《Shatter Me and Love The Pieces [GL]》


 Prelude: How did I get here?

    So here I am, my back against the cold hard floor looking up into a pair of deep green eyes that scream ¡°go on, try it¡±. I can only think of one thing right now. ¡°How the hell did I get in this mess?¡±


    Just a few days ago I was having normal days, coming to school without much to worry about and enjoying life as much as I could.


    So how is it that I now find myself pinned against the gymnasium floor by some girl I have barely ever talked to? Ah I remember, it all started with that.


    ¡°So now what?¡± I ask after letting out a heavy sigh


    ¡°...¡±


    The girl said nothing, just sitting on top of me. Her eyes were like a vortex, always pulling my gaze to them. I must look pathetic right now, defeated even.


    I can¡¯t be bothered anymore.


    Dark thoughts of giving up and surrendering traversed my mind. All my life all I wanted was to live up to the expectations of those around me and yet, here I am, in this situation.


    The silence was really killing me, up to this moment my heart had been aching trying to jump from my chest, not knowing what was going to happen to me. As I lay here with no control over anything anymore I felt almost at peace.


    There was a deep serenity to be had in having no control. For the first time in a while I felt relaxed.


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    The thought that I might be strange crossed my mind. Who would be relaxed right now?


    ¡°Hmm, not sure. What do you think?¡± Breaking the quiet and silencing my thoughts, the aggressive girl with deep attracting eyes spoke up.


    Snapping me awake, the girl posed a strange question. I mean, how am I meant to answer that? You¡¯re the reason we are in this situation.


    Just then I had a thought, what if¡­


    I kicked my hips causing the girl on top of me to lose balance and jolt forward. As she did so her face inched closer to me and without thinking too much I learned into it. Our lips touched. All within the same second I somehow managed to achieve my first kiss.


    Not at all what I imagined it would be like. It was bland, I almost did not feel it. In fact if you asked me to describe it after, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you, that¡¯s how forgettable it was. And yet, it was my first. Rather unremarkable. Not that I cared about that kind of thing but not at all how I imagined my first kiss would go.


    Before being allowed to think too much I was ripped back to reality with a sudden thud.


    Ouch. Almost within the same second we kissed I was pushed back onto the ground with an uncomfortable force. I looked back up to the girl, who for the first time didn¡¯t have an expression of smug superiority, but instead a shocked look.


    It was understandable to look like that. If someone just forced their first kiss on me, I¡¯d have a similar reaction but really, she kind of deserved it for the ordeal she has put me through.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± The girl asked with a tone that could only be described as furious.


    ¡°Something.¡± I replied sharply.


    To be honest, it¡¯s not like I put much thought into what I just did, I just thought it would make her uncomfortable and in that regard, I had clearly won. I finally scored one on her. It was refreshing not being the nice girl for once.


    ¡°Tch¡± The girl turned her head away and made a sound of disapproval. And that¡¯s how my first kiss went.

 Chapter 1 - The girl with a gloomy face

    Yep. That''s it. That''s my alarm going off at the same time it does every day, 6:00am. Despite living only 5 minutes away from the school I still chose to get up this early, why? That is simple, I have to make sure I am looking as good as ever, my appearance is everything, I have to be perfect. My looks, my grades, even my social life. If it is not perfect then what''s the point of living?


    My day starts as follows: I wake up to my early alarm, get out of bed and brush my hair, followed by a trip to the bathroom to do the usual. Next, I brush my hair again of course, my lush syrupy brown locks have to be just right. Soft but firm, flowing like a river down to the middle of my back.


    After 10 to 15 minutes of making sure my hair is just right, it¡¯s time for my makeup. The school of course doesn''t allow over the top makeup so this is simple.


    After checking everything is just right it¡¯s time for breakfast. A healthy and hearty meal is the key to having a great day and staying in shape.


    Finally, it¡¯s time to get dressed. While I do wish the school¡¯s uniform was a bit more stylish, I can¡¯t complain too much. Compared to the other schools nearby, this is definitely the best.


    Buzzz Buzz


    Ah, the doorbell. This could only be one person. After casually strolling to the door I open it to find¡­ Yep, I was right. Standing in front of me beaming brightly as usual was Haruka, My best friend and a friend I''ve known since the start of middle school all the way to now, our second year of highschool .


    ¡°Sei-chan!¡±


    Yep, this little ball of energy always came to see me at the start of my day and she always calls me by my first name too. I didn¡¯t mind it all of course, though it was a little annoying at first, I have since grown used to it.


    ¡°Yes yes, as carefree as ever I see, come in Haruka¡±


    Haruka would always stop by to grab breakfast here. Why? I have no idea, maybe the food was better or maybe she just really wanted to see me, either way I didn¡¯t mind. We could spend the remaining time from my daily routine just chatting for a short while before heading to the exhausting battlegrounds that was school.


    It¡¯s not like I despise school or anything, It¡¯s just hard to keep up my loving persona and perfect girl facade for that long. Even though I go through all the efforts to present a perfect human on the outside, reality is cruel. Inside of me is a wash of brewing emotions that wouldn¡¯t fit my attitude.


    I¡¯m not insane or anything, It¡¯s just hard trying to live up to everyones expectations all of the time, sometimes I just want to live as myself and not be the embodiment of someone''s expectations.


    ¡°Say class prez~, how come you don¡¯t have a boyfriend anyways?~¡± Harkuka asked in a teasing tone.


    On the short walk to school Haruka always made sure to ask some teasing questions, even adding in the ¡°class prez¡± instead of my name. Maybe it was her way of lightening the mood or she was just genuinely curious I wasn¡¯t sure.


    What I did know was that I didn''t particularly have an interesting answer for her. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t care, sure love sounds nice but how would I, who can barely keep herself together day to day ever cope with something as complicated as a relationship?


    ¡°Mmm, I just don¡¯t. It¡¯s not like I have time for it anyways¡± I replied curtly so she wouldn''t ask about it more.


    I wasn¡¯t a particularly rude person but I made sure to let people know when I didn¡¯t want a conversation continuing somewhere. Haruka understood this part of me, gently smiled and left it at that.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s going to rain today?¡±


    ¡°I sure hope not, I totally forgot my umbrella¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so like you¡±


    Shortly after arriving at school you could hear the conversations occurring between fellow classmates and friends as one by one they marched in.


    It was a slightly warmer than usual day in June, rain was to be expected around this time of year and yet, much like that girl I overheard, I also forgot my umbrella. Typical. Well, the forecast yesterday didn¡¯t mention any rain so with any luck, I¡¯ll be alright.


    Not long after the crowds of people scuffled inside, the school day began.


    For the most part, school passed rather quickly. As I was making my way to the classroom for the last period I bumped into someone, without looking at who I quickly lowered my head and let out an apology.


    ¡°Ah if it isn''t little Miss Perfect¡± The bitter tone spoke out. ¡°Why don¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going next time?¡±


    This girl is Ayano Haru. For whatever reason, she hates my guts. While she doesn''t exactly bully me, she never misses a chance to berate me or comment on how perfect I am. Letting it slide I ignore her remarks and apologize again before heading to class


    Dinnnng


    The chime echoes. Thus the last period has come to an end. Students begin to scuffle picking up their belongings and either getting ready to head home or join in afterschool activities.


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    ¡°Seiii-chan! Do you have club today? Wanna hang out?¡± Haruka blurted out as soon as the chime had finished. She was waddling over to me with two more girls in tow.


    The two girls were of course our friends Hamada and Arima . While I wasn¡¯t the most popular person in school I still got along with almost everyone due to my easy going attitude and because of that I had a lot of ¡°friends¡±.


    Hamada was a tallish girl who always had a blank look on her face. She had short dark hair and a fit physique. Arima was a short girl who always looked happy no matter what, she clung to Hamada every day.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry Haruka, Fujiwara Sensei asked me to help out after class today and you know me, I can¡¯t say no to anyone¡± I replied with a cheerful tone


    Ugh, that¡¯s right, I can¡¯t say no to anyone. I hate it when people look at me with disappointment, it makes me writhe and so I¡¯m stuck doing mundane tasks and acting like the helpful buzzy cloud of a girl I should have been.


    This leaves me exhausted all the time, being someone else for other people¡¯s expectations. If only I could be more carefree like Haruka.


    ¡°Next time for sure though. Let¡¯s all hang out and eat something sweet!¡± Just so they wouldn''t be disappointed I made a promise to hang out at some point.


    ¡°Yay! I can¡¯t wait.¡± Haruka exclaimed as she ran up to me and hugged my arm.


    ¡°Well in that case I guess we¡¯ll see you later Sei-chan¡± She said, skipping off with Hamada and Arima.


    As the classroom emptied and people slowly fizzled out leaving me on my own, I let out a deep breathy sigh. Just a few minutes later the teacher that had asked me to stay behind entered the room.


    ¡°Ah, Shiori-chan, thankyou for stopping by. I just need you to come and help me sort through these tests for your year group. I just want to make sure I can get through them all so I can give adequate homework for summer break¡±


    What the hell? Isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate to ask a student to sort through tests? What if I did something? Plus, what am I, your slave? So annoying.


    Forcing a smile I agreed to help. ¡°No problem Sensei, I did not have anything planned anyways and I am always happy to help¡±.


    ¡°Perfect, if you would just wait a moment I have another student who needs talking to¡± As he said that he walked out of the classroom and down the hall.


    Moments passed and I could hear the faint sounds of chattering. I left the classroom into the hall so I could get a drink from the fountain. As I looked around I could see Sensei talking to another girl with a stern look on her face. Clearly she¡¯s not happy to be here. I could pick up on certain words and it was clear that Sensei was reprimanding the girl for something. I couldn¡¯t tell what though.


    Fujiwara Sensei left and headed towards his office. I stared into the empty classroom that he and the girl were just in.


    The girl with jet black hair and short stature stood staring out of the window with a gloomy expression on her face.


    I think I know this girl, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s in my class, what¡¯s her name again?


