Chapter 534

Returning home and heading up to the second floor, I couldn't help but flinch.

"W-What the...? You startled me..."

In the dark hallway, Miyuki was leaning her arms against the railing, staring down the stairs—or, more accurately, staring down at me.

The faint glow from the first-floor living room illuminated her wide, unblinking eyes. It felt like walking into a haunted house, which genuinely spooked me a little.

"What are you doing up there?"

I flashed a casual grin. She just stared back with her brow deeply furrowed before finally speaking.

"Get up here."

Her voice was dangerously low. Thanks to the faint light from downstairs, she had to have seen the wound on my face, yet she didn't look surprised at all.

That was proof Kanna had already filled her in.

"Want some ice cream?"

"No."

"Then I'll just go put this in the freezer. Wait for me in the room."

"I don't want to."

"What's with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're being weirdly stubborn. I'll be right back."

"Yeah."

Filled with immense anticipation, I shoved the ice cream into the freezer and hurried back up the stairs.

Miyuki was still waiting for me in the exact same spot. Together, we headed into the room.

"What happened to your mouth?"

As I settled comfortably into my chair, Miyuki fired the question at me, clearly suppressing her anger.

Rage was bubbling up inside her, but she was forcing it down just for my sake. That was the vibe she gave off.

"I was looking at my Cell Phone while walking and ran right into a streetlight."

"What were you looking at on your Cell Phone?"

"Just searching for some funny videos."

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"Not really."

"So you hit the streetlight with your face, then? Not your head?"

"It happens."

"Are you lying to me?"

"Look. My Cell Phone case even cracked."

I held out the broken case I had prepared in advance.

It was just a piece of plastic with a cracked corner. Miyuki stared at it, then let out a heavy sigh through her nose, her eyes fixing on me.

"Matsuda-kun, are you going to keep lying to me? My sister saw everything and told me."

Now that she had brought up Kanna, denying it any further would only backfire.

"Well, uh... what did she see?"

"Everything. You smashed your Cell Phone against that streetlight on purpose so you could play this whole thing off as an accident. You did it for Tetsuya and me. Didn't you?"

Miyuki was sharp as always.

She had figured out the exact situation just from hearing Kanna's account.

But she was overlooking one crucial detail.

I hadn't done this for Tetsuya's sake.

Was I crazy? Why would I ever try to protect that bastard?

I was just putting on an act.

I wanted to show her that I had turned over a new leaf, that I was willing to sacrifice myself for her because she hated violence.

I was showing off my resolve to win her over completely.

"Shouldn't you at least ask if I'm okay first?"

I scratched the back of my head, feigning embarrassment. Miyuki's lips immediately turned down.

She looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears. I quickly closed the distance, pulling her into a tight embrace and gently patting her back.

"You don't need to ask if I'm okay."

"That's not what matters here...!"

She sounded annoyed at first, but the tone of her voice told a different story.

She was deeply moved. My little act had worked perfectly.

I felt a bit guilty for hurting her, but this was necessary to sever her ties with Tetsuya completely.

I would just have to justify it to myself this once.

"Wait a second..."

Miyuki gently pushed against my chest and reached over to the side of the bed.

A white first-aid kit with a red cross caught my eye.

She must have brought it out earlier. How did I miss that?

"I'll put some ointment on it..."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she dug through the kit and pulled out a tube of ointment.

She squeezed a tiny dab onto her fingertip before continuing.

"Part your lips a little... Hey, don't pucker up! Is this the time to joke around? It has to hurt...!"

"It doesn't hurt at all."

"I saw you wince... I need to wipe the saliva off your lip, so just hold still."

"Alright."

After receiving Miyuki's devoted care, I quickly washed my hands and feet and hopped into bed.

Miyuki still had a deep frown on her face, so I gave her waist a light poke.

"What are you doing?"

"...Aren't you angry, Matsuda-kun?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Why should I ruin our time together by getting mad over some guy? I'd rather not."

I only want to be happy with you.

I made sure to convey that sentiment clearly. For the first time since I'd gotten back, Miyuki finally smiled.

