"Ahem, I apologize for interrupting class, but now... everyone, look at me! I'm announcing something!" Byakuya said with powerful resonance.
The frankness and confidence emanating from his entire being made everyone absolutely certain—this person was probably not socially anxious.
A social terrorist!
But before they could adjust their mindset to watch the show, Byakuya's declaration stunned everyone.
He wrapped an arm around the sinner's daughter's shoulder, pulling Raiden Mei into his embrace, and declared,
"From now on, Raiden Mei is my girlfriend I warn everyone here, no, I warn everyone in the Academy not to speak ill of her or bully her! Otherwise, I'll make them regret it!"
"%@*#"
The teacher who was standing on the podium was completely stunned, looking utterly bewildered, as if asking, 'Who am I, where am I, what are you doing, Shiraishi?'
If it were a teacher from another Academy, they would have started scolding by now, but in Chiba Academy, a school for the wealthy, it was the teachers who dared not offend the students.
Thus, Byakuya's announcement succeeded, and Mei, in his embrace, was also flushed red, her eyes even spinning like mosquito coils.
However, it wasn't over yet.
"And those few girls over there, uh, what were their names... Never mind, it's not important. Anyway, you few, get up here and apologize! To do such an outrageous thing as classmates is truly unforgivable!"
"You, you, and you! Don't hide. Since you did it, you must bear the consequences. Don't force me to drag you up here and make you apologize by pressing your heads down."
Byakuya casually picked up a teaching ruler and pointed at the few girls below who were looking evasive and trying to reduce their presence. They were the ones who had stolen Mei's clothes.
And once the situation developed to this point, the teacher couldn't stop it even if they wanted to.
Byakuya had completely blown things up, and in the end, those few girls could only apologize to Mei under everyone's gaze.
Their expressions were especially 'colorful,' as if they had eaten something truly disgusting.
After he finished these things, Byakuya finally gave Mei a satisfied thumbs-up. Mei, for a moment, didn't know what to say, only feeling that her heart was beating incredibly fast.
At this moment, from her perspective, the young man before her shone as if radiating light.
...
After school, returning home.
Although most of the Raiden family's assets were frozen, the house Mei lived in was still intact. Even though she couldn't return to her past life of financial ease, living a normal life was still not a problem.
After all, although Raiden Ryoma was imprisoned for his crimes, he was still a former Anti-Entropy executive, and a friend of the former Destiny Knight Siegfried and the Herrscher of Reason Welt Yang.
It was the existence of these people that prevented Cocolia from completely ruining things. Otherwise, Mei wouldn't even be living in a house now; she would probably be like a certain Paramecium running all over the world, sleeping in parks every now and then.
"..."
Mei didn't know how she got home.
She had been in a daze all afternoon, not remembering anything from class, her mind filled with the image of a certain white-haired boy.
Mei relaxed and fell onto her bed. She hugged her pillow, buried her head deep into it, her ears already burning red.
"Bya...ku..ya… ..."
She recalled the solution Byakuya proposed in the girls' changing room.
Byakuya: "As long as I publicly announce that Mei, you are my girlfriend, then there shouldn't be so many people daring to bully you, right? After all, most so-called campus bullying is caused by the victim being alone and ignored by those around them."
Mei: "Wait, wait a minute, announcing that I'm Byakuya's girlfriend, will that really work?"
Byakuya: "Of course. That way, my name will become your protection. If anyone wants to bully you again, Mei, they'll have to weigh whether they'll provoke me."
Unlike the current weak and powerless Raiden Mei, Byakuya would show no mercy.
If anyone dared to cross him, Byakuya, whose emotions outweighed his rationality, would not swallow his anger.
However, Raiden Mei wasn't concerned with these things.
Two consecutive times he helped her, even willing to become an enemy of the entire Academy to protect her, and now he was proposing a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship… Perhaps this was just a simple method of protection, and she shouldn't overthink it.
But!
Byakuya's actions and kindness made Raiden Mei involuntarily have such a thought.
"Byakuya, do you… like me?"
