Ryuen used the same method to keep Hiyori talking with him for an entire week.
With a beautiful girl keeping him company, Ryuen never found the time boring. The little flashes of admiration she occasionally showed were cute, too.
Finally, on Sunday evening, beneath a somewhat gloomy moon, Ryuen was about to message Hiyori when he noticed Kikyo Kushida walking toward the small lake.
He put down his phone and hid behind a tree, watching Kushida vent beside the lakeside railing. Her kicks made the railing shudder, while a torrent of ugly words poured from her mouth.
As Ryuen looked for Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, he found him standing behind her, just as expected. Coincidentally, he also spotted Hiyori nearby.
He checked his phone. Sure enough, Hiyori had sent him a message.
"Busy with something?"
Ryuen smirked and replied.
"Hiyori, keep that Class D boy in front of you occupied for a moment."
Her student ID vibrated. When Hiyori saw the message, her cheeks reddened slightly at being called by name. Then, after gritting her teeth, she stepped forward and called out to Ayanokoji.
Ayanokoji looked thoroughly confused. He did not know the girl standing before him.
Seeing that Kushida had vented enough, Ryuen emerged, clapping as he approached her.
"So the angel turns into a demon."
Kushida's expression darkened terrifyingly, but she said nothing. Perhaps she was wondering why Ryuen was here. Or perhaps she was trying to think of an excuse for what he had just seen.
Ryuen's violent rule over Class C was hardly a secret among the first-years. Naturally, Kushida knew about it. When she had first heard the rumors, she had assumed they were false. She could not believe that the boy who had given up his seat on the bus would do something like that.
But that had been an act. The moment Ryuen appeared, Kushida reached her own conclusion. For an instant, she thought that he was just like her—someone hiding his true self.
Ryuen came to stand beside her, leaning against the railing as he looked at her.
"Why so quiet? You should have plenty to say right now. Ah, I get it. Tired yourself out cursing just now? Want to rest before you start all over again?"
"You are not allowed to tell anyone!" Kushida said, staring into Ryuen's eyes.
Ryuen raised an eyebrow.
"You think you can give me orders?"
"You are not allowed to tell anyone!"
Kushida grabbed Ryuen by the collar, but he did not move an inch.
"You want to challenge my authority on my turf?"
Ryuen knocked her arm aside and seized her by the throat without mercy. He liked this move. The pulse beating beneath his palm gave him a thrill.
Her neck was slender and fragile. He applied only a little pressure before releasing her.
Kushida collapsed to the ground, coughing. Her shoulders trembled with each ragged breath.
Ryuen crouched down in front of her.
"I've got your weakness in my hands now. If you don't learn to behave, you're going to suffer."
"I'll report your violence to the school! Your fingerprints are on my neck!"
Kushida still struggled, unwilling to become his captive.
Ryuen's fist suddenly drove into her stomach. Her eyes rolled from the pain, and a trace of saliva slipped from the corner of her mouth.
"So what? Violence on this level will only cost me a few Class Points. I haven't done anything serious to you. Those minor injuries will be gone in a few days."
Seeing him act as though he had her completely trapped, Kushida endured the pain in her abdomen, grabbed his hand, and pressed it against her chest.
"Violence might only cost you points, but what if I accuse you of sexual assault? You won't just be expelled—you'll go to prison. Your entire life will be over!"
"Idiot."
Ryuen sneered. Rather than pull his hand away, he tightened his grip. The buttons of Kushida's shirt popped open under the force, exposing the edge of pale pink lace. She sharply sucked in a breath.
"Idiot. Do you think someone like you can hold my hand in place? Do you think a handprint is enough to convict me? Do you think I'll let you leave here with evidence against me?"
At last, genuine fear appeared on Kushida's face. His three questions made her realize that she had been at a disadvantage from the very beginning.
Tears fell one by one from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks and landing on her chest—then on Ryuen's hand.
The pleasant school life she had imagined was about to shatter. The little-angel persona she had worked so hard to build was about to be torn apart, while that bitch Suzune Horikita was still doing perfectly fine.
