo was not only stronger than him – he had backup and had the money and influence to make his life an even bigger living hell.

"And who's this lovely sight?" Tetsuo asked with what he assumed was a charming smile.

Kouta turned slightly to see Maria staring down Tetsuo with an unimpressed gaze. She'd even crossed her arms at the sight of him. And yet, after finding out about Ayaka, Makiko, and Kurata, Kouta didn't for a minute believe she would resist him any better than they had.

"Arias Maria," she introduced herself curtly, not even deigning to bow this time. "Transfer student."

The rude inflection in her voice and her lack of the proper graces surprised Kouta, Tetsuo, Sano, and Niiyama, but Tetsuo seemed to rally quickly, shooting him an annoyed glare before trying to charm her with a smile again.

"Charmed, Arias-san – may I call you Arias-chan?"

"No."

Kouta had to admit – he was liking the icy tone in Maria's words despite knowing that she, too, would eventually fall under his spell. At the very least, it treated him to the sight of Tetsuo being shot down rather satisfyingly.

Still, he persisted.

"W-Well, I don't know what you may have heard, but I'm Ba—"

"Baba Tetsuo," Maria cut him off. "Yes, I'm perfectly aware of who you are."

Okay, that surprised Kouta. He hadn't spoken a word of Tetsuo to Maria throughout their entire tour. Not once. Even after double checking his memory just in case he'd slipped up at some point, he came up with nothing.

Tetsuo and his cronies, for their part, seemed to think otherwise, as Tetsuo shot him an angry glare before again turning to Maria and trying to play it off.

"I don't know what you think you've heard about me, but…"

"I know that you're a bully who uses their wealth as a weapon," Maria interjected flatly. "I know that you lure your female classmates into carnal relationships and then distribute videos of them."

She then grabbed Kouta by the arm and turned away from Tetsuo. "And I know you're not worth my time. Let's go back to class, Yamada-san."

Kouta could only mutely agree to her request as she practically dragged him away from Tetsuo, Sano, and Niiyama. Stunned as he was, he provided no resistance whatsoever, either.

Even when the goon squad showed up later at the classroom and shot him warning looks, all Kouta could do was shrug helplessly – he had no idea what was going on, either!

And then, when classes ended, Maria managed to stun him even further when she again appeared at his desk and smiled radiantly as she had before their tour. By this point, their classmates were even whispering among themselves at the strange sight of the new class Madonna seeking him out.

"If you wouldn't mind, Yamada-san, would you allow me to visit your home?"

Directness must've been a virtue among foreigners, Kouta reasoned, because no Japanese person he knew would've ever made such a request on the day they met someone for the first time. Forget the class' stunned looks – Kouta's jaw dropped at the brazen question.

"I…that's…"

Maria seemed to ignore all protests and grabbed him by the hand. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed, practically dragging him out of the classroom to his and his classmate's stupor.

As they left, he could hear their not-so-quiet deliberations.

"What does she see in him?"

"Do you think maybe they know each other from before?"

"Can't be, Yamada's never mentioned her!"

"And she's way out of his league!"

All of which was true, as far as he was concerned. And yet, Maria never once left his side as they retrieved their shoes and left the school premises.

Well, to be more accurate – he left the school, and she doggedly followed him.

Maria was a stalker.

That was, ultimately, Kouta's evaluation. There was just no other explanation for her weird behavior. Somehow or another, Kouta had gotten himself mixed up with a stalker and she'd decided to make herself known today and was now going to follow him to his home, force her way in, and probably kill him.

How else could you explain the cookie-cutter smile, the perfect posture and mannerisms, the sudden and unexpected cold behavior towards a perfect stranger/douchebag like Tetsuo? Clearly, she'd researched him and was now trying to get as deep into his life as she could before he could run away.

It figured. His childhood friend was voluntarily sleeping with his bully, her friend who'd pretended to be on his side was as well, and now he was the object of murderous desire of a killer stalker.

Well, at least his pain would end soon enough! Hahahahahaha!

Hahaha…

Thoughts about how Maria would ultimately murder him – by knife? Maybe strangulation? Maybe she had a gun hidden on her person somewhere? – plagued him as they rode the train back in eerie silence. Or, it felt that way anyway – in truth, many people turned and whispered excitedly at the sight of Maria, but as far as Kouta was concerned, worrying about his own imminent death took way higher priority.

Even at the station, he paid Maria and the attention she was getting little heed as dark thoughts permeated the front of his mind. Said state of mind followed him all the way back home, even getting him to forego his usual stop by Ayaka's school so they'd walk home together. Not that they did so as much these days – the knowledge of her consensual relationship with his bully straining their friendship critically.

