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Every day, Mahiru leaves the main campus during lunchtime. Everyone in her class knows her destination, but students in other classes often shoot her strange looks when they see her venturing towards the reserve course campus, a carefully wrapped bento in her hands. After all, why would a main course student want to go over there?
At least, that is how most people at Hope’s Peak Academy feel. Nobody wants to associate with the reserve course students. It is like they are rich people who don’t want to set a foot in economy class on an airplane. None of them want to associate with ‘normal’ people.
Well, except Mahiru and a couple of others (one being Chiaki, who has become very good friends with Hinata Hajime in Sato’s class, and the other being Fuyuhiko, who sometimes meets up with his… sister). Still, Mahiru tries to ignore the stares and whispers behind her back. She doesn’t care what they think.
She just wants to see Sato.
Every day, she leaves the main campus during lunchtime. And during that time, she meets up with Sato, her best friend and her girlfriend. And they sit together and talk and eat the bento Mahiru’s mother made for her and… for an hour or so, they forget that they are separated.
She loves Sato so much, but they don’t get to see each other much. That’s what happens when one of you is in the reserve course and the other the main course. It’s depressing, but she’s used to it.
But there’s one thing she isn’t used to: the bullying. And the problem with coming onto the reserve course campus means there is a high possibility she will see Kuzuryu Natsumi, the girl who has been bullying her since junior high. Run-ins with Natsumi leave Mahiru in tears and Sato so angry Mahiru thinks she might actually beat some up, and she hates it.
But, still, she comes to this campus. She wants to see her girlfriend and her bully can’t stop her from doing that. And, as weak as it makes her seem, if Natsumi does anything to her, she knows Sato will protect her.
Mahiru finds herself tensing up as she walks through the reserve course campus, knowing Natsumi could kill her if she wanted (why does her bully have to be a yakuza?). But she tries to be brave, hating how weak she is.
When she finally stops Sato, she stops. Sato sits by the fountain, her head bowed. She clenches her hands into fists, and her shoulders shake. Is… she crying?
Now, Mahiru cries a lot (cries when she gets bullied and cries when she gets hurt and cries over basically anything), but Sato, she doesn’t cry. She gets angry and threatens violence and punches people, but she doesn’t cry. so why…
“Sato!” Mahiru cries, running over to her.
Sato doesn’t look up, her long hair hanging over her face. But her breathing shudders, confirming Mahiru’s fears.
“Why are you crying? What happened? Did you fight Natsumi again?”
She sits down beside Sato, and covers one of her trembling fists with her hand.
“Sato? Please, talk to me.”
“She… she threatened me,” Sato mutters, voice weak and hitching with sobs. “Said next time I call her a bitch, she’ll set a family hit man on me. I know she’s probably fucking exaggerating, but it got me thinking. How can I protect you if she does kill me? And then what’ll happen to you? Shit!” She gasps, grabbing at the sides of her head. “Shit shit shit. I want to keep you safe. I have to keep you safe. But, but how can I stop it? How can I stop your suffering? I just--”
“Shh,” Mahiru soothes, putting her arm around Sato and pulling her into a hug. “Shh, it’s okay.”
“But it’s not.”
“Well, I know. But I mean, please don’t worry about what might happen. Just… think about now. Things might get better. And—” Mahiru reaches across and kisses Sato’s cheek, catching a salty tear on her lips. “—I appreciate everything you do for me. I love you so much. Just, please, stop crying. Please…”
Sato sniffles, scrubbing at her face with her hands. And, as tears stain her blotchy face and she gives Mahiru the most forced smile she has ever seen, Sato says, “Okay. But… please, tell me if things get worse.”
“Deal,” Mahiru says, and she passes her wonderfully caring devoted girlfriend a tissue.