Across Worlds - A Coyote Starrk Love Story

Chapter 22 - Tough Times Pass

This chapter is dedicated to Akiko_Ichimaru! Happy reading! :3

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Saki pov:

"Sei kun! I'll be heading out now! Make sure you lock up properly, okay?" I called out to him while standing at the entrance.

I had already taken my side bag and I was wearing a comfortable pair of shoes. I was ready to head out to the hospital to check up on Aunt Chiyo and Yuuya kun. Tomo was at my side, wagging his tail and waiting to head out as well. He was excited to go to the orphanage to play with the kids while I went to the hospital.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll take care of it, Saki san." Sei kun walked out from the store room and placed one of the new paintings I had finished onto one of the display racks.

"Thanks Sei kun. You're a big help." I smiled half heartedly.

"Say, Saki san....." Before I could leave the shop, I was stalled by Sei kun. "Are you sure you're doing okay? You've been pushing yourself too hard lately. I mean, you come into the shop really early to get your work done and then you leave to the hospital once I'm here and then you go to the orphanage to take care of the kids there and you say you work late into the night to get some more of your work done. You've got dark circles under your eyes and you look really tired. Maybe you should be resting a bit...."

"Thank you for worrying, Sei kun. But I'm fine. It's just until Aunt Chiyo and Yuuya kun get home. Aunt Chiyo should be discharged tomorrow so I'm sure everything's going to fall back in place soon." I reached up and gave a pat on his cheek while smiling.

"So you really are a working person, huh?"

I pulled my hand away and both of us looked to the side hearing a voice. There was a man who had just stepped into my shop and was looking around with a slight frown. I remembered seeing him at Sei kun's school – he was the teacher who had scolded me for talking back at him and supporting Sei kun even though he is a 'delinquent'. He was accompanied by the boy who had spoken to me when I had gone to Sei kun's school. I think his name is Narumi.

Both of them looked at Sei kun and scowled. Sei kun stepped forward, almost giving in to reacting to their looks of displeasure but I took a hold of his wrist and prevented him from doing anything reckless. He glanced at me and I shook my head no.

"Welcome to my shop." I said simply, giving them a smile.

"Thank you. I hope Hazama hasn't been giving you any trouble. He's been rather aloof at school these days, showing all of us an indifferent attitude. What horrible manners." The teacher muttered the last part more to himself.

"At least he isn't beating the shit out of students like us." Narumi kun spoke, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking at Sei kin.

"That's true. He should be glad that our prestigious school has even accepted him as a student. When we have star students like Narumi, we would have been better off without this delinquent." The teacher sneered out.

I noticed Sei kun tense and clench his fists tightly to contain his anger. I wasn't in the mood to be arguing with these people but that didn't mean I was going to stay silent while they badmouthed a gem of a person like Sei kun. It was their fault he became violent and frustrated in the first place.

I sighed before looking at them with a slightly narrow gaze. "If you're here to say unnecessary false statements, it would be better if you leave. You are welcome to look around my shop and buy anything that interests you but I would like it if you don't speak badly of my employee."