Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 10

Chapter 10 - Queen (Part 2)

Kushida collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud, coughing and gasping for air. She remained on the ground on all fours and caressed her throat, as if to check if everything was still behaving the way it was supposed to. The teardrops dripped down her cheeks before splashing onto the cold concrete and gathering in the small grooves of the roof.

She panted and wheezed while stealing fearful glances at me. The mortified girl peeked at the door as well, but she seemed to have realized that running for it would have been one of the worst things she could do.

I squatted and gazed down at the pitiful figure in front of me.

"Look at me."

Goosebumps formed on her smooth, almost perfect skin as she picked up on my apathetic, veritable arctic voice. Like a marionette, whose strings I held in my palms, her gaze fixated on my eyes. The terror of almost dying was still fresh in her memory, which is why her whole body trembled upon realizing that I could still finish the job.

My classmate shivered and crawled back as far as she could. She reached the wall and backed up further the other way until she was cornered by the railing on her back and the cold, rough brickwork to her right.

"Do you understand how foolish it was to threaten me?"

Kushida nodded like a terrified animal as she squeezed herself into the corner as far as humanly possible.

This would be anyone's reaction after almost dying.

Probably...

I had no first-hand experience with such a feeling, so I wasn't sure. I could only assume that it was unpleasant when your life was in someone else's hands.

"From now on, you will do as I tell you. Is that understood?"

If we kept running around in circles like we used to during the past month, we would never reach Class A.

Once again, she nodded, not daring to make eye contact with me.

"You have a mouth. Use it."

She winced and swallowed her saliva.

"Y-yes. I... I w-will w-ork with y-you."

Her words were raspy and hesitant, and her body trembled with every syllable she spoke. Even though I hadn't explicitly stated for what I needed her, the girl's subconscious had immediately denied anything she didn't want to think about.

Those words left a lot of room for interpretation, after all.

Kushida was terrified of what I could do to her. This much was obvious. But there still seemed to be a misconception which I should take care of as soon as possible.

"With me?" I glared down at her pathetic, downright miserable existence. "In which of your fantasies are we on equal footing, Kushida? You belong to me now. You will do as I say, or you will regret it."

I reached out to her and caressed over her smooth, tender chin. She turned her face away to escape my grasp, but couldn't back up further since she had maneuvered herself into a corner.

Her teardrops ran across my fingers, which grazed over her soft cheek, and slid towards the ground.

She lowered her head to the floor to evade my touch and covered the back of her head with her two small hands. Her following words were conveyed with a shaky, barely audible voice.

"I u-understand. I w-will work f-for y-you."

Kushida wasn't the sort of girl that would obediently listen without being crushed thoroughly.

The shock and angst made her temporarily submissive, but this would end as soon as she had the chance to retaliate. After seeing the extent of her other side for myself, I was sure of that fact. If even one ember of her spirit was left alight, no matter how dimly it smoldered, a fire would eventually break out.

I needed to break her. Body and spirit alike.

Only then would this girl truly be subservient to me.

"Stand up."

She stood, as instructed, and gazed toward the ground.

That cheeky, impertinent girl from before was nowhere to be seen, as her whole body trembled in pure terror. If she stayed like this from hereon out, she would become utterly useless to me, which is why I needed to create an incentive to improve herself.

"Move. Over there."

I nodded towards the railing, around two meters from her current position, away from the wall.

The girl clasped her hands as if praying and moved forward while pinching and caressing her palm. After reaching the designated spot, her pacifying gestures stopped as she turned towards me with a frightened expression.

"Undress."

Her face paled, and her pupils contorted in shock upon hearing this single bone-chilling word.

Tears began to stream down her beautiful eyes, which were reflecting nothing but despair and dread. She shook her head, spraying her teardrops over the desolate rooftop.

"N-no... lease... Ayano..ji-ku... I... Everyth... but..."

Half of her words were swallowed by her continuous sobbing.

"I won't repeat myself." I stared into her eyes. "Strip."

Kushida burst into tears as she began to unbutton the shirt beneath her uniform's blazer. She bit her lip and fumbled around, shivering and sniveling, but eventually managed to undo one button.

Then a second.

And a third.

There were a few more, of course, but the third button was the first to reveal the bra which she wore underneath her uniform in all its glory. The fabric was dark-bluish, with a light blue stripe pattern spanning around it.

Her underwear wasn't nearly as luscious as Fuka's, but pretty cute, which looked quite good on her and fit into the persona she had created for herself.

"Now do a stance. Something cute but provocative, you know? Smile and make a peace sign or whatever. And get rid of those tear streaks on your face. They are killing the mood."

I pulled out my phone and tapped around on it while she followed my commands to the letter.

Kushida covered her palms with her blazers sleeves and wiped the tears off her face. It didn't take long until new ones followed and had to be mopped away yet again. She needed a moment, but soon got into character and forced a smile for the camera.

Click!

A bright light, followed by the sound of the shutter.

Click!

Again...

Click!

... and again...

Click!

... and again.

Every time the intense white light flashed into her face, Kushida closed her eyes and shed some tears. Every time the shutter reverberated through the area, she winced and sobbed as her body shivered.

"Take your bra off and cover your breasts with your arm."

Once again, the girl in front of me broke out into tears.

Even though she wanted nothing more than to leave this place, she couldn't do anything but comply with my commands time and time again. She realized that there was no escape.

If she hadn't listened, I would have forced her.

If she had screamed, I would have silenced her by force.

I ordered her to bite into her bra while she was covering her breasts in some alluring poses. These postures got more specific and daring as time went on, as she had to flash her nipples or lay her breasts bare in front of me.

After each new arrangement, the light flashed, and the shutter's cold mechanical sounds rippled through the fresh evening breeze and were carried away by the wind.

"You are almost done. Great work, Kushida. Now, pull up your skirt."

Tears still streamed down her charming, whimpering face and soaked her uniform. She clenched her fists and reached towards her skirt before pulling it up in a slow and unsteady motion.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Just like before, her body reacted to the visual and auditory stimuli, as they burned themselves into her shattering mind.

Without mercy, I kept shredding and tearing away at everything she held dear.

Her freedom, her dignity, and her sanity.

"Touch yourself."

Her eyes opened wide, quivering, deforming in fear as she experienced the purest form of dread in her entire life.

And there it was.

That short moment, when the light in her eyes dimmed. When she began to lose all hope and abandoned the foolish thought that she might somehow escape this place with her mentality and sense of self intact.

As she began to rub her finger against her panties, the light on the phone's camera lit up like a floodlight that was following her every move. There was no repeated shutter sound rippling through the air, just the awareness that all she did at that moment was captured on video.

Some time passed, and the floodlights dimmed after they had caught sight of her juices oozing through her previously light blue panties. As the sticky substance coated her fingers, she whimpered due to the embarrassment and horror she must have felt during the whole process.

This wet sensation didn't mean that she was aroused or enjoying this situation, of course. It was nothing but a simple physiological reaction to her stimulation for the last few minutes, which she couldn't do anything against.

"You can get dressed again. Remember that I have the pictures, this wonderful performance and the recording from before. Any of these would ruin you. If you try anything funny, you will be punished. Is that understood?"

A weak, pitiful nod followed my question as the broken girl pulled her hand out of her panties. The transparent, syrupy substance drew strings as she spread her trembling fingers before they mixed with the tears that dropped onto her palm.

Kushida grimaced and wiped her hands clean on the inside of her uniform before she began to button up her shirt again.

"Do you still have plans with anyone today?"

"No..."

She shook her head and folded her arms in front of her in a defensive posture after finishing up with her attire.

"Good. You will go home now. Once inside your room, you will take a nice hot bath and return to your jolly and happy Kushida persona for school tomorrow. If you get any stupid ideas, keep them to yourself or you will face the consequences."

"Yes, I understand..."

She didn't stammer anymore, but her voice felt hollow, as if she had lost the will to care. It seemed like she had isolated herself from her physical surroundings and tried to create a safe space in her mind.

