As she turned into the narrow alley that led toward the library, hurried footsteps echoed behind her.
Before Kyra could react, Mille caught up, seized her wrist, and pulled her back hard.
"Where are you going?" Mille asked softly, her sweet smile filled with poisonous honey,
"Hmm? Have your wings hardened, my little Kyra? So now you can ignore me?"
Her lips curved into a smile, yet her eyes were cold as she held Kyra's shoulder, as if they were merely chatting like close friends.
Kyra jolted, her thoughts snapping back from their haze. Fear crawled up her spine, yet she forced herself to resist slightly,
summoning her remaining courage as she pulled away her hands.
"N–No, Mille… I was just distracted. I didn't mean to ignore you," Kyra said, scratching her own palm with her nails to suppress the trembling in her hands.
"Oh?" Mille's tone softened. "Then why? Are you worrying about your mom? I'll handle her, dear. Don't be sad."
She smiled brightly and gently stroked Kyra's cheek, the place that was still faintly swollen.
"Look how aunty adores me. It's only because I'm your friend, right? So of course she loves you too. Parents are like this. She slapped you because she cares about you."
Her fingers were affectionate, almost loving.
Just like a best friend would be.
Yet Kyra felt those words turn into invisible poison, sliding down her throat.
She swallowed.
For a moment, she froze. Then, forcing herself, she lifted her head. Her eyes sparkled with the fragile innocence of a girl easily persuaded by her so-called best friend.
"Yes… you're right, Mille." Kyra smiled weakly. "I was just a little resentful about the slap. But… which parents don't hit their children for their studies?"
She clenched her fists, pretending courage. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she smiled again.
"I'll do better next time. Then my mom will definitely be proud of me again."
"That's my good Kyra." Mille replied softly as she released her and took out her phone, scrolling casually as if nothing unpleasant had happened.
The air fell silent for a moment before Mille spoke again.
"By the way… do you have some money?"
As she put the phone back in her backpack seemingly asking casually, "I urgently need some."
Kyra blinked. "M–Money?"
"Yes." Mille looked up. "Not much. Just fifteen hundred dollars."
Kyra froze.
"What?"
Her steps faltered. "Mille, how can I have that much? You know my library fees. Even from the café, I haven't earned much."
She instinctively tried to walk forward, away from the pressure.
Mille stared at her back,For a second she looked shocked.
Then her expression darkened as she shouted,her voice sharp filled with anger,
"Stop right there...!! Kyra."
As Mille quickened her pace and grabbed her arm shoving her against the wall.
"Have you forgotten who I am? hmm.." she said coldly as she looked at Kyra her eyes filled with darkness. "If I talk nicely, you think you can climb over my head?"
Kyra's back hit the wall violently, as pain spread around her shoulders.She lowered her head, eyes stinging with pain,struggle and fear.
Slowly, she raised her gaze again.
"I'm sorry, Mille," Kyra whispered. "I was just shocked by the amount. It wasn't intentional. Please… don't do anything rash."
Mille stared at her for a moment.
Then she smiled and bent slightly towards her.
"I won't do anything rash," Mille said softly. "As long as you're obedient, my dear Kyra."
She straightened, brushed the dust from Kyra's clothes, and tugged her closer.
"Tell me. How many days?" Mille asked. "But don't test my patience."
Kyra's lips trembled.
"I… I really don't have that much. At most, I can gather six hundred, maybe six fifty."
She paused, forcing herself to speak.
"Two months ago I already gave you a thousand. My savings are almost empty."
Hearing her seemless explanation, Mille's eyes turned icy.
"That's your worry, Kyra, not mine."
She leaned closer and whispered in her ear like they were sharing secrets of each other affectionately.
"I'll give you ten days. Minimum twelve hundred. Otherwise… all those photos of you smoking, selfies in club, and your other little secrets will go straight to your parents."
As she spoke, a twisted smile spreading across her face --widening as if she were savoring the scene.
"Don't cry to me later asking why I did it."
The words hung in the air for only a heartbeat before her expression shifted.
In an instant, the malice vanished, replaced by a smile so sweet that the previous darkness felt like a illusion.
With a gentle, sisterly warmth, she reached out and patted Kyra's shoulder.
"We're best friends. So don't make me look like a villain, okay? Anyway, you can just take money from your father's pocket. It's not much, right?"
With that, Mille turned and walked out of the alley.
Her voice floated back coldly.
"I have work. You go to the library. I'll tell aunty at eight that I sent you home."
Listening to Mille's fading footsteps, Kyra felt her heart turn cold and stiff, as if someone had wrapped it in ice.
The alley suddenly felt narrow.
Too narrow.
The air became heavy, pressing against her chest.
Her fingers slowly curled. Her breathing turned shallow. Even the noise of the street seemed far away.
Memories, long buried, began crawling back.
Unwanted.
Unforgiving.
The first time Mille smiled with a cigarette… was when their friendship truly began to crack.
—
"Kyra, why aren't you listening to me? It's just a cigarette, and we had a dare. If you don't smoke, won't I lose face? You have to," Mille said, irritation flashing in her eyes.
As she jabbed a finger towards the cigarette resting on the table, stepping closer to Kyra.
