She's surprisingly… well-built.
Pinned under her, Takashi realized Maki was more than she seemed.
Some girls looked plain in clothes but were secretly loaded, like cheap factories using surprisingly high-end materials.
Under her "restraint," Takashi had no energy left to resist. He lay there like a ragdoll, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"I like Maki."
Maki, who had just been about to sit up, froze.
Her body went rigid, heart pounding like mad.
"I really like her. Like her so much it's stupid."
"Even if I know she doesn't like me back."
"Even if I know she only sees me as a stand-in. That she only liked the makeup-covered face that resembled Tsubasa's. Even so… I'm willing to stay by her side as just that."
Hearing this, Maki started to feel guilty.
She thought Takashi had deceived her—but hadn't she also used that face as emotional comfort?
Could she really say she didn't notice Takashi's feelings for her?
No.
She'd felt it.
The way he looked at her, with such deep and gentle eyes—no friend looks at you like that.
Whenever she was upset, he'd go out of his way to cheer her up. What friend would go that far?
Even when he was terrified of haunted houses, he still went in—just for her. That already went beyond the scope of friendship.
And what about her?
Every time she chatted with him, it was always about Tsubasa.
He always helped her brainstorm, encouraged her again and again. But on the other side of the screen… How heartbroken must he have been?
Helping the girl you like chase someone else—what must that have felt like?
The more she thought about it, the more Maki realized how awful she'd been.
At this moment, Takashi had no idea Maki had started self-reflecting.
Sometimes, it really just comes down to different perspectives.
"I always wondered—what if I'd told her how I felt before we entered school? What would've happened?"
Then we probably wouldn't have even become friends, Maki thought gloomily.
She'd been confessed to before.
But she had turned down every single one.
Because she didn't like them.
If she didn't like someone, she'd reject them flat out.
If she had known Takashi liked her from the start, they probably wouldn't have had any relationship at all.
"Maybe we couldn't even have been friends," Takashi said with a bitter smile. "But maybe that would've been better."
"Watching the girl I like slowly fall for another guy… and still having to smile and support her as a friend… this friendship is torture."
"I keep thinking—maybe I should just end this whole thing."
"But I really don't want to."
"I really, really don't."
"I've held on for so long. If I don't see with my own eyes that Maki and Tsubasa are really together, I'll never be able to give up completely."
"But now… there's nothing left to hesitate about."
"Maki has already made the choice for me."
Maki: "!!!"
"She deleted me."
No, I didn't! she wanted to scream—but remembering she was supposed to be a nurse, she held it in.
"Between me and Tsubasa, she still chose him in the end."
"I lost."
"A crushing defeat."
"No matter how long I stayed by her side, no matter how hard I tried, I could never compete with him."
"This love… I give up."
Maki panicked.
"How can you give up just like that?"
"You came so far—aren't you going to fight for it just a little more?"
Takashi shook his head. "I did fight."
"Fight your ass!" Maki snapped, finally losing her temper.
What fight? Where?
Sure, she sent a message saying they shouldn't contact each other anymore.
But if he had replied—even just once—she would've responded too.
But he didn't.
Not a single message was sent to me.
He's either tangled in rumors with some girl all day or getting photographed with others.
"Nurse, why do you look more agitated than I do?" Takashi lowered his head, pretending to be confused.
"I…" Maki was momentarily at a loss for words.
No good—she'd just gotten too mad and forgotten her role for a second.
"I just can't stand you giving up halfway."
"How can you just say you're done and be done?"
"I hate guys like you the most."
"I hate myself too—for liking a girl to the point of losing all reason," Takashi completely agreed with her.
"It's time I moved on."
"Before, my eyes were only on that princess. But now that I've let go, I've realized there are actually lots of great girls around me."
"Don't be fooled by how I simped in front of that princess—truth is, I'm pretty popular at school."
"There's a girl in our class named Narii who really likes me. I think I might give it a try with her."
"Try your ass!" Maki immediately got off Takashi, tore off her mask, and threw it at his face.
Her eyes were red with rage as she shouted at him.
Takashi froze on the spot.
At least, that's how it looked from Maki's perspective.
"M-Maki?! Why are you here?" Takashi stammered.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he shot up and tried to run out of bed.
"You dare run?"
Maki grabbed his arm, yanked him back, and shoved him hard onto the bed.
The guy who had just been punching the bed and getting all dramatic was now as weak as a featherweight idol—barely needed a tug to get him down again.
"Go ahead, run—I'd love to see where you think you can run off to."
She straddled Takashi's waist, pinning him in place.
Of course, Takashi wasn't even trying to resist.
He pulled the blanket over his face like those girls who don't want to be seen in smartphone videos.
"What are you hiding for?"
Maki, furious, yanked the blanket off his face and tossed it aside, determined to make him look her in the eyes.
"You don't even want to see me now, is that it?"
She was livid.
What was with trying to flee the moment he saw her?
Was she that scary?
It's not like she was Erling Haaland—she didn't eat people.
"N-No! It's not that— I… I didn't put on makeup…" Takashi awkwardly turned his face away.
Even saying that felt weird to him.
Wait… weren't their roles supposed to be reversed?
Wasn't he supposed to be the one on top?
Why was he the one being straddled?
And he didn't even have twin-tails.
Maki's expression finally softened a bit after hearing that.
"You think I wouldn't know who you are before coming to see you?" she grumbled.
But then her eyes shifted and her expression darkened as if something just occurred to her.
