Tridon stopped in front of Natsuki's house and stepped out of his car. He walked towards the door and before he could knock on it, the door flew open and he was tackled and licked endlessly.
"The hell is going on?!" Tridon tried to block his face, but to no avail.
"No!" Natsuki yelled from in front of him, "Heel Silica!" Natsuki pulled off what was licking Tridon and sighed, "I'm so sorry Tridon. You know how Silica is whenever she sees any of you."
"I know." Tridon stood back up and pet Natsuki's dog. It was a white female Labrador puppy named Silica, "I can't be mad at a puppy. You have been training her, right?"
"Yeah." Natsuki responded, "Watch this." Natsuki took out a treat and said, "Sit Silica. Sit" But Silica didn't do anything, "Rollover Silica. Rollover." And again, nothing, "Uh. Stay Silica." Although Silica didn't do anything, she technically stayed, "There you go Silica. Who's a good girl! Who's a good girl!" Natsuki gave Silica the treat and started petting her.
"You need help." Tridon loomed over Natsuki who chuckled nervously under the shade of his body.
Later on inside, Tridon took out a small pamphlet and handed it to Natsuki. Silica laid down on her bed and fell asleep while Natsuki read over the pamphlet.
"Okay." Natsuki nodded, "Do you think we could really enter this?"
"It's a Valentine's Day bake off." Tridon explained, "So it's love themed obviously."
"But it won't be for a while. Why start planning now?"
"I want to win." Tridon answered, "Other participants are going to make decadent pastries with elaborate designs. I want people to feel bad for finishing it because they couldn't savor the moment any longer."
"So that's why you want to start a few weeks earlier as opposed to our last minute creations."
"Yes. I want us to win at least something and not a participation award." Tridon slammed his hand on Natsuki's kitchen counter and startled her, "We have to get down to business and create a masterpiece!"
"First," Natsuki walked over to Tridon and flicked off more flour out of his hair, "let's try not to make a big mess. There's still flour on you."
"I'm gonna figure out how to do a full body cleanse because it's been 3 months and people are still finding flour on me. It's annoying."
"Well, what do you have in mind for our submission?"
"We have a month to figure it out. Let's figure out the basics." Tridon walked around sighed, "It seems that the top pastries that make it to the top 3 are cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. Kinda the quintessential baked goods at a bakery."
"Are you thinking we should work towards one of those 3?"
"I say we throw a 4th one into the mix. A cookie cake."
"A cookie cake?" Natsuki nodded and smiled, "I sure do love cookie cakes."
"It'll be a good fallback and it'll be the last thing we try. First, let's see how we can make a cake taste and look amazing."
"Okay. Should we look at other people's designs or try and figure out our own?"
"Hm," Tridon tapped his head and asked, "what do you think?"
"Huh?"
"This is still your creation. I'm merely just here for moral support." Tridon pat Natsuki's back and said, "I'm also here to make sure you have a fun time making the actual pastry."
"You're right." Natsuki squat down and pulled out a massive dry erase board, surprising Tridon, "Alright..."
"Wait. How'd you do that?"
"You're not the only one that defy the rules of reality."
"There are rules?"
"I think they're laws."
"Laws, rules..." Tridon shrugged his shoulders, "They're just things that are meant to be broken."
"Exactly."
Tridon nodded and sat at her counter, "So what do you think we should do in terms of making a cookie cake look amazing?"
"Hm..." Natsuki sighed and leaned on the table, "I'm not sure if I can do art with the icing. I can draw, but I've never tried drawing with a squeeze bag."
"Well, that's why we're doing this weeks in advance so we can gameplan." Tridon pulled out of his pocket a full-sized chalkboard and said, "So we're gonna line up under center, bake this cookie cake, and deliver it to the endzone for a score!"
"Tridon..." Natsuki smiled and sighed while Tridon continued on his tangent, "You're an adorable idiot."
An hour or so later, Natsuki had slapped 2 cookie cakes into the oven and slapped her hands together. She turned around to see Tridon sitting on the ground and Silica licking his face, which was covered in flour again.
"Looks like we still managed to make a mess." Natsuki chuckled.
"Not too much though." Tridon stood up and pet Silica who walked off back to her bed, "It's a maintainable dirtiness."
"Well, we need to prepare some icing and look at some icing art for our cookie cakes."
"I brought my laptop. It's in my car." Tridon took out his keys and threw it to Natsuki, "Can you grab it for me please?"
"Oh fine." Natsuki walked outside and opened the trunk to Tridon's car. She smiled and sighed to herself, "I wonder who he's going to pick before graduation." She grabbed his bag and started to walk back inside.
