Hakuto tilted his head, dodging the swing of the baseball bat. In the next moment, he smashed a metal pipe against the attacker's head and snatched the bat away.
With the bat in hand, Hakuto was like a warrior wielding a legendary weapon, completely unstoppable.
In no time, the blond thugs were groaning in pain on the ground, clutching various parts of their bodies.
Hakuto didn't forget about the one who had paid him 5,000 yen either. After all, the deal only required him to come to the rooftop—anything beyond that would cost extra.
As for the mercy he had shown earlier, that was just a formality.
After finishing up, Hakuto tossed the baseball bat aside and leisurely opened the rooftop door, heading down the stairs.
But just as he reached the next floor, he saw a purple-haired girl standing in front of him.
She wore a white eye patch over her right eye, and her eyes were slightly red. Her whole body was soaked, as if someone had just drenched her with water.
No, that wasn't quite right—she looked more like she had just climbed out of a lake.
Hakuto glanced at the girl. He recognized her—Takanashi Rikka, a classmate. They weren't close since they had only just started school.
Hakuto looked at Rikka again. Perhaps it was out of concern for a classmate, or maybe it was just because he was a transmigrator.
He pulled out a pack of tissues from his bag and wiped the water off Rikka's face.
"Th-Thank you..."
"You should head back soon. Lunch break is almost over, and class is about to start."
Hakuto casually tossed the used tissue into a nearby trash can.
"W-Wait..."
"Can I stay with you from now on?"
Hearing this, Hakuto turned his head and looked at Rikka.
"Takanashi, I just want to focus on my studies right now..."
"No... That's not what I meant. I just want to follow you."
"I'm not some gang leader. You don't need to follow me."
Hakuto rejected her outright. He knew exactly what was on Rikka's mind.
But just as he refused, Rikka pulled a 1,000-yen bill from her bag and handed it to him.
"What's this supposed to mean?"
"I saw that guy give you money earlier, and then you went with him..."
"So you want to make a deal with me?"
Rikka nodded. She didn't know if Hakuto would agree. If she had another option, she wouldn't have come to him in the first place.
Hakuto looked at the soaking-wet Rikka and accepted the bill from her hand.
"One week. You can stay by my side for a week. I won't chase you away, but I won't do anything else either."
Upon hearing this, Rikka's damp face lit up with joy, and she nodded vigorously.
From that day on, Takanashi Rikka began following Hakuto everywhere.
As someone with "chuunibyou," Rikka had no place in a Japanese school.
Being isolated was the least of her problems—the physical and mental torment she endured was far worse.
But oddly enough, ever since Rikka made her deal with Hakuto, the bullying that had once plagued her seemed to vanish.
Well, not entirely vanish—but at the very least, it wasn't as rampant as before. The bullies had significantly reined in their behavior.
Hakuto was surprised to find that his reputation was so effective. Just by having Rikka follow him, the bullies kept their distance.
Not that he cared—after all, their arrangement was just easy money for him.
It was around this time that Hakuto also realized that Rikka lived in the apartment above his.
They were neighbors.
"Hahaha! The Tyrant's Eye is invincible!"
"Shut up and let me sleep!"
Thanks to Hakuto, Rikka gradually returned to her lively, cheerful self.
It was hard to believe that she was the same person as before.
But things don't always go smoothly. Seeking Hakuto's protection didn't make Rikka immune to all trouble.
One afternoon after school, Hakuto stood at the entrance waiting for her, but she never came out.
If this had been when they first met, Hakuto wouldn't have cared—he would've just left. Or rather, he wouldn't have waited for her in the first place.
But after spending so much time together and maintaining their arrangement, Hakuto wasn't the type to ignore the situation just because he was being paid.
After hesitating for a moment, he headed toward the classrooms.
Hakuto was no stranger to bullying—he knew exactly where to look without even trying.
And sure enough, he stopped in front of the girls' bathroom.
Even before getting close, he could already hear the commotion inside.
"You think you're all that just because you're hanging around Hakuto now?!"
"You ignored us when we called you—what, you think you're better than us now?!"
"Didn't you hear us tell you to stay away from Hakuto?!"
Rikka was cornered inside a bathroom stall by three girls. She hugged her head and curled up in the corner.
Water dripped from her hair, and from the looks of it, she was completely drenched from head to toe.
"Covering your eyes and shouting all the time—what, you think you're some kind of dark lord?"
"Hahaha, do you have delusions or something? Maybe you should get checked at a hospital."
Rikka didn't respond. She just curled up tighter.
"Say something! I told you to say something! What are you holding in your hand?!"
Just as the three girls were about to attack her again, a voice came from the entrance.
"Ahem."
The three girls instinctively turned toward the door and froze when they saw Hakuto leaning against the wall, watching them.
"H-Hakuto..."
"Leave."
Bullies were always cowards at heart. No matter how arrogant they had been toward Rikka, the moment Hakuto spoke, they obediently backed off and left.
Once they were gone, Hakuto slowly stepped inside and approached Rikka's stall.
Rikka had considered the possibility that Hakuto would come, but when she thought about the nature of their deal, she doubted it.
Now that she was seeing him here in person, she couldn't say a word.
"At least I wasn't too late."
Hakuto pulled Rikka up from the ground, wiped the water from her face and hair, and draped his jacket over her shoulders.
"Next time, come out earlier after school. I don't have all day to come looking for you."
"Mm..."
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