It wasn't until they'd actually reached his home that he more or less returned to reality – and even then, to find a rather fancy black car parked in front of it. A car he was certain his parents would've never been able to afford in their lives!

"Wha—?"

"Oh, good, they're here already!" Maria said cheerfully, almost causing him to shriek in surprise as he belatedly remembered she was stalking him towards his home!

A distant sound from behind them caught his attention and he was about to turn to check when Maria practically shoved him towards his own front door.

"Come on!" she insisted with an expectant grin. "You won't want to miss this!"

Somehow, that sounded really, really ominous.

Sakuraba Ayaka was confused.

No, perhaps that wasn't the right word.

She was downright flabbergasted.

A few days ago, she'd noticed that, upon the start and end of her school day, Kouta hadn't shown up as he usually did. Now, that wasn't the only time he'd done that – Kouta had a life of his own, after all – but when he wasn't going to stop by, he usually texted her to inform her so she wouldn't wait.

But he hadn't.

The result was that she'd waited for a few minutes before realizing he wasn't coming and then, somewhat annoyed, had shot him a text.

No response.

Figuring he was in somewhat of a prissy mood for one reason or another, she'd decided to just go home after saying goodbye to Makiko – who'd also been acting weird these days. Her friend would rarely meet her eyes and often excused herself whenever she mentioned hanging out.

To make things worse, Tetsuo hadn't emailed or texted her in that same amount of time, so neither her friends nor her boyfriend were being very communicative these days.

And then, after that first absence, she'd tried to pick up Kouta at home as she usually did…and was shooed away by his mother.

The very woman who'd had her over for dinner and acted like she was her own daughter had politely, but firmly asked her to leave.

Ayaka's feelings were beginning to feel hurt.

More texts to Tetsuo turned out fruitless as well. Far from being supportive, he was basically acting like her texts didn't matter – and she knew he was reading them because the blue checks were there!

Calls didn't do much on that end, either – always to voicemail.

So, about a week after this whole bizarre string of events began, Ayaka made a decision. Roping in Makiko, who seemed supremely reluctant to participate, they left school immediately after the bell rang and made for the train station to hopefully head off Kouta as he returned from school.

"Ayaka…I don't know…"

"I just need to know, Maki-chan."

Makiko shot her an uneasy look. "Why, though?" she asked.

Ayaka turned to look at her. "What?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"I don't understand."

Makiko turned her gaze away as she usually did these days. "He's not your boyfriend, Ayaka. And, hell, you've been lying to him for a while now and getting me to do that, too. Don't you think…don't you think we should leave him well alone if he doesn't want to see us?"

Ayaka blanched as she stared at her friend. "You…you don't think…?"

"I mean, what else could it be?"

When Ayaka had learned from Tetsuo himself that he'd been Kouta's bully, she'd made excuses. She rationalized it as Tetsuo having reformed, as having changed his ways, as no longer being a bully towards Kouta – and so that there was nothing wrong with being with Tetsuo now.

But those were empty platitudes.

Anyone with half a brain would've realized that.

To a bullying victim, a bully was a bully forever – unless they somehow managed to find it in their hearts to forgive them. Many didn't. And to those, finding out your oldest friend in the world was in a relationship with their tormentor would've been the greatest betrayal of all.

Yes. It made sense.

"Oh, god!" she exclaimed softly as she held her hands to her mouth, suddenly feeling sick. "Oh, god!"

Makiko nodded grimly. "I think we should go," she opined.

Ayaka slowly nodded, finally agreeing with her friend. It all made sense now – the cold shoulder from Kouta, the icy treatment from his mother…

They'd found out and were furious at her!

"A-Aya-nee?"

Ayaka stopped mid-turn at the familiar voice and an icy chill ran down her spine.

Kouta.

Warring emotions wreaked havoc on her mind. On the one hand, embarrassment and shame at the thought of facing her friend now that he knew about her relationship with Tetsuo. On the other hand, a desperate need to apologize – though she would stand her ground on the validity of said relationship.

In the end, the latter won out, and an apology was already on her lips as she turned around…only to die as she caught sight of her childhood friend.

Standing next to him, practically a beacon of foreign beauty and grace, was an unfamiliar, younger girl wearing Kouta's school's uniform. Judging from their closeness, they hadn't just bumped into each other, but were rather walking somewhere together.

"K-Kouta?"

