Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 34

Chapter 34 - Trap

"Is it still fun, Morofuji?"

Anger, disgust, and ridicule tainted my unrecognizable voice.

The feral tremors of her delicate body intensified as I emptied the last bottle over the covered area on the girl's face. Her desperate yet futile attempts to shift her quivering torso to the side ended in failure because of my foot, which pressed her frame against the uneven ground, restricting her movements.

Horrendous, barely muffled screams resounded through the machine room while the excess water mixed with the yellow-greenish puddle. Manabe and Yajima kept their heads down and ran their tongues over the greasy floor to suck up their sickening vomit, instead of aiding their cherished friend.

These spineless worms filled my heart with contempt.

Just a few minutes ago, they enjoyed themselves at my expense — tortured me with wicked smiles and hollow, disfigured expressions to rouse the dreadful memories that haunted me to this day. But now they were too scared to glance at her when she begged them for help, terrified that they would be the next ones to suffer if they weren't obedient.

"Pathetic insects..."

The leg that pinned Morofuji to the deck rose, confusing the bug beneath it. Contrary to my previous thoughts, she didn't get up, nor did she struggle to break free. Maybe she predicted the reason for this sudden generosity and felt the vicious glare in my eyes deepen. A soft, estranged snicker rolled off my curved lips as I drove my shoe into her exposed abdomen.

None of you deserve my sympathy.

Not even the bare minimum of mercy.

You put me through the same hell.

It's only fair to return the favor.

My precious gyaru pushed the lingering doubts about her newfound conviction aside and waterboarded her schoolmate for fifteen excruciating minutes. She ignored the prepared scenario and taunted the group by using their own tasteless remarks against them. Her delightful smile widened with each cry of anguish she stripped Morofuji's quivering lips.

Hirata would have been shocked by her cruelty.

He could never comprehend the anxiety, the sorrow and the resentment she carried within her, despite his familiarity with the depravity of men. His pacifistic approach stemmed from the deep regrets about his past and the decisions he made in junior high. The intent behind his actions was pure, but the execution left much to be desired.

Unlike him, I marveled at her adaptability.

Her countenance improved the more she mistreated Manabe and her friends. The initial discomfort and her reluctance to pressure the Class C students into the repulsive substance warped into a bizarre acceptance as she began to convince herself that her conduct around these monstrosities was unavoidable after all the injustice she had endured.

The duration of the wretched girl's misfortune was only a fraction of what my parasite went through, but the qualitative differences in their approaches couldn't have been more distinct. Our victim sustained severe psychological damages due to the military grade torture she employed, which must have felt like hours of nonstop misery.

An untrained receiver — a mere teenager — wasn't equipped with the necessary mindset to survive such horrors without leaving permanent scarring that was impossible to recover from. The crumbling fragments of her tattered psyche broke apart and led to further deterioration of her already unstable mental condition.

Nightmares and panic attacks were only the beginning.

Unable to forget, she was going to spend the remainder of her stay in dread. This malicious spiral into the deepest depths of a human's emotional resilience established that their new owner held nothing sacred — instructed both Manabe and Yajima that disobeying any subsequent orders would be punished with a fate worse than death.

Morofuji Rika's trauma served as a final warning.

Karuizawa removed the drenched towel from her wet lips, provoking an unending stream of grievous coughs that echoed through the eerie engine room. Terror was etched into the feeble girl's pale, fear-stricken face, similar to the panic that reflected in the shuddering almonds of her petrified companions.

"Phew, that was refreshing!"

The emerging mocking smirk was accentuated by the cold glint in her otherwise breathtaking amethysts. A somber veil of darkness seeped through her distant gaze and exerted pressure on the two nervous lambs that could do nothing but wait for the imminent slaughter that might befall them after their classmate survived her methodical domestication.

My dark-square bishop didn't waver and wrapped her slender fingers around Morofuji's hair. This girl — her helpless prey — had lost the will to fight and only screamed out of a primal survival instinct that every living organism possessed. She regarded her friends with two misty spheres and groaned in pain as her face splashed into the repugnant puddle.

"'So...'" Karuizawa stepped on her head and pushed her deeper into the fetid liquid. "'Since you are all listening now, we should talk about your future. A swift expulsion is one option, but keeping you here grants me several advantages over Ryuuen and his merry band of delinquents that might prove useful in the upcoming special exams. There are, however, certain aspects in our newfound 'partnership' you need to keep in mind.'"

Her acting during this scene was spot on.

A gyaru's inherent haughty attitude, the ridiculing smirk and her commanding voice left no doubt that she was the one in charge of this whole composition. The most probable cause for this proficient performance was also the most disturbing:

She started to enjoy her new authority.

This perpetual satisfaction would creep up on her like a poisonous predator and allow the small, murky chasm in her heart to expand bit by bit, turning her essence into a dull, endless void that consumed and corrupted the 'good' in Karuizawa Kei until nothing but a deep, gaping abyss remained.

The cruel lecture continued and eventually concluded.

My classmate strolled up to my hiding place and grabbed the bag before she returned to her three prisoners. The girls flinched at the muffled thud that reverberated through the air, terrified of the atrocities that might follow. Morofuji's complexion darkened while the pair beside her started to whimper, assuming they were next in line.

"Stop crying. It's hella annoying." She bent over, reached inside and threw each of them a towel and some water. "'Clean up the floor and yourselves. I can't have you leave here with visible vomit stains and this loathsome stench. It doesn't need to be perfect, just enough to get you back into your rooms for a shower and some new clothes, understood?'"

""Y-yes!""

No one dared to disobey.

They followed her directives and wiped the deck, as well as their hair and face. The two girls I assaulted were fine with this arrangement, but their traumatized friend began to tremble in unadulterated horror after being forced to clean herself with a wet towel — the exact instrument that had been used to torture her.

Beads of fresh sweat trickled down her forehead.

"No... p-please..."

Morofuji's respiration grew erratic.

Her urgent gasps were preceded by a sudden increase in heart rate, accompanied by acute disorientation and followed by an uncomfortable tingling sensation that crept over her frame. The vibrations that traveled along her pale body resembled violent earthquakes as her shuddering fingers clenched the school uniform's thin fabric in desperation.

""Rika!""

Two anxious screams overlapped.

Their precious companion collapsed, causing intense, irregular ripples that fanned out over the remaining pool of vomit. Her flaring nostrils embodied the moon, pushing and pulling the putrid liquid with air currents instead of gravitational force. The fractious tremors worsened and rocked her otherwise motionless figure back and forth.

"'Don't worry, she'll be fine.'" My newest piece observed their desperate struggles to heave her out of the puddle and sat on the chair with an annoyed expression. "'Might as well clean her up now. If you don't, we have to go through the same boring procedure a few times until she manages not to break down into a weeping mess. I still want to meet up with my friends, so hurry the fuck up, would you?'"

Karuizawa's apathy to this situation wasn't strange.

She was high on adrenaline, blinded by resentment and influenced by the rush of being judge, jury and executioner for the vile individuals who had abused her. This current momentum would soon crumble and she would find herself at the exact junction Morofuji had been when I revealed the recording: appalled by the despotism she could unleash.

Manabe and Yajima peered at my blonde gyaru in horror, unable to understand how she could have hidden such a dark, insensitive side from everyone at this school without being caught by the instructors. The fear they experienced in the presence of Ryuuen was nothing in face of the veritable monster they made her out to be after today's events.

"'I gave an order, did I not?'"

""Y-yes!""

Bloodcurdling shudders crawled over the goosebumps on their pallid skin. They began to rinse the still unresponsive girl with cold, bottled water, inflicting further harm. She shook, whimpered and pleaded for mercy while her friends tried to make her feel comfortable, despite the terrors she had to suffer through.

