CHAPTER 38: FACE TO FACE

Haruto stepped out of the school building, The afternoon sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the courtyard. He was just thinking about heading straight home when he spotted her.

Azame was standing there near the school gates, looking as elegant as always with that mysterious smile playing on her lips. Haruto stopped in his tracks, still not entirely sure whether he was looking at the real Azame or just another one of her atomic clones. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if there was a difference anymore. The whole clone thing still messed with his head.

"Oh, there you are," she said, her voice carrying that usual hint of amusement. She walked over to him with those graceful steps of hers, like she was floating rather than walking. "You should be thanking me, you know."

Haruto scratched the back of his head, not really in the mood for whatever game she was playing today. "Thanks, I guess," he said simply, figuring it was probably about the exam or something. With Azame, you never really knew what she was referring to.

Her smile widened a bit, and she tilted her head slightly. "So, about my offer from before... you know, about being my boyfriend?"

There it was. Haruto had been hoping she’d forgotten about that whole mess, but apparently not. He let out a small sigh and looked her straight in the eye. "Look, I appreciate it and all, but I’m not really interested in getting tangled up with girls right now. Nothing personal."

It wasn’t that Azame wasn’t attractive – she definitely was, in that otherworldly way of hers. But Haruto had learned the hard way that getting involved with powerful people usually meant trouble, and Azame was about as powerful as they came. Besides, he had enough problems without adding relationship drama to the mix.

Before Azame could respond, another voice cut through the conversation.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Both Haruto and Azame turned to see a guy approaching them. Haruto recognized him immediately – Ryouta, the same asshole who’d been giving him grief lately. The guy had that typical delinquent look going on, with his bleached hair and that cocky smirk that made you want to punch it right off his face.

Ryouta’s eyes flicked between Haruto and Azame, and his expression shifted to something between surprise and disdain. His eyebrows scrunched together as he took in the scene, then he let out a mocking laugh.

"No way," Ryouta said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "A rich princess like you is actually paying attention to some random high school nobody? That’s rich."

Azame’s expression didn’t change much, but there was something colder in her eyes now. She glanced at Ryouta with the kind of look you’d give to an annoying insect. "Well," she said casually, "considering Haruto here sent you to the hospital, I’d say he’s earned the right to have my attention."

The silence that followed was almost comical. Ryouta’s face went through several different expressions – confusion, disbelief, and then something that looked like forced laughter. He threw his head back and laughed loudly, but it sounded hollow.

"Beat me? This guy?" Ryouta gestured at Haruto like he was some kind of joke. "Please. This loser couldn’t even touch a single hair on my head, let alone beat me."

Haruto just stood there, not really wanting to get into it. He remembered the fight clearly enough, but apparently Ryouta had some selective memory issues. Maybe getting knocked out had scrambled his brains or something.

Azame seemed to find the whole thing amusing. She looked at Ryouta with that same mysterious smile, like she was watching a particularly entertaining show. "Oh, you poor thing," she said, her voice carrying mock sympathy. "The beating must have affected your memory. How unfortunate."

She then turned back to Haruto, and her expression became more serious, though that playful glint never left her eyes. "You know, Haruto, Ryouta and his little gang aren’t going to let this slide. They’re the type to hold grudges." She stepped a bit closer, close enough that he could smell her perfume – something expensive and subtle. "Why don’t you just accept my offer? If you become my boyfriend, I can protect you from all this nonsense."

The words hit Ryouta like a physical blow. His mouth fell open, and for a moment he looked like someone had just told him the world was flat. "Boyfriend?!" he sputtered, his voice cracking slightly. "Are you serious right now?"

Haruto could almost see the gears turning in Ryouta’s head as he tried to process what he’d just heard. The idea that some random high school student could not only beat him in a fight but also somehow catch the attention of someone like Azame was clearly breaking his brain.

"This has got to be some kind of joke," Ryouta muttered, running his hands through his bleached hair. "There’s no way this is happening."

But Azame wasn’t paying attention to Ryouta’s breakdown anymore. Her focus was entirely on Haruto, waiting for his answer. There was something almost predatory in the way she looked at him, like a cat that had cornered a particularly interesting mouse.

Haruto found himself in one of those situations where every choice seemed like a bad one. On one hand, having Azame’s protection would definitely solve his immediate problems with Ryouta and whoever else wanted to cause trouble. On the other hand, getting involved with someone like Azame felt like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

"I don’t know," he said finally, trying to buy himself some time to think. "This whole thing seems pretty complicated."

"Life is complicated, Haruto," Azame replied, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "But some complications are worth it. Besides, it’s not like I’m asking you to marry me or anything. Just... companionship."

Ryouta had recovered enough to start sputtering indignantly. "This is insane! There’s no way someone like her would be interested in a nobody like him! It’s got to be some kind of scam or setup or something!"

Azame glanced at him with mild irritation. "Are you still here? I thought you’d have the sense to leave after making such a fool of yourself."

The comment hit its mark. Ryouta’s face flushed red, and his hands clenched into fists. For a moment, Haruto thought the guy might actually try to start something right there, but then he seemed to remember who he was dealing with. Even someone as thick-headed as Ryouta wasn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with Azame directly.

"This isn’t over," Ryouta said, pointing at Haruto. "I don’t care who you think you’ve got backing you up. I’ll figure out what’s really going on here."

"Oh, I’m sure you will," Azame said, her voice laced with an almost imperceptible hint of a threat. "Do be sure to let us know when you ’figure it out.’ I’m positively *dying* to know." She gave him a sweet, saccharine smile that made Haruto shiver slightly.

Ryouta seemed to deflate a little under Azame’s gaze, a flicker of genuine fear crossing his face before he quickly masked it. "Whatever," he mumbled, turning sharply on his heel. He stalked off, though not before shooting one more confused look back at them.

Haruto watched him go, wondering if accepting Azame’s offer would really solve his problems or just create bigger ones.

"So," Azame said, bringing his attention back to her. "What’s it going to be? Door number one, where you deal with Ryouta and his friends on your own, or door number two, where you let me handle things?"

Haruto looked at her, still trying to figure out what her real angle was. With Azame, there was always an angle. Nothing was ever as simple as it seemed on the surface. But then again, maybe sometimes the complicated choice was still the right choice.

The afternoon was getting later, and students were starting to filter out of the school building around them. Normal students heading home to normal lives, without having to worry about mysterious girls with atomic clones or delinquents with grudges. Haruto almost envied them.

"You make it sound so simple," he said.

"Some things are simple, Haruto. People just like to make them complicated." Azame’s smile softened slightly. "But I suppose that’s what makes life interesting, don’t you think?"

"Interesting is one word for it," Haruto muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Terrifying is another."

Azame chuckled, a low, melodic sound. "A little bit of both, perhaps? So, your decision?" She looked at him expectantly, her eyes sparkling.