A New Beginning (Part 2)

I grabbed the girl who was trying to flee.

Without streetlights, I couldn't make out her face.

But whoever she was, I wouldn't let her leave like this.

Pressing her hands against the wall, I leaned in close.

"You heard everything?"

I put on a somewhat menacing tone.

I tightened my grip on her wrists, and I could clearly feel her struggling from the pain.

"Wait... you're hurting me."

Hearing her voice, I couldn't help but pause.

It sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place who she was for a moment.

But whoever she was, or whether she'd heard anything at all, I didn't want to leave any loose ends over something this trivial.

Maybe it was just a minor thing, but I couldn't help wanting to make sure these little details were cleaned up.

If I ended up losing because of some insignificant matter down the line, I didn't want to live with that regret.

I let go of her wrists, and she rotated them a bit, wincing.

"Who are you... why does it feel like we're not strangers?"

She kept her head down, ignoring me.

Seeing that, I pulled out my mobile terminal and turned on the flashlight.

I wanted to see for myself...

"Don't!"

The moment the light hit her, she flinched visibly.

Then, as if caught in some memory, she stood there dazed, leaning against the wall.

(Karuizawa Kei)

The harsh flashlight shone on my face.

That scene from before involuntarily surfaced in my mind—the dagger reflecting a faint silver glint, patting my cheek.

"How about we carve her up a bit? A face this pretty just pisses me off."

"No, if we leave marks on her face, what if she can't take it and offs herself?"

"Such an interesting toy doesn't come by often."

"But I still can't help wanting to leave a deeper impression on her."

The devilish whispers lingered in my ears.

"Don't!"

I watched helplessly as the dagger sank into my body, the searing pain making me lose consciousness.

"Isn't that a bit deep?"

"Maybe a little. Let's stick two band-aids on her."

I clutched my stomach, blood staining my shirt. They didn't care at all, cursing as they left.

With the light, I could see her face clearly.

Karuizawa Kei.

Why her?

I tried calling out to her, but she didn't seem to react at all.

So I let her stay there, leaning blankly against the wall.

I was a bit puzzled.

At school, Karuizawa Kei was known for being pretty strong-willed, right?

I vaguely remembered Kushida mentioning it to me, though I had my doubts about that at the time.

After all, when I'd actually interacted with her before, I found it was all just an outer facade—completely different from the personality she was trying to project.

And recalling her outfit when we first met, it seemed pretty flashy too.

If you only looked at the surface, you'd probably slap on labels like "trouble," "strong-willed," and "independent."

But if you ask me, the more someone lacks something, the more they care about it.

I wasn't sure if she still remembered me, but when I ran into her on campus last time, she acted like she didn't know me at all.

She didn't even spare me a glance.

I don't quite understand.

Is it because she has someone she cares about that she deliberately keeps her distance?

I vaguely recall she's been rumored to be involved with that Hirata guy.

Though I don't know what her goal is, always putting on this kind of act.

But her words and actions just now don't quite match the image she's trying to project.

Logically speaking, even if I had her wrist pinned, she wouldn't make such a weak statement like that.

Threatening me with something like "Let go of me right now, or I'll have Hirata-kun deal with you" would be more fitting for the role she's playing, wouldn't it?

So, what exactly is she trying to hide?

Or rather, is she afraid of something?

Suddenly I recall that day she was being chased by a group of girls and frantically bumped into me.

"Don't!"

Karuizawa Kei suddenly cried out, clutching her side.

I shook the dazed Karuizawa Kei, but she didn't react.

I gently lifted her shirt, and underneath was a shocking scar.

How could this be...

I placed my hand on her scar, lightly stroking it.

It's a bit rough, nothing like the soft skin of her abdomen.

She seemed startled awake by my action.

"W-What do you think you're doing!? Let go of me!"

Karuizawa pushed me away with more strength than I expected.

"Where did that scar come from?"

"You don't need to know!"

"I really need to."

I grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes.

After I held her gaze for a while, she lowered her head, avoiding my eyes.

"It's none of your business..."

"Talk."

I gripped her throat and pressed her against the wall.

"I told you, it has nothing to do with you, and I didn't hear any of your conversation."

Frowning, I couldn't stop my hand from tightening.

"Cough, cough..."

Maybe this is a bit too much...

"Hmph, it's just a scar I left from self-harm in the past."

Karuizawa Kei curled her lip and said dismissively.

Still refusing to tell the truth...

If it were just a scar she made herself, why would she react so violently when I shone the flashlight on her?

Since I can't get anything out of her mouth, I pulled back a little distance and reassessed the surroundings.

There's no one around, pitch black at night, and a strong stress reaction when hit with a flashlight.

Moreover, the tool that created that scar doesn't seem like something a household knife's sharpness could achieve.

...This place seems perfect for school bullying.

"That scar—is it a mark left from being bullied?"

"Are you pretending to be someone you're not because you're afraid of being bullied again?"

"Don't act like you know me so well."

"If I don't know you, don't you know yourself?"

"I'm not wrong, am I?"

As if some sinful judgment had descended, the devout angel didn't wait for God's salvation.

The demon seemed about to tear open the angel's ugly past scars.

"Stop talking nonsense, okay? I promise to keep today's matter a secret. Please, don't say anymore."

Karuizawa Kei's voice was clearly trembling.

Ignoring Karuizawa's pleas, I continued speaking on my own.

"There's a rumor that you're involved with Hirata because you're after his leadership position in Class D. That way, you'd naturally become the center of the girls' group and avoid being bullied like before."

"You just want to establish yourself in this new school."

"..."

Karuizawa didn't refute it. Instead, she admitted it as if she'd given up on herself.

"So what if that's the case? Now that you know, it just means I'll go back to my old life. What does it matter anyway?"

"In the end, I can't escape being bullied."

Karuizawa Kei let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"This kind of ending."

"Are you satisfied?"

"..."

I didn't like this feeling of self-abandonment.

Suddenly, I felt a bit selfish. Just to prevent an extremely low-probability event, I had ruthlessly shattered a girl's wish.

Even if her wish couldn't even be called a wish by ordinary high school standards.

But that only made me more uneasy.

After all, I was the one who had pushed her into this state. If I hadn't exposed her, maybe she could have enjoyed a normal school life as she wished.

Even if I let her go now, as time passed, could she really keep this secret hidden?

"I never said I was going to reveal your bullying experience at school."

"Huh?"

Karuizawa Kei tilted her head, looking somewhat confused.

"You happened to stumble upon my agreement with Manabu Horikita. In a way, that counts as exchanging secrets."

"If we both made those public, it would be a lose-lose situation."

"You... aren't you worried I'll eliminate you to protect all this?"

"You're not stupid. You understand the principle of a dead fish breaking the net."

"Besides, the net might not break."

I lifted her face and studied her furrowed brow.

"And besides, I have to protect what belongs to me."

"Wait! What gives you the right to decide I'm your belonging?"

"I'm just informing you. I wasn't asking for your opinion."

"What the hell..."

She stared at me with a complicated expression.

"Because you're beautiful. I can't help but want to possess you."

I don't know what she thought of, but her face flushed red.

She seemed to want to say something more, then muttered quietly to herself.

"Just want to possess me?"

"What?"

"...Nothing."

I didn't catch it, but I didn't press further.

Peeling back her scars was my fault.

Maybe this way it wouldn't seem so abrupt—

If I pretended to have feelings for her in order to protect her.

Karuizawa Kei.

A girl like this shouldn't have to suffer from being bullied in the first place.