Yes it's short, I know. I just wanted to get something out there to assure you guys that I'm still trying to work on this.

Where, where am I?

I open my eyes. Looks like I'm in my room, safe and sound. I sit up, examining myself for anything physical damage. Doesn't look like there's anything wrong with me. Glancing at the window, it looks like it's evening.

I wipe my head in relief, I remember eating that drugged cupcake Kirishima gave me back at that stall. I thought I'd wake up tied to a chair in her mansion or something like that. As I appreciate my good luck, my bedroom door opens, and two people walk inside: Yoshii Akira, my sister who just returned from America to check up on me, and...Kirishima?

I push myself back up against the bed in fear.

"Nee-san? Kirishima-san? What're you two doing in my room? Wait, why is Kirishima-san even in our home to begin with?"

"Shouko-chan found you collapsed on the sidewalk, so she brought you here."

"What? But she-"

"You need to eat, Yoshii-kun."

Kirishima shoves a piece of meat from the plate she put on my bedside table into my mouth. I quickly swallow it down, only for Kirishima to shove another piece into my mouth. Resigned to my fate, I slowly chew it. It does taste pretty good though.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone for now, I have to go pick up some groceries." Nee-san announces.

"But nee-san, you have no idea what ingredients are edible and which one isn't!"

"Don't worry, Aki-kun, I have a list! And Shouko-chan, if he attempts any sexual advances on you, feel free to taser him."

"...Understood."

"Whaaa? What kind of sister allows other people to taser their own brother?"

"It's for your own protection."

With that statement, Nee-san gives me a wink that I feel has dirty implications. She leaves my room and I hear the sound of the front door slamming shut.

"...Akira-san's nice as always."

"Blah, I dunno who's worse, you or Nee-san." I mutter in between bites of the dish I'm eating.

"Hey Kirishima-san, did you cook this yourself?"

"...Yes. Is it good?"

"Yeah, it's tasty. I can see why Yuuji liked your bentos."

At the sound of Yuuji's name, Kirishima flinches a bit. Silence falls again, Kirishima quietly watching me eat. Well, this is awkward. Might as well break the silence somehow.

"So...any reason why you drugged me and brought me back to my house?"

While the drugging bit seems characteristic of her, taking me back home isn't.

"...I wanted to know where you lived so I could visit you."

Scratch that, this is still the crazy Kirishima Shouko that Yuuji dealt with. But still...when she's like this now, she's not half bad. If she dropped the whole yandere act, Yuuji would definitely fall head over heels for her. Hell, even I'm starting to...wait no. Stop. She's still crazy. She has a taser. Keep it together, Akihisa!

"Ok than...still doesn't explain how you found this place to begin with."

"I went to Yuuji's house and asked him where you lived."

That bastard! He must really hate me if he didn't step in to save me.

"That makes sense, I suppose."

I place the now empty plate on my bedside table. Now that we're alone, I might as well ask her this while I can.

"Kirishima-san, can I ask you a question?"

"...What is it?"

"So...when you decided to start chasing me, was it only the whole violent bit, or do you actually like me? I kinda expected myself to die once I felt that drug in me."

"...That isn't something I can answer right now."

Kirishima gets up from the side of the bed she's been sitting on.

"...I should go."

"Aren't you going to answer my question?"

Kirishima doesn't reply, walking out of the room and ultimately out of the apartment. Shrugging, I get up and head over to the living room for some video game time. With nee-san out of the house for a bit, might as well use the time productively.

As I turn on my PS3, I start to wonder. Why did she leave when I asked her that question? Heh, I guess she's just trying to make my life a living hell after trying to stop her being with Yuuji. There's no way she could possibly like me...

The next day in school, I relay what happened to Hideyoshi, Muttsulini, and Yuuji during one of our rooftop lunches.

"Sounds fishy. This needs further investigation." Muttsulini comments while polishing his camera lens.

"Agreed. On the off chance that Kirishima-san does like Akihisa, hell's definitely going to be raised." Hideyoshi adds.

"Yeah, Kirishima-san is acting a bit off when it comes to attacking me and Yuuji. But first, Yuuji, you're an asshole for telling her where I lived."

"Well you didn't look like you got tasered! I thought you were suffering malnutrition, and I was busy cooking! At least be glad Shouko brought you home instead of her house."

"Why? I'm guess she did that to you whenever you got tasered?"

"Too many times than I can count. Half the time, I barely escaped her mansion with my life intact."

"Ugh, OK note to self, don't get dragged off to Kirishima-san's place. But speaking of investigation, Muttsulini, do you have any new intel on Kirishima-san right now?"

"My voice recorders have picked up her mentioning that she had a mutual breakup with Yuuji at their classroom, but nothing else."

"Alright, keep me informed if anything comes up."

"Right."

Placing my empty bento box back in my bad, I take a drink out of the bottled water I bought from the vending machine.

"Good thing MIzuki and Minami haven't noticed anything wrong yet..."

Apparently Kirishima dragging me away yesterday didn't tip off any red flags somehow. A stroke of luck for once...Bang! The rooftop door flies open.

"Aki! Why is Kirishima-san chasing you!"

"Akihisa-kun, explain yourself!"

