-226- To eliminate that self

"Splish, splash..."

Warm water sprayed out from the showerhead, creating a continuous sound that echoed in her ears.

The bathroom, not exactly narrow, was filled with a misty fog, covering the tiles and walls with tiny droplets of water, making them look as though they were sweating.

This was the bathroom of one of the rooms on the fourth floor of the luxury cruise ship.

The fourth floor was where the girls' dormitory rooms were located.

At this moment, Karuizawa Kei was in the bathroom of her room, washing her body.

Although it wasn't yet time to take a bath, it was only around 2:30 PM, Karuizawa Kei still couldn't help but come here to take a shower.

If she didn't, Karuizawa Kei believed she wouldn't be able to calm her mind completely.

"This is... horrible..."

Recalling the events in the Rabbit Group's room, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but murmur such words.

Her voice was filled with pain, memories, and fear.

Her heart was pounding.

Despite the warm water, her smooth skin didn't feel any warmth.

This made Karuizawa Kei's whole body tremble slightly.

If someone saw Karuizawa Kei like this now, they would surely realize she was afraid of something.

This would undoubtedly be surprising to people.

Because, in others' eyes, Karuizawa Kei was a strong and unreasonable queen.

Being overbearing was her norm.

Impatience and disdain were her basic traits.

Who would have thought that such a Karuizawa Kei would hide in her bathroom, trembling with fear?

Only Karuizawa Kei knew.

This was her true self.

Karuizawa Kei knew herself very well.

She understood all her strengths and weaknesses.

So, Karuizawa Kei knew that neither the boys nor the girls actually liked her.

She also knew how much her overbearing and unreasonable attitude had annoyed people.

Even Hirata Yousuke didn't "like" Karuizawa Kei; he was merely "helping" her.

Karuizawa Kei was fully aware of these things.

But, what did it matter?

Karuizawa Kei wanted to become this kind of person.

As long as she became this kind of person, no one would dare to "bully" her anymore.

Therefore, no matter how annoying she was, Karuizawa Kei didn't feel any pain.

Compared to what she suffered in the past, such things weren't even worth being called painful.

In fact, after coming to Advanced Nurturing High School, everything went as Karuizawa Kei had hoped.

Her overbearing attitude earned her a status among the girls.

Her unreasonable demeanor prevented people from looking down on her.

The painful memories of the past had been completely overcome.

Now, Karuizawa Kei had been reborn.

At least, that's what she thought.

"I... should have been reborn..."

Unfortunately, this was just a dream.

A dream that would eventually be awakened.

Today's events had awakened Karuizawa Kei from her dream.

Just thinking about Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki approaching her with those familiar hostile expressions brought back painful memories from the past, like mushrooms sprouting after the rain.

"Ugh..."

The memories awakened her fear.

The fear overturned her heart.

Karuizawa Kei felt dizzy and couldn't help but sit on the floor, her head drooping as if it had lost all strength.

However, this drooping instead dealt a fatal blow to Karuizawa Kei.

Because Karuizawa Kei saw it.

There was a hideous scar on her side.

"——!"

The moment the scar entered her sight, the dizziness in Karuizawa Kei's head turned into a whirlpool, causing her already overturned heart to completely collapse.

"Mm…!"

The sound of dry heaving leaked out from between the fingers covering Karuizawa Kei's mouth.

It wasn't a reaction to the ugliness of the scar on her body but rather a disease caused by the cruel reopening of the deep-seated trauma in her heart.

A psychological illness.

Yes.

Karuizawa Kei had a painful past that could easily lead to a psychological illness.

It was precisely because of that past that Karuizawa Kei changed herself and became the loathsome person she was now.

Karuizawa Kei had thought that her past would never come back to haunt her.

However, she hadn't expected that a trivial thing she had done while pretending to be this loathsome person to protect herself would become the fuse that re-exposed her inner pain.

The sight of Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki approaching her had not only awakened the dreaming Karuizawa Kei but also the long-lost fear in her heart.

Karuizawa Kei didn't even know what would become of her in the coming days.

Being in the same group as Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki, Karuizawa Kei couldn't avoid them at all.

Karuizawa Kei would inevitably have to interact with those three.

So, the question was.

How would those three treat her?

Would they destroy the "current self" and drag out the hateful and sorrowful "past self"?

Would her body be left with a second scar like this one?

These thoughts made Karuizawa Kei even more terrified.

"No… way…"

Karuizawa Kei murmured almost powerlessly.

"I don't want… to go back…"

This was something Karuizawa Kei absolutely couldn't allow.

"I am no longer who I used to be…"

Karuizawa Kei bit her lip, struggling to suppress the fear in her heart.

"I have already been reborn…"

Even if that rebirth was merely from a humble ant to a pitiful parasite, Karuizawa Kei needed it.

Everything, everything was to protect herself.

As long as it was to protect herself, Karuizawa Kei was willing to do anything.

The scar on her side must not be allowed to increase.

Thinking of this, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but recall that person.

That man whom she could no longer ignore since the first day of the special exam on the uninhabited island.

Karuizawa Kei remembered that when the man asked the class to go out and gather herbs, he had said these words:

"Based on the types of herbs we've collected so far, I can make quite a few effective herbal remedies."

"There are herbs that can act as stabilizers to help you sleep."

"There are herbs for external use that can treat sprains, abrasions, contusions, and even fractures."

"There are herbs that can treat colds and fevers."

"In addition, there are various herbs for health maintenance, and even herbs that can remove scars."

That's right.

"Remove scars…"

Perhaps that man didn't even know?

How important those words were to her.

From that moment, Karuizawa Kei knew.

She needed him.

She needed that man, and she needed that herb.

If she didn't, she would never be able to be reborn.

As long as this scar remained on her body, she would still be her past self.

She had to eliminate that self.

For that, Karuizawa Kei was willing to do anything.

Even if it meant changing her host and becoming that man's parasite, it didn't matter.