Leonardo has to step up.

He watched the guy run up to them. The delinquent let out a raspy scream. Leonardo didn’t know if he was aiming for him or for Reiko, but it didn’t really matter. He was calm. Alert, but calm. This wasn’t his first time in a fight, sadly. He’d had to deal with muggers plenty of times back in his home country. He was from a bad neighborhood, just like Angela.

He stepped up between the delinquent and Reiko, and let the guy swing the iron rod at him. He raised his left arm and let his forearm take the full impact. It let out a loud thud of iron hitting flesh and bone.

But Leonardo only felt a numb sensation. Not only that, but his arm was fine. It didn’t hurt, and nothing was broken. With his right hand, he easily snatched the rod from the weakened grip of the astonished delinquent, who only responded with a gasp after he didn’t feel the weapon in his hands anymore.

Leonardo moved as if he was going to hit him with the rod, raising it above his head, and the guy cowered in fear, protecting his head with his arms. Leonardo stopped, and only pushed him back with his foot, making him trip and fall back with a yelp. Then he let the iron rod fall next to him.

“Leonardo-san! Are you okay!?” Reiko asked anxiously, looking like she wanted to touch his arm to examine him but was afraid to hurt him.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he assured her, shaking his arm to show there was no pain. “See?”

“B-But how!?”

“I’m really sturdy. I didn’t even cry when I got my flu shots as a kid,” he joked, but Reiko was worried enough that she shot him an unamused glare. And he was so proud of the joke, too.

“Alright, so they’re all down,” Angela said, looking at the four guys on the ground. “Now, how do I tell them to fuck off?”

Just then, the four delinquents stood up, grabbed their weapons, bowed apologetically towards Angela and ran away.

“I guess that’s universal?” Leonardo offered.

“Damn, they’re so weak that I just felt bad,” Angela groaned. “When does the MMA trainer get here!? I want a fight!”

Reiko had her hand on her chest and taking slow breaths to calm herself. Once they resumed their walk to the residential district, she asked, “You’ll be going to that gym, Angela-san?”

“It’s why I came to the other side of the world! I'm hoping she’ll beat me up, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“You WANT her to beat you?” Leonardo asked.

“Of course! It would mean there’s someone better than me!” Angela nodded fervently.

“Y-You really like fighting?” Reiko asked, nervously.

“Ah? Oh, yeah,” Angela nodded. “Can’t quite explain it, but it feels… what’s the word I’m looking for… good but not quite that…”

“Cathartic?” Leonardo offers.

“Yeah, that! When I was younger I tried beating random people up, but like I said, that just made me feel like a bully and it wasn’t fun in the slightest. Now I just wait for them to come to me.”

“I see…” Reiko smiled, and her shoulders relaxed. “Well, thank you for protecting us.”

“The hell are you on about?” Angela responded with a scowl. “If I wasn’t with you, these guys wouldn’t have attacked you! Thank Leonardo for protecting you. I just caused you problems.”

“If you fix the problems you caused yourself, then there’s no issue,” Leonardo assured her. “That’s also something my dad used to say.”

“Maybe, but I didn’t catch the guy that ran to you,” Angela said.

“I know.”

“Ugh. You’re gonna throw that in my face later, aren’t you?”

“I’d never do that,” Leonardo shook his head. “I just think you’ll remember.”

Angela groaned again, while Reiko watched their exchange with an amused smile. “Leonardo-san,” she said, looking at him with a smile and pink cheeks. “Thank you. I… I got really scared when he ran up to us.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “What kind of host would I be if I let you get hurt before we even reached the house?” he laughed.

They reached the Tensai Residence in a few minutes. Reiko observed the house with an excited smile.

“It’s so pretty!” she said. “This is probably one of the oldest buildings in town. I’ve only ever seen houses like these in mang- err… TV.”

“It’s huge and there’s only three of us living here, so it feels pretty empty,” Angela told her.

They got inside, took their shoes off and moved to the dining room, with Reiko unable to hide her giddiness. When they entered the traditionally styled dining room, Leonardo asked her, “How’s your house like?”

“Boring modern architecture,” she said, pouting. “Polished granite and a lot of glass.”

“I thought you said you parents were traditionalists,” Leonardo said.

“I don’t get them either. It’s like they want it both ways,” Reiko sighed.

“Oh, you’re all here,” Mrs. Wisler said, entering the dining room just a minute after them.

“G-Good afternoon, Wisler-san!” Reiko bowed. “Sorry for the intrusion.”

“It’s good to have you here, dear,” Mrs. Wisler bowed back politely. “Are you parents doing well?”

“Yes. They send their regards.”

“Thank you.” The old lady’s eyes glanced at Angela and Leonardo. “Why don’t you two go get changed? Don’t worry. I’ll stay with Reiko-chan, so take your time.”

“Then I’ll go do that,” Angela said as she left the room.

Leonardo was about to decline, feeling that leaving Reiko alone after being the one to invite her was rude, but Mrs. Wisler gestured with her head for him to go, giving him an inconspicuous smile. He didn’t know what she meant by it, but he complied.