Welcome to Paradise of Freedom

"Karuizawa, I promised I'd help you, but I absolutely won't use violence. The root of this conflict is Manabe and her group, isn't it? I can go with you to talk to them."

Hirata kept a smile on his face as he spoke calmly.

"What are you talking about! They're the ones targeting me unilaterally, you know? I'm your girlfriend—aren't you going to help me?"

Karuizawa looked at Hirata with a face full of expectation.

"Of course I'll help you. After all, you're one of my most important classmates. I'm your boyfriend, but only on the surface. I won't treat you any differently from anyone else—that's what we agreed on back then, isn't it?"

Karuizawa's smile instantly crumbled. She lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

"What are you saying that for now? What do you mean by this? Liar, you big liar!"

"Liar? What did I lie to you about? Haven't I maintained the same attitude from start to finish? The whole thing started because you pushed Rika over, didn't it? If I go with you to apologize, the problem's solved, right?"

"If you can't meet my demands, then I don't need you! Our relationship ends here, starting today!"

After shouting this through tears, Karuizawa turned and ran off. As luck would have it, the direction she ran was straight toward Kiyotaka.

"Oh no..."

Karuizawa stared in shock at the calm-faced Kiyotaka before running past him and away.

"You saw all that, didn't you."

Hirata walked over and said.

"Yeah. Probably... all of it."

"All of it, huh..." Hirata gave a wry smile.

"Can I ask you one question for now?"

Kiyotaka looked at Hirata and spoke flatly.

"What?"

"Your conscience. Or rather, your moral sense as you see it. Doesn't your conscience ache? Rumors of you two dating started spreading from the third week of enrollment, and now over four months have passed. Because of that rumor, Karuizawa's standing among the girls in class has risen... Is it parasitism? No—is it to protect herself?"

"Impressive that you've analyzed it to this extent. It gives me goosebumps. As you say, the reason I became her boyfriend is because she asked me to protect her."

"Protect her from what threat?"

"Maybe... from everything around her. The person she is now isn't her real personality. Her assertiveness is all an act. You might not believe it, but from the time she started school until she came here, she was suffering from severe bullying."

Kiyotaka's gaze was calm, a strange light flickering in his eyes. He said nothing more.

The third discussion session was, as always, stuck in a stalemate. Ichinose and the others had gotten so bored they started playing card games. The only difference was Karuizawa, who had sat down next to Machida and was chatting and laughing with him. Kiyotaka took it all in, his eyes hollow as if lost in thought.

The third discussion session passed quietly and soon ended.

Kiyotaka noticed Karuizawa take a call from Shinohara, then head out the door in high spirits.

When Manabe and her two friends from Class C saw Karuizawa leave, they immediately followed after her.

"Hey, those three are following her. Is she really going to be okay? We should go check."

Yukimura had also noticed their movements. He grabbed Kiyotaka beside him and pulled him along to follow. After all, the conflict yesterday had been pretty serious, and Yukimura was a bit worried as a classmate.

Yukimura and Kiyotaka tailed Manabe's group, but after turning a few corners, they realized they'd lost them.

"How'd they run off so fast? Where did they go?"

Yukimura looked around and said.

"Yukimura, there's a sound over there."

Kiyotaka pointed toward the storage room.

"Let's go!"

"What do you want! Let me go!"

Sure enough, as soon as they got close to the storage room, they heard Karuizawa's voice.

Yukimura and Kiyotaka hid behind a storage cabinet and watched the situation unfold.

"What do we want? Just let us take a picture so Rika can confirm whether you were the one who pushed her. That's all."

Manabe said with a smile.

And Karuizawa, surrounded by the group, had lost all trace of her earlier calm. Her face was now filled with terror.

"Hey, look, her legs are shaking like crazy."

One of the trio pointed at Karuizawa's thighs, which were trembling violently.

Trapped by the three of them, Karuizawa's eyes clearly showed panic and fear. She pressed both hands tightly in front of her face, doing everything she could to stop them from taking photos.

"Oh, putting up a fight, huh? Come on, give me a hand—let's force it!"

Manabe pulled at Karuizawa's hands twice but couldn't budge them. She called the other two over to try and pry them apart.

"No, don't... someone, help me..."

Karuizawa's trembling voice barely managed to force out the words. She felt as if an invisible hand was strangling her neck, an intense suffocation threatening to make her pass out. Scenes of being bullied in the past flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

"Too far!"

Yukimura watched the scene and immediately wanted to rush out. But Kiyotaka firmly held him back.

"What are you doing! Let go!"

Yukimura shook off Kiyotaka's hand and charged out.

"Stop it! What do you think you're doing! I've already called a teacher!"

Yukimura's appearance made Manabe and the others halt. Manabe glanced disdainfully at Karuizawa and said.

"Let's see how many men can help you. Hmph, let's go."

