The moonlight was beautiful, and the evening breeze was cool. It should have been a lovely night for young couples to meet in secret.
"Ugh, this is so annoying! So annoying!"
Kushida Kikyo kicked the railing hard.
This was the edge of the Artificial Island, and the corner of the school with the least surveillance coverage.
Few people came here on ordinary days. Once in a while, a few students trying to look profound would come and stare blankly out at the sea.
But tonight, it had become Kushida Kikyo's personal dumping ground for her emotions.
Like a furious little beast, she kicked the railing again and again. The clanging sounded especially harsh in the empty night.
"Horikita, you bitch! Why do you always look so high and mighty? Who do you think you are?"
"Nishikado, you shameless stalker! How do you know about me?"
"And those idiots in Class D—do you people even understand plain speech?"
"You're all awful, awful, awful!"
Kushida Kikyo vented her feelings wildly.
Ever since she entered Advanced Nurturing, she had been in a bad mood.
With her exceptional emotional intelligence and superb acting skills, Kushida Kikyo had quickly earned the trust of most of her classmates in Class D and become one of the class's central figures.
But a few girls always seemed to go out of their way to oppose her, making thoughtless remarks that embarrassed her and put the perfect image she had carefully maintained at risk.
If they were doing it on purpose, that would be one thing. She could find a way to get back at them. The problem was, they simply spoke without thinking.
And there were several boys whose bizarre behavior was so strange that she couldn't understand them. Every time she had to deal with them, she felt completely drained.
As long as she stayed in Class D, her negative emotions kept piling up at an alarming rate.
But what had finally made her snap tonight were Horikita Suzune and Makoto Nishikado.
After venting for a while, Kushida Kikyo finally grew tired.
She leaned against the railing and panted, her chest heaving.
The evening breeze brushed her cheek, bringing a touch of coolness and clearing her head a little.
"...Why does he know about me?"
The school had already helped seal away information about the shameful things in her past, and she had always been careful to keep them hidden.
Besides, she had a special talent: she never forgot a face she had seen.
That was how she had remembered Horikita Suzune, a schoolmate she had only met a few times.
So Kushida Kikyo was certain she had never met Makoto Nishikado before coming to this school.
"Could he have followed my social media account?"
At the thought, Kushida Kikyo's expression darkened.
After learning the secrets of those idiots from her past, she had accumulated more and more negative emotions and needed to find some way to let them out.
But then one of her classmates had found out about it, and that was what had led to everything that followed.
"Am I really that unlucky?"
Kushida Kikyo stared blankly at the clear footprints on the railing and murmured to herself.
She had complained anonymously online, only for someone nearby to find out. How could that have happened to her twice?
Could anyone without a Fantasy Slayer really be this unlucky?
It seemed as if fate was always playing tricks on her. Every time she thought she could start over, something unexpected happened.
"I have to find a way to deal with him."
Grinding her teeth, Kushida Kikyo took her Personal Terminal from her pocket.
The screen's glow cast an eerie light across her face.
She couldn't let Makoto Nishikado hold this secret over her for the rest of her life.
If he pushed her too far, she could always drop out and start over somewhere else.
[Kushida Kikyo: Come to my location. I'll send it to you.]
[Makoto Nishikado: It's this late. Why would I go?]
[Kushida Kikyo: Are you scared? Are you even a man?]
[Makoto Nishikado: So your secret got exposed, and now someone has leverage over you. You're so stressed that you can't sleep, so you want me to come comfort you?]
[Kushida Kikyo: Enough with that. Just tell me whether you dare to come!]
[Makoto Nishikado: I get it. You want me to come over, then claim I tried to molest you and use that against me?]
[Makoto Nishikado: Fine. I'm on my way.]
Kushida Kikyo stared at the screen for a moment, unable to believe her eyes.
Makoto Nishikado was coming?
He actually dared to come?
The thought exploded in her mind like a thunderclap, leaving her at a loss for what to do.
She slowly lowered her Personal Terminal. Her delicate face shifted between expressions, and she managed to cool her flushed cheeks.
"If he already figured it out, why is he still coming?"
Kushida Kikyo murmured, her voice full of confusion and a trace of fear about the unknown.
She had thought Makoto Nishikado's earlier proposal to trade secrets was a perfectly workable plan.
If he and the others really had something they could trade with her, she would actually have been willing.
But now, she was the only one with a secret someone could use against her.
If she didn't want to lose her current standing, she would have no choice but to serve Horikita Suzune faithfully and do whatever she said.
Kushida Kikyo simply couldn't accept that outcome.
She hadn't expected much when she'd tried to provoke Makoto Nishikado into giving her leverage this time.
Kushida Kikyo had just been blinded by anger. She wanted a chance to curse him out and vent her frustration.
She had thought Makoto Nishikado would act like a coward and ignore her provocation.
But to her surprise, he had actually dared to come.
"Maybe he isn't coming at all and is just messing with me?"
"Or is this another trap?"
"What is he trying to do?"
Kushida Kikyo stood there thinking for a long time.
The cold night breeze made her feel a little afraid.
But then Makoto Nishikado walked toward her, wearing a gentle smile and moving at an unhurried pace.
He really had come!
Kushida Kikyo forcibly suppressed her panic again and marched toward him.
Without saying a word, she grabbed one of Makoto Nishikado's hands and pressed it against her ample chest.
To leave solid evidence, she pressed it down hard this time. It hurt so much that even she winced.
"Your handprint is on there now. Let's see what you can do about it!"
Kushida Kikyo looked up and glared viciously at Makoto Nishikado.
Now Makoto Nishikado couldn't simply use her as he pleased.
She had leverage over him too, enough to take him down along with her.
With this in hand, she could refuse Makoto Nishikado with a clear conscience and stop serving Horikita Suzune.
Since Makoto Nishikado would pay a greater price if she exposed herself, Kushida Kikyo even thought she might finally have the upper hand.
Kushida Kikyo stared hard at Makoto Nishikado, hoping to see even the slightest hint of panic, fear, or regret on his face.
This was what he deserved for being so arrogant.
Unfortunately, Makoto Nishikado kept up his composed smile, just as he always did.
"Now that you've achieved your goal, can you let go of my hand?"
"Does that mean you can relax now?"
Makoto Nishikado withdrew his hand and asked with a smile.
Before you continue