Chapter 26 - A Date with Karin, Part 2
Sorry to keep you waiting.
I’ve made my entrance.
"Sorry, sorry! I kept you waiting, didn’t I?"
I forced my way between Karin and the sleazy guy hitting on her.
"Oh, Senpai!!"
She looked so relieved to see me. Even though she’d been holding her ground, she must have been scared.
"Huh? Who are you supposed to be?"
The sleazy guy flinched for a moment at my sudden interruption, but it didn’t last long.
Now he was back to being all energetic, his tension even higher.
It wasn’t hard to figure out why—he must’ve thought I was just a weakling.
Maybe he even thought, “If I beat this guy up in front of her, she’ll fall for me.”
Of course, there’s no way Karin would be interested in someone like that. Honestly, most girls wouldn’t want anything to do with a jerk who has no basic manners and tries to pick them up.
"I’m with her."
But there’s a slight problem.
"Haha! You’re with her? You’re killing me!"
The guy wasn’t wrong.
I work out every night before I take a bath, but my muscles must be lazy because they never seem to wake up.
My grip strength is exactly 20 kilograms, and my arm strength isn’t much to speak of.
The other day, I lost an arm-wrestling match to Onigawara-kun.
Sure, he was using his left arm, but I was using both arms and my full weight, and I still got destroyed.
So here I am, dramatically arriving to save a girl in distress, but the only ones who would wait around for me are either a gentleman or a taxi.
"Hey, come on, forget this wimp and have some fun with me!"
See? Of course, he’s neither of those.
Actually, don’t keep hitting on her while I’m standing right here.
At least knock me out first.
This guy is so rude.
"You’re nothing compared to Senpai! No, actually, I’m sorry to the turtles for even comparing you to one! I’m his girlfriend, so get lost already!"
And there was Karin, bravely saying what I couldn’t.
How bold.
I wish I could speak up like that.
But the guy got pissed off, probably because Karin, a beautiful girl, had just insulted him.
He reached out toward her.
Like hell you will, you jerk. No matter how angry you are, you don’t get to lay a hand on a girl.
"Urgh. Ow! Don’t touch Karin with your filthy hands. I’m more your speed."
I tried to grab the guy’s arm stylishly but missed, so I threw myself between them again.
His arm hit my rock-hard abs—well, more like my dough-like abs—and even though it was just a light tap, a weird sound escaped my mouth.
But at least Karin wasn’t hurt, and that’s what matters.
"Keep acting tough, and I’ll kill you."
Scary.
The guy grabbed me by the collar, looking like he could actually kill me.
But I couldn’t just let him keep doing whatever he wanted.
Besides, he was stretching out the collar of my favorite T-shirt.
"Article 208 of the Penal Code: Assault."
"Huh?"
"Article 222: Threats."
"What the hell are you talking about? You lost it or something?"
"And let’s not forget Article 223: Coercion."
I recalled some legal terms I’d learned in the past, figuring they might scare him off.
And it wasn’t over yet.
This was just the beginning.
"Earlier, you tried to pick up my adorable Karin with threats. I’ve got it all recorded on my phone. Plus, I’ve been recording with a voice recorder since I got here."
"You’re bluffing!"
"You can think whatever you want. I’m not interested in looking tough. I’ve got all the evidence I need, and look over there. See that surveillance camera? Didn’t you wonder why I’ve stayed in this spot the whole time?"
"You bastard..."
The guy’s grip loosened, and his anger faded.
"Karin, could you do me a favor? If this guy doesn’t back down, call the police right away."
"Yes, I got it!!"
Karin pulled out her yellow phone and held it tightly in front of her chest like she was praying.
"So, this is your last chance. Let go of my collar and disappear, and I’ll let this go. But if you keep going, we’re heading to the police. Don’t worry, I’m patient. I’ll stick with you as long as it takes."
"…Tch. Whatever, I’m not interested in bratty girls like her anyway!!"
The guy tried to leave, but I grabbed his shirt.
He still owed me for insulting Karin.
"By the way, do you brush your teeth every day? Your breath is unbearable."
I threw one last insult his way as he stumbled backward.
If someone said that to me, I’d be crushed.
"Screw you! Die, you stupid couple!!"
He spat on the ground and walked away.
Well, that’s that.
"I’m sorry, this is all because of me… Are you okay!?"
"No, no, I’m the one who should apologize. I should’ve gotten here sooner. Damn it, he really stretched out my collar."
"…"
"Well, it’s no big deal, so don’t worry about it. But wow, he sure had a mouth on him."
"Senpai!!"
"Whoa!"
Karin suddenly threw herself into my chest.
Caught off guard, I couldn’t support her weight, and a goofy sound escaped my mouth.
Maybe I should ask Onigawara-kun for some workout tips.
"To be honest, I was really scared. Can I stay like this for just a little while?"
"Uh, yeah. If it’s me you want, I’m happy to oblige."
Honestly, facing that guy was way less nerve-wracking than this.
The thought that Karin might hear my racing heartbeat only made it beat faster.
After a few minutes, just as I was starting to get worried about my sweaty palms, Karin let out a sigh.
"Thank you. I feel better now. Senpai, you’re really cool!"
"Huh? That was cool? You really have a unique way of seeing things."
"Not at all! …But you knew so much difficult stuff! That was impressive!"
I wasn’t sure what she meant at first, but then it hit me—she was talking about the legal terms I’d thrown out earlier.
"Oh, that. Marimo taught me that stuff a long time ago. She told me, ‘Kou-chan, you’re terrible at fighting, so you need to win arguments instead.’ She kept repeating it until I memorized it."
"Wow… I guess Marimo-senpai really is special to you."
"Huh? Oh, well, yeah. We are childhood friends."
"That’s not what I meant, though…"
Karin pouted. Did I say something wrong?
"Uh, anyway, let’s get back to our date, shall we?"
I said as I awkwardly patted her head.
"You’re treating me like a kid again, aren’t you!? …But fine, I’ll let it slide!"
Karin’s expressions change so much more when we’re outside of school.
This date is the perfect way to get to know her better as a potential girlfriend.
"Senpai! Let’s hurry up and go!"
"Yeah, I’m coming!"
Maybe Karin’s right after all.