Chapter 3: Why They Live Together

Hiruma found out later on what truly happened. She decided to tell him. Mamori was humiliated in the party by her supposed 'friends' (NOT Ako and Sarah) and one of the older members in the research team. However, their other team mates and someone named Saya stood up for her so the ones shamed were the ones who tried to disgrace her.

Upon looking up background about Mamori's two classmates, Hiruma realized it was for supremacy and much of insecurity and envy. Those two had a background of being the "leaders" in class during both their middle and senior high. They are into being the centre of attention and hogging all the praise.

They both looked good except they use too much makeup while as far as Hiruma knows Mamori only uses cream and lip gloss. She only uses more make up for parties and gatherings. They are 5'4 and 5'3 in height while Mamori is now 5'6 (having gained two inches in the last two years). They have black and brown eyes while Mamori's are blue (which is rare in Japan so it made her a bit more intriguing). They stood out among others, but Mamori was more outstanding and unknowingly owned the attention that those two were supposed to be having.

He recalled how Mamori had said that she gained new friends. Those two were obviously with ulterior motive. Perhaps she knew as well but she's just too kind and ignored it; until when the truth slapped her hard at the party.

They tried to ruin her reputation, dishonour her, by accusing her of plagiarism and falsifying documents in the parts assigned to her just so she could finish it on time. They even made claims that she was often cheating in class that's why she always almost have perfect scores. They also emphasized her failure in art, how embarrassing her stick drawings were, how she was the worst in art in the whole class, but had high scores in the quizzes; perhaps due to cheating as well.

One of the third years even agreed and said she didn't deserve being included in the team since she's unprofessional, just a first year with no conviction, and a novice who prioritizes flirting with men in the football team.

When Mamori was irritated by the last statement and was about to talk, Saya stood up for her and denied allegations of cheating since Saya's seat in class was beside Mamori's and she never once saw Mamori cheat. Saya also mentioned that Mamori is intellectual and is a fast learner so she didn't need to cheat. Although, she was truly no good in art, she was good in the lecture parts.

Other members of the research team also stood up for Mamori since they saw her do her part and she even helped them with theirs when she finished hers early. Due to the commotion, the research heads needed to recheck Mamori's designated works in order to make sure that the allegations were not true. It was clean and she got a job well done instead of berating.

Mamori had gone to the veranda for some air after the rechecking. She decided to go to the comfort room and that's where things worsened. She was about to leave the cubicle when she heard her two 'friends' enter. They were talking about her; and she heard everything. They just made friends with her to look for her weakness. To find things she's not good at and then ruin her reputation. She heard them trash talk her and cuss her and say a lot of bad things about her that she didn't do. They were never friends. She just thought they were.

She didn't mind the thing about the research. If they doubted her ability and credibility to participate in it, it was only right that she show proofs that she really did her part. What was painful was being betrayed by people she had thought were her friends. It would have been easy to forgive them. But after she heard them say that everything was planned just to prepare her downfall; she was very disappointed. She had trusted them. She's not even angry anymore; just too disappointed that it was overwhelming.

"Hiruma-kun, please be honest with me. Am I a flirt?" she had the energy to tell him everything after wolfing the whole box of cream puffs. Stress eating perhaps.

"Huh?" Hiruma raised an eyebrow.

"They said I was. That I flirt with every man I meet."

"Baka. Why do you have to listen to what they say about you? Let them scream all kinds of things if they want. Maybe I'll have their dirty little secrets posted." He really wanted to, but he can't participate in Mamori's fights. She can win her own fights.

"Am I a flirt then?"

"You're not. You don't even know how to flirt. Idiot." If she does, things would be easier for him. But she wasn't. Not at all. She was just being nice and friendly (even to men) that is, with no ulterior motives.

"It's just that they said I'm so annoying since I flirt with everyone, go around seducing men, collecting them, and leaving them in the air. Do I do that?"

"No. Are you even seductive? I think you got zero points on that aspect." She doesn't know how to seduce. But she's innocently seductive.

"Huh?! You're so mean Hiruma-kun. How can it be zero?"

"Why not ask yourself?" he said and stifled a laugh as she checked herself out and didn't find anything wrong with herself.

"You're really mean," she said with a pout; obviously thinking that she has a proper body, how can she not have any points in being seductive. If he doesn't find her the least bit attractive, then he must be blind or have too high standards. So far almost all men she had met in the university had checked her out and their expressions clearly tell they loved her. She wasn't so innocent anymore to not know that she turns heads when she walks. A lot of people had pointed that out in high school so she at least knows how to observe those now.

"Zero right?" he grinned.

"Hmph. You're so annoying."

"How can you seduce with those small globes?" he pointed out at her boobs and she threw him one of the pillows on the couch.

"They're not small!" Mamori denied, unconsciously holding both breasts as if to make sure. Hiruma cackled loudly. (The next day she had added some things to her daily workout routine. And he laughed at her even more. Although he didn't really mind if those globes grew even more.)

"Baka. Wasn't it obvious that they just dislike you? You don't have to believe such losers. So what are you going to do with them?" he's finally returning to the topic. This was the first time she was betrayed like that (she's used to being liked by the people around her). No wonder she was so gloomy. After all that happened, it must have felt like so many people betrayed her today.

Mamori sighed. "I guess I won't hang out with them anymore. If they hated me so much they could have told me in the first place. They didn't have to tire themselves everyday with pretending to get along. And I'll be just fine without them."

"And the third year?"

"I don't know her. Maybe she just got influenced. My works speak for me. She can always check my works if she wanted."

"Should I punish them a little?" his fangs are showing as he grinned.

"NO."

"Keh, fine fine." But he did reveal to her what he was able to gather about those three. But it only made her sympathize with them.

Two weeks after that, Mamori found an apartment and left the dorm. It was small compared to Hiruma's extravagant place but it was cozy. It was owned by a grandma who has one granddaughter living with her. This time it was Hiruma who often dropped by her place. He even slept in her bed sometimes since he couldn't lay comfortably in her small couch because of his height (from 5'9 in second year high school, he is now 6'2). Month's passed by peacefully until the fall tournament began.

Saikyoudai Wizards had won the Spring tournament and they were the biggest threat to all the other teams. It was great pressure and everyone in the team did their best to train and prepare. Until when the Wizards received a mail that spelled bad news.