Valiant

This story took place shortly after Shuichi and I officially started dating, in autumn of our first year at Hope’s Peak. I like to think it all began one day Shuichi casually asked me through texts to meet him at a coffee shop. He showed me an image of a special latte macchiato they had, a type of latte served with either caramel or chocolate. That sounded absolutely delicious, so I told him I would gladly go.

I found him waiting for me on the outside of the place. I was a bit surprised by his appearance. He had a new haircut, a cleaner cut that made him look more mature. He was wearing a dark brown coat with a grey scarf. All in all, he looked pretty adorable.

“Hi Shuichi! Wow, you look nice!” he seemed truly taken aback by my compliment.

“T-thank you… you look very nice too.”

I quietly laughed to myself. Shuichi was still so modest. He seemed a bit clueless about his looks when we first started dating. I wondered if he had looked up advice online or maybe he asked his uncle in order to make a good impression on me. Whatever it was, it was working.

We both ordered our lattes with caramel. I twisted the drink around with a spoon in order to mix it. I tasted it. It was very warm and sweet! In the chilled autumn weather, a drink like that was most welcome.

“Mmm! It’s really good! I’m really glad you found out about this.”

“Yeah. Did you know I already tried it by myself the other day? Back then, I didn’t think of stirring it, so the whole time I drank it I was like ‘Hm, it doesn’t taste as sweet as I expected’. Then I reached the caramel, which was pure sugary death and I thought ‘Oh! There it is…’” I gave that a hearty laugh.

“Ahhh! That’s totally happened to me before, haha. I’m happy you asked me out.” I reached for Shuichi’s hand with mine. He took it back, flustered.

“Thanks. I’m glad.”
I smiled, understanding. Shuichi was a bit shy, but I didn’t mind that. He was still a very sweet guy on my book. I was dating him, after all, which was still crazy to think. Ever since we both joined the academy, we got along pretty quickly. He was very polite, so it was easy to approach him. We easily became closer when he made friends with Kaito and I made friends with Maki. The four of us would hang out a lot, so it was a very good excuse for us to get to know each other.

For months, we would just stay friends, but everyone around us could see we liked each other. It was very hard to make the first step, though. We were both very shy. It’s not like we were awkward around each other, on the contrary, we hanged by ourselves a lot and we had gotten used to return from school together. However… something intimidated me about asking him out. What if he said no? I didn’t want to ruin the dynamic between him, Kaito, Maki and I… if I lost such a good friend as him… I didn’t know what I would do. Then he surprised me at late September, practically after the end of summer break when he confessed to me.

I was so happy. I knew Shuichi was shy, probably even more than me, yet he looked very brave when he put his feelings on the table. I obviously said yes and that’s how we started dating.

Back to reality, Shuichi and I talked a bit about our lives when a sudden realization kicked in.

“Wow…” I said. “In just a couple weeks, it’ll be Halloween, then Christmas! Are you looking forward for winter break?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. We’ve had an intense semester. No wonder Hope’s Peak Academy is amongst the most prestigious high schools in the world.”

“Yeah, ha, ha. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Christmas party. We’ll be able to celebrate and have fun with all of our classmates!”

“Ah…” Shuichi seemed disappointed. “I don’t particularly like parties. Not huge parties, at the very least. I always feel out of place and don’t know who to talk to.” I gave him a kind smile.

“Don’t worry! You’ll be with me. I’ll make sure the others talk to you, okay?”

“Ha, ha. Thanks.” he muttered.

It was amusing how we knew so much about each other and yet so little at that point. Shuichi and I had talked a bit about our families and hobbies by then, but I wanted to get to know him even more.

“So, hey!” I said. “How’s been working with your uncle, lately? Have you been involved in any interesting cases?”

“Oh… yeah, but you don’t wanna hear about it. It’s still mostly sour stuff like investigating infidelities and missing people.” I was a bit sad to hear that.

“Aw. Really?”

“Actually… there’s one story you might like to hear.”

“Oh?” my interest was piqued.

“Last week, there was this woman with two kids who hired us to find her husband. One day, he simply disappeared for no apparent reason. There was no sign of him in Tokyo, but we quickly traced his footsteps back to Nagoya. As it turns out, the man had been fired from his job and he didn’t have the courage to tell his wife. He didn’t think he was still capable of taking care of his family… so he simply went to live on his own. What’s incredible is, he actually found a job in Nagoya as part of a fishermen crew. It was a humble job, but he did just fine on his own. He even sent some money back to her wife, which is how we were capable of tracking him in the first place.” I was speechless.

“Wow… that’s really sad. I’ve heard similar stories before on the news… so tragic.” a brief silence lingered as we both contemplated the fragility of the human condition. “What happened to the man, though? Did he end up coming back to his family?” Shuichi smiled.

“He did, actually. Knowing he was missed at home, he felt more guilty for leaving than for being fired, so he ended up coming back. It might be rough for a while, but I think things will turn out okay for them.”

“That’s good to know.” I felt reassured. “It’s always so weird to hear these stories about people who abandon their families out of shame… when I think of adults, I always think of them as more experienced and smarter than us.”

“Yeah… I feel the same way. I think the root of the problem is the immense social pressure that exists in our country. These insecure men, family men, eldest sons, they have almost nobody to turn to. They’ve been taught having doubts makes them weak, so they bottle up their feelings instead of letting them out until they find themselves completely cornered. That’s also why suicide rates affect males the most.” I winced at the mention of the topic. “Ah… sorry, maybe I went a bit overboard. You probably don’t wanna hear about this.”

“No, no, it’s okay!” I attempted to reassure him. “I think it’s really good that there’s people like you and your uncle who are capable of, if not fixing, somewhat alleviating these types of situations.” he smiled again.

“Yeah, I’m glad too. I’m really grateful to my uncle for teaching me to face these types of situations without fear. When you find these people… they have become just so withdrawn. They just don’t want others to look at what they have become. They don’t want to be a burden, so most people ignore them, but personally I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.”

My heart skipped a beat. This is what I liked the most about Shuichi. His kindness… his ability to help others without looking down on them. It made me feel very proud. Shuichi must’ve noticed me looking at him with admiration, because he suddenly became flustered. He tried to change the subject.

“By the way, what about your music? Do you have any concerts planned soon?”

“Ah, not really. I wanted to focus on my studies right now, so I haven’t looked into participating in any major events.” Shuichi nodded. “Although, I hope I get the chance to make a recital at school at some point before our next break! School concerts are really fun, I really like playing in front of the students and it’s not a huge pressure.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Are there any pieces you’d like to play, then?”

“Hmm…” I thought carefully. “I think some Mozart would work really well! His pieces are just beautiful and they tend to mesh really well with modern audiences. Hey! Have I ever told you Mozart was an astounding child prodigy? He began playing at 3, began composing at 5 and wrote his first symphony at 11” Shuichi snickered.

“Yeah, I think you’ve told me that before.” I blushed.

“Oh, yeah, maybe… but it’s still amazing, every time I think of it! People call me the Ultimate Pianist, but there’s truly no musician as talented through history as Mozart.” Shuichi then leaned back on his chair, as he peered thoughtful through the glass paned wall.

