A Brother's Sacrifice

After the deal, we decided to go to the cafeteria together. While on our way, Aki started questioning me.

"By the way, why do you want a partner like me, and what do I have to do?"

"I'm sure that you have a lot of questions. So, why don't we take our time and talk about this matter in the cafeteria? We have a lot of time."

Turning her head to face the cafeteria, she walked while still having doubts about me. New questions started to pop up in her mind.

Arriving at the cafeteria, we saw many people lined up to take their food. While it is too tiring to stand in the line and wait for our turn, I supposed that there was another way.

Before going into action, I turned to Aki.

"Do you want to stand in the line and wait till you starve to death?"

She smirked at me.

"Hell no!"

I also smirked at her.

"I had the same thought."

I gave her 250¥. She looked quite happy and was interested in what will I be doing.

"Follow me."

We approached the boy in second place in the line. Everyone saw us but no one dared to stop us. They knew that they were gonna get dragged into trouble if they do. I grabbed the shoulder of the boy, who has yet to notice me and Aki. He turned around with an indifferent face but suddenly turned stiff after seeing us. It seems like he knows about us. I smiled at him and asked him.

"Hey, do you mind if me and my friend behind me, take your place? Because you know, we are reeaaaally hungry right now and I don't have time to stand in this long line."

The boy felt a chill down his spine and his eyes wandering about, looking everywhere as if it were asking for help.

Aki also looked at me with a little surprise in her face. I don't know why. Even though she had seen that little fight with the teacher, she shouldn't be surprised by this small deal.

"I... I.. don't... m-mind."

"Thank you for understanding me. Let's go, Aki."

I let go of my hand that was still grabbing him and took his place with Aki. We waited for a mere 20 second, bought food and looked for a place to sit. Then we found an ideal place. There was a small round table and only 2 chairs. We sat on the chairs and started eating. There was some annoying noise throughout the cafeteria which came from all students whispering. It was a hindrance.

"So, explain this partner thing to me Tenma."

"Oh, aren't you calling me by my first name right off the bat?"

"I mean we are 'friends'."

*whispers*

"But not that close."

"Well you called me by my first name so isn't it obvious to call you the same way as you."

*whispers*

"Fair enough."

*whispers*

"So could y-"

"Wait for a moment."

I stood up and shouted at all the students in the cafeteria.

"HEY ALL OF YOU, CAN YOU SHUT ALL YOUR GODDAMN MOUTHS UP!!!!"

The whole cafeteria was silent. Every students, first-years, second-years and also third-years students, all of them turned their attention to me.

I then spoke in a loud voice.

"Can you shitheads lower your annoying voices. I'm trying to talk to my friend about something important. If you can eat silently in the cafeteria then eat, if not then you idiots can get lost and eat somewhere."

No one was talking. But then one person was laughing. I suppose that he is a second-year or a third-year. He is walking towards me while talking.

"Hey man, what are you saying. Do you think that you are a bigshot and act like you own this school? Don't make me laugh. I've never seen you before so you must be a first-year. Don't make jokes like that around the school."

"I'm not joking. I'm serious. These people were disturbing our conversation with my friend over there. I was just simply telling them to stop disturbing us."

"Then go eat somewhere else yourself."

"Don't order me around like you own this school, you idiot."

Enraged, he threw a right punch at me. It was slow compared to Aki's punch from what I've seen in the fight.

I dodged to his left by simple step-in, threw a right kick at the back of his left knee and kicked the other one very quickly to make him kneel on both feet.

I took out a fork, which I had secretly hidden it in my back pocket of my pants when he was coming close to me. The fork was near his neck from behind. Everyone was shocked. Even one of the spectators couldn't bear about what would happen after so she ran away from the scene.

I leaned near his ear and said.

"I can end you right here, right now if you want."

"Hah.. like you could. You don't have the guts"

"Oh, is that so."

I smiled at the situation. I raised my hand, which was holding the fork, to prepare to stab him in the neck. I brought my hand down at an imaginable speed. But midway, I was interrupted by a hand. It was Aki.

"What are you doing!! You were really going to kill him!!"

"So what. He said that I didn't have the guts. I was just showing him otherwise. Although he wouldn't be here to see me if I wasn't interrupted by you."

The man and Aki were surprised and now scared of me. Everyone was now fearing me like I'm some kind of demon.

"You are insane."

"Then get out of my sight if you don't want to get any more of this."

The man got up and walked away while trembling in fear. I went back to my seat and thought of something.

"Everyone, I forgot to tell you all something."

Every student, who was still scared due to me, turned their attention, once again, towards me. Everyone had their mouth closed.

"From now on, this table is our place to eat. Only 2 people can sit here. Me and this girl, Aki who is also my friend. If anyone messes with her, they will also mess with me and anyone who messes with me will also mess with her. She may not look like it but she is strong."

Aki turned to me and had a confused face.

"If there's someone who thinks that they are strong enough to beat her can fight her. But only with my permission. If you want to find us, we are in class 1-4. You lots can spread this news to all the students about Aki and this seat who is ours. Whenever we sit, don't make noises that will irritate me and make me do something to you, like what happened to that pile of shit. Understand?"

They were trembling and slowly everyone left the cafeteria. There was only me and Aki sitting in our personal seats.

I almost finished the food that I was eating and Aki, who had finished hers, kept staring at me.

"What."

"You were really going to kill him?"

"Nope."

"....Then why did you play along, pretending that you were really going to kill if I hadn't stopped you?"

"So that everyone misunderstands me as a sc.u.m."

"...And I am involved in all of this. That deal was also a part of it?"

"You are really catching on."

"I won't tell you why you are doing this but why are you making me your partner?"

"Don't worry about all of this. You just have to accompany me wherever I go, except for the toilet."

"And what do I get from all of this?"

"You'll see. Very soon."