Horikita Suzune's thoughts were simple.
At first, she couldn't understand why Kaoru would attack her, even harbor hostility toward her, yet didn't eliminate her immediately.
Instead, he did all sorts of strange, bad things to her, sometimes even offering her emotional guidance.
After Kaoru forcibly kissed her, Horikita suddenly realized—could it be that Kaoru might actually liked her?
This thought felt like opening a door to a whole new world.
Everything she hadn't understood before now made perfect sense when framed as affection.
Why did he attack her? Why did he trick her into signing a contract? Of course, it was because he liked her.
Precisely because he liked her, someone like Kaoru would resort to any means to have her.
And also because of her, Kaoru inexplicably showed her leniency, never completely crushing her hopes.
Thinking back carefully, Horikita realized Kaoru hadn't actually demanded anything from her—aside from doing bad things, he seemed to have no other expectations.
Of course, if it were just the bad deeds, Horikita wouldn't have suspected his feelings.
But the fact that Kaoru often guided her, even recognizing her complicated emotions toward Horikita Manabu without criticizing her, struck Horikita as odd.
No lecher would go that far, right?
And so, Horikita Suzune became convinced that Kaoru liked her.
However, this was her first time facing such emotions.
She didn't know how to handle them—at first, she felt nothing but confusion, but later, she began to think it might not be so bad.
Killing Kaoru was probably impossible, which seemed to leave only one option.
Falling for someone was uncharted territory for Horikita Suzune.
She had no idea what to do, her heart filled with uncertainty.
"Why do you even need to know this?" Kushida stretched lazily.
"Didn't you say you'd never fall for him? Whether he has a girlfriend or not, what does it matter to you?"
"That's true, but both of us are under his control now. Are you really content to let him keep trampling over your body and will?" Horikita had found the perfect justification—she refused to believe Kushida could truly be resigned to this.
"Even if you say that, what can I do?" Kushida maintained her usual persona. "I've already been played with beyond repair. I lost my first time, got treated like a dog, paraded around on a leash, and even ordered to pee outside. What else do you think I can even consider?"
Horikita was shocked.
She hadn't realized Kaoru had done so many terrible things.
Compared to that, his treatment of her was downright gentle.
"Like I said before, I'll help you break free from Mitoma."
Hearing this, Kushida laughed, as if deliberately teasing Horikita.
"You're not thinking of getting rid of me so you can be with Mitoma-kun, are you?"
"No." Horikita genuinely hadn't considered that—otherwise, she wouldn't have been serving Kaoru alongside Kushida.
"I just want to help you. And I need your help too."
Kushida didn't let up. "You want to reach Class A for your brother's sake—I get that. But afterward, what then? Keep enduring Mitoma-kun forever?"
"I didn't come here to discuss this. How much do you know about Ichinose?" Horikita Suzune changed the subject.
"Even if you want to wallow in self-abandonment, do you think she could tolerate your existence?"
Surely no girlfriend could endure her boyfriend keeping little slaves around?
Even ancient empresses had their limits when it came to the emperor's harem.
"Are you sure you're not just trying to find out if Mitoma-kun likes you?" Kushida bluntly called out her hidden thoughts, smiling brightly.
"I'm just curious," Horikita replied, trying to remain calm—though she didn't realize how stiff her tone had become.
"Haha, I wouldn't know," Kushida said. "Even though I'm often with him, I really can't tell who he likes most. All I know is there are plenty of girls around him—like Ichinose, Kamuro, and the others. Honestly, he should just gather us all together and introduce us properly."
Horikita's emotions were a tangled mess.
If Kaoru didn't like her, how was she supposed to face this relationship?
How could she adjust to who she was now?
"If you want to know what Mitoma-kun is thinking, it's simple—just try asking him out," Kushida suddenly suggested.
"Even if he has other plans, he'd still take your invitation seriously."
"But don't we see each other all the time?" Horikita was confused.
She and Kaoru often did… questionable things in his room.
What was the point of this?
"I'm not telling you to do that with him. If Mitoma-kun only saw you as a convenient woman, he'd just summon you to his room—he wouldn't treat your invitation seriously," Kushida explained.
"In fact, back when you couldn't pay your 'interest,' didn't he still never force you into anything?"
Horikita thought about it—that did make sense.
"His biggest problem now is that he's not as domineering as before. He doesn't push any of us around like he used to." Kushida understood Kaoru's dilemma—with so many girls to handle, he had grown cautious, losing his forceful edge.
"If it were the old him, he probably would've pinned you to the bed the very next day. But now, he's holding back for your sake."
Horikita fell silent for a moment. "You seem to know him well."
"It's not about knowing him—I've just been around him longer, so I've seen how he's changed." Kushida suddenly smirked.
"I'll be honest with you, Horikita. What he wants now is all of us. You don't need to help me anymore—he won't let me go, and he won't let you go either."
Horikita didn't quite understand.
What did he mean by wanting all of them?
"High school is only three years. Once we graduate, would he really keep holding onto us?" The girl clung to naive hope.
"Is it because he has some leverage over you?"
Kushida looked at her like she was an idiot. "What if Mitoma-kun decides to take you to bed?"
"I… don't know. I'm not ready for that." Horikita answered truthfully, following her heart.
But Kushida only found her even more foolish.
"Not being prepared also means you wouldn't refuse him, Horikita." Kushida Kikyo said coldly.
"If it were Sudou, would you let him have his way with you?"
"Of course not..." Horikita froze, suddenly understanding Kushida's implication.
When it came to Kaoru, she only felt confusion and bewilderment—not an ounce of disgust.
But if it were Sudou Ken? Horikita Suzune shuddered at the mere thought, her skin crawling.
