The hushed whispers of students filled the hallway, their curious glances darting between Naoki and the figure walking away. The air felt heavier, like something significant had just happened—something no one quite understood.
Rika Aoyama.
A name that carried weight. A presence that demanded attention.
As she casually strolled down the corridor, hands tucked behind her head, students instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path for her. The wide, carefree grin on her face never wavered, as if the entire encounter had been nothing more than a passing amusement.
Meanwhile, Naoki stood frozen in place, his mind still processing what had just happened. His collar still felt warm from where she had grabbed him, her whispered words lingering in his ears.
"You're my type."
"Damn…" Hibiki finally broke the silence, rubbing the back of his head as he glanced between Naoki and the retreating delinquent. "I guess she's kind of a big deal, huh?"
Naoki turned to Maki, hoping for some kind of explanation. "Who is she?"
Maki, however, wasn't looking at him. Her expression was unreadable as she watched Rika disappear around a corner. Only when the hall began to return to normal did she finally speak.
"Aoyama Rika," Maki said, her voice quieter than usual. "She's known as the worst delinquent at Ichinomiya. Number one in terms of causing trouble… and the one person you should avoid at all costs."
Naoki frowned. "That bad?"
Maki shot him a serious look. "Worse than you think."
Hibiki let out a low whistle, intrigued. "Damn, Naoki, what did you do? It's not every day she acknowledges someone like that."
"I… didn't do anything," Naoki muttered, shaking his head. "I don't even know her. That was the first time I've ever seen her."
Maki crossed her arms. "That's what worries me."
As they made their way to the classroom, Naoki couldn't shake the feeling that something had just changed. Rika Aoyama's words weren't just random teasing.
They were a declaration.
And whether he liked it or not, he had a feeling this wasn't the last time he'd cross paths with her.
Revised and Extended Scene:
The buzz of whispered gossip spread like wildfire through the classroom, barely contained as a girl rushed in, out of breath and visibly excited.
"Did you hear? Aoyama made a move on some first-year!" she blurted out, instantly drawing the attention of half the room.
At one of the desks, Nishikawa Ashido—always composed, always serious—momentarily froze at the mention of that name. Her fingers, which had been neatly arranging her notes, twitched slightly before she turned her attention toward the girl.
"Rika?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with curiosity. "As in Aoyama Rika? The delinquent?"
The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Can you believe it? And on some random first-year, too!"
At that, another student looked up from his manga—Karahara Kei, the treasurer of the student council. Adjusting his glasses with one hand, he raised a single eyebrow, which was slightly thicker than most. Despite his usual laid-back demeanor, even he seemed intrigued by the sudden turn of events.
"That's unusual," Kei mused, closing his manga with a soft thud. "She doesn't typically pay attention to underclassmen."
"Exactly!" the girl agreed, fumbling with her phone before holding it up. "The quality's kinda bad, but I got a picture!"
She passed the phone to Kei first, who squinted at the screen before passing it to Ashido. The moment Ashido laid eyes on the image, her entire body tensed. Her heart seemed to skip a beat—or maybe two.
In the grainy photo, there was Naoki—her Naoki—standing in the hallway, looking stunned while Aoyama Rika leaned dangerously close to him, her grin as wild as ever.
Ashido's grip on the phone tightened.
Without another word, she turned sharply on her heel, fully intending to storm out of the classroom.
But before she could take another step—
RING!!
The shrill sound of the bell filled the air, signaling the start of the next class.
Her fingers curled into a fist as she exhaled sharply.
For now, she would have to sit down.
But this wasn't over.
Ashido exhaled quietly, forcing herself to remain still as she settled back into her seat. The sharp thud of her bag hitting the desk was the only outward sign of her frustration. The momentary silence in the classroom was soon broken as their teacher stepped in, signaling the official start of class.
But Ashido's thoughts were elsewhere.
Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk, her eyes darting toward the clock. She wasn't one to break the rules, especially not in front of her peers—but the moment this class ended, she was going to find Naoki.
Meanwhile, on the Rooftop…
Aoyama Rika leaned against the chain-link fence that lined the edge of the school rooftop, her forehead resting against the cool metal pole. Her violet eyes gazed out over the city, watching as the wind carried stray leaves across the schoolyard below.
Her lips curled into a small, amused grin.
"Nishikawa Naoki, huh?"
The name rolled around in her mind, unfamiliar yet oddly interesting. Most first-years wouldn't have dared to speak up the way he did earlier. They'd either freeze up or bolt the moment she turned her attention toward them. But he? He just stood there, completely lost, like a deer caught in headlights.
Something about that reaction entertained her.
With a long sigh, she pushed herself away from the fence, grabbing her bag from where she had carelessly dropped it. She turned toward the rooftop door, pushing it open with unnecessary force.
BANG!
The doors slammed behind her as she made her way back inside the school.
Math. The bane of many students' existence.
Naoki sat at his desk, staring blankly at the board as the teacher scribbled down yet another complex equation. His grip on his pencil loosened. His eyelids grew heavier.