    At some point as I was lost in thought trying to remember the girl¡¯s name, she had turned around and started staring at me. She had a blank look on her face but only for a moment before tilting her head and forcing a smile just before leaving.


    ¡°Well that was kinda creepy¡± I thought to myself


    A few moments later the teacher returned with a box gripped in both hands. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what would be in this box. It was the tests.


    We began sorting through the tests together in the classroom, just the two of us. Of course I felt incredibly awkward but I wasn¡¯t going to let it show on my face. Just as I was getting used to the quiet he spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for just a moment, I need to check a few things¡± and with that he got up and left me here. I''d been here about half an hour already and I was ready to go home and sprawl out on my bed, dreaming of a world where I was someone else.


    I looked down and noticed the test paper I had in my hand was that of a certain girl. It was Ayano Haru¡¯s. I was never a person to act out on impulse but for some reason just seeing that girl''s name had made me incredibly upset. She had made my life all the more annoying with her useless never ending remarks.


    Without thinking I tore up her test paper.


    Realizing what I had just done, I started to panic. What had I just done? I just ripped another student''s test into pieces. If anyone saw me, not only would people see me as less than perfect, but I''d be in serious trouble. What would my family think?


    I quickly shoved the ripped pieces of the test into my bag as chilling footsteps getting closer echoed throughout the classroom. I took out my phone pretending I''d just gotten a text and stood up as the back haired girl walked into the classroom. Huh. Didn¡¯t she go home? What¡¯s she doing here? She didn¡¯t see that right?


    As all the negative thoughts started pounding in my head as if trying to crack it in two, she once again turned to me with a forced smile and left.


    Just a moment later, the teacher returned. Clearly a bit flustered I exclaimed in a soft voice ¡°Ah my Mother says she needs me back home, sorry Sensei¡±.


    I needed to get out of here and fast, I could not believe what I had just done. How could I be so impulsive? I mean sure the girl deserves it, but really, what has gotten into me?


    After rushing back home I ran into my bedroom and flopped onto my bed.


    After screaming into my pillow I thought back to what had just occurred. With nothing to do about it now, I took the pieces out of my bag and binned them.


    ¡°Katsumi Saito¡­¡±


    My head buried into my hands I remembered that black haired girl¡¯s name. Having no idea why I just remembered, I sat and thought on it, She hadn¡¯t seen me right?


    Katsumi Saito was something of a delinquent. She almost never came to school, was never seen hanging around with anyone and was sometimes spotted arguing with the teachers. Yeah, this kind of girl I couldn''t get involved with. Lets just hope she didn''t see anything. What was with that smile anyways? Ugh, no use thinking about it now.


    As I worried and dark thoughts invaded my mind, time passed and I slept waiting for the next day.

 Chapter 2 - Come with me Shiori-san

    On my usual walk to school with Haruka the air was tense. While I slept like a baby last night, the morning I woke couldn''t be described as peaceful. From the moment I woke to now my heart wouldn¡¯t calm down.


    If what happened yesterday evening were to get out I¡¯d be labeled a psycho and a bitch. Not to mention the possibility that the black haired girl saw what I had done. I couldn''t have my image smeared, and as such, I''ve been in a state of confusion and worry all morning.


    ¡°Hellooo~¡± My thoughts were interrupted by the wave of a hand as Haruka stepped in front of me.


    ¡°Sorry, I was lost in thought¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, you''ve been like this all morning. Something up?¡±


    I couldn''t bring myself to tell her what I had done. Even though we are best friends and I have known her since the start of middle school, not even Haruka knew that side of me.


    ¡°Yeah sorry, just had a bad dream and it has had me shook all morning¡± I lied


    ¡°Ooo even the perfect class prez can have bad days too¡± she remarked in a teasing tone


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Without getting a reply we slowly strolled onward eventually arriving at the school. The day began as always and we made our way to homeroom. The students trudging along and telling each other the gossip of the previous day filled the air with noise.


    As we chatted about mundane topics of nothing in particular with Arima and Hamada, I spotted her.


    ¡°Saito¡­¡± I mumbled under my breath trying to hide the stares I was giving her. Surprised she even came to school today I accidentally let my thoughts out through my mouth which was picked up on by Haruka.


    ¡°Huh, you know her Sei?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no not really. She was just here yesterday evening too¡±


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s bad news, a total delinquent, best to steer clear of her¡± Hamada said as the other 2 nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I heard she actually hit a teacher in middle school¡± Haruka input


    ¡°Woah, that''s really scary¡± said Arima


    While I was of the same opinion and I¡¯d heard all these rumours too, that didn''t matter to me right now. What did matter was the fact that I had done something outrageous yesterday in a moment of impulsive weakness and she might have seen it. To make matters worse it appeared she had seen me staring at her and she flashed me a piercing grin.


    Desperate to hide myself from her I quickly turned and pretended I was listening to the conversation of my friends.


    The bell for homeroom had begun to chime and students sat in their respective seats as our homeroom teacher walked through the door.


    Anything they were saying was going straight through one ear and out the other. It wasnt that I didn¡¯t want to pay attention, it''s just that I could feel the daggers in my back as Saito glared at me.


    She knew something. There''s no way she¡¯d flash that creepy grin and stare at me like that if she didn¡¯t. My chest hurt and my heart raced thinking about it. Maybe it wouldn''t have been so bad if it weren''t for the fact that we shared every class together.


    Seriously, this girl I¡¯d barely even noticed before was now my center of attention, every class was a miserable drag on as I felt her stares. Finally, lunch break. Maybe I can get some reprieve and just eat in peace without thinking about anything.


    Just as I turned to leave the boring history class for lunch I felt a tap on my shoulder, expecting to see one of my friends, I turned quickly. As I turned around my face slowly began to grimace as the person who stood in front of me was not a friend. Far from. This person was Saito.


    ¡°Ah, aha. Saito-san, is there something you need¡± I tried to play it off cool.


    ¡°Follow me¡±


    That''s all she said and yet those two words made my heart sink as images of my life being ruined flashed before me. ¡°That''s it, it''s all over.¡± I thought.


    I followed her through the corridors weaving between students trying to keep her in sight but her small stature and quick pace made it difficult to follow. Eventually leading me to an unused music room where we both entered and stood silently for a moment.


    ¡°So uhh, what can I help you with?¡± I said with a smile, still hoping somehow this had nothing to do with yesterday¡¯s events.


    ¡°I''m surprised you know my name, class president¡±


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    ¡°Ah well you know, it''s my job to know all the students isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?...¡±


    Although it was a question it was posed with no way to answer, so for another moment we both stood there before she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Fiddling with it for a second she brought it up to my face and¡­


    Gulp


    There it was, not only did she know what I did yesterday, she somehow managed to record me doing it. Yep. I¡¯m so screwed. I stood there stunned in silence for a moment as I tried to think of ways out of this. Nothing came to mind. In fact, as if in betrayal, my mind not only failed to come up with a solution, it was showing me the disappointed looks of everyone in my life.


    First to break the silence was Saito-san


    ¡°You''re actually a naughty girl aren''t you, Shiori-san?¡±


    Those words rang in the air for a moment as my face must have had all its colour flushed away and a shiver shot down my spine. Speechless and dumbfounded, I had nothing to say, but I had to say something, make some sort of excuse right?


    ¡°No. Uh, that was a blank test you see¡± Laughing nervously I tried to play it off but somehow in the back of my mind, I knew that it was useless.


    ¡°Is that so? Then how come you looked so guilty as you shot off after? I bet you actually wanted to do that, didn¡¯t you?¡±.


    She was right, I did. At that moment just seeing her name had made me furious. I couldn''t tell her that though. I have to be perfect, no matter what, people can''t be disappointed in me. I kept reminding myself.


    ¡°No, of course I didn¡¯t, it was just a blank test¡±


    A pathetic excuse.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that when the results are posted there won''t be a student who scores zero thanks to you?¡± She led on with a vicious smile, clearly she knew more than she was letting on.


    I gulped again. She was right, no matter how you look at it. It would eventually come to light that a student''s test was missing. Ayano Haru. Although I hated the girl, she was actually quite studious and her test scores were high, it would be unlikely she¡¯d miss a test day or fail to answer all the questions.


    ¡°So, what then?¡± I asked with an icy tone, the goody perfect girl had left me for a moment.


    ¡°Wow. Scary, it suits you I think¡± She replied with a grin staring into my eyes.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I was caught off guard by this ridiculous remark. What on earth was she talking about? Furthermore, she didn''t even answer my question. What the heck?


    Refusing to even let me process what was happening she spoke out again.


    ¡°Shiori-san, give me your contact info.¡± She said quite bluntly. Like hell I''d want to give this girl my contact info. Not only had she maliciously recorded me doing something I shouldn''t have, she had a bad reputation as a delinquent. I shouldn''t get involved with a girl like her. And yet, I was in no position to argue.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I said meekly ¡°What are you going to do? Do you want to ruin my life?¡±


    She scoffed as she noted down my contact information.


    ¡°Nothing yet, I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± And with that, she turned around and left.


    ¡°Well that was something.¡± I mumbled in a soft breathy voice.


    I wonder what she wants?


    I didn''t put up much of a fight with her, I was way too exhausted to even try. To be honest, part of me just wanted to give up there and then. I wondered what my life would be like if I just let it all crumble. Just as quickly as those thoughts entered my mind I shook my head and slapped my hands against my cheeks. I couldn''t be thinking something like that now. What''s done is done and I¡¯ll just have to wait.


    Somehow, despite this delinquent girl now having blackmail over me, I felt a little relieved. I mean, I no longer had to worry if she¡¯d seen me. That much was clear. She had. I could stop worrying about that which helped clear my mind a little.


    After spending a little more time in the empty unused music room, I turned for the door and left so I could finally eat lunch.


    Without worrying too much, the rest of the day was coming to a close and I headed home.


    ?


    I sat on the floor with my back against my bed anxiously awaiting for something to happen. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect but after the conversation with Saito-san I was feeling a little less concerned about it. Like a huge weight had been removed from my shoulders.


