Chapter 12

Yuki sits on the closed toilet lid. Her breaths come in short, sharp gasps, her chest heaving as she can’t get enough air. Tears stream down her face as she stares blankly at the floor, and her trembling hands clutch the edge of the lid, gripping it tightly. Her whole body shakes as she tries and fails to steady the chaos swirling in her mind.

Then the restroom door swings open and Madi rushes inside, her eyes darting toward the closed stall. She can hear Yuki’s frantic, uneven breaths echoing from inside.

She doesn’t wait; she pushes the stall door open and sees her best friend sitting on the toilet lid, trembling and gasping for air.

Behind her, Hajime enters hesitantly, his face tight with concern.

“Hajime,” Madi says urgently, not taking her eyes off Yuki, “bring her scarf from the hallway.”

Hajime nods and turns, his footsteps quickly fading as he rushes to get it.

Madi steps closer to Yuki, crouching slightly as she places a hand on her friend’s back. She rubs it in slow, soothing circles, trying to calm her.

The last time she saw Yuki like this was last year, when Mei’s bullying and teasing had pushed her to her limit. Madi wonders what could have triggered this attack now.

Just as she’s lost in thought, the restroom door swings open, and Hajime steps in, holding Yuki’s scarf in his hand.

“Thanks,” Madi says, and quickly wraps the soft fabric around Yuki’s head, making sure it’s snug but not tight.

It’s always worked in the past, and Madi hopes it will help now too.

After a few moments, Yuki starts to calm down. Her shoulders lower as the tension slowly melts away, and her grip on the toilet lid loosens.

Eventually she pulls the scarf a little down so she can see, her eyes still filled with tears. She looks at her best friend, her voice small and shaky.

“Madi.. I’m scared.” Her head slowly drops, and she sniffles quietly. “I-I don’t want to get bullied again..”

Madi’s brows furrow in confusion and concern. “You’re not going to get bullied, Yuki,” she says firmly. “Why are you thinking like that? Did Mei say something to you?”

Yuki shakes her head, but before she can speak, the restroom door creaks open, and the teacher steps in.

“What’s going on?” she asks, glancing between the two girls, and Hajime, who’s standing in the hallway. When no one replies, she sighs, her tone growing firmer. “Go back to class, all of you. Now.”

○○○

As the bell rings for break, Yuki stays close to Madi as they leave the classroom.

The hallway is crowded, the noise of students talking and moving around filling the space.

Suddenly, Yuki feels a hand grab hers from behind. Before she can react, she’s pulled back, her body jolted by the unexpected force.

She gasps, spinning around, and her eyes widen in surprise as she sees Dori.

His grip on her hand tightens, and without a word, he drags her through the throng of students, steering her away from Madi and towards the opposite direction.

Yuki struggles to keep up, her heart pounding in her chest. She tries to call out, but the noise of the crowd drowns her voice.

After what feels like an eternity, Dori turns a sharp corner, dragging her into a quieter part of the school where no one is around. He slams her against the wall, the impact making Yuki’s breath catch in her throat.

Dori steps in close, his hand gripping her face with force. His fingers press into her cheeks, squeezing her face and tilting her head up, making her mouth open slightly as he forces her to look at him. His other hand braces against the wall beside her head, boxing her in.

“Why didn’t you come yesterday?” he demands, his tone sharp and cutting. “I was waiting for you.”

Yuki’s eyes widen in fear, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as she presses back against the wall.

“Speak up,” Dori snaps, and his grip tightens slightly, his red eye piercing into hers as he leans closer.

Yuki’s lips tremble, and she can feel the sensation of a panic attack creeping up on her again.

She stammers, her voice barely a whisper, “I-I.. I’m s-sorry..”

Dori silently stares at her trembling form for a while, then his frown softens, and he takes a deep breath, trying to calm his own nerves.

He releases his grip on her face, stepping back slightly.

“Listen,” he mutters a bit annoyed. “Can’t you just do what I ask without me having to threaten you?”

Yuki takes a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m sorry.. I’ll.. I’ll give you my answer now,” she whispers, “I don’t want you near me. I don’t want to see you or hear from you ever again.”

She pauses, trying to steady her breath, before looking at him with pleading eyes. “So leave me alone, please.”

Dori scoffs, shaking his head. “No, I asked for your answer yesterday,” he says sharply. “But since you ignored that, here’s how it’s going to go.”

