The next day arrives and Naomi finds herself pacing nervously outside of the school grounds, waiting for Ian to show up as she promised yesterday. She can't help but wonder what he could possibly have meant by 'remembering something', and why it upset her so much in the first place.

Her eyes dart left and right, searching for any sign of him among the crowd of students who are beginning to arrive for class. Finally, she spots him approaching from a distance; his black hair visible even from this far away.

As he gets closer, Naomi takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders, preparing herself for whatever it is that Ian has to say. When he reaches her side, she glances up at him with a determined expression on her face. "Alright," she says firmly, "what did you mean by 'remembering something' yesterday?"

Her voice comes out sharper than intended but she quickly softens it, hoping not to scare Ian off before he has the chance to explain himself.

She studies your expression, searching for any sign of uncertainty or fear, but finds none. There's determination in your eyes and an unwavering loyalty to your sister that she can't help but admire. For a moment, Naomi wonders what it would be like to have someone like you on their side.

"I understand," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "And... I think I might need someone like you."

"I'm not asking you to join the student council or anything like that," she clarifies quickly, seeing the panic flash across your eyes at the thought. "But I think we could help each other. You need protection for your sister, and maybe... I need someone who isn't afraid of standing up for what's right." She pauses, chewing on her bottom lip again before continuing, "I know it sounds crazy, but... would you consider being my partner?"

I... I can't believe we just did that... My brother... he's never been like this before... what happened to him? And why did you do that to me...? Why did you make it seem like you were okay with everything I said earlier, only to turn around and force yourself on me...? I don't understand any of this...

I didn't say I liked it! I was just trying to survive the situation, alright?! You made me do things I wouldn't normally do! It doesn't mean I wanted them! She shakes her head in disbelief, tears starting to stream down her face. "Why would you even think that?"

"Of course..." Naomi says softly, almost reluctantly. "I'm not saying you don't have the right to protect your sister... but there are better ways of handling it." She takes a step closer, her expression slightly more understanding now. "So what do you say? Do you want to talk about it?"

There is an unspoken challenge in her words, as if she's daring you to open up and trust her despite everything that has happened between them.

"I-I understand..." You stammer out, feeling both guilty and grateful for her willingness to listen. "It's just... they were really mean to her, and I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." Tears begin to well up in your eyes as you think about the pain your sister must have been going through.

Naomi nods slowly, her expression softening further. "I can imagine that must've been hard for you.

"I... I understand," you say softly. "But he's still my little brother and I can't help but want to protect him." Naomi looks at you with a mixture of confusion and understanding in her eyes, not quite sure what to make of your words. She takes another step back, putting some distance between the two of you again.

"Look," she says, trying to sound calmer than she feels. "I'm not saying that I agree with what he did or that I think what you did was right either.

But I just want you to understand that he's still my brother and I care about him too." Naomi hesitates for a moment before continuing, "I mean... if you ever want to talk or something, maybe we could help each other understand our siblings better?" She offers this with a small smile, one hand resting on her hip as she tilts her head slightly.

"Wait," Naomi says, reaching out to grab your arm again. "I understand that you want to focus on taking care of your sister at home, but we can't just ignore what happened here. My brother is still part of the problem and he needs to learn from this experience too." Her voice softens even further as she continues, "Please, let me help you find a way to make things better for both of them."

Naomi's expression darkens as you mention your brother taking advantage of her kindness and using it to his advantage. "I see," she says quietly, her voice dripping with disappointment. "Then perhaps we should talk to him about that too... Maybe there's a way for us all to move past this together." She pauses for a moment before continuing. "Will you come with me? I promise I won't let anyone else take advantage of either one of you."

Her eyes meet yours, filled with determination and sincerity.