Facing all three of them was going to be tough, but as a guy, I couldn’t just sit back.
However, as I was about to get up, Sonoyama raised her hand slightly, signaling the three boys to stop.
“Well then… enjoy your time with that pathetic boy. It’s a perfect match for a girl like you.”
“I’ve done no such thing,” Adachi-san replied, her voice low but firm.
“Oh, is that so? Well, whatever. Enjoy yourselves.”
After throwing in a sarcastic parting shot, Sonoyama turned on her heel and walked away.
Not missing a beat, I called out after her, "Don’t worry. We’ll get along just fine."
Sonoyama pretended not to hear me, but her two lackeys, trailing behind her, raised their voices loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What’s that about? Did that transfer student get seduced by Adachi or something?"
"Totally! What kind of girl spreads her legs on the first day? She’s crazy!"
Their crude laughter followed them as they walked off.
Hearing such baseless insults made my blood boil, but I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
People like them aren’t worth engaging. If they plan to ignore me, I’ll gladly return the favor.
Forget trying to resolve this peacefully. Let’s see how long they can keep ignoring me.
"...Kawai-kun?"
"Huh? Oh, what?"
While I was busy getting fired up internally, Adachi-san called out to me with a concerned voice.
When I turned around, she looked apologetic.
"Sorry. Was that meddling of mine unnecessary?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Just now… I feel like I dragged you into my mess."
"Oh, that? Not at all. Honestly, that was amazing. I didn’t expect you to stand up to six of them like that. I was impressed."
"It… it wasn’t anything special…"
Adachi-san faltered, her cheeks reddening as she averted her gaze. Cute.
Why would someone this kind and straightforward be ostracized? Well, I could guess.
It was likely Sonoyama’s warped ego—she couldn’t stand anyone else being at the top of the social hierarchy. So, she isolated Adachi-san out of pure spite.
Otherwise, someone as cute, approachable, and principled as Adachi-san wouldn’t be a target of bullying. At my previous school, she’d have definitely been the school idol.
“Oh, right. Here, thanks for letting me borrow this.”
I handed her smartphone back, but just as I did, it suddenly started playing music in my hand.
"Ah! S-sorry! I forgot to set it to silent!"
The familiar melody froze me for a moment, and Adachi-san, flustered, snatched her phone back and stopped the music.
“That ringtone… It’s ‘Shake’ by Blue Dreamers, right? Are you a fan?”
"Ah, yeah… Not just ‘Shake.’ Lately, I’ve been really into their songs…"
"Really? Thanks!"
“Huh? Why are you thanking me?”
"Wait… you didn’t realize?"
"Realize what?"
"I’m Shun, the keyboardist and leader of Blue Dreamers."
…
"Uh… what?"
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