Even before they met face-to-face, Yukinoshita could already feel that person's gaze falling on her.
How could she describe such a gaze?
It was as if her legs had been bound and she was hanging upside down in a deep, dark chasm, with the ground below covered in upturned, razor-sharp blades. The glinting points of those cold, deadly spikes were so close they seemed only a finger's width from her eyes.
At the same time, she could clearly hear the rope binding her legs creaking ominously, as though it might snap at any moment under the weight of her body.
That sense of sharp, frigid oppression was unlike anything Yukinoshita had ever felt. Her skin tingled with pain. For a split second, she even questioned whether the being watching her was human at all.
A boss had appeared. Not just any boss, but one specially marked in red by the system.
Yukinoshita instinctively looked back, trying to catch a glimpse of who or what this formidable figure was.
But just as the music softened and the fountain subsided, the silhouette behind the curtain of water had already vanished.
The park was bustling with couples hand in hand, eyes shining with affection yet that extraordinary figure was nowhere to be seen.
If it hadn't been for the system's urgent warning, Yukinoshita might've suspected she'd imagined it all, just a trick of the water and light.
[System, is that person still nearby?]
The sudden alert seemed to have drained the system's energy. It had gone dead again.
Yukinoshita pressed her lips together but had no choice but to let it be.
As infuriating as the system was especially when it had first dropped her into this timeline by bluntly declaring her romantic preference for girls, casually tossing her into potential social suicide just to score points she had to admit one thing.
It had genuinely helped her.
Thanks to the system, she now had friends. She was thriving academically. She could even lend a hand to others once in a while. So much of that stemmed from the system's relentless support.
Even though the boss had vanished for now, Yukinoshita's heart remained heavy. She planned to go back and recheck the list of potential victims. Someone on that list had to fit the characteristics of the person she just encountered.
From the moment she arrived in this timeline, Yukinoshita had stepped into what could only be described as the ultimate hard-mode opening. Most of the people she encountered harbored deep resentment toward her.
But even then, those who disliked her were still just adolescents young, occasionally petty, but fundamentally decent and well-mannered. So even if they disliked her, none had ever gone too far.
Take Miura, for instance. At worst, she would throw some snark her way though more often than not, Yukinoshita had ended up losing those verbal sparring matches, much to her embarrassment.
Or Kasumigaoka, who at the absolute peak of her loathing had merely considered squeezing wasabi into Yukinoshita's toothpaste. But when it came down to it, she couldn't even bring herself to do that.
This person, however this new presence radiated hatred so intense and undisguised that Yukinoshita didn't doubt for a second they might draw a knife on her then and there.
Would they hurt her family? Would they hurt Haruno?
Being stared at by someone filled with such venomous malice it unsettled even someone like her.
Her mood darkened. She began moving away from the crowded fountain area to wait for Kasumigaoka in a quieter spot near the park entrance. That's when she spotted a vaguely familiar figure.
…
It was the weekend, and high schooler Tsubasa Tanuma was on a date at the city's number-one romantic hotspot the music fountain park with his unbelievably cute girlfriend, Nagisa Kashiwagi.
The two of them had just started dating, still floating in the honeymoon phase where everything about the other seemed utterly divine. Today's outing was all about strengthening their bond.
Tsubasa was holding Nagisa's hand, so overwhelmed by joy he could cry.
At school, his girlfriend always seemed to spend more time with her best friend, Maki Shijo. And as anyone at Shuchiin could tell you, Maki hated him with a passion.
The way she looked at him it was like he was some half-evolved ape. Or maybe an even uglier version of a chimpanzee. Even when he tried to get a little closer to his girlfriend, Maki would glare at him like he was some infectious bacteria about to contaminate her.
There had even been a short-lived rumor at school that Maki Shijo liked him.
Tsubasa had wanted to drop to his knees and beg those rumor-mongers for mercy.
There was no way absolutely no way that Maki would ever like him. She'd probably choose a dog over him.
But today, Maki wasn't around. And finally, he could hold hands with his girlfriend openly and happily.
Victory.
Blushing, Tsubasa stole a glance at Nagisa, then quickly looked away.
"N-Nagisa…"
Nagisa turned away from the shop window with a soft smile. "Yes, Tsubasa?"
"I was wondering…" he hesitated, then finally gathered the courage. "Can I… can I call you Nagisa from now on…?"
A faint blush bloomed across her cheeks. She whispered back, "Then… I'll call you Tsubasa-kun, too…"
It wasn't anything particularly embarrassing to say, but both of them turned red and looked down shyly.
Not far behind them, hidden behind a wall, Maki Shijo was all but choking on her own tears.
She swore she hadn't followed them on purpose.
As a refined young lady from a prestigious family, she would never do something so socially ruinous as stalking a couple in public.
She had just… happened to be passing by.
Even if these "coincidences" had been piling up a bit lately.
Maki Shijo had liked Tsubasa Tanuma for a long time a frustrating truth she could only admit to herself, and only when she was alone.
The more awkwardly she'd tried to hide her feelings in the past, the more bitter her emotions felt now.
He was her best friend's boyfriend. That meant she could never try to take him for herself.
But sometimes, she wondered if Tsubasa weren't dating Nagisa, would she really have the courage to confess her own feelings?
Right at that moment, Tsubasa seemed to be turning around.
And Maki, having just stepped out from behind the wall, didn't have time to duck back.
Her face went pale.
I'm doomed.
This is it. Social death!
But then fwump a parasol opened gently in front of her.
The deep navy canopy blocked her from view.
Maki looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, and saw a familiar face.
A girl who seemed to have stepped out from a place where moonlight met falling snow.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze calm and even.
"Every time I see you," she said, "you're always crying."
————————————————————————————————————————————————
Already hooked? Let me know what caught your attention—your review fuels the adventure ahead!
The season is shifting. Dive into OneJourney and stay a step ahead of the pack.
[email protected]/yanxx
Change @ to a.