(Please leave comments; it helps me find inspiration to keep writing.)
(Pov - Kevs.)
I'm used to people criticizing me and talking badly about me. I'm used to being hated and isolated because people make up rumors about me.
I've been accused of theft, sexual harassment, animal cruelty, and once they even accused me of hitting a little girl. All those accusations were false, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never get people to stop speaking ill of me and spreading lies about my name.
I hate false accusations… I hate betrayals… I hate people in general… No… It's not hate, I'm just exaggerating; it's simply a lack of trust… But will I ever meet someone who deserves my trust? No… Never.
My only friends stopped being my friends just because they fell in love with a guy, even though I wasn't even trying to approach them with romantic intentions.
The girlfriends I've had have cheated on me.
I don't know what to do with my life anymore. The only thing that's certain is that I keep studying and get a job. I'll live alone and adopt a dog as a pet. I don't want to fall in love again… I don't want to have more friends.
I'll live a solitary life, the one I should have had from the beginning.
In elementary school, I was accused of theft because I found a wallet on the ground and picked it up to return it. As a consequence of my good deed, I was suspended for two weeks and forced to apologize to the teacher. Why didn't they believe me? Because my classmates accused me, saying they saw me stealing the wallet, and they believed them.
In middle school, I was accused of sexual harassment by several of my female classmates, simply because they enjoyed seeing me suffer.
When I was 14, I found a dog in agony; someone had brutally beaten it, and I wanted to help it, but it was a trap set by students from another class. They took photos and videos, accusing me of beating the dog. They did it out of pure revenge, just because they thought I'd report them for doing drugs at school. I hadn't planned to report them, but considering they killed a dog just for that, I didn't report them to the school; I reported them to the police. But the security camera in that area conveniently wasn't working, so I couldn't prove it was them, and that only increased the beatings I received. I was called "dog killer," even though I wasn't, and no matter how much I tried to deny it, they never believed me… No… That's not it. They probably knew I wouldn't dare do something like that, but they kept calling me that just because they enjoyed seeing me suffer.
The only friends I managed to have in middle school were Janeth, Lizzie, Jean, and Vanessa. All of them were victims of bullying, which is why they didn't believe the rumors about me, because they knew I was just another victim.
My encounters with them were similar. They were all being beaten by other girls, and I defended them without resorting to violence, recording them with my phone to scare them off.
It worked, but as revenge, those girls accused me of hitting them, which increased the beatings I got, as the brainless guys at school believed them and beat me up to look good in their eyes.
Well, at least it freed my former friends from their mistreatment, and we became good friends… That's why it hurts so much that they stopped talking to me just because they fell in love with a guy.
I never sought a romantic relationship with any of them. Never. But they, to have a better chance with him and avoid him misunderstanding our friendship, stopped being my friends… They abandoned me, the friend who sacrificed his own body to help them, just to be with a guy they barely knew.
Ah… Honestly, I'm not resentful or anything. If they don't want to be my friends anymore, I have to accept their decision and stay away from them. I helped them simply because I hate bullying; it never crossed my mind to help them so they'd owe me. It's their life, their decision what they do with it.
But what hurt me the most was Vanessa's betrayal.
She was bullied by everyone in her class for sweating a lot, being fat, wearing glasses, and being considered ugly. They even hit her.
I met her when a guy kicked her while she was holding her lunch, causing her to fall and spill her food, making everyone laugh at her.
Seeing her cry really made me angry. I felt a lot of empathy for her, as we were both victims of bullying, which is why I did what I did: I confronted that guy.
Well, I didn't hit him; I just did the same to him, kicked him to make him fall with his food and poured my milk on him.
"Doesn't feel good when it's done to you, does it? Sorry for spilling my milk on you; you're used to swallowing milk, not getting it on your face, right? It shows in your disgusted expression. Don't worry, next time I'll give it to you in the mouth, the way you like it."
