Chapter 85: Kei: I Won't Give Up!
Kei whispered those words while tightly hugging Yuto's arm.
Beneath his arm was the scar her bullies had left on her.
Even when bathing, Kei did not dare touch that scar, because it would make fear rise inside her.
But when she realized Yuto's arm was pressed against it, she did not feel fear or resistance. Instead, she felt a certain longing.
She wanted Yuto's arm to keep covering that scar, as if it could suppress all her fear and despair.
"It's already in the past."
Yuto gently stroked Kei's honey-colored hair with pity.
Through Kei, Yuto saw traces of the old Airi, the girl who had once been frightened by delinquent thugs.
But back then, Airi had Yuto beside her to support and protect her.
Kei, who had been bullied, had no one beside her. Only the people who hurt her.
Under Yuto's gentle touch, Kei lightly rubbed her head against his palm.
After forcing herself to endure everything alone for so long, it was as if she had finally found someone she could rely on.
"Kei, you're actually pretty strong."
"What do you mean?"
Kei, who was still hugging Yuto's arm, raised her head. Her lively, fawn-like eyes were filled with confusion.
Could someone like her really be called strong?
Facing Kei's puzzled gaze, Yuto patiently explained, "Even after suffering that kind of bullying, you still stood back up and enrolled in this high school to walk toward an unknown future."
"If it were someone else, she would have hidden away in the countryside long ago and never come out again."
Airi, who was holding her phone, lightly nodded.
She was the "someone else" Yuto was talking about.
Then Airi's lips curved slightly, revealing a happy smile.
Although she was not as strong as Karuizawa Kei, she had Shimizu Yuto, her childhood friend, beside her. He had protected her properly.
"I'm not strong at all," Kei said weakly while tightly holding Yuto's arm. "I'm afraid of others learning about my past. I'm afraid of being bullied again."
"I'm just... a parasite. A weak creature that can't survive alone."
"To keep myself from being bullied at this school, I planned to place my hope of survival on someone else."
"So, Yuto... I want to ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend. I want you to become the pillar that lets me keep living at this school."
After saying that, Kei held Yuto's arm with all her strength, as if afraid he would disappear if she loosened her grip.
Kei was afraid.
Afraid that Yuto would reject this humble request, this desperate plea.
Yuto did not pull away from Kei's tight embrace. Like he was comforting a frightened rabbit, he gently stroked her honey-colored hair.
Perhaps sensing his warmth from that gesture, Kei's body gradually stopped trembling.
"Kei."
"Mm..."
"Because I have a girlfriend, I can't pretend to be your boyfriend. But I can promise you that I'll protect you from being bullied from now on. I'll make sure you don't need to live like a parasite anymore," Yuto said seriously.
Although Yuto's answer made Kei feel warm and safe, she was still disappointed.
The boy she liked was still using "I have a girlfriend" as an excuse to reject her.
Then...
She would show this gentle boy what kind of bullying she had truly suffered.
As long as he saw it, he would surely pity her even more and agree to pretend to be her boyfriend.
"Yuto, I want you to see the thing I fear the most..." Kei said quietly.
"What thing?"
"It's my despair. Every time I see it, that terrifying past crawls back out. It scares me so much I feel sick, and makes me so hopeless I get dizzy."
Kei murmured those words, then released Yuto's arm.
She untied the school uniform wrapped around her waist.
As the uniform slipped down, Kei's face gradually turned pale. With trembling fingers, she lifted the edge of her shirt just enough to reveal the scar on her left side.
Yuto silently watched her movements.
The mark was ugly and out of place against her otherwise delicate skin. Judging by its shape, it looked as if it had been caused by some kind of sharp blade.
Seeing the scar, Yuto could not help showing shock.
"Kei, was this also from bullying?"
Although Yuto had learned through mind-reading that Kei had once been bullied, he had not expected it to be so severe.
He never imagined she would have such a terrible scar on her body.
"Uu... yes."
Kei closed her eyes as she answered.
She was afraid.
Afraid that after Yuto saw the scar on her body, he would look at her with disgust.
Just imagining Yuto looking at her that way filled Kei's heart with a fear even stronger than the fear of the scar itself.
Trembling, she opened her eyes and secretly glanced at Yuto.
She was...
So relieved.
Yuto was not looking at her with that terrifying gaze. The boy she liked was looking at her scar with pity and gentle concern.
Kei had said this scar was her fear, yet she was still willing to show it to Yuto.
That meant she trusted him from the bottom of her heart.
So how could he possibly feel disgust toward the scar on her body?
Gradually, Kei's breathing quickened. A lovely blush spread across her pale cheeks, her heart racing from the shame of exposing so much of her bare skin to him.
She had only ever felt terror, fear, and despair when looking at her own scar, but being watched by Yuto stirred a different emotion: shyness.
Perhaps she liked Shimizu Yuto even more than she had imagined.
Yuto took Kei's hand and gently lowered her shirt, covering the scar again.
"Kei, I've seen the thing you fear."
"Mm..."
Yuto let go of Kei's soft hand.
Then he bent down, picked up the school uniform that had fallen to the ground, and personally tied it around Kei's slender waist again.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm by your side, I'll protect you."
Kei raised her eyes and looked at Yuto.
Her gaze carried attachment and longing as she said weakly, "Then the fake boyfriend..."
"If I want to protect you, I can do that even as a friend, right? I don't need to be your boyfriend."
"Guh..."
Kei let out a small whimper.
Even after seeing the scar that represented her deepest despair, he still did not plan to become her boyfriend.
