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Rei’s fate

  Rei's eyes slowly opened when morning light shun in her eyes through the windows, she tried to move but she couldn't move an inch.

  Her wrists have been bind by a rope with tight and precise knots as she found herself to a chair in the center of the room.

  She steadied her heartbeat. This wasn't the first time she had been captured....but this was the first time she had failed to kill the target.

  She looked around the room. She was still in Haruto's house. Kei was sitting casually on the couch, drinking tea.

  Kei, dressed neatly in a dark bck skirt and white blouse, looks at her sipping her tea.

  "You are awake," Kei said calmly, setting her cup down.

  Rei didn't reply, she tested the restraints on her wrists.

  They are solid knots. They are tough to break, she wondered how a schoolgirl like Kei could make such tight knots. She was meticulous as Rei expected.

  "No use struggling " Kei responded crossing one leg over the other and warned her " You are not leaving easily"

  Screech!!

  The door opened; Haruto came, rubbing his messy hair as he entered the room. He saw Rei, tied up and silent

  " Kei expin what happened yesterday. " He asked looking at her calmly

  Kei gestured at Rei as if she were a project she wanted to dispy " She tried to kill you st night....In case you forget. I did little questioning to her "

  "Well," he said after a long pause, "if she really wanted me dead, I'd be dead. She had the gun to my face. I thought she was just pranking me but she was shaking and she seemed seriously strained mentally"

  Rei's eye twitched as soon as she heard Haruto's reasoning.

  "Pranking? Who pranks people with a loaded gun? " Kei repeated at haruto with sharp gaze.

  Haruto shrugged "Yeah! I thought the same but she didn't pull the trigger. I think she was being coerced. " he looked at Rei expecting an answer for that.

  Rei looked away from him. Kei moved near to her from her seat.

  Kei hummed, tapping a finger against Rei's chin, and asked, " I too want to know why you didn't. Why did you attack Haruto-kun when you have no intention of killing him? You nearly had me scared "

  Rei stayed silent.

  Kei narrowed her eyes watching her quietly.

  "She hesitated, "Haruto said, stretching his arms."You don't want to kill me right, Rei-chan? " He looked at her, expecting an answer.

  Rei didn't answer.

  She gnced at him for a moment...Haruto looks rexed, in the presence of the girl who almost killed him yesterday.

  Not taking her seriously

  Not afraid of her. As if he is mocking her

  It bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

  Why wasn't he taking his own life seriously?

  Was it because he was stupid? Or was it because he trusted her to the point where he believed she wouldn't harm him? She hated the second thought.

  "Interesting "Kei smirked at Rei's silence."You can do whatever you want to her."

  Rei's brows twitched.

  Haruto froze "Excuse me?"

  Kei smirked. "You heard me. She came to kill you, and she failed. The rules of the underground are simple—failure has consequences. So go ahead, Haruto. Do whatever you feel like. Pop her cherry"

  Haruto ran a hand through his messy hair. "Kei. I'm not part of the underworld."

  Kei smiled. "Well, congratutions. You are now. Because of her " Kei pointed at Rei

  Rei remained silent. Her face was unreadable, but she accepted her fate and closed her eyes. "Haruto," she said ftly, "just kill me instead."

  Haruto raised both hands "Come on Kei be serious. I don't want to fuck people at random. "

  Haruto exhaled and pced his hand on Kei. "Kei..."

  Kei tilted her head. "What?"

  Haruto shook his head. "I don't want revenge. I don't want to do something just because I 'can' to her.'"

  Kei raised an eyebrow. "You're just hesitating. You don't have to be so nice to her, You know."

  Haruto sighed. "Because it's not the right time. I know enough about Rei to know that she must have been forced to do it. She is conflicted and hesitated when she tried to kill me yesterday....Which means we have to destroy the source that made her do this"

  "Oi, what's with the yelling so early in the morning—" The doors opened as a female voice spoke with annoyance

  Yumi stepped in, eyes half-lidded, her hair slightly messy.

  She froze.

  Her yellow eyes scanned the room slowly.

  Haruto standing there, looking awkward and uncomfortable.

  Kei, not missing a beat, smiled pleasantly. "Good morning, Yumi-chan." Kei is sipping tea, way too calm.

  And then—

  Rei.

  Tied to a chair.

  Expression bnk.

  Looking like she had been caught in the middle of something inappropriate.

  Yumi blinked.

  Then narrowed her eyes.

  "...Why is she tied up?" Yumi replied as eye lids dropped in disappointment

  Kei, not missing a beat, smiled. "Haruto was just about to do whatever he wanted with her."

  Silence.

  Haruto choked on air.

  "KEI! STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT!"

  Yumi's eye twitched.

  Yumi gazed at him with disapproval. "...Haruto."

  Haruto immediately put his hands up in defense. "THIS ISN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

  Yumi's gaze darkened. "Oh really? Why was Rei tied."

  Haruto pointed at Kei. "SHE tied her up!"

  Kei tilted her head pyfully. "Yes, but you were hesitating. I was just helping you decide."

  Yumi rolled her eyes. "Helping him decide what?!"

  Kei sipped her tea.

  "Whether or not to pop her cherry."

  Yumi's face went red.

  She slowly turned to Haruto.

  "Pop her cherry?" she repeated with disgust

  Haruto dragged a hand down his face. "Kei. You can't just say things like that."

  Kei raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

  Yumi stepped forward aggressively.

  "What do you mean!" she snapped, her entire face red with rage.

  Kei sipped her tea again. "Because it's common sense. In the underground world, if an assassin fails, they are handed over to their target. Meaning, Haruto is now responsible for disciplining her."

