p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b95e62828742812bba278f54535ca1d8"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Months of blood, sweat, and tears. Brutal, merciless, daily training on the field. Blood-boiling events that were so controversial that even the entire government body would have a tough time figuring out what was right or wrong. Satou endured all of this and became a top-level fighter who may have even surpassed the Ice Witch. All this, and yet, he still gets beaten up and abused on a daily basis by Shiraume: a highly violent, irrational, stubborn, and Oshiroi-obsessed student who just so happens to have it out for him for whatever reason. And what has he done?/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d1267c814594e11915309f6e8df15c24"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Absolutely nothing./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="28f01e36e55e6195acf509c0eaa9f797"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He'd tried to reason with or ignore her but she just keeps coming back. Today, she'd gone just a little too far, breaking nearly every bone in his body by knocking him out of the third floor building with a metallic bat. Now he lays here in a hospital room, surrounded by a very off Oshiroi, a teasing Shaga, and a worried Yarizui. Now usually, he'd just get uber-frustrated, deal with whatever long-term effects the abuse gave him, let it go, and then try to endure it the next day, but he decided against that ridiculous cycle for two reasons:/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="db4648e49d0b0ac08f76a53ade51ed6d"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"1. He could've lost his life today. This is the furthest she's ever gone with her attacks before./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="21fe424d7da65ddfd5ccccd73c667ad5"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"2. Yarizui said something that changed his outlook:/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="092ff7ffa5ca02fce145c99c56d35337"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"FLASHBACK/span/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7fa66a089f9580c25dad3dd45b9e5a15"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Satou, why do you keep letting this happen to you? Even if she isn't a wolf, you have a right to protect yourself."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b33b553059781030bf782833c80245bd"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Satou felt guilty just seeing the sheer amount of worry and attention his senpai was giving him./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d22aa0c012dd704dd0fc9e598b27d4bd"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""T-this is nothing- ITTE!" He winced when Yarizui lightly flicked random parts of his body./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0c4dd7265eb724fd6a6412389c5b24f2"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Satou!" It wasn't very loud, but it was yelling for her, whom usually spoke in monotone, and it definitely got his attention./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5d8dfb4ae35f21a2c0d8207fc8068520"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I hate seeing you get beat up every day for no reason! I hate men who do nothing when a girl is getting hurt." Yarizui stopped there, hoping Satou would get the message, but he didn't quite understand. This frustrated her even more, since she's not used to showing this much emotion to others./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="61ecbb818d7153a9d58a417b51176749"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""But I'm the one who's-"/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="088975b24eff054a61f4cfc7ade4b0c1"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""That's why it hurts! It hurts me a lot seeing you take this kind of abuse – almost losing your life just because of someone else's obsession! Don't you get that Satou?" Yarizui's voice was a shaky whisper in the last sentence. She turned away so he wouldn't see the tears, her weakness./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e7abe92f37d41af8270e59083ed2aedc"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Senpai-" He stopped short when he saw Yarizui suddenly burst in full sprint out of the room. The tear drops that remained on the floor between the hospital bed and the door didn't go unnoticed either./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1920ced8fb910eac8745f3cf7183f529"em style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Senpai..."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="56fcc6d294365b6e9c136cc473e4de11"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"FLASHBACK END/span/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="78a4f3b045fb0f32409546f983f135b0"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"That was a month and a half ago. Today, to the doctors' disbelief, he's being discharged. He'd been through such grueling 'conditioning' on a daily basis that his body built up a near-superhuman recovery rate, and the fact that he often fought while injured only contributed./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b5fd6fbe5a8f3b9d208f5b85c6dc2471"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Well son, I've never seen anyone recover so quickly in all the years that I've been in this field. I still can't believe it." The doctor said with wide eyes./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d7488f504633482198467ca2cf88fd6a"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Sir, you'd believe what I've gone through to get to this point even less."/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4971f07e7162b6ef2d3b847b56423bdd"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Hahah, I doubt that."/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ebab975e588a0bbc8ad3cd5c5e056e2a"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"With that, Satou left the hospital and made his way home. Once he got to his room, he began stretching./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3b5623cde2f4f7b64e072459202496f8"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Flexibility is speed, and speed is power." /emSatou recited the concept Yarizui taught him in his head. He stopped and looked up to the ceiling solemnly./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="228476e14374a9a770cadc4d7fe02e9b"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Senpai..."/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dc78a8d89826d1dd790e1bc62a216e69"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Two Days Later/span/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="063ef95d102adf356fb35f4ddac8458a"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Finally going back to school today. Meh, it's not like people like me, nor do I pay attention in class anyway, so it's not like anybody will notice I was gone. Except her..." /emSatou thought somewhat sadly before smacking his face lightly. He had to keep in a positive mood today. He's going back to the supermarket tonight, so he's gotta keep it together./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bc2bcaeca9161baffee397623f08e72f"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"School passed by relatively uneventfully, sleeping through 1st,2nd, 3rd, and 4th period. On his way to lunch, however, he ran into Oshiroi, whom looked pretty frantic. She didn't utter a single perverted word./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2bf02b37fb82a8e515f8eb82e3298a77"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Satou-san, you're back! Hope you're better! Oh no! Hide me!" Satou didn't have a chance to say anything before she ran around him and crouched, completely concealing her petite figure behind his. It was just then that Shiraume came dashing down the hall using the same running technique as a ninja. She was dodging the crowds of people expertly before she noticed Satou. Only a month and a half? She hadn't done a good enough job last time. This was the only thought that went through her mind before she changed c ourses and burst right with new speed in his direction. Oshiroi, whom was watching from behind him let out a small "Eep!" before hiding once more behind Satou, hoping she wasn't the reason Shiraume suddenly switched routes. Satou, however just kept a stoic look about him and kept walking, causing Oshiroi to almost lose her balance and faceplant. Satou dragged her out from behind his back when he realized who she was hiding from. Shiraume immediately took action, running at Satou with a haymaker powerful enough to send a truck back a couple of feet. Oshiroi visibly flinched when she thought of what her punishment was going to be for running away. Satou, much to everyone in the immediate vicinity's shock, simply caught her punch with his hand and asked:/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="753debf00882180c80be2ada54c22a98"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""What do you want?" he asked with malice and... death emanating from his deadly whisper./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7d1789764c54917d0a696eac15547376"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Oshiroi. Why are you holding her by the arm?" She didn't wait for him to answer and immediately turned to the off brunette./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1705f8ffc0b685fe3ff62decf3a650c3"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Oshiroi, did he do something to you?"/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9bad898d4a64ac04060f911b4afed342"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""N-no-" Shiraume didn't care enough to listen in the first place as she swung her leg up for a roundhouse towards Satou's face. He ducked it again and asked dead seriously:/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a5699f7577cd0a524cd43c5172c3c3f5"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Can I get angry?" This earned him a couple of "Ohhhhs", some cheers from other abused male and creeped out female students, and a look of utter disbelief from both the girl to his left and the girl to his front. Shiraume visibly cringed shook with anger before moving to attack with her some-how-materialized metallic bat. He blocked it using the fat on his forearm so that the blunt nature of the weapon's blow wouldn't be able to break any bones. Then, as quickly as Shiraume gets angry, Satou thrust his palm outwards towards her stomach, sending her flying a good 12 feet and knocking her out cold./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="87b4945f868bc318866bfb823ba6d9f5"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Sorry, I guess I should've asked sooner." Satou left, holding a now blushing Oshiroi's hand as he escorted her to the cafeteria. Little did he know, a certain white-haired girl was watching from behind the crowd, fuming with a feeling she didn't quite recognize yet. Jealousy./span/p