"Pleawse... I'm sho sowwy..."

A long, warm shower would have worked wonders for her current constitution. Warmth had always been associated with comfort and safety — not only in a physical sense, but also in a psychological one. Comparable to the act of curling up, it exuded a pleasant atmosphere in which the individual could indulge themselves to relax.

It was the same for my pawn on the rooftop.

After breaking Kikyou's unyielding spirit, I wanted her to take a long, hot bath to build it back up. Her angst lessened — washed away by the soothing water, which gave her enough courage to retaliate. The reconstruction of my adorable, yet twisted partner was an essential step for my counterattack and the subsequent exploitation.

Getting caught wasn't an inconvenience, but a stratagem to prepare my pieces for the inevitable endgame, analyze the connections I had forged and determine the schools response in extreme situations to verify the viability of my methods.

Cold liquids had opposing consequences.

They lower the body's temperature and place the individual in a pseudo survival mode. The shock forces the circulatory system into overdrive and stimulates the blood flow through an increase in cardiac output to warm and protect vital organs, which has an adverse effect on the person's state of mind in special circumstances like these.

Class C's subdued bullies cleansed the face of their sobbing colleague and set her down next to a neighboring generator. My classmate ignored them, leaned back into her chair and observed the two kneeling youths while they scrubbed the ground and removed the half digested pieces of meat and rice that remained lodged inside the grooves.

"W-we are done, K-karuizawa-san."

"'Took you long enough.'" She peered at the group of three with disinterest, threw Yajima's phone in front of the girl's feet and interlaced her bewitching legs. "'Now get out of my sight. If even one of you causes me the slightest inconvenience from hereon out, I'll make sure that you'll remember today as a fun weekend getaway to the beach.'"

""U-understood...""

Our schoolmates dumped the stained towels and empty water bottles in the duffle bag before supporting the shivering Morofuji. They stumbled into the corridor that led outside, generating a light, comfortable draft that swirled around the unappetizing stench of vomit. Their quiet steps faded, overshadowed by the heavy steel door that shut with a loud clack.

"Are you okay?"

Karuizawa remained silent and peered at her trembling hands. The brilliant luster in her amethysts dwindled — their glow dulled — obscured by a faint layer of blackness that sapped away her light. I stepped up to my classmate, gazed into her polluted clouds and caressed along her smooth fingers to lure her back to reality.

"You did nothing wrong. They pushed you into this position by tormenting you without remorse. Manabe had no reason to go this far, to force you into submission by making you relive those horrible memories." I cupped her head and pulled her into my chest. "But you do... What you are feeling right now is a mixture of pleasure, guilt, doubt and justified fear of the things you are capable of. This reluctance differentiates you from the likes of them."

"It was overwhelming. All this anger — all the frustrations that kept piling up. I never wanted to hurt anybody, but their fearful expressions were so satisfying to look at. When I realized this, I felt disgusted with myself. At first, I couldn't understand how they did it... but it was so easy to punish them once I stripped them of their... humanity."

Her body tilted forward into my embrace.

"This experience will allow you to grow and revealed who you are deep inside: a kind, caring woman who got shoved into impossible situations. If someone deserves happiness, it's you, Karuizawa, the one whose heart bleeds for the depraved people that caused you not only intense physical, but also mental anguish."

"Mh." She nodded, pulled back and slapped her cheeks twice. "You're right. They escalated this whole thing and beat me up. I just defended myself against their attacks. Not to mention that none of them felt bad." She reached into her pocket and retrieved the light-blue scrunchy to fix up her hair, which revealed the wireless earphone she wore. "What's next?"

"It's time to enjoy your vacation."

"Don't mind if I do."

A gentle laugh escaped her glistening lips.

She nabbed the lone ear piece and threw it into the bag with the remaining trash while I slipped out of the gloves I put on in case I had to intervene. The awkward frown on her charming face deepened as I pinched the colored contacts I wore to confuse Manabe and her accomplices. Removing them wasn't uncomfortable, but disconcerting for some people.

"Now you look like the Ayanokouji-kun I know!"

"Was it weird?"

"Maybe a little." Her bright smile was accompanied by a vague chuckle before her expression turned solemn. She pivoted and tossed me a shy peek. "You... I... There is something I haven't told you yet, but you trusted me with your secrets, so I... I've never shown this to anyone else... It's embarrassing and —"

"You shouldn't force yourself if you are not ready."

I didn't intend to pressure her into confessing, even though I recognized that there was more to her PTSD. She needed to confide in me at her own pace, or all of my groundwork would have been for naught. Further knowledge about her past wasn't important at this stage of our relationship, but I wouldn't decline if she was ready to share a vital part of her life.

"Thank you, but I have to do this..."

Class D's gyaru took a deep breath and pulled up her blouse.

Any other adolescent boy would have either turned away in embarrassment or stared a hole in her silky stomach, whereas I maintained my usual composure. She bit her lower lip and averted her gaze, revealing an unsightly scar that decorated her otherwise perfect skin. This single flaw wasn't caused by simple bullying, but a life-threatening assault.

"Eeek!"

My classmate's surprised squeal bounced off the walls while my finger rubbed over this permanent stigma. The injury was distinct, which allowed me to run accurate simulations with various objects that might have left such a disfigurement. She didn't pull away despite her obvious nervousness, only informing me of my transgression with her trembling legs.

"Sorry about that."

"No, it's just... I'm not used to this."

Karuizawa avoided my stare, a mild blush on her face.

Unlike the other girls, she never joined the few swim lessons we had, even after Yamauchi's expulsion and the following vigilance of all perverts, so I wasn't taken aback by this physical blemish. Many beautiful young women, including her, suffered under the misconception that their 'worth' among men decreased due to such slight imperfections.

The decision to keep this wound a secret was warranted, considering her harsh past. Bullying victims were often singled out because of visible aspects that were difficult to amend, caused by underlying medical conditions or outside influence. This hadn't been the case for Karuizawa, but she couldn't be certain that this would hold true in the future.

"Showing me your scar must have been horrifying." I caressed her shaking hand with a weak smile on my lips. "Thank you for trusting me with such an important part of your past, despite all the despair and animosity you had to endure. If you ever want to speak about your trauma, I'll be there to listen."

Digging into the matter now would be detrimental.

We understood one another and forged a unique connection that only outcasts like us could comprehend, transcending the boundaries of an ordinary friendship. Neither she nor I expected the other party to reveal all of their secrets, but we accepted our shared darkness without judgement and hoped that we could experience the simple life we longed for.

Opening up to Hirata was a mistake.

Her reasoning, however, had been rational.

She found herself in a new environment, acted in a manner that contributed to her immediate preservation and made the best decisions with the limited information she possessed. Class D's knight in shining armor would have been an excellent choice to take advantage of — if this school had turned out to be a normal educational facility.

Karuizawa relied on him and endangered her future.

His bottomless benevolence did more harm than good, since she could never begin to mature under his paternal wings. Our classmate would be all alone once the fleeting three years of her remaining youth ended. Her looks could help her stay afloat, but they were going to attract wild beasts that would devour her and everything she cherished.

The best solution to this problem was to provide her with the abilities and tools she required to stand on her own. This approach might leave me with a volatile subject that could not be controlled without impairing its usability, so it was better to distort her perception of 'justice' to a degree that allowed me full authority over her actions.

"Someday, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Anytime."

She regarded me with a polite smile, straightened her light-blue blouse and grasped onto her blazer's sleeves to secure the knot she had tied around her slim waist. Her slender legs pivoted left and right as she inspected her outfit to ensure that her feminine charm wasn't lost during the torture session.