However, before she could, a big rock was thrown at her and it hit Tridon's car. She quickly turned around to see her bullies laughing and holding rocks.
"Hey!" She looked back at Tridon's car and saw a light scratch, "You..."
"What?" The leader scoffed, "What are you gonna do? Get your boyfriend?"
"I..." She shied away and backed up, "He's not my..."
"What the hell?" Tridon stood at the doorway and sighed, "Why are you all so persistent?" Tridon shook his head and walked over to Natsuki. He looked at his car and wiped the scratch, "Aw man."
"You don't scare us this time." Their leader chuckled, "Come on babe!"
The girl's boyfriend walked out accompanied by 4 others. Tridon's expression didn't change as he scoffed at them.
"So you, a more than likely 20+ year old dude, can't fight me, an 18 year old high school student." Tridon laughed and leaned on his car, "I don't know if I should fight all of you off or if I should let you beat on me so when we go to the police, they'll believe a battered kid over a group of adults."
"That won't happen." The girl's boyfriend chuckled, "We have someone paying them off for the time being. So they won't do a thing to help you."
Tridon's expression change and he shook his head, "Robert..." Just as Tridon said this, the girl's boyfriend swung at him, but he narrowly dodged. However, the other guys charged Tridon.
Tridon couldn't fight back and could only block the furry of punches and kicks. So much so that he was forced to the ground and the group of guys proceeded to stomp and punch him on the ground.
Natsuki just stood speechless. She backed up towards the car and quaked in her shoes. Natsuki hugged Tridon's bag and felt something inside. She looked down at Tridon who eventually pushed the guys off of him and snatched the bag from Natsuki.
"Tridon is your..."
Tridon immediately pulled his gun out and aimed it at them. Tridon's faced was bruised and his lip busted when he aimed his gun.
"Back up." Tridon growled, "Just back up."
"You don't have the guts to..." One of the guys started, but Tridon shot right next to his leg, causing him to stumble back.
"Next time I won't miss on purpose."
"You don't..." This time, Tridon shot the same guy twice in his leg, causing him to fall to the ground, grasping his leg, "Ah!"
"Like I said..."
The girl's boyfriend growled and helped his friend up, "You wanna play like that! Watch next time! We'll even it out!"
"Even it out?" Tridon shook his head, "You tried to jump me because you can fight yourself!" The group didn't retaliate as they dragged their injured friend off. However, the head girl shook her head before joining back with her group.
Tridon slid onto his car and sighed. Natsuki squat down next him and wiped some of the blood off his lip with her finger.
"The girls are gonna ask some questions when I get to school tomorrow." Tridon breathed heavily and looked over at Natsuki who teared up, "Hey..." Tridon put a hand on her shoulder and Natsuki tackled him for a hug, "Natsuki?"
"I'm so sorry for always getting you mixed up with them." She sobbed into his chest and continued, "Here you are bruised and possibly in trouble because you shot one of them."
"I'm sure the police will..."
"Tridon. They did this because Robert gave them a pass. We're barely into our second week at school and things are already bad!" Natsuki gripped Tridon's shirt just as Silica strolled outside.
"Natsuki," Tridon started, "I already said that I'd do anything to protect you and the girls. Even if I'm brutally beaten, shot, or mortally wounded, I'll always be there for you." Tridon slightly pushed Natsuki off and wiped tears from her eyes. Silica moved next to her and licked the tears off her face.
"But..."
"Don't worry about my well-being. You know I can just snap myself back to normal."
"C-Can I actually help take care of your bruising and busted lip?"
Tridon chuckled and nodded, "Sure thing."
Back inside her house, Natsuki turned off the oven and walked over to Tridon who was sitting on her couch. He held an icepack on his face and sighed.
"It doesn't hurt too much?"
"It'll probably be sore tomorrow." Tridon leaned back and closed his eyes, "I even said this would happen."
"I know." Natsuki mumbled, "I overheard you and Monika talking one day. After they tried to mess with me last time. I overheard you talking about how her boyfriend would do this."
"I was thinking that you might've."
Natsuki dabbed Tridon's lip and held it on there for a second, "Again, I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Tridon sighed and looked out the window, "I'm probably gonna have to explain that scratch to my mom when she sees it this coming spring break."
"Is that not really your car?"
"Yes and no. It's my mom's car, but she's letting me use it until I get my own."
"But you don't have a job."
"You don't have to say that." Tridon leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, "My mom has been bugging me about getting a job. She says that 'If I'm living on my own, I need to provide for my own'. I know it's just her way of saying 'Come back home. We miss you'."