She'd rather bite her tongue off than agree to such a thing.
The stark contrast left her silent.
"The truth is, if Mitoma-kun wanted to take you, you wouldn't resist—at most, you'd put up token resistance." Kushida chuckled. "Given that, if he decided to make you a mother ahead of schedule, would you refuse?"
"I refuse!" Horikita flushed crimson. "That's absolutely out of the question!"
"Wrong. You'd let him finish inside." Kushida rested a hand on her own stomach.
"Neither of us uses protection. I'll probably be a mother by next year."
Horikita stared at Kushida's abdomen, stunned.
The next moment, Kushida burst into laughter.
"Just kidding. Of course we take precautions—only an idiot wouldn't."
Horikita exhaled in relief, though she'd already pictured herself with a swollen belly.
"Though sometimes we don't," Kushida added.
"Hey!" Horikita snapped. "What are you trying to say? Are you really that eager to bear his child?"
"What difference does it make?" Kushida shot back. "Once you've done it with him, could you ever do it with someone else? Or is Horikita actually that kind of loose woman?"
"Don't lump me in with you. I could never agree to something like that!" Horikita felt compelled to assert her stance.
"You can't help it. Once it happens, there's no going back. You might even end up a mother—how could you possibly escape his grasp?" Kushida scoffed.
Horikita clenched her fists, silent for a long moment.
Then, in an eerily calm voice, she asked, "Are you advising me to give up on Mitoma-kun early?"
"I never said that," Kushida denied.
"No, you want me to leave his side." Horikita refused to rise to the bait. "I always found it strange—why didn't you resist him? For someone like you, taking him down with you should've been the obvious choice."
Kushida fell silent, narrowing her eyes.
"Just as I'd never do it with Sudou-kun, you wouldn't do it with someone you dislike, right?" Horikita reasoned.
"The reason you gave up is because Mitoma-kun occasionally shows you another side of himself—one that feels new and warm. That's why you never sought mutual destruction, and instead let yourself sink deeper."
"You think I like Mitoma-kun?" Kushida countered.
Horikita shook her head.
"I don't know, but I'm aware of a condition called Stockholm Syndrome, where victims develop emotional attachment to their abusers due to occasional kindness. It's a self-preservation mechanism—admiration and submission toward the stronger party."
Kushida initially thought she'd discovered something significant, but upon hearing this, her face darkened.
"Fine, fine. If I have Stockholm Syndrome, then what about you?"
Faced with Kushida's flustered outburst, Horikita answered without hesitation.
"I'm someone he likes."
Kushida froze momentarily before letting out a cold laugh.
"If that's the case, why is he dating Ichinose instead of you?"
"I don't know. But after talking with you, I think I understand his perspective," Horikita said.
"What perspective?" Kushida snapped.
"He likes Ichinose-san too," Horikita stated firmly.
Kushida stared at her, hardly believing this was the same usually clueless Horikita.
"Mitoma-kun doesn't just like me—he also likes Ichinose-san, and he likes you too, Kushida-san. That's the only explanation for his behavior," Horikita continued.
"Otherwise, it's hard to understand why he'd be involved with you while claiming to like me."
"Hah, that's just your interpretation," Kushida retorted, unconsciously playing with her hair.
She suddenly felt thirsty and took a sip of hot water, then tugged at her collar, glancing at the snow outside.
The room felt unusually warm.
"My instincts aren't wrong. He definitely likes you," Horikita analyzed. "But your feelings for him stem from Stockholm Syndrome. The threatened party often develops misplaced..."
"Horikita!" Kushida cut her off sharply.
"If anyone has Stockholm Syndrome here, it's you! First, you claim you don't like him, then you say he likes you, and now you're probing about Ichinose—clearly, you're the one who's fallen for him!"
Horikita met her gaze, and the atmosphere between them grew tense.
Silence lingered for a while.
"Arguing about this is pointless. He's probably spending Christmas with Ichinose," Kushida suddenly waved her hand dismissively.
"If you have nothing else, you can leave."
Horikita hesitated before speaking again. "Actually, he's with a senpai right now."
Kushida stiffened.
A senpai?
"A third-year. Sudou-kun saw them leaving together downstairs. Apparently, it's the girl who sits near my brother—Tachibana Akane."
"...On a date?"
"It's hard to believe, but they seemed to be laughing and talking."
"Don't tell me you're going to say he likes this senpai too?"
"You were the one who said he wants everyone."
"Horikita."
"What's wrong with your expression?"
"You're still planning to visit his room this month, aren't you?"
"I went once already. After that, he said I could use my feet..."
"Then just step on him when the time comes."
Kushida's expression was blank.
She could barely accept yielding to Ichinose Honami or Horikita Suzune, but Tachibana Akane? What was this about?
Wasn't this going too far?
"Horikita, I'll just ask you one thing—how do you feel right now?"
Horikita was confused.
What feelings could she have? Though she'd noticed Kaoru had many girls around him, she'd never demanded anything.
She'd simply come to understand her position and accepted this relationship.
Yes, for her, this understanding was enough.
Anything more would exceed her capacity to handle.
"Heh... Let's not disturb him on Christmas. How about we give him a surprise on Christmas Eve instead?" Kushida let out a cold laugh.
Even if he was Stellar Wrath, a master still needed to be pampered!
"A surprise?" Horikita didn't understand her meaning.
Kushida hesitated briefly, but the uneasy feeling brought by their existence drove her instinct to form alliances.
"Actually, I lied to you. Kaoru hasn't done anything with me... I'm still a virgin."
Horikita froze, but what Kushida proposed next left her even more stunned.
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