My sexual joke made everyone laugh, but as always, I ended up with a busted face, though it was honestly worth it. The sexual jokes continued, because when he mocked or hit me, I'd make a sexual joke about him liking "men's milk," and little by little, others joined in, and he became another victim. The beatings stopped, because when he hit me in public, I'd say, "You hit me to have an excuse to be close to me and touch me. How adorable." Among other things.
Anyway, Vanessa and I became best friends, and she even asked me to be her boyfriend on our first day of classes at this high school. She had lost some weight, as we both started exercising together after school, but I guess those days are over. She cheated on me.
I'm truly doomed to suffer… And now, even when I did another good deed, I'm still being falsely accused of something I didn't do.
"Disgusting pervert!"
"But… I'm just introducing myself. Why are you calling me a pervert?"
"Stay away from me! You disgust me!"
Even in this situation, standing in front of two women with pointed ears, women who shouldn't exist in this world, I'm being falsely accused, as always.
I hate my life.
CHAPTER 56 - Special Test. Part 1.
(Pov - Saik.)
Well, it turned out just as I expected. Hanako's performance was quite good; it even seemed like she was enjoying it… Though, considering her behavior, I suspect she wasn't acting.
Putting that aside, everything went well. The evidence has been collected; now it's just a matter of "her" taking the next step. I suspect she's with the president right now, showing her the video. Will she realize it's an act? Yes, most likely, but I highly doubt she'll change her plans.
Wait… Is the president still on the ship? I didn't check… Well, I took a risk.
The bracelet will record our voices to ensure students don't do anything inappropriate. That'll be used against me, but I already know how to counter it.
I'll get a punishment, but I don't think they'll expel me.
Using the phone on the island is only allowed for looking up task-related information and is forbidden for other purposes. That information was very useful for my plan.
"Thanks for inviting me to breakfast, Saik!"
"It's my way of thanking you. I'll pay you back the rest at school."
The contract with Hanako obligates me to help her with her assignments and clean her room for a week. Well, I did touch her breasts, so I can't complain, but considering her perverted personality, I think it's a win-win for her.
We're having breakfast in my cabin since we can't talk freely in public. She has to act submissive and scared when talking to me in public.
"So, do you think everything will work out for us? If we fail, we'll both get in trouble."
"We communicated without being caught; everything will be fine. Trust me."
She's assigned to the same island as me, in my area. Obviously, the fact that she and I did "that" is highly suspicious. The president will know what I'm planning, but if we keep acting, even when no one's watching, "she" won't suspect anything and will believe I'm really a perverted harasser.
It's forbidden to talk to anyone other than our partner, but that doesn't stop us from seeing each other and using our hands to communicate what we want to say.
Everything will be fine… Or at least I hope so.
This will probably make my class hate me and make Ram even more annoying, but it's a price I have to pay to get what I want.
"By the way, Saik, there's something I'd like to ask you. You and Sylphie… are you a couple?"
"No, we're just friends."
"But… do you like her?"
"You mean romantically? If so, no, I don't like her that way. I don't like anyone, and I highly doubt I'll ever like someone. I don't have time for those things."
"I-I see… Saik, act!"
"Huh?"
She grabbed my shirt and pulled me toward her.
She lay on the bed, and I placed my arms on either side of her. Since I'm on top of her, my hair falls due to gravity, exposing my eyes, something I wanted to avoid, but it's too late; Hanako has already seen them. I'll have to modify my plan again.
We locked eyes, and I feel her body temperature rising. Is she getting aroused? She's definitely a pervert. That ghost is corrupting her more than I thought.
Oh well, let's continue with the act.
"N-No, let me go."
She's doing a great job playing the defenseless girl being intimidated.
"Why? The fun's just starting."
I feel a gaze on me. A gaze I know very well.
I brought my face closer to Hanako's and placed my left hand over her mouth, then kissed my hand.
