The next day, Kotaru and Hiroto sat under their usual tree, as had become their daily routine. The atmosphere was quiet, and there weren’t many students around them.

  Hiroto glanced at Kotaru, then at the bruises still visible on his hand, and spoke in a calm but serious tone:

  Hiroto: “So? Are you going to tell me why you didn’t fight back?”

  Kotaru stayed silent for a moment, then exhaled softly and replied in a low voice:

  Kotaru: “What was I supposed to do? If I hit them, they’d go straight to the school administration and complain. That guy comes from a rich family, has connections here. If I so much as touch him, I’m the one who gets blamed—no matter what they did.”

  Hiroto tilted his head slightly, studying Kotaru’s expression, then gave a lopsided smile:

  Hiroto: “So, you don’t hit back because you’re afraid of the consequences, not because you can’t. Is that it?”

  Kotaru glanced at him but didn’t reply, which made Hiroto chuckle softly.

  Hiroto: “That kind of makes sense... but still, it doesn’t mean you should always stay silent.”

  Kotaru (coldly): “And you? What would you have done if you were me?”

  Hiroto took a bite of his lunch, then replied casually:

  Hiroto: “Oh, I’d hit him somewhere that wouldn’t leave a mark.”

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  Kotaru looked slightly surprised by the answer, though he masked it quickly. Hiroto continued with a grin:

  Hiroto: “Or maybe get him into trouble in my own way. There are always other ways to get revenge without direct violence.”

  Kotaru stared at him for a moment, then turned his gaze away and muttered under his breath:

  Kotaru: “You sound like someone used to this sort of thing...”

  Hiroto chuckled softly but didn’t answer, as if he had secrets he wasn’t ready to reveal just yet.

  Kotaru still wasn’t sure if Hiroto’s presence in his life was a good thing or just another nuisance… but for some reason, he didn’t feel like pushing him away.

  After a few moments of silence, Kotaru stared at the ground, lost in thought, while Hiroto absentmindedly played with a wooden stick from his finished meal. The air was still—too still.

  ???: “Oh, look who we have here!”

  Kotaru slowly turned his head to find the same group of students who had assaulted him a week ago standing before him, smirking as if they had found a new toy.

  The boy who punched him before: “Didn’t expect to find you here again, in your little corner. Still love sitting alone, huh?”

  Kotaru looked at them blankly but didn’t move or speak. He knew they were fishing for a reaction, and he had no intention of giving them one so easily.

  One of them stepped closer, but before he could say anything, Hiroto suddenly stood up. He wore his usual smile, but this time, there was a sharp edge to it.

  Hiroto: “Ah… you guys again? Don’t you have anything better to do than bother someone who doesn’t even acknowledge you?”

  The leader of the group looked at him with surprise, then snorted.

  Boy: “And who are you supposed to be? A new friend?”

  Hiroto tilted his head as if thinking, then replied lightly:

  Hiroto: “Let’s just say I’m someone who finds repetitive scenes boring.”

  The boy stared at him, then turned his attention back to Kotaru:

  Boy: “Anyway, I just came to warn you again. Stay away from Mio, or else—”

  Kotaru finally cut him off, his voice colder than usual:

  Kotaru: “Or else what? You’ll hit me again?”

  The boy paused, seemingly surprised by Kotaru’s tone, but recovered quickly and sneered:

  Boy: “That depends on how you act.”

  Kotaru gave him a blank stare, then turned his head away as if he weren’t even there, further irritating the group.

  Boy (angrily): “Don’t ignore me, you—”

  But before he could finish, Hiroto stepped forward and gently placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. His tone was light, but the underlying threat was unmistakable:

  Hiroto: “Why don’t you go find something else to do? Trust me, some fights don’t end the way you expect.”

  The boy felt something off in Hiroto’s tone and instinctively stepped back, then shot a glare at Kotaru and said:

  Boy: “This isn’t over.”

  He and his gang turned and walked off, leaving the air thick with tension.

  Hiroto sat back down and let out a deep breath before smiling:

  Hiroto: “Looks like I’ll have to keep an eye on you, Kotaru-kun.”

  Kotaru glanced at him from the corner of his eye before looking away, saying nothing. But for some reason… he didn’t mind the words at all.