    Pingg


    The sudden sound of my phone alerting me to a text sent a cold chill throughout my body ending at my heart, it was as if I had been stabbed.


    I checked my phone hoping it was just one of my friends but as I expected, it was not.


    ¡°Come to the unused gymnasium storage room after school tomorrow.¡±


    That¡¯s all it said. A demand.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t?¡±


    Knowing fair well what would happen if I didn¡¯t, I asked anyway. I¡¯m not entirely sure why, maybe I just wanted to hear her say it.


    ¡°Or this gets released¡± An attached file of the video she had taken of me the night before was sent along with it.


    ¡°Why did I even ask?¡± I mumbled to myself as I typed out a half-assed reply. ¡°Ok¡±.


    Although I was anxious and a little angry at myself, I couldn¡¯t find it in me to blame Saito-san. I was paying for the consequences of my own actions and in a way having my fate be decided by someone else for a change was rather calming.


    For the first time in a long while, I had let guard down around someone and revealed a side of me that had been kept hidden. It was an enjoyable experience having someone who didn¡¯t hold such high expectations of you, even if that person was a completely unknown factor.

 Chapter 3 - Blackmail and the arrangement

    Once again the school day was coming to a close. I had to tell my friends that I had another engagement with a teacher today as they wanted to hang out. I didn¡¯t like lying to my friends but I also wasn¡¯t the type of person to enjoy hanging out all the time anyway.


    My feet shuffled making my way to the gymnasium store room as the sounds ricocheted from wall to wall of the empty gym. Today was a warm sunny afternoon and as such the P.E clubs were outside rather than in the gym.


    Halting to a stop I was finally in front of the store room, I knocked twice to make myself known.


    ¡°Coming in¡±


    I slid the door to the side and almost immediately I could feel the cold air attack me. Scanning the room you could see old dusty equipment and the room itself was blanketed in a gloomy darkness, there was a soft but dim light hanging from the ceiling already turned on. It didn¡¯t do much good to illuminate the room, clearly it needed changing.


    Sitting on an old gymnastics mat was Saito-san, almost profound as if she had been waiting for years.


    ¡°Shut the door¡±


    Doing as I was told I shut the store room door. The room was practically only illuminated by the faint glow of a dying light now.


    ¡°So, what do you want?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. What was she going to do? What did she want from me? Given the stakes I wasn¡¯t in a position to argue or refuse whatever she wanted but even so, if what she wanted was too outrageous I¡¯d have to find a way around it.


    ¡°You know Shiori-san, this attitude really suits you a lot better don¡¯t you think?¡±


    This girl¡­ She had a habit of not answering my questions which left me irked in the wrong way. It was very annoying.


    Furthermore, what was she even talking about? She preferred the real me? Sorry but I had no intention of ever letting anyone else see that. My entire life revolved around making sure people saw me as perfect. I knew the looks of disappointment and disapproval I would get if I wasn''t. I couldn''t handle that, not again. Not ever.


    Who even was the real me? I¡¯d been living my life as someone else for so long I wasn¡¯t sure there was much of me left.


    With that in mind I had to make sure that whatever this girl wanted she would be satisfied, otherwise she could ruin my life.


    I never noticed it before, but seeing her in this light made me realise, she had a pretty face. Her deep green eyes pulled your attention and her perfect long black hair that shone in the light was gorgeous. How is it she ended up like this, a total delinquent?


    A few moments had passed since she made her remark of my personality and lost in the maze of my thoughts I had forgotten to reply.


    ¡°Well anyway¡­¡± She said getting off the mat and slowly walking towards me


    ¡°I want you to fulfil one request of mine each day, and I want you to come here every day after school¡±


    What a ridiculous and selfish request, but I couldn''t refuse, she had blackmail on me as frustrating as it was.


    ¡°Hang on Saito-san, I am okay with the requests but I cannot come here everyday¡­ I have activities and social relationships to keep intact. Not to mention that the clubs will be using the gym on some days.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that does seem fair. Fine then, you don''t have to come here everyday, but everyday you don''t complete a request I will add it to a total. How¡¯s that? If not¡­ well lets just hope it doesn''t come to that¡±


    This was absurd. What kind of requests were these going to be anyways? Failing to find a more comfortable middle ground I would have to agree with her terms.


    Once again this girl''s carefree attitude towards something that could ruin my entire life really irked me. Especially that smile she forced whenever I looked at her.


    ¡°Fine then¡± After not too much contemplation I realised I couldn¡¯t really fight this. I finally gave in.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± She beamed at me with that forced grin


    ¡°Oh but don''t make the requests anything extreme or perverse-¡± I started, but was soon interrupted.


    ¡°I don''t think you¡¯re in any position to make demands, plus you already agreed, didn¡¯t you?¡± She was very close to me, our faces would be almost touching if not for the height difference. I was about a head taller than her but right now the presence she had felt towering. I felt beneath her.


    ¡°That is true¡­¡± I sighed


    ¡°Mmhm! That¡¯s it Shiori-san¡±


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    Hearing that made me sick to my stomach, She really had a grip on me and everything she said either left me puzzled or feeling ill.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then¡± I turned to leave as we now had our arrangement set and I didnt want to linger in this crude room any longer.


    Just as I turned, a hand grabbed me by the arm and yanked on it.


    ¡°Ow, what was that for-¡±


    Turning to face her I could see those eyes, those deep penetrating eyes that just sucked you in. She had a stern look on her face and mouth agape like she was about to say something.


    ¡°Today''s request¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s request Shiori-san, or have you already forgotten?¡±


    Right. I had already forgotten, why didn''t I even think that the requests would start today?


    ¡°What is it?¡± I sighed, my displeasure visible on my tone and face


    ¡°Show me who you are, Shiori-san¡± She demanded with a smirk, somehow I got the feeling that the grin on her face was more genuine than any I¡¯d seen before.


    What exactly did she want me to do? She¡¯d already seen the icy indifferent side of me. The cold and callus version of myself. She already knew my day to day life was mere pretend, so what on earth could she possibly want?


    Just as I was lost in my own thoughts, I could hear the echoes of her steps as once again, she inched closer to me. She arrived directly in front of me and before I could even begin to speak she reached her hand out and grabbed me by the collar pulling me down to her level.


    It was fast and violent. The jerky movement pulled on the back of my neck leaving burns and a sore feeling. It really hurt, was there any need for that? That really annoyed me. No, it pissed me off to be handled so violently.


    ¡°Shiori-san~¡± She began to speak up but acting on impulse I didn¡¯t let her finish.


    I was still livid from being handled so carelessly, my thoughts were too slow and my body acted on its own. I was pissed.


    Lost in my rage I pushed Saito-san back with more force than I intended. She stumbled a few feet backwards, her back hitting the wall with a thud. My outstretched arm was hovering to the side of her face as I leaned against the wall which she was now pressed against. Our faces were rather close. I couldn''t quite tell what the expression I had right now was. No, deep down I knew, I was smiling.


    I wasn''t the only one, Saito-san was also smiling, as if pleased by the turn of events. Her ludicrous antics in this situation brought me back to my senses and realising what I had just done, I started to back up and apologise.


    But before I could get any words out, I was on the floor.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    What had just happened? Right, I was pinning Saito-san to the wall and then¡­


    Ah, this pain. She had hit me in the gut and pushed me down.


    After a short coughing fit and a bit of drool oozing from my mouth, she sat on my hips and pinned me to the ground. It was cold and hard, and rather unpleasant. Paired with the pain of being hit where I was, I would say this situation sucked.


    Why did I have to suffer through all this, all I¡¯ve ever done is appease the people around me to avoid their looks of disgust. Was it really that bad, was wanting people to be happy such a crime?


    ¡°See? You¡¯re just like me, Shiori-san. I think we¡¯re going to get along together just fine.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    I couldn''t bring myself to argue. Somehow this girl, who is shorter than me by a whole head''s length, had a special ability to make me feel so small.


    So we find ourselves here in this situation


    ¡°So now what?...¡±


    ?


    And that is how we ended up here. That is how I had my first kiss. And that is how I had found myself under the thumb of some student I almost couldn''t remember the name of.


    Katsumi Saito. I¡¯d likely not forget now.


    The gloomy girl who had for the first time an expression of disgust had gotten off me and made for the door. She shot a final glance at me before leaving for good. I waited, listening to the sound of her footsteps bouncing around the empty gymnasium slowly fade away with distance.


    I lay there on my back on the uncomfortable cold floor for a few more minutes. Stewing in my thoughts. My lower torso is in pain from the hit I suffered at Saito-san¡¯s wrath, she looked quite happy doing it too. And she says we¡¯re the same. I''d laugh at the thought if it didn¡¯t hurt.


    Letting out yet another sigh, I started to shift as I got up and made for the exit after her. It was time to go home, I had a lot to think about.


    ?


    After a short while I made it home and into the comfort of my bedroom. After flopping onto the squishy fluffy blanket on my bed I sighed and closed my eyes.


    ¡°What a day.¡±


    I touched my lips softly with the tips of my fingers thinking back to how I had just shared a kiss with a stranger. I never really thought about my sexuality, it''s not something that''s ever crossed my mind. I¡¯ve never had time to think about it. I didn¡¯t dislike the thought of dating girls but it would affect the perfection I had made getting glared at all the time.


    I didn¡¯t have too long to think about it before my phone lit up indicating I was getting massaged. This time it was just Haruka.


    ¡°Hope you¡¯re doing okay! <3¡± Along with a sticker of a cute cat holding a heart.


    She was always like this, always concerned about me and checking up to make sure I was doing well.


    ¡°Yeah I am okay¡± I replied with a smile emoticon.


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to have casual chats.


    ¡°Sorry Haruka¡± I mumbled to myself, turning my phone to silent and relaxing my eyes.

 Chapter 4 - The second request?

    For one reason or another I had awoken late in the night. Not desperate to remain that way I got myself a glass of water and returned to my room after rehydrating myself.


