It was a girl, a girl with shoulder-length Blue hair wearing the Sobu High uniform.
Haruno looked at the girl frozen in shock, then snapped out of it and rushed over to stand before her at the infirmary entrance.
She knew that if she didn't move fast to stop the girl in front of her from crying out, it could very well draw more people over.
For now, at least, she didn't want anyone discovering this scene.
The knots she'd tied on Yukino a moment ago weren't actually cinched tight; given a little time, Yukino could work herself free.
But now, things were different.
She needed to deal with this girl who'd shown up out of nowhere first.
Rui Tachibana flinched back a step.
She hadn't felt well and had come to the infirmary to rest, only to walk in on something that left her stunned.
In the small infirmary were two students,
both of them people she knew.
Yukino Yukinoshita was pinned to the sickbed, bound as well, her clothes in disarray, and the man pinning the girl down was none other than Lin Ye, whom she recognized.
This scene—
she could easily imagine what had happened in the infirmary, and what was about to happen next.
Lin Ye was trying to force himself on Yukino Yukinoshita, the cold campus belle of Sobu High.
And she'd happened to walk right into it.
What should she do, what should she do?
She wanted to scream, but reason held her back, and with Lin Ye suddenly right in front of her in the blink of an eye, she had even less idea what to do.
She wanted to run, but a hand yanked her into the infirmary.
Click…
The infirmary door shut.
A sealed-off space formed.
"You—"
Before she could get the word out, a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Please don't make a sound, okay?"
But of course Rui Tachibana didn't obey, and she started to struggle.
"Keep disobeying and I'll strip you naked."
Those words froze Rui Tachibana on the spot.
Instinctive fear stilled her body at once; she stopped reacting entirely.
So scary!
Any girl would fear a threat like that, even if the one making it was someone she knew, a boy she even had a faint, ambiguous something with.
"Very good,"
Haruno said,
smiling at the girl before her.
The girl was cute, with a dazed, adorable look that only stirred an urge in her to bully her.
Yes—
Haruno really wanted to bully the girl in front of her mercilessly, but she knew that if she went that far, Lin Ye would probably be getting a visit from the police. Not that it mattered much; the Yukinoshita family could handle it completely, so she still had ideas.
But after thinking it over carefully, she gave up and let the thought go.
If the girl really did scream, it'd be awkward for her too!
Bullying was one thing, but she truly hadn't sunk to the level of actual crime.
Yukino, Miura Yumiko, Meguri Shiromeguri, and Iroha Isshiki were all within her control, but this girl in front of her, she didn't have that same certainty about.
"You know what to do next, right?"
A question mark slowly formed over Rui Tachibana's head.
How was she supposed to know what to do?
Her mind was full of confusion.
"Not clear on it?"
Haruno asked back.
Rui Tachibana's eyes shifted, turning toward the figure of the disheveled girl with long, straight black hair on the sickbed.
"This is… a crime, Student Lin,"
Rui Tachibana said.
She really didn't want to see the boy in front of her walk down the path of breaking the law.
"Ahem, as long as no one finds out, it's fine, so, you know what to do, right?"
Rui Tachibana pursed her lips.
"If you don't get it, then I'll…"
"I understand,"
Rui Tachibana nodded, "but if it's just an impulse, a need, then… there's actually a better way,"
she said after a moment's thought. "A brothel would do."
Haruno: ???
Even Yukino was stunned to hear it,
but she quickly came to admire the girl's quick wit. Rui Tachibana had misunderstood, yet her method really was a good one.
"As for money, I can provide it, and I imagine Student Yukinoshita has some too."
"Who's going to a brothel?!"
Haruno shot back.
No matter what, she wasn't at the point of needing a brothel to satisfy herself!
Not even Lin Ye would need that.
"Then… I can do it."
The words made Haruno blink.
"Rather than forcing yourself on Student Yukinoshita, wouldn't finding a willing girl be better?"
Rui Tachibana answered calmly,
her gaze steady as she went on, "I can give myself to you, and the condition is that you date me."
Haruno: ???
Yukino: ???
Haruno's first thought was that this girl liked Lin Ye, otherwise there'd be no reason for her to say such a thing. But wasn't this level of affection a bit too high? Otherwise, why would she agree even knowing Lin Ye had done something so awful?