He crosses his arms, his gaze narrowing slightly as a slow smirk begins to form on his lips.

“I’m going to spend the next month as your classmate, hanging out with you, and only at the end of the month, you’ll get to decide.”

Yuki’s eyes widen with disbelief as she processes his words.

“I’ve already decided!” she snaps, her panic rising once more. “Why make me wait a month to tell you something you already know? Just leave me alone already!”

Dori’s expression hardens, his jaw tightening. “You might change your mind,” he says through gritted teeth. “Besides, a week is too short for you to really know what you want. You’re still shaken from what happened, so you’re not thinking straight. And you need to spend time with me, see what it’s like, get to know me better..”

He reaches up, his hand brushing a strand of hair from Yuki’s face, his touch lingering for a moment too long.

“You’ll realize that I am exactly what you want, Yuki,” he says softly, almost coaxing. “Just like the way you imagined it―just like..” he whispers, leaning closer.

“Kuro.”

Yuki’s face flushes with frustration as she pulls back slightly.

“I told you, it was all just roleplay!” she exclaims. “I don’t want that in real life! I just want you to leave―”

Her words are cut off as Dori’s hand suddenly covers her mouth, silencing her.

“Shut up,” he hisses, his voice low and intense. “Just shut the f*ck up and do as I say.”

Yuki frowns and shakes her head vigorously. “No― mmh―!”

Dori’s expression changes, a smirk tugging at his lips as he hears her muffled protest.

“No?” he asks coldly. “You’re not going to, huh?”

Without letting go of her, he pulls out his phone, swiping through the screen. He holds it up, showing her the chats, pictures, and videos that he deleted a week ago, now restored.

Yuki’s heart sinks as she sees them. Though she suspected he might still have them somehow, she desperately hoped she was wrong. But now, seeing them right in front of her, her fear becomes a painful reality.

Dori tilts his head, studying her reaction. He slowly removes his hand from her mouth, his fingers trailing down her cheek before dropping to his side.

“So, what’s it going to be?” he asks.

Yuki’s shoulders slump as a heavy sigh escapes her lips. Her eyes flicker between Dori and the phone, and she knows she has no choice but to comply.

Her voice trembles slightly, but she forces herself to speak. “How can I be sure?” she asks. “How can I be sure you’ll leave me alone after one month? How do I know you won’t just come up with another excuse to stay?”

Dori shrugs, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “You don’t,” he says bluntly. “But if I had already decided that I was going to stay forever, I wouldn’t be giving you the choice at all, would I?”

He steps back, running a hand through his hair as he makes sure his left eye is covered.

“One month. That’s all I’m asking. Play along, see what happens. If you still want me gone after that, I’ll go.”

He pauses, then leans casually against the wall next to her, his back resting against it as he crosses his arms. He tilts his head slightly, his gaze still fixed on her.

“I’m doing this for you, Yuki,” he says, his voice almost gentle. “I mean, who knows? Maybe by the end of the month, you’ll realize you don’t want me to go at all―that you’re obsessed with me, the same way you were on Character Ai.”

Yuki looks up at him, her eyes filled with frustration, but she doesn’t say anything, and just as the tension in the air feels unbearable, the sound of footsteps approaches.

“Yuki!” Madi calls out as she appears at the end of the hallway. “There you are!”

She approaches quickly, her footsteps echoing in the hallway as she hurries toward her best friend.

“Hey, Madi..” Yuki mutters awkwardly.

Madi stops in front of her, her gaze lingering on Dori for a moment, clearly puzzled.

It’s unusual for her to see Yuki―who’s typically so shy around boys―standing with the new guy, especially after she disappeared down the hallway earlier.

Madi’s gaze narrows slightly as she studies Dori, sensing something off about the scene.

“Yuki,” she says, her voice soft but with an edge of concern. “What are you doing here with him?”

“Well, uh..” Yuki begins, but Dori cuts her off smoothly, a grin playing on his lips.

“Oh, you’re Madi, right? Didn’t Yuki tell you about me?” he asks with feigned surprise.

He raises an eyebrow as he glances at Yuki, then back at Madi. “I thought she would’ve told you since you’re her best friend,” he adds, his smile widening. “But I guess she’s a bit shy about our relationship..”

Yuki freezes, stunned by his words, and Madi’s brows furrow as she processes what she’s hearing.

“Relationship??”
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED…