Noah hesitated to get involved, but Sana had already started walking, so he had no choice but to follow her.
The voices became clearer.
"Stay away, perverts, pigs, trash!" a female voice shouted.
"Haha, are you insulting us or provoking us?"
"Bro, we need to teach this little bitch some manners, don't you think?"
Two or three male voices laughed as they mocked the girl. It was obvious what they wanted to do to her.
Sana hurried to the alley.
"Airi! I knew it was your voice," she exclaimed as she rushed toward the girl with pigtails.
The men, covered in tattoos and wearing flashy clothes, whistled as they saw her pass by.
"Hah, did you bring a friend to play, little girl? She looks good... I can't wait to hear her moan," growled the tallest one, with a piercing on his face, reaching out for Sana.
Noah, who had followed the brunette, became furious. No one touched his girl.
His huge hand grabbed the guy's arm, squeezing tightly. The man let out a scream of pain.
The other four became serious. Noah's size was no joke.
"What the hell are you doing, bastard? Let go! If you don't want to..."
Before he could finish the sentence, the sound of a spray filled the air. The man started coughing and crying.
Sana put away her pepper spray as she took Airi's hand.
Instead of being intimidated, the others became angry and advanced threateningly.
"We wanted to take you nicely, bitches. But now we'll throw you out naked on the street after having fun with those pussies," roared a red-haired man, running toward Sana and Airi.
But before he could reach them, a strong blow to the stomach stopped him dead in his tracks. Noah retracted his leg and stepped back with the girls.
The others weren't expecting him to defend himself; they were used to intimidating with their numbers. Most boyfriends or family members ran away just to save themselves.
Still, they didn't stop. There were five against one, and they were confident, even though two had already fallen victim to the pepper spray and the kick.
---
Noah didn't hold back. Growing up in a dangerous neighborhood teaches two basic things: how to give and receive blows, and to show no mercy in a fight.
It doesn't matter who it's against; especially in a group fight. You always have to strike without hesitation. An enemy conscious enough to move can be a stab in the back.
The first to arrive was a man with a nose ring, an obvious weak point to Noah's eyes. He didn't hesitate: with a tug, he ripped out the ring, making the man scream in pain. Then he punched him in the face and kneed him in the stomach.
"Be careful!" Sana shouted anxiously.
Noah heard her, but still received a blow to the back with a metal pipe that another man had found God knows where.
He endured the pain and pushed the attacker's head against the edge of the nearby wall, causing a scream as his nose burst into blood.
The last man standing pulled out a butterfly knife, threatening to stab him. Noah hesitated for a moment before raising his middle finger, provoking him.
The man didn't hold back: he sped up with the knife in hand, ready to cut or stab. Noah reacted quickly, pushing the man with the pipe against the one with the knife. The latter hesitated as he saw his companion almost impaled by his own weapon.
Noah didn't miss the distraction. He advanced at full speed, tackled him, and threw him to the ground. Then he unleashed his fists on his face over and over until the man stopped moving.
The bodies lay scattered around him; the men groaned in pain. But Noah didn't stop.
He wasn't a fanatic of violence or a sadist. Experience had taught him that an enemy can seek revenge if not scared enough.
With a sigh, he stood up, holding his painful shoulder. The blow with the pipe had been strong.
With heavy steps, he approached the man with the piercing and kicked him in the stomach. He didn't stop until the man begged for mercy. The others received the same treatment.
Then he dragged them and piled them together in the dark part of the alley.
When he finished, he returned to the girls, who watched him with wide eyes. There didn't seem to be any fear or rejection. In fact, Sana's eyes even seemed to sparkle.
The girl next to her also looked at Noah, somewhat surprised. The young man finally had time to look at her closely: very long blonde hair, styled in two high and voluminous pigtails; light blue eyes. She wore a light pink hoodie with the hood open and, underneath, a short strappy top. To that, she added tiny fitted denim shorts and knee-high striped socks, giving her a look that was too provocative for a girl alone at that hour of the night.
