Chapter 15

As Satoru struggled with his thoughts about relationships, midnight arrived before he knew it.  

“Crap, if I don’t sleep now, I won’t survive tomorrow…”  

Glancing at the clock, he realized it had already passed midnight.  

He had to wake up early enough to get to school on time, meaning he really had no time to waste.  

Between club activities, studying after school, and barely having any time to relax, the schedule was relentless.  

“High school life is brutal…”  

Though Satoru wasn’t even in a club, he still found himself muttering that complaint as he turned off the lights.  

At that same moment, Reika was already fast asleep.  

And she was trapped in a certain dream—  

“…Where is this…?”  

An empty space.  

She found herself standing there, alone.  

“I’ve found you, Reika.”  

“!?”  

The voice made Reika jump in shock.  

Why was she still hearing that voice even now?  

A voice she should never have to hear again—a voice she never wanted to hear—echoed throughout the void.  

A massive black shadow emerged in the empty space before her, slowly approaching.  

It was just a shadow, faceless and vague.  

Yet, Reika knew.  

She understood better than anyone—this was the most terrifying presence in her life.  

“W-Why are you here…?”  

“You dare disobey me, your ◯◯? Tch, looks like you need to be disciplined.”  

“N-No…”  

She instinctively took a step back, but the shadow closed in mercilessly.  

The moment it touched her arm, she felt it—like something tangible was grabbing her, holding her in place.  

“I need to train you properly… make sure you listen to me. But don’t worry. Your face is good, after all. No matter what happens, things will work out just fine.”  

Through the shadow’s words, she was once again reminded of how it truly saw her.  

She didn’t want to know.  

Not even a single shred of it.  

Yet, it was impossible not to understand.  

The more she realized, the more her heart threatened to break.  

She wanted to cry.  

“You’ll serve my purpose. After all, I’m your ◯◯. Haven’t I done plenty for you? It’s about time you return the favor, don’t you think?”  

“Y-You’re not my ◯◯…”  

That was the undeniable truth.  

But fear and despair overtook her, rendering her voice weak and trembling.  

“If I’m not, then that means there’s no issue with this discipline, right!? If I’m not your ◯◯, then I’m not your ■■ either, am I!?”  

“—!”  

As the shadow loomed over her, Reika clenched her eyes shut.  

But—

Nothing happened.  

The crushing grip on her arm was gone.  

What… was happening?  

Hesitantly, she cracked her eyes open.  

“Who the hell are you?”  

“…I won’t let you.”  

A new presence stood before her—gripping the shadow’s arm, stopping it from reaching her.  

And unlike the shadow, this figure wasn’t vague.  

He looked just as he always did when standing by her side.  

“…Satoru.”  

His name escaped her lips, but he didn’t turn.  

He simply glared at the shadow, unwavering.  

His usual lazy, easygoing demeanor was nowhere to be found.  

“You think you can interfere in ■■’s matters, kid?”  

“If you were really ■■, you wouldn’t be doing this to her. Don’t you dare use that as an excuse for your disgusting desires.”  

“Y-You little…!”  

Satoru—or rather, the figure resembling him—clashed with the shadow in a fierce verbal exchange.  

But unlike Satoru, the shadow was anything but composed, growing increasingly agitated.  

“Acting like some self-righteous hero… I’ll fucking kill you!!”  

It had finally snapped.  

The venomous threat echoed through the void.  

Reika trembled.  

Because she knew.  

Whenever it said those words, something truly horrific followed.  

Every time, she would shut her eyes, cover her ears—desperately trying to block out the nightmarish reality.  

And this time, too—

Just as she moved to close her eyes—  

“If you think you can, then go ahead. But I will protect her from you.”  

Satoru’s voice rang out, firm and unwavering.  

Reika’s eyes shot open.  

And in her vision—  

The shadow’s fist slammed into Satoru.  

“—! Haa… haa…”  

Reika jolted awake, gasping for breath.  

The clock read around 3 a.m.  

Her room was dark.  

“…That dream… again.”  

That nightmare—  

The dream that had shaped everything between her and Satoru.  

For Reika, it was a fragment of an unbearable past.  

And at the same time, the moment it all ended.  

An inescapable memory, seared into her mind so deeply that it surfaced again and again in her dreams.  

“…Disgusting.”  

She turned on the light with a shaky hand.  

Her nightwear was drenched in sweat, and a pounding headache clouded her thoughts.  

“What a mess…”  

She caught sight of herself in the mirror.  

Her face was drained of all color, lifeless.  

She looked like a ghost.  

“…Yeah, no way I’m going to school tomorrow.”  

Between the physical exhaustion and the fever creeping up on her, it was obvious—there was no way she’d make it through the day.  

This dream always left her body in shambles.  

As expected, her condition didn’t improve.  

When morning came, she was absent from school.  

“Hatsune-san isn’t feeling well today, so she’s taking the day off. Make sure you all take care of yourselves too, okay?”  

“…did you see that again? That dream.”  

Hearing the teacher’s announcement, Satoru immediately understood.