"Ah…!" Kouta exclaimed softly as he followed her gaze towards the girl, who stared back impassively. "Um…this…well…"

The girl shot Kouta a smile – a kinder, warmer smile than Ayaka felt capable of these days, honestly – before turning back to face Makiko and Ayaka with a colder one.

"I am Arias Maria, a recent transfer student at Kouta's school."

Ayaka and Makiko exchanged surprised looks. This foreigner was already using his first name? Was it because she was from another country? Their manners quickly caught up with them, though, and Ayaka and Makiko bowed politely in return.

"Pleased to meet you, Arias-san. My name is…"

"Sakuraba Ayaka and Nagai Makiko. Yes, I'm aware."

Surprise at the fact that she knew their names aside, Ayaka was more intrigued by Kouta's flinch.

"O-Oi! You're being rude!" Makiko protested.

"Am I?" the girl asked Kouta innocently, who hesitantly shrugged, much to Ayaka's surprise. She'd expected him to jump to their defense! "I suppose I just don't have a lot of courtesy in me for classless sluts."

Kouta flinched, Makiko gasped in outrage, and Ayaka stared at the rude girl with a hanging jaw.

"Wha-You!"

"Come on, Kouta. Our parents are waiting."

Makiko didn't even have a chance to retaliate before the rude girl had pulled Kouta away, and much to her disappointment and sadness, he didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight – if any at all. Instead, he diligently followed after her, not even sparing Makiko and Ayaka a fleeting backward glance.

The two girls stood there, rooted in place, for some time after the younger duo had departed. Neither seemed to truly understand what had just happened or were too paralyzed with humiliated anger to do much of anything.

But, when they did finally recover enough of their senses to move, it was already too late to do anything about the rude girl's comments. Instead, all they had left was to walk home – though that afforded Makiko every opportunity to badmouth the girl and vent her fury. Part of Ayaka agreed with her – though she was curious about what the girl had implied when she'd accused Makiko of being a classless slut as well – while another part was focused on how sad she felt that Kouta hadn't come to their defense.

"…do you think she's why Kouta's being weird?"

"She has to be!" Makiko exclaimed, suddenly on board with that theory. "He was a sweet kid and now that she's here, he's acting like a puppy being led by his master! She's got to be the reason!"

Previous theories of Kouta knowing about Ayaka's relationship with Tetsuo were thus discarded as blame was ultimately placed on the girl's shoulders. And the more the two talked, the more Ayaka became convinced that had to be it. That had to be the reason. This toxic, rude foreigner had swept in and corrupted her beloved friend!

As she bade Makiko farewell in front of her friend's house, Ayaka resolved herself to try and convince at least Kouta's parents to let her back into Kouta's life to save him from the little foreigner witch!

Proud as she was about her plan, she didn't hesitate for a moment to let Tetsuo know via text.

And that prompted an immediate phone call that left her quite stunned.

"Don't you fucking dare!"

Ayaka flinched at the sudden, rough, frantic, and rude way her boyfriend had snapped the instruction.

"W-What?"

"Leave it alone, Ayaka! Don't approach that little shit or that bitch! Promise me!"

Ayaka blinked in confusion before smiling softly. "Are…are you jealous, Tetsuo?"

That had to be it, right? Tetsuo was jealous of Kouta – like he'd confessed to her on Christmas – and felt threatened by her sudden interest in reconnecting with him.

"This isn't a fucking game, Ayaka!" he snapped instead, again surprising her. He didn't sound jealous – more like, afraid. Terrified, even! "You don't know what you're messing with!"

As the line cut, Ayaka couldn't help but stare at her phone in shock. Tetsuo hadn't sounded like himself – no confidence or self-assuredness, no softness. Instead, he'd sounded like a cornered animal desperate to flee!

And, unless her ears were playing tricks on her, he sounded afraid of…the girl.

Growing increasingly fearful for Kouta – who knew what that girl was up to if Tetsuo was so afraid of her! – she tried to text him…nothing. She tried to call him – "The number you have dialed is out of service…"

Was she…did he…did Kouta block her?

She tried to confide in Makiko, who seemed just as surprised as she was about this new turn of events, but also had no easy answers. She tried to search for the girl online, only to find nothing, as it seemed her name wasn't that uncommon and most of the hits she found were in another language.

Thus, the mystery grew further and further as the days passed and Ayaka was no closer to an answer. Even with her fast-approaching graduation, she found herself torn between her studies, university applications, and concern over the sudden, bizarre twist in her life.

And then Tetsuo asked her out.

It was the first date they'd had in a while, so she was glad, but she was also confused.

"A black-tie event?"

"Yeah," Tetsuo confirmed, looking shifty and a little fearful. "She…I mean, you're going to need to dress up for it."

