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Morishige was immediately worried when he caught up with Mayu at the nearest intersection upon their walk to Kisaragi Academy. Why, you ask? Mayu was walking slowly, staring at her feet as though she simply hadn't the confidence to look up.
“…Mayu? Are you alright?” The young girl immediately snapped her head up, looking surprised for only a moment before she flashed a trademark Mayu smile; although something seemed a tad off about it.
“Shige-nii! Yay, let’s walk together! I’m just fiiine~” Grabbing him by the elbow, she proceeded to drag him the entire way to school, chattering about tons of trivial things that she had done the night before.
Sakutaro remained silent, but he had an odd feeling that she was attempting to keep the conversation going so that he couldn't continue to press as to what was bothering her.
--
“How do you think we can mess her up next? Like, maybe make a funny face while she’s trying to act, throw her off?”
“Nah, that’s kind of lame…something more…serious. We need to knock that girl down a few pegs. She really does think she’s the best actress in the club, doesn't she?”
“Ever since she started pairing with that weirdo Morishige, yeah. They just think they’re sooo great. I started telling the guys that the reason they’re together all the time is because he’s getting a little somethin’ somethin’ on the side. They started spreading it right away!”
“Ahaha, that’s hilarious! That might take away some of her fire!”
“Doesn't she make the costumes for the play? Let’s mess up the one she’s going to be wearing! She won’t even make it to the stage that way!”
“Oh my gosh, could you say anything any *more*--“
“Despicable?”
Sakutaro Morishige, who had left a depressed Mayu at the classroom after school while he went to get something he had left in the Drama Club Room, happened to overhear a group of three girls whom he wasn’t very familiar with, discussing Mayu, and eventually, him. He knew they were in the Club, but they were the type that preferred compacts and texting to scripts and brains.
No wonder Mayu was depressed. If these rumors involved him, as well, she would keep quiet for fear of upsetting him. She truly was the kindest and most innocent soul he knew, taking the pain on her own simply for his sake. His insides suddenly raged with fire, but he had to remind himself that these were classmates – female at that; and he could do them no harm.
The three girls in question all gasped and jumped immediately, looking toward Morishige with a horror that quickly shifted to a false kindness.
“H-hey, Morishige-kun…g-good job on the acting today! You and Mayu were—“
“Don’t you dare,” he spat venom suddenly, advancing slightly toward the suddenly terrified trio.
“W-what!?” The girls shrank against the drawing-board in response.
“I’m one thing – whatever. Still…don’t you dare utter Mayu’s name with that disgustingly forked tongue upon your slimy, lip gloss caked lips. Acting as though you’re a friend, huh? You don’t know…”
Mayu’s smiling face flashed into his mind, as well as her laughter, her blush, and her tears…
“You don’t know…what friendship even is!” He snarled suddenly, remembering Mayu’s sad face in the morning, advancing on the girls yet again. This wasn't good – his temper was coming out, and he could feel his control slipping.
At this rate…
“We-we swear…M-M-Morishige-kun, we won’t say a word about Ma—er, Suzu—er, her, we’ll stop the rumors, we won’t do a thing…we promise!”
One girl was waving her arms about as if to signify these actions – one was the one currently spewing utter fear – and the last simply stood, eyes wide, body trembling.
“You think that’s the end, huh? You think you just talk…about Mayu…like that and get away with it!?”
His rage was boiling over. His brain was screaming at him to stop – to think about his schooling – to think about how Mayu would feel about what he did – but it was her honor…he had to protect her honor…
His face twisted slightly, and he quickly snatched up a script one of the girls was holding – it was Mayu’s – and had many desecrating markings on it; the script she was supposed to read from for tomorrow’s play. The script she had worked so much with – completely and crudely desecrated.
Crumpling the piece of paper in his hands, he threw the script aside and grabbed one of the girls by the wrist rather forcefully, to which she shrieked and attempted to shrink further back into the wall.
“Spread rumors, huh? Made Mayu cry, huh? Want to make her scared to show her face, huh?” A laugh that wasn't his own escaped his throat, but he wasn't thinking too much about himself anymore. Just Mayu. Always Mayu.
“P-please—“
“I’ll show you…” A strong jerk to her wrist that would without question cause a bruise – a cry – the other two girls whimpered in response, “I’ll show you what fear is – what it’s like to not want to show your face…maybe a few bruises will—“ He was sweating rage now, his glasses sliding down his nose, his body heaving.
“Shige-nii! Stop it, stop it right now!”
Morishige froze and immediately released his grip on the girl’s wrist, suddenly feeling horrified as he thought about the pain he was about to inflict on the whimpering girls in front of him. It was as though he wasn't himself for a moment; something he had always disliked in his own persona.
He looked down at his own hands and flexed them quickly, making sure that they were his own. Unfortunately, they were. Grimacing, he backed up from the terrified girls and turned toward the entrance-way where Mayu stood, her hand to her mouth.
“M-Mayu…”
She ran into the room so quickly that all he saw was a flash of pink from her round hair-bead, shoving him a little with her tiny hands, hardly moving him. She stomped her foot slightly to show displeasure, but then she looked into his eyes. Relief spread through him as he saw that this wasn't going to ruin their relationship – she was just stopping him from losing himself. She was his anchor, after all.
“Suzu—Suzumoto-san, I-I-I--!” The girl whose wrist had been grabbed wobbly walked forward, grabbing Mayu’s hands and bowing quickly before beckoning to the other girls, who both bowed to Mayu, as well.
“We won’t – we’re really, really sorry. We’re sorry.” Bowing again and refusing to look at Morishige, the girls quickly left the room – all still trembling.
“You heard them, then? You heard…about the rumor?” She was staring at her feet now, as if she had something to be ashamed of.
“Mayu…don’t hide things from me. Just tell me if something’s wrong, alright? We…we’ll work it out together and there won’t…won’t be a need for…” He grimaced again, truly disgusted with his actions, suddenly. Not just that – but disgusted with himself for even containing such twisted violence in the first place.
Arms around his mid-section, suddenly, because she wasn't tall enough to reach his neck, a light stroking motion against his back for comfort.
“It’s okay, Shige-nii. I’m not angry; and I’m not scared. I promise the next time something’s wrong, we’ll work it out together – no violence necessary, but…”
He tensed, immediately. “But?” But what? ‘I don’t want to see you anymore? I don’t like you anymore?’ Morishige suddenly began to panic, but there was no need as Mayu was, as usual, only thinking of him.
“I better go and find those girls before they have a chance to get you into any sort of trouble, though…I mean, they might not, but you never know, right?” After everything, she was offering to clean up his mess. It only made him feel worse – he didn't deserve such a beautiful creature.
“Mayu, no, that was my—“
A quick kiss to his cheek with two different sets of blushes.
“Thank you for defending my honor, Shige-nii!” A bow before she ran away, leaving Morishige in the empty Drama Room.
She had saved him from himself. It was then that he decided that he needed Mayu – there was no “she’s nice” involved – she was a necessity that he had to have. His fist to his heart; fate had been placed.
“Mayu…thank you.”
He left the Drama Room after getting his forgotten possession and clicked the lights off, leaving the room in an utter darkness.