Chapter 7: Keijirou's Passion

"That was exhausting..." Yutarou huffed, sitting on the bench.

"Yamaguchi—kun, are you okay?" Keijirou asked, handing him a towel and a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Yutarou asserted, drinking some water. Then, wiping off the sweat off his face with the towel, before snaking it around his neck.

"Are you perhaps like me?" Akira asked, appearing out of nowhere.

'Why's he approaching me now?' Yutarou wanted to ask. He honestly could plop on the warm bed and get some sleep.

"Stop bothering him, Sato—kun." Keijirou blocked Akira.

"And, who are you?" The genius asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm Takahashi Keijirou, his friend." Keir introduced himself, holding his ground.

"I see. Someone irrelevant." Akira commented, scoffing.

Keijirou glared at Akira, clenching his fists. "You...!"

"Takahashi—kun." Yutarou called.

"What?" Keijirou faced the teal haired boy.

"I'll deal with him, so please go ahead." Yutarou whispered.

"But..." Keijirou held to Yutarou's arm with a firm grip.

"Can you also buy me some strawberry juice? I'm parched." Yutarou reasoned.

Keijirou let go of Yutarou and ran. "Okay, I'll wait for you in the lockers, Yamaguchi—kun."

"Mm." Yutarou smiled as Keijirou ran inside the school, which was dropped the moment he turned to Akira. "What do you want, now? Are you going to make me take a quiz, again?" He asked. He was in no mood to deal with the yandere genius right now.

"It's not a quiz, it's more of a question, really." Akira pushed his glasses with his finger.

"Alright, what is it?" Yutarou urged him.

'So, I can leave.'

"Do you have low stamina, as well?" Akira asked.

'That's your question?'

"Well?" He urged.

"Yeah, I do." Yutarou affirmed.

Akira grinned. "We do have something in common, except for being geniuses." He concluded.

'What's up with this development?'

Yutarou didn't know how to respond. "Uh—huh? Well, I have to go now. My fried is waiting for me." He uttered, running away.

'Jesus, that smile scared me. What's he planning, now? Don't tell me he's going to torture me by making me run out of stamina. I don't want that. I hope he leaves me alone after this.'

Yutarou sighed as he entered the building.

"Yamaguchi—kun, he's your strawberry juice." Keijirou offered.

"Oh, thanks. Here." Yutarou held some pennies.

"What's that?" Keijirou tilted his head.

"Uh, payback. You've bought this for me, right?" Yutarou clarified.

Keijirou shook his head and smiled. "Oh no, it's my treat."

"Really?" Keijirou nodded at his question. "Thanks a lot." Yutarou said, sitting on a chair.

"I would have never imagined you being the unathletic one, Yamaguchi—kun." Keijirou joked, giggling.

Yutarou joined him. "Do I not give off that vibe?" He asked.

"Not at all." Keijirou confirmed.

"Just two more subjects and we're free for today!" The blue haired boy leaped. "I'm so excited!" He squealed.

"Why?"

"Oh, that's because I was planning on buying something out of campus." Keijirou stipulated, tapping his feet on the ground.

"What is it, if I may ask?"

"Guess!" Keijirou challenged.

"Umm..." Yutarou glanced on the corner.

'Something that MC wants.'

Yutarou tried to remember the plot which mentioned this sentence. He entered so many routes, that there were millions of plots in his mind.

"Oh! Is it today?!" Yutarou exclaimed.

"Yes!" Keijirou exclaimed as he jumped, almost tripping.

A gashapon machine that sells dolls from an anime: Lulu's Misadventures.

'Wait, isn't that where the MC and that guy Izumi became close?'

"Can I go with you later on?" Yutarou inquired.

Izumi was only second to Kenji when it comes to being obsessive and a sadist.

Keijirou's eyes sparkled. "Oh, oh! Are you also a fan of that anime?!"

"Uh, well. I had a few friends before who were into it. They forced me to watch a few episodes, and I got addicted to it." Yutarou lied, smiling.

"What a journey, huh? Sure, you can tag along." Keijirou nodded.

"Thanks."

Yamaguchi wanted to either go early or late, in order to miss Izumi. That guy was the most dangerous one after Kenji. Those two are just psychopaths to the bone.

∞ ∞ ∞

After school,

Yutarou got a glimpse of red hair and he instinctively looked down, hoping the Kazuya won't notice him.

"Oh, you're that guy from earlier." Kazuya asserted which made Yutarou curse under his breath.

He wanted to delay to escape from a yandere, not to see another one.

Yutarou gained his composure and bowed. "Yes, I am, Suzuki—san."

"Hmm? You look familiar." Kazuya leaned towards Yutarou, and the teal haired stepped back. He held Keijirou's hand, tightly, blocking Kazuya's sight of him.

'If anything happens, at least I can make MC escape.'

Yutarou maintained his poker face as much as he can. "It's because we have met earlier, just like you said."

