May our Lord and savior help my soul!!!

My brain was forced to shut down for a moment just now. I swear I could smell something similar to an overcooked steak around me. My brain was fried so bad that it was not simply well-done. It was charred to a "congratulation" level of doneness. Like an enlightened philosopher, I went through all the crucial questions of one's life, namely Who am I, Where am I, and What am I, in the span of a couple seconds.

I reached nirvana!

In fact, I was so stunned out of all space and time that I caught a glimpse of a never-before-seen apocalyptic world!!

Believe it or not, in that world, there was a bunch of whitish pink petals flying through the sky while the buildings around me were collapsing into nothingness. On the ground, the wind kept blowing the pink petals up high, creating constant streams of flowers. At the same time, high in the sky, lightning flashes were piercing through the dark clouds. There was a clear difference between those two things. One was incredibly breathtaking, and the other was nothing less than the total destruction of all life. The combination of those created a strangely depressing yet beautiful picture of life and death.

Sadly, I can not really remember the place.

In my vision, only that pinkish color and the rumbling sounds of the surroundings were clear. But if I really thought about it, that pink shade resembled the color of the sakura tree in the middle of the schoolyard when it bloomed. When I have the time, I will check it out. Maybe I can find some answers once the tree starts blooming. It is still not in the sakura-blooming season yet.

As for the rest, everything else was blurry as heck.

There was even someone there, although I could not remember who they were.

Anyway, that is not important right now. My brain probably was playing tricks on me.

What needs to be addressed is that Rachel took my lips to my surprise without notice. To judge her fairly, if she did, I still would not have believed her... In addition, I was one hundred and twenty percent sure that was no coincidence nor an accident on Rachel's side. The girls in this world never make such a rookie mistake as a kiss. When they said they did, they were simply lying.

Also, what Rachel did was not a mere speck on the mouth. No, no. We locked our lips for a little while until I could taste the sweetness of somthing fruity in her lipstick, then she let me go.

After a few seconds of complete idiocy, I finally regain my consciousness and grab her shoulders to push her back.

"Rachel?! What are you doing?!!"

What is up with her? Why did she suddenly kiss me?!

As I look into her aquamarine eyes, Rachel seems very odd. I can not explain this specifically, scientifically,...or magically...but her eyes are like those of a wanderer who got lost in a desert but managed to find an oasis. She is showing me senses of relief, pain, and happiness happening inside her aquamarine eyes as tears keep flowing from the corners.

Before the kiss, she had an enchanted expression. But now, she looks delighted and somewhat euphoric.

"I think you are making a mistake, Rachel! You should not have done that! It's me, C. Aren't you mistaking me for someone else?!"

My hands try to put some space between us, and my feet move backward, albeit very slightly. I do not want to give Rachel any signs of me running away until I am sure of my escape.

*Gu*

Rachel's embrace tightens behind my back.

This is bad! This is really bad! Despite having a small body, Rachel has ridiculous strength when she turns to the yandere side.

And...if she kissed me...I may have gotten myself into a damning situation...

...Shit...

"I...didn't make a mistake, C." Her voice is soft, almost comparable to a whisper.

*Guuuuu*

Muttering all the strength within my body, I push Rachel back. Sadly for me, the distance between Rachel and me just keeps decreasing due to her inhuman grasp on my back. She is not using her full power, and I am already helpless...

If strength is not the answer, the only way for me to clear this is by using my limitless charisma.

"I have no idea why you suddenly got so intimate with me, but I would like to tell you one thing."

She stares straight at me. If I had eyes, her gaze would look through them, and I would be scared shitless. Luckily for me, I do not have those things.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"I think, at the moment, you are just having a suspension bridge effect. None of the feelings that you have for me are real." Choosing my words carefully, I explain.

One wrong step and my head will be pulled out from my body by Rachel's unearthly grip.

"Suspension bridge effect?" Rachel tilts slightly to the side.

Please do not burden my heart with your cuteness...I need to stay truthful to my current girlfriend...

"Have you not heard of it?"

Oh, wait a second? Her embrace is getting looser! This is good! This is working!!

Maybe, just maybe, if I can divert her attention to everything being a psychological effect, she will understand and let me go?

Worth a shot, to be honest. What else do I have for my options?

"I don't think I have. Would you care to explain?"

"Gladly. So let's have a thought experiment. Say you and I are walking on a bridge, okay?"

"Okay." Rachel nods.

Seeing her focus, I suddenly feel talkative.

"That bridge is the only way to move across from one cliff to the other. When we both set foot onto the bridge, at one point, the ropes and wires tying down the bridge started to unravel and stuff. Because of that, we are now dangerously dangling in the middle of the sky."

"Oh, dear! That's dangerous!"

"I know, right!! At that moment, I quickly grab your hands and hug you tightly to not let you fall off. Our heartbeats are much faster than usual because of the fear for our lives."

Oh!! Rachel's arms are getting even looser!! Almost there, C! You are so close!

"So you are saying my feelings right now are because of something fabricated by this current event?" Rachel asks me with a smile on her face.

"Exactly!! You got it!" My head bobbles up and down like the toys you see in a car.

"Hehe!" The girl in front of me chuckles.

I am not going to lie, but looking at her like this, she truly feels like a genuine person. If she was not violent, Rachel would have been a good girlfriend. I mean, she took care of Han's every need without any complaint like a wife. What she needed was some affection in return. Poor girl.

Still, why did she chuckle?

"Silly old C! I am not the kind of person who will throw herself at anyone. You know that very clearly."

I know that! I just do not understand why!

Why me?! Why now!?

Once again, the strength of her hug increases. And our bodies get closer.

Shit...shit shit shit!!! NOT GOOD! NOT GOOD! HAN IS STILL OVER THERE!!

"Rachel! Rachel! Listen to me! What you are doing is wrong! This is against who you are!"

"No, I am not. This is who I truly am and what I truly feel exactly!!" Her voice is a little broken.

"I have a girlfriend!" I claim.

"Yeah, you do have a girlfriend..." Rachel sighs.

"Yeah, so I can not accept your fe..." As I am about to make it clear...

*Guuuuuu*

Rachel pulls me close to her. Our bodies are now hugging each other.

"And that's me. I am here, C. Your Rachel is here at last." She says with her face buried inside of my chest.

The amount of data my brain has to deal with has made it no more than a stupid brick. What have I done to deserve this treatment?

This is both a blessing and a curse at the same time! Wait, who am I kidding. This is entirely a curse!!! I have a girlfriend, god damn it!! Do not make me act like Han!!

"C, you don't like me?" Rachel looks up at me with puppy eyes.

You can not play this game like that!! This is unfair!!!

"No. I do NOT like you."

Seriously, Rachel, I do not want to lie to you like this! But we just can not be together!

"I don't believe you, C. You do like me!" She smiles brightly.

THEN WHAT IS THE POINT OF ASKING!!??

"Hear me out, Rachel. I have a girlfriend whom I do not want to disappoint. I don't know why you are like this or how, but I can not allow myself to cheat on Laura!"

Then, Rachel smiles mischievously.

"If so, you should hear me out, as well."

No...no, no, no, no, no!!! Do NOT say those words!!!

"I. Love. You. I'm back to fulfill my duty."

*Chu*

Yes. I will have another brain fart from here, thank you very much.

"TAKE YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM MY BOYFRIEND!!!"