This time, the meeting location was no longer the usual boxing gym or teahouse.
Standing at the hotel entrance, Kikyo Kushida swallowed nervously.
Although the hotel looked magnificent from the outside, the wide-open doors looked like the gaping maw of an abyss waiting for prey to walk right in.
The message Ren sent to Kikyo Kushida did not mention a time.
As if he wasn't worried at all that Kikyo Kushida would run away and not come.
Since that bastard didn't specify a time... maybe I shouldn't go in?
Two little spirits that looked exactly like her popped up on the extremely conflicted Kikyo Kushida's head.
Angel Kushida, with pure white wings and a halo, put her hands on her hips and scolded Kikyo Kushida: "You brought this on yourself, you must take responsibility!"
There were many ways to get rid of Haruki Yamauchi's confession, but Kikyo Kushida chose to use Ren as a shield.
Now she had been caught by the person involved.
Angel Kushida thought Kikyo Kushida should go and apologize properly to Ren. The angel believed in the inherent goodness of human nature.
She felt Ren would definitely forgive Kikyo Kushida.
Kikyo Kushida was completely unmoved by Angel Kushida's words.
Inherent goodness? Ren? Are you kidding me!
"Tsk, how many times has that bastard Ren played with you? If you ask me, run while you can."
"Running away is shameful but useful."
Demon Kushida, with two horns on her head and a heart-shaped tail swaying around, held a small steel fork and flapped her bat wings, whispering temptation into Kikyo Kushida's ear.
As a cunning demon, she always assumed the worst about things and people.
The message Ren sent to Kikyo Kushida was, in Demon Kushida's eyes, a naked threat!
Threatening me to make me come to you proactively, huh? Then I won't go!
Both little spirits made sense, and Kikyo Kushida was indecisive.
Seeing Angel Kushida about to say something more to persuade Kikyo Kushida, Demon Kushida was displeased.
She aimed the small steel fork in her hand at Angel Kushida on Kikyo Kushida's head and stabbed, muttering: "Where is this? Can't you see where this is?"
"This is a hotel!!! A hotel for doing that kind of thing!!! What decent person sets a meeting place here!"
Kikyo Kushida: ...
Angel Kushida: ...
"What you said actually makes sense." Angel Kushida agreed with Demon Kushida for once.
Precisely because of this sentence, the small steel fork in Demon Kushida's hand stopped just a step away from Angel Kushida's head.
This is the first time her nemesis hasn't argued with her.
Pop.
Angel Kushida's head turned into particles of light and dissipated, followed by her entire body.
Thought cannot be killed. Angel Kushida reappeared behind Demon Kushida as soon as her body dissipated, landing a heavy punch on Demon Kushida's back.
It missed. Demon Kushida, who was prepared, flashed to the other side of Kikyo Kushida's head, resting the steel fork on her shoulder and mercilessly mocking Angel Kushida.
"Only you would be defeated by the same move!"
"..."
Angel Kushida was a bit flushed. Normally, she indeed wouldn't fall for it.
But she didn't expect Demon Kushida to be so... so... cheap? Even though she agreed with her idea, she still tried to stab her in the head.
Ignoring Angel Kushida, Demon Kushida looked at Kikyo Kushida, who was still deep in thought.
"So, what is your decision?"
No matter how much she talked to Angel Kushida, the final decision ultimately lay in Kikyo Kushida's hands.
Angel Kushida stopped making a fuss, flapped her white wings, and hovered side-by-side with Demon Kushida in mid-air.
She didn't try to persuade Kikyo Kushida anymore. Angel Kushida was truly convinced by Demon Kushida this time.
What decent person asks someone to discuss matters in a hotel?
Protecting Kikyo Kushida was protecting herself. Kikyo Kushida's choice now wasn't just for herself, but perhaps also to protect the two little spirits from losing their innocence.
To the surprise of the two little spirits, Kikyo Kushida's hesitant eyes became determined at this moment: "I have to go."
"?"
"?"
Angel Kushida and Demon Kushida looked at each other and disappeared with a poof.
"Sorry, I know going to find that bastard might be dangerous, but I have to go."
After apologizing to the two vanished little spirits in her heart, Kikyo Kushida resolutely pushed open the hotel door.
Just as Angel Kushida said, Kikyo Kushida indeed had many ways to deal with Haruki Yamauchi's confession, but she still chose to use Ren as a shield.
This wasn't just Kikyo Kushida's first reaction, but also her selfish desire.
[The heart is truly a troublesome thing.]
Thinking of what Ren said to her the last time they were together, Kikyo Kushida suddenly felt the hotel wasn't so scary anymore.
Kikyo Kushida still hadn't chosen to completely forgive herself; she still wanted to achieve the master level of being friends with everyone.
She continued to silently endure the negative emotions from her "friends" as usual, planning to release the accumulated pressure on a quiet, uninhabited night.
However...
In Kikyo Kushida's heart, she didn't want to vent alone anymore, and Ren, who knew her secret would be a very good accomplice.
Kikyo Kushida indeed didn't forgive herself. She chose a path even more absurd than suppressing herself alone.
Leaving Ren for the little girl in her heart who lived a repressed life every day.
[That bastard's manipulation is truly impressive.]
Thinking of this, Kikyo Kushida couldn't help but laugh at herself.
Kikyo Kushida clearly knew that Ren had been frantically manipulating her, trying to leave a figure named Ren in her heart.
As a countermeasure, Kikyo Kushida began calling Ren a bastard and openly stated that Ren was manipulating her.
Everything she did... was Kikyo Kushida warning herself, warning herself not to fall into Ren's trap.
But the more she did this, the clearer the figure in Kikyo Kushida's heart became.
Today, Haruki Yamauchi's confession assist made the little girl in Kikyo Kushida's heart start to resist and scream.
[Haruki Yamauchi? Slap! Kanji Ike? Two slaps! Anyone who comes gets slapped, I only want that bastard Ren!]
The little girl who existed in her heart and lived a repressed life told Kikyo Kushida this.
If I hadn't seen the light, I think I could have endured the darkness.
But Ren came, and the little girl who had always been in a state of self-repression had company.
He wasn't like the others, treating her as a trash can, endlessly dumping negative emotions on her.
He would listen seriously to her complaints, care about her emotions, and care about her physical state.
He even said... said I was a treasure!
Even though... he is a little bad...
[I! Only! Want! Katsuragi! Ren!]
This was the first time the little girl spoke to Kikyo Kushida, her eyes so bright and determined.
Kikyo Kushida knew the little girl had fallen.
Ring ring ring...
The phone rang. Seeing it was Ren, Kikyo Kushida chose to answer. Ren's slightly lazy voice came from the phone.
"Moshi Moshi, my 'girlfriend' Miss Kushida, you have been standing at the hotel entrance for five minutes."
"Although I really don't want to disturb you, I still want to tell you that I accidentally sent the wrong location; it was the hotel. The real location is the cafe opposite the hotel."
Not believing for a second that Ren would be careless enough to send the wrong location, Kikyo Kushida mocked: "Then you really are a bastard, Ren."
Hanging up the phone, Kikyo Kushida turned around and saw the only cafe opposite the hotel.
Ren sat by the window, waving at her.
"Bastard!"
After cursing Ren, Kikyo Kushida gave Ren the middle finger.
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