Can I Be Friends With You?
"Your strength has increased tenfold."
A surging sense of power swept through his entire body in an instant. It was as if every muscle had been tempered and reforged overnight.
Kūjō Ryō clenched his fist. He genuinely felt like he could drop a bull with one punch.
Next, it was time to do what a hero was supposed to do.
The confidence in his chest turned into a furnace of anger. He burst forward at a terrifying speed.
Each step was steady and heavy, yet swift as wind. His figure streaked through the hallway, making students along the way turn their heads and gasp.
Two minutes later.
The moment he reached the door of First Year Class C, he saw a scene that made his blood pressure spike.
A girl built like a tank was laughing smugly as she tossed a delicate hearing aid up and down like it was a toy.
And in front of her, a petite girl with flaxen hair, Nishimiya Shoko, was on her knees, trembling as she held a hearing aid that had already cracked from a fall.
Crystal tears slid down her pale cheeks. Around her ear were faint red marks left by rough yanking.
"Hahaha, you must be so happy, huh? So excited you are crying."
Aida's laughter was sharp enough to scrape the nerves.
"President?""The President is here!"
A few onlookers recognized Kūjō Ryō.
His presence alone crushed the air. People instinctively parted, leaving a path.
Aida sensed something off. Her laughter cut off mid-breath. She turned toward the doorway.
Standing there was the Student Council President, face dark as iron, eyes so cold they were frightening.
Kūjō Ryō walked up to Aida step by step. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed her thick wrist.
"Ah!"
Aida screamed in pain.
It felt like a steel clamp had snapped shut around her bones. The gap in strength was so overwhelming she lost the ability to resist instantly, terror flashing across her face.
Kūjō Ryō tightened his grip little by little.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Let go! President, let go!"
She cried out, half her body leaning forward. The fat hand holding the hearing aid went limp and opened.
Kūjō Ryō caught the hearing aid with his left hand. Only then did he release her wrist.
He looked at her as if she were trash and roared, loud enough for the whole room to hear.
"Apologize. Compensate."
His attitude toward Aida was openly disrespectful. Part of him almost wanted her to snap back, to throw a punch, to give him a reason to let all that anger explode.
But bullies who preyed on the weak were rarely brave when a real threat stood in front of them.
Aida took one look at the killing intent in his eyes and her arrogance shattered. Nothing remained but fear.
"S Sorry! Nishimiya-san, I am sorry! I I will buy you a new one tomorrow!"
She practically sobbed the words out.
Nishimiya Shoko's tear-soaked face held no anger, no hatred. Only panic.
She bowed automatically.
Yes, she bowed to the one who had hurt her.
Then her hands moved quickly, making gestures.
Even though Kūjō Ryō did not know sign language, he could guess it meant something like "It is okay."
She was frightened. She was anxious. She was afraid she had made someone uncomfortable, even if that person did not deserve kindness.
Years of isolation and bullying had shaped Nishimiya Shoko into someone who always shrank back.
It made your chest ache just looking at her.
The fury in Ryō's heart was instantly replaced by a deep, quiet tenderness.
He walked over, helped her up, and returned the hearing aid to her.
Nishimiya Shoko wrote two words in her notebook: Thank you.
Then she turned the notebook toward him, forcing a small smile onto her face.
Kūjō Ryō took the notebook and wrote down his Line ID. Under it, he added one more sentence.
If you get bullied again, or if you ever need help, please tell me.
Nishimiya Shoko nodded without thinking.
Ryō turned, glanced once at Aida, then at the students watching from all sides.
"The Student Council under my leadership will not tolerate any form of bullying at Kazami Academy!"
The moment Kūjō Ryō returned to the Student Council room, Fujiwara Chika bounced over in small quick steps.
Her bright eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"President, why did you run out so suddenly? Do not tell me you had a stomachache?"
Shirogane Kei and Iino Miko looked over too, waiting for an answer.
Although Shinomiya Kaguya appeared to be sitting upright, reading with perfect composure, the hand turning her pages had paused. She was clearly listening.
Ryō sat down, took a sip of water, and explained calmly.
"A bullying incident came up. I went over and said a few words."
Iino pouted.
"President, why did you not take me with you? I am the Public Morals Officer."
Ryō looked Iino up and down.
Small frame. Extremely cute.
He pictured her facing Aida, who was basically a rolling armored vehicle.
Iino flushed immediately under his gaze.
"W What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ryō asked seriously, "Iino-san, can you defeat an enemy who weighs three times as much as you do?"
"Three times?"
Iino shook her head fast.
"I would die!"
"Exactly. Do not force yourself to do what you cannot."
Ring ring ring.
The bell rang, signaling the end of club activity time.
One by one, the four girls left.
Kūjō Ryō stayed behind at the computer.
Today, he decided to volunteer for overtime, just in case another urgent message like Nishimiya Shoko's situation slipped through.
Thankfully, the remaining emails were all minor, everyday issues.
"Done. Time to go home."
He shut the computer down and locked it away.
Then he checked his phone.
Still no friend request from Nishimiya Shoko.
Ryō immediately realized something.
With her personality, even if she was bullied again, she might not reach out. She would rather endure it than trouble someone else.
So he messaged Ueno Naoka.
"Ueno-san, you should have Nishimiya-san's Line, right? Please tell her to add me. Also, if she gets bullied again, I hope you will inform me."
"Mm-hm! I will, I will."
A few seconds later, Ueno sent another message.
"President, if I run into trouble in the future, can I ask you for help too?"
"Of course."
After replying, Ryō shouldered his bag and left.
The moment he stepped outside the school gate, a new friend request popped up.
From Nishimiya Shoko.
Ryō accepted.
Her first message read:
"My name is Nishimiya Shoko. Thank you very much."
Ryō replied:
"My name is Kūjō Ryō. Can I be friends with you?"
"Mm! Of course!"
She even sent a smiling sticker.
A relaxed smile finally appeared on Ryō's face.
"Friends should share things with each other, so you have to tell me about your life sometimes, okay? And friends help each other, so if someone bullies you again, you must come to me."
Nishimiya Shoko instinctively typed, "Mm!" then quickly deleted it, replacing it with:
"I am fine."
A heart does not freeze overnight, and it does not thaw overnight either.
A system notification appeared.
"Not every request to be friends with a girl is submissive behavior. Sometimes it is genuine care. Your action has been acknowledged by the system. Reward: +5 points. Current points: 5."
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