Skill kasegi wa kishou-shu ni yori

　The black leather bag that should have been on top of the locker had disappeared, and all that was left was a pair of dark brown loafers.

　I decided to search all around the locker area whether someone had moved it, but all I could say was that the result was quite tragic.

　”Maybe the teacher took it because it left here.”

　”My bag? Why they took it? ……”

　”Of course! That’s not a place for bag!”

　”……I don’t quite understand.”

　For now, I’ll take this girl who looks away with ‘Pui’–with her cheeks swelling to the staff room.

　If I’m lucky, I’m sure I’ll find her bag there.

　”Let’s go to the staff room now. Maybe we’ll find your bag there.”

　I said this and was about to step out into the staff room, but for some reason she just stood there stunned and refused to follow behind me.

　Did I say something strange?

　No, I just said that we should go to the staff room because the teacher might have collected it, so I’m sure I didn’t say anything particularly strange…….

　”What’s up? Did you remember something about the bag by any chance?”

　”…… Name.”

　”Yes…?”

　I couldn’t help but ask her back as she spilled out her words.

　”Name, inconvenient without that…….”

　”Well, sure it is. But you don’t have a name, do you?”

　”Yeah, that’s why——.”

　As she slowly approaches me, she slowly takes my hand in hers.

　And she asked me for it with sincerity in her eyes.

　”——I want Shinya to give me one…….”

　”…… what?”

　”I said, Shinya should give me——.”

　”Now now, why do I have to think of your name!?”

　”Can’t you……?” [1]

　”No, normally that isn’t something I should do!”

　”Can’t you……?” [1]

　”…… Um, did you hear what I just said?”

　”I heard it. Can’t you……?” [1]

　”You sure got some nerve to keep asking after hearing that, oi!!”

　No matter how nameless you are, you don’t usually ask a boy in your grade to name you.

　No, the fact that she doesn’t have a name in the first place is in itself an irregularity!

　If she didn’t have a name, she should be able to adopt whatever name she wanted, but I just couldn’t say no to her when her eyes looks like an abandoned puppy.

　The next thing I know, I’m struck by her pure, innocent eyes——

　”—— Ah, god, I get it! All I have to do is give you a name, right?”

　I scratched my head roughly and thought of a name as she requested.

　She had peach-colored hair, so a simple name like “Momo” might not be so bad, but it seemed a little different from the image I had of her at first glance.

　The word that comes to mind in relation to the image of “fairy” —— is “nature”?

　Then I’d like a beautiful name that relates to “nature”——

　”—— Ah,”

　As soon as I saw her smiling and waiting for me to name her, I naturally thought of a name that would be perfect for her beauty.

　She had beautiful peach-colored hair that was hard to describe, and golden eyes that sparkled.

　Yes, I must have been blinded by her elegance.

　That’s why this name is most appropriate for her.

　”—— Sakura. How about your name be Sakura?”

　”Sakura……. Sakura, Sakura…….”

　She said the word “Sakura” several times as if trying to process it.

　Did she not like it?

　In spite of my anxiety, she opened her lips in a very good mood.

　”Yes! I’m fine with the name Sakura! It’s so cute…….”

　”I’m glad you like it. Anyway, I think Sakura’s bag might have arrived in the staff room, so let’s go get it.”

　”Yeah……!”

　The smile on her face almost grabbed my heart, but I managed to keep my composure and we made our way to the staff room.

　Apparently, most of the classes had finished their homerooms, and there were a few students standing around talking in the hallway.

　Class A is probably finishing up homeroom and taking a short break.

　As we were making our way to the staff room, we saw Odagiri-sensei rushing towards us from the end of the hallway.

　”Asaumi-kun! Tsukinoto-san told me the story. So where is her bag….?”

　”I thought it was in the shoe box, but we couldn’t find it anywhere……. I was just about to head to the staff room to see if it had arrived there.”

　After explaining the whole situation, Odagiri-sensei shook his head once as if he understood the situation.