Damn you, Ike...

"I'll get rid of the evidence so you can go ahead. Check in with Hirata, since he's worried about you and try to behave like usual around Shinohara in case you run into her. I don't know what she'll do once she figures out that someone foiled her plans, but we shouldn't jeopardize Class D's current momentum."

"Got it. I won't strangle her even if I want to."

She stretched her delicate arms, waved me goodbye and left through the door on the starboard side of the cruiser. The vague sounds of her steps faded, replaced by another metallic clack that marked my solitude. I walked up to the wall with the best view of the area and tore off the black tape, which concealed a second phone.

"Apologize to Rika."

"Ow, it hurts! Let me go!"

"Ha. Hahaha. This is fun! Hahahaha."

"P-pleawse... don't..."

"Say, who's the prey now?"

Skipping through the incriminating material assured me that the video was recorded without interruptions or artifacts. I wandered along the perimeter towards the other corners, where I removed the speakers and retrieved the phones I installed prior to the meeting. Afterwards, I purged the redundant files, leaving me with a souvenir for the last hour.

Karuizawa's misconception was beneficial to both of us.

She clung onto the tape that depicted her torture, which created a sense of security and control over the girls and Class C as a whole. Nobody would dare to lay a hand on her because she had proof of their misdeeds. Even their fearsome leader would need to think twice about assaulting her if he didn't want to lose three classmates and his remaining points.

The stockpile of expensive electronics kept bumping against each other as I hid my belongings next to the staircase. I rummaged through the toolbox I found earlier, tossed some hammers, wrenches and other utensils into the second bag to weigh it down and aired out the maintenance room for around five minutes to eliminate the smell of vomit before a faint splashing sound swallowed the evidence.

My feet carried me over the gigantic cruiser and up to the third deck while my fingers scrolled through the notifications I received. The most important ones were messages from Ichinose, Suzune and my soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, who asked whether I wanted to join them for dinner in one of the many available locales.

Unfortunately, I still had to keep up appearances.

I apologized to the girls and replied that I made plans with Chiaki, whom I texted that we should meet up within the next hour due to my nonexistent doctor's appointment at 07:30PM. The status of all messages turned to 'read', yet only two of them answered. My favorite neighbor wished us a nice evening and my date provided me with a time and place.

Was Ichinose too busy?

Being a class leader sure is rough...

Sotomura's phone vibrated even more than mine.

Most of the alerts were strange advertisements for various currencies in his games, whereas others introduced 'new and exciting' expansions or dungeons. One of them featured a countdown for a special spin to secure a 'Limited Edition SSR SSS-Tier Character' and an associated 'Skin for a Legendary Grade Flying Mount'.

Whatever that meant...

The Professor taught me some vocabulary during the past months, but I was still a novice compared to him, Ike, Okitani or the other guys who had a much greater understanding about everything related to pop culture, novels, anime and similar entertainment avenues. All I could do for him now was to turn the gacha before the timer ran out.

Thus, I tapped the notification and was greeted with a wheel to rotate. It was divided into twelve different sized tiles, with the golden, sparkling block being the smallest by an outrageous amount. The center knob was labeled 'FREE (1)' printed in bold and flashed in various colors to get the user's attention.

Isn't that a little over the top?

"Ara~ what a surprise, Kiyotaka-kun."

Chie's flirtatious voice encircled my earlobes.

I neglected the comforting feeling and slipped his phone into my pocket without checking the rewards. Winning or losing was inconsequential, because he would be thrilled that I joined the raffle for him. These small, trivial actions indicated that I valued our 'companionship', which was all he needed to believe.

"No one is around. You can stop the act."

"Buuh!" My guest slid her red tongue through the gap between her glossy lips, folded her arms to emphasize her vampish curvatures and concluded her performance with a pouting gesture. "You could have at least humored me a little now that we are working together. It almost feels like I'm the only one who is serious about our relationship."

"We both know that you can't be."

"Did Sae-chan tell you that?"

A grim note slithered along her forked tongue and laced her once beautiful voice with a nasty venom. She acknowledged the hiccup in a split-second and altered her demeanor to match the gracious smile that surfaced on her captivating face.

"No idea what you are talking about."

Our unorthodox homeroom teacher described Chie as someone who withdrew before her fling had the chance to turn into a significant connection. She enjoyed fooling around with guys she fancied for their looks and certain other qualities, but was afraid to grow attached to members of the opposite sex for reasons still unknown.

"Do you think I'm recording our conversation?" The mischievous smirk on her lips widened. "There is no reason to be coy with your favorite instructor." She stretched her legs, leaned against me and tiptoed to reach my ears. "You can check me out all you want. I won't put up a fight if it's you, Ki~yo~ta~ka-kun."

Seductive blows accompanied each syllable.

Her soft fingers caressed along my chest, proceeded upwards to my neck and spiraled around my chin, where they rested against my lips. The sweet, almost intoxicating blend of truffle, citrus, white florals and patchouli tickled my nose as she clung onto me like a lover who had rediscovered her long-lost prince.

They should rethink their hiring process...

I grabbed her wrist, putting a stop to her advances.

"You are careful, not stupid."

"Huuh, the innocent Kiyocchi is more fun."

Chie backed away and eyed me with a distant yet intrigued stare — an unexpected mixture between Kikyou's and Fuka's mannerism. I ignored her convoluted way of assessing my reaction and reached into my trousers to retrieve her property.

"Is there a chance you'll need it again?"

Her tender index and middle finger wrapped around the device. She tugged on the phone, rotated it and disabled the screen lock with a few swift taps. The display kept transitioning between applications as she checked her point balance, private chats, and the media files in her gallery.

"Not on the ship."

A weak smirk adorned her lips.

She pushed the power button and flicked her wrist to throw the cell into the depths of the ocean, destroying all evidence I might have planted. Her actions summarized the nonexistent trust we had in each other and affirmed that she was much more careful than Sae, who believed herself to be guarded by our contract.

"That was unnecessary."

"Better safe than sorry."

"What about Ichinose?"

"We had fun during our session." Chie swung her arms behind her back and interlaced her fingers. "Honami-chan thought a lot about you... tried to rationalize why her beloved Kiyotaka-kun couldn't have been the person we must be wary of. I assured her that my initial assumption during the island exam was wrong, so you should be fine."

"I'll be on my way then."

Her gaze followed my receding figure.

I sensed her wish to continue our conversation — to learn more about this version of me, my motives and the plans I had for her adorable figurehead, but she suppressed her ceaseless curiosity, recognizing that I wouldn't answer her inquiries and turned around. The rhythmic clacking sounds of her heels grew fainter and succumbed to the waves before long.

"Sotomura? What can I do for you?"

Sae's enticing voice rang through the speakers.

Her tone carried reasonable confusion and vague annoyance. The Professor wasn't interesting in the eyes of our intriguing instructor, since he had no talents that could contribute to achieving her goals. To make matters worse, he had called her on a quiet day, one where she could allow herself to relax, knowing that we would ascend to Class A after summer break.

Would she be pleased to hear me instead?

"I need you to procure benzodiazepines and beta-blockers without arousing suspicion. Stash the pills in the ladies' room on the fourth deck once you have them and brief me on the location. I don't care whether you steal the medication or convince the doctor that you have a panic disorder as long as you get it done today."

"Ayanokouji? What did —"

Nope, not amused by my call.

My fingers danced over Sotomura's phone as I removed the newest entry from the history to cover my tracks. I pocketed his device and grabbed mine to reply to a few additional messages from Onodera and my acquaintances in Class B.