Ayaka frowned. "I…I don't think I can afford a fancy dress, Tetsuo…"

She wasn't mistaken – there was a definite look of fear in his eyes in that moment. Still, he brought it under control and looked away. "I'll buy it for you. Just make sure it's really nice."

This was growing weirder and weirder still. Normally, he would've insisted on following her to see her model the clothes. Maybe even lured her to a bathroom to have sex. Hell, the fact that the possibility of sex hadn't even come up in this conversation was already a change of pace!

She tried to reach for his hand. "Are you alright, Tetsuo?"

The fact that he suddenly withdrew his hand like a coiled snake and looked around fearfully immediately told her he was lying when he quickly answered, "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine."

Her boyfriend was lying to her and she didn't much like it. Unfortunatey, though, she didn't exactly have proof to force him to fess up about his transparent lying other than her intuition. Nor did he give her much of a chance to interrogate him as he was soon off, telling her to send him the bill for the dress, leaving her by herself at the café they'd met up at.

It was profoundly disappointing to her, given that she'd dressed up and even gotten excited at the prospect of another date after so long.

With nothing left to do but do as he'd asked, Ayaka instead spent what ought to have been her first date in weeks shopping for a dress – finally settling on a rather pretty, strapless black dress – the kind that Tetsuo would probably go wild over, as it would enhance her already bountiful assets and highlight her curves.

True to his word, Tetsuo never even blinked before informing her via text that he'd bought it and was having it shipped to her. She smiled at the text, believing he'd been smiling and feeling better now that he'd provided for his girlfriend.

Yes – things were weird now, but they would get better.

The day of the event finally came and Ayaka felt rather nervous, actually.

Tetsuo had come by to pick her up in a fancy car – far fancier than anything she'd ever ridden in before, to be honest – and together they had ridden in relative silence towards the venue.

Well, he was silent – Ayaka was bursting with questions.

"So, what's this event?"

"Do you like my make-up? Is it alright for this?"

"What about my dress? You don't think it's too tacky, do you?"

In all honesty, Ayaka was desperately trying to fill in the silence because the longer Tetsuo stayed quiet, staring resolutely forward with that terrified look in his eyes, the more anxious she felt. For a moment, in fact, as they were pulling up to the venue entrance, she actually thought he would tell the driver – a man she didn't recognize – to take them home.

And yet he didn't. Instead, he quietly got out of the car, prompting her to hurriedly do the same, and when she did, she was immediately stunned by the beauty of the place.

So distracted was she by Tetsuo's behavior that Ayaka hadn't realized they were actually at the Roppongi Hills Tower! Home of one of the most – if not the most exclusive clubs in the entire country!

Ayaka shot Tetsuo an appreciative look that he missed – she had never realized that, however wealthy he apparently was, he was connected and wealthy enough to be a member of this place!

…right?

Ayaka grew confused as Tetsuo seemed uncertain about approaching the doors. Normally, you'd have expected a member to practically swagger their way indoors – after all, membership here meant you were the elite of the elite!

And yet, as she accompanied Tetsuo to the doorway, a security guard in a suit that was easily worth her annual tuition stopped them.

"Name?" the guard asked flatly.

Ayaka actually felt a bit outraged. How dare the guard be so rude to a mem—!

"…Baba Tetsuo. I…I'm a guest of Yamagata-sama."

Ayaka felt her ego deflate a bit as Tetsuo clarified the situation indirectly. He wasn't a member after all. Just a guest. Still, she had to admit she was impressed that he knew people this high up in society – she'd always assumed he was just moderately wealthy.

"Ah, yes. Yamagata-sama informed us you might show up. The event is in Club Room I," the guard informed them with a wry smile that made Ayaka feel uncomfortable. "Your other guest has already been escorted there."

As Tetsuo flinched, Ayaka glanced at him curiously. What other guest? He hadn't informed her that he'd be bringing along someone else.

Despite inquisitive glances, though, Tetsuo refused to meet her gaze as another guard similarly well-dressed escorted them to the elevator and then up to the 51st floor of the Roppongi Hills Tower. She felt about ready to burst and demand an explanation when the elevator dinged and announced their arrival, whereupon the guard sternly asked them to follow him.

"Whatever happens," Tetsuo whispered to her, "just shut up and let me do the talking. I'm begging you."

For some reason, Ayaka felt a pit of anxiety forming and growing in her stomach. Something was definitely wrong. This didn't feel like a normal date or even a fancy one. This honestly felt more like…

…like an execution.

