“Everything’s ready”, Atsuko sniggered as she watched her two friends prepare what appears to be a trap. They positioned buckets of paint on top of a ladder near one of the corridors, alongside some cords making it easy for someone to trip over. This was all part of their plan to make Amu’s life miserable. Everything is ready - they just have to make sure that the target pass by that same route, and Atsuko have the perfect plan just for that. 

“Now we just have to wait”

——

“You are requested to go to the Principal’s office to sign some forms”, Amu read a note she found on her desk. One of her classmates informed that it was from one of her lecturers and assumed that she is being summoned to sign sponsorship forms she usually reviews periodically. She wondered how odd the timing is as it was the same day of the school festival, but did not want question her teacher’s request. Little did she know, it was a plot to make her day quite miserable. 

Amu forced herself towards her usual route to the principal’s office. She hurriedly pranced to the said place, not noticing a particular someone in a penguin suit trailing her path. 

——

“Damn, it’s so hard to see and move in this thing”, Daiki cursed while he tried to move around the thick garment enveloping his body. The two tiny holes in the suit were the only thing helping to guide his way. It was indeed a bit of a challenge to sneak behind his girlfriend while waddling his way towards the girl. However, his determination of protecting the latter was just enough to pursue this mission. 

It took him awhile to get used to the suit and just concentrated on following Amu. It didn’t take him long when he noticed Atsuko and her friends standing at the end of the corridor as if waiting for something interesting to happen. This only means one thing... they are up to no good. His theory was proven right when he saw a massive pile of paint buckets just waiting for an accident to happen. 

“Yabai”, he clicked his tongue, noting Amu’s nearing footsteps from the said ‘trap’. The clueless girl was in a brink of stepping on a cord, making a tsunami of motion which will consequently make the ladder stumble.

Seeing this, Daiki ran towards Amu and literally threw himself to shield the girl’s head from the incoming impact. “Watch out!!”, he screamed before feeling his foot caught in one of the ladders. He cursed his luck after realising that he was the one who set the trap off for the both of them! It was already too late when he felt his body fall on the ground. By impulse, he twirled Amu around so she lands on top of him to atleast spare her from a painful crash. 

.

.

.

Paint... paint everywhere! Amu had her eyes shut by the incident. Everything went hastily and as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw rainbow coloured blots everywhere, including her own uniform.  She found it strange that she did not feel pain anywhere but instead, she was being cushioned by a fluffy penguin costume. 

“Itai”, Amu heard a muffled voice coming from her penguin rescuer. It was then when she realised the injured creature who saved her. She noticed the heavy ladder on top his leg which made her panic. 

“Are you okay? I’m so so so sorry!”, she rolled to her side to alleviate her weight from her rescuer’s body. She helped him up and examined him from head to toe. She also noticed how the boy limped as he walked, “We need to get you to the nurse’s office, quick”, she suggested before pulling one of his ‘flippers’. However, before she can even take a step, the boy pulled back and shook his head. He didn’t utter a sound, hoping that Amu wouldn’t recognise him through his voice. 

“I insist! We need to get your foot checked and get you changed. Your costume is covered in paint”, she pointed out, before pulling the boy towards the infirmary. 

——

A big smile formed on Daiki’s face underneath his penguin costume. Despite layers of his clothing, he can feel Amu’s warm hand linked on his. Suddenly, the piece of costume he cursed at the beginning is now his most favourite thing. If only he could be with Amu like this without anyone giving her troubles. 

He watched her admiringly as she led him inside the nurse’s office. 

“We really need to remove this costume for me to examine your foot”, Amu started, ruining Daiki’s train of thoughts. Wait, Amu’s not supposed to know he was following her!

He watched as the girl attempted to remove his head gear, making him take a few steps back. He shook his head, as if saying “you don’t have to”. 

“You’re covered with wet paint. We need to get you changed”, Amu insisted and quickly pulled part of the penguin costume. Daiki was taken aback from her sudden pull and before he even realised, the head gear was already off. 

“Dai-chan?”, Amu blinked twice after realising that underneath the costume was her own boyfriend. She watched as he guiltily scratched the back of his head - busted. 

“Amu-chan, please don’t be angry. It was Kei’s idea. I wanted to follow you around to make sure you were okay. I know you didn’t want me to but... I’m kinda glad I did. I want to protect you from Atsuko as much as I can”, Daiki explained in one breath. He’s the type of person who can easily collect his thoughts with other people, but when it comes to Amu, he can’t seem to find the right words. He just tried his best to explain on hoped that the girl won’t take offence, “I’m sorry”. 

Sensing his panicked tone, Amu couldn’t help but to chuckle. She leaned forward and reached for Daiki’s cheek. She brushed her lips on his cheek bone before noticing nearly dry paint on his face, “Why would I be angry? The great Daiki Arioka dressed up as a penguin to save me. I feel so blessed”, she chuckled, “besides, you look cute wearing this”. 

The boy looked down, embarrassed of his actions, “To be honest, I felt so helpless after knowing Chinen rescued you yesterday instead of me. He even gave you a hug. I felt anxious”

Trying to catch her boyfriend’s reasoning, Amu tilted her head in confusion, “Why would you feel anxious about a friendly hug?”

“... because for a second there, he was holding my whole world”

Amu was speechless on what the boy said. Somehow, this sentence made her so flustered that her cheeks started to burn up. Daiki took a few steps forward and limit the distance between him and the girl of his dreams, “I can’t control Atsuko's actions but I’m willing to do whatever I can to protect you”

Daiki sighed in relief after seeing his girlfriend’s smiling face, "With you, I can conquer anything", he heard her say. A simple reply which made his heart go ‘doki-doki’. He held Amu’s hand still on his face and kissed its surface. “You got some paint on your eye lashes too”, the girl chuckled at their misfortune. Both of them are a mess, but she didn’t mind it at all. She took a towel from a nearby sink and started removing dried paint from her boyfriend’s eye lids. 

As the girl started rubbing his skin gently, Daiki couldn’t help but to examine Amu’s face - from her long eye lashes, to her nose bridge, to her chin, and finally his eyes were fixed on Amu’s plump lips. 

He held Amu’s hand and stopped her from wiping his face. His hand glided across her cheek and made camp on her nape. He used this chance to pull her closer while his eyes never leaving Amu’s lips - obvious how he longed to kiss her. 

He couldn’t stop himself any longer and leaned closer until their lips touched, both of them caving to the addicting feeling of each other. 

As Amu broke the kiss, the boy felt unsatisfied, “Can we just stay like this forever?”, he whispered, earning a giggle from Amu. 

——

Amu and Daiki stayed inside the infirmary for a few more minutes, trying to calm the busy rattles of school activi