As Benjiro answered the phone, the tension in the room seemed to escalate.

His expression turned serious, and I could feel my heartbeat quicken in anticipation of what Suzuki-San might have to say next.

"Hello, Suzuki-San, what's going on?" Benjiro's voice sounded more urgent this time, betraying his concern.

I could only hear muffled sounds coming from the phone, but Benjiro's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened intently.

"What do you mean? Are you sure?" Benjiro's voice rose slightly, his brows furrowing in deep concern.

I felt a knot forming in my stomach, fearing the worst as Benjiro's eyes met mine briefly before returning to the conversation.

"Stay where you are, we're coming to get you," Benjiro said firmly, ending the call.

"What's happening?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

"It's Suzuki-San. She's in trouble, she's hiding in a corner near the school. She sent me her position." Benjiro replied, his tone grave.

Without hesitation, we both rushed out of the room, our minds racing with worry for our friend.

"Okay then, we need to hurry, now." I said , while running towards the door to get out from Benjiro's house.

Me and Benjiro started running very fast.

As we made our way to where Suzuki-San was hiding, my thoughts swirled with anxiety and fear for her safety.

When we finally reached her location, we found Suzuki-San huddled in a corner, her eyes wide with fear.

She looked relieved to see us, but her trembling form spoke volumes about the severity of the situation.

"What happened?" Benjiro asked, his voice laced with concern.

Suzuki-San took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves before speaking. "I… I was discovered. They… they know I've been listening to them," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

A chill ran down my spine as I realized the danger Suzuki-San had put herself in to help me.

Despite her fear, she had risked everything to gather information for my sake.

"They tried to get me… I wonder what they would've done to me." Her voice was a mix of fear and anxiety.

"We need to get you out of here," Benjiro said, his voice determined.

As we escorted Suzuki-San to safety, my mind raced with thoughts of how to protect her and confront the threats against us.

Despite the danger and uncertainty ahead, one thing was clear: we were in this together, and we would do whatever it took to keep each other safe.

As we hurried away from the school grounds, i kept a protective arm around Suzuki-San, guiding her along the path to safety.

Despite the urgency of the situation, our presence seemed to offer her some comfort.

As we reached a secluded spot away from prying eyes, Suzuki-San finally spoke up, her voice still trembling with fear. "I… I don't know what to do. They… they threatened me... They said if I ever tried to interfere again, they'd…"

Her words trailed off, but the implication hung heavy in the air.

I felt a surge of anger and frustration at the thought of someone threatening Suzuki-San, but I knew that reacting impulsively wouldn't solve anything.

"We won't let them hurt you," Benjiro said firmly, his gaze unwavering as he looked at Suzuki-San. "We'll figure this out together."

I nodded in agreement, my mind racing with thoughts of how to confront the danger that lurked in the shadows.

Despite the fear and uncertainty that gripped us, I knew that we couldn't back down.

Suzuki-San had risked everything to help me and we owed it to her to stand up to whoever was trying to intimidate her.

"First, we need to make sure you're safe," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Do you have somewhere you can go? Somewhere they won't find you?"

Suzuki-San hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, i just need to go home," she said quietly. "But I don't want to drag you into this any further. You've already done so much for me…"

"We're in this together, Suzuki-San," Benjiro said firmly, his expression resolute. "You're not alone. We'll protect you, no matter what."

With that, we set off to ensure Suzuki-San's safety, determined to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

As we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air.

And so we accompanied Suzuki home.

Her fear melted away, replaced by a sense of relief and safety.

As she calmed down during our walk, I noticed she tried her best not to look at me.

I immediately recalled what Benjiro had told me.

She was madly in love with me, and in that situation, she didn't expect me to come and save her.

She looked embarrassed and almost always kept her gaze downward, remaining silent.

She was blushing quite a bit.

I, too, felt embarrassed in that situation, not knowing what to say to her.

In short, I didn't even know how to behave.

I was in a relationship with Ema and walking alongside the girl who had been in love with me for a year.

I couldn't act as usual, but I knew that in that situation, I had to pretend not to know the truth.

Benjiro simply walked, constantly looking around to make sure no one was following us.

I decided to speak to Suzuki.

"Suzuki-San, what were you doing there?" I asked, scratching my head and avoiding eye contact.

"W-Well, I-I-I was there by chance and I saw they were b-bullying someone… I hid to record them, but they found me and said if I said anything they would… h-hurt me…" She said, covering her face with her hands.

"What a terrible liar," I thought.

Benjiro didn't respond. He made no attempt to join our conversation. He was focused on scanning our surroundings, like a bodyguard.

Suzuki's beautiful white hair, smooth as silk, fluttered with every step in the warm spring breeze.

"Indeed, Suzuki is truly beautiful," I thought to myself.

"So, do you have any videos, Suzuki-San?" I asked, smiling to make her feel more at ease.

"Y-Yes. It's on my phone," she replied, her tone slightly embarrassed and timid. She had never been like this before. With me, she always spoke in the most natural and normal way possible.

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"Can I see it?" I asked.

