The stares were beginning to get to Kazuya. The lecture hall was quiet with the exemption of the processor's somewhat nasally voice describing the properties of Bull and Bear Markets.

However, the carrot top could hardly pay attention when he could feel the stares on his back, the snickering and side glances his way. He simply wasn't used to this level of attention, most of his life preferring to blend in with the rest of the crowd.

After all, drawing attention to yourself just made you a target. And Kazuya had unknowingly painted a massive one upon his back for the whole world to see.

Or rather, she did.

What the hell was I thinking, going on that date? Kazuya thought derisively. If I hadn't…If I hadn't met her then I wouldn't be–

Kazuya's thoughts were interrupted by the monotone bell blaring into the room, signaling the end of the class. In his haste, he tripped on the half-step leading towards the entryway leading to a wave of snickers, laughs and even muted giggling from girls behind him.

Those hurt the most.

Forcing his head down to obscure his embarrassment and scratching his hair to hide his reddening ears, Kazuya scurried out of the classroom.

Kazuya took many twists and turns around the modular halls of Tokyo U, keeping his gaze down. He forced down the urge to sprint as he walked past the stares, snickers and passive onlookers.

Making his way through the building into a largely unpopulated courtyard behind, he sat himself on the empty bench. Leaning his neck upwards, he took a breath.

Why the hell did this have to happen? The college student mused as he stared towards the misshapen clouds. If he knew this would have been the outcome of that date, he would have never considered it. He had just wanted to feel normal again, to have a cute girl pay him some attention.

Obscuring his face with his hands, he continued his soliloquy. Damnit, if I had only just…!

"Told you he'd be here," said a squirrely voice.

"Calm down, speedy. Predicting where Kuzuchin is going isn't exactly rocket science, you know?" said a jovially, mocking voice off to the left.

"You guys…"

Kibe and Shun walked towards the bench, both casually giving a wave and V sign "Yo, Kazuchin, ya cloud gazin' again? Be careful, I can assure ya that this time that Cumulonimbus cloud isn't Mrs. Shirayuki's thigh—"

"Shut up, that was one time dammit. And I was in middle school!" the offending boy shouted, flushed.

Kibe merely laughed in good jest before replying. "So? You act like ya wouldn't do the same now?"

"How far our friend has fallen," Shun merely clicked his tongue playfully. "Shameful."

"Like you're one to talk!" the carrot top shouted. "You did the same thing! But it was Mrs. Takagi!"

"Fool that you are." Shun responded, smirking, pushing up his glasses. "I will gladly suffer one thousand cuts as long as you suffer one thousand and one."

"I will remember this betrayal."

Shun merely nodded. "You shall and you will do nothing." Kazuya wasn't able to hide his tired but bemused smile. "Asshole."

Kibe took the liberty to sit next to Kazuya, staring up towards the sky. Shun sat on the edge of the bench. A moment of silence passed between the three men.

"So…" Kibe broke the silence. "How ya feeling right now?"

"Heh." the boy in question gave a scoffing laugh. "Not…not good at all actually."

"...Yeah, I figured." the balding man leaned forward, clasping his hands. "Hey, Kazuchin, you remember back in high school when we skipped class to that new Karaoke spot?"

"Uhhh, yeah, kinda?" Kazuya's eyes shone with recognition. "OH! Yeah, that was when we bet Shun to shoot off Mr. Hiruta's wig with his spitball!"

"My aim was true. My purpose? Just." Shun replied, smiling at the memory of his accomplishment.

"God, we had gotten into some much trouble. Pretty sure I almost cried," Kazuya laughed to himself.

"And obviously to avoid more trouble. We skipped his class the next day as if that helped," Kibe shook his head before continuing. "Anyway so when we went to the karaoke joint, as soon as you walked in, yer clumsy ass somehow walked right into the back of this guy's girlfriend causing both you and her to fall."

"It was a real Keitaro-Love Hina moment" Shun interjected.

Kazuya scratched his check. "Y-yeahhh…? I was kinda suppressing the memory though…"

"Remember what ya did after?" Kibe questioned.

"Uhhhh….?"

"Full. Dogeza. It was amazing how perfect and fast you did it, unironically. If you were born centuries ago and the Shogun saw that, they spare you out of sheer pity." Kibe said, smirking.

The peached-colored boy, "Oi, you supposed to make me feel better, not worse!"

Kibe ignored his friends flustering. "Obviously despite all that beggin', that boyfriend looked about ready to punch yer lights out. Of course, we stepped in as usual. Which obviously turned all that aggression towards us." Kibe turned towards Kazuya, with a serious expression on his face. "And you know what you did as soon as that happened?"

The boy in question blinked, unable to recall. Kibe scratched his chin as looked forward. "You stood yer ass up and immediately shielded me, moanin' to the guy how it was 'all yer fault' and that 'you should take it out on me instead' all while shivering yer ass off."

"Oh…. I do recall doing that."

"Honestly, you lucked out when the girlfriend de-escalated and led her boy out of there. Of course, we were banned from that Karaoke spot. Thought it was a bit extreme but fair enough" the balding man shrugged.

"Banned and not even for doing anything spicy to justify it. Denied our high school karaoke scene…" Shun complained half-jokingly, wiping an apparent tear away.

"I don't even know what I'm trying to say but I guess…" Kibe said, scratching his head in frustration. "Look, yer a lot of things Kazuya. Not always good and honestly a lot of bad but, when you get the chance to. You do step up. You own up to what you have to do and that says a lot."

"You-you think so…?" Kazuya questioned, unsure.

"Yeah," He nodded. "I guess what I'm saying is face this shit like when you stood up to that guy. All this stuff happening to you? It's all just one moment of yer life. But don't let it dictate yer life."

Shun patted Kazuya on the shoulder. "You got this, man."

