Minamoto Senya had assumed Busujima Saeko only wanted to thank him for helping her the night before.
But he hadn't expected her to be this formal about it.
Her small face was solemn, her knees pressed neatly together as she knelt, her legs folded beneath her, hands resting in front of her on the floor in a slightly inward angle.
If she lowered her head to touch the floor, it would be nothing less than a full dogeza bow.
Even as it was now, it was barely any different.
Senya felt that what he'd done hardly warranted such a gesture. To him, those two creeps had simply gotten what they deserved. More importantly, he had a request of her in the near future—accepting such a bow almost made him feel guilty.
So, imitating her, he mirrored her posture and bowed back in return.
If not for the uniforms they wore and the setting they were in, the scene could have easily been mistaken for a wedding—bride and groom bowing to each other in solemn ceremony.
"There's no need to be so formal, Busujima-senpai. All I did was tell the truth," Senya said, his voice calm and gentle, a soft smile on his face.
His courteous, composed demeanor stirred an involuntary warmth in Saeko's heart.
Yet the taut string inside her chest did not loosen.
Last night, when she had struck those two perverts with abandon, her mind had been flooded by a dangerous, intoxicating lust for violence.
She had trembled all over, lost in exhilaration—never in her life had she felt such release.
Not even winning a kendo championship compared to it.
But after that rush, reason had returned.
And when she looked down at the two men, battered and barely clinging to consciousness, her mind went blank.
She couldn't believe what she had done.
The wooden sword in her hand, still dripping with blood, left no room for denial. She was the culprit.
What terrified her even more was that another boy had witnessed her in that state—savage, merciless, consumed by madness.
For a moment, she had nearly despaired, convinced that she had destroyed the reputation her family had built through generations.
The daughter of the Busujima household was no kendo prodigy.
She was nothing but a brute, a lunatic addicted to violence.
And yet—there had been nothing she could do.
She could lash out at criminals who threatened her, but she could not direct that same violence against an innocent bystander.
So if that boy had turned and run, or gone straight to the police, she would not have stopped him. She would have accepted it as her fate.
But things had not turned out as she expected.
The boy had not fled.
As she drew closer, she had even seen something in his eyes—an unmistakable gleam.
A look of awe… and excitement.
Was he… admiring me?
Saeko couldn't tell.
Even so, as she approached, she held onto the faintest shred of hope. Just one fragile thread, like a drowning person clutching a single stalk of straw floating on the water.
It was absurd, almost pointless—but she had to try. For her family's honor, for her own future.
And then, impossibly, a miracle happened.
The boy accepted her trembling, exaggerated sobs. He handed her sweets. He comforted her, draped his jacket over her shoulders.
Even though she had crossed the line, he accepted her without hesitation.
And then came those words he had whispered to her, words she knew she would never forget for as long as she lived:
"You're the victim. Just keep your head down and stay quiet. If you're no good at crying, then don't force it. When you can't avoid a question, just say you were terrified. Leave everything else to me."
"Why, Minamoto-kun…?" Saeko finally asked now, the question that had haunted her since last night. "Why would you go that far for me?"
Senya's smile broadened. "Because I don't think you did anything wrong, Busujima-senpai."
Saeko froze, staring at his smile from up close. Her toes curled beneath her, yet her eyes remained clouded. "But I went too far… That was beyond self-defense."
"So what?" Senya's casual, matter-of-fact reply left her momentarily stunned.
The thing that had kept her awake all night, gnawing at her like a curse, was dismissed so lightly—blown away by his words.
Senya went on, "If someone tried to hurt me, I'd beat them half to death too. That's just human nature."
Saeko lowered her gaze and shook her head, her expression heavy. "You don't understand, Minamoto-kun. It wasn't like that. I noticed them following me long before they made a move. I even walked into a deserted area on purpose, just so they'd attack first… I—I actually…"
"You actually want to say you're a violent person with twisted desires, someone dark and filthy inside… right?" Senya finished for her.
"…" Saeko's head dropped lower.
Senya sighed lightly. "Please raise your head, Busujima-senpai."
She obeyed, but her eyes were hidden beneath the veil of her long violet bangs.
"If you were really that kind of person, you wouldn't be tormented like this. You wouldn't be pouring your heart out to me right now."
"…"
"Other than those two criminals, have you ever hurt anyone?"
"…No," Saeko whispered, shaking her head.
"Then isn't it obvious? You're sad and blaming yourself precisely because they were criminals. Doesn't that say enough?"
Senya reached out and gently cupped her cheek, lifting her face until her dim eyes met his steady, sincere gaze.
"Busujima-senpai, don't you see? Even if there's a trace of sadism in you, that doesn't change the fact that at your core, you're a kind person.
And if you still think I'm just trying to comfort you, if deep down you truly believe you're an awful, irredeemable woman… that's fine too.
Because from the moment I saw you last night—saw you laughing, unrestrained and true to yourself—I've been utterly captivated by that side of you."
At that, the dull light in Saeko's eyes shifted. From the depths of her darkness, the faintest glimmer began to rise.
Senya's expression softened even further, his voice gentler still. "But, Busujima-senpai… I don't want you to do that again."
Her eyes, so newly lit, dimmed once more.
"Those scum… it wouldn't matter if their bones broke, if they suffered brain damage, even if they died. But if something happened to you by accident… I'd be devastated."
[Busujima Saeko has been marked as a candidate for binding.]