Before she could voice such concerns, however, they were at the doors and, beyond them, she could hear the sound of what seemed like soft, classical music wafting through. As the doors opened, the music became clearer – as did her view of the interior.

It was, in a word, gorgeous.

Tastefully decorated, the event hall nonetheless smacked of wealth and luxury. It was like if every little decoration, sparse and appropriately placed for maximum impact, underscored the upper-class nature of the event.

The people inside, too, were incredibly elegant and well-dressed – to the point where Ayaka suddenly felt underdressed for the occasion. There were no gaudy fashion statements or casual little black dresses – each suit or dress looked like would cost more than her father's car!

As she gazed in wonder at the room and its occupants, she felt Tetsuo's arm, entwined with hers, stiffen, and she followed his gaze and saw a man in an incredibly fancy-looking suit and vest combo grin and walk up to them, arms spread out in welcome.

"Ah! The man of the hour!" the man greeted them cheerfully as more than a few eyes turned to look. "I'm so glad you could come!"

Ayaka eyed Tetsuo, wondering how he'd react. Rather than pleased or happy, though, he seemed even more tense and anxious and, once he bowed low, she followed suit quickly.

"Yamagata-sama, it is an ho—"

"Oh, come off it!" Yamagata said dismissively. "I could hardly not invite you after hearing all about you from my dearest friend!"

The fact that Tetsuo flinched as violently as he did and that Ayaka could see the lack of warmth or mirth in Yamagata's eyes clued her in. This wasn't a friend of Tetsuo's. This was not, as her instincts had screamed at her before, a party Tetsuo had been invited to out of courtesy or genuine sociability.

Something was off. Something was wrong.

"Ah, and here she is now!"

Ayaka followed their host's gaze and felt her jaw drop as she saw the last person she imagined.

The rude girl who'd poisoned her Kouta's mind!

"Maria, darling!" Yamagata greeted her exuberantly and with much more affection and warmth than he'd shown them. "You don't write, you don't call! I was heartbroken to hear you've been in the country for a month and hadn't even reached out!"

The rude girl smiled brilliantly at their host as she approached, a flute glass in hand. Ayaka couldn't help but stare – much like the other people in the room, the foreign girl was dressed to the nines – far outclassing her own dress for sure!

"Nobu, sweetie, you know how it is!" Maria returned cheerfully. "All work, all the time!"

Yamagata swooned dramatically before sidling up to her. "Oh, don't I know it! You really do need to tell your father to let you breathe a little, though, you know! All work and no play make Maria a sad girl!"

The two shared a laugh that seemed appropriate for close friends, which alarmed Ayaka all the more. The rude girl had clearly had it out for her from the outset, which meant that if she was friends with their host, it would explain why Tetsuo was so terrified of being here – they were effectively in enemy territory!

"Um…" she whispered to him. "Should we go?"

Tetsuo seemed willing to entertain the idea, at least, and briefly made a move to follow through before freezing in place.

"Oh? Leaving so soon?"

The casually spoken words had a chilling effect on both Ayaka and Tetsuo. Turning around slightly, they saw not only the rude girl but also Yamagata and other guests eyeing them like prey.

"It's quite rude to depart so soon after arriving, Baba-kun," Yamagata said pleasantly, taking over from Maria's question. "You might…hurt my feelings!"

The chuckle that swept through the nearby guests eyeing them felt…intimidating. Aggressive.

Judgmental.

"I…no…"

"Oh, do leave the potato alone, Nobu!" the rude girl interjected with faux-sweetness. "It's to be expected of a jumped-up little cockroach, after all!"

Ayaka flushed in outrage and anger on behalf of her boyfriend who puzzlingly refused to defend himself as he normally would have as the crowd around them sniggered. He certainly had the physique and presence to physically intimidate anyone here – and she'd found his ability to be strong on her behalf charming in its own way – so she couldn't figure out why he was letting these people belittle him this way!

"How dare you!" she exclaimed, pointing at the rude girl. "Who do you think you are?!"

The hushed silence around them, seemingly out of surprise at her outburst, was immediately replaced with clicking tongues and arrogant glowers that, for her vision, lasted all of a second before she was suddenly on her knees, on the ground, in a forced, apologetic dogeza. On the back of her head she could feel the familiar touch of Tetsuo, who, as she struggled against his grip, she saw was similarly on the ground next to her.

"Please forgive us!" he begged. "We…she…we meant no insult!"

"What are you doing, Tetsuo?!" she demanded.

"Shut up!" he snapped back. "Just bow and apologize!"

This…this was wrong.

