The air in the hallway seemed frozen by the low pressure radiating from Saginomiya Shiori.
Su Ruanruan was practically dragged away from the classroom.
Saginomiya Shiori walked extremely fast, each step of her slender legs carrying suppressed rage and surging possessiveness.
“It hurts… Shiori, slow down. My wrist hurts so much…”
Su Ruanruan couldn’t help but let out a whimpering cry.
Her body was far too delicate. Although Shiori, whose hands were seasoned from years of holding a sword, was only using normal force, that iron-like grip still made her bones ache. A startling ring of red marks had already appeared on her fair skin.
Hearing the soft cry of pain behind her, Saginomiya Shiori came to a sudden halt.
The two of them stopped in a remote, empty classroom within the teaching building.
Shiori turned around. When her eyes met Su Ruanruan’s teary red pupils and the shocking red marks on her wrist, the frantic possessiveness that had occupied her mind receded as quickly as a tide.
But just as an apology was about to tumble out of her mouth, Shiori stared at that red mark, and a dark thought uncontrollably flashed through the depths of her eyes.
‘She’s so beautiful.’
‘If I could use more forceful means to make her cry, to lock her in a place where only I can see her, so that every day she could only rely on me and beg for mercy like this…’
This dangerous thought lasted for only half a second before Shiori forcibly suppressed it. It wasn’t time yet; Ruanruan would be scared.
“I’m sorry… Ruanruan, I’m sorry! I hurt you, didn’t I?”
Shiori’s originally cold and valiant face was instantly filled with heartache and self-reproach. That weak and guilty appearance made her look like a large dog that had done something wrong.
She carefully held Su Ruanruan’s wrist and even leaned down to gently blow on the red marks. Her movements were as soft as if she were handling a rare treasure.
“It’s… it’s okay.”
Su Ruanruan sniffled. Seeing Shiori’s guilty expression, the bit of grievance in her heart vanished.
“I know you were just in a hurry to help me escape the classroom, Shiori. You don’t need to apologize. Thank you,” Su Ruanruan said, giving her a defenseless, sweet smile.
Looking at Su Ruanruan’s pure, innocent smile, Saginomiya Shiori’s heart suddenly tightened. A complex mixture of bitterness and jealousy surged within her.
“Ruanruan…” Shiori lowered her gaze slightly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow over the darkness in her eyes. “In your heart… how exactly do you see me?”
“Eh?” Su Ruanruan blinked, then tilted her small face up without hesitation, her tone sincere. “Shiori is my best friend, of course!”
Friend.
Even “best” friend.
Those words were like a blunt knife, sawing back and forth against Saginomiya Shiori’s heart.
Shiori’s fingers stiffened slightly, but she bit her lower lip hard, refusing to let her internal disappointment show in the slightest.
She lowered her head. The stray hairs on her forehead cast a heavy shadow over her eyes, making it impossible to see her current expression.
“Since we’re best friends…” Shiori’s voice suddenly became very low, carrying a trace of an undetectable tremble. “Then why did you suddenly want to earn money to pay off your debts yourself? I still find it hard to accept.”
Su Ruanruan scratched her cheek sheepishly, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. “Because… because I’ve completely realized my mistakes. I used to be so bad and did so many wrong things. I don’t want to be a useless person anymore. Whether it’s the money for Youyu or the high-interest debt outside, I’ll work hard to earn it back! Of course, I’ll also slowly pay back every cent you spent on me in the past, one by one!”
A deathly silence fell over the hallway.
Only the rustle of leaves outside the window could be heard as a light breeze blew past.
“…Why did you have to change?”
After a long time, Saginomiya Shiori muttered to herself as if in a trance. Her voice carried a spine-chilling obsession. “Continuing to rely on me without limits, throwing all your messes to me like before… wouldn’t that be better?”
“Eh? Shiori, what did you say?” Su Ruanruan didn’t hear her clearly and tilted her head in confusion.
Shiori suddenly took a step forward.
thud
Shiori propped her arm against the wall, trapping the petite Su Ruanruan completely between herself and the surface. The cold scent of cedar instantly intensified to a suffocating degree.
“Shi… Shiori?!” Surprised by the sudden kabedon, Su Ruanruan pulled her shoulders in and stared with wide red eyes like a startled fawn.
At this moment, Shiori finally looked up.
Su Ruanruan had no idea that the arrogant “mesugaki” who had been treated as a joke by the whole school was actually the result of Saginomiya Shiori’s indulgence and pampering.
If Su Ruanruan wanted it, even if it were the stars in the sky, Shiori would find a way to pluck them.
She deliberately satisfied all of Su Ruanruan’s vanity without limits, intentionally cultivating her nasty personality.
Because in Shiori’s dark heart, she wished the whole world would hate Su Ruanruan! As long as everyone thought Su Ruanruan was a piece of trash with a terrible personality, then Ruanruan would only ever be able to hide under her wing, depending on her alone for the rest of her life!
But the plan had deviated.
She never expected that some people wouldn’t isolate Su Ruanruan; instead, they actually liked her that way.
Later, Su Ruanruan’s behavior worsened, and she even took out high-interest debt to pursue her vanity.
But in that moment, Shiori hadn’t stopped her. Instead, she felt a sense of joy.
‘Borrow it. The more you owe, the better.’ When the debts piled up and she was forced into a corner, Shiori would descend like a savior and pay off everything for her.
By then, Su Ruanruan’s life, along with her body and soul, could only be used to repay Shiori!
But… Chu Youyu appeared.
That girl was not only rich and cute, but she could also do things that Shiori couldn’t.
“Continuing to throw all your messes to me like before… isn’t that better?”
The arm Shiori had propped against the wall suddenly lost all its strength and slid down.
The tall, handsome girl, under Su Ruanruan’s shocked gaze, bit by bit bent her straight back and slid down the wall. Eventually, she humbly knelt on one knee at Su Ruanruan’s feet.
“Eh? Shiori, you—”
Before Su Ruanruan could react, a pair of cold, slightly trembling hands had already gripped her slender ankles tightly. They then moved up, bit by bit, and hugged her waist firmly.
“Don’t…”
Saginomiya Shiori buried her face deep into Su Ruanruan’s strawberry-scented school uniform skirt. Her voice was muffled, carrying a trace of terrifying panic and sobbing.
“Don’t realize your mistakes… don’t become sensible… I beg you, Ruanruan… I’ll do anything.”
“Continuing to throw all your messes to me like before… isn’t that better?”