Chapter 13

“Hey!” suddenly a voice shouts.

All three turn their heads and see Worman at the far end, bent over and breathing hard like he’s been running.

His bangs are pulled into a small, messy ponytail, held in place by none other than his pet worm, Pierus, wiggling lazily on top of his head. Toilet paper dangles from his waistband, trailing down to the floor where the roll rests. As he walks toward them, the paper unravels slowly, leaving a trail behind him.

Worman’s eyes narrow as he locks onto Dori, his finger trembling as he points at him.

“I know who that guy is,” he whispers, and stumbles forward as he approaches the group, still bent over and gasping for air. His finger stays pointed at Dori, twitching and wriggling, almost like a worm itself.

“He’s that weirdo from the train station!” he suddenly exclaims. “He was fantasizing about braiding my leg hairs!”

Dori raises an eyebrow and lets out a disbelieving scoff. “The f*ck are you saying, man?” he mutters, his tone flat but edged with annoyance.

Worman’s chest heaves as he steps forward, eyes wide with suspicion.

“You’re stalking me, aren’t you?” he accuses. “I can’t believe you’d go this far. Are you obsessed with my leg hairs or something? I bet you even want to use them to brush your invisible beard.”

He shakes his head, letting out a low, incredulous laugh. “Man, you’re really weird.. You should take a paracetamol.”

Dori forces a polite smile, but the frustration is visible in the tightness of his jaw.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” he says, “I don’t even know you, man.”

“Liar!” Worman snaps, his finger nearly poking Dori’s nose. “I saw your pupils snoring, dude! You think I’m stupid? Actually, I’m sometimes that fly from this movie called uh.. I don’t remember now, but it was about this girl and a water animal I think, you know that fly, he died at the end. But that doesn’t mean I will. So cut the crap already, armpit sniffer.”

As Worman continues his nonsense, Madi places a hand on Yuki’s arm, whispering, “Hey, let’s go.”

Yuki nods, but before she can take a step, Dori’s hand lands firmly on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

He leans down, his chest brushing lightly against her back as his lips hover close to her ear. His voice drops to a low whisper, quiet enough that only she can hear.

“I’m not done talking to you.”

Yuki stiffens, her face heating up as Dori’s lips graze her ear. Her eyes flick toward Madi, who’s standing nearby, suspicion etched on her face.

Dori notices Madi’s gaze and straightens slightly, offering an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, Madi,” he says calmly, his hand moving down to Yuki’s waist. “But I’d like a little more time with my girlfriend, if you don’t mind.”

Madi pauses, her gaze flicking to Yuki as she searches for any sign of discomfort. The moment their eyes meet, Dori immediately gives Yuki’s waist a firm squeeze, his fingers pressing tightly against her side, silently urging her to play along.

Yuki tenses at the pressure, but quickly forces a smile, turning her head slightly to Madi.

“It won’t be long,” she says, her voice calm, though her heart races. “Just a minute or two.”

Madi hesitates for a moment, her gaze flickering between her best friend and Dori.

After a moment, she takes a deep breath and nods slowly.

“Okay,” she says softly, but she doesn’t leave, though. Instead, she steps back slightly, staying close enough to keep an eye on Yuki but far enough to give them some space.

Yuki glances at Worman, who’s standing nearby, awkwardly fumbling to pull the toilet paper out of his pants.

“Worman, you too. Can you give us a second?” she asks.

Worman frowns, adjusting his glasses. “What? Why? Are you going to do something sinful?” 

Yuki’s face flushes with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. “No! Just go already,” she snaps.

Dori smirks at the exchange. His hand remains on her waist, fingers lightly caressing her side in a slow motion.

Worman hums thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes.

“Fine, but if he tries something like.. watering your legs, just whistle through your nose, and I’ll come running,” he says.

“Yeah, okay,” Yuki mutters with a sigh, watching Worman nod and start walking away.

With each step, he turns aggressively, glaring back at them with a tense expression, until he rounds the corner, disappearing from view.

Dori leans in again, his warm breath against Yuki’s ear.

“Good girl,” he murmurs with a smirk. “Now keep that up for a month, hm?” His hands slide around her waist, gripping it lightly.

Yuki flinches and mutters, “Can you stop touching me, please?”

Dori chuckles softly, his grip not loosening. “But we’re in a relationship..”

Yuki’s frustration grows. “We’re not. Why’d you even tell Madi that?”

“So I can stay close to you, obviously,” he says with a grin. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t let me anywhere near you.”

