HERO - 1

That day was truly spellbinding! I still can hardly believe that I held her aloft and she was perched on my shoulder.

Unfortunately, after that day we lost touch, for on the final day of the school trip we were all consumed with packing our belongings.

But I can assure you, that day will forever be imprinted in my heart.

I am overflowing with joy!

I must express my gratitude to everyone who made that day so extraordinary.

Today is the school's Cultural Festival, where all the clubs display their talents.

Typically, I skip these events as I am not part of any club. I skipped it my first year as well. Yet, here I am this year, gracing the school with my presence. It is not because I was eager to attend, but because Kin gifted us money for our school trip and asked us to watch his performance.

All the shows are scheduled for noon.

Sasaki Kai is a member of the movie club and will be performing a drama with the rest of the club.

Karada Kin, the human powerhouse, is part of the Doll-Making club. He holds the world record for the fastest doll-maker, having created a Barbie doll in just 15.4 seconds. This year, he is striving to beat his personal best.

Yozora is assisting the teachers, as his club opted not to participate.

Most importantly, Tsuki will be serenading us with her melodious voice, as she is part of the Music Club.

To be candid, I am most excited to hear her sing. Haha.

Have I told her about Daichi? No, I haven't. Yozora mentioned that he would drop some hints. I hope he's already spoken with her.

Furthermore, I am curious to know what he and Tsuki spoke about during our trip. I've asked him multiple times, but he just grins and remains tight-lipped.

I'm actually on my way to the lake right now, but not because I'm feeling lonely. Today has been a great day, and I'm feeling really happy. The reason I'm going to the lake is because I received an email from someone, although I have no idea who they are because their username was from an anime. The email said:

"Hey, you might be wondering who I am or why I'm sending this email. Don't worry about that. Just be at the lake tomorrow morning, please."

I'm not sure if this is just a prank or something more...like a confession.

"Hey Kou-chan,"

I heard a voice calling out me before i reached the lake. It was Akio

"Ay ay! Akio!!! How are you? Kai mentioned you didn't join us on the school trip. Poor guy, he was so sad. Haha." I joked with her

"Kai? Aww I feel sad for him. He is so lovely. And yes, I'm doing well, Kou-chan. Just busy with some family stuff. Haha.", she replied with a smile.

"Looks like you've been hitting the gym, you've slimmed down." I told her since I was so impressed by how much thinner she is getting each day.

"YESSS!!! But forget about that! You seem so elated! Haha, you were laughing as you walked! What's happened?" she asked with a pout.

"Oho! Is it strange to see me happy? Haha! I don't know! I guess it's because of the Cultural Festival," I replied with a playful wink.

"Ara ara! You're not very good at hiding things, are you? Haha. By the way, where are you headed? I just spotted some one else walking in the same direction," She said to me.

"Oh shit! When did you see them? Have you been waiting here for me here? Haha." I asked her.

"Haha, no, I was here with my club mates. I saw them about ten minutes ago. I need to go now! Catch you later, Kou-chan.", She said as she walked towards her clubmates.

I waved my hand as she walked away with her club mates.

I ventured to the serene lake! I am almost intimately familiar with every inch of this place. I used to spend my days here, lost in thought.

Even though Akio spotted someone, I was unable to find anyone. Was she lost in a daydream?

I gazed upon the crystal clear and shimmering lake, mesmerized.

"Yes, she shall arrive shortly," I heard a sound coming from somewhere.

Ummm?

I don't know how I perceived that sound, but I was certain I knew who it belonged to. It was Daichi's voice! It was emanating from inside the Abandoned Library.

What I heard next was something I never could have imagined. Yet, I had a feeling Yozora knew about it.

"That audacious little BITCH, Mitsui Tsuki, dared to reject me. Reject me? The one and only NAKAMURA DAICHI? I will break her spirit today. Today will be the day she begins to regret her life!", is what Daichi was shouting.

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Allow me to introduce Daichi.

Nakamura Daichi, he has been in the story since the second chapter. You may recall my calling out his name in that chapter! It is because I was already aware of his identity.

You may have already deduced it. Yes, he is the son of Mr. Nakamura, the owner of the school.

Nakamura Daichi is a handsome 22-year-old model. Standing tall at 6 feet, he is 5 years older than us.

I won't lie, I was his fan. I followed him on social media, inspired by his journey. He faced challenges just like I, and it was heartening to see someone like me gaining recognition and attention.

It was during a TV show, the host challenged him to solve a simple math problem. Unfortunately, he struggled as he did not attend high school, choosing instead to chase his dream of being a model after junior high.

His haters emerged from the shadows and mocked him.

Determined to silence his haters, he announced that he would attend high school at the Art and Fame school. And so he came here, where 90% of students are his fans.

——————————————————————————————————————

As soon as I heard that voice, I cautiously approached the library's entrance, which was slightly open. I pressed my ear to the door to listen in on the conversation. I heard three voices, all male.

