"Yes! I will work hard!"

"You don't need to be so serious. After all, you may not actually meet that person. If there is danger... you should run away and call the police as soon as possible, Izumi-san."

"Even Ogiwara-san said that!?"

Sayu shook her head in a funny way, said let's go, and then took the lead to walk forward.

So Izumi followed.

The two of them just walked and talked, maintaining a certain distance in between.

Walk all the way out of the school gate, onto the main road, and then to the intersection on the nearby river bank.

Sayu stood there and looked around for a while, but didn't find anyone. He couldn't help but feel relieved and nodded to Izumi beside him.

"It doesn't matter, that person doesn't seem to be here, you can go."

"Is that person the stalker you met?"

"Yeah." Sayu nodded gently, and the two of them moved forward again.

Izumi nodded as if he understood, then took out his mobile phone from his pocket as if he remembered something, and said: "Ah, by the way, I have asked people in other classes about the two names you mentioned at noon. There is something that may

You'll be interested."

"What?"

"Although there is still no news from Iwanami, the name Yusuke Kato seems to be the champion of the National High School Track and Field Competition some time ago."

"Tokyo?"

"Yes, look here." He said, moving closer and placing the phone in the middle. Sayu looked down.

What appeared on the screen was a handsome-looking black-haired boy with a medal representing victory hanging on his chest.

"That's this guy, do you know him?"

Sayu's eyes were fixed on the screen, blinking several times, and murmured: "Black hair...?"

at this time……

"Who are you--?"

Accompanied by a cold voice, a figure wearing black sportswear suddenly appeared in front of them.

The two people who were focused on their mobile phones didn't even see where the other person came out.

"Eh? You are..." Izumi murmured, and immediately opened his eyes wide, and took a step forward to block Sayu, entering a state of alert.

"You are the stalker that Masaka-san said! As long as I am here, I will not let you hurt Ogiwara-san!"

As he spoke, he turned around, reached out to hold Sayu's hand, and tried to take her away.

Kato Yusuke's eyes instantly turned cold, and he raised his feet and stepped forward.

"Izumi-san! Be careful!"

"Eh?"

Izumi, who had just held Sayu's hand, was slightly startled. Before he could react, a powerful force came from behind.

Immediately afterwards——

"Aww!"

His feet lifted off the ground, and his whole body was lifted up into the air, like a cat that was caught by the back of the neck, with its hands and feet flapping wildly in the air.

"Izumi-san!"

"Leave me alone and leave quickly! Sayu-san!"

Kato Yusuke's eyes burned with fire, and an uncontrollable anger suddenly rose from his chest, prompting him to raise his right fist and swing it towards the boy's face.

--boom!

A dull sound of hitting came from under the fist and cheek.

"Uh-huh!" Izumi's head suddenly turned to the right, and the left side of his face was burning.

"How dare you call her that!" Kato Yusuke's face turned cold, he growled almost ferociously, and threw him to the ground with his hand.

Izumi rolled around on the ground, stirring up a cloud of flying dust.

"Izumi-san——!!" Sayu screamed and ran to his side.

"... Sayu-san... run..." Izumi muttered vaguely. His originally delicate face was covered in dust, the left half of his cheek was completely swollen, and there was a trace of bloodshot eyes hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at Izumi who was still trying to persuade him to leave despite being injured, Sayu couldn't help biting her lower lip, her body trembling slightly with anger.

Yusuke was still dissatisfied with this, he felt as if his whole body was on fire, and all he could see was the man lying on the ground.

He let out a heavy breath from his mouth and nose, and then raised his feet forward again.

Sayu took a deep breath, stood up angrily from the ground, turned to face Yusuke, who was walking towards him, walked quickly towards him, and finally stopped in front of him, raising his right hand.

Swung it down hard!

"Sayu...classmate...!" Izumi, who was behind, put his hands on the ground and shouted muffledly.

That was a momentary thing.

Snapped--!!

A crisp slap resounded in the ears, breaking the tranquility on the river bank.

Facing the girl's slap, Kato Yusuke silently accepted it.

He slowly raised his head, a pair of ink-like eyes looming between the scattered white bangs.

"……Why?"

"... Huh... Huh..." Sayu glared hard, not giving in, and shouted: "People like you! The most - - annoying!!"

The girl's slightly shrill, but still clear and beautiful voice echoed.

Kato Yusuke's body trembled slightly, his eyes swept over the boy not far away, and then stared at Sayu in front of him for a moment.

"Do you like him? This boy." He asked softly.

Sayu answered without hesitation: "At least compared to strangers, Izumi-san is more trusted by me!"

The girl who said this had her face soaked with angry tears, and her eyes were filled with hatred.

The world seemed to suddenly stop at this moment.

Kato Yusuke nodded reluctantly, finally realizing——

Without those shared memories and experiences, Sayu would no longer be the Sayu he knew.

At this moment, the days he spent in this city and the time he spent with the girl in front of him rolled in like a turbid current, drowning him.

"Sa, Sayu-san——!"

During this period of silence, Izumi, who had fallen to the ground, also got up and rushed between them again. Although his body was trembling, he still protected Sayu behind him.

His face was full of fear, and he looked at Yusuke like a frightened cat.

"Izumi-kun..." Sayu murmured, as if surprised by his courage.

There was deathly silence in Kato Yusuke's eyes, and he turned and left without saying a word. His staggering back looked like a walking corpse that had lost its soul.

The way forward has been decided, and what must be given up has also been decided.

This is the turning point of life.

Saw this scene.

Sayu couldn't help but frown slightly, and an indescribable emotion suddenly surged in his heart. He felt a little sad for no reason, and then shook his head mockingly.

"Sha, Sha Sha Sha Sha Sha Sayu-san..." A confused Izumi said tremblingly: "He, he he he he seems to be gone!"

Sha Yui nodded and checked his injuries, "I'm sorry, Izumi-san, how is your face?"

"Huh? Ah, it hurts...!"

"Sorry! There is a clinic nearby, I will send you there now!"

"Hmm, please..."

"Don't say that. I'm sorry, it was me who put you in danger."

"No! There is no such thing at all. Rather, I am really happy that I can protect you! So..." Izumi's voice suddenly became smaller: "Can I still protect you in the future...?"

"Eh?"

After hearing this, Sayu was suddenly startled and looked towards him.

And the other party looked at her without hesitation, with a serious look on her face.

"Although I'm not the kind of boy who feels very secure, but...are you willing to date me? Sayu-san." Izumi summoned up the courage to say.

In a daze, the scene of him standing under the tall tree suddenly appeared in front of Sayu's eyes, making her slightly absent-minded.

There was a moment of silence.
To be continued...