But before he could even think about drifting off, a soft snore from his right caught his attention.
He turned his head slightly.
Hibiki was already fast asleep, his face buried in his folded arms.
Naoki blinked.
"It's literally the first class of the day… and he's already sleeping?"
He glanced toward the front of the class. The teacher hadn't noticed. Somehow, Hibiki had mastered the art of sleeping without getting caught.
Naoki wasn't sure if he should be impressed or concerned.
From a few seats ahead, Rurika Maki glanced back, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Hibiki passed out. She sighed, shaking her head before returning her attention to the lesson.
Naoki nudged Hibiki's arm lightly.
"Oi," he whispered. "At least pretend to stay awake."
No response.
Naoki sighed, resting his chin on his hand.
This was going to be a long class.
Both lessons dragged on, stretching out as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. Each minute ticked by painfully, and yet, the end was nowhere in sight.
For Ashido, the monotonous drone of the lecture barely registered. Her thoughts were elsewhere—on what she had seen earlier.
Then, suddenly—
The classroom door slid open.
Aoyama Rika stepped inside, her usual lazy smirk plastered across her face.
The teacher frowned, already exasperated before saying a word. "Aoyama, you're late. Again."
Rika didn't even flinch. She simply shrugged, her carefree attitude unwavering. "Yeah, yeah. Got lost on the way."
Some students chuckled under their breath.
But Ashido wasn't laughing.
The moment that scent hit her nose, her entire body went tense.
Tobacco.
A faint but distinct smell clung to Rika, lingering as she casually walked past the desks. It was enough to make Ashido's grip on her pencil tighten.
Tighter.
Tighter—
SNAP!
A sharp cracking sound echoed through the room.
Several students flinched, looking around in confusion. The teacher paused mid-sentence.
Kei, sitting just a few seats away, immediately knew what had happened.
His sharp gaze flickered toward Ashido, where her hand now held nothing but two broken halves of a pencil.
Her knuckles were white. Her expression unreadable.
Aoyama, however, didn't even turn her head. She simply kept walking, sliding into her seat without a care in the world.
Naoki, even him at completly different class his own seat, felt a chill creep down his spine.
The class finally ended, and Maki walked over to the boys, taking a seat in front of Hibiki as he groggily opened his eyes.
"Hm… It's finally over?" he muttered, rubbing his face.
Maki, maintaining a perfectly straight face, pulled out a few sheets of paper, gripped them tightly—then, without hesitation, smacked Hibiki on the back of his head.
"You said you'd try to listen! And yet, you immediately passed out! How exactly do you plan to pass when all you do is sleep, Hi-bi-ki?!" she scolded, emphasizing his name in frustration.
Hibiki winced, rubbing the sore spot. "H-Hey… Maki… That was too much, even for you!"
Maki opened her mouth, ready to continue her lecture, but before she could say another word, a sudden shift in the classroom's atmosphere caught her attention.
A hushed excitement spread through the room.
All the girls turned toward the door, eyes widening with admiration. Even Maki, despite her usual tough exterior, looked up with a flicker of interest.
There, standing at the entrance like she owned the place, was Nishikawa Ashido.
One of the girls gasped dramatically. "Oh my! It's Nishikawa-san!"
The others quickly followed, voices filled with excitement as they hurried over to greet her. Even Maki, who rarely got caught up in such things, instinctively moved forward.
But before anyone could swarm her, Ashido raised a hand—firm but composed.
The chatter instantly died down.
Then, her sharp eyes locked onto a single target.
"Naoki!"
Her voice rang out, cutting through the air.
"WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!"
The entire classroom fell into silence.
All eyes turned toward Naoki.
Nobody jumped to any conclusions immediately, but the tension was thick.
Hibiki leaned in, whispering, "Damn, Naoki… You're really popular with girls, huh?"
Naoki, scowling, shot him a glare. "I've never seen her in my life."
Before he could defend himself further, Ashido strode over, grabbed him by the ear, and started dragging him out of the room.
Naoki winced, stumbling to keep up.
Hibiki watched the scene unfold, but a strange feeling settled in his chest.
A sense of familiarity.
Like he had seen something like this before.
But for the life of him, he just couldn't figure out why.
Ashido didn't just drag Naoki—she threw him against the wall, gripping his collar so tightly that his feet nearly lifted off the ground.
"For the love of god—or whatever it is you believe in—what did I say yesterday?!" she seethed, eyes burning with frustration.
Naoki gulped.
"YES, THAT'S RIGHT! DON'T DEAL WITH DELINQUENTS!"
She tightened her grip, shaking him slightly.
"And what does my stupid little brother do the very next day? OH, LET ME GUESS—THE WORST DELINQUENT IN THE SCHOOL HAS TAKEN AN INTEREST IN YOU!"
Her voice echoed down the hallway, causing passing students to glance their way before quickly deciding they definitely didn't want to be involved.