Maintaining social relations was a new experience after the indoctrination on the importance of individualism I received in the White Room. It was still strange to have people care about me — to know and appreciate the existence of individuals I could refer to as 'friends' or 'lovers' — but these circumstances confirmed that I wasn't the same blank sheet I had been.

I turned left, walked deeper into the ship and strolled over the carpeted floor until I arrived in front of a storeroom on the fifth deck, far away from the most frequented spots this giant cruise offered. The door creaked open, revealing a busy Sotomura, who sat on the ground and tapped around on his portable gaming console.

"Ahh, Ayanokouji-dono!"

A faint click echoed through the cabin.

He discarded the device after pushing the power switch and stood up to accept his phone. His stout fingers traveled over the display as he opened the file manager to check the newest documents. Three of them were trimmed videos of our poor classmate's cruel persecution and her ensuing revenge, without the parts in which I talked to her.

"Shall I fabricate more evidence?"

"No, just secure them for now."

"Understood, but I'll need supplementary funds to replace the drive. The AES encrypted virtual disk I created as per your instructions will soon be at capacity, even though I already compressed some of the larger files to the best of my abilities."

"Tell me how much once you know."

"Alright."

Sotomura navigated to a password protected folder and moved the recordings inside. The directory on his phone should have been empty since he stored everything important at school, but there were some additional pictures and videos that he seemed to have determined as essential for personal reasons that went beyond our business.

He was quite indulgent in the fantasies he shared with Ike and had a tendency to visualize Kikyou in different revealing cosplays to sate his interest in her, so I wasn't surprised that he kept the images of my half-naked queen after I used him as a middleman to forward them to Fuka.

"Is that all for now?"

"Yes, thanks for your help."

"Please, there is no need. Supporting one such as you from the shadows is more acknowledgement than I could have ever received. Ayanokouji-dono was the only person who saw past my appearance and hobbies. You trusted me and shared your assumptions and secrets, despite the great risk you incurred by revealing yourself."

The Professor was loyal to a terrifying degree and wouldn't want to hear any objection, even if I were to tell him that I was using his talents to my advantage. In his eyes, I was a grand person, a capable, enigmatic main character who had given him a chance to live out his dream of being someone remarkable.

Threats of violence weren't needed.

When other people glowered at him, his weird remarks or frowned-upon obsessions, I listened and inquired about details. He might not have been disliked by the boys, but he wasn't popular either. Similar to Makida or Ijuin, he belonged to a small sub-circle of individuals who shared the same interests and were otherwise considered loners.

Yet, Sotomura was the unsung hero of all girls.

The true reason for Yamauchi's expulsion.

And the custodian of Pandora's box.

My knuckles smacked against the wooden frame.

The initial impacts consisted of four successive hits, followed by a short pause of two seconds and three additional knocks. The familiar security mechanism turned with a silent 'click' and granted me access to the private five person karaoke room.

I scurried inside and locked the door behind me.

"You are late..."

A loud, combative crunch reverberated through the dimmed cabin as Kikyou bit down on her potato chip with more force than necessary. Her darkened expression and miffed voice might have revealed her annoyance, but I couldn't help myself from staring at her adorable pout while she lay down on the couch in her usual revealing attire.

"Sorry."

She stuffed her sullen mouth with another coin-sized snack and peered over to the large 65 inch TV that was attached to the wall on the left side of the room, which displayed a celebratory message about the new high score she achieved in the last song. I ambled towards the far end of the sofa, lifted her head and swapped the pillow she rested on with my lap.

Kikyou snuggled up to me and reached for my palm.

The loving demeanor she demonstrated stood in stark contrast to her foul mouth when she condemned her schoolmates for their behavior or other actions she disliked. Her small hands clutched mine, as if she was holding onto a rare, priceless treasure. She brought them closer to her face and brushed her cheek against my fingers with a satisfied smile.

"Urgh, you smell like that slutty teacher."

For a moment, at least...

"Yeah, I ran into her on my way over."

"And here I thought you prepared the change of clothes so that I could leave my scent on you..." Her playful pout was emphasized by the tip of her smooth tongue, which slithered through the opening between her lustrous lips. "... baka~."

"My bed isn't good enough anymore, huh?"

"Nope, gotta be my Kiyotaka now."

Raising her slender arms, bending backwards and pushing out her supple chest to highlight the contours of her bra were seductive movements that would have driven any adolescent boy crazy. Kikyou, a master at manipulating the male and female population alike, knew this all too well. She enjoyed the power, the attention and the recognition of her many admirers, so it wasn't surprising that she was displeased by the absence of a reaction when she teased me.

What a spoiled queen she is...

"You won't complain if I do the same then, right?"

I smoothed her sweet-scented hair and tucked a few strands behind her crimson ear. My adorable classmate appreciated gestures like this and found great satisfaction in the unfamiliar comfort my efforts brought her. She beamed in delight and met my lips with a peaceful expression that could only be described as captivating.

"How much time do we have?"

"Maybe ten minutes?"

"Fifteen..?"

Kikyou launched herself towards me and buried her face in my waist to hide the rosy tint that blossomed on her cheeks. Her timid attitude was adorable, and I wondered about her conduct around a potential boyfriend who hadn't tortured her into submission. I was curious whether my gradual manipulation had altered her foundation, and if so, by how much.

"Sure, I'll make it work somehow."

"Twenty..?"

"Now you are messing with me..."

A cute giggle slipped her lips as I tugged on her jowl.

"Fwine... let's gwet the business side out of the way fwirst." She fled my playful grasp and pointed at the medium-sized bag on the armchair that stood between us and a second couch. "The fresh clothes and your deodorant are over there."

"Thanks. I'll keep it short then..." I inched forward and grazed over her velvety lips. "Karuizawa is under control. Morofuji was tortured and isn't feeling well, so I'll have Sae place some medicine in the restroom on the fourth deck. I need you to check the medication, transfer it to a nondescript bottle if necessary and message Yajima to pick it up for her roommate. Tell her that it's fine to increase the usual dosage of one pill each every four hours if her patient builds up resistances."

Her fingers, still wrapped around my palm, turned ashen.

I presumed that she was having an episode due to the tremors that traveled along my limbs. Hearing about Rika's misery must have spurred distressing memories, which triggered her current condition. She nudged into me to suppress the faint whimpers that rang through the cabin and clenched my uniform to keep herself calm.

"Shh... It's okay. You're safe. I'll protect you."

"Promise..?"

The ensued silence unsettled my queen.

Kikyou peered into my eyes and stared at the pleasant, artificial smile she had spent so much time fostering, unable to tell whether it was a genuine attempt to ease her worries or a mocking gesture. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer with a gentle tug. She followed my guidance and sat down on my lap with her legs angled parallel to mine.

Her figure overlapped with Chiaki's.

One of them trembled in pleasure while the other quivered in fright.

My girlfriend's features were delicate, nowhere near as supple as hers. Class D's angel exhaled and filled my nostrils with the intense aroma of potato chips, which mixed with the fruity fragrance of shampoo. Her garnets dilated when she felt my touch travel along her waist, powerless to stop the shivers that shook her soft frame.

I charmed the confused girl and lured her deeper into my embrace until our foreheads touched. Our noses bumped into each other mere moments before her voluminous chest squeezed against mine. The fluctuations in her erratic heartbeat subsided when she noticed my lifeless, yet consoling, gaze.

"Yes... I promise."

She threw herself into me and tightened her grip.

"Can we stay like this a little longer?"

"Of course. As long as you wish."

I shifted my head, brushed against Kikyou's cheek and caressed her back to assure her of my sincerity. Hoping to feel the same emotions she did, I closed my eyes. The shocks that coursed through her torso dwindled and tears of joy trickled onto my shoulder as she entrusted me with her body, her safety and her future.

