The Angel's Mask

The air in the hallway of the Class D girls' dormitory was frozen solid, like a block of ice.

Kushida Kikyo stood before Room 404, dragging her suitcase. She still wore that sweet, harmless smile, but the chill radiating from her eyes was enough to make anyone's spine crawl.

Kei Karuizawa blocked the doorway, with a pale-faced Airi Sakura standing behind her.

"Move aside, Karuizawa-san." Kushida's voice was airy, as if she were merely commenting on the weather.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kei didn't budge, her arm barred across the doorframe.

"Transferring, of course." Kushida tilted her head, her chestnut hair sliding over her shoulder. "The Student Council has already approved it. Starting today, I'm moving to the Class C dormitory area. All the paperwork is finished."

"Why?"

"Why?" Kushida repeated, then suddenly let out a laugh. "Karuizawa-san, that question is so naive. What kind of future is there in Class D? A class that crawled to second place on pure luck, and is falling apart from the inside out."

She took a step forward, closing the distance to half a meter from Kei. "Especially you, Karuizawa. You think you're something special, don't you? You latched onto Ayanokoji and now you act like you own the class. But do you know what people say behind your back? 'Kei Karuizawa, the Class D social butterfly, a bitch who climbed to the top by sleeping with guys'—"

Kei's fists tightened.

Airi Sakura grabbed the hem of her skirt.

"What? Want to hit me?" Kushida's smile widened. "Go ahead. It'll be a perfect chance for everyone to see exactly what kind of trash the girls in Class D are. By the way, my phone is recording."

She shook the device inside her pocket.

Rapid footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had arrived.

He stopped five meters away, his gaze sweeping over Kushida's suitcase—24 inches, packed to the brim, yet the wheels turned smoothly, indicating the weight was perfectly balanced. She hadn't left in a rush; she had been prepared for a long time.

"Ayanokoji-kun." Kushida turned to look at him, her smile as sweet as ever. "Are you here to see me off? How thoughtful."

"You're going to Class C?" Ayanokoji asked.

"Spot on." Kushida snapped her fingers. "Ryuen-kun is very welcoming. He says Class C needs 'talent' like mine. Unlike some people, who have the ability but insist on hiding it and playing the humble card."

Her words were barbed, aimed directly at Ayanokoji.

"What did you take?" Ayanokoji stared at her suitcase.

"Oh my, the way you say that, it's like you think I'm a thief." Kushida feigned injury. "I'm only taking my own belongings. Clothes, cosmetics, study materials... and a few little souvenirs."

She pulled a small USB drive from her inner jacket pocket and spun it on her fingertip. "Like this, for instance. It has some interesting chat logs, photos, and the like. A little 'memento' of the youth of everyone in Class D?"

Kei's expression shifted.

Airi Sakura was trembling all over.

"What are you planning to do?" Kei's voice was tight.

"Do?" Kushida tucked the USB drive away, her smile radiant. "Protect myself, of course. Since I'm transferring to Class C, I need some self-defense measures in case everyone in Class D decides to target me out of spite."

She looked at Ayanokoji. "Am I right, Ayanokoji-kun? You're so smart, you must understand what I mean."

"Name your price," Ayanokoji said.

Kushida paused, then laughed even more happily. "I love talking to smart people. But sorry, this isn't for sale. These things are my 'insurance.' As long as Class D doesn't cause me trouble, they will stay buried in my encrypted drive forever."

"But you'll show them to Class C, won't you?" Ayanokoji said calmly. "Ryuen won't take you in for free. You need to provide a token of loyalty."

Kushida's smile faded slightly.

"Therefore," Ayanokoji continued, "what you really want isn't for us to 'not cause you trouble,' but for us to 'accept your betrayal without retaliation.' Because if we retaliate, you'll release those files."

The hallway went silent for a few seconds.

Then, Kushida began to clap.

"Clap. Clap. Clap."

The applause echoed through the empty corridor.

"As expected of you, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka." Her eyes turned completely cold, the angelic mask shattering like glass to reveal the sharp, true face beneath. "But you got one thing wrong—I don't need your 'acceptance.' Because when these things go public, Class D is finished."

She stepped forward, leaning close to Ayanokoji, her voice dropping to a whisper only the two of them could hear:

"Records of Karuizawa's bullying in middle school. Photos of Airi Sakura in the changing room—oh, don't worry, I didn't take them, but I have copies. The messy business between Yosuke Hirata and his ex-girlfriend. And you, Ayanokoji-kun..."

She paused, her lips curling into a cruel arc. "You aren't the original Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, are you? I don't know how it happened, but your behavioral patterns, your abilities, even your micro-expressions are completely different from when school started. If I submit this 'suspicion' to the school and have them conduct a 'deep background check' on you... what do you think will happen?"

Ayanokoji's pupils contracted slightly.

But his face remained expressionless.

"Are you done?" he asked.

Kushida narrowed her eyes.

"You're right, if these things are released, Class D will be in trouble," Ayanokoji said. "But have you considered one question—why was I able to discover you have a dual personality?"

Kushida's smile froze.

"It wasn't a 'discovery,' it was a 'confirmation,'" Ayanokoji corrected. "From the first day of school, when you asked me to praise your legs in front of everyone, I felt something was wrong. A person who truly wants to maintain an angelic image wouldn't use that method to attract attention."

He took a step forward, and Kushida instinctively retreated.

"Since then, you've been gathering intelligence. Everyone's hobbies, habits, and weaknesses. You were too obvious—so obvious that even a good-natured guy like Hirata started to be wary of you." Ayanokoji's voice was flat, but every word cut like a knife. "You thought you were hiding it well? No, you were just exploiting the fact that people don't want to think the worst of others."

"So what?" Kushida lifted her chin. "I'm the one holding the cards now."