บท 14: CHAPTER 14: Yakuza's Princess
"I love my family!"
Amidst a sea of women who seemed considerably intimidating, donning business suits and dress pants that failed to hide the rugged nature of those who wore them, and oriental tattoos that could be barely seen from the bits of skin that were exposed, a little girl professed her love for them all.
It was a sight that would bizarre most people. An innocent-looking young girl didn't fit in with the crowd of gangsters trying their best to appear civilized. But instead of the feared outcome of some harm befalling the naive child, she was met with a thunderous chorus of adornment.
"Awww! We love you too, Young Miss!"
"Yeah! Ever since you exited the boss' vag-"
"Oi! Don't spout such words before the Young Miss!"
"Huh?! What'd you say, punk?!"
"Young Miss, allow me to escort you away from these ruffians…"
As the crowd of adoring women quickly turned into a dust cloud of violence, the young little girl began to laugh joyfully as she was held by the hand of a woman who could only wryly smile at her colleagues' behavior in front of the daughter of their boss.
With long glossy black hair that appeared like the night sky incarnate, red irises that reflected light like a blood-drenched rose, and skin as white as snow, the young girl being led ever so carefully undoubtedly had the blood of a storied lineage running in her veins. One that carved their mark into history the same way the Romanov family did in Eastern Europe.
The Azuma Group. Once a criminal syndicate that held sway over underworld affairs in the country of Japan, they were forced to change their ways as the men of their organization fell. Leaving only their wives and lovers to carry on the legacy of their family.
Moving away from crime, the Azumas began to work as protectors of law and order in a time when such things were rare to come across. They defended and governed their territories with a ferocity never seen before, and they did so to the unending gratefulness of the Japanese people and the small groups they were able to take in amidst all the chaos.
When it came time for the world to rebuild, the Azumas willingly let go of the reins of their territory. Experiencing the tragedies of war and strife firsthand, the family of criminals began to more strictly adhere to the code of honor that their legacy was built upon.
Wishing to continue the good they had done, their group transformed into a provider of security much like the Romanocs with the Continental Hotel. But instead of security for key notable figures, they provided security for the groups and events. Believing it to be their duty to continue safeguarding the peace they were so suddenly robbed of years ago.
And over time, they became well-reputed upholders of order. Despite their rash nature never changing, they were still viewed by the people of the current age with smiles and gratitude. Truly living up to the code of honor that bound them, even when the world changed so much.
"Young Miss, we are home"
"Thank you for escorting me, Mina!"
"It is my pleasure, Young Miss"
With the young girl and stern woman appearing at the gate of a large estate designed in Eastern architecture, a larger crowd of dressed women opened the doors before giving their greetings to the young girl who stood in front of them. Doing so with a deep bow of reverence.
"Welcome home, Young Miss!"
"It's good to be back!"
Standing above all these women who were trained in years of self-defense and combat tactics was the heiress apparent for this long-standing family business, Amane Azuma, daughter of the current head, Amano Azuma.
She was well-loved by the countless workers who served her family in the protection of events and groups who availed her family's services. No matter how hard-boiled and rugged they appeared to be, their hearts simply melted in front of the young child.
Being the child of a woman who was considered one of the greatest heads of the Azuma family in their entire history, she was already considered to be a blessing for them, but she simply continued to garner their favor as she grew up.
Her affinity with martial arts was simply outstanding, and her intellect for battle strategies and risk prevention was simply unheard of. And in spite of all her talent, she never once grew conceited or arrogant. The reason? It was simple.
"I'm home, father…"
Walking along the wooden hallways of her home, Amane eventually stopped at a certain room in her large house. Opening the sliding door, a small and humble shrine could be seen soaking in the rays of the sun and basking in the gentle breeze that swept through their estate.
Walking courteously before entering a formal sitting position, the young girl paid her respects to the shrine. The shrine of her deceased father. Goro M. Azuma.
Contrary to the many men of this world, Goro Azuma was extremely outgoing. Where most men were reserved and hesitant to interact with the scary-looking Azuma Group, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind about his fascination with their little band of rugged protectors of order.
Eventually, the outspoken young man caught the interest of a young Amano Azuma, and the two quickly became a couple before eventually ushering Amane into the world.
Goro showered his daughter with immense amounts of love, but above all else, instilled an admiration and fascination with their family's origins.