My queen understood that the unusual devotion in her chest was a far cry from love, but her attachment could no longer be classified into natural or man-made feelings, because both were interwoven. The best, most elaborate lies contained a grain of truth, since it enhanced the deception for the affected individual — even oneself.

Our angel spun her own tale to survive.

The core of her illusion was the inevitable fact that I would never take measures that were detrimental to my goals. She understood how I operated and constructed her development on top of this foundation. Her thoughts began to revolve around me — they shaped pillars she could lean on in times of uncertainty and blossomed into a twisted form of respect and reliance. This self-delusion was reinforced by my actions and her cognitive dissonance.

Eventually, the sentiment called 'love' flourished.

It was tainted, cursed and corrupted, unlike the pure affection Chiaki harbored. The relationship between Kikyou and me was bound to be toxic. She would never recover from the physical and psychological abuse, the torture or the perpetual gaslighting. The girl in my arms was already too far gone, dependent on me and unable to live an ordinary life.

Could this have been what I was hoping for?

A partner who was just as broken as I?

"Mii-chan, Inogashira, Ishikura and I visited the 'Sea Breeze' this morning. The view from the rooftop was stunning, and the breakfast tasted amazing. We had these mouthwatering ricotta pancakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter that were coupled with a plate of scrambled eggs, salmon and toast that was to die for."

Kikyou's soft, relaxing voice floated through my ear.

"That's the cafe, right?" I shifted my leg to allow her a more comfortable seating position. "Sudou, Sakura and I went there before the island exam. He seemed a little out of place, so it was quite amusing watching him struggle to behave himself. We didn't try the breakfast menu though, since we arrived around lunchtime."

"I can't help but picture him slurping on a fruit smoothie."

Her sweet giggle melted into my uniform.

"He had papaya-flavor, I think."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Hmm, you dislike papayas?"

"Have you ever smelled an unripe one?"

"Why would I do that?"

"It's not like I wanted to. Back in middle school, I had a classmate who had relatives in Miyazaki. They came to visit during summer holidays and brought some samples while my friend was getting ready to go out shopping. I offered the elderly couple to carry the heavy bag of fruits inside, which was undeniably the worst decision I ever made for my poor nose."

She withdrew and wore a look of blatant revulsion.

"That makes sense. Papayas are harvested while they are still green to provide the vendors more time to sell them before they expire. The unripe fruit contains an enzyme called papain, which has a pungent, rather offensive smell that is often compared to vomit or stinky feet. They taste similar to melon or mango, though, so I think you'd enjoy them."

"Why am I even surprised that you know that?"

Kikyou heaved a deep sigh and adjusted her posture to fit her bum between my legs. She grabbed my hands, slung my arms around her waist, leaned back into my chest and shut her eyes. I pulled her close to me and embraced her from behind while she rested her head on my clavicle.

"Maybe because I'm the guy who asked you what a dango is?"

"Possible." Her imperceptible chuckle contained a hint of loneliness as she gazed at the ticking clock. She bounced off the couch and turned around with the most brilliant smile I had seen to date. "Since we're already here, let's sing a few songs."

"But I —"

"No buts! Come on!"

My classmate dragged me off the sofa and reached for the two closest microphones. She handed me the transducer in her right and began to browse the enormous list of available tracks while humming a lax tune. I didn't know most of them, since at least eighty percent were anime related. A few cover arts caught my eye, but they were only familiar because I saw them on the Professor's phone.

"Let's do this one first, Kiyotaka!"

"Wait, there's going to be a second?"

Kikyou turned around with a cheerful expression and stuck out her tongue as she moved the cursor over a picture in the third row. The library view transformed into a loading screen with instructions, upon which an LED on the microphone lit up to inform us of the color we would perform as during the song.

The first line of lyrics was highlighted in a shade of blue.

Ready to begin, she placed the remote on the coffee table in the center of the room and hopped back to position herself next to me. She took my hand, rewarded me with a cute wink and broadened her cheeky grin as the speakers came to life.

Ano hi ringo no ki no shita kyouhan de

Fumikoete mita kyoukaisen

Sugu ni black out "a, oikari de..."

Oitaterarete konna jigen e

The following lines were emphasized with a red outline, indicating that I had to do my best not to disappoint her with my insufficient skills. Still hopeful, but not convinced that I would hit a single note, I opened my mouth, destined to fail.

Ore to shita koto ga...

Ore gotoki de sura...

Ore ni kagitte iya, masaka ne...

Kimi no sei ni shita

Himitsu wo te ni shita

Ichijiku no ha ga migi hidari

Kikyou broke out in a fit of contagious laughter, even though she should have already assumed that I wouldn't be able to match the lighthearted energy this song demanded. She began to shake her hips, despite my meager performance and managed to save our dwindling points by acing the next part with her astonishing vocal range.

Atto iu ma, me ga sameru

Ka to omoeba sora ni ochite yuku

Nanto iu ka, yamerarenu

Mou hito kajiri... again

My adorable partner danced around me with an unprecedented amount of heartfelt joy. Describing the breakfast with her friends, telling me about her experiences with papayas and singing karaoke together were precious moments she wanted to share with me. She had no ulterior motives or ill intentions and just wished to savor the little time we had left.

Could I ever be as relaxed?

Back in April, I failed when I tried to enjoy myself with Ichinose and her classmates because I couldn't shut off my brain in order to loosen up. The situation right now was different, but I believed that I had evolved over the last couple of months.

I wanted to have fun as well.

Kikyou did her best to motivate me, to brighten the atmosphere, even though she didn't want me to leave and meet my girlfriend. She swallowed her frustration and drew me into her rhythm, knowing that I would follow, despite my objections.

Would it be so bad to try again?

The beat sped up, and the TV displayed the next lyrics, which were colored in red and blue. We both had to sing, mix our mismatched energies, and rack up some points if we didn't want to engrave our score at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Maybe just this once...

A vague smirk appeared on my face as I pulled this beautiful, dancing girl into my chest. Her surprised yelp butchered the last line of text she was supposed to sing alone and caused her to miss the first few words of our long-awaited duet. She gazed up at me in silence, microphone in hand, unable to believe that I attempted to match her.

Fallin' falling

Rasenjou ni ochite yuku matenrou ni

Ima fallin' falling

Futari bocchi kizukanai

Kaaten kooru ni mo

(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

Doko made mo

(yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

Kono mi makasete

Itsu no ma ni kizu ga umatteku yeah...

My classmate's dazzling smile was out of this world.

The pitch of her smooth voice changed, and her enthusiasm reached a new high as she jumped back into the song after a brief delay. Kikyou grasped my hand like a lover would and peered deep into my brown almonds. She began to move her feet — encouraged me to keep up with her movements — and beamed even more radiant when I danced with her.

This brilliant ambience was disturbed by my not terrible, but far from decent solo. Replicating the liveliness of the artist's vision was impossible, no matter what I tried. My partner cracked when the second 'yeah' left my lips. Her loud, hearty laughter caused our points to plummet into oblivion, despite her best efforts to get back into the flow during her line.

She tiptoed forward, clutched the hem of my uniform and leaned her head against my lower abdomen to stabilize herself. The insensitive TV, however, showed no consideration for the unstable stance due to her trembling legs and cued the next part that followed the song's memorable refrain, which she barely managed to catch in time.

Soko ja nani kara nani made gottani de

Oni mo hotoke mo onnajime

Subete shut out douka shiteru?

Orera hana kara dai majime

The seconds kept ticking away.

