~ Michi ~

I took a breath before stepping out into the side alley after work. If my hunch was right… I wouldn't be alone. And, I ended up being justified in my suspicions. I tensed up as Rika approached me, about five other girls behind her. "What now?" I asked. "No, wait. That's a stupid question. Mine showed me the picture."

"I followed Ikki and saw him doing that… It nearly broke my heart." One of the girls almost started to cry after she explained how the photo had been obtained, and another turned to comfort her while glaring at me. What the hell was with them?

"We warned you to stay away," Rika hissed. There was a dangerous fire in her eyes… But with my back now literally against a brick wall, I couldn't back down.

"I'll say it again. It's not your place to assume control over anyone else's life. Every single one of you are just –" I was cut off when she slapped me. The image of my own mother hitting me like that as a child appeared in my head, and a shiver ran through my body.

Rika smirked at the involuntary tremble. "You act all tough, but it's a game. You hurt us last time, and you keep hurting us, so now I say it's high time to return the favor."

I clenched my fists, saying nothing. I'd expected this, but… The atmosphere was different from what I had thought it would be. It was so charged… So ready to become violent.

"Michi…" Musca held on to my arm tightly, fear making her voice a squeak.

Then they all came at me at once. One at a time or maybe two I could handle, but six? Not so easy. My arms were pinned, and a bag was placed over my head. Oh shit, oh shit… Could this be worse than I thought? I was pushed to the ground and felt fists and shoes hitting my body before I could scramble to my feet. When would they stop? Would they stop at all?

"Michi!" Musca screamed, unable to do a thing. She tried to pull me up, grasping desperately at my hand, but I couldn't lift myself up with the constant torrent of blows hitting me.

"You're filthy cowards! You hypocrites!" I gasped, fighting with the only thing I had left: words.

"Shut up! You don't understand the depth of our love! You think you can just toy around with Ikki's feeling while the ones who really care about him stand idle! No way! It's our duty to protect his feelings!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I raised my arms to protect my head, coughing as a foot hit my stomach with particular force. "You're protecting his feelings? You're the ones hurting him! You don't even know him… You don't even try to get past his eyes to learn that the real Ikki is lonely and sick of being that way, that he's sweet and even a little bashful, and caring… Then you drive other people away, only making the loneliness worse on him… All you care about is yourselves! How could you ever deserve to love someone like him?!" I screamed it all out at the top of my lungs. How dare they… How dare they do this to him…!

"That's enough!" I twitched when a familiar voice rang out in the alleyway, and the blows to me cease fired. Was that… Mine? "I can't stand by and watch you do this! It's wrong… Ikki would never, ever forgive you for doing this, because… Because Michi is the one he loves! And if we really love him, why would we stand in the way of his happiness? I said awful things, things that weren't me, that aren't the person I want to be…" Her voice hitched with tears, but she kept on talking, passion overflowing from her words. "Michi is right! People like us don't deserve to love anyone at all! If... If you lay another hand on Michi, I'll tell Ikki everything, and he'll never forgive you!" I felt her hands gently pulling me up, and the bag was removed from my head. She stood in front of me, arms spread out in defense, her small body trembling.

"We… We'll tell him you knew we were going to do it. He won't forgive you either." Rika scrambled to cover herself, but they all looked scared at Mine's threat.

"That's fine." Mine shook her head helplessly. "That's what I deserve. I won't let this go on… It's too terrible."

"Now." I stepped forward. "If any of you want to fight for real… Bring it, now. I've still got plenty left." At that, they all fled. I turned to Mine. "Think we got through to them?"

She started sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Michi… I'm so sorry for what I said to you... I never thought they would actually do something this horrible… I'm so sorry!"

I ruffled her hair as she bit her lip, trying not to dissolve into tears. "You did good, Mine. It's gonna be just fine. Although…" I slumped against the wall and slid to the ground. "I'm glad they didn't call my bluff just then…. I don't know if I could have taken them all like this." I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of blood trickling down my face, the searing pain of bruises forming on my body.