『Take pride in our family's origins, Amane. The Azumas were undoubtedly born in a dark place and did many horrible things in the past…but instead of continuing to do so, they worked hard to do good』
『In a time where so many others fell into the easy road of evil, your ancestors walked the path less taken and decided to work for good in a world that seemed so devoid of it. Goodness without bias of preference…simply a desire to do good for the sake of doing good』
『Many people may be afraid of our family, but where others saw scary women with tattoos and scars, I saw a found family of gentle and kind souls. Those traits were why I fell in love with your mother…so Amane, no matter what you come across in life, always take pride in your family』
Taking in her father's words whom she loved above everyone else, even more so than the family she already loved deeply, Amane worked hard to be worthy of her role as it's heiress. Wanting to do them all proud, and to bring them further success.
But as the days of happiness never seemed to end for the Azumas, tragedy struck them with the sudden passing of Goro from a terminal illness.
The endless smiles of the young Amane threatened to shatter as she watched her father wither away at her young age before she had even reached the age of ten, but she soon found the strength to continue smiling.
『Amane…live a good life…keep smiling…find friends…maybe even find a partner…find people whom you could smile with as you go through life…just like how your mother and our family smiled with me…a brash and awkward man who could only act like a clown to hide his insecurities…』
Taking her father's words to heart, just like she had always done before, Amane clutched onto her smile with immense desperation. Wanting to not trouble her father in his last moments.
And so she continued to smile, grinning widely as she made the steps to honor her father's words to the best of her abilities.
『I want to go to school, Mother! I want to smile with friends like Father wanted me to!』
Amane had always been taught by private tutors. With the reputation of the Azuma family, many schools were hesitant to accept their applications due to the fear they caused among some men.
But now she wanted to spread her wings to the outside world to find the friends and partners her father talked so fondly about. After some hesitation, Amano and the rest of the Azuma family worked to fulfill the dream of the young girl.
Such was why Amane had been going outside so frequently. She had been gathering supplies for her first day of school. Speaking to her father's shrine about her day, the members of the Azuma Group smiled gently as they watched Amane be filled with so much joy. The same is true for Amano.
But, for all their good, it seemed as if fate was cruel to them, in spite of their long service to doing good;.
『Hey, don't go there. That the girl from those scary Azumas…』
『Aren't her eyes intimidating? Are the teachers sure she's safe?...』
『Aaa! Go away! How can any boy want to be your friend? Monster!』
Complete rejection. Girls. Boys. They all rejected Amane with great fervor. The girls grew fearful of the scarred women who often accompanied them to school. The boys grew even more scared as they recognized her as the leader of the group of monster-like women.
Amane's smile broke. In truth, her bright grin was merely a facade. A coping mechanism she had implemented to keep her father's presence in her life despite him being gone.
With the words of her beloved father proving false to the young child, there was nothing more for her to fuel her facade, and she quickly began to let her once kind heart become tainted.
A great flurry of hurtful words were shouted and exchanged in the Azuma household. One that left deep scars on both the family and Amane herself.
Her once rowdy and kind family had become melancholic and quiet, and her gentle mother had grown cold to her daughter as she watched the young girl go against the words her husband had spoken to her often at length.
This all eventually culminated in an event that would greatly tear the once invincibly close family to a near breaking point,
"I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS FAMILY ANYMORE!"
Shouting these words, Amane received looks of pain and hurt from the countless women around her. A sight that greatly disturbed the young girl who simply didn't know how to process her grief and frustration at her young age.
Unable to bear the thought of staying with the family her father so loved after hurting them greatly, Amane ran away from her lifelong home. She chose to detach herself from them as a form of penance and as a desperate attempt to fulfill her father's last wishes. The memories of him becoming a crutch for her mind that threatened to break apart at any moment.
『Father wants me to be happy with friends and a partner. But people are afraid of me…』
『They're afraid of the Azumas. But I don't want to change the family I love…so I'll change myself…I'll go away from them and change into someone they can't recognize』
Her raven black hair she once proudly let flow in the wind had been tied up into a braid. Her deep red eyes which were a sign of her pedigree were hidden behind glasses that diffused their rich hue. And her wild animal-like grin that she inherited from her father had been replaced with a soft smile that didn't wish to draw any attention.