With a loud sigh, she finally let go, stepping back and shaking her head.
"Naoki… You said you wanted to go through high school unnoticed. Lay low. And now this? Jeez… What the hell have you gotten yourself into?"
Naoki straightened his uniform, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Look, I don't know, okay?! I was just as surprised as you! Don't blame me!"
He waved his hands in exasperation.
"She just walked up to me, said I was her type, and left!"
The moment those words left his mouth, he felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Ashido had stopped moving.
Slowly, she turned back to face him, shadows creeping over her face.
Her expression was unreadable, but Naoki could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from her.
Her eyes locked onto his, a storm of emotions brewing within them.
"What," she said, her voice eerily calm, "did she say?"
Naoki sat down heavily, his forehead practically touching the floor in the most apologetic way possible, as if begging for forgiveness. His voice was barely audible when he spoke.
"She… said I'm her type," he muttered quietly, hoping that repeating it would somehow make it all disappear and get him out of the uncomfortable situation.
Ashido sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Stop doing that," she said, her tone soft but firm. "I don't want to be seen with you when your head is down like that." She helped him up, her hands steady and gentle despite the obvious irritation on her face.
"Naoki… you dummy," she whispered, almost affectionately, though the underlying frustration was clear.
Naoki, still trying to process everything, couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. He did feel bad—after all, this was his sister's reputation on the line. He had no idea what he had just walked into, and it could affect everything she had worked so hard for in the student council.
"Sorry, Ashido… I didn't mean to bring you shame or—"
He was cut off before he could even finish his sentence. Ashido's eyes widened in exasperation as she placed a hand on his shoulder, looking him dead in the eyes.
"Holly jeez, Naoki! Of course not! What do you think?" Her voice was a mix of disbelief and genuine concern. "That's not it at all. Don't say that. It's just… I'm surprised. Yesterday, you almost got beat up, and now the worst girl in the school's taking an interest in you?"
Naoki, still trying to wrap his head around everything, looked at her sheepishly.
"Seriously, Naoki… what the hell is going on?" Ashido muttered, rubbing her forehead as if she was trying to understand this strange situation herself.
"I gotta go," Ashido said, her voice softening as she looked at Naoki. "I just wanted to know what happened... But really, stay away from her. Keep your low profile like you said you wanted. Don't get involved in something you don't want to be part of, okay?" She gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before rushing back to her classroom, leaving Naoki to process the overwhelming situation.
As Naoki stood there, the realization slowly dawned on those around him. Whispers spread like wildfire through the classroom. People began piecing things together. The connection between Naoki and Ashido became clear. They were siblings—the Nishikawa family name now fully recognized.
"Well, what happened, Naoki?" Hibiki asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly curious about the exchange he had witnessed earlier.
Maki, on the other hand, stared at Naoki for a long moment before her eyes widened in realization. "Your sister is Ashido... I mean, Nishikawa-senpai?! Ah, how could I miss it!" she exclaimed, looking at Naoki with an expression that mixed surprise and admiration.
Before Naoki could answer, the sound of the bell ringing echoed through the classroom, signaling the start of the next period. The sudden shift in atmosphere left Naoki somewhat dazed, but the reality of his situation was settling in.
Now, with his sister's reputation hanging over him, things were definitely going to be more complicated from here on out.
The next class passed relatively uneventfully. Some students were gossiping, others were snoozing, and a few were absorbed in their portable consoles. As the break began, Hibiki, Maki, and Naoki wandered around the halls to kill time.
While they strolled, Naoki's eyes drifted to the window, where he spotted Rika Aoyama. She was standing outside, looking as composed and confident as ever. It seemed like she was heading somewhere, and Naoki's curiosity got the best of him.
"Hey, I'll be right back, okay?" Naoki said, glancing at Hibiki and Maki before picking up his pace and leaving them behind.
He hurried toward the back of the school, keeping his distance, and finally peeked around the edge of the building. There, leaning casually against the wall, was Aoyama. Her phone was in her hand, and a cigarette dangled from her lips—though it wasn't lit yet. Naoki stood quietly for a moment, unsure of how to approach.
With one deep breath, he stepped forward. Just as he did, Aoyama turned her head over her shoulder, catching his eye. Her gaze was sharp, as if she were expecting him.
"You shouldn't be smoking," Naoki said, his voice firm but hesitant.
Aoyama's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden appearance. She quickly cleared her throat, a mix of amusement and annoyance flashing across her face. "E-eh?! Nishikawa?" she stuttered, caught off guard by the encounter. She quickly adjusted herself, tucking the cigarette back into its pack and adopting a more composed stance. "What do you want here?" she asked, her tone back to its usual coolness.
Naoki gulped nervously as he stood before her, trying to steady his breath. The tension between them was palpable, but Naoki pushed through it.
"Wh—Who are you really, Aoyama-senpai?" he asked, the words slipping out before he could stop them. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than just the delinquent reputation everyone seemed to be so afraid of.