Volume Three: The Academy's Complete Rampage - Margaret (Part One)

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"You two think you can hide?"

"Kneel down and apologize to me!"

Kick! Hit! Stomp! Several girls who looked like middle school students were inflicting primal violence on two other girls. The one in the lead had bandages wrapped around her arm and a cruel smile on her face.

"What? You didn't escape today? You piece of trash! You two little bitches dare to hide from me!"

With each kick, she would utter an insult, and the two people squeezed into the corner of the alley could only curl up and hide.

The two girls who were beaten were the same age. One was thin and looked malnourished; the other was expressionless, but even though her face was covered with bruises, it could not hide her inorganic beauty.

"I'm so sorry! We'll be right back--"

The thin girl tried to say something, but was immediately interrupted by the girl in the lead.

Shut the hell up!

The sharp leather boots slammed into the girl's face, leaving a large red mark, but she wasn't satisfied and raised her hand high again—

What are you doing?

Her arm was grabbed with terrifying force, and the girl screamed almost immediately.

"Shut up!"

The scream that was about to escape was swallowed back down.

She slowly turned around and saw a tall figure standing behind her. It was a girl of about sixteen years old, with an extremely beautiful face, but her eyes were extremely cold.

"Who... who are you--"

"Stop talking nonsense and get out of here."

With a gentle flick of the hand that had grabbed her arm, the girl was thrown out, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop. The remaining girls, seeing their leader in such a disheveled state, turned pale with fright, ran to help her up, and then ran away without looking back.

"Seriously, a bunch of little brats... Hey, you two, are you alright? What are your names?"

When the person who rescued them asked the question, the thin girl answered hurriedly, while the other girl remained expressionless.

"My name is Monet. Thank you for saving us!"

"... Margaret."

This is the beginning.

I met the two of them here.

Looking back now, it's truly a memory worth cherishing.

Xiao Wu was watching all of this from a short distance away.

She herself didn't know where she was or where she was in the scene, yet she could see her past memories clearly in the third person, just like watching a movie.

Seeing the face and voice of someone you've lost for so long should have been a comfort, but Xiao Wu felt only immense sadness and irony.

Scene change.

It was on the second floor of World's Little Corner. On a spacious bed, three girls—one big and two small—lay together. They looked more like a mother with her two daughters than sisters.

"Hey, Sister Sakura Dance, Sister Sakura Dance."

"What's wrong, Monet?"

"There are three of us now, right?"

"You guys are just clinging to me, aren't you?"

"How heartless!?"

"It's not that we're clinging to you..." Margaret, who was lying on the side, spoke up.

"What's the meaning?"

"You were the one who rescued us, fed us, and even offered us a place to stay. We didn't ask for anything."

"Ah, after Margaret's explanation, it seems more like Sister Sakura Dance is the one pestering us, hehe."

"What do you mean by 'whoosh'? Don't get me wrong, I just... tsk, let's not talk about that, just say what you want to say."

"Actually, I have an idea. How about we form a... club?"

"Club?"

"Yes," Monet seemed to perk up, "Doesn't the Central United Academy require a minimum of three members for student organizations?"

"A group of three is at most a hobby group."

"That works too! Look... we're all wearing pajamas now, right?"

"If this can be called pajamas..." Xiao Wu tugged at her clothes. She never wore proper pajamas and always slept in just a white shirt, without any underwear.

"So let's call it the 'Pajama Enthusiasts Club'!"

"..."

"Huh? Why are you all making that face?"

"Don't you think this name is ridiculous?" Margaret said expressionlessly.

"That's so unfair!"

Nevertheless, when the three submitted their application forms to the surprised staff member, they still used the name "Pajama Enthusiasts Club".

Looking back now, it was really stupid.

Scene transition--

On the balcony on the second floor of the department, the girl sat in front of the railing, her two fair feet dangling over the railing.

She gazed at the night sky, saying nothing.

"Hey, Margaret, it's time for a bath."

Xiao Wu walked towards her while drying her hair, and Margaret simply responded with a sound.

"I don't want to wash."

"You're a girl, after all. What's wrong with you not liking to take showers... Women should pay attention to their appearance."

"Sister Sakura Dance, who uses the same shower gel to wash her hair, face, and body, and whose time from taking off her clothes to getting out of the shower never exceeds one minute, has no right to criticize me."

"I'm a young girl, for goodness' sake..."

"A 'girl' whose clothes are always the same style?"

"Shut up!"

Xiao Wu grumbled unhappily, then walked onto the balcony and sat down next to her.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nighttime street scene."

"What's so interesting about this abandoned former commercial street?"

"It's beautiful to me..."

Suddenly, Margaret leaned closer to Xiao Wu, her face slightly flushed.

"Because, if it weren't for you... I wouldn't even be able to see a view like this..."

"... ah?"

"This place to stay, the food and necessities, and this scenery... are all gifts from you, so... I will cherish them..."

After muttering to herself haltingly, Margaret immediately turned her face away, but Xiao Wu could see that her ears were bright red.

For some reason, Xiao Wu also became a little shy.

"Don't get me wrong, it's just that it's a bit wasteful for me to live here all by myself, and I can't possibly use all the money I earn from missions, so I'm using it to support you guys."

Margaret turned to look at Xiao Wu, whose gaze was darting around, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hey, you brat, what are you laughing at!"