Looking at Mille and andrew, Kyra thought they were joking but their gazes reminded her that it is not a joke.
But Kyra still said as she flinched when Mille stepped closer, shaking her head. "No, Mille. I really don't like it. Please don't force me."
"Who is forcing you?" Andrew cut in lazily, leaning against the table. "Weren't you the one who willingly participated in the game?"
"Yes, I participated, but I didn't know you'd play this kind of prank," Kyra snapped. "We're all minors. How can you do this? Smoking, Andrew? Mille, what the hell are you all doing?"
She stopped talking abruptly, taking a deep breath, her voice trembled with anger and disappointment.
"Anyway, I'm not doing this. If you want, you can. I'm not your guardian and not obliged to follow nonsense."
She grabbed Mille's arm and her backpack.
"Mille, let's go. If you stay, we're breaking our friendship, Andrew. I'm done with you."
Andrew suddenly laughed.
His laughter was sharp, filled with mockery and sarcasm.
"Haha… hahaha!"
He looked at Kyra with false pity and then at Mille with amusement.
"You're saying Mille is innocent? Oh god. I've never heard a better joke. Saying lions are vegetarian and rabbits are carnivorous."
Kyra trembled with anger and humiliation. She opened her mouth to retort, but before she could..
Mille spoke as a twisted slow smile spread across her face.
"Kyra, I wasn't joking with you, I literally mean you should complete the dare, okay?"
She stepped closer.
"And what fuss over a little cigarette? Just smoke it. Come, I'll teach you how."
Kyra stared at her in disbelief.
"You… Mille. We've been friends for over six months. Don't you know me?"
Her finger pointed at Mille, shaking.
"What the hell is Andrew saying? Smoking? You?"
She swallowed hard.
"Mille, let's go. I'm telling you for the last time, otherwise we'll never talk again."
Her voice rose, mixed with anger, shock, and heartbreak.
"Kyra dear…" Mille sighed softly.
"You know me for six months, haven't I been good to you?"
She tilted her head.
"At first, I wanted to be friends with you because you were interesting and looking at you enhanced my goodness.Then when you treated me kindly — giving me chocolates every week, riding your cycle three kilometers to send me home, bringing me to your house, telling everyone I was your best friend…and as everyone only saw me as your best friend..."
Her eyes darkened. The honeyed tone she has used a moment ago dropped several degrees, becoming flat and cold.
"I started to dislike you."
Kyra froze.
"I didn't even know when envy turned into jealousy," Mille continued.
"Tell me, why are you happy? Why are you always top in class? Why can you still smile after your parents tried to marry you—"
"No," Andrew corrected lazily from behind. "Sell."
Mille laughed coldly.
"Yes. Sell you."
She stepped closer as Kyra felt the blood drain from her face, the words hitting her like physical blow.
"Someone like you should be in the gutter, timid and cowardly. But you became radiant. All eyes followed you."
Her voice sharpened.
"You, who once looked ugly enough to make people nauseous, suddenly became beautiful like in those anime — skin like jade, lotus features, charming like a vixen."
Her fingers curled as she suddenly smiled just like the smile Kyra has seen on their first meeting.
"You think you're so bright, Kyra? Let's see how much you shine when you're covered in filth, That's why I decided you should fall into darkness like me."
Suddenly Mille hooked her arm and dragged Kyra toward the sofa.
"No… Mille, stop!" Kyra cried, panic flooding her voice as she struggled and pushed her away.
Mille stumbled, anger twisting her face.
"Andrew, catch her! How dare she!"
Kyra turned and rushed for the door.
Her heart hammered wildly.
Freedom was right there.
A wave of relief washed over her; she was going to make it.
But before she could reach it, hands circled her waist.
Andrew grabbed her and pulled her back violently toward the sofa.
"No… please… no," Kyra sobbed.
She thrashed with all her might against his hold,her energy completely spent but he didn't even flinched.
Her eyes locked onto the door as silent tears fell like pearls.
Looking at the door which was getting farther, it felt like a chasm between heaven and hell.
A heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by Kyra's ragged breathing.
—
Ring. Ring.
Kyra jolted violently.
Her phone vibrated in her trembling hand.
Reality crashed back, as she hurriedly wiped her tears from face and swallowed hard, picked up the call.
"Where are you, Kyra?" Lucifer's voice was filled with impatience and a hint of concern. "I've been waiting outside the library for ten minutes like a fool. I even bought you a gift."
"Um... sorry, I was a little late today," Kyra said, her voice instantly shifting into a soft, apologetic tone.
"I was confined yesterday because of my results. I'll be there in five minutes... please don't be angry, baby."
Kyra forced a smile into her voice.
"Fine. Come quickly," Lucifer said, his rage cooling. "If you aren't here in five minutes, I'm leaving."
He hung up.
Kyra stared at the screen, then hurriedly washed her face with a water bottle. She applied sunscreen and lip gloss, hiding the trauma behind the mask of the "Perfect Kyra".
"Stop overthinking," Kyra told herself fiercely.
As She adjusted her spectacles and walked toward the library, her innocent smile firmly in place.
Behind her, her shadow stretched long and thin, reaching back into the darkness of the alley as if it were trying to pull her back in.