    Out of curiosity I checked my phone for the time. 1:00AM.


    Just as I was about to put my phone down I noticed I had 2 messages and despite my better judgement I decided to check who they were from.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk¡±


    What the hell? Don¡¯t get chummy with me, you¡¯re blackmailing me remember?


    Regretting opening my phone I found two messages from Saito-san. I can¡¯t deny I was rather intrigued by what she had to say but I was also tired, and worried that whatever it was it wasn¡¯t good.


    Spending a few minutes thinking it over my interest got the better of me and I replied. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    Just a moment later the message had been read. She must have been sitting on her phone all night, that checks out given that she is a delinquent.


    ¡°How¡¯s your tummy?¡±


    Is she seriously asking that?


    Just earlier in the day Saito-san had punched me in the gut causing me to collapse and have a coughing fit. Now she was asking how I was doing? That has to be a joke.


    ¡°It hurts like hell thanks to someone¡±


    ¡°Good. You deserved it didn¡¯t you?¡±


    What the hell is she talking about, how could I deserve it?


    Just as I was lamenting over her words I remembered what I had done to her. Pushing her against the wall with more force than I intended. Maybe I did deserve it, but I had no plans of telling her that for her amusement. What was going on anyways, why was I even entertaining her antics? It¡¯s bedtime, I should end this as quickly as possible and get some sleep.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, is there something you want?¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever. I have a request Shiori-san¡±


    It was technically a new day but this is a bit excessive isn''t it? But on the other hand, if I get it over with now then I don''t have to worry for the rest of the day.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Simple, I want you to take care of yourself today.¡±


    Okay, now I¡¯m confused. I would do that without her request, what¡¯s more, she was concerned about me? That¡¯s not likely, she must have another motive for the request.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to break too easily.¡±


    With a followup ominous text from her she confirmed my suspicions. Honestly, it would have been more worrying if it was out of concern but what she just said was rather disturbing.


    Breaking me¡­ Is that what she wanted?


    ¡°I have a cold pack and a bandage, I will be fine. Is that really all you wanted to request? We also have not sorted out the weekends, do I still have to complete your requests then?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s all. Shirori-san, it seems we¡¯re matching¡± She replied with a smiling emoji. I could only picture her with her distinct forced smile she always showed me.


    What did she mean by that anyways? I didn¡¯t push her that hard did I?


    ¡°and the weekends are your own. Your school days however, those are mine. Goodnight Shiori-san¡±


    Before I could think too hard she had said goodnight. She¡¯s just leaving on her own? Well that is what I wanted but I have to admit I''m a little curious about what this whole ordeal was about. Maybe there¡¯s no use thinking about it, she is far too strange to comprehend. And I get the weekends to myself, which all in all is a relief.


    ¡°Goodnight¡±


    ?


    It did not take me long after arriving at school to notice that Saito-san was nowhere to be found. Clearly skipping school as one would expect of such a person. Lately I had found it far too easy to tune out the conversations of my friends, their usual talk about nothing of interest was quite a bore to me. I still did my best to smile and nod occasionally.


    It¡¯s remarkable that just a few days after meeting this strange girl who was blackmailing me, my thoughts had been of nothing but her. ¡°Where is she, what is she doing I wonder? What did she mean that we were matching?¡±


    ¡°Why am I even thinking of that annoying girl?¡± I mumbled to myself, too quiet to hear.


    As if I wasn¡¯t upset enough just thinking about her, it turns out when it rains it pours.


    THUMP


    Haru had just collided with me once again, this time it was clearly intentional as you could see the huge mocking grin plastered on her face. To make it even worse, the shock had reverberated through my body and upset the bruise left by Saito-san.


    ¡°BITCH!¡±


    The corridors that were usually bustling with the sounds of students moving from room to room grew quiet.


    I was in pain, a great deal of pain and as a way of coping with it I had emptied my lungs, though I had not meant to shout those words in particular. While it was cathartic, it was also very unlike me.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Sei-chan? Are you okay?¡± Haruka asked with a great deal of worry. It wasn¡¯t like me to shout, nevermind curse.


    Haruka always showed a lot of concern when it came to me, while I appreciated the affection it was sometimes a little overbearing.


    These little moments where I found myself doing something completely unexpected had started to increase in frequency ever since I had met Saito. This was going to be an issue if I wanted to remain the perfect girl. I needed to do something before it got out of hand.


    ¡°Did you hear that, the class president just swore?¡±


    ¡°I know right, I didn¡¯t think she had it in her¡±


    ¡°Scary¡±


    ¡°I bet she¡¯s actually a mean girl¡±


    These people¡­ they don¡¯t know anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not in that class, right?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she thinks shes better than all of us¡±


    SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP


    ¡°Look at her face, that''s terrifying¡±


    Just before I could do something impulsive again, as if an angel had descended from the heavens to assist me, Haruka placed her hand on my shoulder and reassured me.


    ¡°She is a total bitch though, I have to agree. Don¡¯t think too much about it, let¡¯s just get to class¡± Haruka calmed me down and reeled me in from the depths my mind had begun to sink in.


    It¡¯s fine, just calm down. Haruka¡¯s right, everyone knows she¡¯s a bitch, and I can just say I¡¯m stressed with all the work I¡¯m putting in before break. It¡¯s perfectly normal.


    ¡°Thank you Haruka, I really owe you one¡±


    ¡°Nah, this is what besties are for¡± She flashed a gorgeous smile. She really was like an angel.


    The rest of the day passed without incident for the most part, except for P.E when I had to get changed and my bandaged torso was visible for all to see.


    Haruka in particular looked concerned but it was also clear that she had figured out why I had such a reaction to Haru.


    ¡°What happened, how did you get this?¡± She asked with a face full of bother.


    ¡°Ah it''s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it. One of the boys accidentally hit me with a ball yesterday as I was leaving to go home¡±


    ¡°Jeez, they ought to be more careful! I can¡¯t have my beautiful Sei-chan getting injured hmpf¡±


    Seeing Haruka get upset on my behalf was an uplifting sight and it made me giggle as she pouted. The compliment was also appreciated and I flashed her a smile.


    The weekend was nearly upon us and for the first time this week I felt both excited and relaxed. It was the perfect opportunity to unwind and get away from it all. Something I really needed before I exploded.


    Just as the last period was ending and people were leaving school I decided I should treat myself and asked Haruka if she wanted to go to the town for a bit. She agreed readily and we set off for town. I didn¡¯t have anything in particular in mind but I wanted to get away from school and all things Saito related.


    A few hours later we had finished wandering around the town and had gotten crepes together. It was a nice and relaxing outing with my best friend. It was truly something I needed. We said our goodbyes and each headed our separate ways home.


    I received a text from Haruka expressing her gratitude for the outing and it left me feeling warm inside.


    Little did I know that my mood would change drastically after I got home.


    As soon as I walked in I could feel the tense atmosphere. My parents were both standing together and staring as if they had something to say.


    ¡°Sei, Yuki is going to be coming home tomorrow and staying with us for a while.¡± my Father said, beaming at me as if I should be over the moon.


    Wonderful, just what I needed. And here I thought after having a relaxing evening and the weekend finally here I¡¯d be able to chill after a chaotic week.


    My perfect know-it-all sister was coming home to ridicule me about how my grades aren''t as good as hers were at my age, and how I don''t have enough friends or that I should be looking for a suitable partner to get set-up in life.


    Yes, my Sister was one of the people whom I sculpted myself to appease. She had always made sure to make me feel like I was one step behind her. Making sure to remind me that I¡¯d never be as good as her.


    Her attitude was the worst, I could never tell if she was truly trying to help me or if she really just thought that little of me. Of course my parents could never pick up on the distaste I had for her and assumed we always got along. They took her sly remarks as great advice and would pressure me to listen to her. She¡¯s so perfect after all.


    ¡°Ah that is wonderful news¡±


    Storming off before they could say anymore I laid on my bed grabbing a plush and holding it tightly. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream and curse and shout to the top of my lungs, but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t do any of that, so I just lay rocking back and forth.


    ¡°This was supposed to be my weekend, my time for freedom away from it all. A time I could be myself for a couple of days and not worry about others. It¡¯s not fair¡±


    ?


    I was on my way to a nearby supermarket at the request of my parents. They likely wanted to stock up on groceries before my Sister got here. The fresh evening air was nice and cool in contrast to the warm sticky bedroom caused by the summer heat so I wasn''t too displeased about running this errand.


    Entering the store I got myself a small cart and began wandering the aisles. I had a small list of things my parents wanted but they also said I could use my initiative to buy some things myself, as long as it didn''t go over budget.


    With a half packed cart and certainty I¡¯d seen all the aisles I wanted to, I headed for the checkout.


    I¡¯m not sure if it was cruel fate or the hand of God but standing behind the till was none other than Saito. She was wearing a mask and her hair had been messily cut short, it was now just down to her neck, in comparison to her usually long locks this was quite different. Although she was wearing a mask, it wasn¡¯t doing much to hide the bruises on her cheek nor the black eye she had and there was no mistaking those deep green eyes.


    Was this why she wasn¡¯t at school today? Highschoolers aren¡¯t meant to have jobs either, not that I would tell on her though.


    ¡°Saito-san, I didn''t know you worked.¡±


    I decided to strike up a conversation with the girl as she processed my shopping. She didn''t seem eager to have a conversation which I understood given the circumstance. I had wondered who gave her those marks but felt that asking her directly would be fruitless as she ignored my small talk.


    ¡°That would be £¤4000¡±


    After paying up and heading for the exit, I flashed her a soft smile and told her I¡¯d see her later before heading home with multiple bags in tow.


    After arriving home and putting the shopping away I wanted to grab a shower. The summer heat was ruthless and always made me feel gross by the time evening came.


    Relaxing in the cool stream of water my mind began to drift, somehow I was thinking of Saito-san again. These days she has been on my mind far more than I had ever anticipated one person could be. I started to wonder how she got those marks, and whether or not life at home was okay for her.


