The late May night breeze drifted through the mouth of the alley, carrying the humid warmth of early summer.
Yanai Yuri stood beneath a streetlamp, waving goodbye to a friend.
After watching her disappear around the corner, she turned on her heel, the crisp clicks of her shoes echoing softly along the sidewalk.
The streetlight stretched her shadow into a long silhouette.
At 172 centimeters tall, with legs that seemed to go on forever, her shadow looked as though it were walking on stilts.
Slipping both hands into the pockets of her light coat, she headed toward the spot where her family’s chauffeur was waiting.
Several dozen meters ahead, the bright white glow of a convenience store spilled onto the empty street, cutting a luminous rectangle through the darkness.
There were few pedestrians at this hour.
Every so often, a passing car swept the road with its headlights before silence settled over the street once more.
As she approached the alley beside the convenience store, she heard footsteps.
The dragging scrape of rubber soles echoed from the side, slow and deliberate.
Out of the corner of her eye, several figures emerged from the alley, spreading out until they blocked the road ahead.
Yanai Yuri came to a stop.
Five of them.
They all wore middle school uniforms, though their skirts had been shortened to an outrageous degree.
Their hair was dyed every imaginable color—brown, blond, even streaked with pink.
Heavy makeup covered their faces like cheap masks beneath the streetlight.
The girl in front sucked lazily on a lollipop, folding her arms as she tilted her head and looked Yuri up and down.
Her gaze traveled from Yuri’s face…
To her long legs…
Then back to her face again.
“Yo.” “You’re pretty tall.” Her voice was shrill, like fingernails scraping across a chalkboard.
The other four girls quietly spread out, slowly surrounding Yuri.
Yanai sighed inwardly.
Again…
She knew exactly what this was.
In Japan, where the average height wasn’t particularly tall, a girl standing 172 centimeters naturally attracted attention.
Standing out meant becoming a target.
It was a lesson she had learned long ago.
Girls like these simply found her irritating.
No special reason.
Just…
“That tall girl pisses me off.” On the surface, Yuri shrank back half a step.
Her shoulders curled inward.
Her eyes widened.
Her lips parted slightly.
Her chin tucked down.
The picture-perfect expression of a frightened girl.
Her acting was flawless.
Inside, however, her mind was as calm as still water.
Five.
She assessed them in an instant.
The girl on the left leaned all her weight onto one leg.
One shove would send her sprawling.
The girl on the right still had both hands buried in her pockets.
If a fight started, she wouldn’t even have time to pull them out.
The girl with the lollipop was clearly the leader.
She carried herself confidently…
But her heels were lifted too high.
Her center of gravity was unstable.
I can take them.
As the undisputed “Big Sister” of Koyo Junior High’s delinquent girls, Yuri hadn’t earned that title through luck.
The private instructor her father hired had taught genuine self-defense—not simple street fighting.
If it came down to it…
These five weren’t enough to beat her.
But…
She’d get hurt too.
Her gaze drifted toward her hands.
Her fingernails had just been done, painted a soft nude color that shimmered faintly beneath the streetlamp.
She didn’t want to break them.
Her eyes shifted across the road.
More than a hundred meters away, a black Mercedes waited quietly by the curb.
Her family’s driver, Yamada, should still be sitting inside.
The distance was a little too far.
If she shouted, he’d definitely hear her.
But he’d still need time to get here.
That short delay would be more than enough for someone to scratch up her face.
Not worth it.
Run?
Call for help?
Or strike first?
Just as she was weighing her options— Squeak.
The convenience store door slid open.
The small wind chime hanging above it rang softly.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
A young man walked out carrying a cardboard box.
The first thing anyone noticed…
Was his height.
He was incredibly tall.
A plain white T-shirt exposed his muscular arms, while a large cardboard box bearing the convenience store’s logo rested comfortably in his grip.
Then there was his hair.
Bright crimson.
Not the dull red of cheap dye…
But a vivid, blazing scarlet that looked like living flames beneath the store’s lights.
Styled into an impossibly tall pompadour, it was impossible to ignore.
His build.
His hair.
The overwhelming presence he carried simply by stepping out the door…
All five delinquent girls froze.
The girl with the lollipop unconsciously lowered her hand.
The candy nearly slipped from her mouth.
The other four instinctively took half a step backward.
Even Yanai Yuri paused in surprise.
It wasn’t that she’d never seen tall men before.
Her father’s bodyguards included several towering giants over 190 centimeters.
