章 16: Anzu's friends

Anzu sat at her desk, absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair around her finger. Her two friends, Yuki and Mei, were chattering away about the latest shōjo drama they had watched last night, their voices filled with excitement.

Her friend group was not popular in their class, as they didn't bother to join anything interesting their class or any popular activities that occured.

"I'm telling you, the way Kazuya finally confessed to Haruka under that cherry blossom tree was so romantic!" Yuki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

Mei nodded enthusiastically, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "I know, right? And when Haruka started crying, I couldn't help but tear up too. It was just so perfect."

Anzu, however, was only half-listening. She rested her cheek on her hand, her thoughts drifting back to Ryo. The scene at the park, the way he carried himself—it had all left a strange, lingering impression on her. She wasn't sure what to make of it. There was something unsettling about how he mirrored her late father's actions, and it kept eating her from inside.

"Anzu?" Mei's voice broke through her daze, bringing her back to the present. "Are you even listening?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I am," Anzu lied, forcing a small smile. "It's just… I've got a lot on my mind."

Her friends exchanged a quick glance but didn't press further. They knew Anzu well enough to sense when she wasn't in the mood to talk. Besides, they had no idea about her secret life as a streamer. To them, she was just Anzu, the quiet girl who liked anime and had a tendency to zone out.

Anzu's thoughts drifted to her streaming channel. It had been growing steadily, but she wanted more. More viewers meant more money, and she needed that money if she was ever going to escape her current situation. But how? How could she attract more viewers?

"Maybe I should try something new… something that would draw people in," Anzu mused silently. "I could use a gimmick or maybe do some collaborations. But with who? I can't let anyone at school find out…"

Just as she was about to dive deeper into her thoughts, the homeroom bell rang, signalling the start of the day's lessons. The door slid open, and their homeroom teacher, Konomi Nakajima, entered the room with her usual bright smile.

"Good morning, everyone!" Konomi greeted the class cheerfully.

"Good morning, Nakajima-sensei," the class responded in unison.

Konomi was a young teacher, not much older than her students, and she had quickly become popular for her friendly demeanor and willingness to listen. She was someone who genuinely cared about her students, and it showed in the way she interacted with them.

"Alright, let's get started," Konomi said, pulling out her attendance sheet. "But first, I have a little surprise for you all."

The students perked up, curious. Konomi always had a way of making even the most mundane announcements sound exciting.

"We're going to have a small class project," Konomi continued. "Each of you will work in groups to create a presentation on a topic of your choice. It can be anything—your favourite book, a movie you love, a historical event—anything that interests you. I want you to use this opportunity to share something you're passionate about and I will share them with your juniors showing them how amazing their seniors are before they graduate."

The class buzzed with excitement, students already whispering to each other about potential partners and topics.

Anzu leaned back in her chair, her mind already racing with ideas. She always loved these practical work, instead of just reading the books and vomiting things she remembered on a paper and getting marks.

"Anzu," Konomi's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I was thinking you might want to work with Yuki and Mei on this. The three of you make a great team."

Anzu nodded. "Sure, Nakajima-sensei. That sounds good."

"Great! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with," Konomi said with a smile before moving on to the next student.

The bell rang for the interval, and Anzu made her way out of the classroom. She had a quick errand to run, and as she walked down the hallway, she found herself lost in thought again. The conversation with Konomi had been brief, but something about it had stuck with her. There was a genuine concern in her teacher's eyes, almost like she knew there was more going on with Anzu than she was letting on.

She knew it won't be a surprise if Konomi heard about her situation, since it was on the news.

As Anzu rounded the corner, she nearly bumped into Konomi, who was walking the other way.

"Oh, sorry, Nakajima-sensei," Anzu said, stepping back.

"No worries, Anzu," Konomi replied, her smile as warm as ever. "How are you doing? Is everything alright at home?"

Anzu hesitated for a split second before nodding. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just the usual, you know."

Konomi's eyes searched Anzu's face, as if trying to gauge the truth. "You know, if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here. It doesn't have to be about school. It can be about anything."

Anzu forced a smile. "Thanks, Nakajima-sensei. I appreciate that."

With a nod, Konomi let the conversation drop, and Anzu continued on her way. But the encounter left her feeling uneasy. How much did Konomi know? She felt a little sad, that she couldn't have a normal family like other kids, but remembering her father, who made so many sacrifices for her, she felt strength coming to her mind and body.

As she approached her classroom, Anzu heard something that made her pause. Quiet sobbing. She slowed down and peeked around the corner, spotting her friend Yuki crouched in the corner of the room, drenched and crying.

"What…?" Anzu's eyes narrowed as she quickly hid behind the doorframe, observing the scene.

A group of popular girls stood over Yuki, smirking and exchanging glances. It didn't take long for Anzu to realize what was happening. They were bullying her friend—pouring water on her, making her cry. Her blood boiled.

"You think you can just talk to anyone, huh?" one of the girls sneered at Yuki. "You otaku freaks are all the same. No wonder you don't have any real friends."

Yuki sniffled, her hands trembling as she tried to wipe away her tears. "I-I didn't do anything wrong…"

"Didn't do anything wrong?" another girl echoed mockingly. "Just being here is wrong enough. People like you don't belong here."

"Boys says she looks cute, but I have to wonder whether they are blind sometimes, this gloomy bitch!" One of the girl said, and others started to laugh at Yuki. It was obvious to anyone that everyone that was bullying Yuki was jealous of Yuki's looks, which despite not trying managed to grab the attention of boys.

Anzu's fists clenched. She had seen enough. Without a second thought, she stepped into the room, her expression darkening.

"Leave her alone," Anzu demanded, her voice cold and steady.

The girls turned to her, their expressions quickly shifting to amusement. "Oh, look who it is," one of them said with a smirk. "The wannabe hero that was on the news. What are you going to do, Anzu? Save your little otaku friend?"

"Yeah, what's she going to do?" another girl chimed in, laughing. "Maybe cry with her?"

Anzu didn't flinch. She just stared them down, her gaze unyielding. "I said, leave her alone before I bring sensei here."

The lead girl, clearly the ringleader, clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You're lucky the bell's about to ring. But don't think we'll forget this, Anzu. We'll remember your face."

With that, the group of girls turned and walked away, leaving Yuki trembling in the corner. Anzu let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and quickly moved to Yuki's side.

"Yuki, are you okay?" Anzu asked, pulling out her handkerchief and gently wiping the tears from her friend's face.

Yuki looked up at her, still shaking. "Anzu, you shouldn't have come. Now they'll start targeting you too…"

Anzu sighed, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "Let them try. They're barking up the wrong tree if they think I'm scared of them."

Yuki shook her head, still sobbing. "I don't even know why they did this… I didn't do anything…"

Anzu's eyes softened with sympathy. "Sometimes, people just need someone to pick on. It's not your fault, Yuki."

Yuki sniffled again, looking down at the floor. "But now they're going to come after you…"

"Don't worry about me," Anzu replied, her voice firm. "I can handle it."

She continued to comfort Yuki, helping her clean up and offering whatever support she could. As she did, Anzu couldn't help but feel a surge of anger toward those girls. They had no right to treat Yuki like this. No one did.

But deep down, Anzu knew this was just the beginning. If they were going to come after her too, she'd have to be ready. She had to protect her friends, and more importantly, she had to protect herself.

As the bell rang for the end of the interval, Anzu stood up, her resolve steeling. "They're not going to get away with this," she thought. "Not on my watch."

But for now, she would focus on getting through the rest of the day, one step at a time.