Chapter 107:
Tsundere's Ring
"Did you really have to stab her tongue?" I asked, glancing over at Scarlett.
"She was rude..." Scarlett pouted, but her smile returned quickly, "Besides...weren't you cool. Talking about your other wife, and taking of tongues."
Feeling bashful, I rubbed the back of my neck as I shrugged.
"I mean...She was rather rude," I sighed, shaking my head, "Honestly, I can't even pretend to be mad at you...You're too cute."
Happy with my praise, she giggled to herself as she hugged close to me. We made our way into a large common area filled with benches and pathed pathways with beautiful green bushes and lush trees. A fountain in the center held the statue of a man. Clothed in large scholarly robes, he held forth a book from which water poured into the fountain. "Ha...the font of knowledge. I get it."
The campus was massive. People walked about here and there. Some gossiping amongst themselves. After a while, I even began to hear whispers of a girl who was stabbed in the tongue. "Rumors really do spread like wildfire..." We realized after wandering around that we had no idea where Julius was, as we had forgotten completely to ask.
"I'm sorry..." Scarlett drooped over me on the bench, lying flat across my legs on her stomach, "It's my fault..."
"Ha, no, it's alright," I smiled, patting her on the head, "We'll find him. We can always ask around."
"Well...he should be getting off for lunch soon," Scarlett pondered as shadows fell over us.
With the sun being blocked, we both looked up to see several rather large young men. "...What sort of high school cliche is this?" Roughly six young, strong men all wearing sleek, varsity jackets stood before us.
"Alex, why are these men blocking the sun?" Scarlett muttered, squinting up at them.
"I don't know, but at least it's shade," I sighed, leaning back on my hands, "Can we help you?"
"Are you the ones who hurt Eliza?" A young man with blonde hair combed back and hazel eyes asked, his gruff voice sounding too old for how he looked.
"Eliza?" Both me and Scarlett exchanged a look before Scarlett's eyes went wide.
"Oh! You mean the rude girl," Scarlett smiled proudly, "Mhm~ She was very rude, so I stabbed her tongue."
Holding her tongue out, she pointed to the exact spot where she stabbed the needle into the girls tongue.
"Righth there~" Scarlett mused, putting her tongue back in.
Watching the man, I saw the blood vessels in his neck stand out, beginning to hear some kind of whirring sound. Like the sound of an engine. "Cybernetics? In an athlete? Well...I guess it isn't illegal..."
"So...it was you," The man's face darkened as his friends spread out, "You'll pay for that!"
It all happened so fast. His fist came quickly as Scarlett twisted in ways I never thought possible. Her hand to my chest as she pushed me away. The sound of cracking stone followed by a spray of crimson rising into the air. Looking up from the grass, I saw Scarlett standing on the man's head with one leg like some kind of deadly ballerina.
The stone bench was completely smashed on one side. I wasn't sure if it was because of his fist, or his head. Scarlett smiled as everyone froze in both shock and horror. Blood painted the area around where his head hit the bench. The only movement was the twitching of his arm.
After a moment, it was as if someone hit the unpause button as one of them lunged at her, only for them to be kneed in the face and sent backwards. Chaos erupted as Scarlett flowed among them. They weren't exactly slow, it was that she was just too fast. I watched in awe as she moved.
"...Beautiful." Her hair flowed in the wind, body twisting and flowing. Each strike held impact, her needle glinting in the light of the sun as it pierced in so easily to the flesh of their bodies. Even as their cybernetically enhanced reflexes and strength kicked in, she was just better.
"Y-You!" An angry, gruff voice called out as I felt a hand grip the collar of my shirt and lift me up, "Call her off!"
His voice was full of fear and anger. His face could be considered rather handsome. Tan skin, light brown hair, and green eyes with a chiseled jaw. His arms were massive, as he easily lifted me. My hands holding his arm to keep my shirt from being torn.
"Or...You can let me down," I told him, staring him down, "She doesn't like it when people touch me...and my wife bought me this shirt."
"You think I care?" He spouted, "She's killing my friends! Tell her to-"
A wind arose around me as a fist connected with the man's face. A fist I recognized as the grip on my collar loosened. Falling, I was stopped by a strong, yet comforting arm. Julius stood before me, anger on his face as he stared them down. The sun haloing his face, illuminating his dark hair. His amber eyes fiercely staring down the one who had held me.
Just as the man was knocked back by Julius's punch, a golden needle came flying at him. It pierced the mans temple as he fell, limp to the ground. Julius held me with one arm, and though I wasn't exactly into guys, this entire situation caused a light blush to rise over me. "Damn...No wonder people swoon over him."
"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly, but I could see the nervousness in his eyes as he looked down at me.
"Ah...Well, I came to see you," I smiled awkwardly, removing myself from his hold, "How'd you find us?"
"...Hard to not hear of a girl being stabbed," He muttered, looking back at the fight which was now winding down, "Nor to not see this fight."
Looking me over, he checked to make sure I was alright. I felt even more embarrassed as I noticed onlookers. Mostly girls, tittering amongst themselves as they whispered behind their hands.
"Ah...That's right," Rummaging in my pocket, I hoped it wasn't ruined, "I wanted to give this to you...since you weren't around for the holidays."
"Give me...something?" He seemed suspicious, "What is it?"
As we conversed, one of the group got close to us, and without even looking or batting an eye, Julius backhanded him so hard in the face, blood flowed from their nose as several teeth fell out. Julius glared back at the man who held his face in pain.
"If you don't mind..." Julius said coldly, "I'm talking with my brother."
Another punch, and the man crumpled on the ground, groaning. "Ah...there it is!" Retrieving the box, I stood up, glancing at the man on the ground. "Poor dude..." Shaking my head free of any extra thoughts, I presented a small ring box to him. The girls off to the side grew even more excited as they watched, near oblivious to the carnage going on elsewhere. "I guess they have their priorities..."
"Is this...a ring?" Julius asked as he took the box.
"Mhm," I nodded, smiling embarrassed, "I got it when I bought the girls their gifts. I thought it fit your style."
Opening the box, Julius stared at it with a blank expression. "Ah...he doesn't like it." Looking at the ground, I shifted nervously.
"You don't have to wear it if you don't-" I began, but the as I glanced back up my words fell from my lips.
Julius, the Julius. Stone faced, cold Julius. He was smiling, but not just any smile. A warm, soft smile that made any hard edges he had on his face, disappear. Holding the ring in his hand, he placed it on the middle finger of his right hand.
"Thank you...I love it," It was the most genuine, true feeling I ever heard from Julius before.
The girls went absolutely wild, no longer able to contain themselves. Even I was taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor. "Is he really a tsundere?" Just as I had that thought, he caught himself staring at the ring, and in just a moment he composed himself.
"I-I mean..." Clearing his throat, he glanced over at me, "It's alright...Thanks. I guess I'll wear it and...What?"
I was looking at him with such an incredulous look that I honestly couldn't believe he was even attempting to hide what just happened.
"Really?" I teased, nudging him in the side, "Tsundere to the end, huh?"
A blush entered his face as he turned his head defiantly.
"Shut up..." He muttered, but I saw the curl of a smile.
Not long after, Scarlett was done as she came bounding over to us. Proud as can be as she launched herself at Julius.
"Juli~!" She smiled, nuzzling her face against him, "Surprise! We came to see you!"
"...I see that," Julius responded coldly, but the warmth in his eyes didn't lie. He was happy we were there.
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