“Yeah… no one as talented…” I became a bit nervous. Was he getting bored?
“Ha, ha… sorry, I’m rambling about composers again.” Shuichi leaned back to me.

“No, not at all. What you just mentioned, it just remembered me… Kyoko Kirigiri once told me she was a prodigy as well, as most ultimates are. She began working on cases with her grandfather at a very young age. Although, in her case, being a detective is a strict staple of the Kirigiri family. Every generation has worked as an investigator in some way, shape or form. It made me think… talent is a bit of both of a blessing and a curse, isn’t it? You’re looked up from everyone else… but there’s also high expectations coming from you.” a small hole was punctured into my chest.

“Yes… I completely understand what you mean.” I turned my gaze adrift.
“When I first began performing, it was very hard for me. I felt nauseated every time I would play in front of a huge crowd. But… in the end, it was something I knew I wanted to do. I think that’s what pushed me to find the courage to perform in front of other people.” Shuichi gave me a warm smile.

“I’m glad to hear that. You truly are the Ultimate Pianist, Kaede.” I blushed.

“N-no! I’m not that special, ha, ha. At my age, I’m sure Mozart composed at least 100 of his pieces… but that doesn’t mean I’m going to back down!” we both laughed.

After we left the coffee shop, I took Shuichi’s arm. The autumn leaves fluttered around us, like us, rocked by an indifferent wind. But I didn’t mind it. I felt a special warmth being held by Shuichi. His skin was devoid of color, but his touch was still warm.

We would go on several similar dates during that October. We were both busy, so none of us suggested any big plans like going to the zoo or a museum. A few days later, Shuichi met me with a surprise on his hands.

In front of our usual cafeteria, I saw him with a beautiful bouquet of roses, bright red and white. Briefly, I was just in pure awe. This was, as a matter of fact, not the first time Shuichi had gifted me flowers. Before we started dating, at the end of my concerts, every time he came to listen to me play, either alone or with friends, he would be the one to gift me a bouquet. It was sweet back then, but now that we were dating his feelings were more clear. He slightly blushed as soon as he saw me.

“Ta da! Do you like it?”

“Aww, Shuichi… is this for me? You’re so sweet!” I immediately jumped to him to give him a kiss. “But why did you buy this for me? It’s not our first month anniversary or anything.”

“No reason. I just wanted to give it to you.”

I held the tied bundle of flowers. Their fragrance was very notable. It had been a while ever since I had last smelled or touched flowers. They were so smooth and delicate. Surely, he must’ve bought them from a specialised flower shop. I blushed happily, a bit unsure of what to say next.

“I love them a lot… thank you.” I said. Shuichi smiled sincerely. It was the first time I saw him smile like that in a while.

“You’re welcome. Would you like to order something to drink?”

“Yeah, sure!”

I was talking to Maki one day about the event. I was just so excited, for the past few weeks Shuichi and I had been waiting, things were already so wonderful.

“And then, he showed up with a bouquet of flowers! Isn’t he just the sweetest? Hnng!” Maki looked at me with mild interest. “But, ahh! I’m sure it’s nothing special. Has Kaito given you any presents yet?” She seemed a bit bothered by the question.

“As a matter of fact, yes… he has a very poor taste for giving me the dorkiest bracelets. I mean, look at this.” she showed me a brightly colored bracelet composed of pastel colored beads. It certainly didn’t match Maki’s style very well.

“Ha, ha, ha… but you’re still wearing them, huuuh?” I gave her a sly smirk. She blushed.

“Whatever… I’m not going to turn down a gift so easily just because I don’t like it. Plus… it’s not so bad.” she looked at the wristband with a hint of longing.
“But anyways, back to the subject. I’m actually pretty surprised Saihara’s been acting so romantic.”
“I know, right? He seemed shy at first but deep down… he’s so sweet!” Maki seemed a bit uncomfortable.

“Yeah, well… don’t get your hopes up too much.”

“What do you mean?” she winced a little bit.

“I mean, I don’t claim myself to be an expert on dating, since I’ve only dated one guy, but… it sounds to me like Shuichi is trying very hard to make himself seem likeable to you. Think about it. Taking meticulous care of his appearance, making you gifts, looking for special places to date. It almost seems to me like he’s trying to overcompensate.” I was a bit disheartened by Maki’s judgement.

“But… isn’t that normal for a boyfriend? Obviously he wants to look his best and treat me every once in a while, right?” she slightly bit her nail, nervously.

“I don’t know. Shuichi is not very… confident. I don’t think he’s doing all these things because it comes from within, I think he’s doing them because he’s afraid of being unworthy of you.” I hanged my head low for a moment. What Maki was saying made some sense.

“In that case… what do you think I should do?”

“Ah! Well, you don’t need to do anything. This is just a hunch, you don’t need to pay too much attention to me.”

“What? Jeez! Why did you tell it to me, then?”

“What I’m trying to say is… don’t try to put him on a pedestal. I know he looks perfect to you right now, but that’s not the whole picture. If you know Shuichi as well as I do, you know deep down he has very deep doubts. The last thing he wants is to be praised.”

There was a kernel of truth in that particular assessment. Whenever we were together, I noticed there were times Shuichi was still uncomfortable. He seemed to open up much more when we talked and he forgot his worries, but… it did seem something was on his mind. Maki put a hand on my shoulder.

“Anyways… don’t be too discouraged. You like him, and that has a lot of value on its own. I’m sure the two of you will work things out.” I smiled.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thank you for the advice, Maki.”
“It’s okay.”

Weeks passed, then Halloween passed. The chills of winter began to be foreshadowed by the wind. One day at school, after third period, I would go on my own to pick up my friends for lunch. It was then when I was met with a most unusual scene.

Mondo Owada, along with two of his goons were surrounding poor Keebo the robot against a wall. Mondo’s partners were Kazuo Kuwakami, the Ultimate Motorcyclist and Momotaro “Momo” Kanegi, the Ultimate Greaser. Things weren’t looking good.

“I mean it! What the hell is a robot like you attending a real ass high school? Shouldn’t you be in a garage, learning how to become a toaster or something?”

“I-I swear, I’m just a normal student just like anyone else here!”

“Psh. Can you even eat lunch, just like anyone else? Why don’t you make yourself useful and buy us lunch?” Keebo looked visibly confused.

“What? I-I’m sorry, I don’t understand… why can’t you buy your own lunch?” Kazuo then threw a kick at the wall right next to him.

“Did you just seriously challenge our boss?!! How dare you! Apologise right now, you little bitch!”

“Ahh! I’m sorry…”

I couldn’t watch this scene idly anymore. I couldn’t stand seeing these punks pushing around my classmate like that.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Leave him alone!” Keebo seemed surprised to see me.

“K-Kaede?” Mondo turned back to me.

“Eh? What the hell are you talking about? Stay outta this one, you brat.”

“Brat?!” I said. Then Momotaro turned to me with lecherous eyes.

“‘Ey, doll! You look very nice… how about you and I go on a date later?”

“What?! No way! I have a boyfriend, you know?”