    ¡°Is that what she meant by matching¡­?¡±


    I¡¯d never seen her with a parent or guardian now that I thought about it. She was also working which meant she probably needed money. Perhaps her behaviour was just a reflection of a terrible life at home.


    Remembering I had my own issues in that my Sister was arriving tomorrow I decided to shelve the thoughts of Saito-san and get a good night''s sleep. I would need it.

 Chapter 5 - Marked by Saito-san

    The day had arrived that my sister would be returning home, I was not exactly thrilled by this news, quite the opposite. Just knowing that she would be sharing the same house as me was enough for me to curse inwardly. If there was anyone in this world who could put put me down, it was her.


    If I just stayed in bed all day and claimed to be ill would she just magically vanish? Unlikely, though I wish she would. My perfect Sister, the Sister that was always better than me, I was always compared to was actually a witch. She too had a hidden personality, but she only used it to bully me. I didn¡¯t know the reason she hated me so much but at this point it was mutual.


    It wasn¡¯t a school day today and usually I wouldn''t have to do my usual routine but with my Sister¡¯s arrival I wanted to make sure I was looking lovely. Maybe one day I could rise higher than her, the look on her face when that day came would be unimaginable. After spending some hour or so making sure I was looking great, the time arrived.


    Buzzzz


    The doorbell signalled her arrival and I could hear my parents exchanging delighted greetings. I rushed down to the door to join them.


    ¡°Welcome home, my darling Daughter¡±


    ¡°Hey Mom, hey Dad, I¡¯m home. And my adorable little sister too, how nice.¡±


    Almost immediately after entering she flashed me a two-faced smile with a double meaning only I knew. ¡°How nice¡± I¡¯m sure. Just seeing her again made me emotional. My parents and sister talked and talked but I wasn''t hearing any of it. I had to remind myself to grit my teeth and bare it, she wasn¡¯t going to be here forever. I just had to survive a few days at most.


    My Sister presented me with a bag ¡°Here little Sis, these are for you¡±


    Inside were school supplies, a textbook and a workbook. ¡°Wow, jeez, you shouldn''t have.¡± I thought of saying but managed to hold myself back. What a wonderful gift, as if saying ¡°You¡¯re going to need it if you ever want to hold a candle to me¡±. She knew exactly how to rub me the wrong way. I hated her so much, if she suddenly died I don''t think I would mourn her. It might be extreme but my relationship with my Sister really was this bad


    ¡°Get it together¡± I reminded myself internally


    Forcing a smile hoping my bitterness wasn¡¯t showing I thanked her ¡°Thank you so much Sis, I will be sure to work hard¡±


    Getting used to the nightmare I was going to have to live in for the next few days would be tough but I could do it.


    ?


    As unpleasant as it was, the weekend had passed surprisingly quickly, School would come tomorrow as it did every Monday and when I returned home my Sister would be gone. Things should return to normalcy, as well as they could with my current situation.


    I spent some time over Haruka¡¯s earlier today. She knew that me and my sister didn''t see eye to eye and offered to hang out to ¡°study¡± at her place. I gladly took the offer as any time away from that monstrous woman would be time well spent. While I was there under the guise of study we mostly just chatted about school life and future plans. Of which I had none. We did study a small bit but by the time we started it was late and I had to go home soon after.


    As soon as I returned home I was attacked by a snide remark from my Sister but I just ignored it and went to my room. The sooner I slept the sooner she would be gone which sounded fine to me.


    ?


    I didn¡¯t spend too long on my morning routine as I wanted to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I met with Haruka on the way as I told her beforehand I would be leaving early. Arriving at school this early was a bit eerie. There was something that didn''t sit quite right about an empty school, something you couldn''t put a finger on.


    I hadn¡¯t had any more contact with Saito since that evening on Friday. I wasn¡¯t going to go out of my way to check on her either, we were barely acquaintances and nevermind friends. I had to admit I was a little concerned for her, the injuries she had were clearly inflicted and couldn''t have been an accident.


    After a while homeroom was just around the corner and all the students were taking their places. I noticed Saito-san in the back corner near the window with her poorly cut hair and bruised face. I pitied her a bit. Especially given that some of the girls and boys from Haru¡¯s clique were harassing her over the injuries.


    ¡°Wow Saito-san, that look goes great with you, did you do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°I bet she got into a fight with some delinquents from another school¡±


    ¡°Or she was dragged into a back alley, seriously how can you come to school with such a scruffy look, are you not ashamed of yourself?¡±


    ¡°These people¡­¡± I sighed


    ¡°Piss off¡± Saito stood up with a threatening stance.


    I had said it before, Saito wasn''t exactly tall but she had an aura about her that made her seem bigger than she was.


    ¡°Oo~ She¡¯s got bite¡± one of the girls remarked


    ¡°Hey!-¡± I began to shout but before I could finish the girls and boys had already begun to back away.


    Saito¡¯s eyes had shot towards the girl''s in a terrifying glare. The rude girl got the message and walked away followed by the rest of the unruly bunch.


    I was slightly impressed that Saito was able to hold her own against the harassment of multiple other students.


    Hamada had made a comment at some point about how bad the bullying was here and how distasteful she found it. We all agreed.


    I would have stuck up for anyone. It wasn¡¯t that it was specifically Saito-san. I assured myself, that is my duty as class president after all.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Let me see it.¡±


    ¡°Is that a request?¡±


    ¡°No, will you not show me unless it is?¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡±


    I received a text during lunch break this afternoon from Saito requesting to see me in the gym room afterschool, so I''m here in this dimly lit room with this girl who¡¯s blackmailing me. I lifted my shirt to reveal the bandage that was still wrapped around my tummy. Without saying a word she began to touch and unravel it.


    ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t say you can touch it!¡±


    ¡°I want to see.¡±


    I sighed and let her continue unwinding the bandage. I could see a slight look of disappointment as she finished unwrapping it to realise that there was no mark left. I was still in pain this morning so I decided to wrap it anyway.


    ¡°Happy?¡± I asked hoping that she would stop.


    She glossed her petite cold hand over the area that used to be bruised which sent a shiver through me causing me to jolt back. What was she looking disappointed for anyway? Did she want to leave a mark on me? That¡¯s weird.


    ¡°Hey! That''s enough!¡±


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    A moment later a grin appeared on Saito¡¯s face. Red flag. My body was screaming at me to get out of here but I knew that I couldn''t leave. She was thinking of something and whatever it was, it probably wasn''t good for me.


    ¡°Shiori-san, lie there.¡± She was pointing at a stack of gym mats stuffed in the corner.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of my request, you¡¯re not going to disobey me now are you?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t. Whatever this was, it was probably a better alternative to having that video sent to the teachers or worse. I did as I was told and lay on the stack of mats.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to mark you Shiori-san¡±


    A rush of blood flustered my cheeks as I panicked at those words and shot up.


    ¡°WHAT!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won''t hurt you, lie down.¡±


    ¡°No, explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°That''s not part of the agreement now is it? But if you really want to know, I¡¯m going to give you a hickey. Here¡±


    She was pointing at my tummy where she had hit me a few days prior.


    ¡°What the hell, why? You looked disgusted before when I kissed you so why are you doing this? Is it revenge? Also you cannot leave a hickey, there¡¯s P.E tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sorta revenge, but to be honest I didn¡¯t hate you kissing me. Though you suck at it, you should probably practice, that kiss sucked. As for P.E, you can just wear your bandage again can¡¯t you?¡± She smirked


    I hated that she was right, I could technically hide it but that wasn''t the issue here. Hickeys were intimate, the sort of thing you do with someone you are VERY close with. And what was with ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you kissing me¡±? She clearly looked agitated when I did it. She is so weird.


    ¡°What, are you into me or something? We are not that close, don''t you think this is a bit much?¡±


    ¡°Into you? Well you are very pretty¡± She teased. ¡°I just do what I feel like, and I feel like marking you. Can I do it now?¡±


    She was getting impatient with me, I should probably just get it over with before she thinks of something even weirder.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    I was very tense, this was the first time something like this was happening to me. It was an intimate act and yet again Saito-san was taking another one of my firsts. She pushed me back gently until I was completely facing up, I could feel her hand wander around the hem of my shirt as she pulled it up revealing my bare skin.


    ¡°You have very soft skin Shiori-san, I bet you take good care of yourself¡±


    I shrugged off the comment mentally as right now I felt far too tense to respond.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting cute right now you know?¡±


    I closed my eyes and snapped my head to the side. I didn''t want to see her, I didn¡¯t want to hear what she had to say, this was too much and I was flustered.


    ¡°Just hurry up!¡±


    Right as I said that Saito-san learned down and placed her lips against my skin to the side of my belly button. Her lips were rough, rougher than I was expecting for a girl. I could feel the wetness of her tongue as she started to suck, I wasn''t aware of how long she had been at it but it had to have been more than 5 seconds now. She was sucking harder over time and I could feel the warm waves of her breaths on my skin, it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant feeling and instinctively I let out a soft breathy moan. She must have found this amusing as she stopped immediately after and through her tone of voice I could tell she was smiling.


    ¡°All done~¡±


    I sat up quickly and held my top in place to inspect the damage. There was a medium sized bruise left where she had done it. That was my first hickey, another one of my firsts stolen again by this strange girl with gorgeous green eyes.


    ¡°I did not think it would be so red¡­ or that big¡± I remarked


    ¡°Hmm, me neither. I think it looks good on you though~¡± She teased


    ¡°I bet you do. So is that it for today? Can I go home?¡±


    ¡°If you want to, but are you sure? You seemed to be enjoying yourself¡±


    There was that devilish smile again, at least it was genuine and not forced as usual.


    ¡°You would think that. Yes, I am going home.¡±


    I fixed up my disheveled appearance and made for the door, just as I did I felt a light tugging on my arm and turned to see a solemn look on the girl''s face.


    ¡°Stay.¡±


    ¡°I''ve already completed your request, you can¡¯t make me.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    She¡¯s begging me? And what''s with that look?


