Somehow, Toro’s popularity skyrocketed to new heights after the victory against our rivals. Toro was hounded by his fans for the first three days after we returned to school for the week. Which isn’t unusual, but even boys were starting to crowd around him whenever he showed up to school.

Our senior, Javier, enjoyed the popularity; unlike Toro who’s a social recluse, he’s known for being a womanizer.

I’ll never know what that sort of fame feels like. No. I know something much worse.

“Hey! Get away from him!” I yelled after Toro and I were separated at the school entrance. Manami and I walk to class together every morning with Toro following right behind us like a security guard. But I’ve had to leave Manami to protect the man every day so far.

It’s unbelievable how ignorant everyone is to social cues. As Toro attempts to walk through the crowd, with his head down, a trembling voice, and slumped shoulders, one would think that’d be enough to convey how uncomfortable he is.

They choose to ignore it. But they can’t ignore me yelling at them. “Come on Toro.” I grabbed Toro by his hand and dragged him away with me.

“Hey!” A girl grabs Toro’s other hand. “Why do you get to hog him all to yourself?! We’re fans too!”

“Huh?” I walked up to the girl. I’ve never even seen her at a game, the hype around Toro was all she was after. “Listen here you little-”

Someone tugs at my shirt. It was Manami who somehow managed to push through the crowd.

She whispered a great idea into my ear. “Oh, Toro has a meeting with some scouts, you’re all getting in his way. Now scram!” At the bold lie provided by my incredible girlfriend, the crowd creates a path for us to get through.

“Thanks guys.” Toro whispers as we walk to class.

“Thank Manami, I would have started a riot.” I give Manami a pat on the head, but she pulls away. We aren’t the most physical couple, but she hasn’t pulled away like that before. “Sorry.”

“No no.” She takes my hand and starts touching parts of her body as if trying to find which she likes best. I was centimeters away from heaven at some points, but no such luck this morning. “Here.” It wasn’t a pat, but she liked it when I wrapped my arm around her shoulder best.

“As you wish.” We arrived at class, but I held out my hand to stop Toro. “What’re you doing?”

“Going to class?”

“No sir.” I point to the end of the hallway. “We just lied to half the school, go hide in the bathroom for a few minutes or something.”

“Oh, right! I’ll be back.” Toro scurries away to the bathroom.

As I’m a bad influence on Manami, she’s no longer the first to arrive in class. The usual students are already inside, most wouldn’t dare look my way or fear their test scores will drop. Rumors that Manami’s were going to drop soon even started but she kept up with her studies regardless.

There was one surprise this morning. Catalina, who did her best to plaster a smile on her face – or at least a neutral look – had nothing but a frown today. The three friends she hangs around with were gathered around her engrossed in their conversation. But Catalina wasn’t interested.

Manami also noticed, but there isn’t much we can do about it now.

I thanked the heavens when lunch time came around. Manami scorned me about my lack of interest in school earlier this week, but I still struggle to find the ability to concentrate as our teacher rambles on for hours. The promised time has come, however.

Lunch with a beautiful girl. The teacher can ramble all he wants so long as I’m rewarded afterwards.

“Ready to go?” I stop by Manami’s desk before leaving for the lunchroom. Toro goes ahead of us, worried we’ll lose our seats. I don’t have that worry, no one in school would dare.

Manami looks over to Catalina.

Catalina and her friends gathered for lunch, but Catalina still had a frown on her face. I doubt she could enjoy her meal in her current environment.

Manami tugs my shirt and whispers. “Could you invite her to eat with us?”

Now, I stand in front of four girls. Three with their lunches out and scowling at me as if I’ve committed great sins against them.

“What?” The main suspect, Hana, said while glaring at me.

“Catalina, want to eat with us?” Catalina looks up to me, a glimmer of hope in her eyes at my request. It wouldn’t be so easy, however.

“Eat with Catalina, aren’t you and Manami dating?” A new voice, the tallest girl in the group. Her glare was no less threatening than Hana’s.

I needed an answer. I didn’t want to oust Manami, and they wouldn’t let Catalina leave with a two timer. “Toro wants to eat with her.” The scowls become surprises. I may have released Toro to the lions just now, but I’m sure he’ll forgive me.

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“Why didn’t he ask himself?!” The main suspect speaks once again.

“Hey.” I placed my hand on the suspect’s desk and stared into her eyes. “I’m missing out on precious time with my girlfriend. Catalina, coming with us?”

Catalina looked around at her friends, their eyes filled with betrayal. Not because she was packing her items to leave, but because she was now declared the front runner on the prize known as Toro. An unforgivable action to his fans.

After Catalina apologizes for leaving, we head for the lunchroom.

“Did Hiroto really say he wanted to eat with me?”

“Nope, Manami wants to.”

“Manami? Thank you for getting me out of there.”

Manami responded with a nod, and we soon arrived at our table. Toro had spread out his items across the table as usual.

“Catalina?”

“Hiroto, may I eat with you?”

“Y-yea.” Without hiding his excitement, he began to pull his items in.

I stopped him. “Manami, mind sitting beside me?” Manami shakes her head and I pull out the seat across from Catalina for her.

I had two things on my mind. First, the table space I’m sitting at is being taken by Toro, which means I have nowhere to put my food.

Last Wednesday Manami began making me lunch. So, seeing as I have nowhere to put it, Manami will keep it near her. And my plan will succeed because of those two factors. Now, I just wait.

“Oh, I’ll feed you then.” Manami opens my bento she made and picks out something for me. “You really like the burger meat, right?”

I nod my head. Holding back the tears of satisfaction, I enjoy the greatest meal of my life yet.

Catalina stares at us in disbelief. But after processing the scene, she and Toro have some awkward conversation.

