The Taste of Trust

(Akane's PoV)

—

Just a few minutes ago, my stomach had been protesting, and we'd been laughing about finding an Italian place down the street, but then everything seemed to stop.

My steps slowed.

About fifty yards ahead, near the entrance of a narrow brick alley, four guys had formed a tight circle.

And in the middle of them stood Sora Fujimoto.

She was pressed back against the wall, clutching her leather school bag to her chest like a shield. 

Her shoulders were hunched, her head was lowered, and even from where I stood, I could see her trembling.

A cold wave of disgust rose in my throat.

The guys around her were laughing, stepping closer, blocking her from the main street.

Moreover, they looked like they were enjoying it. Like they had cornered something small and fragile and were waiting to see how long it would take to break.

Beside me, Shin went rigid.

The warmth he'd carried since we left Hoshiko's studio vanished in an instant. His hand slipped out of mine, and his fingers curled into tight fists at his sides, the skin over his knuckles turning white beneath the gray afternoon light.

As I looked up at him, I saw that his eyes were empty.

Not calm. Empty.

The gentle, sleepy warmth from this morning was gone, and what remained was the face of someone who knew the dark too well.

Then, after an instant, our eyes met for half a second.

We didn't need to talk. I gave him a short nod, and he gave one back.

Then we moved.

Our pace quickened, with our steps hitting the concrete in a heavy rhythm as we headed straight for the alley.

But before we could close the distance, one of the guys lost his patience.

He was tall, broad, with a buzz cut and the kind of face that looked even uglier when it smiled. He reached out and grabbed Sora by the upper arm, his fingers digging into the sleeve of her blazer as he tried to pull her away from the wall.

I could see the disgust and fear written on Sora's face, something that I know too well. 

"Come on, Prez," he said, his voice carrying down the sidewalk. "We're just trying to have a conversation. Don't be so cold. I promise that it will be fun!"

After his words, Sora gasped.

Her body twisted away from him on instinct, with her eyes squeezing shut as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Something in Shin snapped as heat seemed to roll off him.

His stride lengthened, and suddenly he was moving faster than I could match, his legs eating up the pavement between us and the alley.

I matched his speed, not wanting him to do harsh things alone.

"Sora!"

His voice cracked through the quiet street.

But... didn't call her Fujimoto-san. He didn't call her president.

He called her Sora.

After that, I felt conflicting emotions in my heart. I didn't expect him to be already calling her by name. But... that wasn't the right time to think about something like that.

The sound of his voice hit the brick walls hard enough to make every head turn.

The guy's hand dropped from her arm, and the four of them turned toward us, with their grins fading into annoyance as we came to a stop a few feet away.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be, huh?" the buzz-cut jerk asked, looking Shin up and down.

I didn't answer right away, and neither did Shin. 

My eyes were already on their jackets.

'Matching letterman jackets. Dark wool. Academy colors. Athletic department initials stitched across the chest...'

And then, I saw the sleeve patch of our school's soccer club.

In that moment, all the pieces clicked together with a sickening little snap: those guys weren't random thugs; they were senior athletes.

The same group that followed my half-brother around like loyal dogs.

Kenji's friends, of course. Only a disgusting man like him could have friends like these idiots.

Sora looked past them, and the moment she saw Shin's black sweater, her blue eyes filled with fresh tears. Her lower lip trembled so hard she couldn't even speak.

She looked broken... or relieved, but surely not like the untouchable student council president.

Just a terrified girl begging someone to help her.

Then, Shin stepped forward.

His hands were buried in the pockets of his cargo pants, his posture still, but his eyes were locked on the buzz-cut guy with a coldness that made even my skin crawl.

"Leave her alone," he said.

His voice was quiet, deadly in some ways.

After his words, the four soccer players looked at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, look at that," the buzz-cut guy scoffed, adjusting the collar of his jacket. "This boy thinks he's a hero. What are you two punk losers gonna do? This is club business. Get lost before we break your toys."

Shin clenched his fists, but I managed to remain calm.

I slid my hand out of my hoodie pocket and lifted my phone, pointing the camera directly to their faces.

Then, my lips curved into the sweetest, coldest smile I had.

"Well," I said, my voice dropping into its driest purr, "I've been recording since we crossed the intersection. Every second of this little scene is evidence. I wonder what the disciplinary board and the athletic director will think when they see four varsity seniors sexually harassing the student council president in an alley."

After my words, his smile disappeared.

I tilted my head.

"So here are your options. Walk away, or this goes straight to the principal. And don't think that they'll let it slide because... You should know who I am, right?" I said, smirking.

The four of them looked at me with confusion until one of them spoke.

"Ah... Are you... Takanashi Akane?" He asked. "The school's lesbian bitch?"