『The kids at school think the Azumas are wild and brutish. So I won't cause any trouble, and I'll study to get rid of that image of being a thug…』
『Be like everyone else. They won't accept me if I'm different. Hide everything…and conform…maybe they'll accept me then…』
It was an action that tore her heart apart. She ran away from the home that had raised her and desperately sought shelter among a crowd of hesitant strangers.
She had nothing but the misconstrued wishes of a father who only wanted his child to grow up happy.
Such was how Amane Azuma now faced life. As an outcasted student who struggled to keep up with her studies to appear more approachable.
"Ah! I'll be late for my cram school class!"
So dedicated she was to her studies that she didn't even pay mind to the blonde man she had bumped into as she rushed to attend her cram school classes.
…
..
.
"Man, it's weird how I could work better by working less"
Lying idly on the bed in his room, Leon was in awe at the recent discovery of his increased rates of productivity after he had cut back from the constant studying and learning.
After causing a fiasco within his family after not regulating his work-life balance, the young man decided to cut back on his study sessions dragged across numerous hours in order to spend time with the people he loved, and for himself.
Much to his surprise, he was doing better than when he immersed himself in work. Providing the rehabilitating criminal with another life lesson as he walked down the path of kindness.
"Now that I think about it, I did seem to do better at doing the jobs I got from the underworld when I came back from a vacation. I guess hindsight really is shocking"
Knowing better, Leon was now currently resting from a productive session of answering questionnaires made by Ana and was now scrolling through TikTok on his phone, quickly growing fascinated with the seemingly endless flow of entertainment on his screen.
But as much as he grew fascinated with the flow of content appearing on his phone, he would occasionally become unnerved as he was reminded that women were the dominant gender in this world.
From countless edits of male characters in media wearing skimpy outfits to discussions and memes of women lusting over these said male characters, Leon was equal parts shocked and curious about how different this world was from his previous one.
But one thing in particular that drew his interest was a TikTok of a concert that was recently held. Shockingly, it was a large concert hosted by a male artist. The video he watched broke Leon's preconceptions of men in this world.
Where he once thought they either fell under reserved or straight-up asshole, the young man's eyes widened as he watched the male artist sing passionately to a sea of adoring fans. There indeed existed men in this world who acted like how he expected they would act. With confidence and purpose.
Waving lightsticks and shouting chants that went along with the melody and beat of the songs blaring through the speakers. It was as if those thousands of people were locked in a trance.
Seeing the positive reactions in the comments and in other TikToks stitched to the original, Leon quickly grew fascinated with the line of work of the male artist. That being, an idol.
"An idol. I remember encountering a few of those folks in the underworld. Often in unsavory circumstances"
He was familiar with the concept of idols. Artists that appealed to the ideal fantasies of fans. Capturing their hearts with their ability, they went beyond simple singing and did whatever was necessary to paint a smile on the faces of their loving fans.
However, he was aware of the cruel reality that awaited the majority of aspiring idols who failed to strike it big in the industry. Most simply returned to their normal lives, but the desperate remaining few began to delve into depraved corners of the world to get another chance at stardom.
"I wonder if that is still true in this world?"
With the number of laws set in place to protect men in any possible circumstance, Leon found it quite hard to formulate an illegal scheme to take advantage of these male idols.
But this line of thought of his began to derail and head towards a destination he hadn't expected he would ever consider.
"Maybe I can become an idol?"
Leon pondered on this possibility. He wanted to live a life of kindness where he gave joy to anyone he came across, something that lined up perfectly with the ideals of the profession.
He was quite confident in singing and dancing due to his prolific history of clubbing and partying as a highballing criminal. He even began to learn how to play the guitar whenever he was free.
He didn't mind the attention. He also wasn't currently interested in romance, allowing him to not regret it if he was imposed with a policy of no dating. And if he were to face some form of malicious intent within the industry…
"I think I can take it on. After all, what are a bunch of perverts who couldn't keep it in their pants compared to someone like me?"
More and more, the prospect of becoming an idol began to appeal to Leon. But he quickly pushed those thoughts aside as he saw the time on his electric clock. It was almost time for his afternoon classes at his cram school.
"Ah, gotta start packing for class…"
As much as he dreamed about what he wanted to do in the future, for now, Leon simply needed to focus on his studies before entrance exam season came along. He could ponder on what he wanted to do for a living after he successfully enrolled himself in a decent school.
