93 Even If

"Su-chan doesn't talk about herself, and I don't ask about her either. But I'm sure she hates it. I'm sure she hates knowing she is destroying her mentality and potential this way."

Toh frowned slightly when he heard those words. That sounds wrong to him. She seemed delighted that he was willing to get to know her instead of rushing their relationship or completely dismissing her.

With that girl's personality, if she was going to lose something, she would choose a way that would destroy herself instead. Right, she is not the type of person who would care about the impact it would have on her. She is the type who would surrender everything if the situation called for it.

The type who believes her presence would cause more harm than others. Momoi Futaba is wrong; that girl has never cared about herself from the start. She has never believed that she has the potential to get along with others and become a normal girl.

"That's why I don't want you to do anything. I don't know how you met, but I will advise you not to get any closer. You are not the type of person Succhan needs to get better."

Momoi Futaba's words were firm, and Toh understood that she wanted to say this from the very start. That's why he answered her sincerely.

"In that case, you don't have to worry."

"You weren't serious about her?" Futaba frowned as she asked.

"I am serious." Toh surprised himself with this reply.

In his mind, he was already erasing the words 'fleeting interest.' and replacing it with the word serious.

"How can you say that?"

Futaba questioned him and looked at him with suspicion again. Indeed, this is a natural response. In her eyes, he is simply a stranger who got close to her best friend.

The longer a person gets to know somebody, they subconsciously form a stronger bond and level of trust. Some formed such a strong level that they entrusted their lives with one another. The level of trust between Sumire and him was nowhere near that.

However, he was still able to confidently answer her back.

"Because she-" Toh didn't get a chance to finish his sentence when they heard the sound of an explosion.

It came from the direction of the room.

Futaba's eyes widened, alarmed. "Succhan?"

The moment she said those words, Toh recalled her weird state. She looked a bit pale, and her forehead was a bit warm- is she still sick? Worried, he subconsciously ran too.

Staff members rushed past them, telling people to evacuate, but Futaba, and he didn't hesitate.

The entire atmosphere felt tense, and he was getting goosebumps all over his skin as the scent of blood became heavier. But, this didn't stop the woman in front of him from increasing her speed.

Geez, isn't she supposed to be a model? Why is she so fast?

Since they were running at such a fast pace, it did not take them long before they reached the room.

There stood the woman he was gradually becoming interested in, drenched in blood. But it was not her own blood, but the blood belonging to the pile of bodies by her feet.

Sumire turned around briefly. For a moment, there was a dangerous look in her eyes, but that vanished, leaving nothing but an empty gaze.

"Ah, Futaba," Sumire said in a monotone voice. "There you are."

Toh could only stand there frozen at the sight before him.

'Your asking for trouble, Toh, that woman lost her morals a long time ago.'

His friend's words echoed in his mind, and the current bloody state of the room served as a strong reminder of those words.

But, even if she is broken to pieces like this, he still wants to get closer to her.

Futaba bit her lip and rushed over and hugged her. "It's alright; it's alright, Succhan. I am right here."

Despite only briefly seeing Sumire's face, he could have sworn he saw something fall from her eyes.

A single tear, a tear that she wouldn't show anybody, not even her best friend. But he saw it clearly the moment their eyes made contact.

_____________

At Fashion Crescent university, four days later. Friday 13th February.

Toh was resting on the rooftop and staring at the sky as he replayed the events that had happened a few days ago. According to what he learned, it seems as the remains of the group Sumire provoked on the night, they met teamed up with somebody to find out her full name and thus found her location easily.

"Hey, Toh, are you sure you should be lounging around here?" The voice of his friend Koichi broke his thoughts.

"It's fine."

"It's not fine; the university especially held this event since you complained about not having enough models. They sent the fliers everywhere and spent a lot of money on advertising, so you better get down there."

A model, huh? He exaggerated and said he didn't have enough models, but he really meant he was lacking only one more model.

"Are you still thinking about the scene that Ibuki caused the other day?"

"I am."

"Toh," Koichi said sharply. "You should get your head checked. There is no human alive who would voluntarily get involved with that girl after learning what type of person she is."

"But aren't you just judging her from rumors?"

"No, no. I am telling you I have seen with my own eyes what she can do, and I do not like it at all." Koichi trailed off. "You saw it with your own eyes, and yet you still want to approach her?"

"I do. I even want to pin her down again and see what types of expressions she will make."

Koichi's face turned pale.

"You slept with her without getting stabbed, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that. I mean, can you even get hard around such a frightening woman-"

Toh sighed, hearing his friend's words. A frightening woman, huh? When he first held her, he simply saw her as a weak and helpless woman. His impression has indeed changed after hearing the rumors and seeing that bloody sight.

But, even then, he could only think of the woman nestled in his embrace not too long before that bloody sight.

Koichi was staring at him and shaking his head.

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. Ibuki isn't a normal woman, no matter what you say."

"So, why did you come here?"

"Right, somebody interesting showed up in the selections just now. Although she said she wasn't participating, and her friend would be."

"Somebody interesting?"

"Momoi Futaba, that supermodel that rose to fame not too long ago."

At those words, Toh immediately stood up.

"Oh, are you interested in her too?"

"You said she brought a friend?" Toh said interested.

"Uh yeah." Koichi rubbed his neck with the back of his knuckles. "I couldn't see her face clearly since she was wearing a hood. But, people say she is quite the natural beauty."

A natural beauty who is Momoi Futaba's friend? That description can only meet one person.

So after not meeting him for many days, she shows up at the model selection at his university. That silly woman- he ought to see her personally.