Elena caught sight of you and a trace of disdain crossed her face. "Well, if it isn't Lady Lika?" Indeed, it was Elena—Lika's arch-rival—once again coming over to deliberately stir up trouble.
Lika marched right up to Elena, planted her hands on her hips, and snapped, "Hmph... You, why are you sitting in my seat?" As Lika argued with her, Suchen didn't bother wasting any words; he stepped straight up and yanked Elena right out of the chair.
After being abruptly pulled down from the seat, Elena glared straight at Suchen with a face full of fury. "You! How dare you treat me so rudely!"
Suchen didn't show an ounce of weakness as he retorted, "This is Lika's seat. What business do you have here?" His voice was ice-cold and laced with a hint of scorn.
Trembling with rage, Elena managed to steady herself and stand back up. She fixed Suchen with a hostile, deathly stare and ground out through her teeth, "Hmph... Since when do I need your permission to sit wherever I want?"
The corners of Suchen's lips curved upward into a mocking smile. "Quit your whining, it's making me sick to my stomach." Hearing that, Elena flushed beet red. "You! You wretch."
Elena looked as though she wanted to say more, but the class bell rang, leaving her with no choice but to return to her seat in frustration. Suchen took Lika by the hand and they went back to their desks together. Suchen let out a breath and said, "She's finally gone."
Lika looked at Suchen with a faint smile on her face. "Thank you so much." Suchen replied, "Don't mention it." But Elena was not about to let the matter rest.
After class, when Lika went to the restroom, Elena viciously shoved her. Lika fell and injured herself, spraining her ankle, and had to rest in the infirmary. Because Lika was always causing trouble and had a poor relationship with her classmates, no one came to visit her—except for him.
Lika sat slumped on the infirmary bed. Every now and then she would stroke her injured ankle, or lightly tap the headboard, a subtle and imperceptible flash of emotion passing through her crimson eyes as she muttered to herself, "It hurts so much..." Suchen announced, "I'm here."
Hearing Suchen's voice, Lika instantly dropped her haughty facade. Her crimson eyes shifted nervously, and she stammered, completely at a loss, "Y-you... why are you here?" Suchen answered, "To check on you, of course."
At those words, a blush instantly spread across Lika's face. She turned her head away to keep Suchen from seeing her expression. "W-who asked you to check on me!" Suchen leaned in with concern and asked, "What happened to your foot?"
Lika looked up at Suchen's approaching face, her heart suddenly racing. Forcing a calm demeanor, she stammered, "I-it's just a sprained ankle, it'll be fine in a couple of days." Suchen knew full well that Elena must have been behind it, and he proceeded to apply ointment to Lika's foot.
Lika stared unblinkingly at the man kneeling before her, totally absorbed in applying the ointment—Suchen. His earnest and gentle expression sent her heart racing.
As the seconds ticked by, the sensation grew stronger and stronger, feeling as though a frightened little deer was leaping wildly inside her chest. Finally, unable to contain her shyness and excitement any longer, Lika flushed a deep crimson and whispered softly, "Th-thank you..."
Before the words had even faded, Suchen raised his head slightly, his gaze locking directly with Lika's. The moment their eyes met, an electric current surged through her entire body, making Lika shudder.
Yet right at that moment, Suchen broke the brief silence, speaking in a low, magnetic voice: "Let me stay with you." His tone was firm and sincere, his eyes filled with boundless tenderness and care.
Caught completely off guard, Lika was struck dumb with astonishment, yet at the same time, she felt an unprecedented warmth and peace of mind. He stayed right by Lika's side until the end of the school day.
Watching the sky outside gradually darken, Lika said with a hint of worry, "Um... do you... want to stay here with me?" Suchen replied, "Sure."
At this, a flicker of joy appeared on Lika's face, though she quickly masked it. "Hmph! D-don't misunderstand, I'm just worried it's not safe for you to go home alone." Suchen pulled her into his arms.
A wave of intense heat washed over Lika as Suchen's broad, solid chest pressed firmly against her body, making her tremble involuntarily. Right then, Lika could clearly hear the sound of her own heartbeat, pounding as if it were about to burst from her throat.
Her cheeks burned like ripe apples, a mix of shyness and tension making her stutter. "Y-you, stop that!"
Yet in the face of Lika's resistance, he gently whispered, "Come on, it's okay." Those few simple words acted like a spell, gradually relaxing Lika's tense body.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze, and everything around them blurred into indistinctness, leaving only Suchen's embrace and his magnetic voice lingering in Lika's ears.
Lika lifted her chin slightly, her gaze falling upon Suchen's focused and sincere face, causing her heart to beat faster than ever. Hesitating for a moment, she slowly and gently rested her head against his wide, warm chest, whispering softly, "Mmm..."
Suchen gently stroked Lika's silky-smooth hair as if cherishing a priceless treasure. Infinite tenderness flowed from his fingertips, leaving Lika completely intoxicated and unable to pull away.
Lika rested quietly in Suchen's arms, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart and feeling the warmth radiating from his chest. An unprecedented sense of security enveloped her, bringing her boundless peace and contentment.
In that very instant, Lika suddenly realized that being cared for so deeply by someone else could feel this wonderfully blissful.
Time seemed to stand still as the surrounding world slowly faded away, leaving only the two of them holding each other. Lika immersed herself in this sweet and cozy atmosphere, wishing that time could stop forever at this very moment.
Yet she also knew very well that such a wonderful relationship would take mutual effort to maintain and cherish. Two days later, Lika said, "Thank you for checking on me, even when I'm such a troublesome pain. That day in the infirmary, when you put medicine on my foot, you made my heart race and my face turn red. You're the only person who has ever made my heart skip a beat. Thank you for becoming a part of my life, so... come over to my house to hang out this Saturday."
This was the very first time in Lika's life that she had ever taken the initiative to invite someone over to her home! And that lucky person was none other than Suchen.
Given Lika's personality, inviting anyone over was practically unheard of. Suchen was the one who made Lika willing to open her heart and invite him into her private space to share happy moments together. For Suchen, such a rare opportunity was undoubtedly a novel and deeply exciting experience.