Yukino, for her part, remembered a few things.
It seemed Rui Tachibana really did harbor feelings and intentions toward Lin Ye, and now she was showing them openly.
But she also felt Rui Tachibana's affection for Lin Ye might be a little too high, otherwise, how could it be like this?
"You know how I feel about you."
Rui Tachibana went on,
and only then did Haruno realize this girl's relationship with Lin Ye wasn't shallow at all.
There had to be something between them she didn't know about.
In the blink of an eye, Haruno's thoughts changed.
"Want to be my girlfriend?"
Haruno said.
Rui Tachibana nodded.
Yukino's eyes went wide as she realized what her sister was about to do. "Mmmph, mmmph…"
As she whimpered, she struggled harder, trying to stop her sister.
But the towel in her mouth thwarted that small hope.
"Sure,"
Haruno said, "but as the price,"
Rui Tachibana was surprised; she'd thought Lin Ye would refuse, never expecting him to agree.
Lin Ye had turned her down who knew how many times before, and now he was actually agreeing. How could she not be surprised, not be shocked?
"Kiss me first."
Haruno pointed to her own cheek.
Compared to doing it herself, she found it more amusing to have Rui Tachibana take the initiative.
Rui Tachibana froze for a moment; she'd braced herself for Lin Ye to do something to her here, or at least tell her to leave after school, and this was it?
She was caught off guard.
This made her more embarrassed than doing that would have,
especially with an outsider present.
"Not willing?"
"No,"
Rui Tachibana shook her head, and quickly rose onto her toes to plant a kiss on Haruno's cheek.
"Mmmph, mmmph…"
Yukino struggled, her eyes full of resentment.
Haruno was absolutely delighted!
Watching her little sister forced to look on helplessly as this body of hers got kissed by another woman, with no way to stop it, was there anything more thrilling and entertaining than that?
No, there absolutely was not.
Haruno went on, "One side isn't enough, this side too,"
she pointed to her other cheek.
Quickly,
Rui Tachibana kissed Haruno's other cheek.
The instant the kiss ended, Haruno pulled Rui Tachibana into her arms.
Her gaze went to her little sister. Yukino's face was furious now, the cold fury bursting from her enough to freeze Haruno solid. But Haruno wasn't fazed in the least, entirely unaffected.
She even started feeling the girl up, running a hand over Rui Tachibana's stomach. The texture was nice, really nice.
This was the feel only a young girl had.
Of course, it was still quite a bit less than Yukino's, but Haruno liked it.
Lying in her embrace, Rui Tachibana was very quiet, no struggling, no refusing, resting still, as if savoring the peace of this moment.
In truth she felt a little dazed, disoriented.
She'd tried every method before, but Lin Ye had always refused, and now he'd agreed, agreed outright to date her. How could she not be surprised, her feelings not tangled?
She even wondered if she was hallucinating, otherwise, how could this be happening?
It took Rui Tachibana quite a while to confirm she was in her right mind.
"Once more,"
Haruno urged with a smile.
Rui Tachibana gave a soft hum and kissed her again.
She felt nothing now; she'd gotten used to it.
And Yukino, the third person there, had gotten used to it too.
What she was thinking now was how to get Lin Ye and Rui Tachibana to break up once Lin Ye returned to normal.
They'd definitely have to break up.
It absolutely couldn't turn from fake into real, that was Yukino's thinking.
Worst case, she'd have Lin Ye use Hypnosis. Yes, to protect her own love, Yukino felt that in the end Hypnosis could be used.
That was the resolve Yukino Yukinoshita could muster.
"Very good, very obedient, I like it, so much better than Yukinoshita,"
Yukino Yukinoshita gritted her teeth.
"It's about time,"
Those words made Rui Tachibana think Lin Ye was about to do something, but instead she felt the man release her.
"I'm heading off first. Wait here three minutes, then just untie Student Yukinoshita,"
Given how furious her little sister looked right now, there was no way she had the rationality left to think about untying the ropes.
A woman furious over love has no reason left at all.
That scene just now between her and Rui Tachibana had driven her little sister into a complete, mindless rage.
