88 He is different

Sumire proceeded to leave, but her vision suddenly blurred, and she lost footing. But before she could fall to the ground, somebody had caught her.

"Ru."

"I'll take Ki to the infirmary." Mamoru's voice was cold as he looked toward Iwa Ran. "Iwa-senpai, this isn't a bar. If your pent up, perhaps you ought to look for another outlet."

Sumire could almost hear him say, 'Don't drag Ki into this, you worm.' When Ru is frightening, he is scarier than her.

"-and the rest of you are disgusting. How could you stand by and just watch somebody get assaulted?" Mamoru's gaze dimmed. "The ones with phones, leave them behind, or would you prefer me to break your fingers?"

She buried her face in his arms, signaling that she wanted him to stop.

If the crowd gets any larger, it will attract the attention of teachers. She wouldn't know how to explain this situation. She doesn't want to get Futaba's childhood friend in trouble either. However, he went too far. She felt her body suddenly tremble and realized it was due to the fear of what had happened just now.

She has always been on the slow side when it came to stuff people would normally be afraid of. So her reaction towards Ran's behavior, all her fear and emotions are only emerging now.

Her thoughts broke off when she felt Ru grab hold of her hand.

"Masato, can you take care of everything here?"

"Yes."

"Futaba, it was good to see you, but I'd be happier if you kept that on a leash," Mamoru said with his usual smile, but Sumire shuddered.

He is in a bad mood. Undoubtedly, his anger is not limited to Iwa Ran alone. Isn't he angry that she went to school despite being in this bad condition?

After a few more instructions, Mamoru quickly leads her away. The entire journey to the infirmary was suffocating, so she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

It didn't take long before they arrived at the infirmary, and she felt Ru place her down on the bed as he pulled up a stool.

"Asuka called me this morning and said you left without saying anything. How did you get here, Ki?"

"I took the train and then walked."

But the swaying of the vehicle made her ill, so she got off the train halfway and decided to walk. However, walking was just as bad. Sumire saw his pained expression and extended her hand out, which he immediately grabbed hold off.

"I'm fine, Ru; my fever went down. All that's left is my injuries."

There is also her period, but the pain has decreased due to Toh's advice.

Seeing Ru keep his head down, Sumire hummed a melody.

"I understand, Ru, that you are worried about me. But you don't have to blame yourself every single time I get hurt. You can't take responsibility for all my wounds; that wouldn't be fair on you."

"But I want to."

At those words, she suddenly recalled his confession. Previously whenever he said anything straightforward, she didn't think about it too much. But the situation has changed now.

Her thoughts break off when she hears a beeping sound from her phone.

From: Toh

Are you okay? I didn't hear from you last night.

From: Sumire

Ah, yes, I went to sleep early.

'That's a lie.' But it's hard to discuss what actually happened.

From: Toh

I'll be at a gathering later. But I have something to give you, can we meet at my home tonight?

She still feels awful; escaping from Ru won't be easy. Ah, no, there is something she can do. Futaba is back now; it would be easier to use her friend as an excuse.

Sumire's gaze fell on Mamoru, who took a lunchbox out of his backpack.

"Asuka said you didn't have lunch. I made this in a hurry, but it should taste good."

Didn't Toh use up most of the ingredients in the fridge? Don't tell her that Ru went to the supermarket on his own? Her gaze softened. It doesn't feel awkward at all.

She feels a bit self-conscious, but it's not awkward like it was with Daiki-sama. At the end of the day, Ru is different from all the others.

"Say Ru, about the information Toh gave me. I asked Asuka for some more details. But I think it's better directly investigating the university."

"You're always thinking of work." Mamoru sighed. "Well, I understand, we said we would complete this job within a week, but we are past the time limit. We have the other one to deal with too. The university people are being stubborn, but we have no choice."

"We use our authority?"

"Yes, it's not the best method since people have mixed feelings about the underworld. However, I feel if we delay this, something bad will happen." Mamoru paused. "There is another option."

"Another?"

"We could make use of your connection with Mashima Toh. From my conversation with the younger guards, it seems like that guy holds a lot of authority."

"Then I'll ask him."

From: Sumire

Could you get me and my friend's permission to investigate your university? Someone is preventing us, but I feel like you can help.

From: Toh

I can. But, what will I get in return?

From: Sumire

Me.

She didn't understand exactly what she was offering when she wrote that. But it felt like the right response; sure enough, she received a positive reply seconds later.

From: Toh

Smart girl. I will see you tonight.

Sumire didn't realize that Mamoru was peering over her shoulder until she felt a dark aura around him.

"It's okay, Ru. Toh will take care of me again."

"Ki, do you not understand what you just offered?"

Sumire tilted her head innocently and watched as Ru suddenly crouched down on the ground, mumbling how bad he was at looking after her.

What has gotten into him? Did she do something weird?

'I know that I can be quite oblivious sometimes.' Perhaps she said something to upset him. Her gaze fell on the food on the bedside table, and she clapped her hands.

"I don't want to eat alone. Ru can you eat with me?"

Mamoru lifted his head. "The omelets are the best."

Sumire laughed. "Then I'll save those for the end."

It's strange; when she is around other people, she feels so tense and nervous. She always feels like she will say something wrong. But she doesn't have to worry about that with Ru.