Kikyou bounced around and matched her motions to the rhythm. Her bright expression outlined her rising enjoyment until she sparkled so vividly that it almost hurt to look at her. Following the instruments, the incongruous vocals and her sincere laughs, we shifted our feet, enchanted by the surrounding atmosphere.

Dinner with my girlfriend passed in an instant.

It was the same as usual: talking and enjoying each other's company. We spoke about our day, the taste of the food and other trivial things that crossed our minds. She said that she had spent most of her time reading a book and that she saw Karuizawa, Satou, and Hirata having a meal in the diner one deck below us.

My answers were laced with deception, but I had Kikyou to back me up if she ever questioned my honesty. After the first song, we kept going for two more before I had to change and head out for my date. I also received some pointers from Sae, which meant that Morofuji should be in possession of her medicine soon enough.

"I should leave for my appointment."

"Time flies when you are having fun, huh?"

Now that she mentioned it...

"How about we meet for breakfast and cross the last cafe off our list? Afterwards, we could make up for the date we had to cut short because of my leg and walk through the shops on the seventh deck if you haven't been with your friends yet."

"Yeah, that sounds great."

The charming smile that emerged on Chiaki's lips wiped away her previous disappointment. She checked her phone and replied to an incoming message before the two of us stood up and left the restaurant. We said our farewells, exchanged a handful of kisses and were about to walk in opposite directions when her mobile rang again.

It was strange to see her eyes light up like this.

Was she perhaps cheating on me?

"So... about tomorrow." She blushed while her feet drew circles on the floor. "I just got confirmation that my reservation for the karaoke room went through. It's half an hour before our discussion period, so we could finish our date there."

What have I done to deserve this?

"I'm a terrible singer, but sure."

"You're my boyfriend, so I know that better than anyone." A chuckle escaped her lips as she closed in on me. "That's why we won't be singing." She kissed me and slung her arms around my neck. "Those cabins aren't equipped with cameras."

"That's —"

"Music to your ears?"

"Hey, don't steal my joke..."

Silence filled the dim corridor.

My heartbeat sped up, agitated by the low, grotesque whispers that only I could hear. They followed me when I was alone, kept me company through the cold, lonely nights and soothed me to sleep during times of distress. Our first steps had been grueling, but they were a part of me now, similar to the illusory hands that manifested whenever I showered.

These scars wouldn't heal, but I learned to live with them.

A faint creak crawled along the walls as I opened the door to the restroom. The motion detectors activated the automatic lights, which illuminated the cozy interior. I peered at my reflection in the large mirror by the sinks and caught sight of the 'Out of order' sign that our teacher must have prepared to prevent any accidental discoveries.

Ḱ̞ḭ̃k͉̈́y̲̋o͈̅u̫ͪ.̲̔.͈ͬ.͖͌

My fingers slipped into the thin, black gloves Kiyotaka told me to wear while I ambled towards the last cubicle. I placed the misleading notice on a vanity shelf, reached for the knob and slid inside before locking the stall behind me. A dull thud echoed through the cabin as I leaned against the light-blue panel to calm down.

Y̩̅o̮ͩŭ̞'̺ͮr̳͗e̠ͯ ̬̽s̫̽a͍̓f͖̆ḙ̌.̫̅.̣ͮ.̟ͨ

Deafening thumps pounded against my ribcage.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't shake off the queasy feeling that entered my body after I heard about Morofuji and the terrors she must have experienced. The memories I tried to suppress rushed back into my mind and pushed me towards the edge of his endless abyss. If he hadn't reached out to catch me, then...

I̧̫ͩ'̥ͬ͘l̪ͭ́l̖̓͠ ̼ͬ̕p̦͆͡r̯ͥ͢o͚ͯ͜tect you.

A smile spread across my lips.

His voice, although nothing more than an illusion, calmed my labored breaths and banished the horrible recollections that threatened to swallow my sanity, triggered by the tablets I spotted in the two plastic bags behind the toilet, which were the same I had been given after I collapsed in class — on the day I was forced to take part in Kiyotaka's wicked play.

Morofuji wasn't strong enough to survive him.

She wouldn't be able to live her life without counseling and pills to keep the panic attacks at bay if he displayed even a fraction of his cruelty. This meant that the school would get wind of her trauma once her supply ran dry at the end of our trip. He would never risk exposure — unless he had an agenda.

What was the real goal here?

Would he answer if I asked..?

Lost in thought, I dialed his number.

"Yes?"

This single word, spoken after two short beeps, erased all my worries. It might be impossible to follow his reasoning, to anticipate what he would do, or to foresee what he had planned, but I was assured that we had a special relationship.

Our connection wasn't shallow.

"Can you talk?"

"Yeah, Chiaki just left."

My world revolved around him, and I felt content in the distorted reality I had woven for myself. I was a willing captive, fueled by abnormal devotion and entangled by this vicious web of emotions that intertwined our future. Words alone couldn't describe the red string of fate connecting our fingers, transcending the superficiality of his usual bonds.

"The pills are stashed in two freezer bags." I crouched down and squinted past the toilet bowl to decipher the instructions our teacher had scrawled onto the plastic. "Each wrapper is labeled with the recommended dosage you mentioned and sealed with a zipper. Do you want me to leave them like this?"

"No. Retrieve both and take a picture of the contents. Confirm that Chabashira's notes and the medication are discernable and return everything the way you found it. Once you are done, find a good spot to place the camera and message Yajima with the phone I gave you. Provide her with the location and instruct her to exit the restroom with the medicine in hand to ensure that you get a clear recording. Remember that you are Karuizawa, so adapt to her style in the texts."

Was my hunch correct after all?

"Okay..."

The words that should have followed my brief confirmation got stuck in my throat. My lips parted, but I couldn't voice the questions I had for him. I was afraid of the answers and the implications a denial to my request carried. Our relationship matured at a stable pace and I didn't want to tilt this delicate balance to sate my curiosity.

"Kikyou?"

He's always so sly...

"Nothing. I'll get it done."

Kiyotaka remained silent, neither wishing me a good night nor disconnecting the call. He must have seen through my internal conflict, picking up on some minor variations in my speech or something just as absurd. I wouldn't even be surprised if he knew why I was so hesitant.

There was still so much I wanted to convey.

Would his bored expression change into surprise when I told him about the things I managed to figure out on my own, or would he be disappointed because I hadn't uncovered the full picture despite the vast amount of information I possessed?

No, I was certain about my conclusion.

The alternatives are nonsensical and won't benefit him. Getting more dirt on Yajima was unnecessary with the leverage he had on her, or she wouldn't walk into such an obvious trap. There was only one person he could incriminate with all of this.

"Are we really going after Chabashira..?"

"Yes, but don't worry. She won't see it coming."

Our meeting took place in half an hour.

I had no more business with Kikyou, Chiaki or the Professor, so I hoped that I could use this respite to have some time for myself. In Tokyo I could withdraw into my quarters and ignore my phone if I didn't want to socialize, but this option wasn't available on a school trip, since we had to share our cabins with up to three classmates. Fuka was the only girl who would waltz into my apartment unannounced and she never bothered me in these situations.

Maybe we weren't built for relationships.

The White Room stripped away all nonessential notions to raise the perfect human. Establishing solid connections to rich, powerful or otherwise influential individuals was a valuable asset for the examinees, but none of us ever learned how we were expected to forge or cultivate those important relations.

This wasn't an oversight, but a calculated move.

Interacting with others carried a certain probability of developing attachments that could prove harmful to our usefulness. Thus, they must have decided that all subjects had to undergo a 'sterilization' of sorts to minimize or nullify the risks. The only reason for our social incompetence were the measures taken by our supervisors.

Could those shackles be broken?

If so, by whom?

