_Chapter 25~ Intimidating_

"Please don't hurt me!"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I shook my head vigorously. "Don't lie to me. Why else would you force me to come with you? It's because you want to hurt me!"

Aki gave me a flat look. "I didn't force you to come with me anywhere." With a groan, he beckoned me out the school doors. "Besides, you're the one who told me to bring you with me."

"If I knew who you were, I wouldn't have dared!" Picking up my hands in a pleading manner, I carefully slipped past him and out the door (I had no choice but to follow him). "Please spare me! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Stop whining already," he groaned. "Are you a baby or a high schooler?"

As I walked backwards, facing him with my raised hands, he had thrown his own behind his head as he continued forward. Though his words would've typically filled me with anger, right now I could only fear for my life. I mean, it wasn't an ordinary student in front of me, nor was it a delinquent like the ones back in that creepy room. It was the third most feared guy in the academy – one who worked under the Raidon Tsuki. Anger was not an option for this male. So I had succumbed to pathetically begging for my life as he took me to whatever place he was...

So why wasn't it working?

"Let me go back to class!" I begged for the umpteenth time as we left school property. Nobody was around to care that we did, which wasn't that surprising considering delinquents skipped class like this all the time. Even if a teacher was here, I highly doubt they would try to stop them. Especially if the ditcher they're dealing with was this guy.

"Nope," was Aki's answer.

"Why?" I demanded. "You don't need me! Please think this through! I'm not beneficial at all! I'm horrible in school, have a jaded personality – I get into all sorts of trouble all the time! I am not even a 'good girl.' I am not fit for this 'bad boys' and 'delinquents' story! Plea–"

"Reina Kikuchi!" he snapped.

"Y-yes!" I squeaked, halting my ramble entirely.

He met my eyes, them not harbouring any means of nonchalance. "Listen up."

"Yes, sir!" I replied, swinging up my arm and saluting.

Aki's eyes widened in astonishment.

No, why was I saluting? I mentally cried. Why must I always make even more of a fool of myself than I already was?

Aki sniggered at my pose – a reaction I had to start getting used to. "Jeez!" he said between laughs. "I-I love your weirdness! You have to put on this show for Raidon! Oh God, he'll love it!"

Colour left my face entirely at the mention. "R-R-Ra..."

"Raidon," Aki finished for me with a smile.

"R-R-R..." I still couldn't say it.

He snorted. "Rai-don. We're going to see him."

"R-R...d-don..." I was gaping. "W-we're...m-m...eeting...w-with..."

"Yes." He bobbed his head. "See, now we're on the same page."

I had stopped walking, unable to breathe. "M-m...eet...ing... R-R..."

"Listen, Reina," Aki began with a sigh. "Since we are going to meet my boss, I need you to stop crying and face this like a man."

My lips downturned, I glanced upwards. "B-but... I-I'm a... girl..."

"For the sake of this speech, you are a man," he stated. "And men do not cry."

"They... don't?"

"No," he replied. He made a face. "Well, unless we get kicked in the balls – but that's very rare. But other than that, no tears. Understood?"

I nodded. "O-okay..."

He smiled again.

"But, Aki Mitsoyu," I said, biting my lip.

"Aki's fine."

"A– Aki Mitsoyu." I couldn't say it.

"Yes, Reina?"

I frowned at him. "You're in your first year, right?"

"Soon to be second year," he replied with a smirk.

I bit the inside of my cheek, furrowing my brows. "Then, refer to me as Kikuchi-san, senpai, or any other honorific. You're not allowed to call me by my first name."

His jaw went slack at my sudden change in personality. "Are you giving me an order?"

"If it sounded like one, sorry," I said. "But you didn't even ask me for permission. I feel kind of... violated of my rights, y'know. For a delinquent under the ruthless... him... you don't seem that scary, I guess? So, I was hoping that you could call me by my last name–"

"You're seriously delusional aren't you?"

