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The argument was leading to a pretty famous topic - 'Real man' and Y/n knew that argument wasn't going to finish soon.

β€œYou really think you're something, huh?Calling yourself a real man? I’m not seeing it." Mike sarcastically scoffed.

Johnny’s smirk disappeared in an instant.

β€œOh yeah? And what would you know about being a real man?” Johnny asked in the same tone.

Funny thing was that they both didn't know shit about each other but still were arguing like they have known each other since a lot of years.

β€œMore than you, apparently.A real man doesn’t need to puff his chest out and act tough all the time. What’s your deal, huh?” Mike asked.

Y/n’s eyes widened as she saw the situation escalating quickly. She stepped in between them and tried to push Johnny back slightly.

β€œGuys, stop! Seriously, this is stupid!” She pleaded.

Again.

Johnny scoffed and brushed her off and his focus was fully on Mike now.

β€œOh, this tough guy thinks he’s gonna give me lessons on what it means to be a man? Give me a break.” Johnny laughed but his his posture was tense as if he was ready to throw a punch.

β€œA real man doesn’t need to act like a king around here. Maybe you should try treating people like, you know, people.” Mike smirked.

β€œYou think you’re some kind of big shot but you’ve got nothing. Keep talking and you’ll see what happens.” Johnny said through gritted teeth.

"Oh god. Not the real man argument." Y/n thought to herself and rolled her eyes.

Y/n placed her hand on Johnny’s chest and tried her best to keep him from moving forward.

β€œJohnny, stop it! This isn’t worth it! You guys are making a scene!"

But Mike wasn’t backing down either.

β€œI’m right here.If you wanna prove how β€˜real’ you are, go ahead.” His voice dripped with challenge and it only made Johnny angrier.

β€œYou don’t know a damn thing about me.”

β€œAnd I don’t need to. You are walking around like you own the place, acting like everyone owes you something. Real men don’t have to prove themselves every second.” Mike smirked.

Johnny’s face reddened with anger.

β€œYou don’t get it. You wanna talk about being a real man? Why don’t you show me?”

The argument was getting louder.

β€œJohnny, Mike-cut it out! This is getting ridiculous!” Y/n sighed.

But neither of them was listening.

β€œYou wanna go?” Johnny challenged and stepped right up into Mike’s face.

β€œI’m right here.” He added.

Just then, a teacher from across the courtyard noticed the commotion and he started walking toward them.

Before the teacher could reach them, Daniel appeared from the side and sneaked up to Y/n.

β€œHey, come on!” He whispered and tugged her arm gently.

β€œIf you stay, you’re gonna get caught too and trust me, that guy’s not in a good mood.”

She hesitated and glanced back at Johnny and Mike but Daniel pulled her away with a little more force.

β€œSeriously, Y/n, let’s go. They’re not gonna stop anytime soon, and you don’t want a teacher on your case, right?”

β€œFine.” She muttered.

As they sneaked off, she could still hear Johnny’s angry voice and just then they could hear the teacher’s  voice scolding Johnny and Mike in the background.

Daniel glanced back and  a smirk crept onto his face as he watched the two getting chewed out.

"Man, those two.What even happened back there?" He asked and turned to Y/n as they continued walking down the hallway.

She sighed and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Johnny was being... well, Johnny.He started irritating me, acting all cocky and then Mike came over, you know, being friendly."

"Okay... and then?"

"Well, they introduced themselves and it was fine for like, a second. But then Johnny started throwing his weight around and Mike didn’t take it. And then, before I knew it, they were arguing about what it means to be a β€˜real man.’" Her voice dripped with sarcasm at the last part.

"Of course they did. β€˜Real man,’ huh? Sounds like classic Lawrence to me." He mimicked Johnny's voice.

"Yeah, typical Johnny...always has to prove something. Mike just didn’t back down and it turned into this whole macho standoff. It was so stupid!"

Daniel sighed and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Well, at least we got outta there before the teacher could drag you into it. But seriously, those two need to chill."

β€œYeah, thanks for pulling me out of there. I really didn’t want to get involved in that mess.” She said and  glanced over her shoulder and still could hear faint echoes of the scolding in the distance.