…
..
.
"I want to go to cram school by myself"
"UWAAA!!! MY ADORABLE LEON IS ENTERING HIS REBELLIOUS PHASE!!"
"M-Madame! Calm yourself! Perhaps we have simply misheard the Young Master!"
"No, you didn't. I want to go to cram school by myself"
"UWAAAA!!!"
"AWAWAWAWA!!"
Under the blunt words of Leon who refused the company of Ada and Anastasia, the two women began to break down mentally as they faced the cold rejection of the usually kind young man.
Looking at them both, Leon could only steel his heart to avoid comforting them both from their pain as he wanted to make some changes to their family dynamic.
"I want to be able to go outside by myself. I've been going to the cram school with Anastasia for months now, and I constantly see men walking around by themselves!"
Recalling his memories, Leon was able to distinguish numerous men who were able to traverse the outside world by themselves just fine.
Never once had there been an incident like his mother and maid had described to him. The two women constantly talked of armies of villainesses lurking in the shadows to pounce on him, but never once had Leon felt such a malicious intent directed towards him.
"I'm almost sixteen. I will be starting high school soon. I want to be able to be independent!"
Leon desperately wanted some agency of his own. As much as he enjoyed the company of his mother and maid, it was hard to constantly accept the two of them meddling around with whatever he did in the outside world.
If he didn't draw a line right now, he felt like the two of them would be constantly hovering over him like a pair of annoying but well-meaning drones.
"If you don't allow me to do this…then no hugs for Mom and no head pats for Ana for a week!"
"UGH-"
"GUH-"
Under the assault of his ultimatum, the two women who once were able to live their lives efficiently without male affection began to crumble like a pair of addicts who were deprived of their daily dose of happiness.
After experiencing the boundless love and kindness of Leon, Ada, and Anastasia could never go back to the women they were before they met him. It was simply impossible for them from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective.
Upturning their heads to see the blonde young man wouldn't budge in his decision, the pair decided to accept his terms. But not without some compromises of their own.
"Leon, by law, you're entitled to your right to self-defense"
"Yeah, Mom…I know…"
Seeing the serious expression in his mother's eyes, Leon began to sweat as the stern Chief Prosecutor took over Ada's mind and began to fill him with countless legal advice detailing the various ways he was allowed to defend himself. Even if it involved brutal and near-sadistic methods of self-defense.
"Young Master. Please use this if you ever find yourself assailed by some thug"
"Hm?"
And as Ada finished her long-winded speech, Anastasia planted an object in Leon's hands. Something whose weight and feel felt frighteningly familiar to the past criminal.
"Ana, what is this?"
With a wry smile, the young man's green eyes twitched as he observed the metallic sheen radiating off of the rather hardcore object his maid had given him for "self-defense"
Responding to her young master's question, the white-haired maid made a deadpan expression as she bluntly called out the object she had placed in his hand.
"A pistol, Young Master. Specifically the nine-millimeter pit viper. I would've liked something more heavy-duty, but this is all I can currently provide at the moment. Please forgive me"
To her words, Leon struggled to contain a dry laugh as he recognized just how deadly the pistol in his hand was. But before he could reject it with the pretense that it was simply too extreme for him, Anastasia quickly cut him off as she moved to speak.
"It is loaded with rubber bullets, Young Master. Therefore there should be no need for concern with your aversion to extreme violence"
"If it is your inexperience with firearms that concerns you, then you just simply need to run the gun dry and-"
𝙎𝙃𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙂
"-Deploy the melee response option. Though it may appear like a deadly knife, I can assure the Young Master that I have dulled the fangs enough to not cause too much laceration!"
"HOW IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER?!"
After some back and forth with Ada and Anastasia, Leon was able to settle their concerns by bringing a retractable baton and some pepper spray.
However, without him knowing, the two women secretly placed a tracker on the items they had given the young man.
Should the tracker ever lose track or fail to determine the presence of Leon nearby, it would automatically send an SOS message to an encrypted network.
Who would it be sent to? The entirety of the Continental Hotel's combatable maids with immediate permission to access high-class "Unwanted Guests Suppression Assistants ".
…
..
.
