A Reliable Friend

I woke up feeling refreshed, and I saw Asami sitting on the floor next to the futon. She looked at me and gave me a warm smile, "Good morning, Atsu."

I smiled back, "Good morning, Asami. Did you sleep well?"

Asami nodded, "Yes, I did. I made you breakfast. It's a bento box, I hope you like it."

I was touched by her gesture and I took the bento box from her. "Thank you, Asami. This is really thoughtful of you."

We then went to school and met Keita in the cafeteria for lunch. Asami came up to us and handed me the bento box, "Here, Atsu. I made this for you."

Keita raised an eyebrow, "Whoa, Atsu, you're one lucky guy. Not only do you have a cute girl living with you, but she also cooks for you."

I felt my cheeks turning red, "It's not like that, Keita."

Asami looked down, clearly embarrassed.

Keita laughed, "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Let's eat, I'm starving."

I opened the bento box and was impressed with the food Asami had prepared. It was delicious and I told her so.

Asami smiled, "I'm glad you liked it. I just wanted to do something to show my appreciation."

Keita looked at both of us and smirked, "Okay, now I'm really convinced. You two are definitely dating."

I rolled my eyes at Keita's teasing, but deep down I couldn't help but feel happy.

As Asami and I were walking back to school, I couldn't help but notice that people were looking at us and smirking. I was getting a little self-conscious about it.

"Why are people looking at us?" I asked Asami.

"I don't know," Asami said, looking around nervously. "Maybe they're just surprised to see us walking together?"

We walked in silence for a few moments, both of us feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Do you think it's because of... because of what happened between us yesterday?" I asked, lowering my voice.

"What do you mean?" Asami asked, confused.

"I mean, do you think they know that we slept in the same room last night?" I asked.

Asami's face turned red and she looked away from me. "I-I don't know," she stammered. "But it doesn't matter. People can think whatever they want."

"I guess you're right," I said, trying to sound brave. "We shouldn't let other people's opinions affect us."

Asami smiled at me and took my hand. "Let's just enjoy the rest of our walk," she said.

And that's exactly what we did. We walked hand in hand, not caring about the smirks and whispers from the people around us. It was a small act of defiance, but it felt like a big victory.

As I walked out of the school gates with Asami, I saw her stepfather waiting for us. He walked towards us, his face was red with anger.

"Hand over my stepdaughter to me right now, or I will involve the authorities," he demanded.

I stood my ground and asked him, "Why are you abusing Asami? What have she done to deserve this?"

"That's none of your business. Just hand her over to me, you could go to jail for this," he threatened.

I could see the fear in Asami's eyes as she stepped forward. "It's okay, Atsu. I'll go with him," she said, her voice trembling.

My heart sank as I watched her go with her stepfather. I felt helpless and angry at the same time. I had to find a way to protect Asami, but I didn't know how.

I was feeling helpless as Asami's stepfather threatened me. I couldn't believe that this was happening right in front of the school gates. Just then, our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Nakamura, came over and asked what was going on.

"Excuse me, but what seems to be the problem here?" Mrs. Nakamura asked in a stern voice.

Asami's stepfather turned to her and said, "This boy here has taken my stepdaughter away from me and I demand that he hands her back."

"I see," Mrs. Nakamura replied calmly. "And what evidence do you have to support this claim?"

Asami's stepfather spluttered, unable to provide any solid evidence. I felt relieved knowing that Mrs. Nakamura was on our side. She then suggested that we all go to the school office to discuss the matter further.

I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have Mrs. Nakamura as our teacher. She truly cared for all of her students and I was grateful for her help.

***

In the school faculty room, Mrs. Nakamura told Atsu that legally speaking, it would be very difficult for him to win a custody battle for Asami, since he has no biological or legal relationship with her. Mrs. Nakamura explained that Asami's stepfather had all the rights over her

I told Mrs. Nakamura about Asami's situation and how her stepfather was abusing her. I also mentioned that he was threatening me and demanding for Asami to be handed over to him. "Asami's stepfather is committing a crime," I stressed to her.

"I understand," Mrs. Nakamura nodded, "but without any solid proof, it will be hard to win a legal battle against him. We need to gather evidence and find a way to protect Asami legally."

"I will do anything to protect Asami," I declared, determination in my voice.

"Good, then let's start by gathering evidence and finding a legal solution. I will help you in any way I can," Mrs. Nakamura assured me, a determined look in her eyes.

As we walked back home, I noticed that Asami was blushing. I wondered what was on her mind, and asked if she was feeling okay. She shyly nodded and looked away, but I could tell that there was something she wanted to say.

"Asami, is there something on your mind? You seem a little nervous," I said, trying to encourage her to open up.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to say thank you for what you did today," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I really appreciate it."

"You don't have to thank me, Asami. I just did what anyone would do in that situation," I replied, trying to make her feel more at ease.

We continued walking in silence for a few moments, taking in the sights and sounds of the city around us. I could tell that Asami was still a little nervous, but I didn't want to push her to talk if she wasn't ready. I was just happy to be by her side.

