The first day going back to school is the first time being called by the principal...
Can you imagine that?
AI: Did you do anything wrong?
I — DON'T—KNOW—!!! 🥲
AI: Hm…..could it be your exam result? They wanna discuss the retake.
Come on, I passed all the papers.
AI: They're not happy with your result?
What's wrong with you?
You have a problem with my exam result?
Come here, I can solo you with a punch…
AI: You wanna punch yourself? 😏
Shut up!!! 🙄
AI: Relax, I'm just simulating some possible scenes.
Simulate something useful then…
I opened the door and the only person in the room was the principal and…..Stella?
She stood in front of the principal with her head lowered...it seemed like the topic wasn't about me.
AI: Aww—! Dang it! 😒
...
What was that face?
Mr. Principal: WHERE ARE YOUR MANNERS!!!
The fierceful man in the room suddenly roared at me….yeah, my bad.
I closed the door and knocked…
Mr. Principal: COME IT!!!!
Stop yelling would you? 😭😭😭
I came next to Stella while I could feel she actually peeked at me when I got in...
Stella: It's…it's him...
Huh?
Principal: Any explanation?
Explain what?
Stella: No, sir.
Principal: You! How dare you forge the document?
Me: Huh? I don't understand sir…
Principal: You—! Submit a fake paper saying the artroom is allowed for comic club relaunch.
Wait wait wait wait…..fake paper??? Comic club????
Wasn't it approved months ago???
Me: Me? What?
Principal: Any explanation?
Hold on, is this some kind of...set up?
AI: Well, it looks like it is…
What?
AI: Framing…
Me: Sir, it was not me, it was...
I took a look at Stella, she immediately looked away.
I don't know why she's fidgeting her finger while trying to frame me for this.
...
Alright then.
Me: I'm sorry, sir. It's me.
Walking out of the principal's room, I scrolled on the phone without talking to her.
She walked after me while she closed the door gently.
Stella: I'm sorry.
I heard a slight sob in her tone…
Just when I looked back, she had already run away.
Finally, the end has come.
AI: Are you kidding me?
What? That's a brilliant idea.
I admit that the comic club is faked and the principle will forbid us from using it again.
I'll be the one taking the warning letter, and we both are safe…
The most important thing is...I don't need to go to the comic club again. 😇
AI: Seriously? You really think she's fine?
Come on, I already think it should be the end of the role playing.
I'm just a substitute for her brother, Wilson.
What could go wrong?
AI: Okay okay, so based on your logic — You think she framed you, and that you're just a tool being used, right?
Obviously that's the fact.
AI: But...have you ever considered that if she really only saw you as a cold "shield" or a "replica" of Wilson?
Don't be silly, she's the one who framed me.
AI: Well, in that case she should have felt "relieved" or "mission accomplished" when you left the office, right?
Come on, maybe she is? I mean right now?
AI: You really thought of that? You were like protecting her from getting another warning letter.
No no no, don't get me wrong.
I wasn't protecting her, I'm just taking the correct decision to end the farce.
AI: Dude, the more you try to sever ties, the more tightly your actions bind you together. 😒
Trust me bro, this is the end. 😌
AI: So until all of these, you're still thinking that you're just a tool to her? Are you serious, buddy? 🙄
Of course it is.
......
The entire recess hour I spent my time in the library, trying to complete the final function of the login system.
As a programmer — I hate semicolums. 😒
Suddenly, someone sat next to me and pulled my sleeves…
I took a look, it's a girl with round glasses and a braid tied with a ribbon resting on her shoulder.
Clara: Rin, do you...
I pulled off one of my earphone pieces and passed it to her.
She opened the book sitting next to me while putting on the earphone piece.
There's only typing and book flipping sound coming from the corner of the silent library in the afternoon…
Minutes later, I walked out from the library to grab us some drinks...
It is when I realized — someone's following me… 💀💀💀
What now???
Am I being tracked???
Someone hired an assassin to kill me??? 💀💀💀
I hid behind the wall and slightly put my head at the edge to see if I could see someone.
The only unusual and bizarre thing is the lavender smell that vaguely appeared across the corridor...
You know it would be scarier if there was no...yes, no one was there. 💀💀💀
Is this school haunted???
AI: Oh, based on the news saying, the school was a cemetery. 😌
DON'T MENTION IT!!! 😭😭😭
AI: Nah, just kidding. 😂😂😂
NOT FUNNY!!! 😭😭😭
AI: Is it because of her?
Of who?
AI: Her.
...
Who?
AI: You sure you can let go? I mean…that easily?
...
Huh?
AI: Nevermind, we'll see. 😌
...
Alright.
I quickly grabbed some drink from the vending machine and ran back to the library as fast as I could.
Look, I'm not overthinking.
The corridor was gloomy, that's why.