“Huh? And who is it?” said Mondo. “Shuichi Saihara, that pencil neck from class 79? Ha, ha! What’s a hot girl like you doing with someone like him?” it was then when a voice was heard behind all of the boys.

“What is going on here?”

They all turned back. I was shocked. It was Shuichi. He must’ve come in my direction in order to pick me up for lunch. Mondo feigned innocence as he wrapped an arm around Keebo’s shoulder.

“Here? Nothing! Ah, ha, ha! We were just now having a fun time with our good ol’ friend Keebo, isn’t it right?” Keebo, a bit unfamiliar with human customs, seemed to be confused on many levels.

“Uhhhh…” Shuichi seemed to be having none of it. He looked very serious.

“Are these guys making you uncomfortable, Keebo?” Mondo furrowed his brow.

“So what if we are? What are you gonna do, punk? Huh?!” Shuichi did not back down. I was starting to get worried.

“S-Shuichi…” I uttered. It was then when he took notice of me.

“Kaede?”

“Yeah! Listen to your girlfriend, Shuichi.” said Kazuo. “Don’t try to be a hero to impress her, you’re only going to embarrass yourself! Ha, ha, ha!” Shuichi still didn’t back down. Calmly, he swatted Mondo’s hand from Keebo shoulder and he got in between Keebo and him.

“Leave him alone. Now.” Mondo seemed to be getting increasingly angry.

“Huh?!! Are you seriously defending him? Do you want a fight?!” without further ado, Shuichi spread his arms in front of him.

“Go ahead. Hit me. C’mon, hit me right now. If that’s what you really want…”

Everyone, including Mondo, was completely stunned. There was no hesitation in Shuichi’s gesture. He looked like he was absolutely ready to take a hit. Mondo clenched his nervous hand into a fist, then he raised it to him and then… he lowered it back.

“Psh! It’s not worth it. C’mon, guys. I’m hungry as fuck. Let’s not waste our time anymore with these losers.” Kazuo and Momo quickly followed him and the three of them left the scene. Shuichi made a sigh of relief.

“Are you okay, Keebo?”

“Y-yes! Thank you Shuichi… I don’t understand what those guys wanted, but they sounded dangerous.” I let my own sigh. That was really close.

“Shuichi!” I said. “Don’t scare me like that! You could’ve gotten hurt back there… I was already taking care of it.”

“It’s okay. I know very well the delinquent mentality. Mondo Owada talks big, but he’s not an idiot. He would never start a fight inside the school knowing the consequences full well. Plus, these types only find courage in numbers, so the more we were, the easier we would push him away.” he had a point. I put a hand on my chest. To be fair, I had put myself at risk just the same way just now.

“Oh well, it doesn’t matter…” I said. “Are you sure you’re okay, Keebo? Did they hurt you?”

“My systems are at 100% capacity!”

“Thank goodness… do you wanna have lunch with us today? I don’t want you to be alone in case they come back.”

“Um… well… I don’t eat, so I can’t exactly join you for lunch. But I suppose I can charge my batteries next to you if that pleases you.” Shuichi smiled.

“That sounds great. C’mon, Keebo.”

Shuichi walked alongside him through the hallway, leaving me behind. I was bit shocked. I quickly caught up to them. I heard Shuichi whispering to Keebo:

“You can’t let people like that push you around. Next time, don’t show them fear, okay?”

“Understood!”

Later, we would comment the incident with our friends while we were having lunch in the courtyard.

“He did what?!” shouted Kaito.

“Goddamnit… these male brutes, they don’t know anything to do other than fighting.” said Maki.

“Ha, ha! Maki, you’re beginning to sound like Tenko.” I said.

“In all seriousness, why did you put yourself in the middle, Shuichi?” she asked. “You should know better than to pick fights with the Ultimate Gang Leader.”

Shuichi gave her a deep, stern look.

“Jeez. Have a little faith in me, will you? I’m not a baby. Plus, I wasn’t looking for a fight. I was just trying to protect Keebo. I couldn’t let him be picked on like that.” Keebo looked skittish.

“Y-yeah… I’m sorry Shuichi. Because of me, you put yourself in danger.”

“Hey, don’t say that!” Kaito intervened. “It’s not your fault. Shuichi did great! You did the right thing and stayed by his side. That’s what true friends do! Right?” he gave Shuichi one of his classic thumbs up with a wink. Shuichi laughed.

“Ha, ha. Of course.”

I smiled. I was glad in the end no one got hurt. Plus, Shuichi was right. In the end, I also thought he did the right thing trying to defend Keebo. I was very proud of him.

Later, on the way back home, we commented over the incident.

“You know what Shuichi, you were really brave back then! All things considered, I’m very glad you decided to stand by Keebo.” he suddenly became very aloof.

“It was nothing… I knew he wouldn’t fight back, so there’s no merit in what I did.” I was subtly surprised. He had a very similar attitude to back like he had right after Mondo and the others left. What was going on in Shuichi’s mind? Did he not want me to think he was brave? Ignoring that, I tried to lighten up the mood.

“Anyways… do you have any plans for the weekend?” all of a sudden, Shuichi stopped being responsive. “Huh? Shuichi?”

“Shh.” he silenced me. I didn’t understand what was going on. “Kaede, don’t look back. I think we’re being followed.”

“What?” I turned back. In the corner of my eye, I saw a couple shadows retreat into the alleys. Shuichi tugged on my hand.

“I said don’t look back! Try to act natural. Let’s pick up the pace a little bit, but don’t start running.” my heart began running. What was happening? Who was stalking us? And why on that moment?

Moments later, right in front us, coming from the sides of the street appeared Kazuo Kawakami and some other goon. We immediately turned back, but then Mondo and the rest of his gang showed up from the back. We were surrounded.

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?”

Without warning, several punks grabbed us and pushed us into a back alley. Kazuo and Momo held Shuichi immobile, one on each arm, while another guy restrained me by one arm. I struggled powerless, as the hand clamped tight like a crab’s pincer.

“What are you doing?! Leave him alone!!” I shouted desperate. Mondo stepped in front of Shuichi, cocky.

“Look at you. You’re not so brave outside the walls of your beloved school, are you…?” Shuichi lowered his gaze. “Hey. Hey! Look at me. Look at people when they’re talking to you.” Shuichi furrowed his brow with certain anger. He had the same look he had back at the academy.

I was so afraid. I had never been in a situation like that. Shuichi and I were both powerless and I could do nothing but watch. Tears began welling in my eyes. Shuichi quickly took notice of me, then his gesture turned ashamed.

“Oh? It looks like you really care about your girlfriend, huh? Ha, ha! I think we should teach you a lesson. You need to learn your place. Hey guys! How about we strip him right in front of Kaede so she can see how brave he is? Ha, ha, ha!” I immediately became bright red. Shuichi’s fury kept being fanned.

“Leave her out of this.”

“Huh? Did I give you permission to talk?” Mondo punched him on the right side of his face. My heart skipped a beat.

“No!!!” I shouted. Mondo laughed again.

“Look at that. You don’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of her, do you? How about you be a good little boy and take your beating like a man?” then, something unusual happened. Shuichi began to… laugh.

