Chapter 41

The table was deathly silent. Wait, not just the table but the entire cafeteria. All eyes were on Ryu who was sitting next to me. I was inwardly laughing at the situation. Wasn't it last week that I was being a devil? Getting mad at people for little to no reason, being in an irritable mood, making their lives hell just because my life wasn't going right. And now, here I am, grinning from ear to ear for I finally have Ryu.

I cleared my throat and stood up but before I could even say a word, everyone stopped staring and continued eating. I smiled to myself as I sat down. Maybe being a little tyrant wasn't so bad.

"Okay, this is absolutely weird" Toshiro whispered to me. "Why is he here?"

Ryu's face was completely expressionless. I knew he was uncomfortable so I ignored Toshiro and tried to make Ryu feel better by pushing my lunch to his front. "Here, eat something"

He smiled then pushed it back to me. "Thanks but I've already had lunch".

His eyes travelled down to my crotch area then back up to my eyes.

Fuck. My cheeks warmed as I recalled what happened a while ago in class so I ducked my head and covered my face with my hands. How could he do this to me!

Yua suddenly burst out laughing, gaining our attention. " You already had lunch?" She asked

Ryu. "Oh puh-lease, quit trying to be modest and just eat. How can you pass up luxury food you can never afford?"

What the-

"The fuck Yua" I cursed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh I'm sure Ryu knows exactly what she's talking about" Sakura put in then gazed at Ryu with a sneer. "Right Ryu-kun?"

Ryu's jaw tightened and his fists clenched. I was totally confused. Why were they picking on him all of a sudden? Weren't they getting along at Sara's party? Didn't Sakura say she would definitely sleep with him if she could? Why the sudden drastic change?

Yua proceeded to explain. "We found out that Ryu here is as poor as a street rat. Candise said he lives in some shabby old crappy house on the outskirts of town"

"And he drives a rusty old truck" Sakura said, shifting further away from him as if he would infect her with poverty.

"And now he dares to pretend as if he isn't hungry" Yua said. "What a joke. Here, you can have mine too. I'm sure you're starving". She slid her food box to him. "In fact, you can wrap it up in your clothes or something to take back to your poor stinky mother. Bet the old hag is starving to death"

"Yua!" I snapped, banging my fist on the table. "Stop this!"

"Don't worry Aito-kun. I get what you're trying to do" she said. "But helping street rats like him will cost you. I bet he just wants to be your friend so he can mooch off you"

"What the hell! Ryu is not like that!" I defended.

"And how do you know?" Haruto asked me. "You hardly ever speak to him"

Fuck I didn't know what to say. How could I defend Ryu without exposing our relationship?

Ryu on the other hand, remained silent. His face was as still as the surface of an undisturbed lake. I dreaded his expression because it felt like the calm before the storm.

"Well I don't give a fuck whether you know him or not Aito" Sakura said. "Poor people like him only befriend the rich so they can steal from them and then stab them in the back"

No. No Ryu will never do that.

Yua threw him a look of disgust. "You think we don't know your plan,

Ryu? You think hanging out with us will make you rich or what? Better crawl back into that dirty hole you came from and stay the hell away from us.

Aito may be kind to you but we won't"

Toshiro, who had been quiet all these while burst out laughing. "Damn I never thought the cool looking Gotou Ryu was so poor. How can you even afford this school? What does your mum do? Is she a maid? And your dad? I bet he licks the mud off people's shoes"

In a flash, Ryu had Toshiro's head flat on the table. He raised it and smashed it again, staining the surface with blood.

The cafeteria went silent and I watched, feeling useless.

Ryu was livid. The veins in his forehead looked like they were about to pop.

"Ryu-"

"Shut it!" he snapped at me and I flinched. "You don't know shit about me!"

Toshiro, who was bleeding, chuckled in a mocking manner. "Aww are you hurt because I insulted mummy and daddy?"

Fuck. They should really stop provoking him.

"Maybe mummy isn't a house maid. No wonder you can afford this school. Could she be... a sl-"

Ryu slammed his head harder before he could complete the sentence. " Say it!" he shouted. "Fucking say it and I'll knock all your teeth out!"

The cafeteria went haywire. Students began to gather around our table to watch the show. They had their phones out, recording everything. Damn it! If this goes out, Ryu might be expelled.

I grabbed the phone of the person closest to me and smashed it on the floor. "Get the fuck away!" I yelled. "If I see this anywhere online, I will fucking hunt the culprit and make the bastard's life hell! Scram!"

They scattered like disoriented chickens.

Toshiro spurt crimson liquid from his mouth but laughed nonetheless. It angered me that they were making fun of Ryu this way and there was nothing I could do.

Where was all the shit I talked about protecting him from them? I'm all bark but no bite. Just like when they bullied Aera and I did nothing. I'm completely and utterly useless.

"Let him go Ryu" Yua said. "We have the power to put your sorry ass behind bars for life. Think before you hurt him further"

Ryu only tightened his grip.

"Aito do something!" Sakura said, shaking me.

I gazed at Haruto but he only turned his head away, like it had nothing to do with him.

Toshiro suddenly grabbed Ryu's hand and twisted it, setting himself free. He reared his fist back to punch Ryu but I quickly shielded him with my body and the punch landed square on my jaw. It was so hard I staggered a few steps back.

A chorus of gasps filled the cafeteria. Yua and Sakura had their mouth agape, Ryu had a look of complete shock while Toshiro paled, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Fuck Aito, are you alright?" He asked me, moving closer to inspect my jaw but I slapped his hand away.

"Don't fucking touch me you jerk" I snapped, wiping the blood off the corner of my mouth. "What the hell was that about? How can you guys be so insensitive? Ryu and I had sorted our differences and I brought him here so we could all get along but you guys treated him like trash! I'm so disappointed in all of you!"

"We should be the ones disappointed Aito" Yua said. "You had such good taste. How can you be friends with someone that isn't even quarter of your standard? He doesn't deserve you"

"Like hell he doesn't!" I yelled. "Ryu is-"

"What is going on here?!" A deep voice boomed, cutting me off.

We all turned to see our principal standing by the double doors of the cafeteria. He assessed the situation and pointed at our group. "You six, in my office, right now!"

I glanced at Ryu but he avoided eye contact with me. His expression was so cold. I felt a pang of pain in my heart, like someone stabbed me with a million pins.

Fuck.