After Manabe and her group left, Yukimura walked over and asked.

"Are you okay?"

He reached out to help Karuizawa up.

"Who told you to stick your nose in!"

Karuizawa slapped Yukimura's hand away, then quickly walked off. As she passed the door, she saw Kiyotaka. She gave him a long, deep look before running out.

"What's her problem? I was trying to help her, wasn't I?"

Yukimura asked, confused.

But Kiyotaka just stared in the direction Karuizawa had gone, saying nothing.

Not enough. Far from enough...

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you. This little bit isn't enough to fully drag out the darkness in Karuizawa's heart. Only when it's completely released can she be of use to me.

Kiyotaka silently thought to himself, his face expressionless.

Chapter Fifty-Two: Legs, Spread!

Kiyotaka looked at the contact information for Manabe he'd gotten from Ibuki, thought for a moment, and sent a text message.

After sending it, Kiyotaka put away his phone and began walking somewhere.

"Alright, now it's up to Manabe to do her part."

Karuizawa, who had fled as if escaping, ran back to her room. She didn't turn on the lights, as if only the darkness could fully protect her.

She quickly stripped off her clothes and rushed into the bathroom, turning the showerhead to full blast.

The water streamed down her body as she scrubbed herself vigorously, as if that could drive the fear from her heart.

But clearly, she failed. The fear still clung to her mind like a shadow. Realizing this, Karuizawa collapsed limply to the floor, hugged her knees, and wept bitterly.

"Someone, please save me. I'll do anything. Just someone, please save me."

Karuizawa curled herself into a tight ball, looking utterly helpless and pitiful.

Just then, her terminal buzzed. She grabbed it and glanced at the screen. Her face, previously as lifeless as a walking corpse, lit up with color.

"It's Hirata! He's still willing to help me! He wants me to meet him. I'll go right now."

Karuizawa quickly tidied herself up and left the room.

Deck B2 of the cruise ship.

Karuizawa arrived here, terminal in hand, looking at the maze of pipes and dim lighting. She muttered in confusion.

"Why would Hirata ask me to meet in a place like this? There's not even a signal on the terminal."

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. Karuizawa turned around joyfully and said.

"Hirata, you're here!"

But when she saw who it was, her face drained of all color.

"Hirata's not coming. Let's see which man can save you this time!"

Manabe sneered. The trio, along with a girl who looked very introverted, slowly approached.

"Why are you the ones here! Hirata was the one who asked me to come!"

"Nothing special. I just told Hirata I misunderstood you and wanted to apologize, but I was afraid you wouldn't come out, so I asked him to pass the invitation for me."

Manabe explained flatly, then looked over Karuizawa, whose body was trembling slightly, a meaningful smile spreading across her face.

"Alright, now let's start Karuizawa's kneeling photo shoot. Hahaha."

With that, Manabe pulled Rinka, who was cowering behind them, forward and asked.

"Rinka, is this the person who pushed you?"

Rinka looked up at Karuizawa, shrinking back as she nodded.

"It's... her."

Manabe glanced at Karuizawa upon hearing this. Her legs were shaking violently, both hands gripping the wall behind her, her eyes darting around as if searching for an opening to break through their encirclement.

"You've been bullied before, haven't you."

Manabe grabbed Karuizawa's hair with a smirk, speaking each word deliberately.

Those words struck Karuizawa like a heavy hammer, draining all her strength to struggle. She slowly slid down the wall, collapsing limply.

"Hey, look at her, she's actually this scared?"

"Hahaha, what a pitiful person. How did she even get a face like that? So delicate, it's almost enviable!"

With that, a vicious slap landed on Karuizawa's cheek, a red handprint instantly blooming across her skin.

"Rika, your turn. Whatever she did to you before, slap her back the same way."

Manabe shifted half a step aside, motioning for Rika to step forward.

Rika shook her head frantically, like a rattle-drum.

"No need... it's all in the past."

"What do you mean by that, Rika? I'm only doing this because we're classmates, helping you get your revenge. And now you're refusing? What do you take us for?!"

Manabe glared at Rika angrily.

Bowing to the pressure, Rika could only shuffle forward and land a feather-light slap on Karuizawa's face.

"Rika, what are you doing? Like this!"

"Slap!"

Manabe spoke as she delivered another heavy blow to Karuizawa's cheek.

By now, Karuizawa, held in place by the other two girls, hung her head limply, showing no sign of resistance at all.

Under Manabe's coercion, Rika finally slapped her hard as well.

"Mmm. That looks much better now. Sisters, let's start taking pictures!"

Manabe pinched Karuizawa's chin, nodding in satisfaction at the slightly swollen cheek, then called the others over to start photographing her.

Karuizawa's eyes were as dead as a corpse's. She had no thought of fighting back whatsoever.

She just kept muttering under her breath.