　”All right, well, why don’t you go back to class with her, Asaumi-kun? I’ll go to the staff room and see if it’s there.”

　”Understood, then please——“

　Just as I was about to say that, Sakura interrupted me with a face like an expressionless doll.

　”—–Sakura” (Sakura)

　”…… Hm?”

　”My name, its Sakura. Shinya gave it to me a while ago…….”

　”eh? O, oh, I see…….” (Odagiri)

　Odagiri-sensei was upset by Sakura’s abrupt comment.

　I mean, since she’s also looking for your bag , shouldn’t you at least say something first?

　And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say inadvertently that I gave you a name.

　”Then, Asaumi-kun, Sakura-san, go back to your classroom okay?”

　”Yes, I understand.”

　”Thanks for the help…..”

　The two of us watched Odagiri-sensei’s back and returned to Class A as instructed.

　Less than five minutes later, I arrived at Class A. There was some kind of commotion in front of the classroom.

　”What the hell is going on……?”

　As I stood in the front row through the crowd, I shivered violently at my indignant heart.

　The scene in front of me was so brutal and tragic.

　——my classmate are being beaten up by a delinquent.

　The fist he swung was more than just a single shot, he repeatedly punched my classmate in the face.

　I couldn’t watch such atrocious scenes forever——

　”—— what the hell are you doing?”

　”Huh? Ah, finally you show up, you sicon basta**…….”

　As if in response to my voice, a delinquent turns his head around and curses at me as soon as he sees me.

　So this is the delinquent that Kanato was talking about, looking for me.

　For some reason, his siscon remarks made people around me rustle, but I don’t have to worry about that at all.

　Because everything he says is bullshit.

　”Howling losers are so lousy, aren’t they? You’re the little guy who tried to pick up my sister, failed, and then lost to me. That’s why you can only call me a siscon.”

　”You got quite a tongue, don’t you? I could chop your head off if you like.”

　”Why don’t you look at reality before you say anything? How are you going to cut off my head if you can’t even touch one fingers?”

　I fights back against the delinquents with a cold stare.

　This went on for a few seconds, then the delinquent smiled and said, “Well, enough.” and abruptly stopped his mending.

　I have no idea what’s, ‘well, enough.’

　”By the way, why didn’t you come to the storage room this morning? It’s because of you that I had to get pestered. How are you going to pay for this?”

　”..Ha? Storage room? Of course it’s because I didn’t have a reason to go there. What are you talking about?”

　What is this guy really talking about?

　Even a grade schooler can figure out a simple reason why I didn’t go to the storage room.

　Then, as if I had said something that upset him, the delinquent grabbed me in the chest with a quick movement.

　”You! Don’t say that you mised it. I’ve put a letter of challenge in your shoe box!”

　 In a very cold voice, he says something really cute.

　It sounds like you’re putting a love letter instead of a challenge letter, but I don’t think if I should throw a tsukkomi now.

　”Ha..? “The letter of challenge? What are you talking about?”

　”Don’t you dare play dumb with me. I’ll kill you if you keep going with that.”

　”That thing is not in my shoe box! You had no right to hit me since I know nothing!”

　”This basta**…..!”

　With one last squeezed out shout of anger, the delinquent tries to hit the innocent and wrongly accused me.

　As I said earlier, there was no reason for him to hit me when I didn’t know anything, so I decided to fight back without hesitation.

　On campus, the Life Core effect is reduced to half, but that condition isn’t necessarily limited to just me.

　I was immediately planning to “Physical Enhancement” to catch the incoming fist and then land a body blow——

　”—-I threw it….” (Sakura)

　A gentle breeze, soon become a gust of wind crossed the field.

　The fist that stops, the counterattack hand that stops.

　A fairy with peach-colored hair stood between two of us with an inorganic expression on her face.

　”What the heck are you? are you trying to help this siscon?”

　”……Sakura, what did you just said?”

　”I threw away the piece of paper that was in Shinya’s shoe box……. It was my assigned role to protect Shinya…….”

　Sakura then confessed that she had thrown away the “letter of challenge”.

