I let out a loud sigh as I sank into my seat, a weight lifting off my shoulders. "Haaaa. Yeah. So that's what happened."
I'd just finished telling Yu what happened with the boy who'd approached me, since he was really curious about it. I didn't know what he'd been expecting, but based on the sheer shock on his face, whatever I'd told him clearly wasn't it.
"Wow…" he muttered, filling the silence with anything he could. "I guess you're really hitting that age now."
I looked at him, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and let out a small laugh. "Well, in my eyes, you're always just a first grader. You were in first grade when I first met you, after all. So to me, you're still that same kid."
He paused, then lowered his hand back onto his lap. He wasn't laughing anymore—just gazing at me the way an Older Brother would. "But I guess you're growing up now—so much so that you're even getting hit on. I can't believe it!"
Just as I was about to say something, it was like a switch flipped in his head. Suddenly, his affectionate gaze shifted into one closer to worry.
"Listen. If a boy ever comes up to you like that again, you gotta show him who's boss!" he lectured, pointing a finger at me. "You can't just stay silent like that. Trust me, I know it's scary, but they won't leave you alone unless you say so. Some are clueless—and some are just pretending to be. Either way, it doesn't change anything. And if things REALLY go downhill, don't be afraid to use force. They're guys. They can take a hit. And if they can't, they probably don't deserve you anyways!"
For some reason, Yu launched into a full lecture. I got that he was worried about me, but I didn't think it warranted this reaction. And whenever I tried to say anything, his words would always just steamroll mine.
With no options available to me, I was forced to lower my head like a scolded student—even though it was summer break—and listen.
"Well," he said, slightly out of breath. "Did you get all that?"
"Yes, sir…" I murmured automatically, my mind rotted from all the information he crammed into me.
"Good!"
Geez… I can really see how he and my Older Brother are friends now. They're way too overprotective!
Now that he was finished, it was my turn to start asking him questions.
"So, Yu, you never did answer my question. What are you doing here?"
"Oh yeah. My bad."
Just as he was about to respond, whether he realised it or not, his lips curved up—further than I'd ever seen them go—into a happy smile. It was so wide, in fact, that it was hard to even look at, and I found myself squinting.
"Wellll," he said, his voice drifting off in pure bliss, almost like he was bragging. "I'm here… on a date."
The moment the words left his mouth, my eyes widened.
WHAT?!
YU'S ON… A DATE?!
SINCE WHEN?!
WAIT—I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS INTO WOMEN???
YOU'RE TELLING ME HE'S ACTUALLY ON A DATE WITH A… GIRL?!
WHY DIDN'T MY BROTHER TELL ME ANY OF THIS?!
THIS IS SO… EXCITING!
There were a myriad of girly questions I wanted to hurl at him. After all—as far as I knew, at least—this was his first time interacting with a woman romantically. Of course I'd want to know more!
But in the midst of that excitement—one stronger instinct took over.
Wait… is she even good for him?
What if she's just using him?
What if she's some conniving fiend?
Maybe this seemed like it was coming from nowhere, but I'd seen plenty of girls manipulate guys just for the heck of it. In fact, plenty of my own friends did it all the time—especially Yuka. And while I did think it was funny being able to hear the stories of what they did to them, I'd rather Yu not fall victim to that sort of thing.
Well, there's only one way to find out.
Just as I took a deep breath and prepared to ask my first question, a deep voice suddenly called out from behind us.
"Hey~ What's taking you so long, Yu?"
We both turned around. There, we were met with a woman. She had long, light brown hair that stretched down to her lower back. She was also extremely tall—taller than even my Brother, but not Yu. What stood out most, however, was her athletic build. Just from looking at her, I knew that she was a sporty, tomboyish type.
Her eyes swept the area. They lingered on Yu for a moment—then moved to me. Her face didn't show any sort of change. Instead, she walked beside Yu and lightly rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Heyyyy, Yuuuu," she said in a much more girlish tone, twirling her hair around her finger. "Who's this?"
Yu let out a small, reassuring laugh. "Oh, this? She's my best friend's little sister. She was getting hit on, so I decided to help her out a bit."
"Hmmm." Her gaze moved away from Yu and locked onto me. I remained the same way as I had been when it was just Yu and I. Same smile, same demeanour.
"I see," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "You really are such a nice guy, Yu. That's what I like about you."
Yu let out a shy chuckle.
I, meanwhile, bowed my head.
"It's nice to meet you, senior!" I greeted brightly.
Seeing this, both Yu and his date froze, staring at me with a bewildered expression.
While it may have looked like I was respecting my elders, with my head bowed this low—I was sure neither of them could see my face.
Alright, girly. I see the way you play now.
Maybe to anyone else, it wouldn't have looked like she'd done anything wrong. What kind of girl wouldn't get concerned when she saw her date talking to another, younger girl? It was simply feminine nature, and I agreed. If I saw my hypothetical boyfriend doing the same thing, I'd smack the hell out of him.
But, being a girl—I didn't miss the little things. The way her tone shifted from deep and boyish when she called out to us to something more girlish. The way she held onto his shoulder, as if claiming possession of him. The way she looked at me, like she was sizing me up.
All of these on their own meant nothing. But together—and right now—my womanly instincts were all screaming one thing.
She is such a red flag!!!