Because of his strange skill that let him hear whispers at all times, Shimizu Ken once again overheard people talking behind someone's back.
Even though the voices were very soft, he still heard that they were speaking about Kondo Yuuichi.
"Don't you think that Kondo Yuuichi guy is way too full of himself?" one boy muttered.
"Right? Why can he stay so close to President Ayase? Maybe we should teach him a lesson," another said.
A third boy laughed under his breath. "Heh, I'd rather teach that Ayase President a lesson. If those long legs could hold me tight... tsk tsk!"
Ken looked toward the voices. Three boys were talking about Kondo Yuuichi and Ayase Kotone, and they were the kind of boys who already drew eyes just by standing there. They were good-looking, with a proud air around them.
They were clearly jealous that Yuuichi was close with someone as beautiful as Ayase Kotone.
"This is what school bullying in Japanese Country looks like," Ken thought with a small sigh. Ayase Kotone had appeared like a sudden storm and taken Yuuichi away. Ken admired her bold action, but the people around them clearly saw it in a different way.
Everyone was free to like whoever they wanted. Others had no right to judge. These three boys should know that too, but their pride was pushing them toward trouble.
To give Yuuichi some quiet help, Ken walked toward the group.
"Hey now, calm down a bit," he said.
"Huh? Shimizu-kun... it's you..." one of them answered.
Ken put a hand on one boy's shoulder. The boy turned in surprise, and Ken recognized him as Jiri Kenjin. He was in the basketball club, and Ken had seen him play. He was pretty good.
Once Jiri saw Ken's face, his bold mood faded. He looked away, embarrassed. Everyone in class knew Ken and Yuuichi were close friends.
"Who President Ayase likes is not our business," Ken said in a calm voice. "If you try to get in the way just because you feel upset, nothing good will come from it. You know that, right?"
This school was a top-level academy. If they used violence, they could even be expelled.
"But... even so, why is he the one who..." Jiri whispered. Their anger was gone, but the jealousy still rested in their hearts.
To be honest, Ken had first thought they might attack him for stepping in like this. But then he remembered—like Amamiya Iori, he was a center figure in the class. With his looks and his habit of standing up for Yuuichi, both boys and girls liked him.
From a story view, Ken really had no weak point at all.
"Don't take your jealousy out on others. It only makes you look small," Ken said gently. "I know you aren't bad guys. You look good, and your personalities aren't bad. I'm sure girls like you too."
He didn't truly believe every word he said, but the soft praise worked well.
The three boys hesitated. They began to think about their actions.
Ken felt they only needed one last push before they would drop the idea of bothering Yuuichi.
"At the end, talking badly behind someone's back never leads to anything good," a soft voice joined in. "Even if we didn't spend much time together yet, all of us in class, including me, see you as important classmates."
Amamiya Iori stepped forward. She smiled at Ken, then turned to the boys.
"Yuuichi is not good at talking with others," she said in a warm tone, "but for me and Shimizu-kun, he is a very dear friend. We want to protect him, and we hope you won't make a choice you will regret."
Her words were polite and full of care. Jiri and the others listened closely.
With both Ken and Iori talking to them, the boys' anger toward Yuuichi faded completely. They even said they would try to change their view of him.
"Shimizu-kun, I think it's fine now, right?" Iori asked with a friendly smile.
"Yeah," Ken said.
"I don't know the whole story," she added, "but I'm happy that President Ayase is paying attention to Yuuichi. It means not only us, but other people can see his good points too."
Her gentle smile had a strong effect. Jiri and the others blushed and looked down at once. Iori didn't seem to mean anything special by it, but her smile could steal hearts in a second.
"What are you all talking about? Hey, Jiri Kenjin!" someone called.
It was Iori's friends walking over. One of the girls, Aoyama Nanami, waved at Jiri. She had been Iori's close friend since grade school.
"What do you want?" Jiri said, a little annoyed.
"We're going to sing karaoke after school. Want to come with us and sing your heart out?"
Jiri looked surprised but nodded. Soon, they all left the classroom.
"Iori, thanks for your help," Ken said.
Without her, he wasn't sure he could have made the three boys step back so kindly.
"It's nothing. Yuuichi is also my friend," she said.
The problem was solved, but Ken once again felt how easy it was for someone like Yuuichi, with his "main character aura," to gain enemies.
Still, because he had already experienced this situation before, Ken could guide things toward a better outcome.
Later, Ken and Iori waited in the empty classroom for almost an hour, but Yuuichi never came back.
"He's still not here," Iori said.
"Yeah. I thought he would return soon. I was too naive," Ken replied with a sigh.
"Shimizu-kun."
"Eh... Iori?"
The classroom was silent, with only the two of them there. When Iori called his name and he looked at her, for a moment, Ken wondered if she was the same Iori he knew.
"It's just the two of us now... right?" she asked softly.
Notes:
• Kondo Yuuichi - Original main protagonist; timid; Iori’s childhood friend; freezes despite push.
• Ayase Kotone - Student council president; aloof in public, soft to Yuuichi; secretly “Eromanga Teacher” in prior loop.
• Jiri Kenjin - Basketball club; one of the jealous trio; de-escalates after Ken/Iori speak. Appearance: tall, athletic build, short sports-cut hair, confident posture.
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.
• Aoyama Nanami - Iori’s close friend; invites the boys to karaoke, diffusing tension. Appearance: medium-length brown hair, cheerful eyes, casual cute style.