I inched closer, which her subconscious immediately noticed.

Kushida jumped back in fear, shivering, crying, and bumped into the railing behind her.

"Don't be like that. Your uniform looks horrible right now. Let me take care of it before you leave."

The tremors that were traveling through her body increased in intensity as I kept tidying up the uniform around her neck area, where my hand had rested for a prolonged amount of time to strangle her.

I was being gentle this time around, as I straightened her clothes and obscured the partial prints that might have been on her uniform just to be on the safe side.

Her body flinched as my hands slid down her waist and hips to make sure everything was in order.

"Good as new."

I nodded, happy with my work.

"Thank you..."

Kushida stared at me, but her eyes were focusing on something different. She disconnected herself as much as possible to protect her frail and severely fragmented state of mind.

"You may leave now."

"Okay... See you tomorrow."

Her voice was soft and concise.

She grabbed her bag from the ground and trudged towards the door before descending the stairs with slow but steady steps. The almost inaudible teardrops, however, kept making their way towards the ground on her way off the rooftop.

I waited for a few moments before I ambled down the flight of stairs as well. I walked into Fuka on the next floor, who had been waiting for me. She seemed different from before, reserved and somewhat anxious.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. It was just so sudden and unexpected."

She didn't lie, but she also wasn't completely straightforward with me. The fact that she had waited for me was enough for the moment, which is why I turned my focus to a different topic.

"Are you afraid of me?"

I made eye contact with her and she stared right back at me through the two abyssal orbs that attempted to devour her.

"I was."

"What about now?"

"I'm feeling unease. But I don't think that I am afraid anymore."

It was a good sign that she was still honest with me.

Even after taking a peek behind the curtain, she hadn't abandoned me or tried to run away. She waited for me, knowing that I would be curious about her feelings towards me.

Maybe she was worth using after all.

I wasn't sure until now, but I felt the need to ascertain her more until I could arrive at a definitive conclusion.

"You recorded as well?"

"Yes, until I received a call which stopped the recording. Just seconds before you took action, apparently."

The girl threw a knowing smirk my way.

"Wow, coincidences can be freaky."

I held out my hand in front of her and Fuka placed her phone inside my palm just a moment later.

She recognized that this was an essential step in getting me to trust her further. If she had vanished or denied giving me the phone, I would have realized that I needed to act against her.

She had made the first move in unmasking me, which began our relationship. Today, I made the first attempt at putting my trust in her. I was prepared for any eventuality and wouldn't depend on her unconditionally, of course, but baby steps were still steps.

I was learning and growing day by day.

After unlocking her phone with my birthday, I scrutinized everything before giving her the device back.

"What's for dinner?"

She wore a thin, genuine smile.

"I already ate at the study group. I'm not hungry either, so you should go home for today."

"Mhh. Fine. Goodnight, Kiyotaka."

"Goodnight, Fuka."

She spun around and descended the stairs in her usual pace.

There was no sign that anything was amiss.

After a light supper to sate my hunger, I relaxed on my bed and began browsing through some messages on my phone.

Time passed until someone knocked on my door.

I checked a certain object that was fixed in every student's dorm room and found that the clock hands reported the time as 10:03 PM.

It was rather late, but I wasn't tired.

My curiosity was piqued as well, since it was strange to receive a visitor this late.

I pocketed my phone and dragged my heavy feet over the floor until I reached the door. I unlocked the key-operated door chain and glanced through the crack as I pulled it open.

"Chabashira-sensei? What might I do for you at such a late hour?"

Aside from my homeroom teacher, there were two other people with her. According to their getup, these individuals belonged to the school's security personnel. Their gazes were impassive, which differed to Sae, who seemed annoyed with the whole situation.

"Get dressed and grab your phone. You are coming with me."

I threw her a quizzical look before stumbling back towards my wardrobe, where I slipped into my school uniform. My three guests observed me without moving until I arrived at the door.

My homeroom teacher spun around and walked off, prompting me to follow. One of the security guards waited in front of the still opened dorm room, while the other joined the two of us.

"Did something happen Chabashira-sensei?"

She peeked at me for a split second, but kept her mouth shut and ignored my question.

Our group of three wandered through the dimly lit school grounds until we reached the main building. We ascended the stairs and strode through the bright corridors, which felt a lot longer than usual.

I glanced around with interest, as this was the first time I visited the school after curfew.

The halls and passages that were frequently filled with students were empty now, which made this whole trip feel somewhat eerie. Chabashira-sensei's high-heels clacked against the ground and produced a sound that reverberated through the hallway with every step she took.

After a walk that felt much lengthier than it was in reality, we stopped in front of the faculty offices.

"Go ahead."

Chabashira-sensei opened the door for me, for which I thanked her with a light bow before wandering inside. She and our new entourage escorted me into the room that was situated right next to the guidance room.

It wasn't labeled, so I had always assumed that it was a second staff room of sorts.

A man in his forties sat on a chair in front of his laptop. This individual glanced at me with a stern look as the door opened.

"Sit."

There wasn't much equipment in the room, aside from a table, three chairs and a few dusty cabinets.

Chabashira-sensei and I strode into the room to take our seats while the security guard stood back and closed the door for us. It seemed like he remained on standby outside in case something happened.

But still... no one had mentioned what this was all about.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Student-ID: S01T004651. Class 1-D. Homeroom teacher: Chabashira Sae." He peered at me with a disinterested expression. "Is that information correct so far?"

I peeked at Chabashira-sensei, whose poker face was as impressive as always.

"I'm not sure about the Student-ID, Sir. But the rest is correct."

My homeroom teacher shook her head in exasperation, as if she was disappointed in me.

"Your phone, please."

His voice felt heavy and somewhat grumpy, but not entirely unpleasant as he put forth his hand. I complied with his demands, pulled the phone out of my pocket, and placed it inside the man's palm.

"May I ask why I am here, Sir? Chabashira-sensei?"

I turned my question to both of them, since I wasn't sure if either was restricted from responding due to certain school rules I was unfamiliar with, in case they only applied to staff members and other employees.

"The school received an anonymous complaint, which claimed that you blackmailed a female student and forced her to take off her clothes and similar sexually explicit behavior. The person insisted that they saw you taking pictures and videos with your phone of said girl's private areas as well."

Wow, that's a horrible thing to say about someone...

The man's voice was calm and unbiased. It wasn't as if he didn't believe the report, but he simply chose to withhold his subjective view on this matter until he could confirm the claims for himself, proving that he was indeed a professional.

"What? That's nonsense. I would never do something so horrible and inhuman."

In the best-case scenario, I would have acted taken aback and lashed out somewhat after hearing such a scandalous accusation. It would be more than understandable to react with anger or frustration in such a high-pressure situation. But that simply wasn't part of my skill set, which was why I couldn't do anything but reply to him in my usual monotone voice.

I needed some guidance on that front, but even with help, it would take quite a while until I could manage to emulate such difficult human emotions. It wasn't hard to grasp their meaning and pick up on them, but to replicate these sentiments was a whole other matter.

The man connected my phone to his laptop and began typing and clicking away, likely starting a program or something that would go through my phone's files. I also assumed that the security guard that was left behind at my dorm room oversaw the raid in my apartment.

I hoped that they would leave my chessboards alone, since it would be bothersome to set them up again.

"And we are here to verify just that. As we speak, a second group of investigators is searching your dorm computer for copies of said pictures and videos. We will also check the outgoing and incoming messages on your computer and the phone in the specified timeframe. If there are even remnants of said files found, you will be expelled effective immediately and the police will initiate a more thorough investigation into your crime. In case you did nothing, you will be free to attend school tomorrow, as usual."

"What if anyone were to see the commotion in my room? I don't want such serious accusations hanging over me. Even though they are wrong, my quality of life would be impaired due to the bad rumours that would without a doubt spread around."

