Rifts by the Lakeside Apartment and the Two-Faced Mask

Only a few days had passed since the conclusion of the first special exam, and while the daily life of Advanced Nurturing High School seemed to have returned to a state of equilibrium, undercurrents were already surging in unseen places. Class D had barely managed to keep all its members, Class C had been thoroughly unified under the dictatorship of Ryuen, Class A had established the steady, cautious path of Katsuragi Kohei, and Class B continued to maintain order with Honami Ichinose at its center—four vastly different tracks extending in parallel across the campus, ready to collide at any moment.

The life of Yoshikage Kira remained as precise as the rhythm of a clock. Attending classes, organizing notes, responding to classmates' inquiries with moderation, and following a fixed route to the convenience store and library—he remained inconspicuous, perfectly hidden within the gentle order of Class B. This written exam, conducted in the name of survival, had already concluded; for him, continuing to maintain stability and avoiding unnecessary conflict was the most prudent choice.

This tranquility was broken one evening by a perfectly timed encounter.

Kira had appeared at a weekend gathering of his classmates, an invitation initiated by Honami Ichinose. Yoshikage Kira had agreed under the pretext of telling himself to integrate into the collective, though under normal circumstances, he would never participate in activities that disrupted his daily routine.

As the gathering ended, the students dispersed one after another. Kira followed his established plan to head toward the lakeside outside the student dormitory—he was accustomed to stopping there for ten minutes whenever he encountered variables, organizing the day's information and breathing in the quiet air before returning to his room. This was a fixed ritual he used to maintain his inner order, rarely interrupted and never disturbed by others.

The lakeside by the apartments was quiet and lush, the twilight dyeing the water a pale gold, and the evening breeze brought a cool, damp sensation. Usually, this place was empty, but today, a slender figure was crouched by the water's edge, shoulders trembling slightly, accompanied by suppressed, distorted whispers that tore through the silence of the night.

"So annoying... so annoying, so annoying, so annoying!"

"What right does Suzune Horikita have to act so high and mighty? Why does everyone have to revolve around her?"

"I am the one who is most popular; I am the one who should be valued by everyone... Why am I being suppressed by her to the point where I can't even lift my head?"

"Hypocritical and disgusting. Who wants to be friends with her? Who would tolerate her arrogance? She should just drop out... If only I could make her disappear completely."

Kira's footsteps paused slightly.

He did not step forward immediately, nor did he turn to avoid her; he stood quietly by the path, his gaze calm. He had heard the owner of that voice many times—Kikyo Kushida of Class D, the girl who always wore a perfect smile, was gentle and friendly to everyone, and possessed immense popularity throughout the grade.

The voice currently emanating from the lakeside completely tore away that sweet, harmless mask. Jealousy, resentment, irritability, and loathing—all the negative emotions she had deliberately suppressed were being vented recklessly in this deserted corner. This was the secret she had fought with all her might to protect; once exposed, the perfect image she had meticulously constructed would collapse in an instant.

Kira had no superfluous judgment regarding this.

People all had two sides, emotions they could not reveal in front of others, and a need for a place where no one was around to release their pressure. This was the most normal aspect of human nature; it had nothing to do with sin or distortion, merely a natural manifestation after an inner imbalance. He was not surprised, nor was he disdainful, and he certainly had no intention of using this for blackmail or leverage.

He simply wanted to complete his ten-minute rest and then leave quietly.

The subtle movement of him stepping aside still startled the person by the lake.

The venting stopped abruptly.

Kikyo Kushida turned around violently, the irritability and malice on her face too late to be retracted. Her expression froze in place, her pupils contracting violently as she stared fixedly at Yoshikage Kira standing on the path.

The air solidified instantly.

Kikyo Kushida's mind went blank.

She had been seen.

She had actually been seen—did this person not make any sound when he walked?

And it was Yoshikage Kira, the one from Class B who never expressed emotion and seemed to hide everything in the depths of his heart.

The side of her that she fought hardest to conceal was exposed, defenseless, before a third party. Her perfect image, her "good person" persona, her popularity across the grade, the friendly relationships with everyone... everything she had meticulously built was on the verge of collapse at this very moment.

Fear and panic swallowed her instantly.

Kira looked at her calmly, his tone steady and natural: "Apologies for disturbing you. I only came here to clear my head as per my habit. If you need to be alone, I can go somewhere else."

His attitude was too calm, which only made Kikyo Kushida panic even more.

This nonchalant awareness was more unsettling to her than a direct mockery. She knew the rules of this school too well; she understood exactly what it meant to have a secret held against her. If Kira were to speak of this, she would be completely finished.

"Wait!" Kikyo Kushida rushed forward to block his path, her face deathly pale, her voice trembling despite her attempt to feign composure: "Kira-kun, you didn't hear anything just now, right?"

Kira did not evade, nor did he exaggerate: "I heard a part of it."

The blunt admission shattered Kikyo Kushida's last shred of hope.

She stared fixedly at Kira, her eyes a mixture of pleading and panic: "Please, don't tell anyone. Not Suzune Horikita, not the people in Class D, not anyone in other classes."

"I can give you points, enough personal points. As long as you keep this secret, I can agree to any of your conditions."

"I'm begging you, Kira-kun..."

The Kikyo Kushida who was usually so composed and wore a perfect smile was now in a state of disarray, left with nothing but helplessness and fear.

