"I see. I hope nothing bad happens."
"What could happen?"
Saying that, Mio Ibuki took Hiyori onto the elevator and they descended to the girls' dormitory floor.
After exiting the elevator and turning a corner in the hallway, Hiyori stopped in front of Ibuki's dorm room. Seeing the other girl about to walk on, she spoke in a gentle tone, "This is far enough."
Ibuki was taken aback by her words. She glanced down the hallway, which could be seen to the end, and nodded. "Alright, I won't walk you any further then... Good night, get some rest."
Hiyori smiled, nodded, and waved goodbye to her.
Once she parted ways with Ibuki, the girl slowly walked towards her own single dorm room. After just a few steps, she suddenly saw:
Click~! — The door of a nearby room suddenly opened.
Kei Karuizawa opened the door and turned back to look at Manabe, who was chasing her from inside the room. She spoke in a firm tone, "I already told you, I have something to do! I don't have time to wait around with you!"
"It looks to me like you're just trying to run away! Get back here!" Manabe grabbed her arm, yanked her back into the room, and then with a slam, shut the door again.
Hiyori watched this scene, tilting her head and murmuring to herself internally, "Hmm, things seem to be taking a wrong turn. It feels like they could start fighting at any moment."
Symon thought for a moment and said, "My advice is not to meddle. You don't want to get caught in the crossfire."
He was well aware of Hiyori's delicate physique; she got out of breath after walking just a few extra steps, and her physical education scores were consistently last in the class. It would be one thing for him to clean up the aftermath, but getting involved directly would be asking for trouble.
"Mmm... I should still ask."
With that, Hiyori Shiina took two steps forward, raised her hand, and knock, knock, tapped on Manabe's door.
Click~! — The door opened again.
"Who is it?"
Manabe peeked through the crack in the door, her eyes wary. After making eye contact with the girl, she instinctively closed the door a little more, blocking the scene behind her with her body. Her expression was displeased. "Do you need something?"
Let it be known—she wasn't the least bit afraid of Hiyori Shiina. But being in Class C, she had to bow her head. After all, the fists of Ryūen and Ibuki were very real.
Hiyori Shiina glanced behind her as if by chance, looking at Kei Karuizawa who was standing in the entryway with her arms crossed, pretending not to care. She said with a smile:
"I saw what happened earlier... If you're trying to get her to apologize, it's probably best not to use such forceful methods."
After all, bullying can really get you expelled—this was the girl's subtext. Unfortunately, Manabe probably couldn't pick up on it.
"Stay out of this. I've already called Rika and the others to come back. Once she apologizes, we'll let her go."
As Manabe said this, something occurred to her and she added casually, "Oh right, your timing is perfect. We heard this woman badmouthing you today, saying something about being possessed by an evil spirit or having multiple personalities. Saki and the others wanted to stand up for you, so you should come in too."
Saying this, Manabe opened the door wide, making way for the girl.
Hiyori Shiina paused for a moment upon hearing this, then a [radiant] smile spread across her face. "Ara, an evil spirit... even I can get angry about something like that, you know. But an apology isn't necessary."
In the entryway, Kei Karuizawa saw that smile and her body stiffened abruptly. She couldn't help but take a step back—her intuition was screaming at her that the current Hiyori was dangerous, more dangerous than the "evil spirit" from that afternoon.
Manabe pouted. "I see. You're quite generous."
"Not at all," Hiyori Shiina said, shaking her head. She glanced over at Kei Karuizawa, thought for a moment, and then said with a smile:
"Manabe-san, you should be careful too—if there are security cameras in the hallway, forcing her into your room like this, especially if too many people go inside, could put you in a very dangerous position."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Manabe waved her hand dismissively and said casually, "This woman isn't like you, with a face that's easy to pick on. Look at her, she bumps into someone and refuses to admit it. She doesn't seem like the type to cry, and besides, I'm not planning on hitting her."
Hiyori Shiina shook her head. She glanced at Kei Karuizawa again. The girl was holding her head high, but Hiyori could sense that her entire body was trembling.
Seeing this, Hiyori Shiina thought for a moment, then said softly, "No, that's not it. This girl is actually very timid..."
"She's deliberately putting on a front, but her micro-expressions don't lie. The slight tremor of her lips, her darting eyes, her clenched jaw, her rigid posture... every gesture seems to be telling me—this girl is terrified right now."
"If she stays here any longer, she'll probably break."
The moment she finished speaking, Kei Karuizawa's pupils constricted to pinpricks, and her entire body froze on the spot.
Manabe turned back, half-convinced, and seeing her state, she frowned in confusion.
Noticing her reaction, Kei Karuizawa instantly snapped out of it. She let out a mock huff, shoved Manabe aside, and said with forced composure:
"That's enough of this pointless conversation. I don't have time to listen to you spout nonsense."
The blonde, high-ponytail girl glanced back at Manabe, who had fallen into a sitting position in the entryway with a face as dark as a pot's bottom. She waved her hand casually and said, "Well then, cya~"
With that, Kei Karuizawa slammed the door shut. She pretended to casually glance at Hiyori, who was smiling at her, then silently averted her gaze. She walked past the other girl, her steps a bit rushed as she left.
Click~!! — The door opened again!
Manabe yanked the door open, her face dark. "Where'd she go?"
Hiyori shook her head without a word, turning to look in the direction Kei Karuizawa went.
Manabe stormed out of the room, watching Kei Karuizawa get further and further away. Recalling Hiyori's earlier words, she ultimately didn't dare to rush forward and get physical.
Meanwhile, Hiyori Shiina watched the retreating figure raise an arm and stumble around the corner. She said softly in her heart, "That gesture... that girl must be crying now. All she had to do was say sorry. Why does she act like this? I don't quite understand..."
Symon chuckled inwardly. "With that prickly attitude of hers, she was bound to pick a fight with the wrong person eventually. This time, she hit a brick wall, didn't she?"
Hiyori Shiina blinked. "Speaking of which, Mr. Ghost, it seems you have no intention of trying to understand a girl's heart."
"If I had that kind of skill, I wouldn't still be single."
"Eh? Are you?"
"..."
That night—
In a bathroom in the fourth-floor girls' dormitory, warm water pattered down from the showerhead above. Kei Karuizawa tilted her head up, unable to tell if it was water or tears streaming down her face.
It's true. No matter how she acts, she's just a pathetic, pitiful wretch.
"Sob... sob..."
"Kei-chan, do I hear crying from the bathroom?"
"Huh? You... you misheard..."
"You're not... are you?"
"Of course not!!!"
____
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