I flinched at his ominous voice and deadpanned stare. Dread spread through me like a wildfire. Oh no.

Oh no, oh no, oh no.

Did I actually have the guts to... to...

Moments before I could drop to my knees and plead for my life, another chuckle left Aki's mouth. Sticking his hands into his pockets, he spoke, "Now I kinda understand why those guys were so charmed by you. But, no way. I don't respect you therefore I don't have to listen to your orders. Try something like that again and you'll seriously get it."

I bobbed my head up and down gratefully. "I-I'm so sorry–"

"–But, I guess since I like you," Aki continued, cutting me off, "I'll relent, Kikuchi-senpai*."

My eyebrows shot upwards in shock.

"I said I don't respect you, but I like you." He shrugged. "I guess I can listen to your request this one time."

Huh...? The corners of my lips twitched as I stared at him. Honestly, I didn't know how exactly to view the guy. As scary as he was, he really wasn't at all...

"Oh, if you look at the time!" A wide smile consumed Aki's face as he stared down at his cell phone. "It's already time to exchange."

"Ex...change?" I repeated quietly.

Clapping my shoulders, Aki shifted me so that we were facing the school building. "See, there he comes now."

He...? After a second's hesitation, I focused my gaze ahead and onto what exactly he was referring to. It was to my utmost shock to find a sullen Ryu stomping from around the corner, hostile glower visible from my standpoint. My mouth moved but I couldn't find it in me to say anything.

"I can't believe he ditched class," snickered Aki from behind me. "What a Class Prez he is, huh?"

I cautiously peeked at Aki. "What is... R-Raidon—"

"Don't worry, we're not going to him," he responded in almost a heartbeat.

Gasping, I broke free of his grasps and rounded to have a good view of him. "You lied?"

"Yup," he chortled. "I wanted to see your reaction if I told you that, and it was really funny."

I floundered for my voice – a proper rebuttal. "B-but–"

Strong hands seized my upper arms, wrenching me backwards. I collided into somebody's chest, successfully lodging any and all retorts in my throat. I jolted my neck upwards to identify the culprit only to see it had been Ryu, who was scowling daggers into Aki – an antagonistic look I wasn't quite expecting.

"No need to be so menacing, Iwasaki," Aki drawled, a smug smile tugging up the corners of his lips. "Lighten up."

"Leave unrelated things out of this," Ryu growled.

"Unrelated things? He talks about you like you're a 'thing', Senpai. How rude, right? If you came with Raidon and I–"

"Don't even dare, Aki!"

Ryu squeezed my shoulders harder – an unconscious consequence of his anger – and grounded his teeth to keep from lunging at him.

"Or what?" Aki scoffed, a similar glare now aimed at him. "You'll tell her? You know she doesn't give a damn about me anymore."

Ryu's hold around me tightened once more, allowing me to wince. Though the animosity in his gaze never fell, strain was evident in his features. With a deep exhale of breath, he unhanded me. "Just leave Kikuchi out of this."

Aki dismissively waved. "I don't have the obligation of listening to you anymore. You know what'll happen if you keep involving yourself with other people, and yet for some reason, you don't stop."

"That..." Ryu was at a loss of words.

"Sometimes I think you're a masochist who enjoys the pain. You are, aren't you? Iwasaki the Masochist. Has a nice ring. Plus it's true."

I glanced upwards at Ryu only to find that he was no longer paying Aki's comment any heed at all. Instead, he was lost in his own thoughts, melancholy evident in his countenance. A frown flitted onto my face. I was so confused. No, even more than that. And the fact that Ryu knew Aki made things countless times more baffling. By the way they talked, they clearly didn't get along, but...

Aki clicked his tongue, boredom slipping back onto his face. "Whatever, I'm leaving."

He pivoted on his foot to go then stopped. He spared me one look over his shoulder, this time a crooked grin in play.

"It was nice getting to tease you, Kikuchi-senpai! Thanks for keeping me entertained!"

