Chapter 406: Joker (2)

Approximately a few minutes ago, Saten left her room and headed towards Judgment. Since it was summer and she had a lot of free time, she decided to drop by and visit Uiharu. They were classmates and good friends, so she thought of bringing a dessert to share.

"Hey, do you want to come with us?"

Little did she know that, while taking a shortcut through an alley, some guys started harassing her. Saten wasn't as beautiful as Mikoto, nor did she have a seductive body like Konori, but being a young lady in full development, her body had its curves, and her face wasn't bad either. Wearing casual clothes and shorts made her tempting to these men.

Saten, of course, refused, but for these guys, Saten's response was of little importance.

"I already told you I wasn't doing anything! These guys just showed up! Anyway, hurry up!"

"Don't run, sweetheart!"

"You won't escape!"

Running as fast as her slender legs could carry her, Saten didn't even bother to look back. Her pursuers, on the other hand, enjoyed the chase. The faster she ran, the tastier she would be when they caught her.

"[Give me a moment, I've located your phone.]"

On the other end of the phone, Uiharu quickly used her tracking skills to locate her friend's phone. Shirai prepared to fulfill her duty.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, Saten fell to the ground. Running so fast, she ended up tripping over her own feet.

(TN: Mad skill issues bro)

"It hurts..."

Placing a hand on her nose, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She also looked down, and her right leg turned out to be injured.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart, that's what you get for running."

Walking slowly, the men smiled and put their hands in their pockets. Sooner or later, their little prey wouldn't be able to run anymore, and it would be time to enjoy.

"This..."

Saten's mind quickly raced through various ways to buy time and wait for help. However, seeing how happy her pursuers were and how much they enjoyed it, she didn't know what to say.

Fortunately for Saten, someone intervened.

"What are you doing?"

A voice echoed, making the harassers tremble in fear. After all, this voice was as well-known as it was terrifying, causing them to break into a sweat.

"Huh?"

Saten blinked in surprise and turned her gaze to the source of the voice. Emerging slightly from the darkness, a person with a clown mask and a top hat made their appearance.

"What are you doing to the lady?"

"Boss, it's not what you think... It's just..."

Swallowing nervously, the small-time criminals tried to justify their actions. However, the more they talked, the more nervous they became.

The Clown narrowed his eyes beneath the mask, and the pressure on their henchmen increased.

"Apologize to the lady right now!"

"We're sorry!"

They didn't hesitate, immediately performing a spectacular and sincere dogeza.

Saten opened her mouth. She never thought these tough guys from a few minutes ago would stoop so low just because of a few words from this clown.

(This is...)

Recalling a rumor she had read earlier on a website, Saten's eyes lit up.

Joker, that's what Academy City called this clown. He mysteriously appeared a year ago but became very popular in Academy City. He was loved by both kids and high schoolers. Saten, being a fan of his songs, couldn't believe her luck at witnessing one of his acts.

However, Saten's luck was good today.

"Apologize to my foolish subordinates for their foolish actions. I promise they won't do it again. This Clown begs for the young lady's forgiveness."

Kneeling on one knee, the Clown took off his hat and made a sincere bow, leaving Saten, still on the ground, speechless.

"Uh? Oh? Yeah... No problem..."

After snapping out of her thoughts, Saten nodded, to which the clown inclined his head gratefully.

"Thank you very much, my beautiful lady... Thank the young lady and scram!"

"Thank you!"

The ruffians didn't hesitate, they thanked and disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

Saten's smile twisted as she watched, unable to help but disdain those guys. They were so tough a few minutes ago, but now they wished they had faster legs.

"Are you hurt? Please allow me."

However, before Saten could speak, the Clown's hands glowed in green, and they lightly touched her injured leg. Saten felt a slight itch, her wound closed, and the bleeding stopped. The Clown then pulled out several bandages from their hat and began treating the wound.

Saten opened her mouth in shock, but she quickly recovered and asked with high expectations.

"Are you Joker-san?"

"It's an honor that you know me, miss."

"So it's really you! My name is Ruiko Saten, and I'm your fan!"

With sparkling eyes, Saten's curiosity was piqued, and she began a barrage of questions. The Clown didn't mind and continued bandaging her wound.

"Once again, apologize to my foolish subordinates."

"It's okay! Don't worry!"

After answering several of Saten's questions, the Clown extended their hand and helped Saten up. The Clown then reached into their hat and pulled out a bouquet of flowers.

Saten really couldn't understand how this worked. The bouquet of flowers was clearly larger than the hat, yet this clown managed to pull it out of the hat.

"But I can understand my subordinates a bit. It's hard to control yourself when faced with such a beautiful lady as yourself."

Taking Saten's hand gently, the Clown handed over the flowers.

"Huh?"

Saten unconsciously took the bouquet of flowers while the Clown lifted their mask slightly and elegantly kissed the back of her hand. Her face reddened, and she sincerely didn't know what to say.

This clown was treating her like a noble Ojou-sama. Her heart pounded, unable to see the Clown's face because of the mask. Yet, she felt no repulsion. This clown had a kind aura that made people feel good around them.

Moreover, every girl always dreamed of being treated like a princess, and Saten was no exception.

"So, my beautiful lady, please don't walk alone in these dark alleys."

Pressing Saten against the wall, the Clown lifted her chin with a finger and slowly lowered their face.

"..."

Saten was petrified; her body wouldn't obey her. She could only watch as the Clown's face got closer to her lips.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and her heart pounded. It was the first time Saten found herself in such a situation. She didn't know what to do, let alone reject the actions of this stranger.

"W-wait..."

Seeing the Clown lift their mask slightly to seal their lips with hers, Saten's face blushed even more deeply. She unconsciously closed her eyes and prepared her lips, anticipating that sensation.

*Chuu~

However, what she expected didn't happen.Their lips were not stolen. Instead, she felt a warm sensation on her forehead.

Saten opened her eyes, and her arms lost their strength. This kiss was so warm and romantic.

"But don't worry, my beautiful lady. When you least expect it, I'll be there to protect you."

"Joker-san..."

Saten's eyes moistened, and she unconsciously raised her hand to touch the Clown's face. Unfortunately, this romantic moment came to an end with the intervention of a dark figure.

"Halt, criminal! This is Judgment!"

The Clown averted his gaze and used one hand to secure their hat. It seemed their act had reached its limit.

"It's you!"

As the Clown suspected, this black-clad figure glared at him. The cracking and popping of knuckles were easily heard.

(I guess I can't pretend like nothing happened.)

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Author's Note: What can I say? He's a clown, hahaha.

TN: Ngl bro kinda made my spine tingle