“Hah… Ha, ha, ha!”

“Wut? What’s so funny?”

“You said I was brave at school, but you look even braver when you’re punching someone defenseless.” Mondo became immediately irate.

“What did you just say to me, bitch?!” he gave him a second punch from the left. My heart stayed still once more. Shuichi, however, wouldn’t let it go.

“Ha, ha! Yes, so brave! Why don’t you let me go and fight me like a man? Or are you scared?” Mondo clenched his fist.

“Hey! Don’t think you’re going to trick me with something like that! Do you honestly think I’m that dumb?!!”

“I didn’t say you were dumb. I said you looked scared. Do you seriously need me being held in order to beat someone as pathetic as me?” I was completely shocked. Where did all this courage come from? This didn’t sound like Shuichi. He sounded like someone completely different. Mondo kept staring at him for a long moment. He walked in a circle in front of him. Then, finally, he made a powerful stomp on the ground.

“Kazuo! Momo! Let this punk free. Let’s see if his fight is as big as his mouth.” after a moment of doubt, the two goons acquiesced their leader’s request. I was astonished.

“No, Shuichi! Don’t do it!” Shuichi completely ignored me. All his attention was focused on Mondo. “No… please no…” I began to sob.

Shuichi and Mondo slowly circled each other, completely surrounded by his goons. The tension was tangible. Mondo cracked his knuckles. Shuichi was the one to throw the first punch, but he hesitated and Mondo easily blocked him. He responded with a quick punch to the stomach.

“Augh!” all of the gang members laughed.

“Shuichi…”

After staggering, Shuichi got back in the fight and threw a couple of ineffective punches. Mondo blocked them again as he responded with a punch to the shoulder and a kick to the shin. Shuichi, once more, crumbled down to the ground, but somehow was able to get himself back up. He was trembling.

“Huh. Gotta hand it to ya, at the very least you got guts, kid.” Mondo said, before unleashed another punch to his face. This time, he got Shuichi in the left eye. The eye began to swell.

I whimpered. I couldn’t look anymore. I hanged my head low, as I kept hearing hit after hit being dropped on Shuichi. Then, finally, I listened to him drop on the ground.

“*Huff* *puff*...” I braved to look back up. By now, his left eye had completely swollen, as so was his right cheek.

“What? Had enough?” asked Mondo. But instead, Shuichi got back up again. I didn’t understand. He looked pathetic. He was holding his stomach as it seemed he was barely able to stand. Why was he insisting on continuing the fight?

“Shuichi, please, give up! You’re going to get yourself hurt!” Shuichi ignored me once again. In his eyes, I saw neither fear or shame, nor courage or pride. Only hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred. I was surprised. Maybe Shuichi didn’t have anything to prove to me, or Mondo, or our friends, but at the very least he had something to prove to somebody.

“Listen to your girlfriend, Shuichi. Stay on the ground if you know what’s good for you.” he gave him a swift kick to the stomach. Shuichi fell once again. It looked like he couldn’t stand anymore. “About time! Finally, you found your true place in life. The floor.” he circled around him once more. “Okay. It’s about time we wrap this up. How about you apologise already? Say ‘I’m sorry’ and we’ll let you go. Deal?” Shuichi stayed silent. “What? Didn’t you hear me? Are you deaf?!” he threw a prominent kick at him while he was down.

“Ack!”

“Stop it! Leave him alone!!!” I shouted.

“I said, did you hear me?! Say you’re sorry!” he kicked him, repeatedly. “C’mon! Are you a man or what?! Say you’re sorry! Say you’re sorry!”

Mondo’s gang chanted with him: “Say you’re sorry! Say you’re sorry!” Shuichi coughed.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Huh? What’s that? I didn’t hear you. Can you repeat that?”

“I said… I’m sorry…” another kick. “Augh!”

“What, did the cat eat your tongue? Say it loud and clear, for everyone to hear!”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!!!” for good measure, he threw a couple more kicks at him.

“Ha, ha, ha! Well said. Now you’re acting like yourself.” Mondo turned his back on him. “C’mon, guys. We’re done here. Leave this pathetic whelp on the ground, where he belongs.”

Finally, I was set free. I stayed still as Mondo and his gang walked besides me, unopposed. For several seconds, I remained immobile, unable to comprehend the reality in front of me. Finally, I reacted.

“Shuichi!” I quickly ran to the side of my love. He looked completely destroyed. His face was jacked up, as I previously described, and I suspected he must’ve had bruises all over his body.

“K-Kaede…” my lip trembled, as I began to hold him.

“It’s okay… everything’s okay, Shuichi… it’s over.” I caressed the side of his head as I looked at him. But then, he hid his face on his hands as he began to cry.

“Kaede… *Sob* I’m sorry…” I didn’t understand the meaning of his words.

“What…? Why?”

“I-I’m sorry *sob*… I wasn’t brave enough… *sob* for you. I-I’m so sorry!!! I’m sorry…”

I held him close as he continued crying. My gesture turned grave. Now I understood. Shuichi had been completely and utterly humiliated and nothing could change that. He wasn’t the brave hero he was hoping to be for me, he was just a pathetic victim. He had been foolish of defending Keebo… he didn’t have the strength to stand up to Mondo. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t strong at all.

I kept caressing him as I joined him in his weeping.

“No, that’s wrong. You were brave enough for me. Of course you were. You’re a very brave boy, Shuichi… I love you.” he kept sobbing and shivering. I didn’t release him until he let it all out.

Minutes later, he calmed down. I bought him a bottle of water from a nearby corner store. I let him drink carefully. His lips were swollen as well. I felt pity, Shuichi’s beauty that he had worked so hard to refine, had been tarnished.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked. “Can you walk?”

“M-maybe…” he got up with some trouble. “*Cough*” he almost fell.

“Eek! Careful there. I’ll hold you, okay? I’ll bring you back to your house.”

“Okay…” he didn’t look eager to protest. I let him hang on my shoulders.

He was heavy. It appeared he had been beaten so hard, he had trouble walking. Or maybe it was his spirit, broken. After what felt like a very long walk, we finally reached the station, then his house. After we pressed the doorbell, Shuichi’s uncle, Mr. Suzuki appeared, looking worried sick. It occured to me then that we hadn’t called either him or my parents.

“Boy! What the devil happened to you?!” Mr. Suzuki finished helping me help him into the house. Then Shuichi’s aunt appeared, absolutely distraught.

“Oh, Shuichi, my dear! What happened to you? We were so worried!” Shuichi’s aunt comforted him as I dropped on a chair to rest. I was completely exhausted.

“Mr. Suzuki… can you make us a cup of tea?” I pleaded. Without delay, Mr. Suzuki went to the kitchen in order to prepare the tea. Shuichi’s aunt softly wept next to Shuichi, holding his hand. Shuichi then cupped her cheek with his other hand.

“There, there… don’t cry mom.” it was very strange. It was the first time I heard Shuichi calling his aunt “mom”. I knew for a fact he never called his uncle “dad”, since he told me on several occasions he didn’t consider him his father. But apparently he used to call his aunt “mom”. He kept consoling her until his uncle came back with the tea.