"Cold-hearted."
"Who are you calling cold-hearted?"
Yuto lightly tapped Kei on the head.
Kei took the opportunity to move closer and once again hugged Yuto's arm, leaning against him like she was acting spoiled.
After showing Yuto all the despair hidden deep inside her heart, Kei felt a powerful closeness toward him.
She also wanted to touch the boy who made her feel so safe and warm even more.
A sweet, honey-like scent wafted from her, and the soft yet firm pressure of her body pressed against his arm. Yuto looked down helplessly at Karuizawa Kei, who seemed determined to cling to him.
"Kei, I promised to protect you. I didn't promise to pretend to be your boyfriend."
"I know. From now on, if everyone asks about our relationship, I'll say I'm trying my hardest to pursue you. That's fine, right?"
So what if Yuto had rejected her twice?
She, Karuizawa Kei, had no intention of giving up on him like this.
She would definitely pursue Yuto and become his girlfriend.
Kei, who was practically half-leaning against Yuto, blinked and parted her glossy lips.
"As a friend, I don't think you'd refuse if I invited you to dinner, right?"
"I refuse."
"Ehhh~~~"
Kei immediately showed a pitiful look.
Yuto explained helplessly, "Someone is waiting for me to go back and eat dinner, so invite me next time."
Kei pouted.
What did he mean, someone was waiting for him to go back and eat dinner?
He said it like he did not live in the student dorms and was instead living together with someone outside.
However, Kei also knew that being too annoying would make Yuto dislike her.
So she said gloomily, "Fine. But next time, you're not allowed to refuse my invitation."
"Fine."
Ever since Yuto and Airi moved into the apartment, neither of them had gone to the student cafeteria.
The three meals they ate every day were carefully prepared by their beautiful homeroom teacher.
Kei reluctantly let go of Yuto's arm and said goodbye to him.
Although she had revealed the scar she had desperately hidden to Yuto, Kei surprisingly did not feel panic or unease.
For no reason at all, she firmly believed that Yuto would keep her secret.
Instead, after telling Yuto about her tragic past, Kei felt especially light.
Perhaps it was because she no longer needed to keep forcing herself to endure everything alone.
After walking forward a few steps, Kei turned back.
Her honey-colored hair swayed as she showed Yuto a brilliant smile.
Finally, she waved at him before continuing to leave.
Yuto watched Kei leave.
Only after he could no longer see her did he take out the school phone from his pocket, which had remained connected the whole time.
"Airi."
"Yuto~"
Airi's soft, dependent voice came from the phone.
"It's over. What do you think?"
"Well..." Curled up on the sofa, Airi answered softly, "I feel sorry for Karuizawa-san. I didn't expect someone as strong as her in class to have such a sad past."
"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking how you feel about Kei confessing to me."
"My thoughts..." Airi said sincerely, "As expected of Yuto. You're really popular."
"And besides that? Aren't you jealous?" Yuto asked with a smile.
"No."
Curled up on the sofa, Airi showed a sweet and gentle smile.
"Because I know Yuto will never abandon me no matter what."
"Come to think of it, I'm more like a parasite than Karuizawa-san, aren't I? Without you by my side, I don't even know how I would keep living."
After hearing about Kei's past, Airi felt that she was actually more like a parasite than Kei.
After all, had she not always relied on Yuto?
Yuto walked back toward the detached apartment and said, "If I hadn't been by your side, Airi, you never would have been frightened by those delinquents. So I'm the one who hurt you."
"That's not true! Yuto, don't say that..."
Although Airi denied it, that was the truth.
If Airi had not been Yuto's childhood friend and had not stayed by his side, then the delinquents Yuto once taught a lesson to would not have targeted her because of him.
If Airi had never been frightened by those delinquents, perhaps she would not have become so afraid of strangers.
Airi did not want to continue this topic with Yuto, so she quickly changed it.
"Yuto, let's not talk about things that are already in the past. Tell me how you felt about Karuizawa-san confessing to you."
"What feelings could I have?" Yuto said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Karuizawa-san is very pretty and very good at dressing herself. She's completely different from me. Being confessed to by such an excellent girl, didn't you feel happy at all?"
"Of course not!" Yuto answered without hesitation.
Yuto's emotional intelligence was not low.
How could he possibly answer Airi with something like, "I was very happy"?
However, as a guy, being pursued and confessed to by a pretty girl really did feel a little pleasant.
Just a little.
Airi held the phone in one hand while her other hand moved to her waist.
After thinking for a moment, she said softly, "Yuto, why don't you agree to Karuizawa-san's request and pretend to be her boyfriend?"
"Huh? Airi, you don't have a fever, do you? Why are you saying nonsense?"
"Because Karuizawa-san is pitiful. You should help her."
"And if the other girls know you have a girlfriend, they won't keep bothering you either," Airi answered seriously.
Yuto understood Airi very well.
He knew that what she was saying now was not a test.
She was serious.
She loved Yuto so much that she'd spent the past two weeks blaming herself for not being able to satisfy him. If Karuizawa Kei became Yuto's girlfriend, she could help share some of the burden of his nightly needs, couldn't she?
"It's just pretending anyway. Once you graduate, you'll separate."
"Karuizawa-san can live peacefully because she has your protection, and you won't be bothered by other girls anymore because you'll have Karuizawa-san as your girlfriend."
"Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
Yuto's mouth twitched.
That proposal really was a win-win.
He was indeed being bothered by the girls in class.
But it was unfair to Airi.
After all, she was his real girlfriend.
…
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