On the next day, Karina goes to school while try to act like nothing happen after the bully incident. She already make sure Ryosuke doesn’t get chance to offer his help. She thinks no one follow her but she almost reach the school, her eyes catch three figures that seem waiting for her. Ryosuke the first one greet her, “You think you can run away from us?”

                “I thought I already leave early today.” Mumble Karina.

                Ryosuke get near her, “I already know you will go to school early today to avoid us.”

                “Just accept our help without think too much?” Rin really annoy to know Karina tries to avoid their offer to help.

                Keito quickly ask Rin to calm down before says, “I know you don’t want to burden any of us but we never think it is burden to us. We only want you to enjoy your life with people around you. I know you work really hard to cure your phobia but don’t you think it will be faster when you do it when someone?”

                “I know but…” Karina doesn’t know how to continue it that make Ryosuke says, “I understand you’re not usually ask anything from anyone but it’s time to learn to accept it. I’m sure it would be a lot better than you handle it alone.”

                They walk to school compound and Keito holds Karina’s hand when sense that girl want to create distance from them. Ryosuke says, “Let’s meet again during lunch okay. I already prepare food for all of us.”

                “I will send you to your class to make sure you’re not thinking to run away.” Say Keito.

                When Karina and Keito leave them, Ryosuke asks, “Do you think we can protect her?”

                “Like I care…” reply Rin, short before walk away. Ryosuke confuse at that moment as he never think she could cold with him again. He quickly join Rin to get to their class but Rin says, “Ne, are you thinking to get into my class?”

                “Why you ask like that?” Ryosuke realize that he want to get into Rin’s class and quickly apologizes, “Gomen, I didn’t realize it. See you at lunch.”

*******************

                Karina just get to hear seat after wave bye to Keito. She think nothing would happen to her but that is not what fate want on her. A group of students that really famous as hard-die-fan Keito walk towards her table before one of them says, “You think we would leave you alone after Keito-kun send you here?”

                “I never think of that.” Reply Karina while try to hide her scared emotion.

                Someone pulls her hair to drag her outside from class to pool where no one would suspect it. Karina being throw to the wall that hit her back that make tears form at her eyes. She hears, “I think you already hear clearly on what we try to tell you yesterday.”

                “Keito is not for you.”

                “You’re just a while he is a prince.”

                “I know you use dirty way to get work at that shop. We already try to apply part-time job there but his dad never want to accept us.”

                The girls continue about many things but Karina just too shock to give any response. She never want those things happen to her. For her, she only want to have normal life and stay low until graduation. She never ask for more but she keep ask why she has to face those things.

                Before those girls leave, one of them push Karina into pool and just walk away. Karina already panic as she can’t swim and has black memory of it. She tries to swim out from the water but she can’t move anywhere. She could feel water begin fill up her lungs before she slowly close her eyes with hope everything would be just fine for her.

                She regain her conscious after the chlorine water draw out from her and hear, “Yokatta! You’re alive!” Karina can’t give any response as she could feel her strength drain out that make her world become black again. Her mind keep replay that dark incident that make her more exhausted.

***********************

                Ryosuke bolt up when hear sound of ambulance get into the school. Everyone gather at window to see what happen but the sensei quickly ask them to return to their seats. The students just obey but Ryosuke manage to get glimpse of someone being push on bed to the vehicle. He feels uneasy when see it but he has to brush it off.

                He hears some of his classmate talk over something, “I heard that person who get into ambulance just now, drown at pool.”

                “Pool? It not time to use it again.”

                “Maybe just someone who want to skip class and go for swim.”

                “That person is really a baka.”

                When come to lunch time, he goes to Karina’s class as he knows that girl would want to escape. He reaches at her class but there are no sign of her. He asks, “Where is Karina-chan?”

                “We don’t know. She leave the class as soon she place her bag.” Say her classmate. He decide to check infirmary as he knows she would be there if she doesn’t feel well. He goes there but no sign of her that make he become more worry than before.

                His phone vibrate in his pocket to tell him there are phone call. He notices it from Karen, “Hello…”

                “Ryosuke-kun, I want to tell you that Karina-chan is at hospital right now. She drown at school’s pool but I don’t think she would slip in there.” says Karen. She understand how her sister really afraid with pool and things that close to it. Her sister will always stay quite a distance from that kind of place.

                Ryosuke leans to the wall near him to think about what happen before come out with an idea, “There is no way for those bullies to do that to her. She never say anything.”

                “You know she won’t say anything.” Say Karen. She leave out sigh before says, “I will make sure she would be okay like usual. Can I ask help from you to bring her bag? I will fetch it at your house.”

                “I will bring her bag to hospital as I want to visit her.” Say Ryosuke.

****************

                Karina opens her eyes to see she is not anywhere at school but some kind of place familiar yet foreign to her. She look to her side and notice her classmate, Kento. Kento notice she already awake before says, “You at hospital right now. You faint after that drown and they decide to admit you to hospital.”

