Four days had passed since Aoto's encounter with Koyko, and things at CherryWood Academy had taken a strange turn for him. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, word had quickly spread about how he had unintentionally captured the attention of several girls across different classes. Now, as Aoto walked through the campus courtyard, he found himself surrounded by a group of jealous and envious boys from all corners of the academy.

They weren't just from one class either. Islandar Class, Softy Class, Average Class, Warrior Class, Giant Class, and even a few boys from the Nighter Class had formed a loose circle around him, their expressions a mix of annoyance, frustration, and disbelief.

Aoto, feeling their eyes on him, tried to play it cool, but the growing tension in the air was undeniable. He could practically hear their thoughts: Why him? How is he getting all this attention without doing anything?

One of the boys, a tall, burly guy from the Warrior Class, crossed his arms and glared down at Aoto. "So, what's your secret, huh? How come all the girls are all over you? What did you do?"

Aoto, completely taken aback, raised his hands defensively. "I swear, I didn't do anything! I'm just... you know, minding my own business."

A boy from the Softy Class, shorter but clearly frustrated, piped up, his face flushed. "Minding your own business? You're practically a magnet! First Koyko, then Akia, and I heard even Rika and Matie are giving you special attention! What's up with that?"

Aoto rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the weight of their glares. "Look, I don't know why they're interested. I haven't done anything special. It's not like I'm trying to get anyone's attention."

A boy from the Giant Class, towering over the rest with a serious expression, chimed in next. "You must've done something. Girls don't just flock to someone for no reason. You've gotta be hiding something. Some trick."

Aoto sighed, exasperated. He wasn't exactly sure how to explain it, because from his perspective, he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. He hadn't tried to get anyone's attention, and he certainly wasn't pulling any tricks. But now, it seemed like his mere presence was enough to stir up envy among the guys at the academy.

Before he could explain further, a boy from the Nighter Class with a slim build and dark bags under his eyes stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at Aoto. "You're human, right? From Earth? Maybe that's the trick. Maybe the girls here are just interested in someone different."

The group murmured, considering this new possibility, but the looks of frustration didn't ease up.

Aoto, feeling cornered, tried to ease the situation with a bit of humor. "Look, guys, it's not like I'm some sort of lady magnet. Trust me, most of the time, I'm just trying to get through the day without embarrassing myself." He chuckled nervously, hoping it might lighten the mood.

But the Islandar Class boy, with sun-kissed skin and bleached hair, scoffed. "Yeah, well, it doesn't look that way from where we're standing. Girls like Koyko don't just attach themselves to anyone. And Rika? She's always been picky."

Another boy, this time from the Average Class, frowned. "Seriously, you have to be doing something. No one's this lucky."

Aoto was about to respond when Akia, who had been watching the entire scene from a distance, walked over, looking unimpressed with the group of boys surrounding Aoto.

"Oh, for crying out loud, leave him alone!" she shouted, stepping into the circle. The boys glanced at her, some shrinking back slightly from her fiery tone.

Akia crossed her arms, glaring at the boys.

"If you guys actually paid attention to how Aoto treats people, you'd know he's not doing anything manipulative. He's just... nice. Maybe try that sometime instead of ganging up on someone because you're jealous."

The boys muttered to themselves, some clearly frustrated that Akia had called them out, but none of them dared to challenge her.

A boy from the Warrior Class grumbled under his breath, "Whatever. This isn't over." He shot Aoto a dirty look before turning and walking off, the rest of the group slowly dispersing, though they didn't seem satisfied.

As the last of the boys left, Aoto let out a long sigh of relief, turning to Akia. "Thanks for stepping in. I wasn't sure how that was going to go."

Akia smirked, nudging him lightly. "No problem. They're just jealous. It's not your fault you're catching the attention of all these girls. Honestly, it's kind of funny seeing how worked up they get."

Aoto rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, funny for you, maybe. For me, it's just stressful."

Akia laughed. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Besides, with Koyko around, I don't think any of them are going to try anything serious. She's pretty protective of you now, you know."

Aoto blinked in surprise. "Wait, protective? Koyko?"

Akia grinned, nodding. "Yep. The whole attachment thing? Yeah, it's strong. And it's only going to get stronger. You've got yourself a loyal giant hybrid on your side now. Might want to be careful about that."

Aoto groaned, shaking his head. "Great. Just what I needed—more attention."

Akia laughed again, patting him on the back. "Hey, look on the bright side: you've got people who genuinely like you, even if it drives the other guys nuts. You'll survive."

As the two of them walked away from the now-empty courtyard, Aoto couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and anxiety. Life at CherryWood Academy wasn't getting any easier, but at least he had good friends like Akia to help him through the chaos. And, apparently, a very protective giant hybrid named Koyko too.

About a week later, we see Aoto is giving Sakura a tour of the school with Akia and Mako behind them.

"Thanks again for showing me around the school, Aoto." Sakura said with a smile.

"My pleasure. Plus I did also hear that an Islandar Class girl from the American Section. Which why I asked Akia to come along."

Sakura points at Mako, "What about her?"

Aoto deadpans, "I stopped asking myself that question 5 minutes ago. Plus she's dumb as bricks."