"So... did you try to hide what happened just to protect the mood, too?"

"Not exactly. Anyway, let's stop talking about this."

Miyuki's face had been flushed red for a while now.

Not out of embarrassment, but out of rare, genuine anger.

I pulled her flush against my chest, gently stroking her head from top to bottom to help her calm down.

"Tell me everything. Be completely honest about what happened."

"I thought I said we should drop it."

"I still want to know."

"You really want to hear it?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll keep it brief. Then we go straight to sleep."

"Okay."

With Miyuki still wrapped in my arms, determined to listen, I gave her the unvarnished truth of everything that had happened that day.

I left out one tiny detail, of course—my real motive for smashing my Cell Phone case.

There was no benefit in letting her know about that.

The next day, right up until we brought the other girls to the Academy, and even as we walked into the classroom, Miyuki seemed perfectly calm.

She chatted smoothly with the others and even offered a few smiles.

I assumed she had completely relaxed after sleeping wrapped in my arms the night before, but the moment we reached the classroom, I realized how utterly mistaken I was.

"Tetsuya, come here. We need to talk."

Her voice was bone-chillingly cold as she singled him out.

It had to be the first time she'd ever spoken to him with such open hostility.

"Uh...? Ah, sure."

Tetsuya shot me a dirty look before trudging after her.

Judging by his expression, he was slightly intimidated by her, but the glare he aimed at me was pure, unfiltered contempt.

He obviously thought I had snitched on him.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

The Vice Representative asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

I just shrugged, feigning ignorance, and decided to follow the two of them.

Trailing them from a safe distance, I watched them head toward the Old School Building.

Miyuki and Tetsuya slipped into an unlocked storage room.

Hearing the door click shut, I waited a moment before closing the distance. At first, there was only the murmur of low voices, but it wasn't long before they erupted into shouting.

"Why! Just tell me why you'd do something like that!"

It was Miyuki.

Given how calm she'd been all morning, I hadn't expected her to explode like this. I was completely wrong.

She hadn't let her anger go at all.

She had only played along last night because I was trying so hard to downplay the whole incident.

"N-No... I... I did it for you..."

Pressing my ear against the door, I could clearly hear Tetsuya's pathetic excuses.

They say watching a fight is the most entertaining thing in the world. My heart was already pounding with excitement.

Although, to be fair, this wasn't a fight—it was a one-sided verbal beatdown.

"Don't give me that! You weren't doing it for me, you were just taking out your own anger! When did I ever ask for your help with my love life?! Did I ever ask you to hit Matsuda-kun?! Well?! Did I?!"

I had never seen Miyuki scream like this before.

Sure, she had raised her voice a few times in the past.

But that was always during our intimate moments, or when we were just playfully bickering.

This was completely different.

She was truly furious, driving Tetsuya into a corner with absolute rage.

I couldn't see them, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was aggressively poking him in the chest right now.

The sheer fury in her voice made it impossible to imagine otherwise.

"Miyuki...! Matsuda started it yesterday! He—"

"Stop lying."

"Huh...?"

"I don't believe a word of it. Matsuda-kun would never do that."

"What... Are you seriously taking his word over mine?"

"Of course I am! Why? Because you're lying! Every single thing coming out of your mouth right now is a complete lie!"

Tetsuya was lying to dodge responsibility.

My lie, on the other hand, had been told with good intentions—to stop his reputation from plummeting in her eyes.

I was out here willingly taking a loss for him, yet he was shamelessly lying just to save his own skin?

Miyuki despised that kind of petty, cowardly behavior. Her rage was entirely justified.

If he had just owned up to it, she wouldn't have blown up at him like this.

He called himself her childhood friend, yet he didn't even understand her personality? No, he probably knew, but the mess he'd made was so huge that he was desperately trying to escape reality.

Regardless, Miyuki had completely lost it.

Scary, very scary.

And yet, it was incredibly hot. It made me want to take her right now, while she was still seething with anger.

"I told you my sister saw the whole thing! Don't you dare try to make up any more excuses!"

