Outside the classroom, Rei led Seijirou down the long, sunlit corridor, away from the bustle of students.
She kept glancing left and right, until finally she stopped in a shadowed corner where no one would overhear.
Seijirou followed with hands in his pockets, his gaze sharp and calculating.
He thought she was insane. It was alright if she wanted to talk alone, but why in the world did she bring to some place incredibly secluded?
Him! The one who carried the reputation of a monster that had already destroyed futures and reputations alike.
Did she have no sense of self-preservation, or was she simply that desperate?
Rei turned, her fists trembling at her side.
She scanned the corridor one more time, then bowed low, her voice almost breaking.
"Kageyama-kun, please… please keep my job a secret. Yesterday was just my first day, and I haven't even gotten paid. My family… they're struggling. I can't afford to lose the job. I'm begging you."
Seijirou tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, but said nothing. He just crossed his arms over his chest, staring at her like she was a puzzle that refused to make sense.
Rei, her voice growing more frantic, lifted her head. Her eyes glistened as she repeated herself. "I'll do anything. So please… don't tell the teachers, don't tell the school. I'll do anything."
That last word struck him harder than she realized as his lips twisted into a cold smirk.
He stepped forward suddenly, forcing her to stumble back until her shoulders hit the wall with a soft thud.
Her eyes widened, startled, and her breath hitched when he raised one arm and slammed it against the wall beside her head.
Leaning down, his face close enough for her to feel his breath, he muttered, "Anything, huh?"
Rei's lips trembled. Her voice was shaky, but she nodded, biting down hard as if trying to hold back her fear. "Y-yes… anything."
Seijirou's gaze sharpened. With his free hand, he tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his eyes. Her golden irises quivered, glistening with unshed tears.
"Say it again," he ordered, his voice low and almost cruel.
Her lips parted. "A-anything. I-I'll do anything, so please... Don't report me to the school."
For a long moment, the only sound was the faint hum of voices from distant classrooms, muffled and far away.
Then, in a tone that cut through the silence, Seijirou gave his command. "Well then...take off your uniform."
The words hit Rei like a blow. She froze, her eyes wide, her mouth opening and closing without a sound.
Her hands trembled violently, her chest rising and falling as panic set in, and tears began to well in her eyes.
"Go on," he pressed, his voice sharp, mocking. "Didn't you say you'd do anything? Prove it."
Her breath hitched. For a moment it looked like she might refuse. But then, slowly, shakily, her fingers rose to the top button of her blouse.
A tear slid down her cheek as she fumbled, unfastening one button, then another, her sobs barely muffled.
By the time she reached her chest, the fabric of her blouse parted, revealing the heavy curves of her breasts straining against a plain white bra.
Seijirou's smirk faltered. His amusement curdled into irritation. He clicked his tongue, disgust clear in his expression.
"Pathetic," he muttered. "You really did it. You actually went through with it. Not even a shred of resistance."
Rei's tears spilled over as she clutched her blouse with trembling hands, humiliated and broken.
Seijirou pushed himself back from the wall, his smirk gone, replaced by annoyance.
"You're boring," he said flatly, his tone laced with contempt. "Pathetic, really. Not even worth the effort."
Turning on his heel, he shoved his hands back into his pockets and started walking away.
Behind him, Rei slid down against the wall, clutching her blouse closed, her body shaking as silent sobs racked her frame.
Seijirou muttered under his breath as he walked. This world's heroines… why don't they resist? Why do they all just fold the moment they're pushed? What the hell is wrong with them?
He clicked his tongue again, his irritation boiling over. If they're this spineless, then no wonder the villains keeps sweeping them up. This whole world is a joke.
His mind raced, dark thoughts swirling as he cursed the warped rules of this game-turned-reality.
Seijirou walked down the corridor, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor, the weight of his irritation pressing heavily on his shoulders.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply as if trying to vent out the disgust sitting in his chest.