The grip on my phone tightened a little, while Shin's fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles were white.

'He really said that... I'll fucking kill him'

But... I had to play along.

"Exactly. It's me. And you know that every single teacher listens to me, right?" I said, before looking at the guy with the buzz cut, "You don't want to get expelled right before the festival, do you? You asshole~" I said, with a malicious tone of voice.

And then, his face flushed an ugly shade of red.

"You little bitch—"

He lunged, his hand shot toward my phone.

But he never reached it, because Shin moved first.

In the blink of an eye, he stepped between us, caught the guy's wrist in one hand, and drove his other palm hard into the center of his chest.

The shove sent him stumbling backward; his shoes scraped across the concrete before his back slammed into the brick pillar with a heavy thud.

"Don't you dare touch her, you bastard," Shin spoke, his voice low and dangerous.

In that moment, I froze. I had never heard that voice come out of him before.

That clearly wasn't my beloved shy ghost boy; it was something way darker and also... protective.

I loved it.

"Shiratake! Don't! We weren't—" one of the others shouted.

The group tightened around Shin, fists clenching, the whole alley seconds away from turning into a street fight.

"You're dead, Ishikawa!" Shiratake spat, pushing himself off the wall with fury twisting his face. 

My eyes widened.

'What...? How does he know his name?!' I thought, ready to kick him in the balls as soon as he was in our personal space.

But then... something, or rather someone, interrupted the fight.

"That's enough."

The new voice cut through the alley like a blade, making everyone freeze in an instant.

I turned toward the sidewalk and saw a familiar figure step out from the shadow of the office building.

Kenji. It was him, again. Of course.

His hands were tucked casually into his trouser pockets. His jacket was open, and his pale blond hair perfectly combed back, not a single strand out of place.

His handsome/disgusting face was calm, serious, and cold enough to make the whole alley feel smaller.

He didn't look at my Shin or me.

He just walked straight to Shiratake, the buzz-cut guy.

"I said stop," Kenji said, his voice smooth and controlled. "You're embarrassing the club and my reputation."

Shiratake clenched his jaw, but he backed down.

That was Kenji's power.

He didn't need to raise his voice, because his position alone was enough to make them obey.

In that moment, I saw the same authority as our father. From the outside, he seemed like a professional, polite man who could make everyone respect him for no particular reason, but I knew that, in reality, he shared the same blood as that monster. Moreover, I wanted to make him pay for what he had done to Kurone.

Then, Kenji turned toward Sora and bowed.

It was a perfect gesture, so polite.

Shin and I looked into each other's eyes for an instant, feeling the same wave of anger and disgust.

"I sincerely apologize, Fujimoto-san," he said. "Please don't hold their behavior against the department. They drank too much at the weekend gathering and lost their judgment. I'll make sure that there will be consequences for them."

After his words, Sora didn't answer. She just kept her face buried against her bag, her shoulders shaking.

Without even caring about asking how she was feeling, Kenji straightened, and only then did his eyes move to us.

For the briefest moment, his gaze caught on the silver loops in Shin's ears, and it looked like something like disgust flickered across his face, before vanishing.

He said nothing. Literally nothing.

Not even a single word to Shin or me.

He looked through us, like we were stains on his sidewalk.

"Let's go, guys," Kenji said. "We're leaving."

Then, he turned and walked away, with the others following him like stray dogs.

Just before he disappeared around the corner, Kenji glanced back.

His eyes met mine. No words. Just a promise.

'We'll see each other very soon, sister,' his eyes said.

This wasn't over. Not at all.

And then, after he shifted his gaze away, Kenji was gone, and the quiet returned, heavier than before.

The danger had passed, but the fear was still there, sobbing.

Sora stood frozen against the wall for a few seconds, both hands still locked around the strap of her bag.

She looked up at us for a few instants before she broke.

A sob tore out of her, and before either of us could react, she rushed forward and threw her arms around Shin's neck, burying her face in his black sweater.

"Thank you..." she cried. "Thank you so much, Ishikawa-san..."

I stood there, two feet away, while a storm of emotions twisted inside my chest.

My possessive instincts flared immediately.

Another girl... no. Sora Fujimoto, the school's idol, had her arms around my boyfriend.

My boyfriend.

My fingers clenched inside my pockets, and for one ugly, infinite second, I wanted to pull her away.

But then, I saw her shoulders shaking and noticed how hard she was crying, fear still clinging to her like a stain.

And the jealousy almost died in my throat.

It was still lingering like an invisible parasite, but... I couldn't allow it to get the better of me.

Sora Fujimoto was supposed to be untouchable. The school's goddess. The perfect student council president who could silence a room with one look.

But right now, she was just a terrified girl who had been cornered by monsters.