As soon as Mei asked this, she regretted it.
If the answer was yes, she currently lacked the courage and conditions to accept.
If the answer was no, Mei didn't know how to describe her feelings, but just thinking about it made her feel a little lost.
At that moment, Byakuya was also stunned,
But the next second, he calmly nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, I like Mei."
"Eh! This, I, that…"
"Haha, don't be so flustered. Let me put it this way, I really like Mei's appearance, after all, you are undoubtedly a super beautiful girl, but… that's not a feeling that can be called love, don't worry."
Although they were nominally boyfriend and girlfriend, in reality, it was just a pseudo-romance used to protect the girl.
Byakuya stated that he had not fallen in love with Raiden Mei. In fact, if someone else were in Mei's situation, he felt he probably wouldn't pay much attention.
And the special treatment for the girl was only because she was a character from his favorite game.
The answer Byakuya gave surprised Mei.
"I see, but in that case, Byakuya, why on earth are you helping me so much?" Mei asked involuntarily.
"Hm? That question is simple. Because I want to save you, to save all of you, that's all."
Byakuya answered without hesitation. He just wanted to crush all of Mihoyo's erosion and press that detestful fate/scriptwriter onto the ground and rub them.
This sentence clearly held a deeper meaning, but Raiden Mei was unable to comprehend it at the moment.
It was now ten o'clock at night.
Byakuya's appearance kept replaying in Mei's mind. As soon as she closed her eyes, she would recall the boy's face, and then her heart would race, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Mei foresaw that she might be sleepless tonight, but her joyful emotions were uncontrollable.
Today, Raiden Mei was like a princess in distress who finally met the prince who saved her.
...
After that, things unfolded exactly as Byakuya had anticipated.
Once they nominally became a couple, the bullies who used to act without restraint immediately decreased by eighty percent.
Although as a trade-off, no female classmates would proactively greet Byakuya in the morning anymore, he didn't care about this in the slightest.
Anyway, to this day, Byakuya still didn't know the names of anyone in the class besides Mei.
However, the girl's situation wasn't entirely resolved.
Just as the vulgar words written on Mei's desk with a black oil pen couldn't be erased, passing classmates would still intentionally or unintentionally knock over her stationery.
It was fine when Byakuya was around.
But when he wasn't, someone would come to cause trouble again.
Although Mei herself already felt it was good enough.
Compared to before, when no one wanted to be Raiden Mei's companion, now that Byakuya was willing to be her guardian/prince, she was immensely grateful.
However, Mei at this moment did not know.
There was more than one person in this world willing to protect her.
…Several days later…
"Shut up, you guys! You're not allowed to speak ill of Mei!!"
This day, as Byakuya walked into the classroom, he suddenly heard a familiar female voice. Upon entering, he saw that it was indeed her.
An agitated Paramecium was sternly scolding the surrounding classmates who were harassing Mei while Byakuya was away.
The newly appearing girl had two braids, clean and bright sky-blue eyes, and white hair like Byakuya's. She was slender and delicate but not lacking in figure.
Although she was baring her fangs and claws at those around her who bullied Mei, even her angry expression made her beautiful and cute… Regarding this, perhaps it was due to an inherent silliness that reduced her imposing aura.
In short, this girl was like a lively Persian cat.
After a closer look, Byakuya thought
(Yo~ Isn't this the ultimately, incredibly, super cute Kiana! Paramecium, you've finally made your appearance!)
"Mei, let go of me, I'm going to teach these rude guys a good lesson!"
"It's okay, Kiana, I don't mind anymore. Ah, Byakuya, you're back."
"Mm, I'm back, Mei. Yo, you made a new friend so quickly?"
Seeing Byakuya arrive in the classroom, Mei immediately showed a beautiful smile, which made Kiana, who was about to rush over and confront someone, stare in a daze.
"Mei, your smile is so beautiful. Hehe, smile more often."
"Mm, I agree with that. Your name is Kiana, right? You have good taste too."
