Pressing Your Handprint Needs Force

The moonlight was beautiful and the evening breeze cool; it should have been a wonderful time for young men and women to meet in secret.

"Ah, so annoying! So annoying!"

Kushida Kikyo kicked the railing hard.

This was the edge of the Artificial Island, the corner with the lowest surveillance coverage in the entire school.

Few people came here on weekdays, save for the occasional student pretending to be deep, staring blankly out at the sea.

But at this moment, it had become the exclusive emotional dumping ground for Kushida Kikyo.

Like a furious little beast, she kicked the railing again and again, the sound piercingly harsh in the vast night.

"Horikita Suzune, you bitch, your eyes are always so condescending. Who do you think you are!"

"Makoto Nishikado, you shameless stalker, why do you know about my past!"

"And those bastards in Class D, can't they understand human speech?"

"You are all so hateful, hateful, hateful!"

Kushida Kikyo vented her emotions violently.

Ever since entering Advanced Nurturing, she had been in a foul mood.

Relying on her high emotional intelligence and superb acting skills, Kushida Kikyo had quickly won the trust of most of her classmates in Class D, becoming a core figure in the class.

Yet, there were always a few girls who seemed to be born to oppose her, occasionally saying things that embarrassed her and put her carefully maintained perfect image in jeopardy.

If they were doing it on purpose, she could find a way to retaliate, but the problem was that they simply spoke without thinking.

As for the boys, there were a few oddballs whose behavior was so bizarre she couldn't comprehend them; dealing with them left her feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

As long as she stayed in Class D, Kushida Kikyo's negative emotions would accumulate at an alarming rate.

But what made her completely explode tonight were Horikita Suzune and Makoto Nishikado.

After venting for a long while, Kushida Kikyo finally grew tired.

She leaned against the railing, gasping for air, her chest heaving violently.

The evening breeze brushed against her cheeks, bringing a chill that cleared her head slightly.

"...Why would he know about my past?"

Regarding those sordid details of her past, the school had already helped her seal the information, and she had always been careful to hide it herself.

Moreover, she possessed a special talent: she never forgot a face she had seen.

She could remember Horikita Suzune, a schoolmate she had only met a few times, precisely because of this talent.

Therefore, Kushida Kikyo was certain that she had never met Makoto Nishikado before coming to this school.

"Could he have been following my social media accounts?"

Thinking of this possibility, Kushida Kikyo's face darkened.

After learning the secrets of those idiots in the past, the negative emotions accumulating in her heart grew, and she had to find a way to vent them.

As it turned out, her classmates happened to find out about it, which led to the subsequent situation.

"Am I really that unlucky?"

Kushida Kikyo looked at the clear footprints on the railing, her eyes hollow as she muttered to herself.

Posting anonymous rants online, only to have someone nearby find out—how could she encounter such a thing twice?

Could anyone without an Imagine Breaker be this unlucky?

Fate seemed to be constantly playing jokes on her; every time she thought she could start over, an accident would occur.

"I must find a way to deal with him."

Kushida Kikyo gritted her teeth and pulled her personal terminal from her pocket.

The light from the screen reflected on her face, making her look somewhat sinister.

She could not let Makoto Nishikado hold this secret over her for the rest of her life.

If he really pushed her to the edge, she would just drop out and start over somewhere else.

[Kushida Kikyo: Come here, I'm sending you my location.]

[Makoto Nishikado: It's so late, why should I go?]

[Kushida Kikyo: Are you afraid? Are you even a man?]

[Makoto Nishikado: So, you're saying that because your secret was exposed and you were caught in a trap, you're too stressed to sleep? Are you asking me to come and comfort you?]

[Kushida Kikyo: Stop talking nonsense, just tell me if you dare to come or not!]

[Makoto Nishikado: I get it, you want me to go over there so you can claim I tried to molest you, and use that to blackmail me in return?]

[Makoto Nishikado: Fine, I'm on my way.]

Kushida Kikyo froze for a moment, unable to believe her eyes.

Makoto Nishikado was actually coming?

He actually dared to come?

This thought exploded in her mind like a thunderclap, leaving her momentarily at a loss for what to do.

She slowly lowered her personal terminal, her delicate face flickering with uncertainty; the cheeks that had been flushed with anger just moments ago now regained their composure.

"If he already guessed it, then why come at all?"

Kushida Kikyo muttered to herself, her tone filled with confusion and a sliver of panic toward the unknown.

She had previously thought the exchange of secrets proposed by Makoto Nishikado was a perfectly viable plan.

If Makoto Nishikado and his group truly had leverage to trade with her, she would actually have been happy to comply.

But now, only she was the one caught with her secrets exposed.

If she didn't want to lose her current status, she would have no choice but to serve as a dog for Horikita Suzune in the future, doing whatever she was told.

Kushida Kikyo simply could not accept such an outcome.

She hadn't held much hope that using a provocation would actually secure leverage over Makoto Nishikado.

Kushida Kikyo had merely been blinded by rage, wanting to use the opportunity to berate Makoto Nishikado and vent the dissatisfaction in her heart.

She had assumed Makoto Nishikado would act like a coward and not dare to respond to her challenge.

Yet, she never expected that Makoto Nishikado would actually dare to show up.

Could it be that he isn't coming, and is just playing with me?

Or is this another trap?

What exactly is he trying to do?

Kushida Kikyo stood in place, lost in thought for a long time.

As the cold night wind blew, she found herself starting to feel afraid.

But then, Makoto Nishikado approached with a gentle smile and a calm, steady gait.

He had actually come!

Kushida Kikyo forcibly suppressed the panic in her heart and stepped forward aggressively.

Without a word, she grabbed one of Makoto Nishikado's hands and pressed it against the fullness of her chest.

To ensure she left behind solid evidence, she used quite a bit of force, causing her to frown in pain.

"Your handprint is left now. Let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve!"

Kushida Kikyo looked up, glaring fiercely at Makoto Nishikado.

With this, Makoto Nishikado would no longer be able to manipulate her at will.

She had also secured leverage over Makoto Nishikado and was fully capable of dragging him down with her.

With this bargaining chip, she could righteously refuse Makoto Nishikado and no longer be Horikita Suzune's dog.

Considering that if she were to expose everything, the price Makoto Nishikado would pay would be even greater, Kushida Kikyo even believed it was her turn to take the upper hand.

Kushida Kikyo stared fixedly at Makoto Nishikado, longing to see even a hint of panic, fear, or regret on his face.

This was the price he deserved to pay for his arrogance.

Unfortunately, Makoto Nishikado maintained his polite smile, just as he always did.

"Now that you've achieved your goal, can you let go of my hand?"

"Will you be at ease now?"

Makoto Nishikado withdrew his hand and asked with a smile.