A Brother's Sacrifice

The canteen would be really crowded right now as it is lunch break. The creepy guy maybe still on the rooftop or not, but I don't want to take the risk and I also don't want to see his face.

So the only option that I know where me and Hitomi would meet up was ironically, behind the storeroom. Oh, I forgot Aki was there to accompany me.

"So, would you please tell me what's on your mind?"

Hitomi Ayame was really angry by the look of her face.

"I heard about the treatment that Kyoko and Ryusaki were getting from you."

"And?"

"Just what do you think you are doing!? Instead of making them together, you are bullying them!? I've been enduring this the whole time but I'm past my limits of patience!"

My god, can't this woman be not that clever as I expected. Since she came from a respected and family, I thought that she would be that smart, but apparently no.

"I think I said something before our deal. That is to not interfere with our way of completing the task. Are you trying to obstruct my plan?"

"I don't like your way of doing things. Those moments when Kyoko was suffering, when hearing about this my head was starting to hurt continuously."

Seeing her in this state, I tried to calm her down.

"You really like Miyake, don't you?"

"Huh?"

She was surprised and stared at me for a long time, pondering on that question that I asked.

"W-What are you saying all of a sudden!?"

She tried to retaliate while hiding her blushing face from us. I think I dealt quite a blow to her. Needless to say, we have been quite diverted from the main question.

"Anyway, can you endure it a little bit longer? Cause we will accomplish your request today itself."

"No! I can't! Do what you want but I don't want to see Kyoko suffer anymore."

No matter what I say to her, she remains stubborn. She is a difficult person to deal with. There's just only one way, that I know, that could solve this annoying problem.

"If you think that what I am doing is pointless, then you can come and see the result of our effort if you don't mind."

She was in thinking mode. Although that doesn't resolve the problem of me changing my way of doing things, I deviated the problem into a solution in which she must accept the fact that I can't change my method.

After a long moment of thinking this through, she finally decided on what to do.

"I hate your kind of method but,... I want to see it right in front of my eyes, about how you are mistreating Kyoko. And, if you don't succeed then..."

"...Then?"

She approached me and put her pointy pink-coloured nail on my throat, which made me gulped down some saliva with fear.

"I'll take out that vulgar tongue of yours and feed it to my dogs, even though my dogs would probably spit out that disgusting thing of yours."

Hitomi Ayame is a little less clever than me but she has the things that I don't have. Wealth and status. Those two are acting as an indestructible wall between me and the person called Hitomi Ayame.

"I-I understand."

"Good."

She removed her finger from my throat and stepped back. Aki couldn't do anything for the same reason as mine.

"Now tell me, where are you going to do the job?"

Aki stepped forward and this time, she replied to her.

"It's right where you are standing. And for your kind information, I'll be the one doing this job."

I guess she stood up for me so as to give me the time to calm down from Hitomi's threat. Aki could understand how I felt because we are both in exactly the same situation

"Oh? So you'll be the bullying Kyoko, am I right?"

"That's right. I'll apologise in advance for what is to come to your childhood friend."

"If that is so then I have one favour, no, one advice for you."

"...Yes?"

"If you don't want to get into some really deep problems then don't hit Kyoko. Get it?"

Hitomi shot a glare at Aki which flinched her a little. Now she feels the same as me when I was enduring her stares.

"...I'll try my best."

She turned around with great arrogance and left us in a state of shock. We both looked at each other, wondering what has happened to us.

"It looks like this is gonna troublesome but, the one who should do their job right is you so, I'll leave it to you."

I put my thumbs up and encouraged Aki with a smile on my face.

Seeing my face, Aki's face twitched a bit before she tried to punch. But as always, I dodged by a hair's length.

"I just encouraged you? Why did you do that!?"

"Your face just pissed me off!"

"What!?"

She tried to kick my leg but I also dodged that.

"You're putting the pressure on me while you sit back and enjoy me getting destroyed by that bitch!"

"No pressure."

"You really piss me off!"

The evasion of Aki's attack continued for some time until Aki ran out of gas. She put her hands on her knees and was panting heavily.

"How am I so tired while you are standing without having any sweat on you!?"

"Well, you are the one doing the attacks. Dodging, running away and doing tricks is my forte. Anyway, don't tire yourself. Take a rest. I don't want you to be weak during after school."

"...huh...You're right."

I gave her a bottle of water for her to consume which seemed to calm down her breathing a bit.

"Let's go. There is still time till school ends."

We silently walked to our class. Maybe it's because of that Hitomi Ayame or because of the tension that has build up in us that we were worried about the failure of our objective.

Either way, neither we tried to calm ourselves down, nor did we talked about the execution of the plan. We just walked side by side quietly as if we were strangers.

.....

The bell rang and school ended quickly. Aki was a bit startled because due to her stress, she was, as expected, worried.

'That's no good. If she is tensed, then she would definitely fail.'

Aki stood up and put her school equipment into her bag. I went near her desk and put my hand on her shoulder.

"W-What is it, Tenma?"

"You know, even if you screw up you don't have to worry about it."

She was startled.

"...What are you saying? If I screw up, that bitch will punish us severely."

I put my hands on both Aki's shoulder and tried to calm her down.

"Listen Aki. Whatever you do, fail or success, I'll always be there behind you. Even if you do hit her and go against Hitomi, feel free to do so. So don't tense up, I'll back you up."

My hand felt the trembling of Aki's body slowed down and stopped for good. It seems like I did reassure her.

"Thanks Tenma. But don't blame me if I make a blunder."

"Please spare me."

We both laughed it off and turned towards a girl. We approached her and Aki started to do her role.

"Miyake, we need to talk."