Shuichi and I slowly sipped our respective tea as we were trying to recover our bearings. Everything was like a tornado on my head. But eventually, I pulled myself together. I explained to Mr. and Ms. Suzuki all that happened. Mr. Suzuki looked furious.

“Seriously?! That delinquent coward did that? Incredible… I can’t believe this…”

“Oh, Shuichi… I’m so sorry.” said Ms. Suzuki. “And I’m sorry to you Kaede for getting yourself involved in this.” I smiled bashfully.

“No, no! You don’t need to apologise Ms. Suzuki. I am fine, really.”

“I’m going to report this to the school. I can’t believe something like this has happened in Hope’s Peak Academy. Why in the goddamn hell do they include in their ranks someone like the ‘Ultimate Gang Leader’?! This is completely absurd… they won’t hear the end of this.” I understood Mr. Suzuki’s pain. But then, Shuichi suddenly reacted.

“Wait… Uncle… don’t do it. You don’t need to report it.” Mr. Suzuki sharply moved his finger through the air.

“Like hell I don’t, boy! You can’t let that kid get away with this! If you let people walk all over you like that, you won’t see the end of it!”

“B-but Saburo… don’t you think that’s not prudent?” Mrs. Suzuki said. “That kid is the leader of the largest biker gang in Japan… if he does get expelled from the school… what’s gonna happen to poor Shuichi?” Mr. Suzuki staggered back, but the fire in his eyes didn’t leave him.

I considered Mrs. Suzuki’s words. She was right. If Mondo knew Shuichi narked on him, it could be catastrophic! I felt so guilty at that moment… if I hadn’t defended Keebo back then, maybe none of this would’ve happened. If I had walked past him, I would’ve intercepted Shuichi. But just then…

“No, that’s wrong! That’s not the reason I don’t want you to tell them.” Shuichi said. We all turned back to him.

“Huh?” said his uncle. A determined look was present on Shuichi’s face. With a weak voice, he said:

“I have an idea…”

We listened carefully to his plan. At the time, it was only a sketch, but even then it sounded like a very good plan. If it worked, it would hopefully solve everyone’s problems.

“I see… what you suggest makes some sense, boy… but are you sure you’re willing to go along with it? Let me tell you… it’s highly probably your plan doesn’t work. You have to predict he will react exactly as you want him to. If you just reported him, he will almost certainly be reprimanded.” Shuichi nodded.

“It’s what I think is right. I’m not afraid.” Mr. Suzuki placed two fingers on his forehead. It looked like he was pondering very deeply. Then, Shuichi spoke once more: “You taught me to always face my problems head on. Not to let lowlives take advantage of me or the others. Isn’t that right?” Mr. Suzuki was surprised. His wife gave him a disapproving look. He smiled awkwardly.

“Yeah, you’re right… I taught you that, didn’t I? Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!” he let one of his loud, boisterous laughs. “Still… we can’t hold onto this forever, you hear me boy? If we wait to report the incident, it’s less likely that the school will take any action. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do.” Mr. Suzuki got up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Shuichi winced in pain. He took it back.

“Okay. Let’s think it over later. For now, you get some rest, will ya?” Shuichi winced as he spoke.

“Yeah, alright.”

Mr. Suzuki brought Shuichi to his room as I followed him. He tucked him into his bed to rest. I sat on a chair in front of him.

“I’m going to keep watch on him, okay?” I said. Mr. Suzuki seemed mildly surprised.

“Are you sure, kiddo? You did well so far. I’m very grateful you brought us our nephew back. It’s getting late. You don’t wanna go home?” I shook my head with a smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll call my parents, I’m sure they’ll understand. I just… want to stay by him for as long as possible.” me and Shuichi looked at each other while he was laying in bed. Mr. Suzuki gave me a proud smile and a couple taps on the shoulder.

“You’re a good kid… Kaede, was it? Hey, knucklehead! You better reel up on this one, ya hear? She’s a good one, don’t let her get snatched! Ha, ha, ha!” he ruffled his hair as Shuichi snickered.

“Won’t do, uncle.”

“Good. I’ll be downstairs if any of you kids need anything.” and with that, he closed the door.

Shuichi and I were left alone in his room. Shuichi still looked half in a daze, due to everything he had been through recently. It looked like he was still very much in pain.

“Hey, Shuichi… are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah… relatively speaking.” I smiled. But then, tears began streaming down my face.

“Oh, Shuichi… why did you keep on fighting? You didn’t have to do that… you could’ve gotten seriously hurt!” he coughed a couple times.

“I… had to do it. People like Mondo Owada… they only recognize strength. If I showed weakness, it would’ve been worse.”

“That’s not true! If you didn’t provoke him… maybe he wouldn’t have hit you!” he snickered.

“Would you have rather had him undress me?” I blushed hard.

“T-that’s not the point… Shuichi… you don’t need to pretend to be strong in front of me. I don’t need that. I like you just the way you are. I wouldn’t have minded if you-”

“Again with that! I didn’t do it just for you!! I did it for Keebo…” Shuichi winced from the pain his own exclamations gave him.

“Keebo…?”

“Yes… if I hadn’t fought Mondo, he would’ve picked on him again… or, if not him, someone else. I couldn’t allow that.” a very stern look took shape in his eyes. “I… hate bullies. The idea of someone taking advantage of someone weaker than them… it disgusts me. That’s the reason I was so hellbent on facing Mondo.” I took his hand.

“I didn’t know…” Shuichi turned aside.

“Everyone thinks I always have something to prove… but that’s not true. I acknowledge I’m not necessarily strong. I may not be brave. But I’m not a coward. If someone is being threatened by someone like him… it’s my duty to oppose them. That’s what a real detective does.” my eyes widened. I just had a completely newfound impression on Shuichi.

“That’s… actually quite brave of you.” I said. He briefly closed his eyes.

“Maybe… I don’t know.” I gently caressed his hand. With my other hand, I turned his face towards him.

“Shuichi, look at me. No matter what happens… I’ll stay by your side, okay? I don’t care if you’re shy or passive or anything… I like you just the way you are. I… liked you this way ever since the moment we first met.” he looked at me surprised.

“Do you mean it?” he asked. I smiled again.

“Of course I do.”

We spent some time staring at one another. Then, Shuichi laid to rest until he finally fell asleep. Later, the Suzukis would show me a room that used to belong to their daughter, Shuichi’s cousin.

“You can use this room for the night.” said Ms. Suzuki. “Thank you very much again for everything you’ve done for our nephew.” she said, as she took my hand.

“No problem, Ms. Suzuki! It was my pleasure.”

I spent the night at Shuichi’s house. The next day, Shuichi’s uncle made an examination on him. It looked like Shuichi’s bruises were very strong, so it was for the best he didn’t go to school that day. I understood. Ms. Suzuki offered to accompany me to school, but I politely declined. She did make me a lunchbox, which I gratefully accepted and so I went to school.

Students in my class were surprised Shuichi was gone. It was unusual for someone as serious as him to skip school. But Kaito, Maki and Keebo had a clue. They all went to me at recess. It was pointless to deny it, so I told them the whole story.

