The White Room Dropout - A CotE Fanfic

Part 40: Ayanokouji's Confession

Rushing out of the restroom, I bounded up the staircase, my heart hammering in my chest, anxiety coursing through my veins. Each step felt like a race against time, a desperate scramble to reach the rooftop.

Finally, I emerged onto the rooftop, and there she was, Maekawa, standing perilously close to the edge of the railing, her silhouette outlined against the dimming evening sky. My breath caught in my throat at the sight, but what truly jolted me was the stark, emotionless statement that hung in the air like a heavy cloud.

"If you're suffering so much, perhaps you should just kill yourself," Kiyotaka's voice cut through the tense silence.

With heavy breaths, I shouted, "No!" and instinctively rushed towards Maekawa, my heart pounding in my chest. I reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her back from the perilous edge of the railing. We both tumbled to the rooftop's cold, rough surface in a tangled heap. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I held her close, trying to catch my breath.

As I lay there with Maekawa, my mind raced. Why would Kiyotaka tell her to die? It was as if he had no regard for her life at all. The chilling thought sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

I couldn't tear my gaze away from Kiyotaka's face. It was a face that showed no signs of remorse, no hint of empathy, and for a brief moment, it appeared as though he was puzzled, almost as if he didn't understand the gravity of what he had just said.

I gritted my teeth, anger simmering within me. "Kiyotaka," I said, my voice steadier now but filled with righteous fury, "you're a monster."

The silence that hung in the air felt suffocating, broken only by the distant sounds of the city below. Kiyotaka's expression remained unchanged, his eyes locked on mine, unwavering. I couldn't help but wonder if I had been too harsh in labeling him a monster, but the gravity of his words demanded a response.

Then, in an unsettling shift, Kiyotaka's expression transformed. His eyes, once filled with an unsettling ambiguity, turned cold and emotionless again. It was a jarring transition, one that transported me back to the very first time I had encountered him. That initial impression of an enigmatic, emotionless figure had resurfaced, making me question whether I ever truly understood the depths of his character.

The shift in Kiyotaka's demeanor was nothing short of disconcerting. His eyes, which had moments ago held a hint of something I couldn't quite grasp, now reverted to their cold, emotionless state. It was like a door slamming shut, shutting me out as effectively as it had done the very first time we met.

"Kei," Kiyotaka finally spoke, his voice as frigid as his expression, "you're right. I am a monster."

His words hung in the air like a chilling confession, sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. "What do you mean?" I managed to stammer, my voice trembling with disbelief. "Why would you say that?"

Kiyotaka's gaze remained unyielding as he began to unravel the enigma of our connection. "You see, Kei," he said, his tone devoid of empathy, "you were merely a medium for me to learn about love."

My heart pounded, and I struggled to process his revelation. "A medium? What are you talking about, Kiyotaka? We've known each other for more than a year. You can't just reduce our relationship to some experiment."

Kiyotaka's lips barely twitched in response, his demeanor unchanged. "It's not an experiment, Kei. It's an observation, a means to an end."

The weight of his words settled in, and I felt a mixture of anger and betrayal rise within me. "You used me?" I asked, my voice trembling with a blend of hurt and anger. "All this time, our relationship, it meant nothing to you?"