My long hair hid the movement of my hand, so "she" thinks I kissed Hanako and not my hand.
Hanako started moving her legs and tried to push me away with her hands, but she's not using much force, so she doesn't move me much.
… The gaze turned to one of disgust and left. Now I need to wait for Hanako's signal.
…
…
…
Hey, Hanako, we've been like this for two minutes. This position is uncomfortable, though I admit Hanako smells really nice.
"Hanako, is she gone?" I whispered.
"No, not yet."
… Liar. The old Hanako wasn't like this. You're being corrupted, Hanako, and I doubt you even realize it.
"Change positions."
… Hanako, you've really changed.
I got off the bed and took off my shirt.
"T-Today too? P-Please, give me a break. My crotch hurts."
Oh, the things I have to do to win your love, Naima. I hope it's worth it.
"I don't want to."
I was about to take off my pants, and since Hanako had no intention of saying "she" was gone, I decided to check for myself. I won't show my underwear to a girl I'm not dating. It's improper; my mother would be disappointed if I did.
Hanako noticed and immediately feigned shyness.
"S-She's gone, don't take them off!" she said quietly but quite agitated.
Pretending innocence when you clearly wanted to see me without pants. Oh, I liked the old Hanako better.
"Oh, thanks for letting me know. This is more exhausting than I thought."
"But… W-Why don't you kiss me for real? The act could be more convincing."
"Have you ever kissed before?"
"No, but…"
"Me neither, but that doesn't mean I want to give my first kiss to a girl for a mere act. I've heard the first kiss is very important, so don't waste it on me. Give your first kiss to your first boyfriend."
Besides, my first human kiss belongs to Naima.
"Yeah… I understand. You're more innocent than I imagined, Saik. I thought you were bolder, but I see you're very innocent and considerate. I like you even more now."
"Innocent…? I don't think so."
I'm far from innocent.
… She keeps staring at me. Oh, right, I took off my shirt.
I put it back on and sighed.
"This is going to be a long one."
•
•
(Pov - Kaeyko.)
"Welcome. May I take your order?"
"Hey, hey, pretty boy, where's the smile? You've got to greet me with a smile, handsome."
… Doesn't this woman realize I'm underage? I have my own tastes, lady, so don't try to flirt with me. I like girls with a little sister vibe, but the adorable kind, not annoying like my actual little sister.
Girls who care a lot about their boyfriend and call him "darling" or "love." Friendly, kind, fun, very feminine girls who are always cheerful and affectionate. I could fall for that type of girl. Unfortunately, I've only met clingy, conceited, annoying, and stupid girls.
Putting aside the topic of my taste in cheerful women, I hate this job.
We arrived too late to get the dishwasher job and had to settle for this one. We got a job at a burger joint from a very famous franchise called "Dog-Divino." If I didn't know about the Dog religion, that name would disgust me.
A burger franchise whose main owners are the higher-ups of the Dog religion.
I hate this job. Not only do I have to put up with sexual harassment from customers, but I also have to wear this stupid hat with dog ears.
I have nothing against the Dog religion; on the contrary, my family is very devout in the Dog God, but now I'm starting to hate that church for forcing me to wear these ridiculous dog ears.
And speaking of dogs, Kaey isn't a divine dog or any savior sent by Dog. When I asked him if he had anything to do with the Dog church, he shook his head no.
Oh well, I'd better stop complaining about my life and keep serving customers. I need to earn my bread.
I'll work from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eight long hours, but at least they'll pay me well. I'll be able to save enough money to pay the rent for my small apartment.
Being in class from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. will be pretty easy, especially since it's online, but combined with my eight hours of work, I'll only have 11 hours free for myself, except on weekends, which are my school days off, but my day off from work is Sunday. Damn school. They do this on purpose to stress us out and force us to quit. I need to sleep my eight hours daily, so I'd only have three hours free, and I also have to account for the time I'll use to shower, do laundry, and cook. I'd only have one hour for enjoyment, which won't be enough.