                “Nakajima-kun…” Kento cut her, “I already told you to call with my first name.”

                “Kento-kun, thanks for rescue me but how you could be there?” ask Karina. She knows school pool in a bit far from school’s building.

                Kento pushes Karina back to the bed and fixes the blanket, “I follow you when those girls drag you there. I know they will come out with something that never good to you. I thought you will swim out from the pool but when I see you panic in water, I just jump to bring you out. I know I should act faster but…”

                Karina stops him by holding his hand, “Kento-kun… Thanks to you, I’m still alive. It is common sense for someone know how to swim but that case would be impossible for me.”

                “I will call for doctor to check you since you already awake.” Kento slowly pushes Karina’s hand off before step out from the room. Karina only look at her hand that she uses to hold Kento’s hand before and could feel warmth that still lingering.

**********************

                Ryosuke tells the other two about what happen and Rin says, “It seem those es’ action worse than before.”

                “Who do you mean?” ask Keito.

                “What she mean is those girls who is crazy over you. I heard from your dad that they had apply work at the shop but your dad reject them harshly.” Say Ryosuke.

                Rin groan, “Why she’s not in same class with us? If we in same class, everything would be easier.”

                “That is not weird when we in art section while she’s in social section.” Say Keito.

                Ryosuke quickly grab back their attention before says, “I’m thinking to visit her after this. Both of you want to join?”

                “Of course since we still have time before our shirt begin. Papa tell us that he will open the shop a bit late and our customers for the day are those who already reserved.” Say Keito.

                Rin bangs the table, “Let me punish those es.”

                Ryosuke quickly grab Rin’s hand before says, “Relax! We need to make sure Karina-chan is okay. You think she will let you just to meet those girls and beat them into pulp?”

                “He’s right, Rin-chan. You need to relax.” Say Keito. He feels relieve when Ryosuke manage to put his sister to calm mood that is really hard to execute. So far, only Kenichi manage to do make Rin calm down when she’s in rage.

                After school, Ryosuke take Karina’s bag from her class and his fans dash to him, “What are you doing here?”

                “Yamada-kun, let’s go out together after this.”

                “You look so cool today.” Ryosuke just smiles to brush it off before excuses himself to meet the other two at front gate.

********************

                Three of them reach at the hospital room where Karina being admit and see Karina is happily talk with someone in the room. When she notice three of them, she happily greet them, “Minna...”

                “Yokatta that you alright.” Ryosuke leave out huge sight to see Karina is fine.

                “Since your friends already here, I will excuses myself first. See you again, Karina-chan.” Say Kento as he kisses Karina’s hand before leave the room without want to say anything to the other three.

                “Who is that guy?” ask Ryosuke.

                Karina looks to the door and says, “Oh! He is the one that rescue me. If not because of him, I may not alive right now.”

                Rin ask, “Tell us, those es did this to you, right?” Karina avoid her gaze as she doesn’t want to answer it that make her says, “There is no reason for you to protect those es. You almost lose your life because of them.”

                “I… don’t remember who push me into the pool.” Say Karina. She tries to remember but she only remember she fall into the pool that make her panic until sense Rin is holding her hand.

                Keito who silent since the beginning says, “She still shock with what happen. Let’s talk about that matter later.” Karina notices that guy seem like hold himself over something at the moment he notice Kento in that room to accompany her.

*********************

                Keito seem distracted over something while working and Rin could see it. He almost use wrong shampoo on one of the dogs. When Rin get chance, she asks, “Is there anything that make you can’t focus on your work?”

                “There… are nothing happen…” reply Keito. He arrange things for next pet that will get into grooming room. He asks, “How many left for today?”

                “We already done for the day.” reply Rin.

                Ryosuke join them in the grooming room before says, “I think something happen when we visit Karina-chan.”

                “Otsukare!” Kenichi happily greet them before notice someone missing, “Where is Karina-chan?”

                “We already told you she has to take leave and will return when she’s fine. She’s not feeling well today.” Ryosuke tells Kenichi as they already promise Karina that they will hide about what happen on that day.

                “Remind her to take care herself more than anyone else.” Say Kenichi before take a look at his watch, “I have to go now and I hope three of you could lock the shop. I have meeting with someone and will back home late. Make you guys eat before reach home.” After that, he walk out from the shop.

                They close the pet shop and Keito says, “Ryosuke, could you help me to accompany Rin-chan until she reach home? I have somewhere to go.”

                “Okay but why?” ask Ryosuke. Keito doesn’t say anything and just leave both of them there. He doesn’t want anyone know that he actually plan to go visit Karina back to ask something. When he reach at hospital, he notice the door is open and hear conversation between two people who is Kento and Karina. He hear Kento says, “I will protect you from everything,” and with that he kiss Karina’s lips that make Keito speechless at his place.