"What the hell was that supposed to be?" he muttered under his breath, his tone biting. "Begging me with tears, promising anything, and then… actually going through with it? Without even fighting back? Without even spitting in my face?"
He clenched his jaw, the memory of Rei's trembling hands fumbling with the buttons of her blouse flashing in his mind. Instead of satisfaction, all it left was a sour taste.
"In my past life… if something like that happened, people would've resisted. They'd scream, call for help, maybe even slap me and run. That's normal. That's human. But here? They just… break. Like their spirits are paper thin."
He clicked his tongue again, anger bubbling up as his thoughts deepened.
"This world, these heroines, it's like they're designed to be bent and broken. No real will of their own. Just empty shells waiting for someone to pick them up, either the protagonist or me. Is that all they are? Rewards on legs?"
He clenched his fist tightly, veins showing on the back of his hand. "This isn't just a game anymore. These are people. But why do they act like NPCs, like scripts already written in advance? It's disgusting. It's infuriating."
His steps grew heavier, his voice dropping into a low growl. "What kind of sick bastard designs a world like this? Is this supposed to be entertainment? Because if it is, then it's rotten to the core."
Pausing near a window, he glanced outside, the sunlight spilling over the schoolyard where students walked, laughed, and gossiped as if the world wasn't warped beyond recognition.
His reflection in the glass stared back at him, sharp-eyed and grim.
"I reincarnated into a world where heroines are designed to surrender, where villains are designed to exploit, and where the protagonist is designed to save. Everything's rigged. Everything's fixed. And I'm stuck playing the role of the bastard who breaks people."
He tightened his fists, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "No. I won't dance to that tune. If this world wants me to be a villain, I'll decide what kind of villain I'll be. Not their script, not their design."
He started walking again, his voice quieter now, almost like a vow whispered to himself.
"If they want me to be the nightmare, then I'll rewrite the dream. And if gods or outer gods exist here too… then I'll climb high enough to spit in their faces."
*
*
*
Rei stood frozen against the wall long after Seijirou's footsteps faded, her trembling hands still clutching the half-unbuttoned edges of her blouse.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, every breath shallow and unsteady, as though her lungs had forgotten how to work properly.
Her knees gave out, and she slid down the wall until she sat on the cold floor, hugging herself tightly. The sting of shame burned hotter than any bruise could.
"Why… why did I…" her voice cracked, the words barely audible. Tears rolled freely now, unchecked, soaking her trembling fingers. "Why did I listen? Why did I obey without fighting back?"
She bit her lip so hard it drew blood, the metallic taste mixing with the salt of her tears.
"I could've run. I could've screamed. I could've told him no. But I didn't. I just… broke down. Just like that."
Her shoulders shook violently. Her father's stern voice echoed in her mind, 'A Tachibana never bows to pressure. Justice above all, Rei. Justice above all.'
But the memory only cut her deeper. She had bowed, begged, and humiliated herself in front of the very boy she feared most.
'Anything, I said. Anything. I even meant it. What's wrong with me?'
Her hands gripped her blouse, pulling it shut as if trying to hide from herself. She could still feel his hand on her chin, his breath so close, his voice pressing down on her like a cage.
Even when he left her untouched, the weight of that moment didn't lift.
Then confusion struck, piercing through her fear.
"…Why did he stop?" she whispered, lifting her tear-streaked face. "He could've done anything. He had me. I didn't resist. So why… did he call me boring and walk away?"
The question circled in her head, endlessly spinning, giving no relief. The image of his smirk as he pulled back, the annoyance in his eyes, haunted her even more than if he had hurt her.
It wasn't rejection. It was dismissal, like she wasn't even worth the trouble.
Rei buried her face in her hands, muffling her sobs.
"I'm so weak… I'm pathetic. I can't even protect myself. What am I supposed to do now? How do I even face him again? How do I face… anyone?"
Her tears fell harder.
For the first time, she wasn't just afraid of Seijirou.
She was afraid of herself.