Without even Ryu one last time, Aki ventured off and out of sight. After his departure, an awkward silence settled in. An expected one. What wasn't expected, however, was Ryu's sharp grab to my forearm. He yanked me backwards momentarily allowing me to stagger. Before I could find words to argue otherwise, he'd already hauled me back into school property. His pace was brisk, but his grip on my wrist was tight.

Too tight.

"Ow!" I yelped as we turned the corner. "That hurts, Iwasaki! Let go–"

"Why..." He swerved around so swiftly I lost my balance, a threatening look in tow. "Why'd you go with somebody like him?"

His bellow shocked me – Ryu had never risen his voice at me like this before – but I couldn't help but glare right back. "It was an accident, okay? How about you? Why did you randomly show up–"

"That's none of your business," he snapped. "Don't you dare get involved with him again."

My heartbeat grew loud in my ears. "I wasn't going to, I'm not stupid!" I yelled, infuriated at the way he put it. "Why are you so mad anyway? When I told you somebody was following me you didn't even seem to care!"

"Him and a normal stalker are two different threats!"

"And how the hell was I supposed to know it was him? A stalker is a stalker! He still shadowed me to get information!"

"And you're telling me you conveniently didn't realize it was him?"

Seething, I stamped my foot. "How exactly was I supposed to? Can you make some sense, please? You're acting like he was trying to kill me! At least he didn't raise his voice at me and randomly drag me off – in a painful manner, might I add – like you're doing! If you must know, I actually followed him by choice – and you know firsthand just how untrusting I am. He helped me out a bit too. And–"

"If you think that delinquent is such a good person, you're an idiot."

I fumed at that. "Well, maybe I like being an idiot."

Ryu who was grounding his teeth, inhaled heavily to calm himself down. "Listen," he said. "I'm saying this for your sake. Don't get involved with him. If you don't listen to me, I'll..."

Although I should've calmed down as well, in that moment, I simply couldn't. "You'll what?" I demanded. "Shove me to the floor and sprain my wrist like the first time we met? Tackle me into another wall, roaring that you're not scary? I think you need to get through your thick skull that compared to Aki Mitsoyu today, you're one hundred times more intimidating than him, Iwasaki!"

I hadn't even realized the words had left my mouth until they echoed loudly in my ears. I swiftly fastened my mouth shut, inhaling and exhaling deep breaths to calm my pounding heart. My gaze glued to the floor, I'd become unable to meet his eyes.

"Sorry," I murmured.

When I carefully peeked upwards, Ryu was shuffling his feet, undeniable heartbreak reflected on his face. Instantly, my gut churned with an immeasurable amount of guilt. Tears blurred my eyesight.

"S-sorry," I repeated again, almost choking out the words that I knew needed to be said. "I... stepped over the line, Iwasaki."

"It's... okay," he whispered, not even daring to regard me. "I'm sorry, too."

Another skin-crawling silence elapsed. I clenched my teeth, furling my fingers so rigid that my nails stabbed into my palms. Recalling the influx of words I'd exclaimed, I couldn't help but hang my head.

He was only worried for me. All he did was reiterate the obvious: that I should stay far, far away from an infamous delinquent like Aki. And yet I...

"Iwasaki–"

"I've... got to get to class."

My chin snapped upwards in time to see him demurely walk off. I watched him go, biting on my lower lip so hard I was assured it'd bleed.

Great. He probably hated me.

________________

Senpai* - is an honorific for an upperclassman or a mentor figure. Similarly, Kouhai* refers to an underclassman or someone younger/less experienced than you.

This chapter was so intense. A part of me was like, yay, I get to include Aki, and the other was like... yikes, yikes, yikes—this can't be good.

Your opinions, guys? About Aki, or even Ryu and Reina's argument. Do you think either one of them blew things out of proportions?

As always, thanks for reading!

Vote, Comment, Share! <3

—Misty