"It's nothing... haha... I just think you're so cute, Sister Sakura Dance."

"Wh--What are you saying?!"

"But it feels really good, like... I really have a family."

"... family?"

Upon hearing the word "family, "Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment before speaking.

"Hey, Margaret, have I mentioned this before? I used to... have a family member who always quietly cared for me, taking care of my food and shelter..."

"... Then what?"

"And then... I was truly unaware of how blessed I was. I was completely oblivious to her affection until, because of my foolishness and carelessness, I lost her forever..."

My memories of myself stopped there.

But now, Xiao Wu knows what the unspoken half-sentence was.

So, the reason I care about you now is probably mostly because I see you as substitutes for Lucy.

But this girl named Margaret was far too perceptive.

"So, we're just a substitute for you?"

"... I don't know either."

"It's okay... I'll be happy even if it's a substitute."

Margaret gave a subtle smile that was a mixture of happiness and melancholy.

"Because no matter what, you gave me a home again, and... this is truly my home, unlike before..."

Even as a mere observer, Xiao Wu couldn't help but be moved.

The real Xiao Wu watched all this, a strange melancholy filling her heart, but she didn't feel any obvious melancholy.

It's as if her heart is encased in a glass case; you can see the various emotions filling it through the glass, but you can't truly understand them.

Is this what they call memories? Even if it's sorrowful and helpless, all that's left is a faint sadness.

Young Margaret Greenson.

Her mother died in childbirth, and she lived with her volatile father, enduring years of domestic violence. When she was nine, she was raped by her drunken father, a situation that lasted for several months until her father was arrested. By then, she had completely lost her fertility due to the severe trauma she had suffered.

For her, even Xiao Wu's clumsy gentleness was a great salvation.

Two girls, one with a tragic past and the other with a dark past, support each other and walk together toward the light—the real world is not a beautiful charity story, and God is far more wicked than Xiao Wu imagined.

Scene change.

For a moment, Xiao Wu felt confused, because this was not the scene she remembered.

In the small room, Margaret was rummaging through something.

She was alone in the room, and it didn't look like she was in a department office; it looked more like a small dormitory.

Looking out the window, the setting sun was a blinding red.

In that instant, Xiao Wu her hands and feet turn ice cold.

A crimson sunset.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell onto the floor, like discolored blood.

I can't forget it.

I will never forget that sunset.

I can't forget what will happen soon.

The girl was still rummaging through the items.

"That's strange, where's my swimsuit? It should be in this old dorm... We clearly agreed to go swimming with Monet tomorrow..."

As she searched, the girl suddenly smiled.

"Hehe... This is the first time I've gone swimming with someone I can call a friend... Is Sister Sakura Dance going? I hope we can go together... Ah, here she is."

The girl finally found a dark blue one-piece swimsuit at the bottom of the drawer. It was a school-issued swimsuit when she enrolled, and the quality was quite good.

She gently brushed the dust off her swimsuit, hugged it to her chest, and couldn't help but smile foolishly as she thought about tomorrow's itinerary.

From a girl who was once empty inside and always expressionless, to a girl who can now laugh normally, what kind of changes has her mindset undergone?

Although she sometimes wonders, "Do I really deserve this happiness?", it's okay, everything is moving in a positive direction.

Just then, ding-dong—

The doorbell, which hadn't been touched in a long time, rang.

Who? Ding-dong ding-dong--

Who could be looking for me? Or will they go back to my old dorm room...?

Lost in her happiness, Margaret didn't think twice and simply opened the door.

Then, the swimsuit she was holding fell to the ground.

So shocked that he couldn't move at all.

A disheveled man with prominent cheekbones and cloudy eyes squeezed in the moment she opened the door.

Upon seeing Margaret, he broke into a maniacal grin, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Hoo... hoo ha... Ma, Margaret... hoo hoo... Do you still remember your father?"

The man suddenly reached out and gripped her shoulders tightly.

"Ha... ha... Daddy missed you so much... hehehehe... So, that's why I escaped from prison to come see you... hoohoo... Come on, my little darling... You... love Daddy the most, right?"

Margaret struggled desperately, but the man swung his arms and threw her violently out. Her small body crashed into the glass window, scattering shards of glass all over the floor.

"Come on... come on... to celebrate our father-daughter reunion... let's do something nice again, okay?"

"No!!!!!!"

Margaret twisted and turned frantically, trying to escape, but the man pounced on her and pinned her down.

"Come on... don't move around... haha, Daddy hates disobedient children... I told you not to grab things!"

Thump! A solid punch landed on Margaret's face. She cried out in pain, and blood gushed from her nose. The man chuckled maliciously, pinning her hands down and tearing off her clothes—

"No... help... me... Xiao Wu... sister..."

How terrifying.

Dad is scary.

Being bullied is terrifying.

But it's okay.

Sister Sakura Dance will come to save me.

Just like before.

They will definitely come.

So come on over!

Come quick, sister!

Please come quickly.

Please, please, please hurry, hurry, hurry--

But it's no use.

At that time, Xiao Wu was still in the clubroom several kilometers away, waiting for her to return.

The man's foul breath sprayed onto her face.

The sharp nails pricked her painfully.

I can't take it anymore, I simply can't stand it.

Her last remaining survival instinct prompted her hands to grope aimlessly on the ground.

"...!"

I touched something sharp.

It was a large piece of sharded glass.

It's as sharp as a dagger.

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