"Ichinose, I promised I'd help you, but I absolutely won't use violence. This whole conflict started because of Manabe and the others, didn't it? I can go talk to them with you."
Hirata kept a smile on his face as he spoke calmly.
"What?! They're the ones targeting me! I'm your girlfriend. Aren't you going to help me?"
Karuizawa looked at Hirata with hopeful eyes.
"Of course I'll help you. You're one of my most important classmates, after all. I'll be your boyfriend, but only on the surface. I won't treat you any differently. That's what we agreed on from the start, isn't it?"
Karuizawa's smile crumpled. She lowered her head and spoke with a slight tremble in her voice.
"What are you bringing that up for now? What are you trying to say? You liar! You're such a liar!"
"A liar? What did I lie about? I've been clear about my attitude from the beginning. Didn't all this start because you pushed Rika over? I'll go with you to apologize, and then it'll be settled."
"If you can't give me what I want, then I don't need you either! Our relationship ends here, starting today!"
After shouting those words, Karuizawa turned and ran off. By sheer coincidence, she headed straight toward Kiyotaka.
"Oh no..."
Karuizawa stared in shock at Kiyotaka's calm expression, then ran off.
"You saw all that?"
Hirata walked over and asked.
"Yeah. I think I saw all of it."
"You saw everything..." Hirata gave a bitter smile.
"Can I ask you something?"
Kiyotaka looked at Hirata and asked in a flat voice.
"What?"
"Your conscience—or your sense of right and wrong, as you see it. Doesn't your conscience bother you? The news that you two were dating started spreading in your third week at school, and it's been over four months now. Because of that, Karuizawa's status among the girls in class has risen considerably... Is she clinging to you? No, is this to protect herself?"
"I'm impressed you analyzed it that far. It's enough to give me goosebumps. As you said, I became her boyfriend because she asked me to protect her."
"Protect her from what?"
"Maybe everything around her. The person she is now isn't who she really is. Her assertiveness is all an act. You might not believe this, but she was severely bullied from the time she started school until she came here."
Kiyotaka's gaze remained calm, a strange light flickering in his eyes. He said nothing more.
The third discussion dragged on in silence, just like the others. Ichinose and the rest were so bored they had started playing cards. The only difference was Karuizawa, who sat beside Machida, chatting and laughing with him. Kiyotaka watched it all, his eyes vacant, his thoughts unreadable.
The third discussion quietly passed and soon came to an end.
Kiyotaka noticed Karuizawa receive a call from Shinohara, then leave in high spirits.
The three girls from Class C, Manabe among them, saw Karuizawa leave and followed her.
"Hey, those three are following her. Do you think she'll be okay? We should go check."
Yukimura had noticed them too. He pulled Kiyotaka along and followed. Yesterday's conflict had gotten pretty serious, and as her classmate, Yukimura was worried.
Yukimura and Kiyotaka tailed the three girls, but after turning a few corners, they lost sight of them.
"How did they get so far ahead? Where did they go?"
Yukimura glanced around.
"Yukimura, I hear something over there."
Kiyotaka pointed toward the storage room.
"Let's go!"
"What are you doing? Let go of me!"
Sure enough, as soon as they got near the storage room, they heard Karuizawa's voice.
Yukimura and Kiyotaka hid behind a storage cabinet and watched what was happening.
"What are we doing? Just let us take a picture so Rika can confirm whether you were the one who pushed her."
Manabe smiled as she spoke.
Surrounded by the girls, Karuizawa's usual calm had vanished, replaced by an expression of pure fear.
"Hey, look! Her legs are shaking so badly!"
One of the three pointed at Karuizawa's trembling thighs.
Fear and panic were plain in Karuizawa's eyes. She held her hands tightly in front of herself, doing everything she could to stop them from taking pictures.
"Look at her putting up a fight. Come on, give me a hand. We'll force her!"
Manabe tugged at Karuizawa's arm, but couldn't pry it loose. She called the other two over to help force it open.
"No, please... Someone, help me."
Karuizawa's trembling voice struggled to form the words. It felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing her throat. The suffocating pressure nearly made her pass out, and scenes of her past bullying flashed through her mind like a reel of film.
"That's enough!"
Watching this, Yukimura immediately tried to rush out, but Kiyotaka grabbed and stopped him.
"What are you doing? Let go!"
Yukimura wrenched free and charged out.
"Stop! What are you doing? I've already called a teacher!"
Yukimura's appearance made Manabe and the others stop. Manabe shot Karuizawa a scornful look.
"Let's see how many men you can get to help you. Hmph. Let's go."
