(Katsuna's POV):

In the past few months at Seito Academy, I started a project and befriended a student named Dan Moroboshi. He offered to tutor me, and despite my reluctance, he insisted that I wouldn't graduate if I turned him down.

This motivated me to focus on my studies more and spend less time with Uncle Jack. I feel guilty for missing his boxing matches, but he surprisingly understood and noted how focused I was. He advised me not to overwork myself since I'm determined to reach my goal.

Things couldn't get better and worse at the same time.

On the positive side, Dan Moroboshi came to me with new things, like for instance, the libraries, museums, and an internet cafe. He suggested I use it for research on other assignments and generously covered my computer usage costs, I told him he shouldn't do that but by the look in his eyes, he didn't seem to mind at all. Which is odd, but I thank Dan for it after teaching me how to use a computer.

Now for the worst side, in Seito Academy, I apparently became a target to the girls every recess and the moment that bell rang, it seemed like they sensed my presence and swarmed around me like bees drawn to honey. I can't quite understand why, but every day becomes a battle of survival... It's not like I have any special appeal or anything; in fact, I'm just trying to keep my head down and focus on my studies.

The first few times, it was torture. Remember the girls who didn't let me be in their group project, well, they decided that it would be a "cool treatment" to pull my hair, bruise my face with hand marks, and then push me to the wall by punching my stomach. As I soon realized, it wasn't cool.

My classmates were whispering bad things as others came up to me with the same treatment by throwing rotten paper at me; The "cool treatment" bothered me that I didn't know what was going on with me but I suddenly felt like not telling anyone nor looking it up what all those things meant.

Which was weird because I could tell anything to Uncle Jack, and now, I can't; Not even Dan Moroboshi knew of this "cool treatment". One day, he asked about it when he was tutoring and studying me in the school library, and what I felt was fear; Fear that if I mentioned the "cool treatment" then something might happen to the girls. I had never felt that since I was little. 

I didn't understand why the girls would do it to me, it felt as if the room spun around me, the chatter fading into a low hum while my heart raced in my chest: 'Was it just a game to them? I wondered if I had missed some crucial memo that everyone else seemed to have received.' 

They were all in on it, that "cool" treatment, while I stood like a misplaced puzzle piece, depressed and bewildered. One girl in particular, who started the whole thing was Yuki, she seemed to be one of the worst human females I have ever met to was so ruthless as she took it upon herself to frighten me.

With her bright smile, beautiful looks, and sweet demeanor towards me, I would feel shivers and my heart rate would rise in fear that I suddenly became used to it. On another note, she'd chase me down the hall, demanding that I don't go near Dan Moroboshi to which I explained that I couldn't because I needed him to teach me how to read and that were just friends—despite my consistent effort to make her listen to me.

No one listened—not even her.

So there's that.

The words in the back of my mind from yesterday became a constant reminder to me that the girls told me: ↡

𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠...

"𝘼𝙘𝙠!!" 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙔𝙪𝙠𝙞 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙤𝙠𝙚, "𝘼𝙬, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙛𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙡?" 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙙: "𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪...𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝?" 

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙖, 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙, "𝙋-𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚, 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙞𝙩." 

"𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣..."

"𝙔𝙤𝙪."

"𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙚."

"𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧."

"𝘿𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧."

"𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮."

𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙...

They told me that if I informed Uncle Jack, I would "cool treatment" would be much worse. But what made me fear the most was how he would react if I told him about it, I know what he would do. He would drive here on his bike, confront the school, and transfer me to another school. 

I didn't want him to do that, if he did that then I would lose my friend.

I felt trapped behind a glass wall, watching life continue without me. 

Dan's cold gaze lingered on me, with or without me noticing, became painful to not just tell him what was going on; The comfort I felt from his stoic expression every day now gave me doubts about befriending him. This is why I didn't avoid him and asked Uncle Jack to tutor me at home with the notes of my studies.

But today felt different. 

As I navigated through the hallway of Seito Academy, a strange sense of resolve bubbled inside me. The whispers behind my back still stung, and the "cool treatment" loomed like a dark cloud over my daily existence, but this time, my spirit felt just a little stronger. 

