The classroom buzzed with energy as students settled in for the day, still chattering about the new transfer student, Dani. Yumi kept her eyes on her desk, trying to focus, but the soft hum of attention around her kept drawing her gaze to the handsome newcomer. Dani, with that effortless charm, seemed to notice her almost immediately.
"Hey, Yumi," Dani said smoothly, leaning slightly toward her desk. "How about we partner up for the next project? I think we'd make a great team." His smile was soft, flirty, and confident—one that could easily make anyone blush.
Yumi blinked, caught off guard. "I… uh… I don't know—"
Before she could finish, a shadow fell over her desk. Pherrie had already leaned over, close enough that Yumi felt the warmth from his presence, his teasing smirk obvious. "Hmm, Princess, I think someone here forgot whose partner you already are," he said, his voice low, playful, and just enough to make Dani pause.
Dani chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Oh really? I just thought—"
Pherrie leaned even closer, brushing his fingers lightly against Yumi's hand as if to mark his territory in the safest, most teasing way. "You can't just swoop in and steal my Princess's attention. That's not how it works."
Yumi's cheeks heated, torn between embarrassment and the familiar flutter she felt whenever Pherrie was this close. "Pherrie… it's okay, I—"
"Not okay, Princess," Pherrie interrupted with a grin, teasing yet protective. "If Dani wants to try and get your attention, he's got to go through me first."
Dani's soft smile faltered for just a second as he realized Pherrie's intent. "Alright, alright… I see how it is," he said, backing off slightly, though still trying to maintain charm.
Pherrie leaned even closer, his smirk mischievous. "Better pay attention, Princess. You might think you're just being polite, but I'm not letting anyone get in between us." He lightly tapped her hand, brushing against her fingers, and winked. "Not him, not anyone. Got it?"
Yumi swallowed hard, cheeks warming at the teasing and protective words. "I… got it," she murmured.
For the rest of the class, Pherrie made it clear—through playful nudges, whispered jokes, and just being close enough to brush against her every so often—that Yumi was his. Dani tried once or twice to engage her in conversation or offer gentle smiles, but Pherrie was always there first, his presence teasing, flirty, and protective.
By the time the bell rang, Yumi felt her heart flutter—not from fear, but from the warmth of Pherrie's teasing attention and the undeniable closeness that made Dani's attempts irrelevant.
As they walked out together, Pherrie leaned slightly toward her, voice low and teasing. "See, Princess? No one's taking my place. Not today, not ever."
Yumi smiled, a mix of warmth and amusement. "You really are impossible," she said softly.
"And yet," Pherrie teased, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face, "you still like me being impossible, don't you?"
Her blush deepened, and she could only nod slightly. Pherrie's smirk widened—playful, victorious, and utterly protective. Today, and every day, he made sure everyone knew who Yumi's partner was: him.