Kazuya stayed silent for a time, digesting their words before standing up. "Thanks, guys… I'll-I'll try."

Kibe stood up and slapped him jovially on his back. "Sure thing, bud. Also call yer grandma, I know you've been ghosting her lately."

"Gah! How'd you–!?"

"Bro, come on, we play PVP in Azur Lane with her. Let's not kid ourselves here."

Kazuya gave a long-suffering sigh as the phone in his pocket became heavier.

"She's been there all yer life, man. Who else is gonna be in your corner if not her? She'll understand. And if she gives you a hard time, don't worry, we will be there to make fun of you, so she feels bad for you and comforts you anyway."

"The things we do for friendship are astounding." Shun smiled, showing off his buckteeth.

"You guys are assholes but, really, thanks." Kazuya genuinely said, his relief showing. A weight lifted off his shoulders if not momentarily.

Kibe suddenly wrapped his arm around his neck. "But grandmom's can be talked to a bit later. For now…."

"It's Karaoke time baby!" the bespectacled man pointing finger guns.

"Huh?!"

Kibe gave a sly look. "That story got me nostalgic. Let's go sing some Baka Mitai!"

"Finally," Shun pushed up his glasses like a certain villain. "My rendition of Love Deterrence will be heard by all."

"Uh, no offense, Shu but..." Kazuya said, stammering to construct his next sentence nicely but failing. "But your singing kinda sucks."

"Silence, hater. Just try not bump into someone's girlfriend and get us banned from this one." Shun said monotone.

Kibe patted his back. "Now that's out of the way, all we got to do is to get ya to stop thinking with yer dick and you will finally be a normal member of society."

Kazuya merely grumbled but didn't bother to hide the smile on his face.

Mami was irritated.

In fact, she's been irritated a lot recently. Of course, she didn't bother to show it. That wouldn't do. Showing irritation, especially when it's caused by another person, is a weakness. Showing blatant annoyance or anger at someone else's words means you lose.

Words in and of itself aren't power but how you use it is.

It was one of the few if only lessons from her father she took to heart. Words can manage, manipulate, help, tease, and break people. The power of language always fascinated Mami, it's why she minored in it under her business major.

Knowing this, she never allowed the words of others to truly get to her, it wasn't perfect of course. Someone will say something every now and again will say something that'd twinge at her wall so to speak. But typically, those were actions rather than words.

So why? Mami pondered as she stared down at her phone in growing impatience. Why did that bitch's words get to me?

Perhaps because that rental whore thought she was better than her? No, that wasn't it. She encountered many little girls who thought they were better and yet could never own up or have their petty words shake her?

Was it because of that loser Kazuya? Mami would admit that under normal situations she'd be somewhat peeved that the loser would have moved on from her and so quickly if it wasn't for the fact that it was revealed she was in fact a rental.

While the act itself was still irritating to the blonde (which was why she sent those three idiots at her) she still couldn't pin it completely on that alone. No, it was something deeper than that.

No. It was that she didn't care. No, perhaps a better phrase would be that she didn't let it bother her. She still strided on to class without a care in the world, despite everything. And while it was obviously an act to seem tough that Mami could obviously see through, the fact she could do it in the first place bothered her.

That despite renting herself out to sweaty, lonely losers on the daily for money and everyone knowing about it she had the gall to say what she said to me.

Mami hated that.

Suddenly her phone rang, the girl she had sent to follow Vanessa was returning her call finally. Mami's shallow eyes and dour demeanor disappeared as she pressed the button to facetime.

"Ohayo! Oh, I'm sorry, what was your name again?" Mami asked the somewhat forgettable girl's name.

"...Miyuki." the girl in question replied.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Mami apologized, placing a dainty finger on her cheek. "So can you tell me what you saw, Miyuki-chan?"

"So, uh yeah, so that Vanessa girl left the campus like 30 minutes ago or so? I think she left after reporting that weird looking professor and um, she met some girl?"

A girl?

"What did she look like?" Mami asked, tilting her head.

"Well, um she was small and had blue highlights and was really loud um–"

"Ah ha, I'm sorry Miyuki-chan but do you mind being more specific? Oh and can you do me a favor and try not to stutter so much please?" Mami politely requested as the mousey girl opened and then closed her mouth before replying.

"Uh right, sorry Mami," she apologized. "I think she mentioned she was a streamer but that's all I heard."

A streamer, she says?

"Ah thanks, Miyuki-chan. Send a picture when you can. So, anything else?"

"Um, yeah, they went to eat crepes and then went to that new Karaoke place near the campus that you sometimes like to go to."

"I see…" Mami pondered silently as Miyuki stared at her in awkward silence. "So, is that all?"

"Um, yes?"

"Thanksies, Miyumi-chan. I'll call you back in a bit!" Mai said waving into the camera.

"It's Miyuki–" Before she could finish the call ended as Mami contemplated further.

Mami knew that in all honesty holding a grudge against some girl she barely knew whose already been socially ostracized served no purpose. She was self-aware enough to acknowledge this fact. However, Mami more than anything hated the passive, apathetic look on that whore's face as she mocked her and suddenly, she couldn't bring herself to care about how petty it was.

Mami then picked up her phone and began to text. If words alone wouldn't make her react, then actions would have to do.

Vanessa sneezed into the laughing face of Mini as her laughter immediately halted and she began to gag.

"Ahhhh, ew ew ew it went into my mouth!" Mini gagged.

"Dammnit, I hate it when people talk about me," Vanessa said as she sniffed and whipped her nose with her sleeve.

Yuka stuttered. "I-I do want to talk about you American Fuck Girl-senpai! No wait I mean to you! Oh god, wait I'm sorry—"

"Stop callin' me that!"

"Aaagggghhh I got mucus in my eyes!"