“He did WHAT?!!” asked Kaito. “That… that bastard!! How does he dare pick on someone like Shuichi?” Keebo looked severely distraught, making simulated sob noises.

“*Sob* This is all my fault… if Shuichi hadn’t defended me… none of this would’ve happened…” I was briefly shocked. Keebo’s words were similar to my own thoughts before. I placed a gentle hand on his arm.

“No… that’s not true. Shuichi wanted to protect you. In fact, he wanted to protect everyone. That’s what he told me. You don’t need to blame yourself.” Keebo turned his face up to me. Maybe I had convinced him a little bit. Kaito punched his fists together.

“We gotta do something… we can’t let that Mondo get away like this!”

“Wait!” I said. “Actually… Shuichi has a plan.” everyone seemed surprised.

“What plan?” asked Maki.

I told them Shuichi’s plan. Maki and Keebo seemed to think it made good sense, but Kaito didn’t seem to approve.

“Seriously? That’s pretty much the same as letting him get away scott free! Like, okay, I understand Shuchi’s motives, but…”

“I know, but that’s what he wants to do. If Shuichi’s plan is successful, everyone’s problems should be solved! Right?”

“Not exactly…” Maki said. “We’ll defuse the situation, sure, but I feel the same as Kaito. It makes me pissed thinking that Mondo pays little to no consequences in this scenario.”

“I… I think I agree with Shuichi.” said Keebo. “Despite everything… I don’t hate Mondo. I know he bullied me and beat up Shuichi. But… isn’t that what’s expected of him? He’s the Ultimate Gang Leader. That’s like asking me not to be a robot. It’s completely against my nature.” Kaito got seriously mad.

“What?! He beat the crap out of him for literally no reason! Are you saying we should forgive him for that?!” Keebo looked upset.

“I-I’m just saying! According to pure logic, nothing will be gained by taking revenge on him. I think Shuichi’s plan makes a lot of sense. If that’s what he wants to do… then I believe we should support him.” he gave us a reassuring smile. Kaito fidgeted.

“Hmm… okay, maybe you’re right. If that’s the plan, what do we do in the meanwhile?” I sighed.

“I guess we just wait. There’s not much we can do.” the others reluctantly agreed.

Shuichi didn’t come to school for the rest of the week. I told nothing to the rest of the class, but still word spread of Mondo and Shuichi’s fight. Surprisingly, a lot of students in my class were very supportive of Shuichi. Not only Kaito, Maki, Keebo and me went to visit him to his house to wish in person for a fast recovery, but Kirumi as well. She brought him a thermos of nutritious soup, a healing ointment, several bags of herbal tea and helped him with his overdue homework. Shuichi thanked her profusely. Other students like Rantaro, Gonta, Himiko, Ryoma, even Tenko showed their support as well by sending him good wishes. Kokichi… showed his support in his own way, that is, in a completely undecipherable way.

Meanwhile, things had gotten tense for Mondo. The rumors that he had beaten up another student made him look very sympathetic. That’s nothing he wasn’t used to, being a notorious delinquent, but he began to receive intimidating glares from several students of my class. One day Kaito was staring at him, Mondo couldn’t take it anymore.

“Hey! What you looking at?! Do I got something on my face?” Kaito was furious.

“Why did you do it? Why did you beat up my bro? The hell did he do to you?!!” he went ahead and grabbed Mondo by the shirt. Maki and I were right beside him.

“No, Kaito! Don’t do it!” I shouted.

“Heh! Are you gonna beat me, punk? Do you honestly think you can pick up a fight with me?” Kaito gritted his teeth in front of him. Maki softly pushed him aside. She looked at Mondo. Her face practically speaked death. Then, in a manner I had never heard before, in a very slow and deliberate manner, she asked him:

“Do you want to die?” despite all his bravado, Mondo looked at least a bit intimidated by her.

“Huh? Who’s gonna kill me? You? The Ultimate Child Caregiver? Ha! Please…” Maki’s gaze didn’t falter. Mondo began to have his doubts. “Hey… knock it off, will you!” then, a surprise voice came from behind us.

“Yeah! You should knock it off, if you know what’s best of you! Right, Maki?” we all turned back. It was Kokichi. He sauntered over us, with his typical smirk.

“I mean… someone as dangerous as the Ultimate Gang Leader! You don’t want to get on his bad side, don’t you?” Maki was completely flabbergasted.

“Are you serious...? Which side are you on?”
“Isn’t it obvious? On whomever’s the strongest, obviously! And there’s no one stronger at the academy than you, isn’t that right, Mondo?” it wasn’t too apparent, but it seemed Mondo was slightly perturbed by this question.

“Well… yeah, duh! It was about time someone noticed.”

“You must be so proud of yourself Mondo! Beating up useless pawns who won’t listen to you… and with good reason! If say, one of my underlings showed insubordination, I would make sure they didn’t forget it. As a matter of fact, I think it was about time someone knocked sense into that Shuichi…” what Kokichi said rubbed me the wrong way. We had grown used to not take anything he said too seriously, but he was grazing the limit.

“Hey! Don’t you dare say that about Shuichi!” I yelled.

“But it’s true, isn’t it? Shuichi is a poor, weak, pathetic guy, with no purpose in life other than doing what other people tell him. He’s not above the others, like Mondo and I. You know a lot about strength, don’t you?” I was taken aback. It began to dawn on both Mondo and me that Kokichi was trying to get somewhere with this.

“T-the fuck are you saying?! Hey! Don’t you dare compare me to you!”

“Tsk, tsk! Of course I wouldn’t! For one, I’m way superior to you when it comes to covering up my tracks… I mean, beating up a fellow student of Hope’s Peak Academy?” his smile grew far sinister. “That’s not a very smart move, isn’t it?” he took another step towards Mondo. He was slowly being backed against a wall. “What do you think is going to happen from here, Mondo? If Shuichi squeals, what are you going to do? Are you going to give up on guaranteed success in life in the academy, that easily? Nee-heehee!”

“Shut up! You want to get trampled too, punk?!!”

“Oh. That’s not in your best interest, I assure you. As a matter of fact, who says getting expelled from the academy is the worst thing that could happen to you?” he took another step. “What if I told you I was lying when I said I didn’t care about Shuichi? What if we’re closer than you think we are and it turns out you really pissed me off? You don’t know what would happen then, would you… you might be the leader of a mere biker gang, but I am the supreme overlord of a secret organization with over 10.000 members. Did you know that?”

“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it!”

“Do you, Mondo? Do you?” Kokichi stared at him closely with his soft, menacing smile. At this point, Mondo was sweating profusely.

“L-leave me the fuck alone!” he pushed him and ran away through the hall. Kokichi placed his hands on his pockets, satisfied.

“Wow… thank you, Kokichi.” I said. “That… was actually quite impressive!”

“Yeah.” Maki said. “For once, your sociopathic tendencies turned out to be useful.”

“Nee-heehee! Who said I did this for Shuichi? I just like to have to fun!” I smiled.