Plus, I have to deal with an annoying hyperactive idiot, which adds to my stress.
The Capital test was supposed to be the easiest, but I'd rather be at the camp a thousand times over. At least it'd be more interesting than working.
Well, at least I'm not working for free, fortunately.
The island test piqued my interest, but from the information I heard, it'll be hell for most people, except for Saik, who spent a ton of points to turn that hellish test into his vacation. His partner is lucky to be on his team.
The others will have to use the bathroom outdoors, find their own food, build a shelter, sleep in the cold, blah, blah, blah. Honestly, yeah, it's very tough to be in that environment for three weeks, especially for women, who are more sensitive about personal hygiene. I mean their periods.
I don't doubt that most of the people who give up will be women.
Tanya will be on the island. I don't see her as a woman, so I don't think she'll mind using the bathroom outdoors. Plus, she'll be with one of her bootlickers… I mean, friends. And that friend is just as annoying as her, so I highly doubt either of them will give up.
Well, I'd better stop thinking about other people and keep serving… Huh? Why did I suddenly feel scared?
It's not just me; even the customers felt it, I can see it on their faces.
My body is trembling… This feeling… Oh, I see why.
What's she doing here?
"G-G-Good afternoon, K-Kaeyko. I-I didn't know you were h-here."
Sylvie, you're as terrifying as ever, though I know perfectly well you're a good person. We shouldn't judge people by their appearance!
"Good afternoon, Sylvie, I'm surprised to see you here. Sorry, I'd love to chat more, but I'm not allowed to talk to customers; it's forbidden. Welcome. May I take your order?"
From her expression, I can tell she can't see my mark. They forced me to take off my face mask, but I'm hoping no one notices the mark.
"I-I want a number 7."
"Anything else?"
"T-That's all."
"Five dollars, please."
"H-Here."
People are staring at her too much and with fear. Yes, that evil smile and sharp teeth don't help her look less menacing, but Sylvie is a good person… Well, at least she's kind to me, and the best part is, she does it because that's who she is! Not because she's in love with me or anything like that; she's just like that. See? That's why you shouldn't judge someone without knowing them.
I'd be attracted to her, but I like girls younger than me… That sounded bad… I mean, I don't think I'd ever like women older than me.
Plus, I suspect Sylvie is a lesbian, I don't know; it's rare to meet a girl who doesn't try to flirt with me when she has the chance… Wow… That sounded pretty arrogant and conceited of me, but I'm just speaking from experience.
It's an undeniable fact that people's appearances greatly influence how they're treated. I'm attractive, I won't deny it by pretending I'm not; I'm handsome due to genetics. My family has been wealthy for many generations, which allows us to live a healthy life without many difficulties, naturally improving our bodies in the process.
I'm treated well by most people, though they only do it because of my looks. Before, they treated me badly just because they didn't know me, which is why I developed a lack of trust in people, but Sylvie is different. She's genuinely kind; I feel like I can trust her, even though my body is still scared of her.
•
•
(Pov - Saik.)
Oh… Should I just kill myself now? I feel like my heart is shattered.
I'll go say goodbye to Yuki and end my life right now.
"Oh, joking aside, it hurts that she looks at me with disgust."
She's still acting, but her look of hatred turned into one of disgust and hatred toward me. It's the consequence of my recent actions, but it's necessary.
Oh, I just wanted a normal school life, and now I have to do this to avoid getting expelled. I miss middle school.
"Here you are! Come with me!"
The vice president's hateful glare… This girl really hates me for no reason. I don't understand women.
I approached her.
"If you're going to… Oh, wait…"
That's right, I've been saying that "sorry, I have to reject your feelings" joke a lot… Why am I making so many jokes lately? This makes no sense.
"No, it's nothing. Do you need me for something, Miss Vice President of the Student Council? I'm busy doing absolutely nothing."
