Black-Hearted Angel

After leaving the library, Natsukawa found himself wondering... why had he left? Wasn't he supposed to be studying inside? However, Natsukawa didn't immediately turn back, partly because it would be embarrassing, but mostly because he was afraid Horikita might snap and stab him with a compass. Letting her cool off inside was for the best.

'Airi has been struggling with sociology for the past two days anyway; letting her study some science will be a good change of pace.'

With that thought settled, he turned and headed toward the school building, intending to grab his chemistry textbook from the classroom.

The corridors of the school building were exceptionally empty after hours, and the slight sound of his indoor shoes against the polished floor echoed far in the silence. Just as he stepped onto the stairs leading to the upper floors, a strange, dull thudding sound, accompanied by a faint, suppressed, sharp female voice, drifted down from above.

"...Bang!... Damn it... Bang!"

Natsukawa paused, tilting his head to listen. The source of the sound seemed to be the landing just before the rooftop. The heavy thudding sounded like someone kicking the thick, heavy door that was always locked after school. And that voice...

He had a hunch, so he slowed his pace and climbed upward silently. The closer he got, the clearer the sound became.

"...Horikita Suzune! You self-righteous bitch! Who are you acting so high and mighty for? Don't push your luck!..." It was the voice of Kushida Kikyo. But at this moment, that voice, usually as sweet as honey, was twisted, filled with undisguised malice and anger, every word squeezed out from between her teeth.

"Bang!" Another heavy kick landed on the iron door, creating a massive echo.

"And those idiots in class, Karuizawa's little clique chirping away like a bunch of hens all day! Osabe is just as full of herself! And those boys, those idiots, do you really think I don't know what you're all thinking inside..."

The cursing became increasingly unbearable, a stark contrast to her usual sunny and cute angel persona. Natsukawa stopped at the corner of the stairs, a position where he could hear the commotion above clearly without being easily discovered. There was no surprise on his face; instead, there was a calm sense of expectation.

He silently took out his personal terminal from his pocket, unlocked it with practiced ease, and pulled up the recording function. Then, he turned the screen inward and carefully tucked it back into his uniform pocket, ensuring the camera lens was just peeking out from the edge, aimed directly at the source of the noise. Having done this, he simply leaned back against the cold wall, arms crossed, like a detached spectator quietly "enjoying" the one-woman show upstairs.

Upstairs, Kushida didn't seem satisfied with just cursing; with every vicious insult, she would deliver another heavy kick to the iron door. The "bang-bang" sounds echoed repeatedly in the empty stairwell, making one's eardrums ache. Natsukawa could even imagine what she looked like right now—that cute face must be twisted with rage, and those eyes, usually curved into crescents, likely held nothing but terrifying hostility.

Perhaps he was too "invested" and failed to hide himself, or perhaps Kushida, after kicking the door repeatedly, finally grew vigilant due to the massive noise she was creating and subconsciously looked around.

In any case, when Natsukawa noticed a cold gaze landing on him, he looked up and met the eyes of Kushida Kikyo, who had leaned over the edge of the landing. Her eyes were no longer masked, filled with shock and murderous intent.

Their eyes met.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The rage and distortion on Kushida's face froze instantly, then faded away like a receding tide, replaced by an extreme coldness and gloom. She walked down the stairs slowly, her pace measured but carrying an invisible pressure. Those large brown eyes stared fixedly at Natsukawa, devoid of their usual sweet smile, leaving only naked threats.

"You... heard everything?" Her voice was low, carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness—a side effect of her shouting just moments ago.

Natsukawa straightened his posture, his face still expressionless, just looking at her calmly, neither admitting nor denying anything.

Seeing his silence, the corners of Kushida's mouth curled into a cold, almost cruel arc: "Natsukawa Sosuke, I'm warning you. If you dare to say a single word about what you saw and heard today..." She stepped forward, looking up at Natsukawa, her eyes like poisoned daggers, "I will use every means necessary to make sure you can't stay in this school until you are expelled. I mean what I say."

Faced with this naked threat, Natsukawa suddenly chuckled. The laugh was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silent stairwell.

"Don't worry, Kushida-san." He spoke, his tone even bordering on gentle, "I have no interest in spreading other people's secrets. Besides..." He paused, his gaze seemingly looking past Kushida at something more profound, "In my eyes, this little display of yours doesn't really count for much."

Kushida's pupils contracted; she clearly hadn't expected this reaction. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Natsukawa said with a detachment born of experience, "who doesn't have a side they don't want others to see? To survive, wearing different masks in certain environments is perfectly normal." He intentionally made his words ambiguous, as if he too carried a heavy past, "Compared to some truly dark pasts, this way of venting your emotions even seems a bit... 'youthful'."

He successfully used a 'misunderstanding' to divert Kushida's attention and threw out the "tip of the iceberg" of his own experiences.

Sure enough, the murderous intent and vigilance in Kushida's eyes were slightly replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. She scrutinized Natsukawa, seemingly trying to find a flaw in his calm, unruffled face. "Who... who exactly are you?"

"Just an ordinary student like you, trying to find my place in this school." Natsukawa dodged the question, steering the topic deeper, "However, I am curious, Kushida-san. You are so obsessed with being friends with everyone, even at the cost of suppressing your true self... what is it that you ultimately want? Is it just that feeling of being surrounded and needed by everyone? Or is there... some other, more important goal?"

His question was like a key, attempting to pry open the safe deep within Kushida's heart.

Kushida was silent for a moment, her eyes shifting with complex emotions. Natsukawa's reaction, which was completely different from what she had expected, his seemingly casual yet core-piercing questions, and the elusive temperament he possessed—so unlike anyone else her age—made her feel a trace of... curiosity, overriding her anger.

"...I crave... recognition." Finally, she said in a low voice, a hint of imperceptible fragility in her tone, "Everyone has it, right? Being praised by others since childhood for things like getting first place on exams or running fast. And I, for this kind of praise—that is, recognition—have shown a greater craving than others."

"So, you are very afraid that they will discover you aren't perfect, right?"

This was the root of her twisted ideal.

Natsukawa looked at her and shook his head slowly, his tone carrying a near-cruel calmness: "Building a sense of recognition based on the love and need of others is like building a house on quicksand. Once you can't maintain that perfect image, or someone 'more popular' than you appears, everything will collapse. True strength and security should come from one's own irreplaceable value and ability, not from an illusory relationship built on pleasing others."

His words were like a heavy hammer, smashing against the beliefs Kushida had relied on to survive all this time.

"What can I do? I've long known the limits of my abilities. Do you think I don't want to possess great strength? It's precisely because I can't compete in grades or sports that I can only do the things no one else wants to do!"

Watching the slightly distraught Kushida, Natsukawa knew the initial impact had been achieved. He steered the topic at the right moment: "No, Kikyo, you already possess very powerful abilities. The emotional intelligence and affinity you have honed through socializing over these years are things most people could never achieve. The effort you've put into this is by no means just pandering to others! This is a gentleness unique to Kushida that only a few can understand!"

"Those people in your class only treat you as an emotional dumping ground; only I have seen your powerful value. Don't worry, you don't have to suppress yourself in front of me; this will be a secret between the two of us."