Chapter 26

“Heading out to a place like this after so long feels pretty nostalgic.”
“Sure does. Still, man, it’s packed tonight.”
“Plenty of fine women around, too. Wonder who I should take home tonight.”

Just as originally planned, Ryuichi had dropped by a club where a co-ed mixer-style party was being held. It had been a while since his last visit, but the deafening noise and chaos remained entirely unchanged. While students like Ryuichi and his friends weren’t a common sight here, a few underage gatecrashers had undoubtedly slipped inside.

“Yaho~ Ryuichi.”
“Chisa.”

Chisa, one of the venue’s regulars, was already there as well.
Naturally, she took Ryuichi by the hand and guided him over to a booth. Makoto and Kaname had already vanished into the crowd to search for companions.

“Still, it’s a rare sight. You actually coming back here after everything that’s happened.”
“I just had some free time. Besides, I’m planning to head home before it gets too late.”
“Mhm, mhm, that’s for the best. Shizuna-chan would probably worry, after all.”

That’s not what we are, Ryuichi thought about saying, but knowing Chisa would just tease him relentlessly, he kept his mouth shut. Not far away within their line of sight, another flashily dressed pair was already busy exchanging a deep, passionate kiss.

“Hey, is your boyfriend okay with this?”
“It’s fine. The moment I step foot in this place, I completely forget about him.”
“Heh, fair enough. Guess I’ll throw my hat in the ring as your substitute boyfriend for the night, then.”
“Sounds good to me~?”

Whether the guy knew or not, the girl apparently had a boyfriend yet still chose to come here. Well, in a party primarily designed for that exact purpose, some people showed up strictly to satisfy their appetites, but the vast majority were men and women pursuing precisely this kind of hookup.

“The air in here is the same as ever.”
“Can’t really complain about that now, can you? Here, have some juice.”
“Thanks.”

Naturally, he wasn’t touching alcohol.
As he quenched his thirst with the carbonated juice poured into his cup, a rather concerning scene caught his eye from a slightly separated table.

“…What’s going on over there?”
“What is it?”

Chisa followed his line of sight. Sitting on a sofa were a man and a woman, but the woman looked deeply distressed. Unlike the aggressively pushy guy leaning over her, she looked thoroughly uncomfortable and out of place in this environment.

“Looks like she was probably dragged here against her will by some friends, huh?”
“Ah~ Sounds likely. A timid-looking girl like that would probably have a hard time saying no.”

Her hair was long enough to partially conceal her face, but when she suddenly looked up in alarm, her refined features stood out clearly. Moreover, her figure was undeniably attractive, enough to make the guy push all the harder. Her nervous, timid demeanor made her look like a frightened small animal… though getting thrown into a den like this just made her look genuinely pitiable.

“I’ll go rescue her. Chisa, look after her once we’re back.”
“Okay, okay~.”

Before, he wouldn’t have bothered lifting a finger to help someone like this.
Just like when he saved Shizuna, Ryuichi stood up with the intention of pulling her out of the mess. As he approached their table, the guy looked up at Ryuichi and instinctively quailed, his body trembling. Once you got used to the place, Ryuichi’s glare wasn’t that big a deal, but his natural scowl was still terrifying to strangers.

“Looks like she isn’t exactly wishing for your company, pal.”
“W-What the hell are you on about?!”
“Can’t even tell that much? If you can’t read the room to that degree, you’ve got no business hitting on women. Go study up a bit before you come back here.”
“T-Tch… You little brat.”
“Eat this!”

The moment the guy stood up, Kaname’s voice rang out, followed immediately by a drink splashing all over the man’s head. Seizing the opening, Ryuichi grabbed the young woman by the hand and pulled her to her feet. He flashed a silent thanks to Kaname, then dragged the girl back toward Chisa’s table.

“Good work.”
“Yeah.”
“U-Um…”

The girl seemed completely overwhelmed, unable to process the sudden turn of events.
Leaving the rest to Chisa, Ryuichi took a sip of his remaining juice. From what he overheard in the conversation that followed, she was a first-year university student named Shirasaki Satsuki. Just as Ryuichi had guessed, she had been dragged along to the club by a flashy friend.

“It might be hard to say, but you need to learn to say no when you’re uncomfortable, you know? If he kept pushing like that, you would’ve ended up forced into a physical relationship before you even knew what hit you.”
“That’s… true. I was just too scared to say anything… I’m so sorry. Thank you, really.”

Satsuki bowed her head deeply.

“A timid girl like you who looks like an easy push-over is prime target material in a place like this. You’ve got decent looks and a great figure, so if you aren’t careful, you’ll get eaten alive in no time.”
“Th-That’s terrifying…”

Chisa hadn’t batted an eye, but Satsuki visibly shuddered at Ryuichi’s blunt warning. Ryuichi privately wondered if he really looked that intimidating, while Chisa sat right beside them, clutching her stomach and roaring with laughter.