But…
On a quiet street at night…
Seeing a towering red-haired teenager suddenly emerge like this…
The visual impact was astonishing.
His face was partially hidden behind the cardboard box, but what little she could see revealed sharp features—a firm jawline and strong brow.
He couldn’t have been much older than she was.
Fifteen.
Maybe sixteen.
Then…
An amusing idea suddenly crossed her mind.
Her eyes flickered between the five girls and the red-haired giant.
The corner of her lips lifted for the briefest instant.
Then she immediately resumed her frightened expression.
Without hesitation…
Yanai Yuri sprinted toward him.
Far faster than any terrified girl should have been able to move.
She reached him in only a few quick steps before wrapping both hands tightly around his right arm.
Pressing herself against him, she leaned close enough to bury part of her face near his shoulder.
Looking up, her bright eyes shimmered beneath the convenience store lights.
Her voice trembled just enough to sound convincing.
“Darling…” “You finally came.” She subtly tilted her chin toward the five girls.
“They…
they’re trying to bully me…” Her voice carried just the right amount of fear and grievance.
Not exaggerated enough to seem fake.
But clear enough that every one of the girls heard every word.
The cardboard box wobbled.
Sakuragi Hanamichi had just finished his shift.
The convenience store owner had given him a box filled with milk and bread that would expire soon.
As he stepped outside carrying it, he noticed several girls with brightly dyed hair surrounding a tall girl.
He had just begun wondering what was happening…
When the tall girl suddenly ran straight toward him.
Then…
She grabbed his arm.
A soft warmth pressed against it.
Even through the thin fabric of his T-shirt…
He could clearly feel it.
It wasn’t merely because she was leaning on him.
Something soft compressed gently against his arm, carrying unmistakable warmth.
A faint fragrance drifted through the night air.
Not cheap perfume.
It smelled like freshly crushed flower petals, mixed with clean shampoo and the cool air flowing out of the convenience store.
He looked down.
A beautiful face stared back at him.
Barely twenty centimeters away.
The light illuminated her features perfectly.
Large eyes.
Long eyelashes.
Warm brown pupils that reminded him of hot cocoa on a winter day.
A delicate nose.
Slightly pursed lips.
Her skin was astonishingly fair—not pale and sickly, but smooth and soft, with the faintest blush beneath it.
She’s unbelievably cute.
Not just pretty.
Not kind of cute.
She was…
Ridiculously cute.
Something inside Sakuragi’s head…
Snap.
Completely broke.
Darling.
She had called him…
Darling.
An unbelievably cute girl was hugging his arm…
Calling him Darling.
Sakuragi Hanamichi’s brain instantly crashed.
His mouth hung open.
Not a single word came out.
His eyes remained fixed on her face.
His pupils expanded.
His entire body froze as though someone had cast a paralysis spell.
The night wind fluttered the collar of his T-shirt.
Everything else remained perfectly still.
The five delinquent girls stared in complete confusion.
The leader frowned, looking back and forth between the gigantic red-haired boy…
And the frightened little rabbit clinging tightly to his arm.
Something felt…
Wrong.
She just couldn’t figure out what.
Under the streetlamp, their overlapping shadows stretched across the pavement.
The convenience store’s light spilled through the open doorway, forming a bright trapezoid on the ground.
The wind chime swayed gently.
Ding.
Silence filled the street.
The girls exchanged uncertain glances.
Darling?
This terrifying red-haired giant…
is her boyfriend?
The leader sized up Sakuragi’s towering frame.
Then she looked back at her own group.
The scales in her heart tipped instantly.
Fight?
Or leave?
If they fought…
The five of them together might not survive even one punch.
If they backed down…
Their pride would take a hit.
Her expression changed several times before she finally clicked her tongue.
“You’re lucky today.” She jabbed a finger toward Yuri.
“Don’t let us catch you again.” Turning sharply, she walked away.
The other four immediately followed.
The sharp clicks of their shoes faded into the distance as they disappeared down the alley.
Within moments…
They were gone.
The alley fell silent once again.
Sakuragi still stood there.
And the girl was still clinging to his arm.
Slowly…
He lowered his head.
Looking at the girl nestled against him, he swallowed nervously.
“Um…” His throat felt dry.
“…Who are you?” Yanai Yuri looked up at him.
The pitiful expression she’d worn moments earlier had completely vanished.
In its place was a playful smile.
She still hadn’t let go.
“Thank you.” Her eyes curved into beautiful crescents.
“You showed up at just the right time.” Sakuragi blinked.