Wu Qiao tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile that revealed a kind of helplessness he had never shown before.
Wu Qiao had always smiled quite often, but his smiles usually carried a hint of casual insincerity or the teasing air of someone who saw through everything. Yet this smile made Karuizawa Kei feel something she had never felt before... safe.
Karuizawa Kei couldn't forget how Wu Qiao had once threatened her with a cold expression. His lofty stance, as though he held her life and death in his hands, had once jolted her awake in the middle of the night. She had also noticed how gentle he usually was.
And yet... this was the third side of the boy. A smile stripped of the chill of threats and the disguise of social niceties, carrying a genuine warmth—helpless, yet accepting.
Wu Qiao shook his head gently. His sigh sounded especially clear in the night breeze. "Honestly, Kei, taking responsibility for someone's life, and promising that they can do whatever they want, are both really heavy things for the two of us."
Karuizawa Kei froze, her mind going blank for a moment. She had expected Wu Qiao to dissect her words with cold logic, as he had before, or to seal the deal with some kind of exchange. She opened her mouth, wanting to say more, to urgently express her determination and get Wu Qiao to agree.
But Wu Qiao's next action made Karuizawa Kei's eyes widen, and every word caught in her throat.
Wu Qiao slowly reached out. Instead of touching her scar or her chin, as she had expected, he carefully took her right hand, which had tightened into a fist with nerves, as though it were some fragile treasure.
"Thank you for being willing to trust me."
Wu Qiao looked into her eyes and spoke each word deliberately.
Those words crashed like a thunderclap through the long-dead world inside Karuizawa Kei.
She had thought Wu Qiao would mock her weakness. She had thought he would exploit her fear, or that the boy might simply turn and walk away. But the one thing she had never imagined was that, on a night when she had to humble herself and sell her dignity to seek protection, she would hear those words.
Not "I understand," not "Deal," and not "You're very useful."
But "Thank you for being willing to trust me."
Karuizawa Kei's eyes instantly reddened. The tears that had stopped began streaming uncontrollably once more. She bit down hard on her lower lip, trying not to let out an embarrassing sob, but her shoulders trembled violently all the same.
She had always thought of herself as a parasite scraping by in the darkness, forced to cling to the strong in order to survive. She had thought Wu Qiao was like everyone else, treating her as a tool he could discard at any moment. She had thought tonight's confession would simply replace her old shackles with new ones.
But as Wu Qiao held her hand, there wasn't the slightest trace of contempt in his eyes.
"Kei, you don't have to do whatever I say." Wu Qiao's voice was low and steady, yet it had a calming power. "You may not be able to escape the shadows of your past completely yet, but since you've chosen to trust me with your back, I won't let anyone bully you or abandon you."
He paused, his thumb gently stroking the back of Karuizawa Kei's hand, as if offering her a silent promise. "It isn't easy to live in peace at this school, but this isn't a battle you have to fight alone. This isn't based on threats or cooperation. It's... based on friendship."
Friendship.
To Karuizawa Kei, the word felt both unfamiliar and distant. During those dark years in middle school, it had meant betrayal and hurt. And at this school, though she seemed to have plenty of friends and was the center of the girls in Class D, she knew those connections were nothing but a hollow show.
But now Wu Qiao had placed that word before her with utmost sincerity.
Karuizawa Kei couldn't hold back any longer. She suddenly stepped forward and threw herself into Wu Qiao's arms without hesitation. She clutched the front of his shirt as if it were a lifeline, as if it were the only support she had in the world. Burying her face against the boy's chest, she burst into tears.
She cried for all the grievances she had endured throughout her three years of middle school, for all the fear and anxiety since starting school. The darkness, pain, and despair bottled up inside her seemed to pour out of her, bit by bit, with each heart-wrenching sob.
Wu Qiao didn't push her away or offer any words of comfort. He simply stood still, letting the girl release her emotions in his arms.
The night wind swept through the treetops, rustling softly, as if providing music for this long-overdue salvation.
After a long while, Karuizawa Kei's sobs gradually subsided, becoming intermittent sniffles. A little embarrassed, she pulled away from Wu Qiao and wiped her tears carelessly. Her once-lovely face was streaked with tears, her eyes swollen and red, but to Wu Qiao, she had never looked more genuine or endearing.
"S-sorry... I got your clothes dirty..." Karuizawa Kei sniffled, her voice thick and her words stumbling over one another.
"It's fine. I can wash them when I get back." Wu Qiao took a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her, his tone light. "Feeling better?"
Karuizawa Kei took the tissue and nodded firmly. Looking at the boy before her, she felt an unprecedented warmth rise in her heart. She suddenly realized that her gamble tonight seemed to have paid off.
She had won back more than a sense of security. She had regained the dignity of being respected and accepted as a person.
"Wu-kun..." Karuizawa Kei took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Her gaze grew unusually resolute. "Thank you. Truly... thank you."
This time, her thanks were no longer a humble plea, but gratitude between equals.
Wu Qiao smiled and patted down her slightly messy hair. "All right. Now that you've finished crying, let's head back."
"Mm!" Karuizawa Kei nodded firmly, finally wearing a sincere smile.
The two walked side by side along the road back to the dorms, but Karuizawa Kei felt that the path ahead no longer seemed so dark. She knew that from this moment on, she was no longer alone.
Beside her, Wu Qiao watched the girl's profile, now bright with renewed spirit, and thought to himself.
He had originally intended to use Karuizawa Kei as a pawn in the open, but tonight, as the girl let down her guard and exposed her most vulnerable wounds to him, he realized he could no longer think of her as merely a tool.
"Oh, right, Wu-kun." Karuizawa Kei suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, "What did you mean just now when you said that letting me do whatever you wanted would be a heavy thing?"
Wu Qiao paused and turned to look at her with an amused smile. "I meant exactly what I said. If I really could make you do anything, what if I told you to deal with that weirdo Koenji, or to take on Ryuen by yourself? You'd end up crying your eyes out, wouldn't you?"
Karuizawa Kei froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. The heavy mood from before vanished instantly.
"Wu-kun! You're so mean!" She swung a little fist and gave Wu Qiao a light punch on the shoulder, chiding him.
For Karuizawa Kei, that night marked the beginning of a new life. And for Wu Qiao, it might have been the first time at this school that he had truly made a friend he could trust with his back.