　But that’s not the point. What do you mean your assigned mission is to protect me?

　When she introduced herself, she said something about being instructed to stay with me, but since a while ago, she’s been being pushed around a lot by that stranger.

　I personally think it’s not a good idea to talk about such things in front of herself.

　”Hee, then—— Sakura, right? You threw away the letter of challenge to save this siscon bast**d. Is that true?”

　”Yes, but what I’ve done is also an advice to you guys…..” (Sakura)

　”Ha? What do you mean?”

　”You don’t know?——” (Sakura)

　Sakura walked up behind me and said her reasoning like a matter-of-fact.

　”I’m saying is——you guys can’t defeat Shinya……”

　”Huh? You fu##ing bit#h!”

　Sakura’s attitude seems to have touched the delinquent’s anger, and without hesitation, the direction of his suspended attack changed to Sakura instead of me.

　This guy repeats his mistakes over and over again, even though he’s in front of me.

　My hands, which have already been strengthened, grabbed the delinquent’s arm just before it hit Sakura’s face, and when he noticed, I’m slamming my fist into his abdomen, taking advantage of the momentary gap created by driving his fist out of the way.

　He was squirming frantically, making a very painful voice in the middle of the hallway, but there was no room for sympathy.

　Nevertheless, like the delinquent, I was repeating yesterday’s mistake once again.

　As usual, I don’t feel guilty at all for hitting him, and what the hell has happened to my mind?

　As I was looking at my fist and pessimistic about reality, I was tapped gently on the shoulder from behind.

　”—— Shinya, thank you for protecting me…….” (Sakura)

　As I took in Sakura’s words both physically and mentally, I felt something drop away.

　That’s right, I didn’t have to think about anything too deep.

　When I helped Hiyomi, or that stranger girl and boy, and—-or my classmate, I wanted to protect everything so I use my hand—

　The feeling of needing to protect the person in front of me was much stronger than the feeling of resentment.

　It sounds convenient, but it’s the truth.

　”Thanks, Sakura.”

　”……? I’m the one who should be thanking you. ……?”

　”No, thanks to Sakura, I’ve finally realized something important.”

　”Really? Then, good for you…….”

　Now that I’ve realized the reason I’m using my fist, what do I do about the delinquent in front of me?

　In the meantime, we’ll have to take the injured classmate to the infirmary first.

　”Are you okay? I’m sorry, I’m the one who got you into this mess…….” (Shinya)

　”Haha, there’s no reason for you to apologize anywhere ……. Rather, thanks for helping me. ……” (Injured Classmate)

　”Yeah, well, Let’s hurry to the infirmary——.” (Shinya)

　As I held him in my arms to carry him to the nurse’s office, the delinquent’s foot came flying straight at my face.

　It was so sudden that all I could do was guard it with my arms.

　”Ho? You’re able to prevent the surprise attack just now?”

　”Why don’t you turn tail and run away before you bring any more shame upon yourself?”

　”Ha!? Who’s going to follow your orders!”

　As for me, it’s fucking pain in the ass and I want him to go away as soon as possible.

　And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t get involved with me again.

　Just as I was thinking this, my savior came rushing at me from the other side of the hallway as if she was flying.

　”What’s with this uproar? What’s going on?”

　”Odagiri-sensei! There’s an injured man here!”

　”Eeh! That’s bad, we have to get him to the infirmary!”

　As one of the students briefly explained the situation to Odagiri-sensei, blending in with the crowd, the delinquent man disappeared from the scene as if he was uncomfortable.

　They know your name and class, so even if you run away, they’ll find out soon enough. ……

　”He’s hurt real bad! Anyway, I want to take you to the infirmary, so Asaumi-kun, can you give me a hand?”

　”Sure”

　There was no reason for me to say no to her when I had caused him to get hurt because of the fight I bought.

　Lending my shoulder to support my classmate, Odagiri-sensei and I made our way to the infirmary to match the pace of the injured person.

　As a side note, it goes without saying that Sakura came along with me as if it was a natural thing to do.