"I don't think so."

Aoto looked towards Mako, "Mako, what's the capital of Japan?"

"Ohio!"

Sakura was in disbelief, "Oh my..."

"See?"

Akia shakes her head, "Don't worry, Sakura. You get used to her antics eventually."

"I don't know if I can."

"Well, that's why she's a side character." Aoto said breaking the 4th wall.

He then spots an Islandar Class girl that looked slightly taller than Mako, tanned skin, blonde curly hair, curvy body, large bust, sharp fingernails and heterochromia eyes, one dark blue and one green.

The girl was also heard speaking in English.

She looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, but her demeanor was casual, as she spoke in fluent English to another student.

Aoto watched her for a moment, then muttered, "That must be the American Islandar Class girl who transferred here."

Akia glanced over and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's got the look. I heard she's from one of the wealthier sections in the American region. She stands out even among the other Islandar Class students."

Sakura, who had been walking next to Aoto, smiled thoughtfully. "She's really pretty. Do you think she's friendly?"

Before Aoto could respond, he noticed Mako out of the corner of his eye, her expression darkening with jealousy. Mako crossed her arms and pouted, her lips forming a tight line as she narrowed her eyes at the American Islandar girl.

Aoto, sensing her sudden change in mood, sighed quietly. "Here we go again..."

Mako, clearly feeling threatened, stomped up beside Aoto and clung to his arm, pressing herself close. "You like her better than me, don't you, Aoto?" she huffed, her jealousy palpable.

Aoto, used to Mako's antics by now, raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. "Mako, you know that's not true. I don't even know her."

Mako didn't seem convinced. She pouted even harder, refusing to let go of Aoto's arm. "Hmph. She's got bigger boobs than me, doesn't she?"

Sakura, overhearing this, stifled a laugh, while Akia facepalmed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Mako, we've been over this," Aoto replied, exasperated but also trying to keep things calm. "It's not about that. Can we focus on the tour?"

Mako just grumbled under her breath, her jealousy still simmering, though she finally loosened her grip on Aoto's arm a bit.

Meanwhile, the American Islandar Class girl noticed them staring and raised an eyebrow, giving them a friendly wave as she continued her conversation. "Hi there! You guys new here too?" she called out in English, her accent distinctly American.

Aoto, a bit caught off guard, smiled back and waved. "No, just giving a tour to a friend."

She smiled brightly and approached them. "Cool! I'm Holly, by the way. Just transferred here from the American Section. It's a pretty big change, but I'm getting used to it." She spoke with a natural confidence, her English smooth and easy. Her accent had a casual, almost laid-back quality, like she'd spent time on the beaches of California.

Sakura stepped forward and greeted her with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Holly. I'm Sakura, and this is Aoto, Akia, and... Mako."

Mako just grumbled under her breath but stayed silent, giving Holly a suspicious glance.

Holly, oblivious to the brewing tension, smiled warmly at the group. "Nice to meet all of you. This school is pretty wild compared to back home. I'm still getting the hang of it."

Aoto, always the polite one, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it can be overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it, it's actually pretty great. If you ever need help finding your way around, feel free to ask."

Holly chuckled. "I might take you up on that. This place is massive."

Mako, now visibly irritated by Holly's friendly demeanor, muttered, "Why does she have to be so nice? Hmph."

Aoto gave Mako a knowing look but decided not to push the issue. "Anyway, we should probably keep going with the tour. It was nice meeting you, Holly."

Holly waved again, still smiling. "Likewise! See you guys around."

As they continued their walk, Mako's jealousy was still palpable, but Aoto hoped that she would eventually calm down. Meanwhile, Sakura seemed genuinely happy to meet new people, and Akia looked amused by the whole situation.

Aoto sighed inwardly. This school is going to be the death of me, he thought with a chuckle. But despite the chaos, he couldn't help but feel grateful for the friends he had made and the strange but memorable experiences that came with attending CherryWood Academy.

The five soon walked near a large building.

Aoto looks at the building with a raised brow, "Okay, I never seen this building before."

"Forgot to show you. Anyway, this is the Green Thumb building." Akia said gesturing to the the building.

Mako adds on, "Or in other words, the gardening/plants building."

Sakura was amazed, "Oh that seems nice."

Holly was impressed, "So, is there a good amount of plants?"

Mako and Akia looked at each other, "Well..."

The five entered and Aoto, Sakura and Holly jaw dropped in surprised shock. "SWEET STRAWBERRY FUCKING SHORTCAKE!!!!!" Aoto and Holly screamed in surprised shock.

"Holy honey buns on a spring day! This place is huge!" Sakura shouted in equal shock surprise.

Akia and Mako nodded understandingly, "Yeah."

What the five were looking at was a very large greenhouse like area full of a lot of different plants. The group looked around in awe and amazement at the wide array of flora. As the group explored the Green Thumb building, they were surrounded by a breathtaking array of plants and flowers from all over the world of Comoros. There were vibrant orchids, towering sunflowers, exotic carnivorous plants, and delicate bonsai trees. The air was filled with a sweet, earthy scent that was both calming and invigorating.