If someone discovered the current situation in front of my room, it was a fair assumption that they might start to gossip about what they observed. Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to explain all those people rummaging through my apartment in the middle of the night.

"Rest assured that the school already prepared paperwork that will explain the commotion with a leaking pipe in your room, in case of your innocence. Chabashira-sensei and the other teachers will then explain the circumstances to their respective classes first thing in the morning, which would leave no room for speculation."

The school had apparently figured everything out before they began their move on me, which was to be expected. It would have been a disaster if an innocent student was expelled or discriminated against because of such a serious denunciation.

"What about the person who reported me? Will the perpetrator be held responsible in any way?"

The man nodded as the clicking sounds of the keyboard rang through the room.

"Yes, if the accusations are proven to be false, a second investigation into the anonymous student will start according to our school's standard procedures in such a case."

"That's reassuring, thank you. I'd also like to know which faculty members are aware of this incident. It's fine for Chabashira-sensei since she is with me now and probably receiving updates throughout the investigation, but I would be troubled if other teachers thought about me as a perverted, potentially dangerous deviant."

I needed to make sure what sort of information teachers like Hoshinomiya would receive. In case the teachers were made aware about the allegations and the examination, I needed to keep a closer eye on her and prepare a surefire defense for any attack that might come my way.

"Only Chabashira-sensei, a second technician, and I will know of these accusations. If they turn out to be false, there won't be any blowback on you. The school takes these matters seriously due to the special procedures our school employs to ensure a fair competition between the classes."

The school had thought about every little detail which could turn into a problem during such an operation. Even though I had already expected something like this, it was reassuring to know for certain.

The man was rather open about his explanation, likely because we had already been told what made this school special. He kept typing and clicking away on his laptop to complete his examination of my phone, while I leaned back in the chair, satisfied with the answers I had received.

Chabashira-sensei, who sat beside me, yawned and was apparently sleepy. Her charming eyelids closed momentarily before opening back up. This situation must have inconvenienced her quite a lot, which was why she gave off this sour feeling.

She was probably bored in her bed anyway. At least, this was fairly exciting.

The time kept ticking away until I eventually got my phone back, which had turned out to be clean.

He desisted from asking me a lot of questions, since nothing had been found here or in my room for quite some time, so we just went over my day while we waited for the investigation on the other side to conclude. Our conversation came to a halt somewhere down the line as we had gone over everything he wanted to know, which is why I spent the rest of my time idling in the group chat.

Satou seemed to have joined while my phone was being investigated.

Ike, Sudou, Okitani and our new member seemed intent on taking revenge on Horikita, according to the latest chat history. They forced me into the conversation as well, saying that I was on Horikita's side all the time, but I swiftly denied that allegation.

In the end, the four of them still decided to bully her.

Since I couldn't have that right now, I shot Ike a quick personal message and asked him how Kushida would feel about something like this. Not even ten seconds later, the love-struck boy reasoned that they shouldn't bully her, as this was a cruel and nasty thing to do.

Satou complained about him just moments later because he had changed his mind in a matter of seconds. They bickered for a bit, but the group chat calmed down eventually, as the conversation drifted into another topic.

I wasn't interested in their new argument, so I messaged one of the group members in a private chat.

[11:44:19 PM] What are you doing in this group, anyway? Didn't you hate their guts?

[11:44:49 PM][Satou] Oh, I do! I was planted as a spy by Karuizawa. This way, we always know what those idiots are up to, and they won't run their mouths about us. We are pretty ingenious, aren't we? You can admit it, I won't brag.

That plan was so full of holes that I wondered how they managed to keep it afloat for this long...

[11:44:57 PM] Smart indeed. I can't believe you girls could be this crafty.

[11:45:12 PM][Satou] Heeheeeee ~ (^_-)≡

Around ten minutes later, the aforementioned second technician walked into the room and confirmed that my computer was free of any illegal pictures, videos, and other files. They both apologized for the inconvenience this had caused me, even though it was their job to make sure that such dangerous predators were locked up.

I told them that it was fine, since the truth was more important than my missing sleep or the time I had lost.

We said our farewells before the two men departed, leaving Chabashira-sensei and me alone in the room.

"Say, how anonymous can an anonymous complaint at this school be?"

"It depends. There is always a trace. The perpetrator will be found eventually." Sae shrugged, not bothering to elaborate any further.

"What are the potential repercussions for said perpetrator?"

"Since the accusation this time was quite serious, expulsion will be on the table. But you have the final say in the matter."

"Huh? Me?"

That really surprised me. If this was the case, then there was no need to help Kushida, who had likely filed the complaint against me. I had made some plans in case she might be in danger of expulsion, but I only wasted my time.

Well, I had little to do in here, anyway...

"Yes. The school attaches great importance to the autonomy of the students. Since someone tried to frame you with a crime in order to get you expelled, you may make the final decision after the perpetrator was found and processed by the schools superintendents. You will decide whether they get expelled, suspended for a certain amount of time, or if they only get a slight hit on the wrist for their wrongdoings."

I would prefer to hit her somewhere else, but I couldn't say such a thing out loud after doing those terrible things to her.

"Will the two from just now be handling that investigation as well?"

"No, someone else will. They won't know anything except that they have to find a person who submitted the false complaint. What kind of complaint it was is none of their concern until the responsible party is found."

It was quite impressive how they had thought of every little detail in such a hypothetical scenario. But I shouldn't have expected anything less by a government funded school.

"Do you know who reported you?"

"Yes, I do. Probably... It depends on how she did it. If she met up with someone and used their phone for the complaint, I might be in for a nice surprise."

She peered at me with her usual poker face.

"You are walking on very thin ice, Ayanokouji."

Wow, that was rude... She wasn't even asking if I really did those things to her and jumped to the worst possible conclusion she could have gone for.

Talk about heartless...

"There is no need for you to worry, Chabashira-sensei."

On my journey back to my cozy room, I caught sight of a girl that I hadn't expected to see at this time of the night. She was still donning her school uniform and sneaked away from the dorms while gazing left and right, making sure she wasn't being followed.

I decided to accompany her in the shadows as she vanished behind a building. This behavior was out of character for a serious person like her, which is why I wondered if I might get a glimpse of her weakness, or a secret she wanted to keep hidden.

A few meters away stood a man — another student, to be specific.

She walked towards him without being spooked or slowing down, meaning that he was the boy she was meeting. I pulled out my phone and started another recording, just in case it might come in handy. As I wondered whether this man might be her secret boyfriend, I recognized the person who was waiting for Horikita.

"Suzune. I didn't think you would follow me this far."

"Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, Nii-san. I came here to catch up to you."

"Catch up to me? Weren't you placed in Class D? I suppose nothing has changed in the last three years. You've always been fixated on following me, and as a result, you don't notice your own flaws. You being placed in Class D is proof of that. Choosing to come to this school was a mistake."

His eyes were cold, bordering on apathy as he looked at his sister. He also knew that Horikita wasted her potential because she was unable to realize her own shortcomings, which supported Fuka's words.

Horikita Manabu was a highly capable and intelligent student.

"That's... no. You're wrong. I'll reach Class A and then —"

"It's pointless. You'll never reach Class A. Your class will fall apart soon enough. This school isn't as simple as you think."

The lone girl stretched out her arm towards her brother as he cut her off. Just like her words, which were filled with longing, her arm sank before she could reach him.

Horikita came to this school for the sole reason of showing her brother that she wasn't as useless as he had thought. The truth of this matter, however, was that she was even more incompetent than he could have anticipated.

According to Fuka, the student council president was one of the most powerful individuals at this school. He knew the rules and how to bend them to his advantage. Someone like the current Horikita Suzune could never hope to replicate just a fraction of his abilities.

She would fail before she even began, as seen in any of her actions until now.

"I will definitely reach —"

"I told you it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister."

Once again, the elder Horikita cut her off. He didn't show a single positive emotion towards his little sister.

Even for him, her own brother, she was nothing but an uninteresting object that had failed to bloom. A defective product that was difficult, maybe impossible, to refurbish.