And... I knew that fear. Way too damn well.

I knew exactly what it felt like to be trapped with nowhere to run.

During those moments, Shin didn't hug her back. Not fully, at least.

He kept his hands raised near her shoulders, close enough to steady her, careful enough not to make it strange. Then he glanced at me, anxious and quiet, silently checking if I was okay.

I let out a slow breath and relaxed my hands.

'It's fine, ghost boy.'

'I know.'

Then Sora pulled back from his sweater, her face wet with tears.

And before I could prepare myself, she turned toward me and threw her arms around my neck, too.

"Thank you, Akane-san," she whispered, her voice breaking against my shoulder. "Thank you for saving me."

In that moment, my whole body went stiff.

Her perfume filled my nose, soft and floral, completely out of place in the cold alley, and one of the smells I didn't like at all.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do, but then I understood.

This clearly wasn't a trick or a romantic move toward Shin.

This was a girl who had just been dragged out of hell, clinging to the people who had reached her first.

Slowly, awkwardly, I lifted my hands and patted her back.

"It's over now, Sora," I murmured, my voice low and rough but also soft. "You're safe."

She cried against my shoulder for a little while longer.

And while she cried, my mind started moving, thinking about everything that had happened up to that moment.

Kenji being here wasn't a coincidence. Not a chance.

So I thought back over the past few days.

'First, I'd seen him talking near the side exit with Tsubame Yamamoto, the blonde Seiryō bitch who was supposed to work with Shin next week.'

'Then, his friends had made disgusting comments on Sora, and she asked him to walk her home because she felt unsafe.'

'Kenji assaulted Kurone... they broke up right after I found my happiness with Shin...'

'Now... they were sexually harassing Sora... And right when things were about to turn violent, Kenji appeared out of nowhere to play the noble peacekeeper.'

Everything wasn't a coincidence, and I think my brother was calculating every single action, because everything would eventually force me to talk to him.

Everything seemed to be so perfect that it looked staged, like he was moving people around the board to see what would happen.

'What are you planning, you disgusting monster?'

Whatever it was, I had a terrible feeling it was connected to the festival and me.

My fingers tightened lightly against the back of Sora's blazer.

'Fine. Play your game. I'll tear it apart piece by piece.'

After a few minutes, Sora's breathing finally steadied.

Then, she stepped back from me, embarrassed, and pulled a linen handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her cheeks. 

After that, she took a deep breath, trying to gather the broken pieces of her usual mask.

"I... I'm so sorry," she murmured. Her voice was still shaky, but a trace of her formal tone had returned. "That was disgraceful of me. Thank you again, Ishikawa-kun, Akane-san. You were both... incredibly kind."

"You don't have to apologize," Shin said gently, stepping beside me. "Anyone would have been scared."

"It's okay, you beautiful idol," I said. "You owe us a coffee," I added, with a warm voice.

After my words, Sora smiled for an instant and then looked around the quiet office district, her blue eyes lingering on the darkening alleys. She adjusted the strap of her bag against her shoulder, still tense.

"W-Would it be alright if I stayed with you a little longer?" she asked softly, looking between us. "I know I'm interrupting your weekend, but... I don't want to walk alone right now."

This time, Shin didn't answer for either of us. He turned his head and looked at me, waiting.

I looked at Sora's pale face, then clicked my tongue and let a small smirk return to my lips.

"Well," I said, crossing my arms, "you're lucky we were already heading this way."

Sora blinked.

I stepped closer to Shin and wrapped one arm around his bicep.

"But honestly, you didn't even need to ask," I added. "After what just happened, I wasn't going to let you walk around alone anyway. I'm not leaving the president out here to get hunted by those dogs."

Sora stared at me for a second.

Then, slowly, a small smile broke through the last shred of her fear.

"T-Thank you, Akane," she bowed, before moving her gaze to Shin. "And... thank you too, Ishikawa-kun." She bowed again.

"Don't thank me; it's natural to help a friend, isn't it?" Shin said.

In that moment, I saw Sora's eyes widening, with a faint blush appearing on her face.

"I-I guess so..." She said, looking at her feet.

'Tch—'

Then, out of nowhere, my stomach gave another faint growl, making everyone stare at me.

Of course it did. I was still hungry, and I had spent even more energy controlling my jealousy and saving this angel.

I sighed, then pointed down the avenue toward the Italian bistro.

"Since our plans have already been ruined," I muttered, letting my smirk sharpen, "tell me something, President."

Sora tilted her head.

I looked her up and down.

"Do you like Italian food?"

The question hung in the cold evening air like a small, warm promise.

"I never tried..." She replied.

"Good. Then come with us, I promise that you won't be disappointed," I said.

Sora immediately nodded, and the three of us started walking together.