"Takashi, you've got some nerve. How dare you deceive me?"
"Tell me—how should I punish you?"
Takashi trembled. "W-What are you planning?"
He could tell Maki wasn't actually that mad. She was just pretending, and he was willing to play along.
"I'm warning you—don't try anything stupid. I've got protection, okay? Our president's covering me."
"Yozakura Hitomi?"
"That's right!"
"You two seem pretty close." Maki had been pretending before, but now she was really unhappy.
She never got along with Yazakura Hitomi.
"What does that have to do with you?"
Takashi turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
"Wasn't it you who said—'let's stop contacting each other'?"
"Who I hang out with is none of your business."
Maki was getting more and more annoyed.
Oh, now you've got the nerve to talk back? Is that it? she thought darkly.
She figured Takashi must've gotten corrupted from hanging out with Hitomi.
"None of my business?" She grabbed Takashi's chin and turned his face toward her.
"You like me—how is that none of my business?"
"That's some bandit logic." Takashi's tone turned annoyed too.
"Then fine—I don't like you anymore. Happy?"
"No." Maki refused without hesitation.
"You've got issues, don't you?! I don't need your permission to stop liking someone!" Takashi was so angry he was shaking.
Of course, it was all an act.
"You took my money. Don't I have a say?"
"Then I'll pay you back right now."
"I gave you a bottle of water in the desert. And now, just because you bought me one in the city, you think we're even? What a joke." Maki sneered.
"Fine. I'll pay you back double."
"You think I care about your pocket change?" She scoffed.
"Then what the hell do you want?" Takashi glared at her.
"To stay by my side like before," Maki stated plainly.
Wait… seriously?
Takashi held back a smile, but responded firmly, "What about Tsubasa?"
Just hearing that name made Maki feel irritated.
She still liked Tsubasa, but… not as much as she used to.
But she also wasn't ready to give up just yet.
"That's none of your concern."
She couldn't let go of Tsubasa yet—but there was one thing Maki was certain of: she absolutely couldn't let Takashi leave her life.
She didn't want to admit it, but the truth was, Takashi's place in her heart had already equaled—and maybe even surpassed—Tsubasa.
That was terrifying.
Because she'd had a crush on Tsubasa for years, and he was her first love. Meanwhile, she'd only known Takashi for…
Not even three months.
And in that time, Takashi had managed to catch up to Tsubasa's position in her heart.
"You don't seriously think I'm gonna be your side guy, do you?"
Huh… maybe that's not so bad, Maki thought, eyes flashing with interest.
If men could have mistresses, why couldn't she keep a pretty boy of her own?
It's not like she was short on money.
Damn it, I was just joking! Takashi panicked.
He started to wonder if he'd turned Maki into some kind of twisted character since meeting her.
Was he turning her into some kind of Japanese soap opera villainess?
"Be your side guy? Not a chance."
"I never said anything. Why are you freaking out?" she asked innocently.
She was still just a girl who hadn't even dated once. That dangerous thought had just been a passing fancy.
"What am I freaking out about? I'm freaking out because you won't let me go!"
"Let you go?"
Maki's smile turned cold again.
"Takashi… looks like you really don't understand me."
"You shouldn't have come near me in the first place. But since you did… don't think you can just walk away unscathed."
Takashi looked at her serious expression—it didn't look like she was joking at all. He started to lose his cool.
Or rather, he started to panic.
Something about this felt like it was spiraling out of his control.
"Don't think Yozakura Hitomi can protect you. Others may fear her—but I don't."
The Shijo family had broken away from the Shinomiya clan.
They were now a giant power in America—almost on par with the Shinomiyas.
While the Shijos and Shinomiyas might have internal conflict, sometimes they also united against outsiders.
Yozakura might not fear either family on their own—but if the two joined forces, even she would have to tread carefully.
"Besides—"
Maki suddenly drew out her voice and gently stroked Takashi's handsome face.
"What do you think Yozakura Hitomi and Kamikawa Narii would say if they found out you, Takashi, were being this pitiful just to stay by my side?"
"If I told them… what would your fans think?"
"Their perfect prince—turns out he's just a pathetic beggar in someone else's love story."
"Takashi, you don't want anyone knowing what's between us, do you?"
Takashi: "..."
Seeing him fall silent, Maki leaned in and whispered seductively, "Takashi… as long as you stay obedient like before and stay by my side, nothing will happen."
"No one—absolutely no one—will know."
Takashi looked at her like a heroine being overpowered in a drama. "So this is a threat?"
"Call it whatever you want." Maki smiled sweetly.
"…Despicable. I misjudged you, Maki."
Maki didn't care. She smiled, gazing at him like a predator who had locked onto her prey.
"I regret falling for you."
Nothing Takashi had said before got a reaction, but that line made her expression shift.
Her eyes slowly darkened.
"Who do you want to fall for then? Kamikawa Narii? Yozakura Hitomi? Or maybe Nagisa?"
Takashi clamped his mouth shut and said nothing.
His silence only infuriated Maki further.
"Who was it that provoked me first, Takashi?" Maki demanded.
Clearly, it was he who had initiated things with her.
So what right did he have not to like her?
"Since you chose to provoke me—" Maki lowered her head and looked down at Takashi.
Her hair draped down, and the girl's eyes turned cold and vicious. "Then don't even think about leaving me for the rest of your life."
"Even if you try to run, I'll have people drag you back."
She absolutely would not allow Takashi to leave her side.
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Bro is a yandere maker/ magnet lol.
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20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics
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