"N-No. I'm sorry, Fumihiro-Kun," she said, this time smiling at me with a smile that seemed forced and unnatural. She was doing her best to talk to me without attracting too much attention, I understood.

I decided to respect her decision and not push further.

"Okay, I respect your decision," I said, smiling at her.

"T-Thank you, Fumihiro-Kun," Suzuki replied, smiling back at me. A genuine and pure smile, just like her soul.

"And… we're here," Suzuki said.

Benjiro and I stopped.

"Where is your house?" Benjiro asked.

As we walked, we had arrived in front of a large red gate. To be precise, we were in one of the most luxurious residential areas in the city.

We had walked for an entire hour and hadn't even realized it.

Behind the gate was a huge green expanse, and in the background, you could see a massive villa.

Benjiro and I looked at each other, shocked and incredulous.

"Ah. I see," we said together, stunned.

"This is my house. Thank you for accompanying me all the way here. Now I'll ask my father to arrange a taxi for you to go home," Suzuki said, smiling at us and nodding slightly in gratitude.

"Don't mention it, Suzuki-San," Benjiro said, scratching his head.

"Don't thank us, Haruka," I said, smiling at her.

Unconsciously, I called her by her name, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Benjiro turned to me, incredulous and speechless.

Suzuki blushed really hard. Her face was as red as a tomato. But despite that, I felt like she was happy to be called by her name.

She remained silent and smiled, closing her eyes and giggling quietly.

Then, that moment of embarrassment was interrupted by the sound of the gate opening automatically, revealing a huge luxury car with a driver.

He lowered the window, revealing himself. He was a man of South African origin wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses.

"Miss Suzuki, your father awaits you at home. It is my duty to escort your friends back to their homes. Please, come in," the man said. He had a deep and imposing voice, almost intimidating.

"Thank you, Dakarai-San," Suzuki replied.

She then turned to us, nodding her head and thanking us again.

"Thank you so much, guys. See you tomorrow at school," she said before turning and heading towards her home.

We waved goodbye to her, saying "See you tomorrow!"

For a moment, as Suzuki walked back home, she glanced at me and smiled for a moment before entering the villa.

I saw a happy and loving expression on her face, and she still had a slightly red face from embarrassment.

It made me blush too.

"Get in the car, guys," said the driver.

As he spoke, the doors opened automatically and , after some seconds of admiring the technology, we entered inside of it.

"So, where do you guys leave?" The man said.

We then gave him our addresses and he accompanied us home.

The first one was Benjiro.

The second one was me.

He left me at my home.

After getting out from the car, the man lowered the window again.

"So , is your name 'Fumihiro Aoyama'?" He asked.

I was surprised. How did he know my name?

I then nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it's me. Why?" I asked.

"Mr. Suzuki is very curious to meet you in person. Miss Suzuki said very good things about you. Are you available during one of these days?" He asked.

His tone seemed very friendly.

Despite his seriousness, i could feel that he was a really good man.

I nodded at him again.

"Yes, I'll be available for Mr. Suzuki." I said.

"Great. You'll receive some news during this week, okay? See you, Aoyama Fumihiro." He said while smiling at me.

Afterward, the man rolled up the car window and drove away.

"What a day… and we're barely halfway through," I said to myself, sighing.

I had planned to spend the rest of the day with Benjiro, but at that moment, I decided to head home to rest.

The plan could wait.

So I opened the door and went inside.

My mother still hadn't arrived; I was still alone.

I let out a sigh of boredom.

"I guess I'll have to cook lunch for myself," I said.

At that moment, my phone began to vibrate.

"Who could it be?" I asked myself.

I opened the phone and saw a missed call from Arai-sensei.

"Mayumi? What could she want from me?" I wondered.

I decided to call her back.

After a few seconds, she answered.

"Hello? Fumihiro?" she said.

Mayumi's voice was calm yet anxious at the same time.

"Mayumi? Yes, it's me. Tell me everything," I said.

"Fumihiro, tomorrow make sure I don't make a fool of myself. There will be a new girl transferred from France. I expect the best from you," Mayumi replied.

Her tone was like that of a general giving orders to his soldiers.

"The student transferred from France?" I had a blank memory.

"Yes. Have you already forgotten our conversation?" she asked threateningly.

A light bulb went off in my head.

"Oh yes! Now I remember. Leave it to me!" I replied decisively.

"What's the girl's name?" I asked.

"The girl's name is Evangeline Beaufort," Mayumi replied.

At that moment, my entire body froze.

Evangeline Beaufort is the name of the girl I met on the street.

I connected all the pieces of the puzzle.

"It can't be her," I thought.

"Fumihiro? Are you still here ?" Mayumi said from the other side of the call.

I spaced out for some seconds.

"Y-Yes. I promise I'll do my best." I stuttered.

"Good boy! See you tomorrow at school!" She said before hanging up the call.

"This is not going to end well. I know." I said.

"I wonder what Ema will say about this…"

Speaking of the devil, i saw a message from Ema.

She said "I'm going out with Kanna! See you this evening my love!".

For some reason, i wasn't 100% sure about that so i decided to follow up another plan: to follow her.