We stopped at a red light, which gave us a moment to catch our breath. I wasn''t fond of standing idly, but this time was different - I felt calm, and Megumi didn''t look impatient either. When the light turned green, we moved slowly, and our steps synchronized at an even pace. My gaze was drawn to an older man sitting by the supermarket. He was wearing long jean bells and a worn green jacket. His face was marked with the weariness of life, and his attempts to strike up a conversation with the two boys caught my attention. The boys listened to his words for a while, nodded and gestured, until finally they helped him up and together they moved toward the nearby blocks.


    I smiled slightly under my breath and turned my gaze toward the nearest tree on my left. The wind gently picked up, moving the branches as if to attract my attention.


    - Megumi? - I asked quietly, and my eyebrows raised slightly.


    - Yes? - she looked at me questioningly, tilting her head slightly, and her eyes shone with curiosity.


    Megumi was silent for a moment, and her gaze went to the distant silhouettes. I expected some comment, perhaps some reflection, but she simply reached into her pocket and pulled out two lollipops. Without a word she handed me one, and I accepted it with a slight smile, lifting the corners of my mouth.


    When we reached the park, the silence began to weigh us down, like an invisible weight, so I decided to break it, and my words hung in the air, like smoke.


    - Megumi... if I were homeless, would you pass by me indifferently?


    Surprised, she stopped, and her eyebrows gently raised in surprise. Her eyes widened, and her hand involuntarily went to her mouth. She paused for a moment, and in her brown eyes I saw something deep and serious, as if she was considering the weight of my words. She did not answer immediately, instead she looked at me carefully, as if analyzing my every word, trying to read my intentions.


    - Listen, Arata - she finally announced in a calm, warm voice, taking a step toward me and placing her hand on my shoulder. - Even if we were to have a serious quarrel one day and say words that we would later regret, I promise you that I would never pass by you indifferently. It doesn''t matter what would happen.


    I looked straight into her eyes and noticed a gentle but firm smile, which immediately put my mind at ease and dispelled any doubts. Her gaze was full of concern and sincerity.


    - Would you help me because you know me? Or because I have also helped you many times? - I asked, carefully watching her reaction. My gaze rested on her face, trying to read her thoughts.


    Silence reigned for a while, broken only by rustling leaves, and the sun quietly gliding through the treetops. Megumi sighed quietly and crossed her arms over her chest, putting the lollipop back in her mouth. Her eyes squinted slightly, feigning indignation after another ambush set by me.


    - I think I already know what you''re getting at - she replied, avoiding my gaze and looking ahead, where leaves swayed in the air like miniature parachutes. Her lips formed a narrow line.


    - That''s what I''m talking about - I continued softly, and my hands spread out in an open gesture.


    - How am I different from this person, then? Only that you know me. Every person is a human being, not an outcast left to die. We should help each other, whether we know each other or not.


    With a gesture, I pointed Megumi to a bench standing under a spreading oak tree, whose branches seemed to reach toward the sky, full of golden leaves.


    - So do we sit where we always sit? - She asked, heading in that direction with a slight smile on her lips, apparently wanting to end this serious topic. Her shoulders slumped along her body, and her posture became more casual.


    The park stretched around us like a living painting, a canvas of nature painted with extreme precision. Leaves, like miniature ships, slowly fell onto the grass, set into a dance by a gentle, cool breeze. The slowed-down movements of the leaves resembled a dance that went on indefinitely. Like a chameleon, the grass gradually changed colors, moving from deep green to yellow-green, further enhancing the autumn atmosphere of the place. The colors of the grass moved seamlessly from one shade to another. The benches, snow-white and wooden, cut away from the natural colors of the surroundings, creating a contrast that at first seemed out of place, but over time I grew accustomed to them. The porcelain benches contrasted with their surroundings. Although I only visited here a few times a month, I always felt that this place had something special about it, some intangible magic that drew me back. The place had a unique charm about it.