Tetsuo was a proud guy. Confident. He was the guy with the charm, the self-assuredness, the go-getting attitude!

Who was this cowering imposter next to her?

A moment of silence passed before anyone spoke.

"Your head is too high."

Ayaka felt and heard her head smash against the floor, momentarily stunning her. For a moment, she thought Tetsuo had done that before realizing, with a brief, angry glance, that he, too, had had his head smashed against the floor.

"Better. Thank you, Kazama-san."

"Of course, sir."

A guard. A guard had smashed their heads to the floor. Ayaka grimaced through the pain and bit back an insult if only to avoid getting the rough treatment again.

"Up."

This time, the pain came from having her head pulled up by her hair and she yelped in pain as she was forced to look up, the bruise on her forehead aching something horrible. Standing before her and Tetsuo were Yamagata, the rude girl, and the crowd of smartly-dressed people who'd been thus far enjoying the show.

"Hmm…" Yamagata mused aloud as he eyed her, getting up close and seemingly inspecting every inch of her. "Off the rack. Tacky."

Laughter swept through the crowd as he made his judgment and withdrew. Ayaka flushed in humiliation.

"You couldn't spring for a better dress?" Yamagata then asked Tetsuo. "Well, then again, I suppose I wouldn't spend that much money on a whore either."

"Ask her how much!" crowed one of the guests, launching another round of laughter.

"Oh, come now, Yuu-chan! It's bad form to ask a whore her price while she's on the arm of a client! You know that better than anyone!"

As the laughter grew, Ayaka felt tears well up as she was subjected to insult after insult. "I'm not a whore!" she shouted at them, much to their amusement.

"No?" Yamagata asked wryly as he once again approached her and cupped her chin. "We've heard differently, see. Ain't that right, Maria darling?"

"I mean, what else would you call a person who sells out their friend to their bully for dick?" the rude girl asked with a cruel smile.

"Ooh! Spicy!" one of the female guest shouted.

"If it's just that, I'm sure I can make a better offer, miss!" one of the male guests added between laughs.

"Ugh, no, Ryu! Do you really want to go anywhere near anything this potato's been around?" the rude girl asked in mock horror.

More laughter.

"Ah, Maria, darling, I've missed you terribly!" Yamagata swooned. "You truly bring me the best presents!"

"Only the best for my childhood friend, Nobu," the rude girl said with a smile before turning to Ayaka and Tetsuo but looking past them. "Salon II, please."

Ayaka was about to protest when she felt her arms get roughly pulled back and held in place by someone unseen, and as she struggled saw Tetsuo being led past her more obediently.

How? How had things gone so wrong so quickly?!

And who the hell was that rude girl that she was able to orchestrate this sort of public shaming?!

No answers were forthcoming as she was led past jeering and mocking guests to the side venue.

Arias Maria, or Maria Isabella Fernanda Arias de la Cruz – as she was more properly known back home – liked to think of herself as a noble. A being of culture, education, and duty.

"Why are you doing this?"

Maria smiled as she gracefully sat opposite her prey. They were currently arraigned on a couch opposite her seat – diligently prepared by the staff who pointedly pretended nothing wrong was going on. In the middle of the couch was the potato, Baba Tetsuo. To his left was his girlfriend, Sakuraba Ayaka.

…and on his right was Ayaka's friend, Nagai Makiko.

"And why is Makiko here?!"

"Oof, so noisy…are you sure you don't want me to just…you know?" Nobu asked plaintively. "It'd be quicker."

"Come now, Nobu," she said patiently. "Are you saying you don't want to savour this moment?"

"Well…I suppose."

"In answer to your question," Maria told Ayaka, pre-empting another outburst, "we're doing this for two reasons. Nobu?"

Her friend smirked at the captive trio. "First, because of the potato there," he said, tauntingly waggling his index finger at him. "He's been throwing his pathetic little weight around a lot these days and it's been drawing attention that we don't want. So he's here to be reminded that, in our world, he's nothing. Just a jumped-up little cockroach playing at king and he needs to remember his place."

Maria smirked as Tetsuo dipped his head. The potato certainly knew his place!

"And you two are here because…well…I like to think of it as noblesse oblige."

"No…what?"

"Breaking out the French before the peasants!" Nobu said gleefully. "Classic!"

Maria smirked at him before turning to the girls. "It means, power begets responsibility. As you may have surmised, I am not just some guest here."

"Far from it!" Nobu crowed. "If she were Japanese, she would've been a zaibatsu princess!"

"Where I come from, I'd be called part of one of the great families," Maria added sweetly. "It means that while this potato here acts all big and tough because his daddy owns a few hotels, my family has been powerful since the Americas were first colonized."