Kira's tone was indifferent: "I have no reason to spread this, nor do I have any interest in interfering in your private affairs."

To him, keeping the secret to avoid trouble was the choice that best served his own interests.

Kikyo Kushida could not believe such a statement.

In this school of meritocracy where everyone calculated, no one would easily let go of such a crucial piece of leverage. The calmer Kira was, the more she was convinced that he was brewing a larger scheme. She had to leave behind definitive leverage to ensure he would never dare to leak a single word.

A frantic thought took shape in her mind.

The moment Kira turned to leave, Kikyo Kushida suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist, her strength completely inconsistent with her usual fragile image. Before Kira could react, she pressed his palm directly against her own chest.

The instant his fingertips touched the fabric, the air almost stood still.

This was her final means of binding those she silenced—forcibly leaving fingerprints to frame him for molestation, serving as an absolute bargaining chip to keep her secret. As long as the fingerprints remained, she could bite back at any time and declare that Kira had committed inappropriate acts against her. Faced with the difference in gender and "conclusive evidence," no one would believe Kira's defense; expulsion and social ruin would be the only outcome.

Kikyo Kushida's face was pale, but her eyes held a desperate resolve: "Kira-kun, your fingerprints are now on me. If you dare to tell anyone about today, I will report you to the school immediately. The one who gets expelled will be you."

"Let this be a secret between us. If you keep your mouth shut, I will act as if nothing happened, and we will leave each other alone."

She was certain that such a threat would make anyone submit.

She was convinced that Kira would be forced to accept this agreement like any ordinary person.

She believed she had firmly grasped the situation.

Kira's reaction, however, completely exceeded her expectations.

He did not panic or grow angry, nor did he offer any excuses; with a strength Kikyo Kushida could not resist, he pulled his hand away.

He looked calmly at the flustered and paranoid girl before him, his tone gentle and earnest, carrying a rare sense of understanding and tolerance.

"I will keep today's events to myself."

"You do not need to protect yourself in this way."

"When pressure builds to its limit, needing an outlet is perfectly normal. Everyone has a side they do not want seen, and emotions that can only be released in the shadows. This is not a weakness, much less a fault that needs to be covered up with threats."

His voice was steady and gentle, like an evening breeze smoothing away her panic, devoid of contempt, calculation, or exploitation—only pure understanding.

"You have always worked very hard. Maintaining a perfect image in front of everyone, tending to the emotions of those around you, and catering to everyone's expectations. Exhaustion, irritation, and resentment are all natural emotions."

"I will not mock you, I will not use you, and I certainly will not treat this matter as a weapon to attack you."

"You can rest assured; everything from today will remain only with me."

Kikyo Kushida froze abruptly.

Her fingers, which had been gripping Yoshikage Kira's wrist, loosened involuntarily.

She stood rigid, her pupils trembling slightly as she stared at the boy before her in disbelief.

She had anticipated threats, mockery, bargaining, compromise, and exploitation, but she had never expected a response like this.

Yoshikage Kira had not been intimidated by her threats, nor had he been constrained by leverage; instead, he had seen through the fragility beneath her madness and the exhaustion beneath her perfect mask, offering her an understanding and acceptance she had never received before.

It was not sympathy, nor was it pity—it was calm acceptance.

So there really was someone who would not loathe her or exploit her because of her darkness.

So her emotional outbursts could be viewed as normal.

So she did not have to live every moment wearing a perfect mask.

An indescribable emotion surged into her eyes; Kikyo Kushida's nose stung, and a mist of tears instantly welled up.

She had always believed she could only survive through disguise and threats, protecting herself by holding leverage over others. Yoshikage Kira's few words gently shattered her long-taut shell, touching the softest, most longing part of her heart.

Maintaining a safe distance, Yoshikage Kira said in a calm tone, "You can stay here to compose yourself. I will not disturb you, nor will I mention this to anyone."

With that, he gave a slight nod, turned, and walked slowly away along the lakeside, without looking back or leaving any unnecessary attachments.

Throughout the entire encounter, he had not shown any abnormality; he had not been tempted, threatened, or emotionally swayed, simply holding fast to his own composure and boundaries.

In the shadows at the corner of the apartment lakeside, a silent figure stood still.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

He had originally come to the vicinity to find Kikyo Kushida regarding a trivial matter, but he had arrived a step too late and could only watch everything quietly from a distance. He could not hear the specific conversation between Yoshikage Kira and Kikyo Kushida, but he clearly saw Kikyo Kushida's breakdown, her extreme threatening gestures, her reddened eyes at the end, and Yoshikage Kira's consistently calm response.

That boy from Class B, who always hid himself and pursued a quiet life, had handled Kikyo Kushida's secret in a way that completely exceeded expectations.

No coercion, no bargaining, no compromise.

Only understanding, only comfort, only calm discretion.

For the first time, a trace of faint surprise flickered in the depths of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's eyes.

Yoshikage Kira.

This boy, who was just as low-key, just as hidden, and just as detached as he was, had walked a completely different path.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji turned calmly and left without a sound, as if he had never appeared.

By the lake, Kikyo Kushida stood alone in the evening breeze, gazing in the direction Yoshikage Kira had left, remaining motionless for a long time.

The distant streetlights stretched her shadow long, and where her mask had shattered, a genuine vulnerability and emotion were revealed for the first time.

Yoshikage Kira's words were like a seed falling into the depths of her heart, gently knocking open the door she had kept tightly shut for so long.