Chapter 8: Night Calls and Daytime Confrontations

10,000...

That was the view count when checking the performance of the novel 'Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood' on the Webnovel site. Definitely not a bad start.

There were also ten comments.

For now, he decided not to read them. Instead, he dedicated himself to editing the second chapter, adding another 3,000 words. After a careful review, he published the chapter.

Before taking a shower, Reiji opted for the option of exercising at home.

Three hours later, he was soaked in sweat.

After the shower, he intended to sleep, but noticed that his smartphone was flashing indicating a notification.

Upon unlocking it, he saw a missed call from Kanade.

"... It was twenty minutes ago, and now it's almost 1 a.m. Is she still awake at this hour?" he murmured to himself.

Thinking it might be an emergency, he decided to return the call.

"Hello, Reiji-kun?"

Kanade's voice resonated as soon as the call was established. Her voice sounded a bit more sensual than usual, probably due to sleepiness.

"Yes, it's me." he replied. "You called me, did something happen?"

There was a pause before she responded.

"I..." Her voice wavered initially, but then she spoke in a soft, yet firm manner: "Reiji-kun... Sorry, it wasn't anything important, I just wanted to hear your voice... Did I bother you?"

"Not at all." Reiji reassured her. "I just got out of the shower and saw your missed call."

"That's good." Her voice was soft and cheerful: "Can we go to school together tomorrow?"

"Ah, about that," Reiji agreed, "Sure, I don't see why not."

"That's great!" She raised her voice for a moment, then took a few seconds to resume in a lower tone: "So, where would be the best place for us to meet?"

"How about the same place where we said goodbye today, would that be okay?" Reiji suggested.

"Yes, that would be perfect." She expressed joy in her voice, clearly pleased with his response.

Noticing that she became silent again, Reiji concluded: "Okay, it's late, good night. I'll see you early tomorrow, Kanade-chan."

"Yes, Reiji-kun, see you tomorrow, hehe~" She said goodbye excitedly with a cheerful giggle at the end.

///

"Hey, hey, babe~ Let's go for a ride... Forget school today and let's have some fun~"

"Come on, it'll be cool~!"

Kanade found herself in another unwanted situation while waiting for Reiji at the agreed-upon location.

In front of her, two individuals with a gangster appearance, clearly older, were trying to convince her to go with them.

The moment one of them touched her hand, the atmosphere around drastically changed.

Unaware, the two men saw an imposing figure emerge behind them and, as they turned around...

"Ah?"

"What the hell?!"

Both were startled, jumping and screaming at the same time.

"Damn, you scared the hell out of us-"

The more audacious one, with a furrowed brow and visibly furious, could hardly finish his sentence before Reiji's large hand, firmer than the claw of a plush toy machine, grasped the man's head as if it were a bowling ball.

"What do you two think you're doing with my girl, huh?" Reiji's voice sounded icy as he lifted the man off the ground.

The man's legs flailed, trying, in vain, to kick Reiji.

"Son of a bitch, let him go now!" The other, with a scar over his left eye and stubble, yelled as he threw a punch towards Reiji's chest.

"Tsk." Reiji, with a skillful dodge, used the hand holding the gangster to intercept the punch, redirecting it to hit the attacker's rib.

"Ahhhhh!" The man's scream of pain echoed as he was suspended by Reiji's firm grip, deprived of air, with his eyes wide in panic and legs kicking into the void.

The other gangster, seeing the scene, instinctively backed away, haunted by the brutal turn of events.

"Bro, this is not... I didn't mean to hit you..." The gangster's face paled, marked by shock and disbelief. But before he could react, Reiji, emanating a menacing aura, advanced in his direction.

With an agile gesture, the gangster, 1.8 meters tall and over 90 kilograms, held by Reiji's firm hand resembling a pair of pliers, was launched towards his accomplice like an arrow. The bald head of the thrown gangster captured the sunlight, reflecting a momentary glint, before colliding forcefully against the other gangster's stomach. The direct and brutal impact resonated, marking the scene with the intensity of the collision.

"Cof-ahhhhh!" The sounds of pain mingled as air was forcibly expelled from their lungs, showcasing the brutality of the blow.

Pain spread through his body, causing him to double over reflexively. He staggered backward, trying to catch his breath, each attempt to breathe was a battle.

At that instant, everyone was stunned.

No one ever imagined they would see a scene akin to a movie in a real-life setting.

"Trash." Reiji scorned the two men now prostrate on the ground, now looking like two beaten beggars, calmly adjusting his blazer, he turned towards Kanade, immediately noticing her distant expression.

"He said I am his girl..."

She repeated the phrase a few times, seeming oblivious to reality, perhaps not even realizing how Reiji had dealt with the two gangsters.

At the same time, some students and passersby who witnessed the scene were in complete shock. It was hard to believe that a high school student could be so powerful.

"Damn, who is this guy?"

"Better not get involved..."

Although many were curious about Reiji, they also felt fear in the face of the strength and violence he had demonstrated.

Not wishing to remain at the location any longer, Reiji held Kanade's hand, which was dazed, bringing her back to reality. When she looked around and noticed the absence of the gangsters, her expression denoted confusion. Soon, the muffled moans of pain in the distance caught her attention, and she finally understood the fate of the aggressors...

The two were sprawled on the ground, looking like victims of being run over by a truck, covered in dust and with blood on their lips dripping from their mouths.

'Reiji-kun did this to them?' She voiced her impression.

"Let's go," said Reiji, leading the way.

"Ah, yes..." Distracted, Kanade looked back towards the gangsters before lowering her gaze to her own hand being held by Reiji. An involuntary smile formed on her lips as the pink in her cheeks deepened.

Internally, she felt a contagious joy, as if she was floating. However, she didn't just want to be led by him; she quickened her pace to match Reiji's, walking beside him hand in hand.

At this moment, she felt even closer to him than before.

As for Reiji, he heard the system's warning about the times Kanade's favoritism index towards him increased, reaching an amazing 98 points.

'If it continues like this, it will soon reach 100...' He murmured in his mind.

||- Note -||

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