    I was glad that Megumi let the conversation move to a lighter track. I was only hoping for a short answer, and she unexpectedly pulled my tongue more than I wanted.


    When we reached the bench, I took off my backpack and stretched with a quiet sigh, relaxing my tense muscles, sitting down casually. Megumi carefully grabbed the hem of her dress and checked that the bench was definitely clean before deciding to sit next to me, correcting the material of her dress and placing her hands in her lap.


    - Arata, have you noticed anything new with me today? - Megumi asked, leaning slightly toward me. Her arm brushed mine, and the warmth of her skin touched mine for a split second. The intense look in her caramel eyes betrayed anticipation.


    I rolled my eyes in thought. Oh no. She''s doing it again.


    Not to give her the satisfaction.


    I looked ahead, as if deep in thought, and slowly furrowed my brow.


    - Hm... - I began, pretending to think. - Weight...???


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    For a second, Megumi looked as if she was actually processing my words. Then her smile disappeared. Her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened into a thin line.


    - What did you say? - Her tone was like a blade put to her throat.


    Before I had time to answer, Megumi crossed her arms and looked at me with the icy precision of a murderer who wonders if a quick death is really the best option.


    - Scales? Really, Arata? - she repeated slowly, as if I were a particularly reluctant student.


    For a split second I considered a desperate escape, but her fingers just tightened on my sleeve.


    - Are you... blushing? - she whispered, leaning even closer, and her breath brushed my ear.


    - It''s warm - I replied immediately, straightening up like a string. - Definitely too warm.


    Megumi smiled in a way that said it all - she was enjoying herself. Her hand muscled my breast, then just as quickly retreated.


    - Can you finally let me go? - I asked, trying to remain serious.


    Megumi looked at me for a moment, and then did something I didn''t expect.


    Instead of letting me go, she leaned in even further, reducing the distance to an absolute minimum. Her arm pressed against mine.


    Oh, no.


    My thoughts hovered in a vacuum.


    She knew perfectly well what she was doing.


    - But why? - She asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side. - Don''t you like it?


    Her eyes sparkled. She was hunting.


    I took a deeper breath, trying to look unimpressed, but my body had other plans. I felt the heat begin to creep up the back of my neck.


    A real man should be able to remain calm in any situation - on the battlefield, in the heat of battle, and when a woman viciously invades his personal space in an effort to humiliate him.


    Meanwhile, I?


    I sat there, totally frozen, feeling my cheeks take on a color that absolutely should not be there.


    - Megumi... - I said slowly, carefully, as if I were trying to calm a wild animal.


    - Yes? - Her tone was too innocent.


    - You know that this... - I took a breath. - It falls under harassment.


    Instead of letting me go, she leaned in even further, reducing the distance to a level that should have been illegal.


    Her arm pressed against mine, and then....


    A subtle, almost imperceptible touch.


    Was it a coincidence?


    Or a precisely planned sabotage operation with the sole purpose of dismantling me on a fundamental level?


    Because if it was a coincidence - then the universe betrayed me.


    And if not...


    I have just been the victim of an attack aimed at my dignity, pride and emotional stability.


    And the worst part?


    It was working.


    It was a betrayal on a biological level.


    My own body decided to go over to the side of the enemy, triggering reactions that I ABSOLUTELY did not need right now.


    My heart sped up.


    The blood rushed to my face.


    I couldn''t show that it changed anything.


    Because if I did...


    It will be a slaughter.


    And Megumi?


    Of course she noticed it.


    - Oh, Arata... - she sighed dramatically. - Are you sure? Because you look more like someone who is afraid of something.


    I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to regain control of the situation.


    I couldn''t let myself be dominated.


    Not in this game.


    - I''m not afraid - I said slowly.


    - No? - She raised her eyebrow. Her arm pressed even tighter.


    She knew.


    She knew and tested the limits.


    My body screamed to move away, but if I did, I lost.


    This was a moment of testing.


    Was I a man who could go through this like a stoic, or was I a boy who would lash out because a girl decided to wipe her ego on him?


