The date was turning out to be completely uneventful, and the displeasure was plastered all over Kushida's face.
She was sitting there in that post-angel-act state of hers, the version of her that had ripped off every last scrap of her fake "sweet girl" mask.
She was like a woman on her period, carrying that permanent dark, annoyed expression.
And honestly? She was more beautiful that way.
That's just my personal take, of course. Maybe most people wouldn't agree, maybe they'd prefer the cutesy, fake smile she used to sell to the whole class.
But me?
I thought she looked way more gorgeous in this yandere-like state.
If you want to picture the look, just think of that scene in the anime where Ayanokouji catches her red-handed where her angel act finally shatters, and she spits venom about how much she hates Horikita and basically everyone else in the class.
Yeah… that face.
That was the exact one sitting across from me at the table.
As for why the date was turning into a disaster despite me going out of my way to take her to a high-end place, it was because I made one fatal mistake: I chose a Western-style restaurant.
In my head, it sounded perfect. I thought she'd love trying something outside the usual, something she didn't often get to taste. I pictured her appreciating the novelty, maybe even enjoying the fresh burst of flavors she wasn't used to.
But nope.
I was overthinking it.
Not everyone's as open-minded or as much of a foodie as I am. I'll try anything from anywhere in the world if it's got a shot at tasting good.
Japan's cuisine can be extreme by most standards, they eat raw fish and raw meat, and yes, they even put mayonnaise as a pizza topping.
But I never hated any of it. If it's fresh and it doesn't bore me, I'm game. I'll even take the "weird" or "extreme" stuff if it hits the right notes and I trust the quality.
Kushida, though? She was like the majority, stuck to what she knew, not interested in experimenting. She made that crystal clear when she shot me a sharp glare.
"Next time, bring me to a much more decent place, boyfriend-kun."
"Okay…" I shrugged, unfazed. "I can even take you somewhere else right now. If you don't like the food, just throw it."
She narrowed her eyes, lips curling ever so slightly. "No. Let's just keep going with the date. It's your first one, after all. I don't hate it… even if it is terrible."
So, she kept poking at her food, eating it with obvious disinterest while I sat back in my chair, sipping my red wine and letting the burn slide down my throat.
My eyes stayed on her the whole time, that sharp attitude, that faint edge of hostility… yeah, I couldn't help but find it sexy.
After enjoying myself with slow, lazy sips of wine, letting the taste linger on my tongue before swallowing, I polished off the last drop from the glass.
Then, without rush, I swept my fork across the dish in front of me with an almost deliberate elegance, picking up the last bits while pouring more red wine until the glass was nearly full again.
By the time the bottle was empty, our dining night was practically done.
Kushida, at the start, had been very obviously dissatisfied with my choice of restaurant.
I could see it in the way she crossed her legs and tapped her nails against the table, clearly judging the place as too plain for her tastes.
But in the end, her displeasure melted away once she got a taste of the food. Western cuisine, according to her earlier attitude, was "not her thing."
But when the flavors hit her tongue, I could tell she had to admit it wasn't bad at all, I'd say it was actually hitting her taste buds harder than she wanted to admit.
That's how I read her mood. Not only was it "not bad" in her definition, but she was actually enjoying herself.
Maybe even a little too much for someone who wanted to look unimpressed.
It was right there, in that moment when her guard was lowered and her mood was just right, that I started the topic.
"Kushida-san," I leaned forward slightly, resting my chin lazily on my palm, "can I ask why you're so obsessed with being everyone's little angel? And to be precise, I'm talking about the majority of people at school, it's not like you bother with those outside your little circle, or random strangers in the hall."
She narrowed her eyes at me like I'd just asked the dumbest question in human history. "Isn't it just common sense to want to be loved and adored by everyone?"
What the fuck?
I honestly didn't know if people really dreamed of that crap. Even back in my past life, I never gave a damn about being loved or idolized.
I only wanted to enjoy life my way, not waste my time chasing approval.
What kind of narcissistic wet dream was that supposed to be? And was that seriously considered "common sense" now?
Thinking about it, maybe it was. Hell, in my past life, people had already shown signs of that sickness.
Even when someone got into a car accident, instead of rushing to help, people would take out their phones to record the scene and post it for likes.
Humanity at its finest, indeed.
"Alright, now I get it," I said with a half-smirk. "That's why your dream is dumb."
She rolled her eyes. "How could someone like you, who already has everything, possibly understand?"
"I never had everything in the first place," I shot back without missing a beat.
My gaze hardened. "I worked for everything I have. And besides, why should a lion care about the opinion of a sheep?"
I took another slow sip of wine, then continued, "If you want everyone to be obsessed with you, to love you, to not be able to live without you, you don't play at being an angel. You make yourself their god… or their devil. Friendship won't get you a cult, Kushida-san. Admiration, fear, and blind worship will."
She snorted. "Easier said than done. And besides, you don't have any 'friends' or 'cults' like you're talking about, so who are you to act superior?"
Her glare was sharp, but I could see the offense in her eyes.
"You've only seen my surface," I said, voice dropping. "Takashi, the guy who happens to go to the same school as you. Maybe you even think about getting revenge for the times I took advantage of you. But you can't deny it, Kushida… you're drawn to me, aren't you?"
I let the words hang there, a dark chuckle escaping my lips.
She didn't flinch.
She just stared at me with this cold, emotionless gaze that only made her look more dangerous. "Tell me about them in detail. I want to hear it."
Her eyes weren't joking, she was dead serious. She wanted to know how to gather her own followers, how to build her own cult.
And that's when it got interesting
I didn't want her to keep playing the sweet little angel everyone loved. No, I wanted to drag her down into something darker. I wanted her to become a devil.
My lips curled into a slow, knowing grin as I leaned in close, close enough for my breath to brush against her ear.
Then I began to whisper; sweet, poisonous little instructions on exactly how to do it the devil's way.
...
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