β€œAnytime. Just try to stay outta Johnny’s line of fire, okay? That guy’s trouble. Always has been...I mean you know better now." Daniel sighed.

But y/n knew, that no matter how much she tried to stay out of his line of fire, she couldn't escape it, not when her and Johnny were going to go to the same place everyday.

.

As they continued walking, they found themselves in a quieter part of the campus.

Daniel looked over at Y/n and noticed she was still a bit worked up.

Why wouldn't she be? She just saw her ex boyfriend and her new friend arguing in front of her and she didn't like the way they both reacted towards each other.

She knew it was going to be tough and this was just the first day.

"You alright? I know Johnny can really get under people’s skin." Daniel sighed.

She rubbed her temples.

"Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… he always finds a way to push my buttons, you know? And Mike showing up, well that just made everything worse."

Daniel nodded sympathetically.

"Johnny’s always been like that. He acts like he’s got something to prove to everyone...especially when it comes to people he cares about." He nervously said.

"Or cared about." And he hesitantly added.

Y/n shot him a brief look and understood what he meant.

She and Johnny had history and no matter how much she tried to move past it, it seemed to follow her around.

And the way things were going, soon everyone here would know that she and Johnny are ex's.

"Still...Mike didn’t deserve to get dragged into it. He was just being friendly. I think Johnny just can’t stand the idea of someone else being in the picture." Y/n sighed.

"Yeah, that sounds like him. Possessive much?" He teased her but just to make her laugh or atleast smile a bit.

She smiled back but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

She was still thinking about the look Johnny had given her during the argument...the frustration, the jealousy.

Part of her wanted to confront him, to get answers for why he still acted like this when there was nothing to be jealous of but the other part knew it would only lead to another fight.

Just then, they noticed Mike approaching them and he looked a bit ruffled.

Daniel scoffed lightly.

"Hey, Y/n!" Mike called out as he walked towards her.

"So, tat Johnny and I just had a little chat. Let’s just say he wasn’t too happy about me stepping in earlier."

She couldn't believe that they both had a chat.

"You don’t say? What happened after we left?" She asked.

Mike shrugged casually.

"Teacher gave us an earful. Johnny stormed off  but it's alright. You alright? That guy’s got a serious chip on his shoulder." He asked.

"Yeah, I’m fine.Thanks for trying to help earlier. I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in it." Y/n weakly smiled.

Mike waved it off.

"No big deal. I wasn’t gonna let that guy run his mouth without saying something back. You sure you’re okay, though? Johnny’s… intense."

"Why can't he understand that she is okay?" Daniel thought to himself as he shook his head.

"Yeah, I’m good. Just trying to avoid the drama but it seems like it finds me no matter what." Y/n sarcastically answered.

"You’ll be alright. Just keep your distance from Johnny. He’s got his own issues to work through. Besides, you’ve got me to help you dodge trouble." Daniel laughed.

"Of course, I know that Daniel." She smiled back.

.

After storming off from the argument with Mike and getting scolded by the teacher, Johnny’s anger only increased.

He hated feeling like this....jealous, frustrated like everything was slipping out of his control.

"Who does that motherfucker think he is?" Johnny thought to himself.

The whole exchange replayed in his mind. And then there was Y/n...her trying to break up the fight, her walking away with Daniel and that smug look on Mike's face.

It was all too much.

He found a quiet spot near the campus and leaned against a tree and took deep breaths to calm himself down.

But no matter what he did, the thought of  her walking off with Daniel and Mike stuck with him.

He couldn’t shake the jealousy...especially when it came to her.

Even though things between them were over, he couldn’t help but feel like she was slipping further away and the idea of her spending time with Mike drove him crazy.

Johnny stood there for a moment and stared into the distance as he tried to figure out his next move.

Part of him wanted to chase after her, to confront Y/n and ask what was going on.

But another part of him...the proud, stubborn side refused to show weakness.

He wasn’t going to let anyone think he was hung up on her, least of all Mike.

Finally, Johnny pushed off the tree and made up his mind. He wasn’t going to let this slide.

