The morning sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, highlighting the lively chatter of students. Yumi tried to focus on her notes, but Dani, the new transfer student, kept catching her eye. His confident smile and charming demeanor made her cheeks warm, and she found herself glancing up more often than she intended.
Pherrie, sitting right beside her, noticed instantly. His teasing smirk appeared, and he subtly leaned closer, brushing shoulders with her in a protective and playful manner.
"Princess," he whispered, low and teasing, "looks like our charming newcomer thinks he can steal your attention again."
"I—I can handle it," Yumi murmured, flustered.
Pherrie's grin widened. "Sure you can. But the real question is… can he handle me?"
Dani sauntered over with his soft, inviting smile. "Yumi, maybe we can partner up for the next project? I think we'd work really well together."
Pherrie's eyes narrowed slightly, and he shifted closer, his arm brushing Yumi's subtly. "Nice try," he said smoothly. "But the Princess already has a partner—and that partner is me."
Dani raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk still on his lips. "Protective, huh?"
Pherrie leaned just a little closer to Yumi, his voice dropping low and playful. "Protective? Flirty? Absolutely. And you—my Princess—stay close to me. Got it?"
Yumi felt her cheeks heat and her heart flutter. "I… got it," she whispered softly.
Throughout the class, Dani tried several times to engage Yumi—soft comments, glances, even small gestures—but Pherrie was always there first. He whispered jokes, made playful remarks, and brushed against her hand lightly, ensuring Dani never got a chance.
By the end of the lesson, Dani had realized it: Pherrie's teasing, flirty, and protective presence was impossible to bypass. Yumi's attention, and her heart's little flutters, were firmly claimed.
As they walked down the hallway together, Pherrie draped his arm casually around Yumi's shoulder, voice low and teasing. "See, Princess? No one's taking you away. Not him, not anyone."
Yumi's cheeks flushed with warmth, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You really are impossible," she murmured.
"And yet," Pherrie whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, "you love it."
Yumi laughed softly, shaking her head. With Pherrie by her side—teasing, protective, and impossibly flirty—she felt completely safe and, in a way, exhilarated. No one, not even Dani, had a chance.