COTE: Stealing Back What's Mine

Ensuing Chaos

Kei's eyes widened at the sight of Ichinose, before narrowing immediately. Her emotions changing from surprise to anger. The vending machines were in a poorly visible corner of the hallway, which made it difficult to detect anyone approaching. Despite knowing that, I had let my guard down and lingered too long speaking with Kei. Now I was paying the consequences.

Ichinose stepped closer, her eyes hollow and devoid of life.

"Answer me, Kiyotaka."

"I just bumped into Karuizawa by the vending machines."

I knew that such an explanation would fall short of appeasing her. Logic rarely worked in these situations. Whenever Ichinose felt threatened or jealous, reason took a back seat to her possessiveness.

"From the time it takes to go from your class to the vending machines is approximately three minutes of walking," Ichinose continued, her tone eerily calm. "And another six minutes to reach my class. Yet, you've been gone for over fifteen minutes."

Her unsettling accuracy caught me off guard. She had been counting every second I was late, and I could sense Kei stiffen next to me, she was probably disturbed at Ichinose's actions.

"When you didn't return on time, I got suspicious. And it seems I was right."

There was a brief pause, and the silence that followed made the situation more uncomfortable.

"Are you cheating on me, Kiyotaka?"

Kei stepped forward, her face conveying hurt and fury.

"That's rich coming from you!" Kei shot back, her voice trembling with anger.

Ichinose's cold gaze shifted to Kei. Her eyes had such an intense look to them. I had a bad feeling about this—something terrible was about to happen.

"Shut up. I wasn't talking to you, whore," Ichinose said, her tone icy and cutting.

"Wha—!" Kei's face twisted in shock before morphing into raw anger.

The last time these two had faced off, Kei had been sick and weakened, which had subdued the confrontation somewhat. But now, Kei was in full health, and the insult Ichinose had just thrown at her cut deep. If I didn't do something soon, this might delve into an all-out cat fight

"Both of you, please calm down," I said, attempting to defuse the situation. But my words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Ichinose continued to stare at Kei with venomous intensity.

"You have no right being around Kiyotaka," Ichinose spat. "You're just some cheap whore he discarded after finding someone better."

Kei's eyes widened in shock at the insult, and I could see how deeply Ichinose's words had cut. There was a dark part of me that wanted to sit back and watch this unfold, to see how Kei would react. But I knew allowing that to happen would only escalate the situation further.

"Well, you're nothing but a thieving shoplifter!"

Ichinose's eyes glared at the insult, her past as a shoplifter was something she didn't like being brought up.

"Hold on you two, let's not escalate the situation," I said trying to calm them down, but again, they ignored me.

Ichinose took a step closer to Kei, her tone becoming almost predatory.

"I've heard about your past, Karuizawa-san."

Kei froze. Her eyes conveyed confusion and panic, as though she had just been blindsided.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know about your scar too."

Kei's face instantly drained of color. The mention of her secret—the scar under her left breast—felt like someone had ripped her heart open. She stood there, frozen, her breath hitching becoming more frantic.