The Rabbit group gathered once more. The atmosphere felt strangely lighter than before — perhaps the illusion of routine had settled in.
Before any discussion could begin, the girls of Class C leaned across the table toward Machida, their smiles practiced, their tones sugary.
"Machida-kun," Manabe said, twirling her hair. "Come hang out with us after the meeting. We've got something fun planned."
Her friends giggled in agreement, their voices overlapping.
Machida looked faintly amused but didn't answer right away. That moment of pause was broken when the door opened again.
Karuizawa Kei stepped in, her stride brisk, her expression sharpened with irritation. She stopped directly in front of Manabe, pointing at the empty chair beside Machida.
"…Move. That's my seat."
The air thinned instantly.
Manabe arched an eyebrow, lips curling into a smirk. "Oh? Sorry, I was just talking to Machida-kun. Why don't you find another seat?" She leaned closer to Machida. "Right? You don't mind, do you?"
The tension mounted, eyes shifting toward Machida. But Karuizawa didn't flinch. She grabbed his wrist in a surprisingly bold move.
"Listen. If you pick her over me…" Her tone dripped with venomous confidence. "…then don't expect me to ever go out with you."
A sharp silence followed.
Kiyotaka blinked slowly, his thoughts ticking inward. Strange. Hirata is supposed to be her boyfriend. So why—
Machida, caught between the two forces, finally exhaled in annoyance. "…Manabe. Move."
The smugness in Manabe's expression faltered. "What—?"
"I said, move." His voice cut sharper this time.
Reluctantly, she slid aside, her irritation poorly hidden. Karuizawa smirked faintly, settling in her chair as though nothing had happened.
Kiyotaka's gaze lingered on her, unreadable. She clings to Hirata for safety. But here, she courts Machida for influence. It's not affection she's chasing… it's leverage. Control. A shield. But why so desperately?
Ichinose, ever the peacemaker, broke the tension with a smile. "How about we play cards again? It's a nice way to pass the time."
No one objected. Cards were shuffled, dealt, and slapped against the table. Laughter rose again, thin but serviceable. Karuizawa laughed louder than most, her hand brushing against Machida's whenever she played a card.
Kiyotaka played quietly, observing every twitch and glance. She's building her own little web. But webs are fragile. All it takes is one pull in the wrong place for the whole thing to collapse.
When the meeting ended, Karuizawa lingered long enough to exchange contact information with Machida. Her smile was polished, her tone casual. Then she slipped out, her bag slung over one shoulder.
Manabe and her two shadows soon followed, their laughter hushed but edged with venom.
"Something's off," Yukimura muttered beside Kiyotaka.
"You're not wrong," Kiyotaka replied softly. Sotomura, oblivious, shrugged. But both Kiyotaka and Yukimura caught the same detail: the girls' eyes.
They weren't leaving. They were hunting.
Minutes later, Kiyotaka and Yukimura moved quietly down the corridor, trailing behind at a careful distance. Karuizawa walked alone, her earlier confidence now absent, her pace quickened.
The sharp slam of a heavy door echoed. Emergency stairs.
Kiyotaka approached first, pressing the door open just enough to see. Shadows flickered under the harsh fluorescent lights of the stairwell.
"Kei-chan," Manabe's voice sang mockingly. "You know why we're here, don't you?"
Karuizawa folded her arms, her voice sharp but brittle. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb. Our friend Rika. Remember her?"
Karuizawa snorted. "What, that clumsy girl? She bumped into me. I didn't do anything wrong."
"Wrong answer." Manabe's smirk widened. Her friends flanked Karuizawa, cutting off her escape.
The temperature dropped.
"You think you're so special just because you hang off Hirata and flirt with Machida. But to us, you're nothing."
Manabe shoved her shoulder. Karuizawa stumbled, her eyes flashing panic before she caught herself.
Yukimura's fists clenched. He stepped forward, but Kiyotaka's hand shot out, gripping his arm.
"…Not yet," Kiyotaka whispered.
"Are you insane? They're—"
"Watch." His voice left no room for argument.
Inside, the threats escalated. One girl pressed closer, her voice low and sharp.
"Apologize, or we'll make sure you regret it."
"I have nothing to apologize for!" Karuizawa snapped, but her hands trembled, clutching her bag like a lifeline.
Then Manabe's patience snapped. She seized a fistful of Karuizawa's hair and yanked her head back.
"You think your pretty face protects you? I'll cut it up so no one wants to look at you again."
Karuizawa froze, her breath coming shallow, eyes wide with raw terror. Her entire body trembled violently, as though every nerve in her body screamed at once.
Kiyotaka's gaze sharpened. This isn't normal fear. This is deeper. Older. She's been through this before.
Yukimura couldn't take it anymore. He shoved the door open, voice loud. "That's enough!"
The girls jolted, Manabe letting go of Karuizawa's hair. Kiyotaka followed in, his calm voice cutting through their startled silence.
"A teacher just passed by. If you don't want trouble, I suggest you leave."
For a moment, the three froze. Then Manabe clicked her tongue, glaring at Karuizawa.
"Consider yourself lucky, Kei. But next time, no one's saving you."
They pushed past Yukimura, storming out the door. The stairwell fell silent, save for Karuizawa's shaky breathing.
Yukimura stepped forward, concern written across his face. "Are you alright? You're—"
SLAP.
Her hand struck his away, her eyes blazing with humiliation and rage.
"Don't touch me! Just… leave me alone!"
Her voice cracked, her whole body trembling. She shoved past both of them, storming up the stairs. The door slammed shut behind her with a metallic echo.
Yukimura stood frozen, his hands trembling slightly. "I… I was just trying to help…"
His voice faltered, the weight of helplessness dragging it down. Finally, he left too, his shoulders heavy.
Kiyotaka lingered. The empty stairwell echoed with the silence of secrets.
Her fear wasn't about today. It's something deeper, something that controls her every move. She hides it with Hirata, with Machida, with her fake smiles. But when the mask slips…
His eyes narrowed slightly. Karuizawa Kei… you're hiding something I can use.
Later, I sat in the cafeteria, a tray of untouched food in front of me, listening to Yukimura's scattered words as he recounted the incident. His hands shook, guilt plastered across his face.
"…I should've stopped it earlier. I should've—"
"Don't blame yourself," I cut him off, my voice even. "If you rushed in too soon, they'd only double down. Kiyotaka made the right call."
Yukimura frowned, but his trembling lessened.