What friends are for

Valentina’s heels echoed against the polished stone path as she walked through the quiet part of campus, Mira trailing close behind, a half-step back like an obedient little shadow. The eyes of passersby clung to her figure as usual, but Valentina wasn’t entirely comfortable with it. In Mammopolis, she’d expected some attention—her chest always drew eyes—but this city had a way of making her feel like she was always on stage, no matter where she went. The constant staring, the whispers, the not-so-subtle glances—it was a little overwhelming, even for someone as naturally confident as her.

Mira, meanwhile, didn’t seem to notice the intensity of it all. In her usual bubbly way, she practically skipped beside Valentina, her tiny frame bouncing lightly.

“I can’t get over how everyone looks at you, Val,” Mira chirped, her voice bright and sweet, like she was talking about a surprise party rather than the borderline gawking. “It’s like they’ve never seen anything like you!”

Valentina gave a small, wry smile. “It’s a bit much sometimes.”

“I think it’s amazing,” Mira continued, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “You walk into a room and it’s like time stops. I’d be so nervous if it were me.” She giggled, her voice tinged with innocent awe. “But you’re so calm, like it doesn’t even bother you.”

It did bother her, more than she let on, but Valentina just shrugged. “It’s Mammopolis. You get stared at for breathing.”

They turned a corner, and Valentina’s eyes caught on something that made her stomach sink a little. The janitor. He was an older man, his uniform grimy from hours of work, and he had the kind of glazed-over look that Valentina had seen more times than she cared to count. His eyes were already glued to her chest, his expression slack and dumbfounded. She could see it coming before it even happened—the familiar ritual of a lowly man thinking he could tribute her just because she existed in his line of sight.

His hands fumbled at his belt as if he couldn’t even control himself, his lips parting in a dazed grin. He looked ridiculous, standing there with his pants half-unzipped, his eyes fixated like a caveman seeing fire for the first time.

Mira, however, hadn’t noticed the janitor yet. She was too busy chattering away, her light voice filling the silence. “And I mean, I don’t think I could handle the attention like you do, but it’s still so cool to watch. Everyone just—”

Valentina’s sigh interrupted her. “Mira. We’ve got a problem.”

Mira turned to see what Valentina was looking at, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the janitor—pants almost down, his eyes now darting between the two of them. For a second, she froze, her brain trying to process what was happening.

“Ew, what the—?!” Mira squeaked, her voice jumping an octave as she finally understood. Without thinking, she darted in front of Valentina, holding her arms out in a gesture far too brave for someone as tiny as her. “Hey! No! No way! You—put your pants back on, you disgusting creep!”

The janitor blinked, momentarily confused by the sudden appearance of Mira in his line of sight. He looked her up and down, clearly trying to figure out why this small, flat-chested girl was getting in his way.

Valentina watched with a mix of mild surprise and **** amusement. “Mira, it’s fine, you don’t have to—”

“No!” Mira’s voice was surprisingly fierce, though it still had that sweet, high-pitched quality that made her sound more like an angry chipmunk than anything intimidating. “You can’t just do that to her! Who do you think you are, huh? You think you can just whip it out and—ugh!” She shuddered dramatically, as if the mere thought made her sick.

The janitor frowned, his hand still hovering near his belt. “I—uh—she’s, y’know,” he stammered, his eyes shifting back to Valentina like a man lost in a haze. “She’s big… like, really big…”

“Yes, she is,” Mira snapped, stamping her foot for emphasis, her cute little face scrunched up in righteous anger. “But that doesn’t mean you can just… do *that* in front of her! Or anyone!”

Valentina sighed, almost feeling sorry for Mira. She really was adorable, standing there like some kind of tiny, defiant knight, trying to protect her from a situation that had probably happened dozens of times since she’d arrived in Mammopolis.

But the janitor’s confusion quickly morphed into frustration, his brow furrowing. He looked Mira up and down again, then glanced back at Valentina, who was watching the scene unfold with a detached sort of interest.

“Well, if I can’t have her,” the janitor grunted, his voice gruff and irritated, “then I’ll take you.”

Before Mira could react, the janitor’s hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist. Her eyes went wide, panic flashing across her face as he started dragging her toward the bushes.

“W-wait, what?! No!” Mira squealed, her voice cracking as she stumbled along behind him, her tiny feet trying to dig into the ground. “Val—Val, help! You can’t let him—!”

Valentina sighed again, glancing over at a nearby bench. She made her way over, completely unfazed by Mira’s increasingly **** pleas. With a graceful movement, she sat down, crossing her legs and smoothing out her skirt.

“Don’t worry, Mira,” Valentina called out over her shoulder, already pulling her phone from her bag. “I’ll be right here. Take your time.”

“Take my time?!” Mira’s voice was shrill now, half in disbelief, half in terror as the janitor dragged her behind the bushes. “Val, please! He’s—oh God—it's too big!!!”

Valentina barely glanced up as she started texting her friend Brianna. Some janitor is causing problems again, she typed, rolling her eyes as Mira’s frantic yelps turned into muffled cries.

From behind the bush, the rustling grew louder, accompanied by Mira’s soft whimpers and the janitor’s low grunts. Valentina could hear it all, the rough sounds of clothes being tugged, the slap of skin, but she didn’t bother to look. Instead, she sent off another message. Mira’s handling it. She’s surprisingly tough for someone so… small.

As the minutes passed, the noises shifted. Mira’s earlier pleas had softened, her protests now barely audible over the rhythmic grunting from the janitor. Valentina tapped her foot idly, glancing up occasionally at the bush but not particularly interested in the outcome. The sound of Mira’s voice, once filled with panic, was now replaced by soft, breathy gasps, the kind that signaled she was no longer entirely resistant to what was happening.

Valentina raised an eyebrow, smirking. “You alright back there, Mira?”

There was no real answer, just the muffled sounds of someone caught up in something they hadn’t expected, but weren’t entirely fighting anymore. Mira’s voice, breathy and overwhelmed, mixed with the janitor’s grunts in a way that made Valentina laugh quietly to herself.

After a while, the sounds tapered off, the courtyard falling silent again except for the distant chatter of other students in the distance, blissfully unaware of what had just gone down. Valentina, satisfied that things had run their course, finally stood up and made her way back to the bush.

Mira stumbled out, her hair a mess, her cheeks flushed, her small frame trembling slightly. Her eyes were glazed, unfocused, as if her brain hadn’t quite caught up with what her body had just experienced.

“Took you long enough,” Valentina said dryly, not even bothering to hide the smirk on her lips. “We’ve got class in ten minutes.”

Mira blinked at her, still dazed. “I… I just…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Valentina waved her off, already walking away. “Don’t worry about it. Just wipe your chin. You’ve got drool.”

Mira wiped at her face, her cheeks burning red as she followed Valentina, still too stunned to form a coherent sentence. Behind them, the janitor shuffled back to his duties, his tribute paid in full.

Valentina didn’t look back. It wasn’t her problem. Mira had stepped in, after all, and in Mammopolis, that meant dealing with the consequences.