"Arrived safe and sound. Mom and Ana worry way too much about me"
Smiling with self-satisfaction, Leon slowly walked towards the entrance of his cram school as he felt he had successfully traveled through the city by himself. Something he never expected he would be proud of in his past life.
But unknown to him, he had once again caused a stir with his presence. On the train station, he had caught the attention of many tired and busy office workers who couldn't help but have their eyes drawn to his beauty.
Boarding the train, the young man stepped into a train car located near the front that was reserved exclusively for use by men. And it wouldn't be a while until he learned of a certain other kind of attention he would begin to garner. One that seemed so obvious to occur in this alternate world in retrospect.
(A/N: This won't be a BL story. MC won't have any of these types of relationships)
But for now, such things didn't concern him as he prepared his notes and papers for the class that would soon begin. With his increased productivity from taking occasional breaks from work, Leon was now slowly closing in on the level of knowledge that students around his age were currently at.
Before long, he would be able to proudly say that he wasn't behind on any academics, though he was quite embarrassed for being so proud of such a thing if he took his previous life's age into account with his current one.
'Is it because I'm in a young body that I don't act like an old man all the time?'
As he pondered this, Leon was beset on all sides by a crowd of energetic children who were eager to welcome him to the cram school.
"Welcome back, Big Brother!"
"Oh! If it isn't you girls!"
"Hehehe!"
Smiling at the energetic crowd of young girls, Leon bent down to reach eye level with them. He exchanged greetings as he caught up with his former classmates.
He wasn't ashamed to say that he was once in a class with these girls who were many years his junior. If he was, then he wouldn't be participating in this journey to catch up on his studies at all.
And more important above all, he didn't want to give the impression that he was embarrassed being around the young girls.
Having known what it was like not receiving affection at a young age, it would seem Leon had a soft spot for children. Something that greatly elevated his allure among the passing female students of the cram school.
"Ah, it's Leon! He's as handsome today as he was yesterday! I can already feel my fatigue being drained away by watching him"
"He's so kind to the young girls. Do you guys think he wants to be a father in the future? I can see him being a really good one…I volunteer to be the mother-"
"Stop! Don't give me more delusions! I'm already suffering enough as is! I can't take having a DILF Leon as well!"
"Damn it!! Why can't I be a child right now?! I'll invent anti-aging technology so that I can be spoiled by Big Brother Leon as well!!"
As the passing women spoke in whispers regarding the desires of their hearts, their eyes only widened more and more as they watched Leon bring paradise into reality as he interacted with the group of kids around him.
"Look, Leon! I got a high score on my exam! I'm near the top of my school!"
"Wow! That's so good, Sarah. Good job!"
A hair rustling head pat along with a bright smile and words of praise. Something that awoke repressed emotions of wanting to be spoiled among the observing women. Even the older ones didn't feel ashamed as they desired to be spoiled by the boy who was younger than them.
"Big brother! I drew this picture of you! I want to be able to draw your handsome face, so I'll practice a lot!"
"You're so good, Lin! Here, come close to me. I wanna take a photo of us with this photo!"
A close proximity shoulder hug along with a selfie. A dream scenario for many teenage students who wish to experience the heart-throbbing throes of youth. A personal photo with such a handsome man was undoubtedly something that defined an ideal teenage life for many of these women.
"I got accepted into the elementary school my smart friend transferred to! I can be friends with her again!"
"I'm so proud of you Kim! Come here!"
A tight hug with the girl's head firmly planted on his chest. A sight that made many women's eyes bloodshot as they couldn't believe that a man would allow such a thing.
A man's chest was a symbol of eroticism shared by many. The squishy pectorals that lay between the boundary of rigid and soft were a nirvana most women thought to be unattainable.
Being pressed against a man's chest was something that was supposed to be the stuff of adult stories and fantasies, and yet here they all were, witnessing a young girl live their dream right before their eyes.
"Big brother!!"
Feeling the defined structure of Leon's chest that was both firm and soft, Kim's mind began to go haywire as her innocent mentality tried its best to not take advantage of her beloved Big Brother's kindness.
But it was simply too much. With Leon's hand ushering her further into his embrace, the young girl simply accepted the enlightenment that awaited her beyond his pecs, and the young girl was determined to become a woman. Alas, she was stopped by her fellow classmates who recognized what she was trying to do.
"No fair! Kim can't be the only one who gets a hug! Big Brother! I want a hug too!"