If Y/n wanted to spend time with guys like Barnes and LaRusso, then fine but he wasn’t going to sit around and let it eat away at him.

He would act like he didn’t care, even if it tore him up inside.

He headed back toward the main campus. His eyes scanned the area until he caught sight of Y/n, Daniel and Mike talking together in the distance and laughing like nothing had happened.

His jaw clenched but this time, instead of charging over to start another fight, he forced himself to stay cool.

Walking past them, Johnny gave them a quick glance...just enough to let them know he was there but he didn’t stop.

He shot a sideways smirk toward Mike, though it was filled with irritation.

He wanted them to think he didn’t care, that none of this bothered him, even though deep down, it did.

He didn’t need to win every fight right now but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let this be the end of things.

Whatever happened next, Johnny was ready.

.

As for Y/n, the truth was, she felt anything but fine.

Her mind kept drifting back to Johnny.

Part of her felt guilty for the way things had ended between them and another part of her couldn’t help but feel frustrated that he still seemed to have this hold on her emotions.

As they continued talking, she noticed Johnny in the distance. He was walking past them but his eyes were locked on Mike.

The way he shot a sideways glance at them made her stomach twist.

There was something in his expression...anger mixed with jealousy that she hadn’t seen in a while.

It struck a nerve.

β€œSee? That’s what I mean.” Mike said as he noticed the look Johnny shot them.

β€œHe can’t just let things go.”

Her heart sank at his words.

β€œI know.I just wish he wouldn’t be like this.” She almost whispered.

She didn’t want to admit it but a part of her still cared about Johnny and seeing him act that way hurt.

β€œForget about him. You’re here to focus on college, right? Don’t let him mess with your head.”  Daniel shrugged.

β€œEasy for you to say. You’re not the one dealing with him.” She shot back.

She watched as Johnny continued to walk away. There was a moment where their eyes met and she felt a spark of something...was it anger? Regret? She couldn’t tell.

But then he looked away and kept walking and it stung more than she expected.

β€œWhy does he have to be so difficult?” She muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

β€œYou don’t need to worry about him. If he wants to act like a jerk, that’s on him, not you.” Mike said.

β€œI know. I just wish things were different. I don’t want this kind of drama in my life, especially not now.” She sighed.

β€œJust focus on what you want, Y/n. Don’t let him get in your way. You’ve got this.” Daniel tried to cheer her but she knew it did nothing.

She realized that she needed to find a way to clear the air with Johnny, even if it meant facing the uncomfortable truth about their relationship.

She just hoped that when that time came, she’d be ready to stand her ground.

β€œSo...let me ask you one thing. Why was he even talking to you back then? I mean I do get you both come from the same school but is there something else? Did you two have a thing or what?" Mike asked.

β€œUh... yeah, we dated for a bit.But it’s complicated.” She answered.

β€œComplicated how? He looked like he was about to blow a gasket. What did you do to make him react like that?" He asked.

β€œHey, Mike, maybe you shouldn’t dig into that. It’s not your place to ask.” Daniel interjected.

β€œI’m just trying to understand. If she’s going to hang out with us, it’s important to know what kind of baggage she’s dealing with.” Mike defended himself.

β€œBaggage? Seriously? That’s a pretty insensitive way to put it. Y/n doesn’t owe you an explanation about her past, especially if it makes her uncomfortable.” Daniel shot back.

β€œIt’s okay, guys. I just don’t want to talk about it right now.” She sighed.

β€œI didn’t mean to pry or make you uncomfortable, Y/n. I just thought-”

β€œThought what?” Daniel snapped.

β€œThat you could just waltz in and dig up her past like it’s no big deal? You don’t know what she’s been through.”

Y/n placed a hand on Daniel’s arm.

β€œReally, it’s fine. I appreciate you standing up for me but I just don’t want to get into it.”

Mike held up his hands in mock surrender.

β€œOkay, okay. No need to get all worked up. I was just asking.”

β€œYeah, well, some things are better left unsaid.” Daniel replied and shot Mike a warning look.

β€œJust let it go.” He added.



A/n: Danny boy entering his protective era lol.


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