Ren pushed open the glass doors of the academy, stepping outside into the cool afternoon air. The sun had already begun to dip, painting the courtyard in warm shades of orange and red as the students went back to their homes. He leaned against one of the marble pillars near the entrance, pulling out his watch and sighing.
"Late again… Hiyori, what are you even doing in there?"
His thoughts, however, quickly drifted elsewhere. The memory of his earlier meetings surfaced—Madame Gonzalous with her mature allure, and Amanda, that fiery woman who radiated authority.
Two women… both dangerous, both impossible to control like the others…
Ren smirked faintly to himself. "Madame Gonzalous, with that mature body of hers… it's sinful just thinking about it, how great it would be to fuck her." he muttered under his breath. "And Amanda… the idea of pressing a stern woman like her onto the bed and seeing her getting all docile, someone with so much pride and power… tch, no wonder my thoughts won't stop."
He shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But it's too dangerous. They're not the type I can manipulate easily… they'd eat me alive if I'm careless."
Time ticked on. The academy grounds had emptied little by little, with most students already gone. Ren glanced at his watch again and frowned.
"Hiyori's really late. Did something happen?"
Worry settled into his chest, and he pushed himself off the pillar.
"…Guess I'll go check her classroom."
As Ren walked through the academy's hallways, the usual chatter of students reached his ears. But when he turned the corner toward Hiyori's classroom, he noticed a crowd. A cluster of boys were gathered outside, craning their necks to look inside with excited and scared expressions.
"What's this?" Ren muttered.
He pushed his way through the group. "Oi, what's going on?"
One of the boys, grinning ear to ear, turned to him. "Two girls are fighting! It's insane, they're actually going at it!"
"Fighting…?" Ren's brows furrowed. "Inside?"
"Yeah," another boy said, practically bouncing. "One of them is beating the other like crazy. Can't believe we get to see this live."
Ren frowned, curiosity piqued. He leaned slightly, peeking past the crowd into the classroom.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Hiyori…?"
There she was. His sweet, bubbly sister—except right now, she was nothing like that. Her usually neat hair was messy and wild, strands clinging to her sweaty face. She sat straddled on top of another girl, fists pounding down mercilessly. Each strike landed with a sickening thud, the poor girl beneath her twitching and whimpering in pain.
But it wasn't the violence alone that shocked him—it was her expression.
Her eyes… looked like those of a wild beast. Ferocious. Unrestrained.
"Hiyori!" Ren shouted, forcing his way past the others and into the room.
Hiyori froze mid-strike. She turned toward him slowly, panting heavily. For a moment, her feral glare softened when her eyes locked onto his. She blinked, realization dawning on her face, and quickly scrambled off the bloodied girl.
The classroom was deathly quiet. Everyone was watching.
Hiyori grabbed her bag with trembling hands, then pointed at the girl who lay groaning on the floor. "Never… never talk about my brother like that again!" she yelled, her voice echoing through the stunned silence.
Gasps and whispers erupted among the crowd, but Hiyori ignored them. Without a second glance, she stormed toward Ren, grabbed his hand tightly, and pulled him out of the room.
"Come on, Ren!"
Ren, bewildered, could only follow as she dragged him down the hallway.
Halfway through the empty corridor, Ren suddenly tightened his grip and stopped. "Wait."
Hiyori halted, looking back at him with wide eyes. "Ren…?"
"Stop running." His tone was firm but gentle.
He glanced at her knuckles—red, scraped, and bruised. Her lip was also split, blood trickling slightly. He sighed. "You're hurt. Sit down."
She hesitated but eventually lowered herself onto a bench nearby. Ren crouched in front of her, pulling out a small handkerchief from his pocket. He gently dabbed at her lip, his expression serious.
Neither of them spoke for a while. The quiet stretched, broken only by the distant sounds of the academy.
Finally, Hiyori broke it. "…Aren't you going to ask why I fought her?"
Ren smirked faintly without looking up. "I don't need to. If you did it, then it must've been for a good reason."
Her eyes widened slightly at his words.
He chuckled softly. "Honestly, I'm just glad I never annoyed you too much when we were kids. Otherwise, I'd probably be the one getting beaten up right now."
Hiyori blinked, then let out a small laugh despite herself. "Idiot~"
They both smiled, the tension slowly fading.
Ren went back to tending her wounds carefully, his touch surprisingly gentle for someone with such a sharp tongue.
Hiyori lowered her gaze. "…She asked me if you were a manhoe."
Ren froze for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "…What?"
"She said people were saying… you liked it when that girl assaulted you. That you didn't fight back and didn't look affected because you enjoyed it. She said you will suck people for money."
Her fists clenched on her lap, trembling. "She didn't even realize… how strong my brother actually is. How much you've endured. I couldn't take it anymore."
Ren stared at her quietly. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his lips.
"…So this is the first time you're not hiding your compliments behind that stubborn personality of yours, huh?" he said softly.
Hiyori's cheeks flushed. "Wha—! N-No, that's not what I meant! Don't twist my words!"
She puffed her cheeks and looked away, clearly embarrassed.
Ren chuckled, leaning forward. Before she could react, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Ren!" she gasped, covering her face with her hands.
"I'm proud of you, Hiyori," he said sincerely. "And if anyone ever makes fun of you… I'd do the same thing. After all, you're my family."
Hiyori's heart skipped, her face burning red. She fidgeted, unable to meet his eyes.
"…Y-You can't just say things like that so casually…" she whispered.
Ren only smiled.
After a moment, Hiyori stood abruptly, brushing her skirt off. "I-I'm fine now. Let's just go home."
Ren tilted his head. "So sudden?"
"I have to confess everything to Mother anyway," Hiyori said, crossing her arms. "She'll definitely get a call from the school tomorrow. Better she hears it from me first."
Ren stretched and followed her. "Don't worry. Mother won't punish you. If she knew you did it for my sake… she'd probably be proud too."
Hiyori's face softened at that, though she quickly masked it with a pout. "You really think so?"
"I know so."
They walked side by side toward the academy gates, the late afternoon light casting their shadows long across the ground. For once, there was no need for more words.
Because in that quiet, in those small smiles they exchanged, Ren and Hiyori both knew—whatever came tomorrow, they'd face it together.