Noah's eyes traveled over Airi's curvy body, pausing occasionally at her noticeable bust and thighs. He felt his blood race as he imagined how good that body would feel against his, even ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Soon he shook his head to dispel those thoughts. What was wrong with him? He had done it several times a few hours ago, so why was he starting to act like this?
The girl stood there, with a confident pose. She had one hand on her hip and a slightly serious, or maybe somewhat annoyed, expression, with her eyebrows furrowed and a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Hmpf... Do you like what you see? You're a pervert too," she muttered with a pout. "I'll let it pass just because you helped me. Hmpf."
Noah nodded, his gaze a bit guilty, and turned toward Sana. He felt it was disrespectful to her to have desired her friend's body. Unexpectedly, Sana had a similar look as she watched him.
---
Because of that uncomfortable experience with the guys in the alley, Airi felt a bit scared. Although she tried not to show it, Sana noticed and decided to accompany her home.
Noah went with them; he didn't want anything to happen to Sana, and Airi took advantage of the excuse of putting ice on his shoulder to convince him to come in.
Once inside, Noah felt uncomfortable. He remembered the house perfectly: it was there that Airi's stepfather tried to rape Sana and where he had left him lying in a pool of blood.
He still couldn't process it all. Although he knew the man was still alive, returning to the scene of the "crime" was disturbing.
Still, he took a seat on the sofa while Airi went to the kitchen for some ice. Sana sat next to him and started undressing him.
Noah raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused.
"It's to check the wound. Hehehe, did you get excited, Kuma-chan? If you want to do it, just tell me," Sana whispered as she took off his shirt. Then she fell silent for a few seconds before continuing, in a lower tone. "Nee, you know? Airi sees you differently. I think she wants to do it too. Should we do it in front of her, to tempt her?"
Noah turned his head to look directly into her eyes. Sometimes he wondered what went through that head of hers.
"No, how can you think that?"
"You want it too, Kuma-chan. I noticed how you were looking at her. Airi is curious, and as her best friend, I have to share the good things."
---
Airi returned from the kitchen, her mind confused, remembering everything that had happened: following Sana, seeing her enter the hotel with that guy, waiting until she got bored and returned, only to run into those perverts.
It all repeated in her head. She was scared; being dragged into an alley by five men had been horrible. The way they looked at her and what they said confirmed her worst fears. In vain, she tried to shout at them or insult them, trying to hide her terror.
When Sana appeared, she didn't feel relief. On the contrary, she felt even worse: now she also felt guilty. Sana would end up like her.
Then, the big guy showed up and took care of all of them, even at the cost of getting injured. It was unexpected, but Airi finally felt safe. She didn't consider herself an easy girl —romantically speaking—, but she couldn't deny that that man seemed incredible to her.
That's why, when she noticed that he was looking at her with desire, she didn't get angry; she even felt a bit shy.
"Airi, idiot... that guy is your friend's boyfriend," she whispered as she returned with the ice.
Seeing the figure in the living room, she froze. His bare torso captured her gaze, making her blush. Her expression quickly changed as she noticed the huge purple bruise on his shoulder. Airi felt guilty, but also, unexpectedly, a bit proud.
It was a wound he had received protecting her. She felt like a princess rescued by a knight... or a prince. One quite large, but that only increased her sense of security.
Airi couldn't help but observe Noah's body: strong arms, broad back. She noticed some scars that looked like cuts.
She was a bit surprised and, after taking a deep breath, approached, trying to maintain a neutral expression.
"Hmm... I brought ice," she said as she placed her trembling hand on Noah's shoulder. "Is it here, right?"
Her hand traveled over his shoulder, sliding her fingers down his back, as if she couldn't find the exact spot. Her eyes began to mist over while a slight blush covered her face. Her breathing quickened little by little, until it stopped as she felt Sana's gaze, who was watching her with a complicit smile.
Airi blushed even more; she didn't think they would catch her so quickly.