Ryuu wasn't thrilled about starting his new school in another new town.

Ever since his Kindergarten days, he had moved from place to place because of his father's sale's job. Since he didn't have a mother, he found himself in awkward conversations about why his father should remarry, so he could one. It got so annoying, sometimes he wished those old hags would shut up. It was further annoying when his father would give lip-service and fake smiles to let them go their way.

So, he was in another new town and starting school life from scratch. He passed through the main gates with the cliché cherry blossom trees littering their petals, leaves and nature junk all over the school grounds. The main courtyard before a multi-level tinted glass building was overcrowded with students in the same black and white uniform as him.

His no collar jacket was making his neck itch. So, he took it over and flung it over his shoulder without a care, not noticing a group of girls watching his movements into the school hall and whispering how he looked cute with his delinquent pose.

Ryuu took his seat for the first day assemble, not noticing or realizing the girl next to him. As the welcome and house rules speeches dragged on, his eyes began to droop with boredom.

"This is so boring." He heard the girl next to him sigh in a low whisper.

He did a sideward glance to his right to see a pretty girl slumped in her chair with obvious boredom on her face. For some reason, she felt familiar to him, but brushed it off and quickly averted his eyes back to the front when she caught his gaze on her.

The girl smirked and returned her attention to the front.

Finally, the assembly had ended and he could breathe. Ryuu ambled outside with the rest of the students and decided to look up his details for his first class. A short while later, he approached his classroom's door.

"So this is it, huh?" He said as he groaned.

"Don't sound so excited." A girl laughed as she came up behind him.

Ryuu's energies were perked up when he saw the pretty girl standing behind him. He felt his whole being transfixed on her face, which was demure and elegant, like a painting of a regal princess. Her silky black hair was held up in a modest ponytail. She didn't need any jewelry to show off her beauty. Still a girl, but already showing signs of a glamorous woman. Her seifuku hang to her body with simplistic style; the red bow modestly covering her chest area.

"Are you going to go in?" She chuckled, which had the other two plain looking girls behind her chuckle behind their hands.

Ryuu stupidly nodded and entered the classroom. To his delight, he found himself being desk partners with her. During a brief break, they wasted no time with introductions.

"Ryuu Kita. Kita, Ryuu. Why is your name familiar?" Mei asked him like he would know the answer.

Ryuu explained that he had once lived in the area before he started school, so maybe he had met her in the playgrounds.

She was happy with that explanation and continued to get to know him better.

From the first day of Ryuu's junior school life, he had been thankful of his ease into it. It hadn't taken him long to click with friends and be part of the ESports Club, where it gave him an excuse to take video games seriously. But fate had it that he always had time to walk with Mei home until one day he wasn't allowed.

She had started dating one of the school's renown delinquents. Ryuu was concerned for Mei's well-being, so one day confronted the tough guy on the school's rooftop.

"Look at this pretty boy trying to be a hero." The tough guy had snickered to his gang.

"If your devotion to her is admirable, I won't care." Ryuu calmly stated that made the sniggers louder. "But to harm a princess is a sin against god."

Ryuu's words were so calm and without fear, it stopped the sniggers. The delinquents considered Ryuu seriously. But before they could land their fists on Ryuu's face, Mei had stepped in to take the blows and lead him away from them.

"You fool!" She bellowed with outrage. "HE COULD'VE HURT YOU!"

Ryuu was more concerned for her well-being. "He didn't hit your face, did he?"

Mei smacked away his hand that was trying to check her face for damages. "Don't do it again!"

"Mei!" A manly voice called out from the other end of the side path they had stopped at during their sprints. It was a path that led to the main entrance and gates.

Ryuu saw a handsome senior high school student with similar features to Mei. Indeed, if Mei looked like a princess, this man certain could be the prince.

Mei lowered her head and began walking to the older man, who stepped forward to stop her and check her face. His dark eyes glared at Ryuu with deep threats. It didn't take a genius to realize that he thought Ryuu had harmed her.

"Brother, Kita didn't harm me. Like that pretty boy has the hands to lay a punch." Mei reassured her brother as she glanced at Ryuu over her shoulder.

Mei's brother regarded Ryuu for some time before reaching a conclusion and nodding his head with an understanding. "I see."

Ryuu found himself locking eyes with Mei's brother. He was tall and muscly but not stocky, rather lean and solid. An attractive face with sober lips and short hair in spiky layers. He gulped with the man's mouth twitched with a cocky smile.

Mei's brother gave a nod and turned away to lead his sister out of the school grounds.

"Jun-san! I missed him again." A rough voice pitifully cried out behind him.

Ryuu gulped and saw Mei's delinquent boyfriend and his lackeys behind him. In a snap decision, he did a sprint for the school gates and ran all the way home.

The following days of his first year in junior high could be considered normal. He wasn't chased by delinquents after the run in with them. Surprisingly, they had started to talk with him. After they were convinced by Mei's big brother that he was harmless. And before he realized it, he was on friendly terms with them. As such, no one was willing to take the chance to bully him. So he passed through his days without those issues. But he wasn't the type to see others suffer, so found discreet ways to get teachers involved, without revealing himself. It helped that Mei would help him out with spreading the word.

They had even joked about them being a superhero pair at one time. The more time he spent with Mei, the more he fell in love with her. And it was starting to show during his second year. By this time, Tough Boy and his lackeys were more than happy to give him a free pass for her. Since Tough Boy had stopped dating her a long time ago. So, he decided to start chasing her.

But he didn't feel the time was right, and was too afraid to ruin the close friendship they had developed. So he stuck to being a friend. Especially when Jun, her big brother, would glare at him every time he walked her to the school gates.

Sometimes he would run into Jun on the streets during off school times. Every time was the same glare and awkward silence before hurrying along. So, Ryuu was convinced that Jun saw him as a suspicious boy around his sister. As such, it was another reason, he wasn't inclined to press his friendship with Mei.

During their final years of junior school life, people circle novelties began to wear off as everyone's mind was set on their future senior school life.