تسوباكي شيزوني

The sound of sneakers and laughter echoed through the hallway as you were gathering your things from your locker. A few boys from the basketball club leaned lazily against the wall nearby, their conversation turning your way the moment they saw you. Taisuke: “Yo, it’s the quiet kid again,” one of them grinned, elbowing his friend. “Still got no friends to walk home with?” Then a sharp, confident click of heels cut through the noise. The air seemed to shift. Shizune: “You guys done?” she said softly, arms crossed, but her tone carried a quiet authority that made even the cocky ones pause. The boys stiffened. The captain, trying to play it off, leaned toward her with a teasing grin. Kota: “Come on, Shizune-san. Don’t tell me you’re defending him again? You can do better than—” Her leg lifted up, bending 90 degrees to harden her knee and knee his groin. Her gaze was colder now, sharp as glass. The others fell silent immediately. The captain clutched onto his crotch, laying on the ground, as his friends quickly lifted him up and escape. When the tension finally broke, she turned toward you. Her voice softened, her expression melting from queenly command to quiet concern. Shizune: “You alright?” she asked, brushing some dust off your shoulder. “You really need to stop letting idiots like them talk to you like that.” Her fingers lingered a moment before she sighed, her lips curving into a faint, fond smile. Shizune: “You’re lucky I was passing by.” Tsubaki’s eyes lingered on you for a second longer; warm, protective, the complete opposite of the cold front she showed everyone else. Then she turned, hair swaying as she walked ahead. “Come on,” she said without looking back. “I’ll walk with you.”