    It was the perfect crime.


    When she finally let me go, I felt like a man who barely escaped with his life.


    I waited a moment, as if nothing had happened.


    I reached into my backpack for a bottle of Coke, unscrewed it slowly and took a sip, as if I were just getting ready to make an important speech.


    I began with a theatrical sigh.


    - And to think... - I shook my head with feigned nostalgia. - There was a time when women were delicate, quiet, graceful.


    I took a short pause and looked at Megumi with feigned resignation.


    - Surrounded by an aura of mystery and subtle charm... And now?


    I took another sip of cola and then slowly put the bottle down, looking off into the distance, as if I had just contemplated the fate of humanity.


    - Now they throw themselves at men without warning, violate personal space, touch without asking... - I shook my head with false disapproval. - How did the male part of the population let this happen?


    Megumi looked at me with an expression on her face that could be described as pure confusion combined with a little rage.


    But it wasn''t enough.


    I sighed again and raised my gaze to the sky, as if contemplating the great mysteries of the world.


    - You know, Megumi... I''m beginning to understand why women had limited rights in the Middle Ages.


    She froze.


    She looked at me as if I were the living embodiment of the problem of patriarchy.


    - Because if you allow full freedom... - I shrugged my shoulders with absolute calm. - The world will fall into chaos.


    Silence.


    Megumi blinked. Once.


    The second.


    I saw her hand tighten on the material of her dress, as if she was fighting the inner need to murder me on the spot.


    - You... - she finally choked out, but she lacked words.


    I took another sip of cola, as if the subject was already closed to me.


    - Don''t thank me for this history lesson. - I nodded to her with complete courtesy. - I''m always happy to help broaden your horizons.


    Megumi blinked once more.


    And then...


    BOOM.


    Her fist slammed into my shoulder


    Damn, I almost spilled my Coke.


    - ARATA!!! - Her scream echoed throughout the room.


    Megumi took a deep breath, as if she had to count to ten to keep from killing me on the spot.


    But I knew perfectly well what I was doing.


    - Anyway... - I chuckled some more, raising an eyebrow. - If it comforts you, in this theory, you are the one who represents chaos.


    Megumi raised her fist, and I instantly covered up.


    I waited for a second blow.


    But instead...


    She sighed.


    There was no fury. There was no screaming. There were not even further attempts at domination.


    This was suspicious.


    Megumi slowly raised her hand, turned her wrist, and a silver chain flashed in the light.


    The bracelet.


    And then I understood everything.


    This wasn''t just a woman''s game.


    This was revenge.


    Not for my words. Not for my jokes.


    For my ignorance.


    This, is the real problem of our society.


    When a woman doesn''t notice a guy''s new haircut - nothing happens.


    When a woman doesn''t compliment her friend''s new sweatshirt - the world still goes on.


    But if a guy doesn''t notice a woman''s new bracelet - nothing happens....


    He ends up stranded, pushed to the wall, as a victim of socially acceptable harassment.


    Where is the justice in this?


    Where is the equality?


    I looked at Megumi.


    She was looking at me.


    She knew that I knew.


    And she was waiting.


    She waited for a confession.


    She waited for words of remorse.


    She waited for me to say "Yes, Megumi. You have a new bracelet. I should have noticed it. It''s all my fault."


    For a split second I considered this option.


    And then I decided to be myself.


    I raised an eyebrow, looking at her thoughtfully.


    - So? - She asked sweetly, as if giving me one last chance to save my dignity. - Do you still not see?


    I took a deep breath.


    It''s now or never.


    Be a man, Arata.


    - You shaved your hands big time. - I chuckled innocently.


    Megumi did not even blink. → ??(Megumi honest reaction)


    - ARATA!!!


    Suddenly, her fist impetuously slammed into my arm, and the pain pierced me like a blade.


    - Ow! - I groaned, massaging my shoulder. - Violence! Did you see that!


    And then I remembered something important.