“Your resting face is just too scary, seriously. Nobody’s ever gonna guess you’re still a high schooler with a glare like that.”
“Eh?! You’re a high schooler?!”
“Yep. This kid here is an absolute menace!”
“Shut up!”

He was well aware that he was a delinquent who lived life by his own rules.
However, the moment Satsuki learned Ryuichi was just a high school student, the intimidation factor seemed to vanish, and she visibly relaxed. Though he couldn’t quite tell what was going on inside her head as she stared right at him, it felt a little awkward.

“Um… you aren’t getting bullied at school or anything, are you? With a face like that…”
“You… are remarkably rude, you know that?”
“I-I’m so sorry…”
“Though I suppose nobody would actually have the guts to bully this face.”

Chisa wasn’t holding back either.
Just as Ryuichi’s glass emptied and he signaled for a refill, Chisa announced she needed the restroom and stepped away from the table. That left Ryuichi and Satsuki sitting alone together, neither of them carrying any particular topic of conversation.

“…Whoa.”

Watching the couple nearby engaging in a kiss so deep it looked like they were about to start stripping right there, Satsuki pressed a hand to her flushed cheek in embarrassment. She looked oddly fascinated despite herself—a reaction anyone might have in her shoes, really.

“Where’s your friend?”
“Ah… um, she went off somewhere toward the back.”
“I see.”

So she was already off hooking up, apparently.
While he wanted to tell people to pick their company more carefully, human connections were always messy things. If you lacked a spine, you inevitably got swept along by others and ended up targeted.

“Well, if you don’t want to end up like that again, you need to grow a spine and say no. Nobody’s gonna swoop in and save you every single time like today. The moment you step into a place like this, people assume you’re looking for that kind of action. Put simply, regardless of how you ended up here, you’re the odd one out tonight.”
“……………”

Satsuki cast her gaze downward.
He figured he might have been a bit too harsh, but it would serve as a good lesson. Still staring at the floor, she felt a cold aluminum can press lightly against her cheek.

“Kya!?”
“Heh, well, drink up anyway.”

He handed the chilled canned juice over to the startled girl.
Her eyes went wide as she accepted it, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink as she looked back up at Ryuichi.

“You’re… actually pretty kind, Ryuichi-kun.”
“Ain’t kind at all. I’m just a bad kid who hangs out in places like this.”
“Fufu, I suppose so.”

With a soft pop, Satsuki pulled the tab and opened the can.

“…Ah, that’s delicious. Better than anything I’ve ever tasted.”
“Seriously? Though that orange juice is admittedly pretty good.”

By this point, the two of them had settled into an easy rhythm.
When Chisa returned, the three of them continued killing time together, and thanks to Ryuichi and Chisa, Satsuki finally seemed to be getting used to the venue’s atmosphere.

“I feel a lot calmer now… Thanks to both of you.”
“It’s no big deal. But if you don’t want to go through that again, don’t ever set foot in a place like this by yourself.”
“That’s…”

Satsuki cast a quick, sideways glance at Ryuichi.

“If I come back here… will I get to see Ryuichi-kun again?”
“See me?”
“Oh my~.”

Ignoring Chisa’s thoroughly amused, annoying grin, Ryuichi explained that he had simply felt like coming out tonight on a whim. He used to visit frequently in the past, but lately, coming here wasn’t exactly a hassle, though he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it either.

“You should bring Shizuna-chan along next time.”
“You serious?”

Chisa let out a wry laugh, treating it as a joke.

“Well, I drop by Ryuichi’s place all the time, so getting together for a casual drink-at-home session might actually be fun.”
“Don’t go deciding things on your own…”

Before long, Ryuichi decided to head out of the club.
With Chisa offering to see Satsuki safely home, she was in good hands. Makoto and Kaname were presumably busy with their respective partners for the night, so Ryuichi didn’t bother calling out to them.

“……?”

Right as he stepped outside, his smartphone buzzed in his pocket.
Expecting a message from someone else, he pulled it out to find a text from his paternal grandfather. The contents simply stated that his living expenses for the next month had been fully wired over. As always, they clearly couldn’t even bear the thought of hearing Ryuichi’s voice; letting out a dry laugh, Ryuichi pocketed the phone.

“Well, time to head home.”

It had been a decent way to spend some time reminiscing right before the long holiday.
On his way back, his phone rang with a call from Shizuna, who gently asked how things went at the club. When he asked why she was so curious, she didn’t bother hiding it and gave a direct nod.

“Isn’t it obvious? Of course I’m curious… Is it annoying?”
“Nah, not really. Anyway, I’m already on my way back.”

It was the kind of conversation you’d expect from a pair of lovers, even though they weren’t waiting for each other at home. After chatting for a little longer, the call ended, and Ryuichi suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Satsuki… Do I actually know that name from somewhere?”

He felt like he had heard it in the past, but since he couldn’t quite place it, Ryuichi decided not to worry about it.