She collapsed to her knees too. "Can you forgive me? I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"Just… Try to get to know the real Ikki, okay?"

"I will."

"Good." I smiled. "Hey, Kent… You still there…?"

"Yes." He ducked out of the back door, coming to crouch down next to me.

Mine stared. "What? But… You left already, didn't you? I saw you. I only came back her because I was scared of what would happen, but why are you…?"

Kent smiled faintly. "Would you explain it to her, Michi?"

"Yeah. See… I'd been figuring something like this would happen. They cut my hair first and warned me to stay away from him, so I had to assume it'd only get worse. When you showed me that picture, I figured they'd be so mad they'd make a move soon. That being said, earlier I asked Kent for a favor. We took one of the video cameras from inside the store and put it out here in the shadows where it wouldn't be seen. Then I had Kent pretend to leave but circle back when he saw the fangirls coming into the alleyway. He stood right at the doorway there and took an additional audio recording on his phone. We've got hard evidence of an assault now. Little bit of leverage doesn't hurt, right?" I smiled and laughed a little, but stopped since it hurt to do so.

"That's…" Mine shook her head in awe, then turned serious. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"Is it really that bad?" I sighed. Just what I needed.

"Not really." Kent shook his head. "It's no reason to overreact."

"Of course we should overreact after what just happened!" Mine explained. "Come on…" She pulled me up again.

"No, no, it's fine… I'm fine." I gently removed myself from her grip. "I can go home and use my own first aid kit. Trust me. You two… Thanks so much for all of your help. Really. I can't say thanks enough. You really saved my ass." I ruffled Mine's hair again, smiling warmly. "Especially you, brave girl."

Her tears welled up again, and she hugged me tightly. "Michiiiiiii!"

"Ow… Easy, easy..." I laughed again.

"Mine, please go home. It will be easier for me to escort Michi without your blubbering," Kent stated.

I whacked him over the head. "Wrong! You're so insensitive."

"No, I, I get it." Mine sniffled as she backed away from me. "Michi, can I… Can I visit you sometime? I want to… I want to try hard to make amends."

"Sure, if that's what you want. We can talk later."

"Thank you."

I sighed and closed my eyes. "You know, Kent... Shit like this wears me out. But, seriously. I owe you one."

"No such obligation is necessary. I acted on my own accord. Although…" He paused. "It's fortunate that Mine intervened when she did, or else I would had to ruin my cover by doing it instead."

"I was doing okay."

"… Please don't say such obvious lies." He put one of my arms around his shoulders and one of his arms around my waist to support me while we walked. "Why did you attempt to save face in front of Mine?"

"She was worried enough without knowing how I'm really feeling." Now that it was over and the adrenaline was gone, my body was shaking a little. "It's embarrassing anyways."

"For what reason? One could argue that you were quite brave, setting up your own trap despite the potential danger."

I shrugged. "I have an image to keep, you know? Tough girl Michi."

"Ah." Kent nodded slowly. "You truly meant everything you said about Ikkyu?"

"Yeah, of course. They were hurting his chances at happiness, and he deserves better than that."

"Then, you're in love with him?"

"Wr-wrong. It's just basic decency, you know? I defend my friends when I feel like they're in trouble. It's the least I can do."

"Hm… Mine is under the impression that Ikkyu loves you."

"Well… He did ask me out. I dunno what to do about it… What do you think I should do, Kent, from an objective standpoint?"

"Ikkyu is my friend, so it's not as if I'm unbiased."

"Well, if you were unbiased, what would you say?"

"… A difficult question, since I don't completely understand the intricacies of romance. However… I would say that a yes or no answer should have come quite quickly to you. It's only a matter of wanting or not wanting. There is no need to make it more complicated than necessary."

"Hah… You're a funny dude, Kent." My situation was complicated, but did he have a point? Was I thinking about it a little too much? Of course, if I just went with my gut, there was only one answer. That answer was...