I still held high hopes for her eventual change, but that may just be because I had gotten to know her only recently. Her brother should have a much better read on her than I did, so his statement should be considered as a fact. Horikita hadn't changed in the last three years, which meant that my attempts might be fruitless as well.

'Might be', being the keywords here.

He grabbed Horikita by the wrist and shoved her against the wall. She seemed caught off-guard, but even afterwards, there was no indication that she wanted to put up any kind of resistance. Her quivering, clouded eyes also stopped emanating her usual cold and confident aura.

"No matter how hard I try to avoid you, that troubling fact that you are my little sister remains. Do you realize how humiliating it would be if other students learned about you, the failure of the Horikita name? Leave this school. Immediately."

"I... I can't... do that... I'll show you what I'm capa—"

A shallow sound rippled through the air as the student council president shoved her down on the ground.

Horikita, who hit her head on the building behind her, winced in pain.

"You aren't capable enough to leave Class D. That is an irrefutable fact. You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities to even reach Class C."

He stared down at his sister with a distant and uncaring attitude.

There was not a single hint of remorse after raising his hand against his own flesh and blood. His sibling, no less.

"That's w-wrong. N-Nii-san. I will — argh."

A painful shout reverberated through the vicinity as her brother punched her straight into the abdomen. From my current position, I couldn't see where exactly he had hit her, but from her reaction alone, it shouldn't have been anything too serious.

"You are not welcome here, Suzune. There was a reason you were allotted to Class D, but you still cannot see it. I assume that your homeroom teacher told you by now that you are part of the worst Class D in the entire history of this school. Do you know how embarrassing it was for me when my assistant learned about my useless sister? I never felt so ashamed in my entire life."

He grabbed her face and pulled her up, forcing her to stare into his eyes.

"I don't want you here. All you do is soil our good name. My good name. Leave, before you ridicule yourself even more."

Once again, he shoved her backwards against the wall.

The back of her head hit the building with such force that she bounced forward and hit the concrete pavement with her forehead. She groaned and wallowed in the dirt while her brother walked away without granting her a second glance.

"N-Nii-san..."

Horikita's voice was weak. Pitiful even.

She was miserable and heartbroken that her brother thought so little of her after she had attempted to reach this school in order to show him how worthy she was. Yet all she did was disappoint and displease him. She must have felt this painful truth more than anyone else.

The truth that her cherished and respected elder brother thought nothing of her.

After the student council president vanished into the darkness, I stopped the recording.

I hadn't seen a reason to help Horikita, since she had done all of this to herself. There was no use in picking up the incompetent and telling them that everything would get better with time.

Because it wouldn't.

If you were weak, you would stop existing somewhere down the line.

This held true for both the White Room and this school.

The only upside to her situation now was that she got to keep her life and could try again tomorrow or in a few years. If she had failed in the White Room, she would have been deemed a failure and a liability before being disposed of.

This world was an endlessly cruel place.

Most people lived in the light, but that didn't change the fact that others were born and raised in pitch black darkness.

I glanced upwards at the moon, which gifted us all with a glimpse of its luminous ambience.

It was already late, but today was the most interesting date in my new school life yet.

I shot a certain someone a quick message and walked out of my hiding spot, as there was no reason to observe Horikita's pitiful ramblings any longer.

Since I was still wide awake and already outside, I might as well grasp this opportunity and take care of a few additional arrangements for the upcoming days.

"Good morning Kushida-chan!"

"Kushida-san, good morning."

"Kushida-san..."

"Kushida-chan..."

I took a deep breath and approached everyone with a bright smile.

While these expressions were fake most of the time, today in particular, I wanted them to be genuine. After everything that had happened yesterday, that disgusting piece of shit would be no more. That sick, perverted bastard was violent, evil, cold, and ruthless, but as dumb and perverted as they came.

My mood took a sharp nosedive as the memories of yesterday's events began to wash up in my mind.

With what that disgusting piece of human trash did to me, there was no way that I would take this abuse without retaliating. That sick psycho fucker. Fuck!

But it was alright now...

As soon as our homeroom lesson would start in a few minutes, Chabashira-sensei will tell anyone that this nauseating fuck was expelled. Hopefully, even the reason for his timely goodbye. Then I can dance on his fucking desk while thinking about a way to get rid of that bitch Horikita, who had told him about me.

I glanced towards the black-haired girl near the window.

Urgh. Just the way she sat made me want to puke my guts out.

And this stupid fucking imbecile that used to sit beside her. Did he really think that he could take perverted pictures of me and get off of my pain without me reciprocating this suffering?

Fucking dumb idiot piece of shit! It didn't even matter that he had the recording, since it would have been taken away from him immediately after my complaint. And that was bye-bye, you sickening bastard.

I kept chatting with my friends in class while waiting for the good news to arrive. They all loved and cared deeply about me, and that was all I ever wanted. Their trust. This indescribable feeling of power over them.

It was intoxicating.

"Mh, Kiyotaka is late today, isn't he?"

Matsushita's somewhat annoying voice echoed through the classroom.

Kiyotaka, urgh fuck.

That damn slut didn't even know half of it and was so damn buddy-buddy with that disgusting imbecile. Fuck, I'm seriously gonna puke if I hear his fucking name again.

Gosh! I'm so fucking furious. That goddamn piece of shit.

I wanted nothing more than to beat something up and scream my lungs out to free up my mind. But this had to wait until after classes. Right now, I needed to smile and calm myself.

"Now that you mention it, he's pretty late, huh?"

"Heeh, Kiyotaka, huh? Since when is that a thing, Matsushita-san?"

"Oh no. Kiyotaka-kuuuu~n! I'm so lonely without you!"

"Hey! What are you talking about? It's not like that at all..."

Matsushita took a deep breath as she was being pestered by Karuizawa.

The girls kept goofing around and even I chimed in from time to time, even though my stomach churned every time I heard that sickening name.

"Speaking of Ayanokouji-kun, I saw Chabashira-sensei and some other guys in front of his room yesterday evening. I wonder what that was about..."

"Really, Onodera-san? He did nothing bad, right?"

Mori tilted her head and glanced towards Matsushita.

"There's no way Kiyotaka would do something bad. There was probably something wrong in his room."

"I agree. I don't think Ayanokouji-kun could do anything bad. He's a pretty decent guy, not like some others in this class..."

More and more girls supported their claims after Matsushita and Karuizawa spoke up in his defense, even if Mori's question was just a harmless one. It didn't sound like she wanted to badmouth him either, but was just out to tease Matsushita in particular, since the two of them had become quite close during our time here.

But that stupid fuck was gone now.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" Matsushita's bright laugh rang through the room as she raised her hand and waved at someone behind me. "Good morning, Kiyotaka!"

Those words halted my heart.

My eyes went wide and all the blood in my body vanished with a snap.

The light ringing sound in my ears grew louder and more prevalent, as I felt my body wobble back and forth. My entire vision began to twist and turn before it spun out of control.

"Kushida-san?"

"... you okay, Kushida-chan?"

"...-chan?"

I wasn't able to understand a single sentence as I only saw the movements of their mouths. Everything was blurred and contorted. Everything except this one demonic voice that echoed through the room and originated behind me.

"Morning, Chiaki. Let's catch up later. Chabashira-sensei was right behind me."

My body spun around. I didn't want or order it to, but it acted on its own. The reflection of Sotomura's watch produced a flash of light as I turned, which blinded me for a moment.

Click!

My heart stopped and so did my breathing.

"Look at what I bought yesterday!"

"That's hella cute, oh my god! Let me take a picture."

Click!

Another bright flash flared up my eyes, which made me relive the scenes from last night.

No... No, no, no, no, no...

After my vision returned, he stood in front of me. The brown-haired, yellow-eyed devil.

He glanced at me, as if nothing had happened, before his face morphed into a twisted, diabolical grin that tore through my entire being.

"Hey Kushida. Yesterday evening was nice, wasn't it?"