"Just come and don't argue."
"Am I about to be a victim of bullying? I should warn you, I defend myself with violence, and I'm an equal-opportunity fighter."
"Tsk. Just come!"
She walked away… Oh, I have a feeling following her will only give me headaches.
She turned a corner, and I went back to my cabin. I'm not wasting my time with her.
I lay on the bed, and Number 31 came out of me.
"Fufu. You ignored her, darling. Hahahahaha!"
There are no security cameras, so it's safe to talk.
"I'm not wasting time on something that doesn't concern or interest me."
"By the way, are you feeling okay?"
"My body still hurts, but it's bearable."
"Tsk. Those sons of bitches… Saik, give me the order, and I'll kill them myself!"
"No need, but thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind after I graduate."
Number 31 lay on top of me and caressed my face with her hands.
Hmm… I sense some hostility in her. Jealousy?
"What?"
"Nothing, just thinking that you fell for Hanako again."
"It's just acting. Why? Are you jealous?"
"Of course I am! Why don't you flirt with me?! I'm more than willing to accept any courtship attempts from you!"
"I would, but you had sex with Number 74, so you have to marry her. I shouldn't court a woman who's committed to someone else."
"Huh?! I'm not committed to her! Besides, you forced me to have sex with her! It's not cheating if it's with another woman; that's what you told me, and I believed you!"
"… That's… true… Why did you have sex with her? For what purpose?"
"… I… I don't remember… I think it's the remnants of the memory wipe."
"Oh, I see. My head started hurting… Wait… What were we talking about?"
"I don't know, but considering I'm on top of you and you have an erection, it means we were about to have sex!"
"I highly doubt that. The erection is just a natural reaction of my body to female contact."
"Lies, you want to do it too! I'll respect your decision not to have sex, but that doesn't mean we can't just caress our naked bodies!"
She hurried to take off her bra, but fortunately, the vice president saved me.
She opened the door without knocking and saw me shirtless, as Number 31 had taken it off. I let her do it just because I wanted to see the vice president's reaction, to confirm a little theory I have.
"Hey, idiot, why didn't you follow me?!"
"I didn't know you had social media. How do I find you?"
"Stop playing dumb and come with me, it's an order!"
"Tsk. This brat ruined the romantic mood," Number 31 said.
What romantic mood? I don't see anything romantic about this.
I got off the bed and approached her.
"Oh, make it quick; I'm sleepy."
"Y-Y-You're getting reported, pervert!"
Huh? What did I do now…? Oh, I see. Number 31 managed to unbutton my pants, and when I approached her, they fell, leaving me in my underwear and revealing my obvious erection.
I should never have underestimated Number 31's speed, especially considering how perverted she is.
The vice president, though still furious, doesn't look away. I feel harassed. I'm the one who should be reporting.
"Oh… Hey, my eyes are up here."
"Pervert!"
She tried to hit me, and I easily stopped her fist with my hand.
"Hey, I was about to go to sleep, so I was going to take off my pants. It was an accident, okay?"
"Tsk."
She walked away from me, and I pulled up my pants.
"You're so weird, it's disgusting. Why does the president pay so much attention to you?"
… Hatred, huh? Jealousy… Negative feelings coming from her… Oh, I see.
"You're in love with the president, aren't you?"
"W-What?!"
Her clear reaction of shyness and nervousness confirms my theory. This girl is in love with the president.
"N-N-No way! I just respect her!"
"Oh, I see."
I feel like she's telling the truth… How strange.
Are respect and love similar? Honestly, at school, I only respect the president, Naima, and Sylphie, but I don't confuse the respect I have for Naima with love, as I feel I haven't developed that feeling for her yet. I've only just developed the feeling of "I like her."
I respect the president for being able to control the school, but I'm very sure that feeling is just respect.
