For as long as I can remember, I've always been alone.

Be it for my strong temper, my foul mouth, or simply because I was prettier than my female classmates.. I tend to push everyone away. I feel like a plague; something deadly that no one wants a piece of. So they avoid, and avoid, and avoid.

My mother and father are perfectionists, meaning if their daughter felt imperfect in any way, then they wouldn't hesitate to throw trash like me away. Which is why the thought of rejection... It .. it terrifies me. Being branded as a shameful daughter, or a disease, felt worse than death. I thought nothing could compare to the feeling.. clearly, I see that I was wrong.

But, when I think back to a year ago... I feel relieved. My life would have easily derailed had I not encountered Seiichiro during the start of our second year together. He, if anything, was a grace from God. An outlet, and a path to bring me at ease. I often forgot who I was when I was with him .. it felt like my second chance. An opportunity to change my lonely world.

Even as I'm being lied to, I can't shake my loyalty towards him. Even if he didn't want to tell me he had a twin brother. Even if he breaks that secret we tried so desperately to bury.

I had my doubts at first.. I mean, why would he say something? It'd be an incredibly idiotic thing to do. Especially since it puts him at dire risk, too. So, I know something isn't good. There is a deterrent at play here... And it all happened the second his brother stepped foot onto this campus.

...

Was he the true plague, infesting everything he touches?

"Hey!!"

Kirigiri's eyes suddenly lifted at the voice of a young man whom was meant to act as her savior. She was already pummeled to a pulp, both ridiculed and destroyed. Her confidence is shattered, so it came to show by her perturbed expression as tears ripped down her cheeks in buckets. She didn't know who was protecting her, given his silhouette shadowed before her shaky, tense self. To her however, it was of least importance.

The other two teenagers had become promptly distracted by Leo. Using this window of opportunity Kirigri searched against the grass until her hand finally groped the bucket hat she formerly wore. Leo's scoldings went right out the other ear for her since all she maintained her focus on was her raving thoughts. Time is of the essence-- if her entire world has gone to shit, then the least she could do is cushion the blow.

'Something... Anything!! I.. don't want to live like this every day...!' She sucked in her breath and felt secure as the hat was centered against her skull, hiding her damaged hair. 'What did I do that was so wrong? All I did was..'

When she thought back to it, she recalled a person in particular who looked more gray than the others. Someone who is impossible to read... And the person who dared to harass her in the first place. Her heart crashed down in her chest, suddenly sensing danger-- thus she instinctively went pulling herself together.

Kirigri was worried she'd end up collapsing if she moved an inch from where she laid--but besides her being in disarray-- she knew these chills prickling her spine like no other. She'd grown acquainted with such.

Past her, she saw a bit of movement from the corner of her eye. Hidden in darkness, and barely visible, there was a figure isolated next to a tree. His shoes peeked from the dirt and foilage, yet his eyes-- those red eyes-- would be eerily present. Just watching her. Observing from a distance.

Until just recently, everyone was beneath me.

I could do and say what I wanted, and no one challenged me.

The only exception? Seiichiro's brother-- the looming angel of dread. They had locked eyes, she knew it instantly, but there was no pulling away from his bone chilling gaze. It alone is as close to a death sentence as it could get.. searing right into her soul.

It's like no one else could see him; a hidden enigma that stalks discreetly. Even after Kirigri recognized him, he never considered retreating. Consequently, it made that subtle intent of his return ten times stronger. He was a lion, waiting to devour.

Her knees scraped the grass when she tried to pull herself up. And as the young man before her gave the ladies a rude scolding and threatened to sell her out to the teachers, he gathered her movement from the corner of his eye.

'All I did was .. scream at [L/N] a little...' Kirigri thought, 'I don't deserve this!!'

Suddenly a hand stretched out in front of her. It belonged to the familiar brune, the kind person who sought out to help her. Unfortunately he was blocking her only view of Shiro, and when she desperately shifted her weight to the right-- he had vanished with the wind. "Hey, are you alright?" Leo's voice, although full of concern, had easily frightened her. It didn't help that her nerves were currently flying through the roof.

".. Move it!" Kirigri lashed out, smacking his hand away. She, as always, would never change. Or maybe .. she refused to ignore who she was at the core. "I don't need your pity. Now get out of my way." Her blue eyes were fierce with her drive and resentment.

Gradually she wobbled to her feet, all while Leo had taken a few steps back. After he fended off those girls who harassed her... He didn't expect her to treat him like this. His eyebrows knitted and he suddenly turned grim. "Y'know what? I shouldn't have helped you in the first place," He clenched his fists, "I should've let them kick your teeth out, but you see... I'm not like the others. I actually want to help people. Not just for the sake of being the nice guy, but because I grew up with good morals."

Kirigri hissed and turned her head away. It was clear to see that she didn't care about his resolve and whatnot. "Whatever." She clenched the left side of her rib and started her sluggish departure. All the while, she could hear the second year mumbling something;

"...Nothing will change for her if she keeps acting like a brat.."

Despite hearing that, she fought with her lower lip that started quivering helplessly. Once again, she managed to fight her tears.

Within a few minutes, she found that she was approaching the shoe lockers. Looking down, she could see her blood and grass stains wearing them out, so naturally she decided to exchange her indoor shoes for her outdoor ones. Next on her agenda would be to get a new uniform from the faculty's office...

Finding it impossible to put her mind at ease, most overthinkers tend to dwell on the bad... Uncontrollably. She reflected on what she did to you the other day, and then the video which is surfacing around. Everyone she looked at so happened to be watching it, making her reputation all the more unlikely to bounce back.

She grasped her hand around the small lock and then opened it. Her muscles felt heavy, although it wasn't due to any shock she received from earlier.. no, it's her anxiety. 'Huh..?' After she opened it, countless more photos had spilled out seemingly endlessly and then fluttered to her feet. These photos smelled like fresh ink, and were relatively new to the touch.

Once more, she was haunted over and over again-- reminded that she had chosen to harass the wrong person yesterday. There were so many pictures. Pictures of you, specifically. It'd cause her to flinch and immediately stagger back, her breath catching in her throat. 'What the hell?!' Gradually she trailed her eyes back up inside the compartment, where she thought she'd be met with her shoes.

However...

A peculiar note sat in the center. It was a long sheet of white paper, clearly written in permanent marker.

"HOMEWRECKER."

In comparison to what she had experienced today, words shouldn't be nearly as effective as actions. But when reading the note itself, it cracked yet another layer of her resolve. Perhaps now it was further proving her suspicion.. all of this was thoroughly orchestrated, and done by someone's cruel hand.

Eyes flicking to the left of her, Kirigri automatically realized Shiro stood near. Just as always, he is making sure she doesn't leave his sight.

Only this time, he humored the girl a little and sent her a wave, also humiliating her by flashing an innocent smile. She realized he had been mimicking the way Seiichiro would grin at her by narrowing his eyebrows and squinting at the eyes. Notably, he held up a marker, playfully wagging it around before pointing towards it twice. It goes to prove that he isn't afraid of confrontation.

"..." Kirigri looked away, turning her head back forward silently. It was rather underwhelming to see her react in such a calm way, but Shiro didn't mind. She lost that hunger to snap, spelling out her defeat. Her polished nails carefully made a grab for the piece of paper taped against the wall of the locker, pulling on it. She couldn't believe Shiro of all people.. is doing this to her.

After she plucked it, she noticed something else that she didn't before. There were razor sharp scissors, just sitting there. The metal legs were open deliberately, and so she felt it-- that urgency to be set free. An impulse, more like.

It's no coincidence.

There's only one way this will end.

[Chapter END]