I N N O C E N C E (Shu Sakamaki)

Chapter 27

"Nice, Reiji." Ayato leaned his elbow against the top of the car seat. "Is there any buzz you can't kill?"

Manami was lost in her thoughts, her gaze shifted outside the window, not paying attention to the commotion which was most likely incited by Yui's unintended provocation.

Just her presence could drive the brothers insane, which confused Manami. How can Yui get such sadistic and violent reactions from the brothers without even trying? Whether it was a talent or a curse, she couldn't tell.

Despite all that, it wasn't worth thinking about. Manami's mind was more occupied with the idea of her lack of thoughts, which was unusual, since she was one of the people that found it more pleasurable to be alone with herself.

Manami shifted her gaze slightly to watch Laito, who was flirtatiously throwing his usual one-liners around. He was completely back to normal and she was more or less glad. His usual personality was much more calming than his emotional one.

That day he had shown his vulnerability to her, but since then, it was never to appear again.

She sighed, looking back out the window, making sure to avoid any kind of eye contact with Shu.

Even though she hated to admitted it, it felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and shot at by a thousand arrows.

...

"That's very brave of you to assume you hold such meaning to me." He chuckled, getting up from her lap. "Why should I think of you as any other way than the previous brides? Have I perhaps gave you the wrong idea about your role? You are to provide us with your blood, and that's where it ends. Don't think that you are anything special than what you really are. Eventually, your life will be wasted just like the rest of them."

...

She smirked. As if I am capable of love at this point in my life - I was just being delusional. I don't love him. I am not allowed to love him. I will not love him.

The nightly sky was clear of clouds, and the trees were so close together that you couldn't observe what was hiding in between.

"Shut up and piss of, asshole!" Ayato exclaimed in fury, as Manami gritted her teeth.

So fucking loud...

"Can you shut up already? Seriously, stop acting like children." She said unconsciously, not realizing her own words as she spoke her thoughts out loud.

Her eyes widened at the realization that the car went silent.

"Oh wow, Sadako, so you can be brutal." Ayato remarked as Manami cleared her throat.

"Excuse me for my rudeness... I was thinking of a memory. I wasn't referring to you-"

"Too late for that." Subaru folded his arms as he looked at her with the side of his eye.

"So is that what you truly feel of us?" Reiji fixed his glasses, as a scoff escaped his throat. "And here I thought you would have learned your place by now. How pathetic."

Manami sighed, but her eyes quickly caught a glimpse of something outside.

As the car was passing next to a cliff, she noticed tall figures standing on its edge. She furrowed her eyebrows as she squinted, realizing that it wasn't her hallucinations. There indeed were four men standing on the cliff.

She couldn't distinguish their faces, but she could tell that they were wearing the same uniform as the academy the Sakamaki brothers and herself were attending.