"Of course, my lady's taste is the best in the world! Speaking of which, are you also Mei's friend? Hello! Since you're Mei's friend, you're my friend too."
Kiana smiled brightly and extended her hand to Byakuya in a friendly manner.
"Friend is friend, but I'm the boyfriend."
"Oh, what?! Boyfriend!"
"Haha, you're too surprised."
Gripping Kiana's hand and shaking it up and down, Byakuya ignored the girl's surprised expression and sat down next to Raiden Mei… he had already moved his desk over.
Although Byakuya had generally guessed what happened given this Paramecium's personality, he still turned to the purple-haired girl beside him and asked again.
"So, Mei, what's the deal with this girl?"
"Byakuya, this is Kiana, Kiana Kaslana. This morning when you weren't here, those people again… Anyway, Kiana helped me out. She's a very warm and kind person, a first-year transfer student who just joined Chiba Academy today."
"I see. It's good that Mei made a new friend. Kiana, that's a very nice name."
"Wuwu~ Is this real or fake? Mei actually has a boyfriend."
Upon learning that Byakuya was Mei's boyfriend, this Paramecium visibly deflated.
Kiana looked at the two with distress. For some reason, she had a vague premonition, a feeling as if someone had put a hat on her.
Although it was only their first meeting today, this Far Eastern Yamato Nadeshiko perfectly hit her preferences. After talking for a while, Kiana immediately took a liking to Mei.
Paramecium instinctively wanted to get close to Raiden Mei, and upon learning of the girl's predicament, this Kaslana, brimming with a sense of justice, immediately stood up for her.
Of course, there was also a slight thought of using this opportunity to act as a hero saving a beauty to become close friends with Mei, and then lead her down the path of yuri.
But she didn't expect Mei to already have a boyfriend.
Kiana: "Wuwuwu, what a pity. I rarely meet a girl like Mei who perfectly suits my preferences. I really want to stick close to Mei, guhehe~"
This is a perverted cat!
Byakuya (confirmed): 'Hmm, even from a genetic perspective, it's normal for Paramecium's favorability towards Mei to increase quickly. After all, who made Mei have a face that a Kaslana can't refuse?'
Even Kevin would have to show some extra care here.
Upon learning that Mei had Byakuya as a boyfriend, Paramecium looked very disappointed.
However, this naturally lively white-haired furball quickly cheered up again.
Kiana stood in front of Byakuya with her hands on her hips, scrutinizing him as she spoke.
"I didn't expect Mei to already have a boyfriend, sigh~ well, but Byakuya, right? Since you're Mei's boyfriend, why aren't you protecting her properly?"
To let his girlfriend suffer from school bullying, Kiana felt that he was an unqualified boyfriend.
"Kiana, it's not what you think. Byakuya has been protecting me, it's just that we, uh…"
Mei wanted to explain to Kiana that she and Byakuya were only fake lovers, and that she had actually received a lot of help and comfort from the boy.
But for a moment, she didn't know how to organize her words, after all, the fake couple matter was a secret.
Although Mei was very grateful to Kiana for stepping up to help her today, it was clear that Byakuya still had the upper hand in terms of current favorability.
This girl, who had suffered betrayal, had not yet fully trusted anyone other than Byakuya.
(Byakuya: "Paramecium, you're too late, Mei is already mine~")
This time, Byakuya indeed got ahead. After all, according to the original plot, after the desperate Raiden Mei was saved by Kiana, her favorability towards Paramecium skyrocketed, even leading to a change in her orientation.
But at this moment, Byakuya became her most trusted person, and Mei was originally a devoted good girl, plus the environment of school bullying, all factors combined.
This made the current Mei have no guard against Byakuya, but her guard against others would greatly increase, and Paramecium was no exception.
However, although she hesitated and didn't know how to explain.
Byakuya, however, finished speaking decisively.
"Alright, alright, actually, Mei and I are fake lovers. It's a pity I was too late when I transferred here. At that time, Mei was even worse off than now, but in order to protect her as much as possible, we became this kind of relationship."