“That was a lie, wasn’t it?” Kokichi let out a hearty laugh.

“Ah, ha, ha! Oh, Kaede… you know me better than anyone else, do you?” he said, as he turned back and left. Technically, he just didn’t admit anything… didn’t he?

After the weekend passed, Shuichi finally made his way back to school. His cheek wasn’t swollen anymore, but he was still wearing an eyepatch over his left eye. The class had a heartwarming response when he showed up. It surprised Shuichi more than anyone else. It seemed he was more cherished than he thought.

“Hey! Glad to have you back, partner. How are you feeling?” said Rantaro.

“Shuichi! I’m so happy you’re back.” said Himiko, uncharacteristically happy, as she jumped onto Shuichi’s arms, like a child.

“Ha, ha, ha… why are you so happy, Himiko?” she blushed.

“D-don’t take this the wrong way… it’s just… you always seem to like my magic, so it makes me happy to see you’ve recovered.” we all laughed. I thought she was adorable.

“Yo! You had a lot of time to wank at home, did you? Were you thinking about me? Ah, ha, ha, ha!” said Miu. She was promptly ignored.

“Glad to see you back, kid. You’re made of tough stuff, did you know that?” said Ryoma. Shuichi looked embarrassed.

“Thank you, Ryoma. Thanks everybody. It makes me really happy to be back with all of you.” I tried to embrace Shuichi’s arm, before he recoiled in pain.

“Ow!”

“Oh! Sorry! Are you okay?”

“Yeah… just a little sore, is all.”

Everything had turned back to normal. Well. Almost everything. Mondo looked constantly pissed, walking around the school. After the incident with Kokichi, he started to bring his underlings everywhere. He never stopped getting glares from students in my class, but it seemed it had even extended to other students from different classes. Things weren’t looking good for him.

One day, he was having lunch in a remote spot on the courtyard when something unusual happened.

Looming in the horizon, the hulking body of Sakura Ogami began treading towards him. Mondo spitted whatever he was drinking. When she was a few feet away, Mondo’s goons immediately ran for dear life.

“Hey! Where the fuck are you going?! Cowards!”

“Owada!!!” Sakura howled, like a grizzly bear, right when she reached Mondo.

“Y-yo, Sakura… What’s wrong?”

“Word has gotten to me that you and your gang beat up a defenseless student from the school. Is this true?” Mondo began to profusely sweat. Despite everything, he managed to mostly keep his tough guy act.

“Y-yeah. So what?” Sakura promptly lifted him up from the ground, grabbing him by his collar. “*Gagging*”

“And you have the gull to admit it so easily?! Unforgivable… how dare you do something as cowardly and dishonorable as that? Are you proud of yourself?” Mondo was essentially deaf, struggling in fear.

“I… I…”

“Answer me!!! Are you proud of yourself?” Mondo tightly shut his eyes in shame.

“N-no…” Sakura twisted his collar tighter.

“That didn’t sound sincere to me. I ask you again: are you proud of yourself?” Mondo gulped. He stared at the leather-skinned behemoth in front of him. With her inhuman strength, Sakura could easily crash his skull if she wanted.

“N-no! I’m not proud, I swear! I…” Sakura shook him for a moment.

“And you call yourself a man… disgraceful. Do you comprehend how despicable it is to take advantage of someone weaker? The pain, the fear you instill, the injustice you commit?” Mondo understood very well on that moment. Maybe for the first time in his life, he was facing a fear like no other.

“I… I’m sorry.”

“What did you say?”

“I’m sorry!” Sakura gritted her teeth.

“Do you think saying you’re sorry is going to solve anything now? Do you think you can repair your honor just like that?” Mondo brought his hands to his neck as he was being slightly strangled.

“I… I know.”

“Then, what are you going to do? How are you going to show responsibility for your actions?” Mondo looked like he was reaching his physical limit.

“I… I…”

“What’s going on here?”

Mondo opened his eyes wide open at the familiar voice. Sakura turned back. It was Shuichi.

“What are you doing to Mondo? Is this a fight? Fights are not allowed at the school.” Sakura furrowed her brow.

“What are you doing, Shuichi? This is the same whelp that took advantage of you earlier. Why are you showing him mercy?” Shuichi’s resolve didn’t falter.

“Are you any better, taking advantage of him because he’s weaker than you?” Sakura’s body tensed. She stayed silent for an elongated moment. She looked at Mondo. She threw him to the ground.
“No… I’m not.” she admitted. Mondo desperately gasped for air on the ground.

“Hey. Are you okay, Mondo?” Shuichi asked. He extended his hand to him. Mondo was flabbergasted.

“W-why…? Why did you help me? Why are you extending your hand to me right now?” Shuichi made a brief pause.

“...Why not?” Mondo let a surprised gasp. It was that simple… “Why not?”

Shuichi’s simple words echoed inside of him. What had he been doing? Was this what being a man was all about? Would his brother be proud of him, knowing what he had become. No… he definitely wouldn’t be.

Mondo looked like he was about to get up. But instead, he got on all fours on the ground. Shuichi looked surprised.

“I’m… I’m sorry. There, I said it! I’m sorry, Shuichi! I’m not a real man… I didn’t know what I was doing. I gained nothing beating you up. I gained nothing picking on that robot dude. I’m worthless.” Shuichi let out a soft snicker. Mondo looked up to him.

“I wouldn’t go as far as to call you worthless…” he extended his hand to him once again. “It’s okay. I forgive you.” Mondo kept looking at him in disbelieve. Was he going to forgive him that easily? Yes… yes, he was. He finally took Shuichi’s hand and got up. Sakura kept peering at him with a stern look.

“Shuichi may have forgiven you, but this isn’t over. Mondo, I want you to promise me you’ll never pick on someone weaker than you. Understand?” Mondo briefly closed his eyes, solemn.

“Yes… for as long as I live, I’ll never pick on someone weaker than me. That’s a man’s promise. A real man’s promise. So you know I won’t break it.” Shuichi smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that.” him and Mondo locked eyes for a moment. It seemed like they had gained a newfound comprehension of one another. Finally, Mondo let go of his hand.

“Alright. I’ll be on my way, then.” he took a couple steps before he turned back to Shuichi. “Hey, Saihara! You’re a tough guy, after all, I’ll give you that. You’ve earned my respect.” he finally turned his back with a hand gesture. “See ya.”
Shuichi and Sakura stood silent. After a few seconds, I raised my voice.

“Can I show up already?” Shuichi suddenly turned, a bit surprised, seemingly forgetting I had been there.

“Yeah! Come on out, Kaede.” I got up from a nearby bush. I brushed off the leaves before I ran to embrace him.

“Oh my god, Shuichi! That was amazing! Very well done!”

“Ha, ha, ha. What did I do, exactly?” Sakura made a disapproving sound.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Shuichi. Mercy is a very powerful quality. I acknowledge your strength.”

“Wow… coming from someone like you, that means a whole lot. Thank you, Sakura.” she nodded.

“No problem.”

“Oh, and thank you as well for helping us out with this! We couldn’t have done it without you.” Sakura looked away into the distance for a moment.