"Why me? Why is it always me? Why? What did I do wrong? Why am I always the one who gets hurt?"
Kushida stared blankly ahead as she muttered to herself. The pain in both body and mind had pushed her to the edge of collapse.
"Did I say I was going to expose you? On the contrary, I'll help you. You only need to pay a small price."
Ryuen gently wiped away her tears.
The moon hung high overhead as the clouds dispersed. Kushida looked up, and light returned to her eyes.
"What do you want? My body?"
Stupid women were stupid women. Perhaps, at that moment, she believed her body was the only thing of value she possessed.
Ryuen took the opportunity to touch her neck again, his index and middle fingers sliding over the pulse in her throat.
"I'm greedy. What I want goes far beyond that. Obey me, and I'll give you the life you want."
His words were vague and hardly convincing, but Kushida had nowhere else to go. Ryuen enjoyed sealing off every escape route available to his prey before offering his own hand. Even if that hand led to a bottomless abyss, it was still hard for a drowning person to refuse.
Kushida stared at him, her hands clenched into fists as though she were wrestling with herself.
"You choked me, and you punched me. Let me hit you three times, and I'll agree to your terms."
Ryuen knew that even if he refused, Kushida would still be forced to work for him. But letting her vent a little was not necessarily a bad thing. It was not that Ryuen enjoyed being hit—he was merely making a small compensation for his earlier offense.
"Fine."
Ryuen agreed easily. This was an excellent deal for him.
He stood before Kushida and watched her first punch slam into his left cheek. She had put her entire body into it.
Since he had made no effort to defend himself, Ryuen's skin was not as tough as he liked to think. His cheek swelled immediately.
That woman hits hard. Good thing I already wore out a lot of her strength. Otherwise, she might've actually made me bleed.
Kushida seemed ready to punch his right cheek next, but under Ryuen's clear, unwavering gaze, she ultimately did not strike again.
"You don't need to pretend to be kind in front of me. Just be yourself."
Ryuen meant what he said. Since he had promised her three punches, he would not stop her after only one.
"I'll save the rest for next time. We've got plenty of time," Kushida said, lowering her fist.
That kind of attack hurt the enemy for a thousand and herself for five hundred. Her knuckles had turned red as well.
Ryuen smiled. The fact that Kushida could say that meant she had already accepted their deal in her heart.
Before Ryuen could offer her a hand, Kushida climbed to her feet on her own, brushed the dust from her skirt, and walked away.
The moment Ryuen turned around, he found Hiyori standing behind him.
"You saw that?"
Hiyori nodded. Her face was full of anger, and her lips had unconsciously puffed into a pout. Perhaps even she did not understand why she was so angry.
"What exactly did you see?" Ryuen asked calmly.
"You harassed that girl, and then she punched you!"
Hiyori's voice was cold as she stared at him.
"Don't you have an explanation?"
"Look at my face. It's swollen, and you don't even care," Ryuen teased.
"Serves you right!"
Hiyori ground her teeth. She still wanted an explanation, though in truth, she had no standing to demand one from him.
"Don't you have an explanation?"
The question had become a demand. It was the loudest Ryuen had ever heard Hiyori speak, though to his ears, her voice was still soft as cotton.
Her attitude was so firm, as though she had suffered some enormous grievance—like a child whose favorite stuffed toy had been stolen away.
Ryuen stepped forward and kissed her forehead through her bangs. His lips did not even touch her skin, yet Hiyori's body stiffened and her neck flushed red.
"I don't need to explain what I do."
With his back to Hiyori, Ryuen gave a casual wave and returned to the dorm. He needed to put something cold on his face immediately, or his handsome face would not look so good tomorrow.
On the elevator, Ryuen ran into Rokusuke Koenji.
Koenji was still using a little comb to fuss over his blond hair. When he saw Ryuen's swollen left cheek, he sneered.
"Dragon Boy, you truly have no elegance at all."
Ryuen could not be bothered to respond to that monkey. He needed to get back to his room and ice his face.
The family was watching the Spring Festival Gala while the author was writing. Another productive day. Happy Lunar New Year's Eve, everyone! ^_^
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