The Odd One Out

SS. 16 - Kushida Kikyou: Changing Times

When I first met Ayanokouji Kiyotaka on the bus, I wasn't sure how I felt about him. Like everyone else, I was well aware of him after the news about the White Room broke out.

I would be lying if I said I hated him with all my heart. A part of me felt pity for him because of how much he suffered in that place.

One night, he caught me screaming out my anger. Stupid me, why did I forget my phone at his place?

I was an idiot, I thought I could prevent him from telling anyone about this by saying that if he were to do so, I would tell everyone he tried to rape me. Little did I know he recorded me.

After that, I started hating him a little more. I wanted to expel him because he knew of my past, much like Horikita.

He blackmailed me with that video. I had to do what he wanted me to do. Luckily for me, he wasn't after my body.

Oh how I hated working for that brat.

That was my thought at the time.

Overwhelmed by my hatred, I decided to betray the class during the Zodiac Exam. I gave Ryuuen the three VIP names of Class D. I told him about the other three classes' plan. It was easy since I was in the Cow Group along with all the other class leaders.

That was a mistake.

During the last class meeting, Ayanokouji told the class of the presence of a traitor in our class.

Crap. I'm about to be exposed. At least, that was what I thought.

In the end, he didn't. Why? He had the video, he could've ended my school life right there and then.

I told the class that I wanted to talk the him. After I asked him why he didn't expose me, he said he had deleted the video.

Is this guy insane? What the hell?

That idiot told me it was because he wanted me to trust him. He even invited me to rant out my problems to him.

I went through his phone. I even searched every corner of his room, every folder on his computer when we came back to school. I found nothing.

I felt hope.

Perhaps I could trust him, at least a bit.

Since that day, I started let out my frustration in his room. I would be lying if I said it didn't help. I can't remember the last time I felt this good. When I was in middle school, I had built up so much anger and anxiety that I vomited frequently and my hair started falling out.

After the Sports Festival, Horikita tried to expose me. That bitch. Luckily for me, she didn't have proof, and Ayanokouji defended me when he was interrogated.

You idiot, Ayanokouji. Why are you doing all this for me?

I asked him why he did that, he gave a vague answer, his typical 'who knows'. This guy...

I felt comfortable around him, like I didn't have to put on my mask because he simply did not care.

Damn you, Ayanokouji, for making me feel this comfortable around you.

A while after, Horikita wanted to meet up. I messaged Ayanokouji to inform him about it.

Horikita proposed a deal. She proposed to leave me alone if I left the class alone. I did as Ayanokouji told me to. I told Horikita that I didn't betray the class and played innocent.

Ayanokouji was listening the entire time. Horikita was frustrated when she saw him.

Ayanokouji then told me I should give Horikita a second chance. A second chance?