"Hey Asami, why don't we spend the night at Keita's place? His dad and my dad were really good friends back then, I'm sure he won't mind." I suggested to her

Asami looked hesitant and said, "I don't want to burden anyone else, Atsu."

I smiled and replied, "It's no burden at all. Besides, we need to find a safe place to stay until we can figure things out with your stepfather."

Asami still looked unsure, so I added, "You can trust me, Asami. Keita won't mind, I promise."

After some thinking, Asami finally nodded and agreed to come with me to Keita's place.

As I walked with Asumi back to Keita's house, I could tell she was hesitant. She kept fidgeting with her hands, her eyes downcast. Finally, I asked her what was wrong.

"Asumi, what's bothering you?"

"It's just that...I don't want to burden anyone else," she said, still avoiding my gaze. "I don't want to cause any trouble for you or Keita."

I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Don't worry about it, Asumi. Keita's dad and my dad were really good friends back in the day. Keita won't mind us staying over for a night or two."

Asumi still seemed unsure, so I continued, "Besides, it's not safe for you to go back home right now. Your stepfather is abusive, remember? It's better if you stay with us until we figure out what to do next."

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Atsu. I really appreciate it."

We walked the rest of the way to Keita's house in comfortable silence, both lost in our own thoughts. I couldn't help but think about how much my life had changed in just a few short days. I never could have imagined that I'd be spending my evenings with a girl like Asumi, let alone fighting to protect her from an abusive stepfather. But I knew one thing for certain: I wouldn't let anyone hurt her.

***

As we arrived at Keita's house, I rang the doorbell. Keita's father answered and was surprised to see us. He welcomed us warmly and invited us inside.

"Hey Atsu, what brings you here?" Keita's father asked.

"Hello, Mr. Nakamura. Asami and I needed a place to stay for the night, so I thought of coming here. I hope it's not too much of a hassle," I replied.

"Nonsense! You two are always welcome here. Keita is home, too. Let me call him down." Keita's father went up the stairs to call Keita.

Asami was a bit shy and kept her head down, but Keita's father made her feel at ease by chatting with her. Keita came down the stairs and was surprised to see us as well.

"Atsu! What are you doing here?" Keita asked.

"Asami and I needed a place to stay for the night, so I thought of coming here," I replied.

"Of course, you guys are always welcome. Let me show you guys to the guest room," Keita said as he led us to the guest room.

Asami was very grateful for Keita's hospitality and thanked him. I was happy to see that she was starting to open up and felt more relaxed. It was a good night and I was glad we were able to find a safe place to stay.

I sat down on the edge of the futon, feeling Asami's gaze on me. "Why are you doing all of this for me?" she asked softly.

"Well," I began, trying to gather my thoughts. "I just can't bear the thought of you being hurt or in danger. I want to protect you and help you in any way I can."

Asami looked down at her hands, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "But we're not even family," she said.

"I know, but it doesn't matter," I replied, scooting closer to her. "You're important to me, Asami. I care about you and I want to help you. That's all that matters."

She looked up at me with a small smile, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, Atsu," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what I would do without you."

I took her hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to do this alone," I said. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

"Asami," I said, looking into her eyes. "There's something I have to tell you."

She looked back at me with a curious expression.

"What is it, Atsu?" she asked.

I took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you, Asami," I said, my voice wavering slightly. "Ever since I met you, I've been drawn to you. Your kindness, your strength, and everything about you. I know this might come as a surprise, but I just had to tell you how I feel."

Asami looked stunned for a moment, but then a small smile spread across her face. "Atsu," she said, "I had no idea. I'm so glad you told me."

I let out a relieved sigh, happy to have finally gotten that off my chest. "So, what do you say?" I asked. "Do you have feelings for me too?"

Asami took my hand and looked into my eyes. "Yes, Atsu," she said. "I love you too."

After that, we leaned our bodies to each other and our faces were so close to each other that I could feel Asami's breath. I couldn't help but stare at her soft lips.

After that, Keita entered the room, and Asumi quickly pulled away from Atsu, feeling embarrassed.

"Whoa, sorry to interrupt guys," Keita said with a smirk. "I didn't know I was walking in on a romantic moment."

"It's okay, Keita. We were just talking," I said, trying to play it cool.

"Right, sure you were," Keita said with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just came in to tell you that my dad said it's okay for you guys to stay here for the night. And he also said he'll help in any way he can with Asami's situation."

Asami looked relieved and grateful for Keita's offer. "Thank you, Keita. And thank your dad for me too," she said.

"No problem. That's what friends are for," Keita said with a smile.

After Keita left the room, Asami turned to me and said, "Atsu, thank you so much for everything you've done for me. You're always there for me when I need someone."

I took her hand and said, "Asami, I just want you to be safe and happy. And I want to be the one who makes that happen for you."

Asami looked at me with a warm smile, and in that moment, I knew that everything was going to be okay.