"Sarah too! Sarah too!"
Seeing the young girls around him wanting to be spoiled, Leon nonchalantly accepted their requests. Thinking they simply wanted to engage in some wholesome fun. Oh how wrong he was.
"..."
"..."
"..."
As the crowd of women tried to inconspicuously stare at the sight of Leon allowing the young girls to plant their heads on his chest, the grown women were able to recognize something in their faces.
"Heh"
A smug face of superiority. Something that agitated the growing frustration of these women who were too afraid to approach Leon, and could only sit and watch as their juniors took full advantage of his presence in their cram school.
"DAMN THOSE KIDS! I'LL SHOW YOU NOT TO MESS AROUND WITH ADULTS!"
"LET'S DO IT! LET'S INVENT ANTI-AGING TECHNOLOGY!"
"I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND WATCH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF LIKE SOME NTR DOUJIN PROTAGONIST!"
As chaos once again erupted wherever Leon went, the young man eventually left the scene as his classes were almost about to begin. Waving goodbye to the young girls, they eventually began to beef with the older students of the cram school.
…
..
.
As the sun began to set, Leon could be seen finishing up a questionnaire he had been cross-referencing with an answer sheet all by himself in a classroom.
His classes had long since finished, but he stayed behind in order to reinforce the knowledge he had just learned and check if he could apply it properly in various instances.
Smiling as he got an above-average score for the questionnaire prepared by his maid Anastasia, the young man felt that it was now time for him to head back home.
Though he was sure he could be capable of defending himself no matter the time of day, he didn't want to worry his mother and maid by returning late at night.
"I better start heading home"
Packing his stuff into his shoulder bag, Leon began passing through the orange-dyed hallways of his cram school. His vision became allured by the scenic blend of colors.
The quiet hallways and the gentle light of dusk were sights and sounds he never correlated with peace and tranquility. He would more often than not associate such things with immense danger or cold loneliness in his past life.
But before he could act like an old man and reminisce about the time that had so quickly passed him by, his eyes turned toward an open classroom.
"Hm?..."
The sound of the pencil leads against the paper. The scraping of an eraser against a surface to remove and clean the marks placed upon it.
In this cram school of studious academics who had already left, there was a single girl who stayed behind like himself to evaluate their understanding of the material they learned.
But unlike Leon who breezed through the questionnaire provided to him, the girl he currently looked at held a strained expression.
Her brows were creased as her nose became crumpled. Her mouth was closed extremely shut as her gentle cheekbones were tensed with stress.
It was clear she was struggling. But the determination in her eyes didn't falter for a single moment. It was as if only by answering the questions laid before her could her life hold meaning. Like a desperate man holding onto a lifeline with all his remaining strength.
"..."
Seeing her, Leon wondered if he was the same a few months prior. If the unlearned mess of a person struggled in the same manner as she did. No doubt he did.
It was just that he had the fortunate help of others to aid him along the way, but what for this girl? From her body language, he could infer there was a lot of apprehension within her body.
Coupled with a complete lack of trending or fashionable items on her person, and her attire being made so as to not be conspicuous at all. It was clear to see that she was all by herself.
Perhaps Leon was looking too deeply into this. Perhaps this girl was just peculiar. But, as a person who wanted to live a life of kindness, he knew that looking the other way without trying to help was the most common betrayal of human virtue ever performed.
So, even if he was wrong, Leon would not simply chalk it up to his personal assumptions. It doesn't hurt to inquire after all.
"This classroom should be assigned to students in the last year of middle school. I'm only beginning to enter the material for the first year of middle school…but this classroom is for mathematics. I can definitely help!"
Though the student was undoubtedly ahead of Leon in terms of grade level, the young man's comprehension of each subject wasn't bounded by such standards.
Taking into consideration that subjects like maths and sciences opened more opportunities for him as a student and how society generally valued these subjects more, Leon doubled down on his efforts to learn them, eventually completing his comprehension of them both to the level he desired.
𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...
With gentle steps, Leon made his way toward the black-haired girl whom he was watching. It would seem that she was extremely immersed in her studies as she didn't indicate any response to hearing him approach.
'Calculus huh? I can understand why she might be having some trouble then'
Peering through the worksheet the black-haired girl was going through, he could begin to see the errors the girl had made in her solution. Armed with the advice to help her, Leon made himself known to her.
