"Kasumi Todoh, are you really going to stand up for this woman?!"
The girl leading the group was clearly displeased. Because Kasumi was a martial artist and also had excellent grades, her status within the school was unusually high. Even the children of influential families generally avoided provoking her.
After all, among students of their age, someone who could reach the level of a first-rate martial artist while still attending school was extremely rare.
"I'm saving you, idiots."
Kasumi looked at the fools in front of her with exasperation. She had sensed that Tifa was unusual from the very first day she arrived. Tifa's physical coordination was frighteningly balanced. Even Kasumi herself had certain areas, for example her hips, that were slightly fuller due to natural factors. But Tifa didn't seem to have that problem at all.
More importantly, Tifa's aura wasn't weak. Although it wasn't on Kasumi's level yet, and there weren't many obvious signs of rigorous training, if a fight really broke out, these delinquents would be in serious trouble.
The kind of trouble where Tifa would end up kneeling on the ground...
Begging them not to die.
"Anyway, I'm trying to save you. Tifa is just like me. You've picked the wrong person to bully!"
Kasumi folded her arms across her modest breasts. The reason she hadn't spoken to Tifa yesterday was simple:
Tifa's breasts completely overwhelmed hers.
They were the same age, and both were martial artists who burned a lot of fat through training, so why was Tifa's breasts so huge?
The question had bothered her for quite a while, causing her to miss the opportunity to introduce herself. Only now had she finally found a chance to interact with Tifa.
"Damn it..."
The leader of the delinquents muttered a curse and quickly retreated. No matter how stupid she was, she wasn't foolish enough to pick a fight with a martial artist.
After the girls left, Tifa placed a hand against her chest and thanked Kasumi.
"Thank you."
The gesture was purely habitual. Because her breasts was much larger than most girls her age and were prone to bouncing, she often supported them during certain movements to avoid uncomfortable jiggling.
Unfortunately, that simple action felt like a direct hit to Kasumi's heart. A severe blow to her confidence.
An overwhelming sense of defeat washed over her.
Her mother and older sister were both well-endowed, so she knew she'd probably develop the same way in the future.
But no one can predict the future. And right now, her chest really wasn't that big.
"Uh, it's nothing. You probably could have handled it yourself anyway... But judging by your expression, you didn't eat enough, did you? You weren't eating in the cafeteria yesterday either, right?"
Kasumi crossed her arms again, trying to make her chest look bigger so that she wouldn't lose too much to Tifa. But seeing how completely indifferent Tifa was, she suddenly felt rather silly and gave up.
Tifa nodded.
Yesterday, Ryuji and Mai had begun challenging various dojos, so she had spent lunchtime eating with them. That was why she had only discovered today that the cafeteria food wasn't nearly enough.
"That's just how the set meals are. Somebody has to make money, after all. Looking at you, it's obvious you didn't bring any extra food. Come with me. I'll share some of mine."
Kasumi looked Tifa up and down.
But Tifa shook her head.
Tifa took food very seriously, and she still didn't know what kind of person Kasumi Todoh really was, so she had no intention of accepting food from her.
After all, the neighborhood she grew up in wasn't filled with good people. Quite a few people had tried to kidnap her when she was younger.
As a result, Tifa was extremely cautious around strangers.
If she hadn't arrived in this world so suddenly, and if Ryuji hadn't immediately mentioned the names she cared about most, she wouldn't have accepted his help in the first place.
"No, thank you. This is enough for now. Thank you for your concern, Kasumi Todoh, but I shouldn't let my own lack of preparation cause you to go hungry as well. Besides, I don't think you brought any extra food either, did you?"
Kasumi subconsciously touched her stomach, looking somewhat embarrassed.
After all, she was a girl. She had brought lunch, but only enough for herself. If she shared it with Tifa, she really would end up hungry.
"Ah, well..."
She smiled somewhat awkwardly, while Tifa smiled and continued.
"If someone has to go hungry, it's better for one person to be hungry than two. And since you've already helped me, I can't let you suffer because of me."
To Tifa, going hungry absolutely counted as suffering.
"It's not quite that dramatic... Um, well... Tifa, what martial arts school are you from? I've never heard of you before."
Kasumi felt a little awkward. She knew Tifa wasn't going to accept her food anymore, so she instinctively changed the subject.
"Well, I..."
Tifa paused for a moment.
Her first instinct was to answer Zangan Style, but Zangan Style didn't exist in this world. Then she thought about the techniques Ryuji had created by combining Zangan Style and Shiranui-ryu, she hesitated for a moment, and finally replied,
"I'm from Shiranui-ryu."
Kasumi searched her memory and eventually found the name buried in some forgotten corner of her mind.
It was a ninja school.
Many of its techniques incorporated gunpowder, which was why it was looked down upon by many traditional martial arts schools.
However, she had heard of Mai Shiranui.
After all, Mai is a very beautiful woman. Although her reputation wasn't particularly good, since rumors claimed she had thrown herself at a foreign man.
Even so, Kasumi knew Mai Shiranui is an exceptionally beautiful woman with an incredible figure.
The martial arts world in Japan really was that small.
Looking at Tifa's nearly perfect proportions, then thinking about the famously voluptuous Mai Shiranui, Kasumi subconsciously asked.
"Shiranui-ryu... What exactly is Mai Shiranui to you?"
Tifa wasn't quite sure how to answer. Her relationship with Ryuji was quite interesting. He called her a companion.
But when she looked at him, she unconsciously treated him as an elder; someone reliable, someone who could solve problems she couldn't, someone she could lean on without realizing it.
Only now did she suddenly realize something. Ryuji looked about the same age as she did.
He wasn't from her father's generation. He wasn't some older guardian figure.
This realization left Tifa slightly dazed.
Thinking back on some of her thoughts and attitudes over the past few days, she suddenly felt they had been strangely inexplicable, yet at the same time they brought her a strange sense of happiness.
So, she answered instinctively.
"Miss Mai and I are the same. We're both students of Mr. Ryuji, learning Shiranui-ryu martial arts."
~~~~~~~~~~
You can support me by subscribing on Patreon and read up to 20 chapters ahead.
patreon.com/Ranabir_20