"Huuuh, huuuh, huuuh..."

I tried to inhale and exhale. But I couldn't. It was so hard...

Why?

why?

WhY?

He can't be here...

HOW?!

His hands flashed forward, clutching my throat. I tried to breathe, take in some air, but it was impossible. No matter how much I wanted to, he didn't let me. The pressure on my throat continued.

Tougher.

Tighter.

Firmer.

He kept exerting more and more pressure. The devil squeezed my windpipe and ultimately crushed it as if it was nothing but a vile and disturbing insect.

I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying.

My heart.

Someone?!

Anyone?!

I can't...

I'm dying?!

Please...

I'm...

"Kushida-chan?!"

"Sensei ..."

"... sick ..."

"... we'll ..."

Eh? Why does everyone look so worried?

"..."

Why can't I hear anything?

"..."

It's so cold...

"..."

I can't feel my arms...

"..."

I can't feel my legs...

"..."

What's happening to me?

"Lie ... infirmary ..."

Why am I lying on the floor?

"Can ... me?"

Since when...

"... hear ...?"

"... shida-chan!"

"... -san!"

"Kush..."

"... way ..."

...

...

P̴̡͚͕͕͍͎̪̠̙̀́͒̂͝͝ͅl̸̯̳̗̻̉ͅẹ̸̑̂͊̈́̇̍̃̉̎͝ā̷̡͖̪̻͎̦̳̰͎͙̒͊͘ś̶̠̻̬̳̠̿͑̃̐͜e̷̥̗͙̹͐̉̄̒͝.̸̯̘̥̬̘̩̓̈́̉̋͐̚.̷͇͓̪͕̭͚̥̻̉͊͗̿̐̓̄̐͋.̸̛̬̟̰̤̥̻̱͎͓̎̒͒̃͛̄͒̕͘ ̷̮̙͒͋̎̍Ḩ̵̡̳͕̯̖̱̮̠̹͊ḛ̷̳͙͕̮͍̫̑̄̉l̶̫͉͇͘p̷̡̞̙̲̬̤̽͌̓͑͊̕ ̸̪͈͆͋͜m̵̹̗̮̘̦̱̉̓ẽ̴̼̺̜̙̰̚ͅ!̵̡̛͈̺̀̾̒͗̍̔̐̈́̕

...

...

...

...

My eyes shot open and a scream of pure terror escaped my mouth as I tried to control my heavy breathing. Sweat dripped all over my body, drenching my loosened uniform.

Steps reverberated through the unfamiliar room until a woman stopped in front of me. She looked relieved, but I didn't understand why or how anyone could feel relaxed right now.

"Ah, you're awake... Kushida Kikyou-san, right? My name is Tominaga Chinatsu, but you can call me Chinatsu-chan. I'm running the infirmary here. For now... would you be alright with answering some questions?"

I stared at the woman in front of me with an absentminded expression. My heart was beating rapidly, which meant that it should pump a good amount of blood through my body.

Then why...

... why was I freezing?

I glanced down at my half open shirt and the blazer that lay on the blanket, both of which were drenched in sweat. Even though the sun shone through the window straight onto me...

... it was so fucking cold.

My whole body trembled, and I felt powerless because I couldn't move at all. I barely managed to shift my head up and down to answer the women's question.

"Okay." Her movements drew a soft smile over her face, which made me feel at ease. "Do you know where you are? Please don't feel pressured. You can take your time answering."

I opened my mouth, but no words followed. I tried to clench my fists, but all my fingers did was tremble without moving.

What happened? How did I end up here? Why do I feel so weak?

"The school..."

After what felt like hours, I managed to form two words.

The doctor nodded and scribbled something onto the document on her clipboard.

"That's correct, Kushida-san. Can you tell me which one?"

"Advanced... Nurturing... High... School..."

"Very good. Are you feeling better?"

"No... I'm cold... I feel dizzy... My arms and legs, they... feel so heavy... and numb... My chest hurts... It's really painful... Sensei, what's happening... to me?"

"According to Chabashira-sensei, your blood-pressure went through the roof shortly after she entered the classroom. It had calmed down somewhat when I examined you, but it was still elevated, which is why I gave you some light medication."

It was hard to listen to her voice. Answering her question wasn't easy, either. My mind couldn't process because it didn't work as it should. All I felt was this indescribable amount of terror.

"Did anything like this happen to you before?"

"No... never..."

She nodded twice and took some more notes.

"The symptoms were rather obvious, so I can tell you with certainty that you had a panic attack. I don't know what caused it, but you don't seem sure either. You should stay here and rest for a bit. I don't think it's anything serious at the moment, but I'd like to run some tests to rule out a few things that might be responsible. Would that be okay with you?"

"Yes... thank you, sensei..."

"Your heart rate is still elevated and you seem rather uneasy... do you want something stronger to calm down? I can give you some benzodiazepines if you are still uncomfortable. It should make resting a lot easier."

"That would be good... I think... Thank you, sensei..."

The doctor nodded and walked over to a locked cabinet.

She pulled the key out of her pocket, which was fastened by a string of sorts and unlocked the door, revealing rows and rows upon medications. After discovering the one she was looking for, she opened up the bottle and took one of the pills before closing the closet back up again.

The woman moved out of my field of view for a few seconds and came back with a glass of water. She tried to hand me both, but I could neither grasp nor lift the glass since my fingers were trembling and not listening to my commands.

The doctor noticed this and helped me ingest the medicine before asking me some follow-up questions.

Afterwards, I curled myself up into a ball.

Even though the medicine and my current position should have improved my state, I still shivered uncontrollably. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would explode and stop working.

What happened? How did I get here? Why do I feel so terrified?

It didn't take long until my body grew tired, which should have been the effect of the pill I took.

I felt my body calm down and closed my eyes.

Chabashira-sensei walked back into the classroom about ten minutes after she had left with Kushida. The poor girl wasn't able to walk, or even responsive, so our homeroom teacher had carried her over to the infirmary.

As soon as the door closed behind her, questions rained down like hellfire.

"Is Kushida-chan alright?"

"What happened to Kushida-san?"

"She was really pale just now, sensei. Will Kushida-chan be okay?"

The woman receiving those questions seemed quite annoyed as she glared at us.

"Please calm down. Sit and be quiet."

Even though they were unwilling to let go of their questions, they calmed themselves and sat down. Some of them were respecting her words as a teacher, while others were too worried about Kushida to argue with Chabashira-sensei.

"I've brought her to the infirmary, and the doctor said that she would be alright. I can't tell you any more than this, since this would invade her privacy. Just rest assured that we are doing our best to treat her and that she will be fine with a few days of rest."

The whole class sighed in relief.

Kushida was the sort of person everyone would worry about, because everybody loved her. I knew that I had inflicted major mental damages to her, but it was still interesting that she had a panic attack as soon as she saw me. This wasn't part of my initial plan, but that was alright.

Plans were never set in stone. They had to be fluid and adaptable.

If a single cog failed, there needed to be multiple cogs one could choose from to go ahead with the intent behind the scheme. If one planned something to the t, one needed to be prepared to scrap almost everything in case of an unforeseen event.

Therefore, I had foreseen said unforeseeable event, and made sure that everything could proceed without issues.

"Aside from that, I have something else to announce. Yesterday evening there was a leak in Ayanokouji's room. I am mentioning this, because it was important that he told the faculty about it when he did, since it prevented worse things from happening. This means that you shouldn't hesitate to inform the teachers or the service personnel in case anything is broken in your room. The workers fixed the leak yesterday evening without a problem and everything is back in working order. The school will also conduct preliminary investigations in the rooms adjacent to his, to make sure that the issue is contained." She opened up the history book and glanced over the class. "Since we are done with the organizational matters now, open your books at page 172."

Just as they had promised yesterday, the raid was camouflaged as a repair and mentioned to everyone because it was important that the students did the same if they ever ran into a similar problem. Aside from Chabashira-sensei and the investigators in charge, no one would be the wiser.