Contemplating those questions, I opened the door.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest after I realized that I wasn't the sole occupant in this room. I hesitated, pondered over whether I should walk back out and arrived at an inevitable conclusion that could be summed up in a single word.

"Dangerous..."

Slow, harmonious breaths drifted through Ichinose's irresistible pink lips. Her curvaceous body was turned to the side and tilted forward, revealing her plump thighs — emphasizing them even more than usual. She rubbed her cheek against the carpeted floor like a small, tired kitten that sought comfort after an arduous day of adventuring.

The mere sight tickled my heart.

I peeked at her rather short skirt, which granted me a memorable glimpse at her snow-white panties. My spellbound gaze swayed upwards to her long eyelashes and stopped at the smooth, strawberry-blonde hair that framed her impeccable features. Her shiny lips stirred into a serene smile, drawing my attention to her soft, rosy cheeks.

It was impossible not to look.

The natural glow of Ichinose's flawless skin was enhanced by the artificial illumination of the cabin as she shifted back and forth. These gentle movements had a not-so-subtle effect on her bountiful breasts and accentuated her stunning figure. Unable to free myself from this pleasant grasp, I kept gazing at her chest, which rose and fell with each breath.

She really is beyond gorgeous.

My brown, passive spheres were once again drawn to her well-proportioned thighs. They roamed over her alluring frame, paused at her slender legs and the black mid-calf socks she usually donned, only to return to her captivating face. I was mesmerized by my very own sleeping beauty — enthralled by the slightest fluctuations in her adorable demeanor.

Her phone was situated right next to her.

I inched closer, one step at a time.

"Ohh... ah... mhh..."

What's with those noises?

Ichinose's facial expressions were vibrant, even in a deep slumber. She seemed restless, as if she had been disturbed by a physical change in the environment, causing her legs to brush against each other. Her shallow breathing slowed until it settled down to an appropriate level, at which point I exhaled in momentary relief.

"Mmm..."

You're so defenseless...

My hand, which should have picked up her phone, caressed along her flowing hair. Her fragrant strands passed through my palm before I grazed over the silklike skin around her thighs. This accidental transgression continued as my thumb and index-finger hovered towards her socks, where they doubled back to squeeze her squishy cheeks.

... and I'm the worst.

"...ji-ku..."

The grin on her face never faded.

A quick glance assured me that she was still sound asleep. I fondled her jowl one last time and grabbed her phone, which prompted me for a password. Her birthday, 0720, was the first I tried, but the device displayed an error. This sequence of events reminded me of Fuka's guessing game when I asked her for points.

Thinking it wouldn't hurt, I typed 1020.

"Why are you making this so easy..?"

What started out as a dumb, joking gesture turned out to solve my current predicament. The correct passcode triggered a brief fade-in animation and revealed Ichinose's home screen, including the surprising image she chose as her background.

Just how much do you like me?

The person in the picture had the same physique, identical facial features and my hairstyle, but the expression this version of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka wore contrasted my usual stoic disposition. I remembered the festive decoration behind my head from Class B's surprise birthday party and recalled the chat I had with Kanzaki during which this snapshot had been taken.

That's my smile?

It differed from the ones I showed to Chiaki, Kikyou, and my mirror when I practiced the appropriate muscle movements, even though I performed the associated motions on all occasions. There had to be more — a discrepancy between then and now. The only possibility that came to mind were 'emotions' I could neither feel nor understand.

How could I recreate this state?

Adjusting to challenging, inhuman circumstances and overcoming any hurdles that the White Room placed in my way had become second nature due to my education, yet none of the formulae I devised solved this obscure equation. It would be impossible to reproduce that expression even if I asked Kikyou for guidance and observed Hirata or Ichinose for eternity.

I peered at the phone and opened the messenger.

Somewhere, hidden deep inside the dark crevice of my distorted heart, had to be a speck of light, a faint smoldering spark that rekindled the earnest smile of the white-clad boy who had buried his emotions to survive the horrors that lay in wait.

A flicker, dormant, but not extinguished.

"Nyaaa..."

A groan slipped my lips as the alarm blared.

I reached for the phone without opening my eyes and entered the password to stop the beeping noise. Disoriented from my slumber, I snuggled into my arm to enjoy the remaining time I had until everyone arrived. Ayanokouji-kun usually went into the cabin ten to fifteen minutes before our official meeting, which meant that I had to get up soon.

"So tired..."

Ever since I learned about him, I had trouble sleeping. Aside from the dreams and nightmares, I had my thoughts keep me awake, wondering about the things that happened and whether he could have had his hands in them. Running into Hirata-kun and Karuizawa-san on my way to Mako-chan assured me that he hadn't hurt her, but I was still worried about the two Class C girls who had cornered his classmate yesterday because I hadn't seen them yet.

Was it the right choice to keep quiet?

Or had I made a terrible mistake?

Soft rustling sounds floated through the room as I shifted my legs. I rubbed my drowsy eyes, roused by the friction and the unexpected comfort the small blanket over my thighs provided. My blurry vision cleared up when I identified the unfamiliar object as one of the school-issued blazers that belonged to the conspicuous silhouette beside me.

"A-ayanokouji-kun?"

The discomposure in my voice was reinforced by the distinctive stutters and the flustered expression that crept onto my face. My blank gaze alternated between his wide, reassuring back and the jacket he had draped over me while I slept.

Did I just wake up with a 'nyaa'?

God, this is embarrassing!

Maybe he didn't hear...

But what if he saw?!

"Heya, sleepyhead."

He turned around with a gentle smile, unaware of the meltdown that flourished in my mind. Engines kicked in and gears began to spin as I sought to figure out when he might have arrived and what embarrassments he could have witnessed.

Curse you and your adorable expressions!

I took a deep breath to settle the internal mayhem and inspected my surroundings. Ayanokouji-kun sat on the floor with his back towards me, which suggested that he shouldn't have seen the shameful background picture or my password. His posture and the blazer on my thighs indicated that he respected my feelings, since he made sure that nobody aside from him could see me in such a vulnerable position.

"You're here early..."

A stifled laugh was all I could muster.

"Yeah, I always arrive around twenty minutes before the group meeting to have some alone time." He scratched his chin to expose the lie and nodded in an apologetic gesture. "It seems we had the same idea. Sorry if I startled you."

"Ah, no. I... Thank you for the blazer."

I felt absolute helplessness in front of him and his mesmerizing smile. Such a simple, compassionate look was more than enough to derail my entire thought process if he was the one wearing it. Unable to withstand this pressure any longer, I sat up and leaned against the cold wall to recover my composure.

"It's fine. Everyone would have done that."

He moved over and took a seat next to me.

"Mh, I don't think that's the case."

"You really underestimate how beautiful you are, Ichinose." Ayanokouji-kun reached for his blazer and put the hem over the bare skin I exposed by sitting upright. "I'm just glad that no one else saw you in such a defenseless state."

"Huh?!"

Huuhh?!

Once again, he grinned — depraved me of my ability to think, well aware that my mind turned to mush because of him. A pleasant, indescribable warmth spread out from my torso and traveled along my whole body. My trembling lips curved into a bright beam, failing to contain the euphoria I felt.

He shouldn't be allowed to smile!

Or smooth-talk like this!

I recognized that all of his amiable expressions and bewitching statements could have been lies to manipulate me, but my frantic, spiking heart rate disregarded my doubts. Every girl would be over the moon when their crush told them that they were beautiful, and I was no exception. He knew my weakness, realized that I'd be ecstatic, and used this to his advantage.

This was cheating...

Why are you so unfair?