"Hey, you need some help with that?"
"?!"
Taken by surprise by his sudden words, a swift arm began to move to strike the person the girl didn't notice. An instinct ingrained in her body that she failed to control under the immense stress she was going through.
'Oh no-'
Just as the black-haired girl struggled to rein in her strike, Leon's eyes were perfectly tracking the sudden attack out of nowhere.
His mind had been fully trained to react to sudden blows due to the backstabbing nature of criminals. So a half-hearted move such as this was nowhere near enough to put him at unease.
"Sorry, if I startled you"
"Huh?!"
Widening her eyes, the black-haired girl saw her punch had been easily blocked by Leon's hand. Though she was sure her attack wouldn't have done much damage, from her previous experiences most people would be rather shocked or surprised by the sudden assault.
But now wasn't the time for her to worry about how somebody, much less a boy, was able to react to her attack. She needed to apologize profusely for her extremely rude behavior.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright-"
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"H-Hey…"
The girl continued to apologize over and over again without rest. Under Leon's scrutinizing gaze, he could begin to make out a faint shaking on her body. As if she were afraid of the consequences of her actions, but to a higher degree than normal.
He knew that harming a boy in this world carried a high punishment, but this shaking, though faint, was extremely intense in potency. It didn't stem from a fear of retribution, but something deeper. Like the loss of one's will to live.
"..."
It was something he saw often among outcasts who had begun to feel reality sink in. The weight of their sins and crimes beginning to press down like a mountain.
The bubble of a vice-filled dream popped, leaving only the cruel coldness of what awaited them after all the pain and suffering they inflicted. Something he also felt at the end of his last life.
And it was for this reason that he knew exactly how to deal with such a reaction. Because he had always been yearning for this same response from all the people who outcasted him.
"That was a good punch! I could feel that it was held back a bit, but it was still really good! Do you train in self-defense?"
"...Huh?"
Interest. Validation. Affirmation. Any sign that there was someone in the world who would accept him for who he was, even with all his flaws and undesirable traits.
"It must've been hard to throw a quick punch like that from your sitting position, so your body must be well-trained to be flexible yet powerful"
"Yes but-"
Someone who could accept even an outcast. Those types of people would be classified as saints to even consider accepting such a weirdo into their lives, such was why Leon never had his desire fulfilled before he passed.
But this time, he could be that person for other people. So many times he had fueled the cycle of suffering, but this time, he wanted to be the one who broke it.
Perhaps this was why he grew interested in the male idols of this world. Leon simply wanted to help others not go through what he did. He felt like he could never face himself if he didn't do so.
"Besides the punch, I saw that you were struggling to answer that worksheet a while ago. Let me help you with that"
"Wait-"
Be relentless in your desire to reach out. More often than not, most people simply back away or refuse help despite wanting it badly. A conflict of interest stemming from one's perception of their worthiness to be blessed with such a thing.
So Leon wouldn't give this girl a single moment to stop him. He was well-trained in how to push what he wanted in backdoor negotiations, so he would simply turn that skill into one done for good.
"Here. I'll show you!"
"..."
Grabbing a pencil from his pocket, Leon began to guide the girl in what she had missed in solving the calculus problem.
His long blonde hair blended with the afternoon glow, and his evergreen eyes danced through the paper with gentleness and confidence.
Seeing all of this, the young girl didn't know what to do. Her heart and mind were in a mess. Was this real? Was this a dream?
"..."
"...Hey"
Noticing the young girl was probably in the middle of processing all that was happening, Leon simply smiled lightly as he gave her a little nudge in the right direction.
"Eyes on me, okay?"
"?!"
Seeing his gentleness with her, the young girl's eyes flashed with recollection as she recalled someone dear to her heart who smiled in a similar way to Leon.
A memory that she desperately remembered constantly, lest the image of it begin to blur with the passage of time. The memory of her deceased father beckoned her to him.
"...Okay"
The young girl, Amane Azuma, couldn't help but accept the young man's words despite never knowing him. She was desperate to feel the warmth her father emitted so long ago, and so, for the first time in years, her red eyes began to shimmer with a light it had lost for so long.
"Good. Let's work hard on this problem, and I'm sure you'll be able to get it, Miss?"
"...Azuma…Azuma Amane"
"Alright, Miss Azuma"
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