Chapter Text
Here we go again.
Unfortunately, I found myself walking home with the two idiots, Nendou and Kaidou, who are currently arguing over where we should go get ramen.
“Let’s go to the same place as last week.” Nendou suggests.
“No way! That place was a borderline biohazard.”
Good grief. Why are they extra annoying today?
It’s bad enough that it has started to get hotter out with the summer approaching, I can only use my pyrokinesis to warm my body up. And this bickering is just giving me a headache.
Now that I think about it, Kuboyasu usually mellows them out.
Not that I particularly care, but where is he? He usually walks with us and makes it a lot easier for me to ignore the two idiots.
How annoying.
As we turn the corner, I start to sense an unusually large group of people.
Something’s wrong.
It seems like they are ganging up on someone.
Kuboyasu.
Good grief. I need Kaidou and Nendou to get out of here so I can deal with this.
Usually I wouldn’t interfere, but they are interrupting my route home, and I won’t allow them to start meeting up here.
“K-Kuboyasu,” Kaidou stutters.
“Hey buddy!”
Stop being an idiot Nendou.
The gang members slowly turn towards us. One of them pinning Kuboyasu to the side wall of a convenience store.
“Get out of here guys, I can deal with this!” Kuboyasu yells.
I don’t want them to know my past, and if they stay here they will see that I can deal with these guys with no problem. There goes my good guy reputation.
Kuboyasu seems plenty confident in this situation. I know his past, obviously, but I can’t expect a normal guy to take on what seems to be around 10 people by himself. No matter how confident he is, it just isn’t possible for someone like him.
“You know this guy?” The what seems to be leader of the group asks, motioning to Kaidou with his chin.
“N-no sir!” Kaidou shakes his head and runs the other direction, with Nendou starting to chase after him.
Cowards.
At least I can deal with this now.
One of the guys start to approach me, cracking his knuckles.
Good grief. I go to push him away, but all of a sudden Kuboyasu breaks out of the gang members grip, and runs toward the man approaching me. He knocks him down with a single punch, sending a menacing glare to the other members.
The rest of the gang starts to approach us, grumbling about disrespecting them.
I get a brief glance at Kuboyasu’s frustrated face as he pushes me behind his back.
I deal with people trying to get revenge on me for my past all the time, but getting Saiki dragged into this makes it more difficult.
What is that supposed to mean?
I usually only have to worry about myself, but I need to protect Saiki too. I can’t let them hurt him.
He wants to protect me? I get a strange feeling in my stomach, that can’t be right. He knocks the rest of them down with no problem.
Kuboyasu turns.
“Are you okay Saiki?” He asks, his eyebrows slightly drawn inward, almost looking concerned for me. Which is ridiculous, I can handle myself just fine.
‘Yes’
Kuboyasu goes to put his hand on my shoulder, but I step away.
Kuboyasu lets out a small sigh. “Don’t worry about me when it comes to fights Saiki. I have it under control.”
‘Clearly’
What is this strange feeling? I know I could have beaten those guys to a pulp, but Kuboyasu doing it for me…
I feel relieved.
“Let me walk you home.” I need to make sure these guys don’t try and follow either of us. And I don’t want them to target Saiki just by knowing me.
‘No thank you’
I turn to start walking by myself, but Kuboyasu insists on coming with me.
We walk in a comfortable silence, the sun slowly starting to set. He doesn’t try to make small talk, which I can appreciate. He’s more tolerable than the other annoyances that can’t leave me alone.
’Kuboyasu, thank you.’
I know I don’t necessarily need his help, but having someone step in for once feels like a small weight is being lifted off of me.
”Anytime Saiki.” he replies with a smile.
When we reach my house Kuboyasu continues down the road, yelling back at me “See ya tomorrow.”