Ayanokouji-kun kept leading me astray with a simple flick of his finger. Each minute I spent with him was another intricate game of cat and mouse that I was about to lose. His sympathetic, innocent actions softened me up, lured me deeper into the trap he had prepared. He was conscious of my feelings for him and understood that I yearned for his affection, craved his attention and wished for him to be closer to me.

What if I told him everything?

Would he stop pretending?

It might be nice to have a fresh start with all our cards on the table — to develop an honest relationship that wasn't built on secrets and deception. His capabilities eclipsed anyone I had seen so far, but he was still just a 'defective human being'. In order to save him, I'll have to nurture his so-called 'monster' and show him the proper way of interacting with this world.

That's right...

My constant doubts about his motives would never solve his problems. I couldn't help him if I waited for his next move without performing mine. Watching until he took action meant that I was too late to ensure the safety of my schoolmates.

Just like today.

"Ichinose, about —"

I'm done being pushed around.

"Honami."

"Hmm?"

Ayanokouji-kun tilted his head and threw me a confused look. His lips remained parted, almost as if he was surprised by my sudden exclamation. The shimmer in his golden orbs reflected my dazed expression, which was as astonished as his.

What the hell am I doing?!

He already has Matsushita-san!

That's not what I wanted to say!

"Um.. m-my name. It's H-honami."

Stop talking, you're making it worse!

His apparent bewilderment was an obvious play at my devotion to him, but I couldn't deal with his charming reactions any longer. I concealed my mouth with both hands and averted my gaze with a blush that rivaled the one Mako-chan and the others saw when I handed them my phone without changing the background.

Everything turned numb.

The rapid thumps of my heart increased as I experienced a mix of happiness and guilt. I tried to regulate my shortness of breath and exhaled into my palm to calm my explosive pulse, but couldn't stop my joy from sprouting. Multiple tingling sensations darted over my skin and sprinkled the familiar burning sensation along the rest of my scorching frame.

"Yeah, I... know?"

He's not allowed to be this adorable!

"Call me Honami..."

My soft, almost pleading voice revealed my desires and made me bite my lower lip in regret and self-loathing. Matsushita-san would feel horrible if she heard that we were on a first-name basis. She might not have been as shrewd as Kanzaki-kun and I believed her to be, but there was no way that she hadn't noticed my lingering feelings for her boyfriend.

Pull yourself together.

Open your mouth.

Tell him that this was a mistake.

Stop him before it's too late.

I twisted my head, gazed at him and —

"So, Honami..."

— savored the moment he broke my mind.

The faint echoes, the remnants of his sweet words, kept dancing around me. I was glad that I sat, because I wouldn't have been able to stand with a pair of legs that had turned into jelly. Hearing him pronounce my given name for the first time was an experience I would never forget. My lips twisted into a smile, despite the shame I felt for hurting Matsushita-san.

I'm the absolute worst...

How could I be so happy about this?

Am I allowed to call him Kiyotaka?

Wait! Stop! Don't get carried away.

All his actions brought him closer to the goal he was working towards. Our current conversation was the same. Maybe he had changed his mind and decided to give me the wrong solution. His amiable behavior could be a way of ensuring that I wouldn't question the names he was about to supply me with. I couldn't lower my guard and let myself be swayed by his breathtaking eyes that appeared golden in the right light.

Whose eyes are golden in the right light?!

God, he's so handsome...

"Uhm... Honami?"

"HAI?!"

A high-pitched squeal left my lips.

My mind was in shambles, veering from one extreme to the next. His casual smile or a single compliment about anything related to me was all it took to shatter my morale. The feelings I harbored wouldn't let me focus and made it impossible to not embarrass myself when I struggled to stay calm around him.

I couldn't even remember what he said...

Phew... slow, deep breaths.

You got this Honami.

"So it's alright if I end the group now?"

"Yeah, I gathered all three names for you."

Ayanokouji-kun looked away to grant me some privacy while I unlocked my phone with his birthday. Worried that he might catch sight of my screen, I hurried to open the messenger and signaled him that it would be okay to look.

"Karuizawa Kei, right?"

"Mh."

A faint smile surfaced on his face as he watched me type out her name. I peered at him and he nodded, reassuring me for the last time before I sent the message. Our phones buzzed a moment later when we received a mail from the school.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Rabbit group. Those in the Rabbit group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

"The other two are Satou Maya and Kushida Kikyou."

My movements stopped, not out of surprise, but confusion, since I couldn't understand what he tried to achieve here. His actions supported my assumption that he accomplished whatever he needed to take care of, otherwise he might not have given me their names yet. The possibility that Hoshinomiya-sensei worked with him also rose, as it was probable that he had her babysit me to guarantee that I wouldn't get in his way again.

Did he do something to them?

Should I check on our group mates?

No, doing so could tip him off about my doubts, even if I managed to keep my involvement secret. I didn't know what he wanted from Manabe-san and Yajima-san aside from information about Class C, but he wasn't afraid to use violence if necessary, so he might have coerced them into telling him about anyone who inquired about them.

It was too risky to face him without a plan.

I pushed my reasonable worries to the back of my disorganized mind and messaged Kanzaki-kun as well as Hitomi-chan to brief them about their respective VIP. Both mails were labeled 'read' soon after, leading to two additional notifications.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Dragon group. Those in the Dragon group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

[ANHS] The test has now ended for the Horse group. Those in the Horse group are no longer required to take part any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

"Thank you Aya — no, Kiyotaka." I hid my tomato-colored face and caressed the hem of his blazer. "Without your help, we would have lost 150 points during this exam. Not only me, but the entirety of Class B, we appreciate what you did for us."

"This is nowhere near enough to repay my debt to you, Honami." His gentle smile provided comfort as I gazed at him in surprise. "I looked through Chiaki's phone when she showered and realized what she made you do. The reason you cried that day... it was all my fault." The liar took my hand and rubbed over my fingers. "I'll make it up to you, no matter what."

You are cruel, yet so sweet...

Do you know how much it hurts?

To have you this close to me?

His deception continued as natural as he exhaled the air he kept breathing. He wasn't punished for his dishonesty or infidelity, so it should be fine if I were to utter a small lie in return. Even he couldn't blame me for growing a little weak around him. It was only fair if he took responsibility for the tears he caused and spoiled me a bit to outweigh the pain.

I'm sorry, Matsushita-san.

"Tired..."

A fake yawn crawled along my lips.

My heavy head sank, slipped onto his warm shoulder and nuzzled into a satisfying position without appearing too weird. I felt his gentle gaze on my flushed cheeks when he adjusted his posture to make me more comfortable and knew that he regarded my soft smile with his own, despite my closed eyes.

Kiyotaka didn't push me off — he wouldn't tell me that he had a girlfriend or berate me for my misbehavior like that day I was confessed to by Chihiro-chan — and allowed me to indulge myself in his warmth, as though he were my boyfriend.

It's fine if he's not objecting, isn't it?

I'm not a bad person, right?

"Is that citrus?"

"Mh, does it bother you?"

It was my first time wearing perfume, but I was certain that Hoshinomiya-sensei had applied too much after our session. 'Guys like this kind of thing. Trust me, Honami-chan,' she said, spraying the contents of the vial onto me, but the aroma was quite intensive, so it wouldn't be strange if he disliked it. I had hoped that the scent would thin out before the discussion period, but I also never expected that we would be this close to each other today.

"No, it's nice..."

A malformed smile crept on my face.

Leaning against him like this wasn't something the old Honami would do. Kiyotaka must have realized this as well. He might have wondered what changed, but I didn't care anymore, since I wished to enjoy this small glimpse of happiness.

Even if it's just a little while, I wanted to be close to you.

Even if it takes another two years, you can open up to me.

Even if everyone hates you, I could never think that way.

Because I love you.