Welp, I spoke too soon. Minami and MIzuki charge through the door, murderous auras emanating from their bodies.

"What're you talking about? Kirishima-san likes Yuuji!"

"Stop lying, Aki! Everyone knows they broke up, and Kubo-kun told us that he saw Kirishima-san carrying you back home!"

Goddammit, how come everyone always see me when I don't want to be seen?

"That doesn't mean anything, I swear! Guys, a little help here?"

I look down to my three friends: Muttsulini and Yuuji are busy munching away at their lunches.

"Fuuuuuuu- You guys still suck!"

"Well it's rude to butt into relationship problems." Yuuji says.

Damn hypocrite. Where'd Hideyoshi go though?

"Let's see if a little torture won't open your mouth!" Minami declares, slowly walking towards me. Not good!

I turn to run towards the bridge, but someone's blocking my way.

"...Yoshii-kun, why aren't you eating lunch with me today? I made you a bento."

Kirishima raises a blue bento box for me to see, along with...you guessed it, a taser. As much as I want to try her cooking, I have my self-preservation to worry about right now.

"What the hell, where did you come from, Kirishima-san?"

"Shouko-chan's even made Akihisa-kun a bento!"

"That's it, prepare to die Aki!"

Ahhh, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place!

"Takahashi-sensei, I challenge Kirishima Shouko, Shimada Minami, and Himeji Mizuki to a summoning battle in Combined Subjects!"

A disheveled Hideyoshi is standing outside the rooftop door, Takahashi-sensei in tow behind him...no her? There should be a third person referral for HIdeyoshi, since he's his own gender.

Takahashi-sensei takes a stunned moment to survey the situation on the rooftop: Two pissed off F Class girls and the class valedictorian staring down me, stuck between the three. Yuuji and Muttsulini are cleaning up their bentos next to me, pretending not to notice the precarious situation I'm in.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I approve!" Takahashi declares, raising her hand to let the summoning field burst forth.

"Kinoshita-kun, don't get in my way!"

"It's time for Aki's punishment, don't interfere!"

"...Don't bother trying to stop me to get to Yoshii-kun."

The three girls angrily respond in turn due to Hideyoshi's challenge. They either have to summon their avatars or risk forfeiting and being forced to take a remedial class.

"You three don't own Akihisa! Maybe this will beat some sense into thou heads! Summon!"

Hideyoshi makes a heart symbol, from which a ball of multi-colored light, signifying the fact that this is a combined subjects battle, comes out, solidifying into Chibi-Hideyoshi, wielding a naginata.

"Tch, it's come to this. Mizuki, let's finish this quickly! Summon!"

"Right, Minami-chan! Summon!"

The two girls do their own summoning pose and summon their own avatars, Chibi-Mizuki clad in white armor with a large Western broadsword, and Chibi-Minami in a naval officer's uniform wielding a sabre.

"...Looks like I have no choice. Summon!"

Kirishima spins around, a multicolored ball of light whizzing out from her. Her avatar pops out, already in battle stance.

Zooming in on Minami and Mizuki, it looks like they're having a hurried whispered conversation between them. Then Mizuki calls out to Kirishima.

"Shouko-chan, you want to focus on our common enemy?"

"...Sure."

Class F Kinoshita Hideyoshi VS Class A Kirishima Shouko, Class F Shimada Minami, Himeji Mizuki

Combined Subjects

1694 VS 4609, 1702, 4155

"To think another girl likes Aki, this is unforgiveable! You won't get in our way, Kinoshita!"

"I'm a guy for heavens sake, Shimada! I don't like him like that! Yuuji, Muttsulini, help me out here!"

Yuuji and Muttsulini glance at each other uncertainly, before getting up.

"Ah, I guess we should. We can't just leave Hideyoshi here alone. If it was Akihisa, we would've left already."

"Right. Leave no man behind. Except Akihisa."

"Screw you guys! I'm not helping you out too!"

Note to self: Get back at those two later.

"Summon!" x2

Yuuji and Muttsulini summon their avatars, the former thrusting his fist forward and the latter forming some ninjutsu seals before their respective balls of light fly forward. Yuuji's avatar looks like a delinquent, with brass knuckles as its weapon, while Muttsulini's is a ninja dual-wielding kodachi, basically shortswords. They're at a disadvantageous position though, since the three girls surround them, cutting off any potential escape routes.

"Akihisa, we require your assistance as well!" Hideyoshi yells out from the door. He's positioned behind Minami and Mizuki, so he can pull off a surprise attack on either of them easily.

"But...I don't want to help Yuuji and Muttsulini!"

"We're...OK mostly just me, but we're fighting this battle for you, damnit! Hurry up and summon!"

"Argh, fine, but only because it's you, Hideyoshi. Summon!"

I raise my hand to the sky, summoning my own avatar..

Class F Yoshii Akihisa, Sakomoto Yuuji, Tsuchiya Kouta, Kinoshita Hideyoshi

VS

Class A Kirishima Shouko, Class F Shimada Minami, Himeji Mizuki

Combined Subjects

1904, 3863, 2237, 1694 VS 4609, 1702, 4155

We all roar as we start to direct our avatars. Looks like the showdown, with my life as the stakes, has begun!