"Ah..."

A faint groan slipped from Tetsuya's lips.

Did that pathetic noise only piss her off more?

She aggressively pressed the attack.

"You've been so weird lately! You've completely changed! I didn't want to admit it, but after what happened at the playground, and yesterday, and the way you're acting right now... I'm starting to think this is who you really are! You're a liar! You deceive people! And now you're resorting to violence!"

To think sweet, gentle Miyuki would actually go that far...

It was shocking, but it felt amazing.

Her going off like that was the ultimate proof of just how deeply she loved me.

It meant she was genuinely enraged that I had been hit.

"N-No...! It's not like that at all!"

"Hah..."

"I'm sorry, Miyuki. I swear I'll never—"

"Save it. Talking to you is only making me angrier. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

They had known each other forever, always hanging out without a second thought. For her to apologize for "wasting his time"—she was officially drawing a line in the sand.

"Miyuki...! I messed up...!"

"Even apologizing to me right now is wrong."

"S-So, if I apologize to Matsuda, then what? Will you forgive me?"

"I'm not the one who needs to forgive you, Matsuda-kun is. And frankly, the way you just said that makes your intentions painfully obvious. You're just forcing an apology out so you can be forgiven."

This exchange alone was more than enough to show exactly how she viewed him now.

Well, at least Tetsuya wasn't completely snapping and trying to lash out at her.

It proved he still had a sliver of reason and conscience left in him.

I was fully prepared to kick the door down and smash his face in if he tried anything. So, in a way, it was a relief.

His filthy hands wouldn't touch her.

Sensing the conversation was wrapping up, I figured it was time for me to make myself scarce.

"You're awful. You truly are."

Miyuki's final parting shot stopped me in my tracks, my eyes going wide.

It was a simple insult, but coming from Miyuki? That was the most devastating thing she could possibly say to someone.

It just proved how utterly disgusted she was with him, and how deeply she cared for me. Hearing it filled me with absolute glee.

I practically sprinted around the corner of the hallway just as I heard the storage room door click open.

I was just about to slip through the side door and outside when Miyuki called out to me, her voice surprisingly loud.

"Matsuda-kun. I could see the hallway from the window in the storage room. I saw you trying to sneak away, so freeze right there."

The windows in the Old School Building's hallway were a bit frosted, but my silhouette must have given me away. The angle allowed her to see right around the corner.

I should have just kept walking straight. Trying to be sneaky and dart out the side door had completely backfired.

I froze, offering a sheepish grin as she walked right up and linked her arm through mine.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Hmm... Good question. I have no idea."

"Are you a stalker?"

"A stalker? I only followed you because I was worried something might happen."

"Oh, really? Like what?"

"You know, this and that. Are you mad?"

"If I said yes, would you stop doing it?"

"Nope. I'd definitely keep doing it."

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason to look after what's mine?"

Her face was still flush red from yelling, her chest heaving with heavy breaths, but those words made her burst into a sudden laugh.

Her mood instantly lifted. I guess my little line sounded pretty sweet to her.

Why else would she suddenly lunge at me and wrap her arms tightly around my waist?

"I love you so much."

She rubbed her cheek affectionately against my chest as she confessed.

She still sounded a bit breathless from her anger, but honestly, it sounded far better than her usual shy mumbles.

Her sudden, bold display of affection hit me hard. I grabbed her by the wrist and immediately started walking, my strides long and purposeful.

We crossed from the Old School Building into the main building. As we passed the second-year classrooms and headed up the stairs, she gave me a confused look.

"Where are we going?"

"The Rooftop."

Miyuki gasped at the answer.

She checked her Cell Phone and nervously muttered that classes were about to start, but I had absolutely no intention of easing her anxiety.

Because I was turned on. Her sudden confession had completely flipped a switch inside me.

Besides, she looked troubled, but she never outright told me to stop. I confidently marched her up the final flight of stairs and forcefully threw open the heavy door to the Rooftop.

Skipping the first period wouldn't hurt anyone. And honestly, Miyuki probably felt the same way.