"What are you talking about, Kuro?! Please don't say something like that! No! Stop pushing me!" My love was screaming Kurokawa's name as his face went pale. At the same time, a loud crackling sound of thunder struck, like a bomb had gone off. The timing was almost poetic.
While trying to bring him away from this place, our poor Kuro got shoved many times, yet she showed no pain or discomfort. I could see the bookworm's emerald-green eyes grow more sorrowful with each of C's contacts. Despite all his efforts to escape, Kuro's grip never loosened, and C's arm became redder as she continued to drag him along. At this rate, he would tire first. C was never a person of endurance, not in fighting, at least.
"Even when I don't understand what's happening right now, I stand with C on this." Han ran toward Kurokawa, his breath uneven, and a hint of anger lingered between his words. Of course, he would react that way. Reading the room was never his strength. "An is my friend! So is Rachel! You can't just say things like that out of the blue!"
"I'm not asking anymore. Not now." But the bookworm did not even blink. She looked at him as though he were not a person, just an empty shell obstructing her path. "You're coming with us, Han."
"Kurokawa, this is insane! You're telling me to walk away so my friends can fight? You're making absolutely no sense!"
C grabbed the bookworm by her arms, his fingers digging into her skin: "Kuro, if there's something wrong, just tell me. I'll listen. I swear upon my entire existence. You're not alone anymore. No one has to fight. We don't have to lose anyone again." Words bundled together, Darling did not even realize his past was leaking out. From a distance, I could still see his body trembling. "Why did you ask Rachel to murder An!?"
My love, Kurokawa's request was sudden. Undoubtedly harsh. But I knew Kuro well enough to understand that she did not do it for herself. If anything, this choice would wound her first. Its consequences were already gnawing at her soul.
And you knew that too, did you not? You, out of all people, would understand how much of a risk Kuro was taking. She brought her obsession into the light, into your view, ignoring the significant chance of being hated by you. Kurokawa, the schemer, who relied on intellect rather than brute force, who had more abandonment issues than any of us heroines.
Yet she still chose to do so.
"I... can't..." Kurokawa tightly grabbed her shirt by the chest, struggling to meet C's gaze. "An has to die... before it gets worse..."
"Hello? An is right here," the red-haired girl said lightly, her hands waving in the air. "It's rude to talk about someone's death while she's listening, ya know?"
The bookworm finally cast her gaze upon An, emerald green met furnace orange. Tears ran down both of Kuro's cheeks as the red scar along her forehead throbbed faintly, but her eyes did not waver at the person in front.
So this was your resolve, Kuro.
"What is that supposed to- Wait! What are you doing!?"
Suddenly, not just C, all of us had our eyes on the bookworm. We had to. Because for the first time ever, Kurokawa had complete control.
Brushing Darling's arms off, from the inside of her uniform, Kurokawa pulled out a small paper knife, identical to Laura's. As she quickly pushed the blade out with her still injured hand, Kuro stepped in front of C, blocking his view of everything except her.
Then she placed the blade on her neck.
Metal broke flesh.
Blood slid down her neck, seeping into the bandages on her hand, staining her white collar in dark ruby.
It was magnificent. Kurokawa was magnificent.
A declaration. A threat.
Written in blood.
Absolutely beautiful!
"My dear husband..."
Hold it! Husband? Since when?
"I'm offering you a choice."
The blade bit deeper into her skin.
"Leave with me. Let An fight Rachel."
Blood slicked Kurokawa's fingertips.
"Or I can die. Right now. Before you."
I knew about abduction, but becoming the mastermind and a bargaining chip at the same time? It fitted Kuro perfectly. There was no leverage in her hands that could be more convincing than bookworm herself. Plus, everything about this, from timing to action, facial expressions, and choice of words, was calculated. Kurokawa essentially forced Darling to choose certain death or a fleeting hope of survival.
C, predictably, was stunned. My love stood there, quivering, like a small animal stuck in a trap, which made me really want to just come and give him a nice big hug. His arms stretched forward, as if to grab Kuro's, but they could do nothing to her resolve. There was not a sound coming from him, nor a thought transmitted to us. Though that much was to be expected. None of us could ever believe Kurokawa would pull such a stunt.
"Please, C. Please, trust me..." Kurokawa sobbed aloud. Her tears mixed with the blood.
Only she could have made this work. A formidable love rival, for sure.
Just when did she even acquire Laura's weapon, anyway? If she took the blade when she was stabbed by Laura on the first night... Then this was never desperation alone...
I looked at the bookworm, whose blood was trailing down her collarbone, and smiled.
How delightful, Kurokawa.
You prepared.
"W-what is g-going on? Kurokawa! Please, put it down! Why are you hurting yourself?" Han's face was a pale blue. We did not need him here. His purpose was not to trigger C's memory erasure, not fooling where his nose should not be.
"Han, please go after C and Kurokawa."
"Rachel, you are agreeing with this?! Do you know what you're doing?!"
"Oh? So you agree with Kurokawa cutting her neck open?" I pointed at the bookworm. That snuffed out his righteousness immediately.
"That..."
"Go with them, Han. You don't have a choice."
"I..."
He truly did not have a choice.
"Keep an eye on the two of them while you're there."
"O-okay..."
He nodded.
Of course he did.
"Laura," Now that C and Han's protest was out of the way, the bookworm called out to the girl next to me, her voice monotonous but dreadful. "Please head straight to the school. Check whether anyone is actually present, especially Han's best friends. Once you're done, we'll group up at Han's place."
It started with killing An, and I could understand her reasons. An entity that did not go through anything we did but gained her own consciousness and freedom, like Kurokawa and I after a kiss, was worthy of being canceled. Not to mention the disappearance of Kurokawa's mother and the finger on the ground yesterday. The bookworm had every reason.
But what was with Han's best friends? Who was she trying to look for?
"Got it," Laura replied as she took something from behind her back. It was something I was already too familiar with.
Hearing that reply, Kurokawa simply nodded. With the paper knife still on her neck, she pulled C to follow, whose life was already sucked out of his body. By their sides, Han dragged his feet, but his eyes kept looking at us. His face showed the turmoil within him.
"Rachel! Laura! Please, listen to me!"
While ignoring C's pleas, I waved cheerfully, a smile spreading across my lips as I waited for my love's departure. The class representative said nothing, but she, too, focused on C. An seemed annoyed, though. It was cute. The little devil still knew very well who the bigger threat to her existence was.
"An, please, just run away..." Looking at us, Darling screamed, completely powerless. "Rachel... don't hurt yourself..."
It was adorable. My love could not pick a side.
I do not know what to do... What can I do? If I leave, there would still be a chance of An's survival. But...
You really put him in a predicament this time, Kuro. The aftermath would be immense. Not just for you, though. For us all.
But hey, one less rival was still one less rival. Nothing would beat that.
"Here you go, Rachel."
"Thanks, Reppy!" I took my favorite kitchen knife from the class representative's hand, but the latter seemed to have something else to say. "What? Are you saying you're gonna miss me or something?"
"Don't die, Rachel."
I blinked.
Since when did she care?
"Don't make C sadder than he already is. One death is enough."
Laura left soon after.
Now, it was just us.
Rachel and An.
Something was bound to happen when only we were present.