Clara opened the bottle of iced jasmine green tea and took a sip while I chugged mine just to cool myself.
Before I continued on with my work, I noticed she looked at the bottle like looking at something special…
Clara: Oh, haha. Nothing, just thinking about something funny back then…
Me: O…kay?
Then I put my fingers back to the keyboard…
Clara: It's been a while since I drank this, thanks.
Me: No problem.
...…
Clara: The last time was when my sister and I were fighting over a bottle of tea. It was a limited price of Ayataka green tea.
...…
Alright, but I didn't ask…
Clara: My parents said each of us should have one and only one bottle of the tea, but then I drank my mom's.
Me: …..uh…why?
Clara: Well…geedy? Jealous? Prank? I don't remember, the only thing I remember is — I kept denying that I drank it.
...…
Clara: Oh, my bad. Sorry for mentioning it.
Me: No, it's okay.
.....
Me: And what happened then? You guys made up after that?
Clara: Yeah, I confessed. I can't stand against my guiltiness, I guess…..that's the right choice I made.
Me: Your sister, she forgave you?
Clara: She did, she said as long as I will not repeat it again.
....
Okay.
Clara: Hey.
Me: Yes?
Clara: Can I pick another song after this?
Me: "Nightlight" by Illenium?
Clara: That's my favourite.
......
After school, yes — Cindy called me to carry the books to the office.
Yes — again.
But this time — I was alone.
Why? The reason….I mean the excuse is — I need to attend the meeting of the student council… 😒
Just when I was about to turn left… suddenly a hand grabbed mine.
I was suddenly pulled into a locker cabinet.
It was the moment several thoughts popped into my head.
Maybe it's an assassin?
Or maybe it's a bullying case happening to me?
But turns out, it was a blonde petite doll bumped into my chest with her tiny hands held tightly on my shirt…
She was blushing with her teary eyes full of wrists that looked at me and looked away.
You know what? — I was completely shocked.
I rather it was a ghost that hunted me or something, but…I can hear the sobbing coming out from her.
Am I being targeted again?
Stella: I…I'm…I'm…sorry…please don't hate me…I'm sorry…
Is the lavender smell again….
...
Now what?
AI: See? I told you.
What did you tell?
AI: You really think someone would be sad over a tool being used and dumped?
Yes, when I was about to throw my old laptop away…
AI: Come on, buddy. Face it, ask yourself, are you mad at her when she framed you for it?
No, but I…
AI: Why?
I don't know, I mean….why would I go for something...just—stop it, I have no idea.
Stella: I don't know…I don't know what to do…I was scared when the principal asked me…..I'm…sor….sorry….
Should I just keep her like that or what?
AI: Comfort her, of course. You don't wanna let anyone else hear or see this, you'll need a decade to explain that you're innocent. 😌
God knows I am. 😒
...…
Fine…
Stella: Uh?
She suddenly flinched when she felt her head covered by heat.
I gently ruffled her blonde silky hair while she stopped crying…
Yeah, and my uniform has the stain of tears...again. 🥲
Me: Nevermind.
She got up looking at me while my hand was still on her head…
Stella: You can scold me, hit me all you want, please don't hate me, Willy, please…
I can feel my ironed uniform being wrinkled as she grabbed it tight…
Me: Nevermind, I mean it. It's just a warning letter, don't worry.
Stella: But…I…I betrayed you, don't you feel mad?
...
Should a tool or a substitute be mad?
Me: Nope, as long as you promise you'll not repeat it.
After hearing that, she buried her head back to my chest again.
Okay now I'm a tissue paper to her. 😒
How many clothes do I need to wash???
Stella: I just need a place to hide, a place where I can rest, but now it's gone.
Me: You mean drawing comics?
She nodded while wiping her face at my chest…please, stop it.
AI: You didn't push her away, tho…😌
Like…how?
You want everyone in the school to hear us? 🙄🙄🙄
Stella: I just don't feel safe to keep my comics at home, my mom would find it out...I'm really sorry for lying.
Lying?
Yeah, the part she made was that her parents persuaded the principal to relaunch the comic club….
Ah…whatever?
...
Stella: Hey, Willy. Am I still your...Honey Bear?
Alright, here we go again…😑
Stella: Am I?
She looked at me again, yes — with that puppy face again, but this time with swollen eyes.
Well…guess I'll never escape the pit.
AI: You're literally putting yourself back in. 😌
You put me back in, you artificial imbecile. 🙄🙄🙄
Stella: Always?
...
Me: Always.
After hearing the confirmation, she continued spending the rest of the time in my arms….
AI: You just promised something irreversible, buddy. 😌
Like I said, it's just the role play since the beginning, what could go wrong?
AI: Well well well…you're still thinking that you're a replacement for a brother figure?
...
Of course, what could go wrong?
...
Yeah, what could go wrong?