11 Ensnared - Part 4 (2/2)

I stare him down with every inch of animosity my mind can muster up.

He's completely frozen. He doesn't seem to have any idea what's going on anymore.

”Ch-chase…?”

I turn to face her. The girl they're all surrounding.

Her face is completely pale. From just a glance I can tell that she's barely holding up.

Haha, what the hell… Why didn't I realize it sooner?

Geez, I just can't help myself when it comes to you. I even told myself I shouldn't interfere, but here I am trying to save you again.

Whatever. For now, I need to make her feel safe.

And so, I decide brandish the most calm and collected smile I could muster in this situation.

”Yo, Scar… Bwegh!”

Before I could finish my greeting, a sudden shock wave of pain erupts from my stomach. It's a deafening pain–as if all the oxygen in my lungs had escaped through my mouth at once.

I look down and find a fist firmly planted in the middle of my gut.

”What the fuck, kid? Do you think you're cool or something?”

The fist, which belongs to one of Jack's band-mates, retracts as suddenly as it had appeared, causing me to crumple to the ground in pain.

Scarlet's face goes completely blank. Not a single sound escapes her quivering lips at the scene that had suddenly unfolded before her.

What the hell… That was supposed to be my cool moment…

”Dude, what're you doing? Are you trying to get suspended?”

”Are you kidding me? It was almost creepy how much he was trying to white-knight. He deserved that shit.”

”I'm with Paul, bruh. You don't deserve that kinda disrespect. You need to teach geeks like these manners”

I can barely hear what Jack and his bandmates are saying.

The pain is too much right now.

”...”

Jack looks down at me in all my glory.

I'm on my knees. I have drool running down the side of my lip. My arms are wrapped around my abdomen. I'm breathing heavily as I try to withstand the pain.

And Jack just stands there.

He stands there gazing down at me with what appears to be a look of almost pity.

”… Let's go.”

”Huh? Oh, aight…”

Jack heads towards the cafeteria with his two buddies as they reluctantly following behind him; still shooting condescending glances my way.

Okay, they're gone. Thank goodness.

”Haaa, haaa…”

All I can do is gasp for air.

Man though, this is beyond pathetic.

”A-ah…”

After finally returning to reality, Scarlet kneels down right next to my body.

”Um, uh… C-chase? Are you… okay?”

”Hahaha…”

For some reason, her innocent, almost naive question gets a laugh out of me.

”What's with you suddenly? Just a few hours ago you were going off about how much of a loser I am. Now you really do look like you could kiss me.”

”S-shut up pervert! You're still a loser! Don't think you're worth more than the rest of those geeks just because I'm a little worried, okay?!”

”Ah, that so?”

It seems like my breathing is returning to normal. I sit up against the wall and wipe the saliva off of my lip with my sleeve.

”High school students sure hit hard though, huh? I was completely winded after that one.”

Her indifferent façade crumples away. I suppose she feels guilty somehow since I got hit because of her.

”Again, why…?”

”Sorry, you're not gonna get rid of your geek boyfriend that easily.”

”…”

”We're not dating for real… You know that, right?”

I take a deep breath to try regaining my composure. Seems like we've been receiving glances from passersby.

”If you keep saving me like this then even I'd feel bad about our fake relationship…”

So I was right. She really was shivering.

I cough out loud one more time.

”You can go eat lunch with Jennifer and Momoka. I'll be fine.”

”Even if you say that, I…”

”Think, Scarlet. If you keep loitering around with me after I got beaten like that then your reputation is going to take a hit too. It'd be better if you avoided me for a short while.”

My words seem to have hit the mark. I suppose deep down she was somewhat worried about her reputation.

She immediately simmers down, looking defeated.

”You're… right. You're right, but… Are you… not going to report them?”

”Nah, it's fine.”

I begin walking to the cafeteria, still a bit groggy from the blow to my stomach.

”I think Jack at least understood what happened back there.”

”Huh?”

”Uhm… nevermind. We'll talk later.”

I leave her with those words of parting as I head into the cafeteria.