Even though something like this shouldn't happen often, I assumed that each incident would get its own cover story. This way, the other teachers wouldn't be able to tell if something was going on behind the scenes or if there was an actual problem with the pipes or something similar.

Class passed in the blink of an eye.

Most of my classmates were rather fidgety, likely due to Kushida's circumstances. It was obvious and understandable that they were worried about their friend, but they should keep their emotions in check. I doubted that even half of the class listened to the teachers since they were too occupied with today's events.

After the instructor left the classroom, Hirata took the stage to make an announcement before our break.

"Everyone, please listen for just a moment. I know that we are all worried about Kushida-san, but we shouldn't forget that the midterms will take place soon. The other tutors and myself will still be available today, just like we stated before. I'd also like to ask you that only one representative for our class visits Kushida-san in the infirmary, since she might be overwhelmed if too many students stop by. Please keep her current condition in mind and be considerate of her circumstances."

Hirata was too brilliant for this world. He kept a cool head through this crisis and addressed everyone's thoughts and feelings, which would make it difficult to disagree with him.

After a short discussion, it was decided that Hirata would visit her as Class D's representative, while the others would concentrate on improving their grades to make Kushida proud when she came back. This even influenced Ike and Okitani, who wanted to do their best for the sick girl.

Sudou was the only one that wasn't convinced as he strolled out of the classroom.

I glanced at Hirata, conveying my intentions with my eyes alone. The two of us got pretty good at communicating like this, which felt pleasant. It almost seemed like we were great friends, or something along those lines.

A thin smile appeared on the boys's face.

He nodded before making his way over to Kushida, who should still rest in the infirmary. While he healed our angel with his bright, almost divine aura, I would take care of Sudou.

I walked out of the classroom and caught up to his lone figure not long after leaving the school building.

"Sudou, wait."

"Huh?" He turned around with a grimace. "Oh, come on. Not you as well, Ayanokouji. I don't care about that damn study group."

"Okay...? I didn't really want to talk about that, though."

"What is it then?" He tilted his head.

His voice softened, so it seemed like as long as he wasn't forced to study or listen to anyone babbling about that specific topic, he was fine.

"Just wanted to know how your club is doing these days. It's been a while since I had time to watch."

His expression and mood did a complete 180, after he realized that I wanted to talk about his favorite pastime.

"It's going great, honestly. I might even get a spot in the team if everything works out. They'll announce the roster in a few weeks, so I have to give them 112% during that time."

Even though he still sounded and looked like a rough delinquent, seeing him smile like this was quite a sight. Every time I talked to him, I couldn't help but think of him as a good guy.

A good friend, even.

Which is also why I had to upset him a little.

"Wow, that's impressive Sudou! If any first-year can make it into the team, then it's gonna be you, I'm sure."

"Yeah, I've been working my ass off for this opportunity. In a prestigious school like this, such a spot means more than any of the past schools I've been to combined. Even if I only graduate from Class D, as long as I can convince the scouts with my abilities, I'll be fine."

He looked up at the sky and reached out his hand, as if to grasp onto something that was still far away, but slowly creeping closer.

No, the thing he was grasping at wasn't getting closer to him. It was the other way around.

I raised my head, glancing at the birds, which were flying around on the canvas that was the clear blue sky.

"For that to happen, you need to stay at this school, though."

"Huh?"

His serene, longing expression soon changed into irritation.

"I mean, I'm sure that, given the chance, you would have no trouble to convince the scouts that you are an amazing player. Because you are. There is no doubting that. But you can't prove your qualifications to them, if you can't stay at this school long enough to play a match. I'm not saying that you need to join a study group or anything. Just that it would be a shame if your dream was cut short because you flunked a single test, you know?"

He looked towards the ground in frustration, clenching his fist.

"I know. Dammit. But what am I supposed to do? I'm an idiot. All I'm good as is basketball, and that's all I need."

"I can't tell you what you are supposed to do. Because it's your decision. I just hope that you'll be able to make your dream come true. That's all everyone can ever ask for."

As I glanced at the fire of passion that was burning in his eyes, I began to reminiscence about my own ambitions.

That last part of my genuine advice wasn't solely meant for him. If I could make these three years last forever and never had to return to the White Room, then my dream might come true as well.

What my dream was, I didn't know just yet.

I knew one thing for certain, however.

My dream wasn't back in the white hell where that man reigned.

I shouldered my bag and ambled back to school with a smile on my face, after having ignored all about yesterday's incident. The doctor said this was likely a onetime thing, so I would be fine.

Everyone would have been worried, so I'll be in even more demand than before. This meant that I could go back to the way things were previously: everyone loving me.

It was the best feeling I could have ever asked for. Being relied upon and adored by everyone, there was no better gift.

The doors to the classroom were already open and loud conversations as well as other such sounds rang through the corridor as I made my way over to my classmates and friends while wearing my brightest smile.

"Good morning, everybody!"

I made a small hop into the classroom and waved my hand.

They all spun around after picking up on my sweet voice, and their expressions changed into relief and happiness.

"Kushida-chan! You are back."

"We were so worried, Kushida-chan!"

"What happened yesterday, Kushida-san? Are you alright?"

"We were so worried, Kikyou-chan!"

"Did Hirata tell you what I wanted him to tell you, Kushida-chan?"

The greetings and worries piled up, as both boys and girls alike surrounded me, just as happy as I was that I recovered in such a short time.

"Yes, I'm much better, thanks to all of your support! Hirata-kun told me that you were all worried, and I'm really sorry for that. I'm glad to say that I'm back in top condition, so there is no need to be concerned about my health anymore. I apologize for scaring all of you when I collapsed yesterday."

I bowed my head, but everyone said that this was pure nonsense. They were just glad that I was doing better. Since all of their attention was focused on me, and only me, I couldn't have been happier.

The teacher walked into the classroom a few moments later, so we returned to our desks for the upcoming lesson. I had already made plans with everyone today, and I was looking forward to the karaoke songs we would sing together.

"Alright class, open your books on page 231."

"That's a good page! That's Kushida-chan's birthday!"

Everyone laughed upon hearing Ike's dumb joke, and even the teacher wore a thin smile.

"Well, if that's the case... Kushida, why don't you begin?"

"Yes, sensei!"

A gleeful smile spread across my face as I read the contents of the page in a cute, yet serious sounding voice.

"The boy was standing on the stairs, peeking through the crack in the door. The moonlight shone onto his face as he pulled out his phone and started to record the bitch Kush —"

Eh?

"Is something the matter Kushida? Please keep reading the book."

My head jerked upwards after hearing this voice. The chubby middle-aged teacher with a pair of glasses was gone. In his stead stood a brown-haired, yellow-eyed devil with horrifying, cold eyes.

My heartbeat sped up and a sudden numbness spread through my whole body. It felt as if my heart itself decided to sabotage me as the feeling of frost crept through my entire being. My vision began to blur before everything spun around again.

"S-sensei, I'm... um... not feeling very well. M-might I go to... the infirmary?"

"I won't repeat myself. Read the passage. That's an order."

"No..." I shook my head in denial. "I can't... everyone... please!"

As I turned around towards my class, a bone-chilling scream rang through the classroom. My chair and desk tumbled over, and I crawled backwards over the floor.

The demonic visages of my classmates were sneering at me with contempt and hatred. Not only the ones from my current class, but also the ones from junior high and everyone else before.

Everyone was here to torment me.

"Hey, Ike! Look what I got from Ayanokouji-sensei. It's Kushida's bare tits."

Yamauchi's contorted face gleamed as he ran over to Ike with a bulge in his pants.

"What?! Yamauchi-kun, that's insane! Damn, I'm getting too excited here. Just look at those weapons of mass destruction. How can she be so sexy?"

"Right?! And I have more, look. Here she's making sexy poses and there she is, showing her panties."

"I have a video where she's touching herself!"

