IEGO || Heart Catcher

『 CHAPTER 18 』

Once everyone left, you and Sangoku had stayed a while back. Both of your guardians had arrived, and you and Sangoku shared the fluster from the shower of congratulations and praises your guardians gave.

However, you had to excuse yourself in that moment. Yuukoku had you promised first you'd regroup with them outside. Then, you exited the locker rooms.

The hallways in Teikoku Academy was large. Even with the map, you had stood staring at it, trying to discern where were you and where Tsurugi would be.

That boy tends to go to the vending machines, you pondered. He must really like to drink soft drinks a lot, huh? But could he still be in the school? Should I just go outside and find him there? But then Uncle will drag me away —

"What are you doing?" said a masculine voice behind you.

You emitted an ugly screeched and elbowed the person behind you. The person yelped, holding onto his stomach.

You twisted around. You paled when you realised you had elbowed one of the defenders from Teikoku. With his light white hair that defied gravity from below to the top, his fringes that covered most of the left, thus revealing only his right violet eye, you remembered his name was Ryuuzaki Ouji.

Immediately, you waved your hands around over his stomach. He held up a hand to cease your fretting.

"Calm ... down," he grunted. He patted his stomach, sighing. "I'm fine. If I can't handle a measly hit to the stomach like that, what use I am defending the field?"

Your response was to bow to him nonetheless. He blinked twice, before, as softly as he could, told you to stand straight. You followed his request with twiddling fingers.

"You..." he started, rubbing his neck. "You're one of Raimon's players, or one of their managers?"

You held up two fingers.

"Ah, you can hold ... both positions?"

You nodded.

"Not much of a talker, are you?"

You smiled while your eyebrows crinkled upwards. He sweated.

"Sorry, that was insensitive of me to ask."

You shook your head.

"Oh, so it wasn't insensitive?" He paused, then cleared his throat. "Anyways ... what are you doing? Haven't your whole club went back?"

You held up a hand. Then, you brought out your phone and typed to him. He read what you wrote. His eyes narrowed.

"So you're looking for that traitor?"

You glared back. He sighed.

"Ugh, he's already left. Why do you even want to search for him?"

"Because there's something I want to check on him."

"What? You fractured a bone of his when you hug him?"

You growled at that, and Ryuuzaki jumped. The growl you emitted, he thought, sounded far from what humans would make. Once you saw his relented figure, you huffed and turned away from him.

"H-hold on!"

You turned back to him, an eyebrow raised.

"Don't you realise what you've done?"

Your eyes blinked in surprise. You regained yourself to think for a moment, but Ryuuzaki pressed on rather to wait for your answer.

"Aren't you scared of what will come from the face of Fifth Sector?"