After Manabe and the others left, Yukimura went over and asked,
"Are you okay?"
He started to help Karuizawa up.
"Who asked you to butt in?"
Karuizawa slapped his hand away and quickly left. As she passed the doorway, she saw Kiyotaka. She gave him a long look, then ran out.
"What? I was only trying to help her."
Yukimura asked, confused.
But Kiyotaka only watched the direction Karuizawa had gone. He said nothing.
It still wasn't enough. Not nearly enough...
When you stared into the abyss, the abyss stared back at you. This wasn't enough to drag all the darkness out of Karuizawa's heart. Only when she was completely broken could she be of use to me.
Kiyotaka thought this to himself, his face expressionless.
Chapter 52: Legs, Spread Them!
Kiyotaka looked at the contact information for Manabe that he'd gotten from Ibuki. After a moment's thought, he sent her a text.
After sending it, Kiyotaka put his phone away and headed somewhere.
"Good. Now it's up to Manabe."
After fleeing as if for her life, Karuizawa returned to her room. She didn't turn on the lights, as though the darkness could protect her.
She quickly stripped off and rushed into the bathroom, turning the shower on full blast.
Water streamed down her body. She scrubbed herself hard, as if that could wash away the fear inside her.
But it didn't work. Fear still filled her mind, clinging to her like a shadow. Realizing this, Karuizawa sank to the floor, drew her knees up, and began to sob.
"Can someone please save me? I'll do anything. Someone, please save me."
Karuizawa curled into a tight ball, looking utterly helpless and pitiful.
Just then, her terminal rang. She picked it up and glanced at the screen. The lifeless look on her face suddenly gave way to a glimmer of hope.
"It's Hirata! He's still willing to help me! He told me to come find him. I'll go right now."
Karuizawa hurriedly got herself ready and left her room.
Second basement level of the cruise ship.
Karuizawa arrived, holding her terminal. She looked around at the maze of pipes and dim lighting, then muttered in confusion,
"Why did Hirata ask me to meet him in a place like this? There's no signal down here, either."
Then she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, full of hope.
"Hirata, you're here!"
But when she saw who it was, all the color drained from her face.
"Hirata isn't coming. Let's see which man can save you this time!"
Manabe sneered as the other two girls approached with a painfully shy girl in tow.
"Why are you the ones here? Hirata was the one who asked me to come!"
"It's nothing. I told Hirata I'd misunderstood you and wanted to apologize, but I was afraid you wouldn't come, so I asked him to invite you for me."
Manabe explained casually. Then she scrutinized Karuizawa, who was trembling slightly, and gave her a knowing smile.
"Okay, it's time to start Karuizawa's kneeling photo shoot. Hahaha!"
As she spoke, Manabe pulled Rika forward from where she was cowering behind them and asked,
"Rika, is she the one who pushed you?"
Rika looked up at Karuizawa and nodded timidly.
"Y-yes. It was her."
At that, Manabe glanced at Karuizawa. Her legs were trembling violently, and she clung to the wall behind her with both hands. Her gaze darted around, searching for a way to escape their circle.
"So you really were bullied, weren't you?"
Manabe grabbed Karuizawa by the hair, grinning as she spoke each word.
The words hit Karuizawa like a heavy blow. All the strength left her, and she slowly slid down the wall, crumpling to the floor.
"Hey, look at her! She's so scared!"
"Hahaha! What a pathetic sight. How did someone with such a pretty face end up like this? She's gorgeous. It's enough to make you jealous!"
Then Manabe slapped Karuizawa hard across the face. A red handprint immediately appeared on her cheek.
"Rika, you get in on this too. Hit her the way she hit you back then."
Manabe stepped aside, making room for Rika.
Rika immediately shook her head like a rattle.
"No need... It's in the past."
"What's that supposed to mean, Rika? We're doing this for you because we're classmates, and now you're refusing? What do you take us for?"
Manabe glared angrily at Rika.
Under pressure, Rika could only slowly step forward and lightly slap Karuizawa across the face.
"Rika, what are you doing? You have to do it like this!"
"Smack!"
As she spoke, Manabe hit Karuizawa hard across the face again.
Karuizawa hung her head while the other two held her up. She showed no sign of struggling.
Under Manabe's pressure, Rika gave her a hard slap too.
"Mm. That looks much better. Girls, let's start taking pictures!"
Manabe lifted Karuizawa's chin and looked at the slightly swollen cheek with satisfaction. Then she called the others over to take pictures.
Karuizawa's eyes looked like those of a corpse. She had no desire to resist at all.
She just kept mumbling, "
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