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Over the last week I had noticed that I have a small soft spot for Saito-san. I wasn''t sure why, we barely knew each other and she was blackmailing me at that. Plus, even if it is Saito-san, how could I refuse someone who looks like that?


    Just standing here in silence would be extremely awkward so I should come up with something to talk about.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s with your hair, you didn¡¯t like it long? It''s also very messy, did you do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated¡±


    She¡¯s never very chatty and trying to make conversation with her is a chore. Surely you can say more than that?


    ¡°Well I can fix it up for you if you like?¡±


    ¡°Why? Shouldn¡¯t you hate me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I don¡¯t hate you though.¡±


    ¡°Well if you''re okay with it I wouldn''t mind if you fixed it¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go find a pair of scissors, you wait here.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t leave, do it some other time. Isn¡¯t it too dark here anyway?¡±


    ¡°I suppose it is. So then, what should we do?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on but it was clear Saito-san didn¡¯t want to be alone and I didn¡¯t have anything better to do. It also beat going home to see if she was still there. That said, I still wasn¡¯t sure what I was meant to do here. I¡¯m just twiddling my thumbs as we both sit in the vacant room filled with darkness.


    I found it slightly incredible she could go from the demonic girl ordering me around like she was an empress to this lost puppy look, it was sort of amusing in a way.


    ¡°Hmm¡± Saito-san began scanning the room and walking around as if looking for something.


    ¡°This will do¡± She said, pulling up an old dusty tennis racket and ball. I¡¯m not sure how long they''ve been there but it would surprise me if they were older than the both of us.


    ¡°And what exactly do you suppose we do with those?¡±


    Just as I asked, Saito-san started bouncing the ball off the wall and hitting it back with the racket.


    ¡°Hey! That''s really loud, we¡¯ll get caught¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it quietly then¡±


    ¡°Do it quietly¡± she says. How exactly do you play wall tennis quietly? She hasn''t thought about this at all. I sighed.


    I grabbed a racket of my own and began hitting the ball back at the wall as she had. It wasn¡¯t the worst idea, it was actually quite fun for how simple it was. There was also something cathartic about hitting things. I was getting very engrossed in the idea of hitting the tennis ball.


    I began hitting it harder, Saito-san noticed and joined me. We giggled as the ball spun off the wall with more and more speed each time.


    At some point I had noticed that I didn¡¯t have to act around Saito-san. I never had to pretend to be someone else, slowly I was becoming more like me whenever I was around this girl.


    Thump THUD Thump THUD


    It continued on for a short while.


    Just as we were getting into it the fun had to come to an end.


    Thump THUD¡­.


    There was no sound of the ball being returned after it hit the wall, the ball had veered after hitting the wall and hit Saito-san directly in the knee. She didn¡¯t groan or let out any sounds of pain, maybe she was okay?


    ¡°Oh no, are you okay?¡±


    As I asked, her head snapped up with a darkened glare that sent electricity through me. My instinct was telling me to run, like she was a wild animal about to pounce on its prey and devour it whole. This wasn¡¯t like the carefree girl who had blackmailed me nor was it the lost puppy, it was something entirely different, it was a predator.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry Saito-san¡±


    She slithered towards me with her face still darkened in rage, I tried to back up but was caught by a low step and stumbled over. Regaining my balance, I looked back at her, she was closer than I thought but before I could say anything the room echoed with a sudden sharp sound and my cheek stung like I had just been slapped. Right, I had been slapped.


    Not even holding back a little, her slap knocked me off balance and I fell down hitting the hard gymnasium floor.


    ¡°What the fuck Saito-san, I said I was sorry.¡±

 Chapter 6 - A side of her only I could see

    ¡°Today was confusing¡± I thought to myself as I laid on my bed with a hand to my ruby red cheek.


    Just after hitting me she left without a word and I did not see her again. She never apologised. A part of me was hoping she would text and explain what had happened.


    Sure, getting hit with a ball going that fast is going to hurt but I didn''t feel like it was something to hit someone over, especially when seconds before you had been laughing along with them. Her personality had completely shifted within a second, it was terrifying.


    I got to see Saito-san laugh today and it seemed like she was enjoying herself which made me feel warm inside. It was nice seeing a part of her foreign to me though it didn¡¯t last long.


    At least my Sister was gone when I got home. There was a bright side of today, there was also Haruka who had left me some of her usual uplifting texts.


    ¡°Saito-san¡­¡±


    I do not get her at all, one moment she was giddy and enjoying herself and the next she felt like I had kicked a hornet¡¯s nest. I could still feel the sting from the slap, it was going to leave a scratch for a while. Did she have to hit me that hard?


    ¡°Uhh she pisses me off.¡±


    I now had two marks to remember her by, a hickey on my tummy to the side of my belly button and a red hand mark imprinted on my cheek. There was a stark difference in how I ended up with both. It was puzzling.


    At this point I was pacing around my room in angst, I just didn¡¯t get her at all. How long was this arrangement going to go on for? Was I going to end up with injuries a lot more now? How troublesome.


    ¡°What to do¡­? Is there any point trying to have a relationship with that girl? Should I just do the requests and leave?¡± She was a difficult one, always leaving me questioning myself.


    ¡°I said I would do her hair, I guess I should do that much.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I was against hanging around with her, I was apprehensive at first knowing she was a trouble but for some reason I couldn''t find it in me to stay away. There was something about her that made me want to stick with her.


    ¡°UUUUGH. This is useless to think about, she¡¯s completely unpredictable. We¡¯re¡­Total opposites.¡±


    Me and Saito-san could be said to be total opposites. She always wore her heart on her sleeve and never disguised herself. She was honest and open about who she was and never hid it. Unlike me, who is buried so far under the dirt of my perfect image.


    This feeling¡­ It was admiration and envy, I was sure of it.


    While I was thinking about Saito-san I received a text in the group chat for Haruka, Arima and Hamada. It was Haruka asking when we would next hang out, she also pointed out how I had been ¡°Too busy¡± recently and it wasn¡¯t fair the school got to keep me to itself.


    I scoffed at the text which had managed to separate me from my confusion for a moment. I told them we would hang out next time my schedule clears up or at the weekend. Summer break was also just around the corner which meant 40 days of freedom.


    As I was scrolling through my contacts after replying to Haruka I noticed Saito¡¯s name and wondered what she was up to right now. It would be weird to contact her out of the blue wouldn''t it? I sighed wondering why I was even thinking about any of this.


    My finger hovered above her name but as I thought about it my logic managed to get a hold of me and my fingers drifted from her name as I began browsing random internet videos instead.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working, I can¡¯t stop thinking of her. What an annoying girl¡­ Maybe I should just sleep?¡±


    I asked myself, instinctively rubbing my belly where she had left her hickey. I didn''t realise it but her marks had become a bit of an obsession where my hands would wander whenever I was thinking of her, or more accurately, racking my head over her ridiculous antics.


    Slowly I began to drift away in the tributaries of my thoughts and my vision darkened.


    ?


    The day had suddenly become bleak as the blue skies betrayed us and turned into a grey veil. It was the end of another school day. The clouds draped as everything around us was soaked. It was the rainy season after all. Due to this I knew it would be impossible to meet Saito-san in our usual spot as clubs would be doing their activities in the gym. Wandering the halls after the last period ended, I sent her a text asking what we should do.


    I was still a little shocked at what had occurred yesterday and her sudden change of character but I wasn¡¯t going to skip out on doing her requests, if I did then my life would be over.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to cut my hair right? Come to my place then, we can meet in the shoe lockers.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay with me but I¡¯ll just let my parents know. Also how far away do you live?¡±


    I knew she had to live relatively closely due to our encounter at the supermarket but I wanted to ask to be sure.


    ¡°About 15 minutes walk from here.¡±


    That''s not too far but it is raining and I don''t want to spend too long in the chilly outside, I didn''t want a cold on top of it all.


    A few minutes later I met up with Saito-san who seemed the same as ever, as if yesterday''s events had no effect on her. I wasn¡¯t as composed, I mean, she had hit me with enough force that the scratch she left was still visible today. It didn¡¯t help that the cold made my cheeks rosy, exaggerating the mark.


    We began walking and I followed her lead in silence. It was awkward, and if any of the other students saw us walking together they would definitely be confused by this strange pairing. Thankfully most people were concerned with their own business and trying not to get soaked.


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    Pivoting like a machine Saito-san turned to face me and spoke up ¡°Is that from me?¡± her eyes suggested she was talking about the scratch on my face.


    ¡°It is.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything more, it was like she just wanted to make sure I knew she had done it, not even a smidgen of remorse on her face. Actually, there was not much of anything on her face barring the black eye she still had.


    We eventually arrived at what appeared to be her residence. It was small and only had one floor, it looked rather cozy from the outside. I entered after her.


    ¡°Excuse the intrusion¡±


    ¡°You can leave your shoes in the rack by the door, I¡¯ll be back with a couple of towels for our hair.¡±


    Was this really the house of a family? It was bare and empty, there were no decorations, no hanging ornaments, almost no furniture. The only room with anything inside of it was the kitchen which looked barely used. Perhaps she was living on her own? If that was the case that would explain why she needed work but it did beg the question of where her parents were. Though given the marks on her face maybe it was best I didn¡¯t know.


    Shortly after she returned with two towels and threw one at my face, giggling to herself she began to dry her hair. Seriously, how immature. After drying up she beckoned me to follow her into what I assumed was her bedroom.


    Just like the rest of the house the bedroom was plain and lacking any decoration, say for a large bookshelf covered in manga and light novels. I never took her for a nerd but everyone has hobbies I suppose.


    ¡°Your room is interesting Saito-san¡±


    ¡°You were thinking of something rude just now weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Caught me¡± I raised my hands in the air teasing her ¡°I just didn¡¯t imagine you a nerd¡±


    ¡°Oh these. Yeah I guess I like to lose myself in fiction, this world of ours is kinda shitty.¡±


    What a cynical outlook, I couldn¡¯t disagree though, it would be hypocrisy given how much I''ve imagined being someone else.