"The Professor too?! Yamauchi! No — Yamagod! Please send me everything you guys have!"

Ike fell down to his knees and began to pray as if he stood in front of two Gods.

"Just take them yourself. That fucking bitch will strip if sensei tells her to."

The distorted faces of my classmates spun around, facing the one boy whose visage was as clear as day.

"Sensei! Please!"

"Yeah, sensei. Don't be mean and let us take some pictures as well."

"Sensei!"

"Well Kushida, you heard everyone, right?" His smile contorted into a devil's smirk. "Strip."

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Stop.

This isn't real.

This can't be real.

Stop...

Please.

Anyone?

Just stop...

My hands wandered up towards my head, grasping onto the hair strands. And they pulled. Even though I tried to stop them, they didn't listen. They tugged, ripped and teared bloody strands of hair out of my head, which dropped onto my legs, the nearby chair and the ground beneath.

It hurts.

Stop...

Please... no!

This...

Click!

A bright flash blinded my pupils.

I shut my eyes to escape the sharp pain that these lights caused, but it was no use.

Click!

A blinding flash tore through my vision. Even though my eyes were closed, there was no escape.

Click!

My head, once again moving on its own, rose after my ears picked up on these demonic sounds.

Everyone pointed their phones at me.

Everyone was laughing or enjoying themselves.

I had moved from the ground without realizing, and stood naked in front of the blackboard for everyone to see. My hands didn't listen to me, so I didn't block their view. Instead, they began to play with my breasts and moved towards my slit.

My whole body began moving, dancing, and making poses for everyone to enjoy. I was trapped in my body, while that devil stood to the side with strings in his hand, which he pushed and pulled as he pleased.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOP IT PLEASE!"

My whole body jerked upwards.

Everything was wet from the sweat that kept flowing down my body. Drops trickled off my nose and forehead onto the sheets of my bed, which were also wet.

Badumpbadumpbadumpbadumpbadump.

Without pause or rhythm, my heart kept banging against my chest as I gasped for air. I had a hard time breathing, and my limbs were numb and tingling.

"Sensei... Tominaga-sensei?"

No answer.

"Sensei? SENSEI?"

My voice got progressively louder, but she never showed up.

For the first time after waking up, I let my gaze wander around in the room. I was at a loss upon noticing that it wasn't the infirmary anymore, but my dorm room.

How... when did I get here? I can't remember...

As I crawled forward, I noticed that my thighs were wet and somewhat sticky. I glanced down on myself and noticed a faint, yellow outline that had spread through my skirt and bed sheets. As if my eyes couldn't believe what they saw, my fingers reached out, wiping over the outline. I took them back to my nose and took a careful whiff.

The strong, awful smell permeated my numb nostrils as tears streaked down my eyes.

I sniveled and wiped them off with the back of my hand before I tumbled over to my bag, which I had apparently dropped on the chair, just like always when I came back from school. Like a lunatic, I began to tear through my bag in search of my phone, throwing the books, notes and other materials into the corner.

The device was tucked away in one of the smaller compartments of my bag.

I heaved a small sigh of relief and unlocked it without hesitation.

The time and date displayed indicated that it was still the same day, but classes were already over. Hundreds of messages clogged my notifications, asking me how I was feeling and if I needed anything. I couldn't help but crack a small smile after scrolling through all those kind messages.

My limbs slowly regained their feeling as the shivering stopped. Even my trembling heart calmed down as the warmth of these messages drove away the cold feeling I had before.

Until I saw the notification of a certain chat.

[Ayanokouji] Hope you are feeling better soon. ヽ(~_~(・_・ )ゝ

This message hit like a punch straight into the deepest parts of my gut.

I scrambled up, rushed through the bathroom door and threw up onto the floor since I couldn't reach the toilet in time. My mind, which had just barely managed to calm down, was back in this never-ending state of fight-or-flight.

My body collapsed near the vomit, since I couldn't even find the strength to roll away.

I opened the schools forums and kept reloading the page again and again.

My finger did nothing but swipe down until a post was made, causing my heart to stop for a second.

I heard that everyone wrote her a nice message, so there was no reason for me not to wish her a fast recovery. I'd only be standing out if I wouldn't.

After typing it out and adding a cute smiley at the end, I strolled back into the classroom, where the study sessions were taking place.

Horikita went home without talking to me today, which felt weird. She must have been occupied with her brother's words, or maybe she was just in a bad mood because of last night. Whatever the case may have been, it didn't matter to me at the moment.

Checking up on the study groups was my number one priority right now, or rather, examining a certain someone.

"Kiyotaka, come over. Let's study together."

Chiaki's cute voice echoed through the room the moment I stepped inside.

With her were, as so often, Karuizawa and Satou, as well as Hirata, as the teacher, and a few other girls. I made my way over while reciprocating their waves and greetings. Chiaki tapped on an empty seat right beside her, which she seemed to have saved for me.

I thanked her for this consideration and skimmed through their progress.

Judging by the standard of the scores I had in my vision, they should be more or less fine. None of them were especially bright, but no one was as bad as Sudou and Ike.

Speaking of the two idiots, Yukimura had a hard time teaching Ike, since he kept mouthing, 'What did I do to deserve this?' again and again while shaking his head in desperation.

The other group members used their time to study, while I was more or less keeping my eyes on Chiaki's notes, only sometimes filling out my own. She had written the correct solution to a problem multiple times before using the eraser, negating her progress. Afterwards, she started over with the same problem and used the wrong formulae.

When Hirata noticed this or other simple miscalculations, he gave her a few tips and helped her until she was on the right path to solve the equation before he checked up on the next person's progress.

Chiaki let out a deep sigh and laid her head down on the book.

"This stuff is far too complicated. Can't they give us something easier?" She turned her head to Karuizawa. "How are you faring?"

"I honestly don't understand a thing. I'll probably get around 50 points through the easy questions and that's that."

"Mh, yeah. Some problems are way too hard. How should I know which formula to use, anyway?" Chiaki shook her head and glanced over to me. "What about you, Kiyotaka?"

I finished my calculation, as to not destroy the illusion of a studying student, before I shrugged.

"Guess I'm with Karuizawa on this one. Some of these assignments are ridiculous. The easy ones are doable at least, so I don't think that I'll fail."

"Poor Hirata-kun. He has to run through half of the classroom without pause just to help us..."

Mii-chan glanced after the boy who had stolen her heart with longing and sorrow. She was one of the tutors for English and had to do the same from time to time, so she knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah Karuizawa. Your boyfriend is like really cool."

Satou stuck out her tongue, which prompted Karuizawa to flush in embarrassment.

"Don't be so loud, you idiot."

"It's not really a problem, right? I mean, everyone knows already."

"Yes, but still... this... ahh mouuu, stop teasing me Satou!"

We conversed and joked around in our small study group as time kept ticking away.

I still didn't know why Chiaki kept hiding her abilities from us, but I could at least confirm that she was gifted in academics as well. From her speed and confidence throughout these problems, it became apparent that most of them were easy for her. The only time she slowed down and made genuine mistakes was when she arrived on the really hard questions, which were on a similar level than the three from the mock-exam.

Her current capabilities were more than enough, so I couldn't complain. Her academic level was similar to that of Horikita, which made her far more valuable already, since the raven-haired girl was too self-absorbed.

The time we had allocated for the study group soon ended, and we decided to grab a bite before everyone made their way home. Even though we were all worried because of Kushida's health, we managed to spend a normal day together and even had some fun.

After I got home, I laid down in my bed to relax and watched some TV.

Some time later, a couple of knocks rang through my room, drawing my attention.

It couldn't have been Fuka, since she wouldn't knock and had something to do today, apparently, so I was quite curious.

I shuffled towards the door with lazy steps and opened it.

The one who was visiting took me by surprise.

I had planned to make contact soon, but this way was much more convenient.

In front of me stood a girl, maybe 5'1". She had short, beige-colored hair and was, unlike every other time people saw her, not smiling, but looking down towards the ground with a bitter expression.