"Eh? Is, is that so?" Kiana blinked her naive eyes and tilted her head.
"Yes, that's how it is." Byakuya nodded with one hand on his hip, looking certain.
"Uh, well, alright, it seems I misunderstood. So Byakuya, you're a good person. Then from now on, I'll protect Mei too. Hmph, with me here, no one will dare to cause trouble in the future."
"That's great then! With Kiana here, it's like having the strength of a hundred people."
"That's right! Hehe, Byakuya, you really get it~"
After being praised, Kiana immediately showed a smug expression, and her favorability towards Bai increased by at least ten percentage points.
Byakuya: 'Easily handled~ Just a Kiana from the early stages, not yet turned into Firefly or Herrscher of Finality. As long as you pet her fur the right way, there's no difficulty at all.'
As for why he told Kiana about the fake relationship so directly, of course, he knew that this girl would definitely not blurt it out.
If it were someone else, Byakuya might have hidden it, but there was no need to hide it from Paramecium.
This girl, who was clumsy and foolish but also kind and brave, could be treated with an open heart.
"But Kiana, is this really okay? If you get too close to us, no, to me, everyone else will ostracize you too," Mei worried.
Although she craved more warmth and truly wanted to be good friends with Kiana, Mei, being kind, didn't want others to be ostracized because of her affairs.
Kiana casually expressed that she didn't care.
"It's fine, and I don't want to be friends with these guys who enjoy bullying others. After all, the reason I came to Academy was just to, ahem, never mind, never mind."
"..."
Byakuya was a little worried if his judgment just now was correct. Would this girl really not accidentally blurt it out?
As for Kiana's purpose in coming to Academy, Byakuya was naturally very clear; wasn't it to investigate Honkai Energy and find her father, Siegfried Kaslana?
In short, two of the three main characters are now present; the only one left is a certain Bronya.
Byakuya was very much looking forward to Bronya's appearance. He couldn't wait to see what a living Bronya looked like!
...
After that.
Since the three successfully became good friends, with Byakuya and Kiana accompanying her, Mei's situation improved significantly.
Hardly anyone dared to openly cause trouble anymore.
However, naturally, all three were isolated, but for Byakuya and Kiana, that was a trivial matter; they didn't care at all.
In fact, perhaps thanks to such an environment, the relationship between the three quickly grew closer.
...
The rooftop of Chiba Academy, this place almost became a small base for the three of them. Every noon, Kiana would run over from the first-year section, and the three would eat together.
Byakuya subtly looked around, thinking that in the future, a wormhole would appear here.
"Kiana, you eat so fast."
"I can't help it, I'm hungry."
In a few bites, she finished the bread she bought. Byakuya and Mei hadn't even opened their lunchboxes yet, and this Paramecium had already finished her lunch.
But she still looked starving, lying there, staring at Byakuya and Mei with anticipation.
Recently, the Honkai Energy concentration in Changkong City has been increasing, and she often goes out at night to fight Honkai Beasts and Deadmen. Although the Kaslana Family all have superhuman physiques, the energy consumed far exceeds that of normal people.
Moreover, on the way to Changkong City, Kiana also lost Siegfried's black card, so her food expenses were severely insufficient. With just those two or three pieces of bread, it was probably digested the moment it was swallowed.
"Alright, alright, don't look at me so pitifully. Here, take it, eat."
"Hehehe, Byakuya, you're so nice!"
Gleefully taking Byakuya's lunchbox, the girl revived on the spot, transforming into a eating machine, and began to devour her meal.
"Eh~ I can't help you."
Byakuya ruffled Kiana's head with a wry smile. The feel of her white hair was absolutely superb, hitting his sweet spot perfectly.
No wonder, after all, white hair is a special attack on Chinese people.
"..."
Mei's expression next to them was a bit subtle. Kiana was a girl, yet the way they were… she always felt her fake boyfriend was petting a cat.
Byakuya first used his lunch to attract Kiana's attention, and then, while she was engrossed in eating, he immediately went all out, giving her a satisfying petting session!