    ¡°Here¡± She handed me a pair of scissors and a comb. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment, you like hot cocoa right?¡±


    ¡°Oh um, yeah I like it.¡±


    A few minutes later she returned holding a tray with two mugs on it, presumably with hot cocoa in them. That was surprisingly considerate of her.


    I sipped on the hot cocoa as she wandered her bookshelves looking for something to read.


    ¡°Are we going to cut your hair then?¡± I prompted her as I wasn¡¯t sure if she remembered why I was even here.


    Without saying a word she sat cross legged on the floor and gave me a look that said ¡°Hurry it up¡±.


    I got up and grabbed the tools she handed me earlier and started combing through her hair. It was surprisingly silky for such a shoddy job. I ran my hands through it softly, grabbed some strands and let me slip through my fingers. I was a little jealous of how nice her hair was and I couldn¡¯t help myself from playing with it a little.


    ¡°Saito-san, your hair is lovely you know, you should look after it better.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply with words and instead just mumbled an affirmative.


    I began lining up her hair and cutting it evenly. Her hair was not in an awful state but whatever had happened to it previously left it scattered and uneven.


    I finished it, prompting her to take a look for herself. She sat up and walked out, presumably to look in a mirror of some sort. When she returned she uttered a few words. ¡°It is satisfactory I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Glad you like it. You can be more honest, you know?¡±


    ¡°No I can¡¯t, you¡¯ll get arrogant also that¡¯s a little ironic don''t you think?¡±


    I could tell she actually liked it and was just being reserved but what she said was also true. She is just that kind of girl I suppose. I still had one concern though, today¡¯s request, it still hadn¡¯t been completed.


    ¡°Okay okay. Say, Saito-san, what about today¡¯s request?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, you just cut my hair.¡±


    ¡°No, I offered to do that, it was not a request. I don¡¯t do things halfway, I said one request every day, I meant it.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I was desperate to be slaved around but if I let cutting her hair be the request it would leave me a bit unsettled like I was abusing her carefree attitude. It¡¯s not like I particularly disliked the ordering around either. I had thought it before but there really was a serenity in not having any control and having that disconnect from life was refreshing.


    ¡°So needy Shiori-san¡± She sighed with a smile grin


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Just say you like being ordered around like a dog.¡±


    ¡°I think you''ve read too many manga, pervert.¡±


    ¡°Pervert? Who said anything like that, it¡¯s clearly you who has a depraved mind, just what exactly are you thinking of? Fine fine Shiori-san, we can also do a request today¡± She teased with a huge smirk on her face.


    ¡°What have I just done?¡± I started thinking to myself.


    As I cursed inwardly at myself for being so unthoughtful and impulsive Saito-san stood up and was now looking down at me with her glowing smile and gorgeous eyes. I gulped as I stared into them. She leant down and lifted me up by my arms, I followed her flow knowing I brought this on myself.


    As I now stood only a few inches from her, I could feel her soft breaths bounce up to my chest, she pushed me back gently as I glided down onto the bed. My legs flopped over the side still touching the floor but my back was completely flat. I felt the bed bend and curve as she sat over me.


    Her hand appeared from her side and began advancing towards my face, she placed her firm cold hand on my cheek and began running her thumb over the mark she had left on me the day before when she slapped me. I looked up into her longing eyes which had never seemed gentler than now.


    She was being delicate with me which in contrast to her usual self left me feeling sort of uneasy but it wasn''t a feeling that I hated. I was too lost in her touch to realise she hadn''t even made a request yet, she was just doing whatever she wanted.


    As my mind was left blank and I was staring into her alluring eyes I felt a sharp coldness as her other hand had slithered under my top and gripped my waist. The sudden chill from her frozen hand made my body quiver impulsively.


    ¡°S- Saito-san?¡± I almost moaned but stopped myself.


    She launched her face towards mine and bracing for something I decided to close my eyes and wait¡­


    But nothing happened.


    When I finally opened my eyes again Saito-san¡¯s face was next to mine. She had embraced me in a hug.


    ¡°Stay like this for a bit, that''s my request Shiori-san¡±


    She left me embarrassed and flustered. Jeez this girl, what the heck was that? You can¡¯t play with my heart like that, I thought she was going to kiss me. Was I wrong for thinking that with the way she was touching me? I remembered she¡¯s the type of girl to enjoy teasing someone.


    I wrapped my arms around her and held her close embracing the hug, my arms had moved on their own and it felt right to enclose her like this.


    Sighing, I reassured her. ¡°Okay, let us stay like this for a bit.¡±

 Chapter 7 - I wish she would stop talking (Part 1)

    The hug was warm despite her chilling body temperature and there was an aura of warmth from the hug itself. I started to realise I simply did not know enough about this girl. How is it she can go from being the violent delinquent to this lost puppy? I was both intrigued and concerned.


    We held each other embracing the warmth the other provided for a few minutes without saying a word. There was something tranquil and intimate about holding someone in your arms, it was surprisingly pleasant.


    ¡°Saito-san~ How long are we going to be like this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Saito-san?¡±


    When I moved to the side I could see a gentle face resting soundly asleep. She was much cuter like this, as if she had gone from a tiger to a kitten.


    I softly giggled to myself making a mental note of this picture. I shifted her off me and got off the bed as quiet and softly as possible hoping I would not wake her. I moved her into a more comfortable position and tucked her into the blankets.


    ?


    About half an hour had passed and as I sat in Saito-san¡¯s room bored I picked a volume of manga off her shelf and started to read it. I didn''t mean to make myself at home or invade her privacy but I did not want to sit around with nothing to do.


    I finally heard some noises emanating from Saito-san¡¯s mouth as she began to stir awake.


    ¡°Morning sleepy head¡± I teased her, still half asleep.


    She replied in some half baked grumbles and moans, she wasn¡¯t processing anything right now and I found this sort of adorable.


    I sat and stared at her smiling with a grin from ear to ear as I could see the cogs turning in her head. Just then she shot up and made some animalistic sound, she finally realised I was here.


    ¡°Sh- Shiori-san, what are you still doing here? I thought you would go home¡­¡±


    ¡°I had no reason to go home and until just now it was still raining outside. Besides, seeing you sleep so vulnerably was sort of cute¡± I teased ¡°Also, you didn¡¯t have much food so I could only make us some egg sandwiches, hope that it''s alright.¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah that''s fine. You didn''t need to make me anything though¡­¡±


    She shrugged off me calling her cute. That¡¯s also kind of cute.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you also read manga Shiori-san, you don¡¯t seem the type¡­¡±


    ¡°And you do?¡±


    ¡°Fair point. So what do you read?¡±


    ¡°To be honest I don¡¯t really read anymore but I used to like fantasy romance, just picturing myself as one of the characters felt better than pretending to enjoy my own life¡­ That was a bit much, sorry.¡±


    She shook her head and softly reassured me ¡°I get it, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Regretting the pathetic words that had come from my mouth I decided it was probably a good time to get back home.


    ¡°You better eat up, I will be offended if you don¡¯t!¡± I said with a grin as I started to pick up my things from the room and head towards the door.


    ¡°Shiori-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And sorry.¡± She scratched her face and looked away as if embarrassed.


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    ¡°You know¡­¡± She pointed at her cheek in the same spot where she had slapped me and left a scratch.


    Saito-san was apologising to me? ¡°I guess there''s a first for everything¡± I thought to myself not realising my surprise had shown on my face.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act like that then I take it back¡± She said, shooing me out the door.


    This girl¡¯s personality really was puzzling, but as she said earlier, it would be ironic for me to think that of all people. Slowly but surely I found myself comfortable enough around her to show that side of me. For one reason or another the girl¡¯s violent nature did not bother me at all either.


    ?


    On my walk home from Saito-san¡¯s house a certain store piqued my interest. It was a bookstore. After spending some time at Saito¡¯s house and reading some manga I was feeling a bit nostalgic remembering the simpler times when I could just read those silly comics.


    Before realising it my feet had shifted on their own and I was now standing inside the store. I decided just turning around and leaving would look suspicious so I might as well have a look around.


    Browsing the manga section, a certain title caught my eye.


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    ¡°No way, this is still going?¡± I said out loud reaching for the shelf.


    Life really did have a weird way of tying people together because as the string of fate would have it a certain person overheard me and shot their head around the corner.


    ¡°Sei-chan! What are you doing here!?¡±


    It was Haruka, and she was not alone, she was with her brother who was only one year older than us.


    ¡°Oh hey Shiori-san, long time no see.¡±


    I had spent a lot of evenings and nights at Haruka¡¯s house so it should be no surprise that I was acquainted with her brother. That said, we were not close at all and I had barely spoken to him.


    ¡°Oh hey you two, what a coincidence. I was just feeling a bit nostalgic so I decided to have a browse.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t read manga in such a long time, are you going to get anything?¡± Haruka asked in a way that was far too excited for buying manga.


    ¡°Um yeah. I think I will get this¡± It was a romance fantasy comedy, just like the ones I mentioned reading to Saito-san.


    ¡°Oh I remember that one. I¡¯m surprised it is still going to be honest. What brings you all the way out here anyway? This is the opposite direction of your house¡­ hmm¡± she stared at me with a suspicious look.


    Haruka being my best friend knew the exact route I would take to go home and the direction it was in. She was right, this was out of the way to my house. ¡°Should I just tell her?¡± The thought crossed my mind. Or I at least could bend the truth a little.


    ¡°I was visiting a friend and on my way home¡±


    It was the truth, though I omitted some bits. ¡°Sorry Haruka, I am not ready to involve you in this.¡± I apologised to her in my head.


    ¡°A friend, hmm, A friend I don''t know about¡­? How intriguing Shiori Sei.¡± Haruka had a large smile on her face and inquisitive eyes.


    ¡°Whatever you are thinking I can promise you it is not that¡±


    ¡°Fufufu. I¡¯m sure¡± She was staring at the manga I was holding in my hand and I began to realise the hole I had dug for myself. ¡°Of course it was a romance¡± I cursed inwardly.


