≡;- ꒰ °𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 ꒱

➷ 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄

Echiko stormed into the hangout spot, an angry expression on her face. She saw Ryo alone in the pantry, making his own coffee. 

"Echiko? What are you doing here? We don't have any meetings, do we?" Ryo asked but was ignored as Echiko grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the pantry and forcing him to sit on the sofa.

"Nope. We don't have any meetings, but this meeting is just for you and me," Echiko said, trying to calm down.

"Ryo-kun, where the fuck did you find that bitch named Sakura?" she asked, making Ryo smirk. 

"Why? Are you jealous?" Ryo said. 

"Fuck that jealousy. She's a spy," Echiko told him, causing Ryo to frown.

"What are you talking about?" Ryo asked, glaring at her. 

"I heard it myself! She's a spy sent by the Devil's Eyes," Echiko said. 

"Yeah right, as if," Ryo laughed and tried to walk away, but Echiko stopped him and made him sit again. 

"Echiko, if you want me to listen to you, let's just say I won't," Ryo said, pushing Echiko away.

Echiko's heart broke into pieces, disappointment evident in her eyes. 

"People change, Ryo-kun," Echiko said, trying to hide her sadness.

"Yes, people do change. Just like you," Ryo said, walking away. 

"You're the one who's changed, Ryo, ever since she came here," Echiko said, trying her best not to look at him.

"Echiko, if you're jealous, just say so. It's not like I didn't know you loved me like crazy," he smirked, making Echiko look at him. 

"Yes, I am! I AM JEALOUS OF HER. BUT DOES THAT IMPLY THAT I HATE HER? NO, IT DOESN'T! I didn't hate her because she's your girl and she's kind enough to teach us. Yet, knowing her as a spy makes me want to kill her right away! That's why I'm asking you, where did you find that girl?" Echiko said, scolding Ryo.

"I don't want to talk to a liar." Those were the only words that came from Ryo's mouth, making Echiko run to him and punch him in the face. Ryo dropped to the floor, his cheek numb. 

"You're the one who's lying to me. You gave me everything I wanted. You gave me sweet talk. You gave me hope. Yoshizawa Ryo!" she said, grabbing his collar and sitting on Ryo's stomach with tears streaming down her face.

Ryo was shocked by Echiko's sudden action and decided to keep his mouth shut. 

"I'm here... to tell you... that she's betraying us... she's... with the Devil's Eyes team... not with us..." Echiko said, sobbing. Ryo tried to wipe the tears from her face but was pushed away by Echiko. 

"Don't you fucking dare touch me anymore," Echiko said as she got up and wiped her tears away while walking out.

"Being a leader doesn't mean everyone should listen to you, Ryo. You should listen to others' opinions and decide what's best. No one ever dared to talk back to you, but I punched you today, and I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell you about Sakura so that you would be careful with her. I guess I went too far," she said, calming down and breathing deeply.

"Tomorrow is the big day for the Manshi Gang. I hope you try your hardest and do your best," she added. 

"Echiko..." Ryo started to say, but Echiko cut him off. 

"You know, this is what will happen if you don't stop your ego from growing. You will lose everything you have and love. Ryo-kun, this is the last time I ever call you Ryo. From now on, we are nothing but teammates. So, right here and right now, you don't ever mind my business and I won't bother yours. Mark my words, Yoshizawa-san," Echiko said as she walked out of the hangout spot.

Yeah, it's better this way. I never got a single chance to make him mine, even in the past. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make him fall for me, Echiko thought while riding her bike.

She pressed the throttle to accelerate because she just wanted her bed and pillow right now. Once she arrived, she quickly went to her bedroom with tears still on her face. Someone called her before she entered the room, but she ignored it.

"What's wrong with her?" Mitsuya asked, and Minyoung shrugged. 

"Please, have a seat," Rina said, and they sat on the sofa. 

"So, what's the purpose of your visit today?" Sora asked as she sat with the girls. 

"We were bored at our house, so we decided to chill here," Mitsuya said, and they ate the snacks that Minyoung had put on the table before. This wasn't the first time they had hung out at the girls' house.

"Excuse me," Akkun said as he got up from his seat and walked to Echiko's room. He tried to get in, but the door was locked from the inside, so he knocked. 

"Echiko..." Akkun called softly.

To Akkun, Echiko was his weakness. Seeing her cry was the last thing he ever wished for. He knew how terrible Echiko's life had been since she was born. She was never accepted by the family because she was a girl. Their parents wanted another boy because, for them, a boy brings luck and a girl brings misfortune to the family. That's why they treated her badly, and that's also why Echiko joined the Manshi Gang—to prove to her parents that she could do things just as well as the boys could. 

"Echiko, can you let me in?" Akkun said again, knocking on the door.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I don't want you to see me like this," she said, which made Akkun dissatisfied. 

"Let me in, Imouto-chan, I want to see you," he said. 

"I will tell you later, but not now," she replied, making Akkun feel even more sad. 

"That's okay, bro. Sometimes she needs time for herself, okay? Let's just wait until she's fine," Yuki said, tapping Akkun's shoulder. They walked away and decided to give Echiko some space.

TO BE CONTINUED...