"You seem rather expectant, don't you?" Alex squinted.
His gaze fell on the girl's fair, delicate cheeks, watching as the blush slowly spread over her smooth, milky, collagen-rich face, gradually turning to embarrassed indignation.
"W-what are you talking about? How could I be expectant!" She absolutely wouldn't admit that she had indeed imagined being pinned down and abused by him like her mother, being... and that she even had dreams about it at night. This was something she could never admit!
"Is that so?" Alex didn't believe her but didn't press. He chuckled lightly. "Are you and Seraphina close? Close enough to worry about her?"
Yuna turned her head away, speaking softly, "After... yesterday's incident, we became closer. We talk in class now, and I can tell that she... she feels something for you..."
"Oh? She feels something for me?"
"...Don't play dumb. Seraphina seems to like you."
"Oh," Alex noticed Yuna secretly glancing at him, and a smile gradually appeared. "Actually, I quite like innocent and pure girls like Seraphina too."
Yuna sighed in relief. But then, the girl felt a little uncomfortable, a sour feeling creeping into her heart...
Seraphina wasn't the only one in danger yesterday, I was too, but this guy didn't make a move on me... Wait, what am I thinking!
"And you, Yuna Tsubakihara."
"Huh? What? What about me?" The girl tensed up.
"You calling me over alone just to talk about this is a bit surprising. Aren't you afraid of me?" Alex turned, closing the distance between their faces, watching her cheeks darken further.
"Who, who's afraid of you? I'm not afraid of you at all!" She insisted stubbornly, then hesitated, biting her lip gently and lowering her head. "And, it wasn't just about that..."
"I came to find you because... because... I wanted to thank you for yesterday," Yuna mumbled, her voice barely audible. "I... I was really scared about what happened yesterday. Thank you for saving me."
"Oh—I wasn't actually there to save you yesterday. I went to help because of Seraphina. Don't worry about it too much; you were just incidental."
Yuna's face darkened.
"But speaking of which, you saw the 'thanks' Seraphina gave me yesterday, right? Your verbal thanks alone seem a little lacking in sincerity, don't they?" Alex reached out, lifted the girl's smooth chin, and his fingers continuously stroked her delicate skin.
"Shouldn't the gratitude be more substantial?"
Snap. She swatted his hand away, her eyes flickering with complex emotion as she glared at him through clenched teeth. "You just said I was incidental! Why would you need any thanks? Why the need for sincerity?"
"Are you angry?"
"No."
"Are you jealous?"
"...No!"
Angry? Jealous? How could I be... over this guy? Absolutely impossible! As the girl vehemently denied it through clenched teeth, the memory of the janitor's terror and the bad guy's words caused her nose to sting, and her eyes welled up. A wave of grievance overwhelmed her.
"Wait, why are you crying now?" Alex was surprised, raising an eyebrow. He reached out to stroke her smooth cheek, brushing past her eyelashes and the corner of her eye. The gentle action and soft touch made Yuna stare blankly at him, eyes wide.
She didn't swat away the hand stroking her cheek.
"Alright, I was just kidding. Even without Seraphina, I would have gone to save you," he said. Before Yuna could look happy, he added, "After all, you're my property. How could I let anyone else touch what belongs to me?"
"...'Your property'? I'm not your thing," Yuna didn't know how to react. She should be angry at such words, but why did she feel a strange happiness in her heart? Yuna, you must be broken! The girl was deeply conflicted.
"Even if you say that, I won't... I won't be happy."
The woman was stubborn, but Alex didn't mind. Teasing her was quite entertaining. "Yeah, yeah, not happy, not happy. But Yuna, shouldn't your thank-you be a little more..."
Alex's hand slid down to her chin, tilting the beautiful girl's exquisite face up, forcing her to meet his gaze. Yuna understood what he meant. The girl stared dazedly into Alex's dark eyes.
Her heart began to beat uncontrollably fast. What is he going to do? What will he do to me? Like in the dream? Like... my mother?
She quickly scanned the surroundings, realizing they were standing by the stairwell, behind the rooftop door. There were no other students, only the two of them... they were so close she could smell his scent.
Their faces were inches apart, their breaths mingling. Yuna slowly closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling, anticipating the moment.
But the moment didn't come, only his teasing voice.
"Why did you close your eyes?"
Swoosh! She snapped her eyes open and shoved the boy away fiercely. Yuna, mortified and furious, was crimson red. "Alex! You, you... you scumbag! Idiot!!"
After yelling, she turned and fled.
"..."
That scumbag, that awful villain, how could he... I'm furious! Was he deliberately playing with me? Damn him! Mortified, Yuna dashed down the stairs. Her emotions a chaotic mess, she turned the corner.
BAM— She collided with someone.
"...Nina?!" Staring blankly at the glasses-wearing girl in front of her, Yuna felt thunderstruck. Nina steadied her sister, who was about to fall, her lips pressed tight, and a strange look in her eyes behind her glasses.
"Nina, why are you here...? Did, did you just see all that?"
"...I saw it, and I wasn't the only one," Nina said, her emotions complex. She never imagined her sister would be with that guy. "What is going on between you two? Why are you with him..."
Yuna didn't know how to explain, and Nina didn't know what to say. In their silence, a figure rushed past them, blazing with fury, holding a stick, and charging straight toward Alex.
"What did you do to Yuna?!!!"
"Yuuji?"
It was the cuckold, Yuuji Tsubakihara. Without a doubt, he had just witnessed the scene.
"Wait! Yuuji, what are you doing?!" Yuna screamed in alarm, trying to stop him, but it was too late. Her eyes widened as she watched him swing the stick fiercely toward Alex's head.
Yuuji, whose mental state was already fragile because Alex had claimed Mira, couldn't take it anymore when he saw Alex taking liberties with Yuna. He exploded in rage, lashing out.
The wrath of the cuckold.
Yuna's breathing nearly stopped as she watched the scene in horror. Perhaps she didn't even realize that, in that moment, she wasn't worried about Yuuji, but about Alex...
Alex reached out and grabbed Yuuji's wrist. The tremendous strength felt like a clamp, immobilizing Yuuji's hand. Facing the enraged cuckold, Alex was expressionless. He delivered a brutal kick.
CRUSHING BLOW! BANG————!!!!! CLANG——!!!!! Yuuji slammed into the door, rolling his eyes back, nearly passing out.
"Hngh... Ugh—" Clutching his stomach, he collapsed to the floor, unable to get up.
The cuckold falls!