I respect Sylphie mainly for her academic progress, showing her great efforts in studying, something I envy, plus her talent for drawing. She inspired me to start drawing. Though I respect her, I'm pretty sure I don't like her or am in love with her.
Well, I'm very inexperienced when it comes to feelings, so it's likely I just got confused.
"Respect, huh? I guess you want to be like her, right?"
"I… Well… Yes… I can't deny that."
"I'll give you some advice. Don't try to imitate; try to be yourself, achieve what you want with your own methods. Imitating will only make you feel useless if you can't achieve the same results, but if you follow your own methods, you'll do it more comfortably and it'll allow you to adapt and modify your methods when the situation calls for it, something imitation won't let you achieve in the same way, because it's impossible for people to think the same about things, and I highly doubt you think the same as the president. Create your own method, and you'll move forward with fewer difficulties."
"Nice words, but it's hard to take advice from a guy as weird as you. Whatever, let's go, the president wants to see you."
And here I put in all that effort to say that, hoping she'd call me a genius, and she won't even take it into account. I just wasted my energy.
Not imitating… Since I was a kid, everyone expected me to be a genius like my parents; they thought I'd be a prodigy, a true genius, but I wasn't. Studying never interested me, and I had low grades.
Even when I try to study and be smart, I'm still an idiot; studying isn't for me, I'm just trying to imitate my mother, but it doesn't work for me.
I'm not my mother, and I know I'll never be like her, but… I'm still clinging to being like her, even knowing I never will be.
But, unlike her, I have a promise to keep. To be the genius my mother always wanted me to be. Imitating her is the only way I have to fulfill my promise.
I'm no good at studying, I can't create my own method…
I… I'm no good at studying… I'm no good at socializing… I'm not even good at protecting my parents, despite having enough power to be a Demon King.
… I'm good for nothing, and that's a reality I realized too late… When my parents died because of me.
•
•
We arrived at the president's cabin, where she was doing sit-ups on the floor. Considering her body is very sweaty and I sense her body temperature is very high, she's been doing this even when her body started to hurt, warning her she's exceeded her limits. Well, well. Interesting. She has nice abs, though I prefer Naima's smile, even though it's rare to see her smile.
Oh, imagining Naima's smile makes me feel those famous butterflies in my stomach. I'm definitely in love.
"Hey, President. This girl forced me to come, so I hope it's important. I was about to go to sleep."
"I just want to sign a contract with you."
"Sorry, I don't plan to get married until I'm 20… Or until I get my future girlfriend pregnant and her father forces me to marry her."
It's true, if I end up dating Naima and get her pregnant, what will I do? Won't I kill myself? If my mother finds out in paradise that my girlfriend had an abortion, she'll hate me forever, and I don't want that. I don't plan to have kids, but if for some reason the contraceptives fail and my future girlfriend ends up pregnant, I'll have to put aside the idea of killing myself. Oh, I need to think carefully about my future actions; I don't want to live longer than I intend to.
"Fufu. I like that comedic side of yours, Saik."
"Comedic?"
But I didn't tell a joke… Oh, I forgot this school is weird, and contracts are common… Well, they were common in bets, but I thought they weren't used anymore since betting was banned. Why does she want to sign a contract with me?
"I just want to make sure we compete one-on-one, without help. You against me."
"Oh, I see. I thought you'd use your bootlickers to find the objects, but I see you're a girl with pride. If I respected you before, now I respect you even more, but I'm still not attracted to the idea of being the student council president. I don't like the idea of working for the school for free."
"It'd be boring to beat you with help, and it also seems unfair to me."
"Well… My parents in the past wanted to force me to marry a girl, and I rejected that arranged marriage, but if they were alive and asked me to marry you, I'd probably have rejected it too, but it would've taken me longer to say no."
"Hey, don't be disrespectful!" said the bootlicker, whose name I can't remember.
"It's a shame you rejected me in an alternate reality; I probably would've accepted you. It's better to marry someone fun and smart like you than a boring, wealthy man."