Her name was Kushida Kikyou.

"M-may I c-come in?"

My ears were ringing as I forced open my eyes. The right side of my face was wet and the stench that took residence in my nose was awful. I struggled to stand and threw up into the sink before raising my head.

What I saw horrified me to the core.

The cute and beautiful Kushida Kikyou that was loved by everyone was nowhere to be found. In her stead stood a girl with dark, reddened eyes that were void of life and respect for herself. The stench of urine and vomit had mixed, which led to the disgusting expression I saw myself with.

A half digested noodle slipped down my bangs and produced a loud splat when it slammed into the pool of vomit in which I stood while the liquid trickled down my chin, staining my uniform, which was drenched in sweat and my ejected stomach contents.

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as I fell to my knees.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and the nightmare began anew.

Hasty knocks echoed through my room as I opened up my eyes.

"Kushida-chan? Are you okay?" The successive knocks became faster and more urgent. "Kushida-chan? Should I call someone?"

"Mii-chan?" My voice was disgusting, just like the taste that lingered in my mouth.

"Kushida-chan! What happened? You screamed. Are you okay?"

I tumbled up and leaned against the door, not knowing how I even arrived in front of it. Upon glancing around in my room, I noticed that it was ravaged, as if I had just taken everything and thrown it around in a fit of rage.

Tableware was broken, the fragments strewn all over the ground. My dirty clothes were still in the bathroom, ripped apart, soaking in the pool of vomit. Some strands of my hair were ripped out as well, decorating my floor besides the wood splinters from a chair, and other such things.

The faucet still trickled, so I had washed my face, apparently, but the stench was still stuck in my nose.

"Y-yeah. I'm alright. It was just... just a nightmare. F-from the fever."

"Oh, my god! Do you want me to come in and make you something to eat? Or do you need any medicine?"

"N-no... thank you, Mii-chan, but I'm fine. You said that I screamed, right? What did I say?"

"Something like 'Stop! Stop it, please!'. I was so scared that something happened to you. Are you sure that you are alright, Kushida-chan?"

"Yeah. I'm getting better. Thank you for worrying about me, Mii-chan."

"Mhm. If you are alright, then I'll go back to my room. If you need anything, please call me Kushida-chan!"

"I will... thank you, Mii-chan."

There was a long silence until I heard footsteps that were growing quieter.

"Mii-chan?"

They stopped.

"Yes?"

"Can you keep this a secret, please?"

"Of course Kushida-chan! You can trust me. Please get well!"

Once again, there was a long silence before Mii-chan walked away.

I slid down the door, hands clenched into fists.

"That's not how it's supposed to be..." Even if she was still outside, there was no way that she could hear this weak, outright pathetic voice. "I should be the one keeping secrets... and she should be the one sharing them."

Where did I go wrong?

His demonic visage flashed through my mind.

Fuck...

"Sure. It's a welcome surprise that you are visiting me, Kushida. Please, make yourself at home."

The girl walked in with slow and careful steps before taking off her shoes. I peeked outside, left and right, to check if anyone saw her. Since no one was around, I shut the door and sat down on my bed.

Kushida kept fidgeting around with her fingers as she walked up and down the room. Every so often, she glanced at me with terror-stricken eyes before averting them just as fast. When this happened, her whole body trembled, as if she was reliving what she had gone through.

My classmate took a deep breath and handed me her phone before going down on her knees.

"I'm terribly sorry for everything I did. I swear that this won't happen again and I'm seriously going to do everything you say. Just... please... don't destroy my life any further. Please..."

She had given me the phone beforehand to make me realize that this was not a ploy to get my confession. But if she thought that far, there was a possibility that she thought even farther.

I unlocked and checked the device before glancing at mine for a moment.

Afterwards, I looked at the girl who was groveling on the floor in front of me.

"Kushida? What are you talking about? I would never hurt you. This has to be some kind of misunderstanding. Can you explain what's going on?"

With this innocent question on my lips, I stood and felt up her body.

Not because I was a pervert and wanted to feel her plump, soft breasts and thighs, but because I needed to make sure that there weren't any other recording devices on her.

The already small girl shrank even more while I thoroughly scanned her body.

She shivered and trembled, unable to stop herself. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, which she closed as if to keep the dam from breaking. The brave girl kept enduring my search, even when I got close to certain spots at which no woman would want to be touched by someone they didn't like.

All she did was bite her lower lip and shed some tears, while shuddering in terror.

Her hair was bright and still felt warm to the touch. This, as well as the pleasant scent that lingered over her, was proof enough that she had showered just before coming over. Yet, there was the faint stench of vomit, which even her toothpaste couldn't get rid of in time.

"It was smart of you to come over with no recording devices on your person. Otherwise, this would have ended terrible for you. Which leaves the question... Why are you here, Kushida?"

"I... I really thought I'd die today. Not only once, but over and over. Every time I shut my eyes, I see you. Tormenting me, strangling me, killing me. And then I wake up. Every time a forum post got up, I checked them, drenched in sweat, hoping that it wouldn't be one of the pictures or the recordings you took. I... I just want to... live again. Please... please..."

Her voice was weak and pathetic, quivering with every syllable. Small drops rolled down her cheek as she tried her hardest not to burst into tears in front of me while her fingers were occupied with pacifying behavior to keep her sanity in check.

This girl was genuinely broken. Unable to offer any more resistance.

This was the amount of mental pressure necessary to tame a girl like Kushida.

I left openings for a counterattack and dared her to retaliate.

A proud, self-important person like her wouldn't take the things I did to her without a fight. She would seek retribution, a harsh and ruthless one at that.

Kushida was sharp enough to realize that an immediate arrest would leave me no time to spread any recording, even if I wanted to. In fact, these recordings were even helpful to her to convict me of my crime.

What she didn't expect, however, was that she never had a choice to begin with, since she had followed my script from the very beginning.

Everything she did was predetermined.

Everything she experienced was prearranged.

Dancing in my palm and being put down like a sick dog was the only thing that she could do.

The small ember that smoldered yesterday was nowhere to be found. Gone and forgotten in the deep darkness of the endless abyss that my existence had cast over her since last night.

"You said that you don't want me to destroy your life any further, yes?"

She nodded in a weak and miserable display of her current state of mind. The teardrops gleamed in her eyes as she gazed into mine with goosebumps on her skin, trembling as if this was all she had ever done.

"I can't."

"Huh?"

Kushida stared at me like a crestfallen squirrel that dug up an empty stash.

Her tears dripped onto my floor.

"I'm not destroying your life, Kushida." She looked at me with a disturbed, troubled expression. "You did this to yourself. It was your decision to blow off steam on that roof. Your decision to threaten me with raping you. And your decision to report me to the faculty. In all those instances, I had only acted in retaliation to your initial attacks. You could have taken any other path to get here, but you chose offense every single time, without hesitation. This wasn't some elaborate plan I came up with to destroy your life, Kushida. I only acted according to the circumstances in which you put me in order to defend myself. You were the aggressor during all those occasions. Not me."

Her eyes opened wide, quivered, and broke out into tears.

They kept streaming down her beautiful face as if they were the source of a waterfall. Kushida kneeled down, hit her head on the ground to appease me, and begged for forgiveness.

"Please, Ayanokouji-kun. I-I... I'll do anything... just please. Please don't ruin me. I understand now that what I did was wrong... I can repent. So please..."

"Kushida."

Her body shook as if an earthquake originated somewhere in her heart. Kushida's head jerked up in surprise, maybe even a sliver of hope. But then she saw the two callous orbs who hadn't shown a single sign of faltering, as I was close to ending her insignificant life.

"Undress and lie down on the bed."

Before, she had threatened to accuse me of rape, and now I was about to make her dark fantasy come true.

There wasn't much of a reaction after hearing those words, since she must have already expected them. Her lifeless, dead eyes didn't change a bit as she stood.

"Yes..."

She said and shed her uniform.