"Are you certain? Shall we proceed? Thank you for inviting us. Hehe, Daichi, you are simply the best."

"Indeed! Who would've thought I would have the opportunity to violate the wealthy Mitsui girl?"

Violate?! What were they talking about?

I was alarmed and tried to text Yozora about the situation. But, he was offline. Just as I was about to call him, Daichi spoke. "No, I will be the one to violate Tsuki's virginity. You two can have the other. Touch Tsuki and I will snap your bones."

As soon as I heard the that, I burst through the door and sprinted towards him.

I grabbed one of the heavy books from the shelves and, with all my might, I hurled it at Daichi's face like a fastball.

The book connected with a thud on his nose, and before he could even react, I sprang into action and executed a powerful overhead kick to his face.

I wasn't sure what had provoked my attack, but the mention of the word "violate" had set me off. It must have been residual anger from the recent school tour.

He wouldn't be leaving here alive.

Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China, once said "Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster."

But I had no idea who the other two were. Their names and what they were capable of.

It didn't matter, I was ready to take them on.

One of them charged at me and punched me in the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I fell to the ground, but they didn't let up. They kicked and stomped on me, but I refused to give in.

One moment Daichi was holding Tsuki's hand, and the next he was with Yuki, and now he is trying to violate Tsuki??

The events unfolded before me with lightning speed, leaving me wondering what could have caused such a drastic change.

As I lay on the ground, I glanced up to see the three towering figures before me. It felt like I was re-watching Attack on Titan. Their intense gazes sent shivers down my spine, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me. But then, Daichi rose to his feet. It seems like my throw and my kick worked. He was bleeding from his nose.

I struggled to my feet, my fists clenched and ready for action. Daichi grabbed me by my hair and pulled me towards him, sneering in my face.

"What's wrong with you, little vermin?" Daichi taunted.

"What are you planning to do to Tsuki?" I spat back.

"Hehe, I can do whatever I want to that little dwarf. And who are you? Wait...you're the one who's after Tsuki, right? Hehe," Daichi sneered, spitting in my face.

"I will never allow it. I will stop you. She will never fall into your arms," I growled.

"Hehe, look guys, we've got a little superhero here. Even her best friend is against her," Daichi laughed.

"Her best friend is against her?? What is he talking about?

I can't believe what I'm hearing. How could someone who was supposed to be her closest ally turn against her like this? I let out a shocked and angry response.

"Stop making up stories! You asshole!" I yelled at Daichi.

But Daichi just sneered at me.

"Making up stories? Let me tell you the truth. That little bitch rejected me even though I was nice to her. But her friend, what was her name? Oh yeah, Kumori. She's in love with me. So she made a deal with me.

She said she'll let me do whatever I want to Tsuki if I agree to go out with her. It's a pretty sweet deal for me. I have no intention of going out with someone as trashy as Kumori, but she's going to deliver Tsuki to me anyway.

The lunch break is coming up soon. Kumori said she'd bring Tsuki to the library during lunchtime. And she promised to call me to confirm if I'm here or not. So, what are you going to do about it?" Daichi taunted me.

I felt a deep, burning anger in my chest, a rage that was beyond words. If I had a gun, I would have shot Kumori without hesitation.

The phone rang, shattering the silence.

"ARGHH!!! I have to do something!" I cried out.

Daichi pulled his phone out of his pocket, a cruel smile on his face.

"Hehe, it's Kumori. The moment I answer this call, it will be the end for Mitsui Tsuki," he said, his finger hovering over the answer button.

And with that, he took his hand away from my head and reached for the phone, sealing Tsuki's fate with one fateful call.

As soon as he took his hand away from me, I headbutted him as hard as I could, sending him crashing to the ground.

The second wave of the attacks was more vicious than the first. They suplexed me to the ground and pummeled me with punches and kicks. I was bleeding and battered, but I refused to give up.

However, amidst all the chaos and fear, a glimmer of hope shone through. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief, not because I was losing my mind, but because Daichi's phone had failed him as it broke when it fell to the ground. He could not answer the call that would have spelled disaster for Tsuki.

Daichi stood up, wiping the blood from his nose. "You're tough, I'll give you that. But it doesn't matter. I'm going to give you the best seat in the house to watch what happens next," he snarled.

I was badly hurt, but I refused to go down. But I thought to myself, "I didn't even propose her. Is this the end of my story about regret?"

NO

I may not have been able to confess my love to her, but I would do everything in my power to protect her. This is far from the end of my story.

But still, I wouldn't let my guard down. I would stop at nothing to protect her from Daichi's grasp.

I thought I had won. But little did I know, my victory was short-lived.

*door knocking sounds*

My heart sank. No, this can't be happening. Please God, save her. Don't let them destroy her life.

"Hehe, like I said, she just called to confirm my location. She's already here. Boys, it's time," Daichi said with a sickening smirk as he approached the door, ready to let them in.

The thought of the girl I love being violated right in front of me was unbearable.

PLEASE GOD, NOT THIS.