𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲. | 𝗚𝗶𝘆𝘂𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗼

C H A P T E R 16 ✎

GIYUU

As soon as the bell rang, I gathered my things and left the class to get ready to leave, I'm not the kind of person to stay after class, especially when I've to get to work in 3 hours.

"Thanks." I say to the girl who just handed me a stack of papers; saying it's from the professor, However I stuffed it in my bag without looking at it and take off.

As I'm mid way through the exit, I spot Kochou with Kanroji and one of her friends, at the very far away corner of the hallway. And sure enough She looks ready to throw up, and nervous as she talks to her friends, Kanroji places a hand on her shoulder to calm her down a bit, which obviously didn't help. When she sees me she waves me closer. "Hi"

"What's wrong?" I ask as soon as I approach her, "You look pale."

"It's that guy Douma, he's following me everywhere, he's outside there calling out for me." A horrified realization crosses her face, "I don't know what to do." she adds, so this is what the whole ruckus is about, "I guess we have to drive past him right?"

"I'll drive." Kanroji volunteers, "you can hide like in the back or something."

"Or we can stay here till he leaves," her friend suggests. "Wait him out."

"I hate this." Kochou says, maybe it's the wrong time to notice, but I like how her face floods with color whenever she feels strongly about something. It makes her look twice as alive as most people, and more distracting than she already does in short dress and boots.

"Come with me," I say, "I'm taking my bike out back to Shibuya street. I'll bring you to the mall. Kanroji can pick you up later."

Kochou brightens up as Kanroji says, "that will work! I'll come and find you in half an hour at the food court, then we will go straight to the Café."

"No it's ok, but what about you?" She asks me, "aren't you going to the Café after that?"

I rub the back of my neck a little, "I've something to do, I'll be late."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mutters the the other girl, giving me a hard look. "If they catch you together it'll be ten times worse, you know how popular he's."

"Nobody's gonna catch us." I say shortly.

I'm not positive Kochou is on board, but she nods and tells Kanroji she will see her soon, meeting her friends annoyed glance with a calm smile. I feel this stupid rush of triumph, like she chose me, even though she basically chose to get away from the creep who's stalking her. But she walks close to me as we head out the back door to the parking lot, not seeming to care about the stares. Which I got used to whenever I walk with a girl.

I hand her my helmet and wait for her to settle herself on my bike and loop her arms around me. Too tight again, but I don't mind. Her death grip along with the way she presses herself against me is why I engineered this escape in the first place.

We're not in the woods long before the narrow trail I'm taking widens into a dirt path that runs past a row of houses behind the college. I take back roads for a couple of miles until we make it to the mall, and ease my bike into a parking spot as far from the entrance as I can get. Kochou takes the helmet off and hands it to me, squeezing my arm as she does. She swings her legs into the pavement, her cheeks flushed and her hair tousled.
"Ara ara, what's wrong with you? You're being quite nice lately."