"Your family is very close to you huh?"
"I guess after my father passed away, they're just worried about the next man in the family passing on them." Tridon looked at Natsuki for a second and added, "Well, I guess you girls would feel the same way."
"Obviously." Natsuki confirmed, "Yeah we all have feelings for you, but nothing is worse than losing a friend. Especially one that you love."
"You know," Tridon started, "I could make myself immortal with my power, but there's no point."
"Being immortal seems kinda boring in the long run don't you think?"
"Yeah. I would eventually outlive all humans and have nobody with me. Being immortal would suck."
"Do you think that's what Robert wants with your power?"
"Villains like him would probably want something generic like world domination and then the immortality. He would probably also want to control all the women in the world because the average woman wouldn't willingly be with him."
"I can't imagine myself being with that guy." Natsuki shuddered and sighed, "I don't see how anyone can see anything in him. Not only is he a jerk, but he's a pedophile for trying to marry high school girls. It's horrible."
"I hated myself everyday when Erica married and moved in with that scum bag." He turned to Natsuki and asked, "You do know she's still working with him now, right?"
"Kinda figured that..."
"Tiffany told me that she's not directly working with him because she still loves him. She's doing it to get all of you girls out of the picture."
"That's scary to think about." Natsuki hugged her legs and looked at Tridon, "It's even more scary when you don't the limitations of a jealous, clingy girl."
"I don't think it's too hard. Just think Sayori on a much more psychotic scale."
Natsuki took a second to think about it and nodded, "Yeah I can see it now."
"So did you stop the oven?"
"Yeah. I don't know what else to do after all that."
"Uh, do you know how to hide these bruises so the girls don't question anything?"
"I think I can manage something. Come on." Natsuki grabbed Tridon's hand and led him to the bathroom.
That next day, Tridon walked out of his final class and noticed Natsuki waiting for him. He smiled at her and joined her.
"Hey there Natsuki. Out early?" The two started to walk together and he asked, "Did you sneak out?"
"Don't paint me in that light you jerk." Natsuki lightly punched Tridon's arm and laughed, "My class let out just slightly earlier than yours. Remember, it's art class."
"So did you just make your way here because you got out earlier?"
"Hehe..."
"Geez." Tridon pat Natsuki on her head and said, "Don't risk yourself just to wait for me."
"I'll be fine."
"I just hope your makeup can fool them. So far, they haven't said anything."
They arrived to the club room together and were instantly met with glaring, accusatory eyes. Tridon chuckled and looked at Natsuki who shrugged her shoulders.'
"What's going on girls?"
"You didn't think we'd notice?" Sayori started. She reached forward and grabbed his wrist, "You two are holding hands!"
"Huh?" Tridon looked at his hand confusingly and muttered, "When did...?" He looked over at Natsuki who looked away blushing, "You..." Before he could get his sentence out, he was suplexed by Sayori and armbarred by Monika and Yuri, "Ah!"
Natsuki watched Tridon being attacked by his friend and saw Lola walk up behind her. She looked down and then to Natsuki.
"Does this happen a lot?" Lola asked.
"You'd be surprised." Natsuki asked. She smiled softly and looked at Tridon, "I'm pretty sure I cemented myself as his number 1. Good luck catching up girls." Natsuki chuckled and smiled brightly, "I'll gladly take my crown when he chooses me."
A/N: I'm so sorry that this was late. I've been extremely busy with other stuff (twitch, youtube, wattpad etc). So I wasn't able to properly type this chapter out. I'm still contemplating on whether or not I should dedicate more chapters to creative writing tips. Like how I wrote the haiku chapter in the previous volume. So far, I've started writing 2 chapters that's centered around creative writing fun facts and tips. One being on Shakespeare and his style. The other about using a Story Bible and the infamous "Idea Dart Board" trick. So if you lot would like some of my own insight on creative writing, then be sure to voice your opinions in the reviews. Thank you everyone and I'm about to sellout a little. So if you don't want to see me sellout, then skip over this.
Ahem! I have been graciously sponsored by Rogue Energy. Rogue Energy is an energy drink company that specialize in powdered energy drinks and they were gracious enough to sponsor me. They have a variety of flavors with my favorite being Strawberry Lemonade so far while my sister has enjoyed Mango Pineapple. So if you could, please check out Rogue Energy and use discount code "NOCA" at checkout for 10% off your entire purchase! If you aren't too keen on owning an entire keg of powder, they have starter kits so that you can try out some of their flavors and obtain a shaker. So if you'd like to support me further than just following me on Fanfic, Twitch, YouTube etc. Then check out Rogue Energy!