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and I trudged to the library, determined to find solace among the shelves of books and the lifeline that Dan had extended towards me. School hours had always felt suffocating, but today, as I settled into my usual spot at the back of the library, cradling a weighty volume on historical strategy, I couldn't help but feel a moment of peace wash over me.

But then my thoughts drifted back to Dan. I replayed his rare praises of my progress in understanding the material and how easy he made it feel for me to learn. Behind his cynical exterior was a flicker of warmth and kindness that I found odd yet comforting. He'd regularly reassure me, "Don't stress about reading; just take it slow." If only he knew how much his words meant to me.

After a while, I noticed a shadow at the edge of my vision. Startled, I looked up to find Dan standing there, his brow furrowed in typical seriousness, "You planning to hide back here all day?" he asked a trace of playful sarcasm in his tone that I took as a good sign.

"No," I replied, forcing a smile. "J-Just trying to dive into some research."

He leaned against the bookshelf, adjusting his glasses with an irritated flick, "Good. We need to discuss the project. We're falling behind."

The mention of the project sent a rush of adrenaline through me. "Right! I've—"

But before I could elaborate, the sound of laughter broke the tranquility of our private little corner. Yuki and her minions sauntered in, including Gina, the girl who had yanked my hair just a few days ago. My heart hammered in my chest as they approached, in an instant, I put the books down and hurriedly gave Dan my notes before he had the chance to ask what was wrong, I'd already left the room and exited.

Only for them to spot me and follow me.

(Dan Moroboshi's POV):

I watched Katsuna hurriedly hand me her notes on the project, a sense of discomfort knotting in my stomach. She left in a rush as if escaping a predator: "Hmm." Furrowing my eyebrows, I shifted my attention to a group that had just arrived, prompting me to follow them.

As I suspected, I found Yuki, Gina, Miko, and Hanaku confronting Katsuna. Yuki, sporting a confident demeanor, approached with a sharp smile. "Well, well, if it isn't the fossil," she said, while I shot her a quick glare behind her back. Katsuna, too intimidated to respond, merely whimpered. "What's the matter, fossil? Can't handle a little friendly banter?" Miko taunted, pulling on her tie and causing Katsuna to wince. 

"We thought we told you to NEVER EVER go near my Moroboshi-kun." Yuki angrily snapped,

"B-But I had to do it f-for the project!" She exclaims with fear stricken in her doe-grey eyes, filled with tears, "He isn't even yours, if he was then he would've told me!"

Yuki rolled her eyes, a wicked grin playing on her lips. "Oh please, don't give me that sad puppy look, Katsuna." She continues, "You think I care about your little excuses? Moroboshi-kun is off-limits, and you know it!" Her words dripped with venom, inciting laughter from Miko and Gina, who stood behind her like an entourage enjoying the show.

Katsuna shuffled back, her trembling hands clutching the notes tighter. "I-I didn't mean to invade your territory," she stammered, desperate to appease them. "It was just a project. I thought everyone was working together!"

"Working together?" Yuki scoffed, swaggering closer, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Sweetheart, when it comes to Moroboshi-kun, there are no teams, only winners and losers. And you? Well, you're clearly not winning."

Miko chimed in, her voice laced with mock pity, "Oh look, she's actually crying! Isn't that adorable? Maybe you should have practiced more than just your project notes." Tears brimmed in Katsuna's eyes, and I could feel the weight of the situation intensifying. Nobody seemed to notice me lurking in the shadows, the reluctance brewing inside me to step in. This wasn't just bullying; it was envy and jealousy.

'How foolish.' I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could, Hana brushed past Yuki, her eyes glinting mischievously and before I knew it, she pushed Katsuna down the stairs; My instincts flared, and I rushed out of my hiding place; Ignoring the girls in front of me as I reach for Katsuna's hand by pulling her body and wrap her in my arms protectively.

Now both of us are falling down the stairs until we hit the wall, the impact jolted through me like a lightning strike. For a brief moment, everything was a chaotic blur; the world spun, and the raging laughter of the girls above melded into an echoing silence. I felt Katsuna's body pressed against mine, the warmth of her presence somehow grounding amidst this troubling chaos.