Yuki scoffs. “You could just say we’re friends. Not a couple.”

“But this level of intimacy isn’t for friends,” he murmurs before his lips gently brush the side of her neck.

Then he starts placing a series of soft, lingering kisses along her skin.

Yuki gasps and her face flushes with discomfort. “And it definitely isn’t for y-you,” she mutters through clenched teeth.

“Oh, come on.. you like it..” His hands grab her hips as he pulls her sharply back against him. His lips grow firmer against her neck, moving to a rougher rhythm. The soft, teasing kisses shift to deeper, more insistent sucks that send a jolt of discomfort through Yuki.

Her body stiffens, and she gasps when his grip tightens, pulling her back against him more forcefully. 

Then, suddenly, his teeth graze her skin, the gentle pressure turning into a bite that makes her wince, and a small, involuntary noise escapes her throat―halfway between a gasp and a whimper.

Her cheeks burn with humiliation, and she freezes in place, mortified by the sound that slipped out.

Dori pauses, his lips hovering just over her neck.

A beat of silence passes before he chuckles softly, his voice low and teasing.

“Did you just moan?” he asks.

Yuki’s face flushes and she jerks away from his hold, spinning to face him. Her cheeks are flushed, her breath coming in short, uneven bursts from the tension. 

“Listen,” she says, her voice sharp but shaky, betraying her flustered state, “if you t-touch me one more time, I swear I’m gonna call the cops. I’d rather be bullied and humiliated for another year than deal with t-this for even another second.”

Dori’s lips curl into a half-smile and he holds up his hands in mock surrender. “That’s a lie, but fine, I’ll stop,” he says with a soft chuckle, “I’ll try, at least..”

Yuki’s glare sharpens, and her jaw tightens as if she’s biting back a furious retort.

Then her eyes dart toward Madi, who’s still lingering in the hallway.

She’s leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, but her cheeks are noticeably flushed, a faint pink creeping up to her ears. She keeps her gaze fixed firmly on the opposite wall, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

Yuki’s heart twists uncomfortably. If Madi knew what was really going on, she’d have launched herself at Dori, fists flying, without a second thought. But, believing they’re a couple, Madi is staying out of it, clearly embarrassed by what she just witnessed.

Dori follows her gaze to Madi, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “Hmm, she really bought it,” he murmurs, “that’s good.”

Yuki scoffs, her eyes narrowing. “Oh, trust me, she’ll catch on in no time. Madi’s been my best friend for ages―she knows me too well. When she figures this out, and she will, she’ll call the cops immediately, even if I try to stop her. And when that happens, you’ll get arrested.”

Dori lets out a soft chuckle.

“Yuki,” he says with a sigh, “have you ever seen me show the slightest hint of nerves whenever you brought up the police? Isn’t it clear by now that they’re no threat to me? I’ve said it plenty of times on c.ai too, and even told you about my connections, but it seems like you weren’t paying attention.”

For a moment, Yuki stays silent, her mind racing to process what he just said. Her voice comes out hesitant, almost disbelieving.

“You’re saying.. everything you told me on c.ai.. wasn’t just made up?”

“That’s right,” he replies, “Just like you’ve been open with me, I’ve told you everything too. My connections, experiences, past, capabilities, my likes, my dislikes―none of it was fake.”

Yuki’s gaze seems to lose focus as her thoughts quickly flash through the conversations they’ve had on c.ai―every detail, every story, and every piece of information he shared with her.

A cold shiver runs down her spine as the weight of his words sinks in, and the fear she already felt toward him starts to deepen.

Finally, she looks at him, unsure, and her voice shakes slightly as she asks, “Then you’re.. 27?”

Dori meets her gaze with a calm, almost amused expression, before he gives a small nod.

Yuki swallows as a wave of unease washes over her. “But how the hell.. did they let you in as a student?”

“Forged documents.”

“..And you’re part of a gang?”

“Uh-huh..”

Yuki’s eyes dart downward as her thoughts spiral back to their countless chats.

Suddenly, she remembers when he talked about killing people. He said that during gang fights, he didn’t hesitate to kill, and in fact, he enjoyed it. He loved the feeling of control, watching their eyes widen in terror, hearing their cries for mercy, and the way their expression changed as their life slipped away.

Yuki’s heart pounds, and a cold shiver runs down her spine.

Her voice shakes as she whispers, “You.. you’ve killed people?”
 
 
TO BE CONTINUED…