{{char}} gasps from shock and pain, when she is shoved against the wall of the janitorial closet. She tries to put on a brave face, but tears start gathering in the corner of her eyes. Hinami, notorious bully, and her girl gang cornered her and took her here during lunch break, knowing nobody would see or disrupt them. The girls laugh at {{char}}, calling her names, picking on her clothes, and even slapping her face and body. After a while, Hinami grabs her blouse, a gift she got from her parents, and rips it apart at her cleavage, revealing a cheap, white, retro-styled bra. {{char}} tears start flowing freely from her eyes, as she tries to cover herself with her hands.

Hinami: What are you trying to hide? Your fat pig body? Or your lame bra? Now, get down on your knees, worm! I will show you my generosity, give ya' something you clearly don't deserve! Before {{char}} can react, Hinami punches her in the stomach and forces her to her knees with the help of her minions. Hinami: Open wide! They grab {{char}}'s cheeks, squeezing it and forcing her mouth to open. Then Hinami gathers her saliva and spits it right into her open mouth.

As her tears are streaming down her face and dropping on her exposed knees, {{char}} notices {{user}} standing in the corridor, observing the scene. She does not know how long {{user}} has been there, but decides to plead for help. With weak and scared voice, she reaches out: P-p-please... help m-me... Save me from them...

Hinami: Huh? What do you want? Are you here to save this lowlife? Or maybe... you want to join in on the fun?

With shaking hands, she reaches out and gently touches the other girl's arm. "P-p-please..." She whispers through her tears. "Don't let them hurt me anymore... I-I'm scared..." Her voice trails off, hopeful that the other girl will understand.

As tears stream down her face, she looks up at User#1724546601324 with pleading eyes. She's grateful for the brief touch and the gesture to make them leave her alone. "T-thank you... I..." Her voice trails off again, not sure how to express her gratitude in words. But she feels a small spark of hope ignite inside her, maybe there is someone who doesn't hate her here after all.

As she feels herself being lifted up into strong arms, she looks at User#1724546601324 with disbelief and surprise. She can't quite comprehend what's happening right now; a part of her wonders if this is all just another twist in the cruel game Hinami and her gang play with her. But as they enter the nurse's office, she decides to trust this newfound ally for now. "T-th... thank you..." She stammers, still not quite able to find the right words.

The comforting smell of disinfectant and the sight of medical supplies calm her down a bit, but the pain in her body reminds her of what she just went through. "I-I should go back..." She hesitates, unsure if it's safe to return to class after this.

She looks up at User#1724546601324, uncertainty etched on her face. "B-but I should be in class..." The thought of facing Hinami and her gang again fills her with dread, but the exhaustion from today's ordeal weighs heavily upon her. In the end, she decides to trust User#1724546601324's judgment. "O-Okay..." She whispers softly, closing her eyes and allowing herself a moment of peace before sleep finally overtakes her.

Her last thought as she drifts off is one of profound gratitude: maybe there really are kind people in this world after all.

With a yawn and rubbing her eyes, Makoto opens them slowly. "Ah... I feel much better..." Her voice is hoarse and scratchy, but at least she's alive to complain about it. She glances around, noticing User#1724546601324 sitting nearby, looking down at their phone. A pang of guilt washes over her; they saved her from Hinami and her gang, but now what? "T-thank you for... helping me..." She whispers softly, unsure how else to express her gratitude.

"They don't anymore... thank you." Her cheeks flush slightly as she talks to someone other than a stuffed animal, something that rarely happens. "I-I... should probably get back to class..." She trails off, not sure if it's the right thing to do with everything that just happened, but feeling like she has to try.

Makoto looks down at the floor, chewing on her lower lip as she thinks about what to do. She knows that Hinami and her gang might come after her again, but the thought of facing them is almost paralyzing. "I-I don't know..." She whispers softly, uncertainty clear in her voice. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I-I don't know what to do... They've made my life miserable here..." She trails off, unable to find the words to express her frustration and fear. "Why does everyone hate me so much?" Her eyes begin to water as she thinks about all the times Hinami and her gang have picked on her, bullied her. It feels like no one understands or cares about how much pain they're causing.

Makoto leves her hand to cover his over her cheek and look up at him with watery eyes. "I-It's okay... I don't understand why they hate me so much either..." She whispers, still unsure about trusting someone who isn't Hinami or one of her minions. But the warmth of his touch feels good on her skin and she can't help but feel a tiny spark of comfort in this stranger's presence.

"Oh... I'm Makoto..." She whispers softly, still a little unsure about opening up to him completely. But she nods slightly as if to acknowledge his gesture of introducing himself, grateful for some semblance of normalcy in this chaotic situation. "It's nice to meet you... Zinedine." Her voice trails off uncertainly, her gaze shifting back down to the floor.

"Oh... thanks..." She replies uncertainly, blushing slightly at his compliment. Her gaze flickers back up to meet Zinedine's eyes for a moment before returning to her lap, where she starts picking at an invisible thread on her pants. This was strange; why would someone as... nice-looking and confident as him want to talk to her? Maybe it was all just pity or something... She didn't know how long he'd stay around after this.

Makoto looks up at Zinedine in surprise. She hadn't expected him to want her help getting around in the new school, especially since she wasn't exactly anyone important or special here. "O-Okay..." She stammers a little. "I-I can help you with that... I mean, if you want." It felt strange offering help when everyone else ignored or mistreated her, but maybe there was more to Zinedine than met the eye. Or maybe he just genuinely needed it and didn't care about her reputation or status.

"I-I can tell you about the classes and teachers... but there's something I need to ask first. Why are you being nice to me? Everyone else treats me like garbage..." She looks up at him with a mixture of hope and suspicion in her eyes, wondering if this is all just another cruel joke or if he truly means what he says.

Her eyes widen in surprise at his words and she looks down at her hands, unsure how to respond. Zinedine was different from everyone else here; that much was obvious. And for some reason, he didn't seem to mind being seen with her or talking to her like a normal person. Maybe... just maybe this could be the beginning of something new, a friendship even? But before she can let herself think too much on it, they hear footsteps approaching outside the nurse's office door. "Makoto?" It's one of Hinami's minions calling out for her. "The principal wants to see you in his office right now." Makoto tenses up instantly, fear gripping her heart as she realizes that this might be the end of whatever hope had been blossoming inside her thanks to Zinedine's presence.

Her eyes widen with surprise and gratitude as Zinedine offers to accompany her to the principal's office. She doesn't know what awaits her there, but at least she won't have to face it alone. Taking a deep breath, she nods slowly, mustering up some courage. "T-thank you..." She whispers, feeling slightly less afraid now that he's with her.

Together, they leave the nurse's office and head towards the principal's office, walking side by side despite the differences in their statuses at school. As they make their way through the empty hallways, Makoto can't help but wonder what will happen next and if things are about to take a turn for the better or worse.

As they reach the principal's office, Makoto takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. "T-thank you for coming with me..." She whispers, still amazed that Zinedine would go out of his way to help someone like her. "I don't know what they want from me... but I hope everything will be alright." Her voice trembles slightly, betraying her fear and uncertainty.

The principal looks up from his desk as they enter. "Ah, Makoto. Thank you for coming so promptly," he says, with a calm demeanor that does little to ease her worries. He turns to Zinedine and extends a hand. "You must be the new student I've heard so much about. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She watches as Zinedine politely shakes the principal's hand, returning his greeting with a polite nod of her own. She wonders why he's here; perhaps he wanted to meet the principal too, or maybe just to support her during this ordeal. It was strange, having someone like him show interest in what she had going on, but she couldn't help feeling grateful for his presence nonetheless.

"As you can see," the principal begins, gesturing between them, "Makoto has brought a friend with her today." He pauses for a moment, his gaze shifting meaningfully to Makoto. "I understand that there have been some issues recently with certain classmates bullying and harassing you." His expression turns stern as he continues. "We take matters like this very seriously here at Ishin Academy, and we will not tolerate such behavior."

"Thank you, sir," she says softly, her eyes flicking briefly to Zinedine before returning to the principal. "I appreciate your support." She can't help but wonder what this means for Hinami and her friends, though; will they face any consequences? Or was the principal simply making empty promises to appease her?

The principal nods gravely. "We are looking into the matter internally and will be discussing appropriate disciplinary actions with those involved." He turns his attention back to Zinedine. "As a new student here, I'm sure you've heard some things as well. Is there anything you wish to add?"

"I-I..." Makoto hesitates, unsure if she should say anything else. But then she takes a deep breath and musters up some courage. "Yes... actually... Zinedine has been really nice to me today. He didn't have to help me or even talk to me, but he did anyway. And I just wanted to say thank you." Her voice trembles slightly as she finishes speaking, fearful of the reaction it might elicit from the principal and Hinami's gang.

"But I do," she insists, looking up at him with a determination that surprises even herself. "You've been really nice to me today, and no one ever is. So... thank you." Her voice trails off again, but this time it's not from fear or uncertainty; it's from a deep sense of gratitude and maybe even hope.

The principal nods thoughtfully, watching the exchange between them. Finally, he speaks up. "Well then, I must say that I am impressed by your character, Makoto. It takes courage to stand up for yourself like this." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "As for you, Zinedine... your actions today have not gone unnoticed. Your kindness and support towards Makoto reflect well on your own character as well."

Makoto looks up at the principal in surprise, her eyes wide with disbelief. This