[Chapter 22: The Attention Stealer]
The school year was progressing smoothly, with the cultural festival still fresh in everyone's minds. Takumi and Yuri were growing closer with each passing day, their bond becoming a quiet yet undeniable part of their school life. But, as with all things, there was bound to be an interruption.
That interruption came in the form of Kaito, a student from another class who had been making waves around the school recently. Kaito was tall, good-looking, and—according to the whispers of several girls in the school—extremely charming. His confident attitude and smooth demeanor made him an instant hit with the student body.
But there was one problem.
Kaito had developed an immediate interest in Yuri.
It started innocently enough. A simple conversation in the hallway, a compliment here and there. But before long, Kaito was paying special attention to Yuri, dropping by her classes just to say hello, lingering by her locker, and chatting with her after school.
"Hey, Yuri!" Kaito would say with a casual grin, leaning against the locker as if they were the best of friends. "I brought you your favorite snack. I thought you'd like it."
Yuri blinked, slightly taken aback, but managed a polite smile. "Thanks, but you really didn't have to—"
"Don't worry about it," Kaito interrupted, his charm oozing as he brushed off her attempt to refuse. "I just thought I'd share. You know, because you're so nice and all."
Yuri felt a little uncomfortable, but she didn't want to be rude. As Kaito continued to talk to her, she glanced around, her mind already searching for a way to politely end the conversation. However, before she could, she noticed something.
Takumi was standing at the far end of the hallway, leaning against the wall with his usual bored expression, but his eyes were locked on the interaction. And behind him, Haturo, Minato, Aoi, and Kana were all watching with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Later that day, Takumi and his friends were walking down the corridor when they spotted Kaito talking to Yuri again. The moment Takumi saw it, something inside him stirred—not with jealousy, but with something else. A slight irritation, maybe. But he wasn't going to let it show.
"Looks like Kaito's been busy," Haturo said, crossing his arms and looking at Takumi with an amused smirk.
"He's been hanging around her a lot, huh?" Minato added, his eyes narrowing in thought.
Aoi rolled her eyes. "He's trying way too hard."
Kana just smiled, sensing Takumi's discomfort. "He's definitely not her type."
Takumi sighed, glancing at the scene in front of him. Kaito was leaning in a little too close to Yuri, his hand casually placed on the locker beside her. She didn't seem uncomfortable, but she didn't seem particularly interested, either. Yet, that didn't stop Kaito from pressing on.
The moment was becoming unbearable. Takumi's friends exchanged a knowing look, and without saying a word, they quietly decided to take action.
A few minutes later, the group strolled casually toward Kaito and Yuri, their presence unmistakable. Takumi, in his usual lazy stride, made sure to walk right past Kaito and, in doing so, gave him a slight bump with his shoulder.
Kaito's eyes flashed with annoyance, but he quickly masked it with a smile. "Oh, Takumi. Didn't see you there," he said, though his tone was clearly laced with sarcasm.
"Yeah, guess you're too busy talking to Yuri," Takumi replied, his voice flat. He gave Yuri a subtle nod. "Hey, you doing okay?"
Yuri looked at him with a grateful smile, relieved that he had come over. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Kaito clenched his jaw but maintained his smile. "Yuri and I were just having a nice conversation. You know, talking about interests and stuff."
Minato stepped up beside Takumi, crossing his arms with a cocky grin. "Well, that sounds really... interesting."
Haturo leaned in from the other side. "Yeah, talking about snacks and hobbies, right? Real deep stuff."
Aoi, unable to resist, added, "I'm sure Yuri loves talking about hobbies with someone she doesn't even know that well."
Kana just smiled sweetly at Kaito, though there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. "It's nice that you're trying so hard to be friendly. But you should know that Yuri's already got some good friends around her."
Kaito's smile faltered slightly as he realized that the group wasn't going to back down. But before he could respond, Takumi casually placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder, pulling her gently toward him.
"Let's go," he said, his tone completely uninterested. "We've got stuff to do."
Yuri nodded, a little flustered but clearly relieved. As they walked off together, Takumi shot Kaito a final glance—one that said everything without a word.
As they walked down the hall with their friends, Takumi felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. It wasn't the usual tension he'd feel when dealing with these kinds of situations. No, this time, it was different.
His friends were watching him, but it wasn't with the usual teasing or jokes.
Haturo grinned. "You know, I gotta give it to you, man. You handled that way better than I thought you would."
Minato raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I figured you'd just let it slide. But it's good to see you care."
Takumi shrugged, keeping his cool. "It's whatever. I'm just making sure she's okay."
Yuri glanced up at him, a soft smile on her lips. "Thanks, Takumi."
Takumi's usual bored expression softened for a moment as he smiled back at her. "Don't mention it."
And in that moment, they both knew. Even though they were surrounded by friends and the usual school drama, nothing could stand between them—not even a guy like Kaito.