Following a high school girl to and from school—that was the trouble Xia Mo dumped on me. What I couldn’t wrap my head around was why she picked *me*. Like I’d said before, there were plenty of better options out there (seriously, tons of them). Yet she came straight to me.

Shouldn’t a girl in her situation go to her parents or teachers first? Why approach a total stranger? Wait—had she already hit a dead end with her family? Or maybe she never planned to involve them at all?

I glanced at her face. She wasn’t looking at me. Just staring at the distant sky.

She’d been silent since we started talking.

If that was true… this was bad. Really bad. What if I couldn’t help her? What if I *didn’t* help her? Would she…?

“I’ll ask anyway—your family—”

“I live alone. Handle my own meals and rent. I’m in a high-end apartment complex, so security’s solid. No need to worry about that. It’s just… walking to school, coming home, weekends when I go out. That’s when I get nervous.”

She still wouldn’t meet my eyes. Like she’d predicted my question and shut it down early. She didn’t want me digging into her past—and honestly, I wasn’t pushing. I just tucked that thought away.

“You were totally picturing it just now, weren’t you?” Xia Mo’s voice turned teasing, sharp. “Me getting snatched off the street after school. Dragged away. Violated. Am I wrong?”

She wasn’t. That exact nightmare had flashed through my head.

“If I wasn’t around… if someone attacked me without you even knowing… if I was just some random girl—not your girlfriend—and got hurt… would you feel sad? Even for a second?”

“Uh…”

I’d never expected such a brutal question. Honestly—wasn’t *I* the creepier one here? Fantasizing about her worst-case scenario while feeling weirdly satisfied? I’d even pictured what her expression might be like during… that.

My brain short-circuited. Yesterday afternoon, she was a stranger. Now ripples spread through my chest whenever I thought of her. Was it this morning’s events? Or just pity for a girl in trouble?

Could I really play this role? Protect her?

Did I have the guts to face a stalker?

Should I even help someone who’d threatened me before?

No clear answers came. Only one grim certainty:

“I…”

“Just kidding!” Xia Mo burst out laughing—a bright, silvery sound. “Whoops! Didn’t think you’d actually *think* that hard about it! You’re hilarious!”

*Way* too far for a joke.

“But wow—you *were* seriously considering stuff about me!” Her grin widened. “I figured you’d flat-out say no. Guess I was right about you. Those guys who agreed instantly? Total losers compared to you. You’re… fascinating.”

Then her tone shifted. Sharp. Serious. A look I’d never seen on her face before—raw, unguarded. Her eyes locked onto mine. No escape. She meant this. So I gave her the answer I’d chewed on for ten minutes:

“I can’t promise anything… but I’ll do everything I can to keep that from happening to you.”

*Did I just say something straight out of a shonen manga?* Xia Mo’s pupils shrank. Her mouth parted slightly. That look—like she didn’t believe a word.

“Then… I’m counting on you.” Her voice softened. “My one and only knight.”

“What can I actually *do* for you?”

“Simple. Just your time.” She waved a hand. “Walk me home after school. Wait for me downstairs before class. Oh—and weekends when I go out. Basically? Be on call. Someone as interesting as you can totally handle it. You’re just… that kind of good person.”

*Good person?* She’d turned me into her personal butler! And stop painting me as some saint—I’d literally been imagining her getting assaulted minutes ago. I forced myself to remember that filthy fantasy. Stay sharp. Don’t fall for her act. Especially with *that* view right now.

School uniforms: blazers over white shirts. Standard. But what you wore underneath? Up to you. Xia Mo had a low-cut V-neck sweater between her blazer and shirt. And the top three buttons of her shirt? Undone. One casual glance to the right, and I’d already seen that tempting dip between her breasts more times than I cared to admit.

Heat flooded my face. My body wouldn’t cool down.

“Your stare’s burning a hole in me, Kaibara-kun.” Xia Mo sprang up from the bench. She squeezed her chest playfully, jiggling slightly. “You’re totally looking, aren’t you?”

*Gentleman mode activated.* I yanked my eyes away.

“You’re a guy. It’s normal to like this stuff! Don’t hide it.” She pressed her palms together, pushing her cleavage up. The fabric strained. Was she even wearing a bra under that shirt? That softness earlier…

Before I could guess, she “tripped.” Or maybe she meant to. Gravity pulled her straight into my lap.

Weight settled on my thighs. Softness pressed against my chest. *Definitely no bra.*

Her slightly flushed face hovered three inches from mine. Her gaze flickered away for a second—odd, since she usually stared me down. Then she locked eyes again, unflinching. This time, *I* looked away first.

Sweet fragrance filled my nose. Shampoo? Too light. Perfume? Too strong. Could it be…?

“Don’t overthink it. It’s just shampoo.”

“You—you can read minds or something?! How do you *know*?!”

My nose—still buried in her hair—gave me away.

“Boys like you? Predictable.” She smirked. “And FYI—I *am* wearing one. 34D.”

“Don’t just announce your bra size to strangers!”