  Haruto threw his hands up. "HOW did we go from 'she tried to kill me' to 'she's mine to do whatever with'?! What kind of sick mob rule—"

  Kei cut him off, smiling faintly. "And logically, the best way to discipline a female assassin... is to make her submit."

  Yumi's hands curled into fists. "Oh, so Haruto's supposed to WHAT—dominate her like some kind of wild animal?!"

  Kei nodded thoughtfully. "Essentially, yes."

  Yumi grabbed the nearest book and hurled it at Kei's face.

  THUNK.

  Kei leaned to the side, dodging it effortlessly.

  Haruto sighed heavily. "Guys. Please."

  Yumi jabbed a finger at him. "And YOU!"

  Haruto froze. "...Me?"

  Yumi stormed toward him. "WHY are you even HESITATING?! You should've shut her down IMMEDIATELY!"

  Haruto rubbed his temples. "I DID! BUT SHE KEEPS TALKING—"

  "OH, SO NOW IT'S KEI'S FAULT YOU HAVE NO BACKBONE?!"

  Haruto groaned. "Why do women like to make everything so dramatic, stop making this sound worse than it already is. Both of you."

  "You are no fun, Haruto-kun " Kei replied as she shook her head

  Yumi took a deep, controlled breath, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. It was huge stress for her to talk with them. "Let me summarize before I lose my mind. Rei. Tried to kill Haruto."

  Haruto nodded. "Yeah."

  Yumi blinked her expression didn't change.

  She stared at Rei.

  Then stared at Haruto.

  Then at Kei.

  Then back at Rei.

  And then, in the most dry, unimpressed tone possible—

  "I never thought you, of all people, would... stoop to such a thing," Yumi said, voice quieter now but still sharp. "You—you, who barely speak, who eats lunch with us every day. I mean, Haruto's an insufferable pervert and an absolute pyboy, but still—murder him?"

  Rei's gaze didn't waver. "Orders."

  "Orders," Yumi echoed, her tone tight with disbelief.

  "If I didn't do it, they'd send someone else," Rei said ftly. "Someone worse."

  Yumi's eyes narrowed. "Worse?"

  "Yes," Rei said simply. "Slow. Painful. I was taught to kill. Nothing else."

  Yumi's lips pressed into a thin line, her fingers curling slightly.

  "I didn't want to." Rei's voice was soft, but seemed real "I didn't know how to stop myself."

  A long silence.

  Yumi looked at her, anger, betrayal, sadness she felt all those emotions.

  "So if I ask you right now... are you still pnning to kill him?"

  Rei's answer was quiet. Direct. "No."

  "Why? I thought you were our friend! Cssmate" Yumi asked seriously, stepping closer.

  Rei looked her in the eye. "I am sorry"

  Yumi's breath caught for a second.

  SMACK.

  The sound echoed sharp and brutal through the room.

  Rei's head snapped to the side, her short, bck hair falling over her eyes. A bright red hand imprint etched across her pale cheek.

  Haruto flinched. Even Kei raised a brow, as if she'd half expected it.

  Rei didn't move. Didn't flinch. She simply sat there, tied, resigned to whatever Yumi needed to do.

  Yumi's hand trembled at her side, but her voice was steady when she spoke, cold and sharp. "That's for pretending to be my friend."

  Kei took another sip of tea, smirking behind the rim. "You know," she said lightly, "I've heard rumors about how painfully Yumi-chan sps are. A lot of boys from our school talk about it."

  Haruto grimaced. "Yeah, and I really don't wanna know if that's true."

  Kei gave him a smug gnce over the cup. "Oh, it's true."

  Haruto sighed. "Yeah. Figured."

  Meanwhile, Rei slowly turned her head back toward Yumi, her bnk expressionless like a doll. The expression she used to make.

  But now it conveys a different feeling to them.

  Yumi stared at her, before turning sharply away, arms crossing tightly over her chest as if to hold herself together.

  "You don't get to apologize and expect it all to go away," she muttered, her voice quieter but still carrying an edge.

  Rei lowered her gaze. "I know."

  Kei smiled slightly at the exchange, watching them both like a queen observing a chessboard. "Well," she mused, "at least now we're all being honest."

  Haruto ran a hand down his face. "Could've done without the sp, though..."

  "She deserved it," Yumi shot back sharply, gring at him from over her shoulder.

  Haruto held up his hands, surrendering. "Alright, alright! Not arguing."

  "Yumi," Kei said, voice calm but serious, "she was raised to be this way. Taken when she was young. Trained only to kill. Made to see people as targets. That's what they do. They break them. Pick orphans. Create killers."

  Yumi stood still for a long moment, her gaze heavy on Rei.

  Finally, she let out a slow breath.

  "...I see." Her voice was calm again, dignified—though her hands were still tight at her sides. "I don't forgive you, but I see. I guess I let you off the hook for now."

  She turned to Haruto, gring. "And you need to be more careful. You can't keep taking in every dangerous, broken woman who looks at you twice and expect it not to blow up in your face"

  Haruto blinked. "Hey—!"

  "I mean it," Yumi said, sharp again. "one day, Haruto, one day, it's going to get you killed"

  Rei looked up at Yumi, her face unreadable, but something like understanding passed between them.

  Kei smiled faintly, sipping her tea again. "Well. Now that we've all bared our souls... anyone for breakfast?"

  Haruto groaned. ""Now you care about breakfast?"

  "A girl gotta eat, Haruto-kun " Kei replied as she held her belly.

  Rei, who had been watching this unfold in silence, exhaled sharply.

  "...Kill me "

  Haruto snapped his head toward her. "Whoa, WHOA. Okay. WAY too extreme."

  Rei's expression didn't change. "It's less humiliating."

  Haruto groaned. "That's sad"

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