Hirata's email had confirmed everything. Karuizawa hadn't been threatening him; she had been terrified of being bullied and was desperately seeking his help. The email even mentioned that she had been frightened by Ren's own intimidating glares.
Learning that he was at least partially responsible for her distress, Ren felt a wave of shame and guilt. He had completely misjudged the situation and, in doing so, had inflicted more than one injury on a girl who was already carrying a deep, psychological wound.
He knew he was wrong. And if you are wrong, you have to admit it. His apology wasn't just for show; he knew he had to compensate her through his actions.
After Ren's sudden apology, Karuizawa asked, her voice still trembling, "What did you misunderstand about me?"
"I didn't hear your entire conversation with Hirata," Ren said honestly. "I only caught fragments, read them out of context, and came to the wrong conclusion. I thought you were threatening to bully other students to force him into being your boyfriend."
The word "coerce" sent a jolt of panic through Karuizawa. "I didn't threaten him!" she blurted out, her voice rising in alarm. "If people thought I threatened Hirata, his fan girls would bully me to death! I was asking for his help! A request! He only agreed because he felt sorry for me!"
"I have confirmed that you did not coerce him," Ren said calmly.
"Wait!" Karuizawa suddenly realized. "If you didn't know my real secret at the beginning, then I just..." She had, in her panic, just confirmed her own weakness to him.
"How about I just pretend I don't know the truth and we go back to me thinking you were blackmailing Hirata?" Ren offered dryly.
"No!" Karuizawa shook her head quickly. "Just... please don't tell anyone my story."
"As compensation for my misunderstanding and the harm I've caused you, I will keep your secret," Ren said. "Furthermore, I will help you so that you will no longer have to be afraid of being bullied."
Hearing this, Karuizawa's eyes lit up with hope. "Does that mean... you'll pretend to be a couple with me and protect me?"
Ren shook his head. "I have requirements for my shield. I thought you were qualified, but based on the weakness you've shown, you're not."
"What are the requirements?" she asked, her voice laced with insecurity. She knew her academic and athletic abilities were below average. She was, in her own mind, just a weakling.
But she didn't want to give up this chance. After their encounter, she realized that while Ren was strange and terrifying, he wasn't a bully. He took responsibility for his mistakes. Most importantly, he wasn't like Hirata, who tried to please everyone. Ren had clear principles and acted on them. He was reliable.
"First," Ren began, stating the requirements he'd decided on that morning, "you have to be someone who doesn't like me, so things don't get complicated and the fake doesn't become real."
Karuizawa glanced at him. She had been terrified of him, but after getting a glimpse of the real person, she found that he gave her the very sense of security she craved most. That contrast was transforming her fear into something dangerously close to affection. He was handsome, tall, and strong. She couldn't help but recall the feeling of his powerful hand effortlessly pulling her up from the ground. He's very strong, she thought. Sense of security +999.
She was, to her own surprise, a little moved. But she nodded firmly, confident she could suppress any feelings for the sake of her own safety. Although, she mused, what if HE falls for me first? Then I could just go with the flow...
"Second," Ren continued, snapping her out of her daydream, "you need to have a certain ability to protect yourself, so you won't be bullied by my admirers..."
"What?" Karuizawa couldn't stop herself from interrupting. "I'll still be bullied even if we're a couple? I'm looking for a fake boyfriend precisely because I don't want to be bullied! If I still have to deal with that, what's the point? As my boyfriend, can't you protect me?"
Ren rolled his eyes. "I hate trouble. That's why I need a shield—to block trouble for me. I want a shield, not a real girlfriend. I thought you could handle it because you seemed so fearless, but that was just an act. What's the use of a shield if it can't even protect itself? I can help occasionally, but most of the time, you'll have to handle it on your own."
He drove the point home. "And it would be the same with Hirata. Having a popular boyfriend makes you look powerful, but a tall tree attracts the wind. You enjoy the benefits of his prestige, but you also become a target for everyone who's jealous of you. Hirata doesn't have time to protect you 24/7. And with your paper-thin defenses, the moment you're bullied, you'll be exposed."
"Then... what should I do?" Karuizawa asked, the foolishness of her original plan laid bare before her.
"I'll give you two choices," Ren said, his voice serious. "Do you want to treat the symptoms, or do you want to cure the root cause?"
Karuizawa stared at Ren, the weight of his words settling heavily upon her. "Treat the symptoms, or cure the root cause?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. The question hung in the air, a stark choice laid bare.
"Treating the symptoms," Ren explained, his gaze unwavering, "means finding a temporary solution. A shield. Someone to stand between you and the bullies. It's a quick fix, but it doesn't address why you're a target in the first place. The moment the shield is gone, you're vulnerable again."
He paused, allowing her to absorb the implication. "Curing the root cause, on the other hand, means confronting your weakness head-on. It means building your own defenses, so you don't need a shield. It's harder, and it will take time, but it's a permanent solution. You'll never have to be afraid again."
Karuizawa's mind raced. She had always relied on others, on the illusion of strength that came from being associated with powerful individuals like Hirata. But Ren's blunt assessment had shattered that illusion. She was weak, and she knew it. The thought of facing her fears, of standing alone, was terrifying. Yet, the idea of a permanent solution, of a life free from the constant dread of being bullied, was a powerful allure.
"What... what would curing the root cause involve?" she asked, her voice still hesitant but with a newfound flicker of resolve.
Ren's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "It means learning to fight back. Not just physically, but mentally. It means understanding the dynamics of power, how to manipulate perceptions, how to turn your weaknesses into strengths. It means becoming someone no one would dare to bully."
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "It means becoming a villain, Karuizawa. A villain so terrifying, so unpredictable, that even the thought of crossing you would send shivers down their spines."
Karuizawa flinched at the word "villain." It went against everything she had ever aspired to be – popular, well-liked, admired. But then she remembered the constant fear, the endless anxiety, the way she had to constantly pretend to be someone she wasn't. What good was being "liked" if it meant living in perpetual terror?
"A villain..." she murmured, testing the word on her tongue. It felt strange, foreign, yet undeniably potent.
"Yes," Ren confirmed, a glint in his eyes. "A villain who controls their own narrative. A villain who uses fear as a weapon, not out of malice, but out of self-preservation. A villain who, ironically, will become the ultimate protector of their own peace."
He straightened up, his expression returning to its usual detached demeanor. "So, Karuizawa Kei. What's your choice? Do you want a temporary shield, or do you want to become unbreakable?"
The decision was hers, and the weight of it pressed down on her. But for the first time in a long time, Karuizawa felt a strange sense of exhilaration. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with challenges, but it was a path she would walk on her own two feet. And perhaps, just perhaps, with Ren Ishikawa's twisted guidance, she could finally find the strength she had always craved.
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