"No, that's not it." Kazuya held his chin with his fingers. "Oh! That's right! The rumors." He affirmed.

"Sorry, rumors?" Yutarou asked.

"A scrawny guy with teal hair and amber eyes. You're the one who had a showdown with Mr. Know—it—all." Kazuya laughed, pressing his stomach with his hand.

"Er..."

"I've been observing him for two years, now. But, no one has been able to beat him in such." Kazuya told Yutarou. "You."

"Yes?" Yutarou stepped back a little more when the redhead pointed at him.

"Call me 'senpai'." Kazuya ordered.

"I'd rather not." Yutarou declined.

He still remembered how many students died at the redhead yandere's hands because they used the wrong honorifics.

"Oh, come on. It's okay, you have my permission." The redhead uttered

"It would be disrespectful of me." Yutarou declined, once again.

"Oh, well. I'll you go this time. But, if we meet again, you better call me 'senpai', my dear kohai!" The redhead winked at him and walked along the hallways like a king without any care of the world.

'Why can't they just ignore me...?' Yutarou was trembling.

"Yamaguchi—kun, are you okay? You're shaking so much." Keijirou asked, locking his fingers with the teal haired.

"Huh? Ah, yes. I just... I'm kinda scared of that upperclassman." Yutarou flashed out a twitching smile.

"Don't worry, Yamaguchi—kun! I'll protect you!" Keijirou blurted out.

"It's okay, Takahashi—kun. I should be the one protecting you since you're new here." Yutarou said.

They began walking through the corridors and outside of the school gates. The vending machine that sold the merchandise was right in front of their school, fortunately.

"Tsk. We got delayed because of him." Keijirou mumbled.

"It's okay, Takahashi—kun. I'm sure we can still make it." Yutarou reassured him.

"Wait, Takahashi—kun." Yutarou let go of Keijirou's hand, stopping in his tracks.

"Yes?"

"I'll just check on something real quick, can you wait here?" Yutarou hoped he would comply.

"But, the merch—"

"Yes, yes. I will check if there are people right now, so we could use the machine for ourselves." Yutarou told him.

"We can just go together, right now, though." Keijirou piped out.

"Yeah, well. I'll check it, real fast, so you won't have to wait there. Isn't it a bit hot today?" Yutarou reasoned out, wiping his nonexistent sweat.

"Okay, get back quickly." Keijirou urged.

"I will." Yutarou assured.

Yutarou checked out the perimeter. He circled around the place twice.

There were no signs of Kenji.

"Alright, let's go. No one's here." Yutarou told Keijirou who was sitting on the gutter.

"Great!" Keijirou sprung up from the ground. "Lulu! Lulu!" Keijirou skipped to the gashapon machines.

Lulu is the main character of a magical girl anime with dark themes but colorful settings and fashion.

But, the transformations are not to be messed with.

"I'll join you, Takahashi—kun." Yutarou informed.

"No, it's okay, Yamaguchi—kun. I can't spend that much today..." Keijirou showed him a few coins.

"It's okay. I'll use mine, instead. A payback for the juice earlier." Yutarou insisted.

"Thank you so much, Yamaguchi—kun. I really appreciate it." Keijirou smiled and turned to the machine, twisting the coin—mech after inserting a penny.

[The Affection Level of <Takahashi Keijirou> towards <Yamaguchi Yutarou> has increased]

[Yamaguchi Yutarou — 8]

Keijirou searched his pockets, he had no money left. "Aw... I only got these. I like them, but I wanted Lulu—chan..." He said, holding three dolls in his hands. He slid them in his bag and sling it on his shoulder.

Yutarou could taste the bitterness in the air. "Hmm..."

'Please, just this once. Let me have Lulu—chan.'

Yutarou inserted the last coin he had. Twisting the coin—mech, moment he saw the golden capsule, he knew it was Lulu's.

"Takahashi—kun..." Yutarou trailed off.

"...Yes...?" He answered, quietly, scowling.

"Surprise!!" Yutarou exclaimed, showing the Lulu doll to Keijirou.

Keijirou gasped so hard, he choke on the air.

"Takahashi—kun, are you alright?" Yutarou asked, eyes widened.

"Yes, I'm more than alright! I could die, right now! Thank you so much, Yamaguchi—kun!" Keijirou said, his arms snaked around Yutarou's neck.

He, then, hug Yutarou.

"Hehe, I'm so happy!" Yutarou's heartbeat ran faster as he felt Keijirou's breath on his ear. His high pitched voice ringed inside his head.

"I'm glad that you are." Yutarou smiled, his cheeks were tinted red.

'His smile looks so beautiful.' Yutarou thought.

[Affection Level of <Takahashi Keijirou> towards <Yamaguchi Yutarou> has increased.]

[Yamaguchi Yutarou — 10]

'Woah, two levels on the spot? I didn't waste my money for nothing.'

"I'm so happy...!" Keijirou repeated, wiping his tears. His smile never left his face even until he slept that night.