"Where are you going?"
Rui Tachibana had a feeling Lin Ye wasn't going back to the classroom, but somewhere else.
"Somewhere no one will know, to lie low. I'll leave the rest to you, my cute girlfriend,"
With that,
Haruno opened the infirmary door, said goodbye to the two inside, and left.
She had to go; any more delay and there was no telling what might happen.
Of course,
it wasn't that she hadn't thought of playing a while longer, but sure enough, if she stalled any more, Lin Ye would probably come charging in, and then she wouldn't be able to leave even if she wanted to.
As for what would happen if Lin Ye caught her now, she didn't even dare imagine it.
Tap…
Tap…
Haruno walked briskly,
and as she rounded the corner and saw the classroom building ahead, her steps suddenly stopped.
Because she'd spotted a familiar figure.
Unfamiliar, yet in truth deeply, deeply familiar.
That was her!
In an instant Haruno broke into a cold sweat, thrown into a panic.
What was going on?
Why had Lin Ye come, and so quickly?
Before she could be seen, Haruno ducked behind the wall.
Two seconds later, she carefully peeked out, only to see Lin Ye heading straight toward her.
Had she been spotted? Or was it pure coincidence?
Haruno suddenly remembered Lin Ye's ability,
perspective.
Damn it, she had Lin Ye's ability now, yet couldn't use it.
Beyond the physical qualities of this body, she had nothing to work with.
She was seething with frustration.
Haruno broke into a run.
At a time like this, she'd have to rely on someone else's strength,
otherwise,
she'd be dragged off by Lin Ye.
Haruno ran fast,
and meanwhile, on the other side,
Lin Ye, having arrived at Sobu High, planted each step with force.
He was a hundred percent certain that this woman Haruno, using his body, would never keep things quiet.
The moment he woke, he'd contacted Yukino to tell her that he and Haruno had gone through a Body Swap, then got up and headed to his own residence.
But even by taxi, it had still taken over an hour.
Haruno had run far to avoid him.
He didn't find her at the apartment, and only after getting Yukino's message did he learn she'd gone to the school, which sent him rushing straight there.
Lin Ye was sure Haruno had come to the school to stir up trouble, leaving him a huge mess to clean up.
He was seething, thoroughly displeased.
In any case, once he caught Haruno and swapped back into his own body, he'd have to teach her a proper lesson.
Lin Ye, now at Sobu High,
walked while keeping an eye on his surroundings.
He'd sent Yukino a message but gotten no reply, which left him unsure of Haruno's situation.
But,
soon,
he spotted Haruno.
That odd noise led him to her,
and Haruno's flight only made Lin Ye scoff.
Now that she'd shown herself, there was no way Haruno was getting away.
She could just wait to come along with him!
Right now,
Lin Ye felt like toying with Haruno; he wanted to see how she'd cope.
Lin Ye followed step by step, watching Haruno flee into the classroom building.
Useless,
there was no escaping.
Without special abilities, how could Haruno possibly hide?
But before long,
a figure appeared before Lin Ye.
A blond, handsome guy,
Hayama Hayato.
How had this guy shown up?
"Sis Haruno…"
Hayama Hayato's voice trembled slightly, finding it hard to believe Haruno had actually come here.
But the real person stood right before him, no mistake about it.
Lin Ye looked at the excited boy and, for a moment, didn't know what to say.
"I'm looking for someone,"
"Who? I'll help you find them, I know my way around,"
"Lin Ye,"
Hayama Hayato: "…"
Another familiar name, catching him off guard.
"Sis Haruno, you're looking for him… what for?"
Hayama figured Haruno's visit was because of her little sister Yukino Yukinoshita; there was no other possibility.
"Do I need to tell you?"
Lin Ye had no idea how Haruno and Hayama got along,
and he didn't intend to play the part of Haruno.
"Well… true. Sis Haruno, this way, Student Lin's classroom is over there,"
Hayama felt a bit hurt, but this sort of thing had happened more than once or twice, so he accepted it quickly enough.
In any case,
right now he'd do his best with whatever he could for Haruno.
That was Hayama Hayato's thinking at that moment.
…
…
____
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