“We’ve talked about this before… but the way I behaved just now, while part of you plan, it was no mere act. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve beaten up Mondo, or at the very least scolded him. Someone like him doesn’t deserve being called ‘strong’.” Shuichi became serious.

“I know. But that’s not the way I solve things. To me, punishments are worthless if no one learns anything. If I had told the principal about the incident and Mondo was kicked out of school… well… who knows what would’ve happened from then. Plus, I meant it when I said I had no hard feelings for him. I had no wish on getting revenge in Mondo. If no one gets hurt from now on, that’s a victory for me.”

“Well said. Maybe I could learn a couple things from you as well…” Shuichi laughed once more.

“Ha, ha! Please. You flatter me, Miss Ogami.” she turned half way.

“Either way, me and Ishimaru are going to keep an eye on Mondo from now on. Like me, he believes bullying has no place in a school environment. We’ll make sure he keeps up his promise.”

“Thank you, Sakura. I have a feeling he will.” she gave him a final approving gesture.

“Goodbye.”

Sakura left the scene, leaving both Shuichi and I in awe.

“Wow… she’s… something else, isn’t she?” I said.

“Yeah… it’s hard to believe someone like her is real, right?”

“Ha, ha! Yeah. But I’m glad. Everything turned alright.” I took his hand. “Recess is almost over. Do you want to directly head to class?” he turned to me.

“Let’s go.”

Days later, Shuichi and I were talking a walk by the park. The weather was getting cold, but it was a welcome chill. I tenderly held Shuichi’s gloved hand.

We looked at some kids playing on the play area. They looked like they were having fun. I always had respect for parents who took the time to bring children to these places. We kept walking, looking at the half naked trees and their leaves adorning the ground. We sat at a nearby bench. I took the excuse to cling to Shuichi’s side. He began caressing my hand.

“Hey, Kaede…” he began to say.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Do you think…? No, never mind. It doesn’t matter.” I gave him a reassuring glance.

“C’mon, say it! You can tell me anything.” he gave me a brief smile.

“Back when Mondo attacked us in that alley… would you have thought differently of me if I hadn’t fought back?”

“Huh? I thought you said you didn’t fight for me. You did it to protect Keebo, right?”

“I know, but that’s besides the point. What if I-” I leaned on and placed a finger on his lips. I snickered.

“Oh, Shuichi… of course I would’ve thought the same of you. I love you just the way you are. Your kindness… your bravery… that’s what I love about you.”

“...I’m happy to hear that. But still. Kaede, I… there’s something that’s been bothering me ever since we started dating.”

“Huh? What is it?” Shuichi’s gesture tensed. I had the feeling this was something he had trouble putting into words.

“Kaede… do you think we’re dating purely because of circumstance?” I was completely surprised.

“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“You see… we only know each other because we go to the same class, right? And we only began talking because you were friends with Maki and I was friends with Kaito, right?” I didn’t follow.

“Yeah… so what?”

“Well… what if that wouldn’t be the case? What if we went to different classes, or even to different high schools? Would we have still dated each other?” I felt a hole take shape in my chest. To an extent, he was right. It’s not like I even had a great opinion on him when we first met… he seemed a bit unreliable. But still… once I got to know him, I knew how brave he was on the inside. I laughed.

“Ha, ha, ha! Why are you worrying so much about this? You’re the one who asked me out, didn’t you? I don’t think you did that by chance.” Shuichi turned his gaze down.

“Ah… about that.”

“Uh?”

“I… didn’t exactly confess to you out of my own account. Kaito had been pestering me about it for ages. He kept taunting me, telling me if I didn’t ask you out, someone else would… he tried raising bets… he even joked that if I didn’t tell you, he would. *Sigh* Honestly, it was pretty annoying, but I know he meant well.”

“Oh… so that’s what it is.” I was a bit disheartened. “But… it’s okay. You still took the step and you did it, didn’t you?” Shuichi still couldn’t bear himself to look at me.

“Kaede… it’s not whether I’m assertive enough for you or not what worries me… what makes me really concerned is… where does my courage come from?” I was surprised, once more.

“What?”

“I… I want to confess something to you. Without you… I don’t think I would be the same person I am right now. You inspire me a lot, Kaede. Your support, your kindness, your courage, your belief in others… it pushes me forward. And I am extremely grateful for that. However… I began to think, without you… who am I? What kind of person would’ve I become if I had never met you? What kind of person would I become if you were gone? Would I retain the same courage? I don’t know…”

He finally looked at me. For first time in a long time, I saw something in Shuichi’s eyes I hadn’t seen before. Fear. He was telling the truth. At no point was he afraid of Mondo, or our relationship, or anything else… what was he really afraid of was… himself.

“Shuichi…” I touched his cheek gently. I snickered once again. “You say I inspire you? You say you wouldn’t be brave without me? Ha, ha, ha… I’m sorry, but no, that’s wrong!” he was truly taken aback.

“What?”
“Let’s go over things. Back when you standed up for Keebo, were you thinking of me? Were you trying to prove you were brave by standing between him and Mondo?” Shuichi was briefly silent.

“No.”

“Did you fight Mondo just because you were afraid of looking weak in front of me? Did you only care about proving yourself back then?” Shuichi lifted his head.

“No.”

“Did you forgive Mondo only to feel superior? Did you do it for the pride of being the better man, knowing you could’ve easily let him get beaten up by Sakura, but you decided to stroke your ego by sparing him?” Shuichi looked upset.

“No, of course not.”

“Did you… gift me flowers back when we started dating because you were afraid you were unworthy of me?” Shuichi was surprised. He looked in deep thought.

“...No. No, I didn’t. I bought you flowers… because I wanted to show you how much I really cared about you.” I smiled.

“Then there you have it. Shuichi, you are… way braver than you give yourself credit for. Way braver than other people give you credit for. You’re more than brave. You’re… valiant. You don’t let your fears hold you down, you face them head on. Not because you want to prove yourself or because you’re afraid of others being harmed. You do it because… you’re truly brave.”

Shuichi was left speechless. He peered into the grey sky, into the distance and then he closed his eyes. I leaned on his side as I savored the moment. I smelled the air and let my skin be caressed by the wind. I felt his touch. I listened to his heartbeat. It was strong… steady. He finally found his response.

“Yes… I think you’re right.” I softly snickered.

“You think? Ha, ha! You’re still too modest.”

“I know.”
We kept looking at the sky together, watching the clouds slowly drift by. At one point, Shuichi turned to me. I turned my head. He looked deep into my eyes, unashamed, unafraid. His eyes… they were full of care, full of love.

“Kaede… I adore you.” my heart skipped a beat.

“Ehehe… oh, Shuichi… you say such things.” he lightly shook his head.

“No, I mean it. You’re the dearest person in the world for me. My precious angel. My princess.” I kept blushing harder and harder.

“Shuichi…”

He leaned his face closer to me. He kissed me. I closed my eyes. It was a bold, but gentle kiss. I felt like I was drifting in a cloud in his arms. I felt so safe… so at home. I opened my eyes. There he was still. So brave… so determined. And without his hat, I couldn’t help but think he was…

A really cool guy.