I watched the blossoming flowers in front of me. It’s slow and painful, but with a bit of help it’ll become something beautiful.

Toro needed to meet with his coach, so he left ahead of us. I wish he hadn’t, as the aftermath of my earlier actions was barreling at us much faster than I anticipated.

Although Toro has a seat with a view to the entrance of the lunchroom, the windows behind him offer some reflection.

No fans came today. I watched as each of them turned away with fury in their eyes after seeing Catalina, the leading beauty of school. Behind Manami that is.

The fans didn’t worry me much. But seeing her friends appear for a moment alerted me to the mess that was to come.

As the three of us walk back to our class, it starts.

“Catalina.” The main suspect grabs Catalina by the arm with a smile a con artist gives their next target. “Come with us really quick, ok?”

Manami was unable to stop them despite wanting to help. I could tell from her trembling arm that she wanted to reach out and pull Catalina with her.

Catalina didn’t do better. She still isn’t brave enough to object to her friends. “Fine. I’ll see you guys in class.” They leave for a dead-end hallway.

I didn’t move. Manami’s breathing became loud and fast. Then she clenched her teeth, but her arm wouldn’t stop shaking. Perhaps her pent-up frustration was beginning to reach a breaking point. I know all too well what that feeling is like.

I’m sorry, Manami, but you’re much more helpful here than I am.

I walked behind Manami, grabbed her by her shoulders, and pushed her forward.

“Myo, wait!”

I didn’t respond.

·

“So, you’re after Hiroto now?!” Hana, a girl with short black hair, thick eyebrows, and fair skin – also Myo’s prime suspect – slams the wall behind Catalina. Her two associates, looming behind her.

Jade, the tallest of the bunch with long, light brown hair. Her freckles are one of her biggest insecurities and she hates Catalina’s clear and beautiful skin.

Sonia. Only a bit taller than Catalina, but the one who dressed to impress. She always wore a fashionable sweater or the like. She had her hair done to give herself a chic look but despised Catalina’s naturally beautiful hair.

All three fans of Hiroto. All three furious at their friend who had taken leaps past their years of effort in less than a week.

A slight that will not be forgiven.

Hana continued talking. “What gives you the idea that Hiroto wants a girl like you? Some… some slut like you.”

Catalina avoided eye contact with all three in front of her. She would have begged for forgiveness just a few weeks back, but she didn’t regret eating with Manami and the others.

She’s afraid. Her life is miserable every time the rumors of her spread. And they spread without fail whenever she upset some girl in the school.

“It was you, wasn’t it.” Catalina muttered.

“What was me?” Hana replied.

“You spread those rumors of me again. Even though they aren’t true. You know they aren’t true.” Her voice no louder than a rat’s squeak, Catalina reveals her knowledge. She knew but would have nowhere to run should she confront Hana. She feared being outcasted and alone. If the rumors spread once more, living hell would return.

But it felt no better to sit with the lying snakes she calls friends. She can no longer tolerate sitting with them and her misery is blatant.

“So what?” Hana replied. “Some girl like you will never struggle. You’ll find someone soon enough. But why not let us have a chance as well? Or do you look down on us?”

“I’ve never done that.”

“Yes you have!” Jade yelled. “Those sly remarks about how we look. Saying how effortless it is for you.”

Catalina is in tears now. “I… I’m sorry if it was ever like that.”

“That’s not what I want.” Hana replied. “Say you’ll stay away from Hiroto.”

They waited for a response. And after it became clear she wouldn’t agree to their terms, the insults began once more.

The last being the most common Catalina heard. “You’re a slut!”

“No, she isn’t!” Manami, who just arrived after Myo pushed her forward at the start of the hallway, embraces Catalina. “Don’t ever call her that again. You’re supposed to be her friends!” Manami also had tears of fear and anger streaming down her face.

Catalina could feel Manami’s body tremble as she was hidden underneath her thin arms. She tried to free herself, but Manami only made her embrace tighter.

“Manami?” Hana laughed at the arrival. “Don’t tell me you’re looking down on us too now that you got a boyfriend. I’d give you some credit if it was Hiroto, but you ended up with the loser Myo. I mean, I guess even he thought it might be worth it to get an easy fling from the loner in class.”

Manami’s eyes narrowed. The timid girl lifted her hand in an angered response to Hana’s words. Not the words about her, but about Myo. Everything else blurred as she brought her hand down towards Hana.

Catalina, sharing Manami’s anger, also threw a slap aiming to inflict heavy damage with the speed it moved at.

“Woah there.” Myo grabs Manami’s and Catalina’s hands before they can connect with Hana. Manami looked at Myo with anger still in her eyes, as if she was insulted by his interference.

“Hmph, speak of the devil.” Hana, having scrambled to defend her face, made herself appear unbothered.

Myo held up his phone and hit play. A video played and, after it moved past the point of Myo pushing Manami down the hallway, it showed the three girls berating Catalina. The video stops as Manami embraces Catalina.

“You wouldn’t tell a teacher.” Hana said with a smug smile.

“I wouldn’t, but I happen to have this friend…” Myo returned the smug smile to the three girls.

“…Whatever.” And with that, the girls left.

Manami stuffed her face into Myo’s left chest and pounded the other side. Her attack would’ve done more damage to herself had she connected with Hana. “Why’d you stop me?” She muttered.

“Well, I’m a pretty jealous guy.” Myo grabbed Manami’s hand and pressed it against his cheek. “So, I’d prefer it if you only touched me. But.” Myo turns Manami to face Catalina. “I’ll allow it just this once.” He pushes her toward Catalina.

They didn’t exchange words. Manami held her arms out and Catalina hugged her until it was time to return to class.