    She didn¡¯t believe me at all. This girl¡­ I should probably clear this misunderstanding up but seeing a smile on Haruka¡¯s face always made me warm inside and forget about all of my own insecurities.


    These moments away from home and out of school where I could relax and have funny misunderstandings were a rare occurrence for me and allowed me to distance myself from the diligent and hard working lady I was at school.


    That said, if I did not clear it up and Haruka started spreading information that I had a lover it would make things very complicated and force me to take on even more baggage than I already had.


    ¡°Look Haruka-¡± I started but was interrupted quickly


    ¡°Why don''t you come back with us Shiori-san and you two can talk, or study or read your manga together?¡±


    It was not a bad idea, it would allow me to clear up things and spending time with Haruka was always a pleasure anyway. I really did value the relationship I had with her, to me she was an indispensable anchor that kept me grounded all these years, a true friend I could never replace.


    ¡°Great idea bro!¡±


    ¡°That is also fine by me¡±


    We all paid for our respective manga and headed out together. The air was still cold and damp after a few hours of rain, thankfully it was not raining at the moment and it would not take too long to get back to Haruka¡¯s.


    After a short while of making small talk between the three of us we arrived at the familiar sight that was Haruka¡¯s house. I breathed a sigh of relief that the rain didn¡¯t start up again and we entered.


    ¡°Pardon the intrusion¡±


    ¡°Awhh Shiori-chan come in come in, I didn¡¯t know you were coming over, will you be staying for dinner?¡±


    This beaming woman was Haruka¡¯s Mother, someone I had known almost as long as Haruka herself.


    ¡°If it is not too much of a bother Noya-san¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    With the plan of staying for dinner now set, we made our way to Haruka¡¯s bedroom. As if to reflect her personality the room was fluffy and pink, it was immediately warming and not overwhelming at all. There was a big bean bag cushion in the centre with dents and creases from wear that was placed just a few inches from a low hanging desk which was filled with school work. There was also a soft white rug layed out that encompassed most of the room.


    Haruka rushed inside and with a big energetic sigh leaped onto her bed back first. She was always a freebird living her life to the fullest, I envied her carefree attitude the most. She looked like she was having fun all the time which was in stark contrast to myself. I could only imagine the gloomy expressions I was making day to day.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s full of energy I see¡±


    ¡°Sure am! My bestie is visiting!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, you¡¯re so carefree Haruka. I envy you.¡±


    ¡°Awh don''t be like that, whenever you need me I will always be here for you, you know that right? I¡¯m not going anywhere, when you need to cry or scream and there¡¯s no shoulder for you to lean on, I will be here.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, what brought this on? Don''t get all mushy on me¡± I teased nudging her with my elbow as I sat on the floor.


    Haruka was one of the only people in this world I could let my guard down around. She was an oasis in a desert, my anchor to life and my best friend. I did not have to hide when I was with her.


    ¡°Heheh. Anyways you~ Don¡¯t you have something to explain, like why you were in that part of town and your mysterious "friend "? ¡±


    Sighing at her obvious thoughts about what was happening I decided to lie. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, I was with a girl from class, she asked for some help with her studies.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, really now? Then who was it?¡± She was giving me a look that was asking me to spill the details, like she would not believe me if I did not tell her everything.


    I did not want the relationship between me and Saito-san to be public nor did I want people to know I was associated with her. It was cruel but being seen around with her would tarnish my reputation and people would look at me with confusion and disgust. That was the type of reputation Saito-san had cultivated.


    If only I was more like Haruka or Saito-san then maybe I could be more honest and not have to care what people think, but that was a dream I would not be able to make reality.


    Still I had to tell Haruka something, but what? It would be fruitless making something up and telling her the name of another student could lead to issues of its own. If I just told her the truth about who I was with then it would be easier to deflect her suspicions later on.


    With that in mind I decided the best course of action was to tell her the truth.


    ¡°I was with Saito Katsumi.¡±

 Chapter 7 - I wish she would stop talking (Part 2)

    ¡°Come again...?"


    "..."


    "You mean the troublemaker delinquent? What the hell were you doing with her? Studying my ass, that girl''s grades are terrible.¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t that the point of studying?¡± I had to grab hold of the situation without letting on more than necessary.


    ¡°Well I suppose so but surely there was someone else who could do it, she¡¯s really bad news y¡¯know? Wait! I didn¡¯t want to mention it around other people in case it was sensitive but is that where you''ve been getting these injuries from!?¡±


    This was bad, I did not anticipate this reaction nor her acute observation.


    ¡°No. No, calm down, she hasn¡¯t hurt me. I promise. She really isn¡¯t as bad as everyone makes out, sure she can be a bit of a nutcase and getting her to study is difficult but she is not that bad.¡±


    Yet another time I found myself lying to Haruka, I truly hated it but I found potentially losing my status taking priority.


    ¡°Well if you say so, I¡¯ll believe you Sei-chan, but if she is ever too much you have to let me know, ¡®kay?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±


    We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes while I calmed down. The conversation took a turn I wasn''t expecting. I should be more careful from now on.


    ¡°Well I suppose this helps broach another topic I wanted to talk about, what is with those injuries anyway?¡± Haruka inquired


    ¡°It is not that serious, I just fell and scratched my face and I already told you about the other one.¡±


    A lie again. ¡°I hate this, just stop asking questions will you? Stop interrogating me.¡± I pleaded internally as my heart rate began to increase.


    The constant questioning of me was starting to get irritating and I hated lying to my best friend so it would be for the best if she stopped talking.


    Sensing my irritation, Haruka backed off and flashed me a smile. ¡°I see, I''m sorry Sei-chan. I¡¯m just worried about you, that¡¯s all¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±


    Once again an awkward silence found its way into the room as we each began reading the stories we had bought from the store a little while ago. Not long after, we got the shout that food was ready and we each headed into the dining room. Joining us was Haruka¡¯s parents and her brother.


    After a short dinner with back and forth chatter the night was closing in. Haruka asked if I wanted to stay the night and I told her ¡°I would like that.¡±


    This was not that uncommon as we lived fairly close and our parents knew each other after our years of time together.


    It was decided that I would be spending the night here and heading to school with Haruka in the morning. I needed to inform my parents first and I stepped away to give them a message.


    My parents were not the only ones I needed to text either. After getting confirmation from my Mother that it would be okay to stop over I needed to inform someone else of something.


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    ¡°I told Haruka we are studying together because she found out I visited your house, just go along with it please.¡±


    ¡°Why should I do that for you?¡±


    ¡°Just do it, you nightmare child¡±


    Saito-san was always quick to reply. ¡°She must be bored an awful lot to be on her phone all the time¡± I thought to myself. Before even waiting to see if she replied I put my phone away.


    The good thing about Haruka¡¯s house was that it had a fairly large bath unlike my own which only had a shower. Over the years I found myself coming here just to grab a bath as it was relaxing.


    ¡°Sei-chan it¡¯s ready, do you want to head in first?¡± Haruka asked, placing down a set of fresh pajamas for me.


    ¡°Sure, if you don''t mind.¡±


    I lay in the steamy bath floating around for about 10 minutes. In this comforting time I had the freedom to gather my thoughts and think without restraint for a short while.


    My thoughts wandered from Saito-san and her strange behaviour. How she was violent but also gentle. How her house was empty and it looked as if no one lived there.


    ¡°Just what is with that girl?¡±


    I started thinking how we almost kissed earlier and my face started burning, it did not help that the bath was steaming hot at this point and I began to sink under the water. Just as I was losing myself to my own embarrassment I heard a knock on the door and blood flow returned to my brain.


    ¡°Coming in!¡±


    It was Haruka. It was not strange for us to take baths together, even if we were a little old to do it at this point but the bath was large and could comfortably hold two people with enough space to not make it awkward.


    She slid the door open wrapped in a towel and joined me for the bath. I did not plan on staying much longer so after a couple more minutes of soaking I washed my hair thoroughly and stood up.


    ¡°Wahh, leaving so soon?¡±


    The heat combined with my thoughts was going to make me lose consciousness at this rate so I had to get out of here.


    ¡°Sorry Haruka, it¡¯s just a bit too hot¡±


    As I was standing up I noticed Haruka¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw literally dropped agape, she was staring right at me. It wasn¡¯t like she had not seen my body before so I was wondering why she was having this reaction.


    I traced her gaze and found it laying at my belly. Just as I looked down at where she was staring I realised I had made a terrible mistake.


    The hickey. The hickey that Saito-san had left the day before was still there and though the boiling water helped mask it it was still there clear as day.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± I cursed at myself.


    ¡°OH MY GOD SEI-CHAN, THAT¡¯S A HICKEY!¡±


    ¡°Hey, quiet it down! It is not a hickey, it¡¯s just a bruise¡±


    ¡°No, that is definitely a hickey Sei-chan, what the hell? Who¡­ WHO?!¡±


    Haruka was practically shouting and her voice was ringing in my head.


    How I was going to get out of this one I had no idea but it was clear I was going to have to lie to her again. How could I be so stupid?


    ¡°It is not a hickey.¡±


    I did not have enough time to think, I was going to have to trust my improvisation skills to get out of this but I was slowly heating up mentally as well as physically. If this keeps up I might be in danger of snapping at Haruka or even fainting.


    ¡°No, it totally is, I know a hickey when I see one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, Haruka please¡­ stop¡­¡± I begged and pleaded for her to leave it. I was in no frame of mind to tackle this obstacle right now but it seemed that even if my words were forming they were too shallow to be heard, even Haruka¡¯s voice was beginning to fade away.


    I was blacking out, I needed to get out of this room. I made a snappy break for the door but my body was too weak to call it quick, picking up a towel and the pajamas Haruka had set out for me and in slow jittery movements I left Haruka on her own and slammed the door behind me.


    I could hear Haruka¡¯s distant pleading for me to wait but I ignored them and stormed into her room to get changed. I did not want to see her right now, I needed to calm down.