My heart raced with a mix of anger and fear. When we stopped, a sharp pain shot through my back and knee as we hit the wall. Ignoring my discomfort, I groggily turned to check on her, gripping her shoulders, only to find she wasn't waking up. My breath caught in my throat as panic gripped me. I gently shook her, my voice trembling with urgency.

"Please, wake up!" I whispered, the words escaping like a silent prayer. The darkness closed in around us, heavy and foreboding, with every shadow echoing dread. She lay limp, her face pale in the dim light from the window above, but thankfully, I felt relief knowing Katsuna was breathing.

A shadow approached, and I recognized who it was, which prompted me to slap Yuki's hand away. My anger flared: "Stop bothering her," I said firmly, my tone colder than intended, driven by an unusual protectiveness for Katsuna. It wasn't fear; it was a newfound loyalty I hadn't felt for anyone since my family was taken from me.

"Bother her?" Yuki stammer in disbelief with her innocent look, "W-We're just welcoming the new girl." 

The other girls nodded in agreement, and I fought to keep my anger in check. "Welcoming, you say? Is that what you call your friends?" I challenged them. "You're just making her miserable because she's with me, and I will defend her; she hasn't done anything to you," I added defiantly.

"Right. Because you care about her," Miko replied with disdain, her cohort exchanging sly glances. "Doesn't that break your heart, Moroboshi-kun? It's a shame no one else does."

I maintained a stoic expression, but an unusual tension gripped my chest. Miko's dismissive tone regarding Katsuna's worth ignited a fire within me. I was known for my cold demeanor, yet I suddenly felt compelled to protect her—not just as my project partner, but as someone I cared about. "Enough," I snapped. "My patience is wearing thin. Do you really expect me to fall for your tricks? Just drop it."

Their amusement turned to anxiety as they realized how their actions reflected on them. "What's wrong with you?" Gina asked with fake concern. "She's just too dumb, isn't she?" 

"Adorable, really." 

"But that uniform? It belongs in a thrift shop. Look at her trying so hard."

All their comments about Katsuna being dumb left me clenching my jaw in rage but remained calm, "As the Student President of Seito Academy," I said, standing up with Katsuna's unconscious body, ignoring the pain in my back and sprained knee. I glared directly at them. "I will report you all to the Principal. Is that clear?"

Yuki's expression twisted—her confidence faltering for just a moment. "What do you know about this fossil? You hardly ever take a liking to anyone!"

Her words struck a nerve, but something in me knew she was resorting to cheap insults. I could feel the tension building in the air, and I refused to let them see how much their words affected me. Instead, I shifted my focus back to Katsuna, who lay still in my grasp. "It doesn't matter what you think," I said coldly, my voice steady and unwavering. "What matters is how I see her. She's worth more than all the petty taunts you can muster."

Suddenly, Katsuna stirred ever so slightly, and I felt a rush of relief. I couldn't lose her—not like this. With my heart racing in my chest, I knelt beside her, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. Yuki and her friends stood frozen, an awkward mix of uncertainty and surprise flickering across their features.

"Let's go," I said, deciding I had enough moral obligation to Katsuna and no patience left for these vile girls. I lifted her gently from the ground, supporting her frame against my body. Her weight felt oddly comforting even in all this chaos.

As I carried her through the halls, Yuki and her group shouted after us. "Think you can save the fossil like a hero? How pathetic, Moroboshi-kun!"

My grip tightened around Katsuna as anger boiled within me, eager to lash out at them for both their words and actions.

"Hey!" I shouted back without turning, feeling boldness swell in my chest. "You can laugh all you want, but you and your pathetic little crew won't always be the loudest ones in the room!"

Their giggles faded behind us, but I didn't need to look back to know they were still watching. I refused to let that affect me. I focused solely on Katsuna, who finally began to regain some awareness, her eyelids fluttering.

"Moroboshi-kun..." she mumbled softly. The faint whisper of my name made my heart race with something that felt a lot like affection.

"I'm here," I manage to reply cooly, adjusting my hold around her waist so she'd feel secure. "I've got you. Just rest, Katsuna."