She curled her fingers to observe her impeccable nailwork. "And where I come from, power begets a certain level of responsibility and duty."

"Always a bit of a quirk, I have to admit," Nobu observed wryly. "But then, I always found that part of your culture quite charming."

"Quite," Maria agreed before turning back to their unwilling guests. "See, where I come from, business is good while the status quo is good. That means making sure society stays stable, making sure the economy stays stable, that the politics are manageable, and that undesirables are put in their place."

She pointed at the potato. "His kind, the new rich, are a particular headache to us in that sense. No sense of restraint or responsibility. Just pilfering and spending and thinking with their tiny little dicks. No class, not tact."

She gestured to herself. "Did you know that your boyfriend there tried to hit on me the day he met me? Right as I was with that charming childhood friend of yours, Kouta."

"Ah, the puppy!" Nobu interjected with a wide grin. "He was fun!"

Maria watched as Ayaka started in surprise while Makiko's eyes widened. "What did you do to Kouta?!"

"Nothing, really," Nobu said airily. "I mean, he seemed like he was having a nice enough time while on the yacht. Oh, my girls were all over that cute little puppy!"

"He does tickle your protective instincts, doesn't he?" Maria agreed with a smile. "Like a poor, abused puppy trying his best."

"Yes, that's exactly right!" Nobu agreed.

Maria smirked at Ayaka and Makiko, who withered under her gaze. Tetsuo, for his part, seemed to be biting his lip somewhat fiercely in restrained anger, so, deciding to taunt him a little, she got up from her seat and walked over, leaning over to ask him aloud.

"Jealous?" she asked. "You know, that boy got his hands on models you could only dream of ever meeting! The kind of bodies you fap to while lying to this brainless slut and hiding the fact that you're fucking her best friend behind her back!"

Maria savoured the look of shock, then betrayal as Ayaka's head snapped over to stare at Makiko, whose own eyes widened in horrified surprise.

"You…you didn't! Tell me she's lying!"

"I…I…!"

"You bitch!" Ayaka screamed. "You're my best friend and you fucked my boyfriend!"

"He…he threatened to have my dad fired!"

Maria stepped back to enjoy with Nobu the sight of the friendship collapsing. It honestly was a delicious payoff to having had the entire school's student and staff body investigated prior to her enrollment. Some might have considered the measure unnecessary, but when your family's wealth and power could move or paralyze a country's government, you took steps to ensure safety.

And this juicy scandal was honestly too good to pass up on.

She then eyed Nobu and gave him a discreet nod.

He got the hint immediately and stepped forward, clapping his hands for attention. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that!" he exclaimed extravagantly.

The two feuding girls turned to look at him, Makiko's expression actually showing some measure of hope.

"W-What do you mean by that?"

Nobu grinned cruelly. "Just that we got rid of the problem. If the problem is that you're afraid of your dad losing his job, then no need to worry! Because as we speak, he's losing it anyway!"

Maria smirked at Makiko. "Nobu's parents told the board to fire him in exchange for a generous buyout package."

The colour drained from Makiko's face as she stared at them in horrified shock. "No…no way! You're lying!"

"Afraid not," Nobu cackled. "A dingy, rundown company like that? Pocket change for my folks. And since Maria darling here asked so nicely, we were more than happy to oblige!"

"But also, for good measure, we decided to let your boyfriend know about your little trysts," Maria then added for the killer blow. "He's…not too happy, to say the least!"

Ah…the sight of Makiko processing the complete collapse of her world was…invigorating. If it weren't for the strict rules regarding relationships her family imposed on its members, especially those her age, she certainly would've found the most attractive servant back in the room and had him fuck her silly!

Unfortunately, she'd have to make do with the usual stress-relief.

"And as for hotel daddy…!" Nobu sang at the potato, who suddenly stiffened and looked at them with mounting anxiety.

"Let's just say we had our good friends at the government launch a health and safety investigation into the hotels," Maria informed him.

"They…they won't find anything!"

"They'll find whatever we want them to find," Nobu corrected him with a smirk. "And while they're closed for…well, who knows how long…I wonder how many guests will suddenly feel the need to review bomb the hotel? Heck, they might even remember issues they didn't at the time!"

As the potato sputtered and paled at the implications of what they were saying, Maria leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the sight of it all. Makiko's entire rationalized reason for cheating on her boyfriend was dead in the water in the worst possible way and the relationship itself was most certainly obliterated. Her friendship with Ayaka was similarly destructed, while Ayaka's potato boyfriend had been suitably brought down to his proper place – rock bottom, with all the other bottom feeders.