"I wish you luck finding someone like me. I recommend Kaeyko; he seems like a good candidate."
"Kaeyko? I highly doubt it. He may be handsome, but that's all he's got going for him. His grades are very good, but he's just boring; I'm not interested."
"Better than being interested in someone like Akito."
I felt a chill on my skin, and the cause of that chill is the look the president is giving me and that smile, a smile full of… malice? No… It's not malice, it's something else… Anger? Disgust? I think it's a mix of anger and malice. I knew the president had a terrifying side, but I think I underestimated that side of her too much.
If the president had the power to see ghosts and I didn't, would she be able to take control of legendary ghosts faster than me? She has what it takes to be like me. She has malice in her soul.
I'm a malicious and disgusting person who kills without remorse, and I think the president is just as cold as I am in that regard.
Kill or be killed. Sensitive and "good" people would struggle to choose between those two options because they hate the idea of killing, but both the president and I have the malice needed to choose to kill over dying without hesitation.
The president and I are more alike than I thought, with the only difference being that she's more expressive than I am.
"Akito is almost perfect, but his arrogance ruined him. If he didn't have that conceited and arrogant side, I might have been interested in him."
"I see…"
I feel the president's words are sincere. Is Akito that incredible? I knew he was one of the best students in Class A, but the fact that he even had a chance of the president being interested in him surprises me a lot.
Akito hated me because I, a first-year student, humiliated him in his best area, soccer. And then he tried to manipulate and humiliate me… Akito, with so much potential, why do you let yourself be controlled by feelings of superiority? Superiority is a feeling that ruins people; even my mother warned me not to take advantage of my social position because that was foolish.
One day, I mocked a little boy who was crying because his mother couldn't afford to buy him ice cream, and my mother scolded me and bought that boy two ice creams. She told me that, even though I come from a wealthy family, I must be kind, honest, and humble, because there will always be someone much better than me, and I'd feel sad if someone with a better social position mocked me.
Mocking others only reveals that we don't know our own weaknesses. That boy may be poor, but he might be smarter or more creative than me. There will always be people better than me, and feeling superior to everyone would only make me look like a fool who doesn't want to accept the harsh reality.
The feeling of superiority prevents us from recognizing our flaws, and if we don't know our flaws, we can't improve.
… Akito… Now that I think about it, if he's already realized the huge gap between us, it means his feeling of superiority was severely affected… An Akito without that feeling, how far could he go?
I suspect I'll find out the answer sooner or later.
"So, are you ready to sign the contract?"
"No need for a contract; I trust you, and I highly doubt Naima, my partner on the island, will want to help me, so we're on equal terms. I trust you'll keep your word."
I extended my hand.
"A simple handshake should be enough."
"Are you sure you want to take the risk?"
"Are you saying you don't think you can beat me without help? Well, well. And here I thought you were incredible. Now, answer. Do you believe you can beat me without help? If so, shake my hand…"
I lifted my hair so she could see my eyes.
"Look me in the eyes and swear on your name and honor that you'll beat me without help. That should be more than enough."
"Oh, now that I think about it, you have beautiful eyes. I think I got jealous. Long eyelashes on guys are my thing. They look cuter. Why don't you cut your hair and show off those eyes?"
"No, thanks, I don't like styling my hair, and I like having it long. And don't change the subject. Do we seal the deal with a handshake?"
"Of course."
She took my hand.
"I swear on my name and honor that I will beat you without help."
"Same here, though my name doesn't hold much value, just my last name. Well…"
I messed up my hair.
"Goodbye, ladies. Have a nice day. Oh, and if you see Akito, remind him he's still in danger. Bye."
"Take care, Saik."
… I felt something more in those words… Oh, but I already knew that.
I left the cabin and sighed.
"She'll betray me, but I can't hate her. I'd do the same."
President, I hope you keep your word.