Only one target left.

She gestured at Nobu, who nodded with a cheerful smile before clapping his hands and ordering the guards to take Makiko and the potato away, leaving Maria alone with Ayaka, who stared at her in confusion.

"Why…are you doing this?" she asked with a hollow look. "Y-You said something about responsibility, but…"

"Before I came to this country, due to my father's business interests, I had all the potential schools I'd be attending investigated," Maria explained with a smile. "But not to find the safest – oh no. That's only what I told them I was doing. Instead, it was to find the one with the juiciest secret – the most amusing scandal. And that potato using his power and privilege to coerce and seduce the women around him? That was just too good to pass up!"

"You…were looking for people to hurt!" Ayaka gasped in realization.

Maria smirked. "Absolutely. You see, when you get to be as powerful as we are, normal diversions don't quite cut it anymore. So, some of us go down Nobu's route – extravagant, but exclusive parties, others take up golf, some keep their heads down, but then there are those like me, who enjoy hurting people."

Maria inspected her nails unnecessarily. "Of course, I can't just hurt anyone. Being part of who we are means, like I said, keeping the status quo. And that means being careful – especially with our targets – the poorer they are, the more sympathetic they can be to the press, so they're a no-go. So, instead of just hurting anyone, I hurt those whose pain improves my profile – scumbags, bottom feeders, frausters, cheaters, and the like."

She pointed an exquisitely manicured finger at Ayaka. "And since you were with the potato, you came up in my investigation, and the details there were…oh…delicious!"

Maria practically panted as she gestured at Ayaka, who tried to recede into the sofa to get away from her. "Betrayal of a childhood friend! Sex with his bully! A best friend who was her boyfriend's cheating partner! I mean, good god, Ayaka, you were the complete package!"

Maria then realized how she was acting and coughed awkwardly before sitting back down properly. "In short, you were my perfect victim. And, bonus points! It turns out my father's interested in Kouta's father as a possible employee as we're always looking for new talent back home! So, not only do I get to destroy you, I get to steal your childhood friend away to work for me on the other side of the world!"

Maria had to restrain herself from letting her arousal get too out of hand. Once it was back under control, she grinned at Ayaka.

"And so that's why I did what I did. Benefits to high society aside by getting rid of the potato, you were just an amusing diversion for me to pass the time."

Ayaka stared at her with horror. "You…monster!"

Maria smiled sweetly at her. "I've been called worse, and it's not entirely wrong to begin with, so you might find I'm less than insulted by that."

She then got up and walked over to Ayaka and took a seat next to her, much to the girl's disgust as she reflexively flinched away.

"Besides, my torture's not done yet!" Maria practically sang at her.

"W-What do you mean?"

"See, for whatever reason, Kouta seems to have the hots for you. You know, even after you let that human potato get all up in there," she gestured vaguely and rudely at Ayaka's entire body. "Makiko too, for that matter – greedy little boy."

Ayaka blushed – likely at the thought of being desired, even if she didn't particularly feel attraction for her friend. "A-And?"

Maria grinned cruelly at her as she leaned forward, making Ayaka draw back. "So here's the deal, my dear: become Kouta's woman – not his girlfriend, not his wife, his woman. The type of side-chick you hate most – or else I'll have Nobu and his friends drive your family into crippling poverty."

Ayaka paled at the thought. "B…But…no! You can't do this!"

"Oh, but I can, and I think we both know that."

"I…I don't love Kouta that way, though!"

Maria shrugged. "And? I'm not doing this for love. I'm doing this to reward the little puppy, and in return, I'll have his absolute, lasting loyalty. Moreso once I give him Makiko as well!" She then grinned. "And also, I'm doing this because I know you hate this!"

Ayaka tried to glower at her but failed. In truth, she probably knew this monster in human flesh had her in checkmate. If anything she'd told Makiko and the potato was true – and it was – then by this time tomorrow, both of them and their families would be facing lifetime poverty. Makiko would jump at the opportunity to avoid that fate. The potato would probably despair and end up on the streets, or worse.

Ayaka, for all her pride and self-confidence, was no better.

Faced with absolute defeat and a potentially horrible future, she knew she had no choice but to cave.

"I…"

Maria grinned. "Yes?"

"I…"

"Say the words, come on: I promise I'll be Kouta's little slut until the day he tires of me."

"…"

"I mean, it's not like you haven't said something similar to the potato, so what's losing your integrity again?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"I…p-promise I'll be Kouta's l-little s-slut until the day he tires of m-me…"

"Good girl."