Chapter Eleven

For a full week, my opponent and I have been engaged in a never-ending cycle of squabbling. Since school was out of session and I didn't have access to the addresses of the students on the honor roll, my only option was to try and provoke them into revealing themselves. Despite the old adage "Don't poke the bear," cautioning against provoking someone who could retaliate, I couldn't resist prodding at their vulnerabilities. It's possible that some people may have suffered consequences because of my childish behavior, but it was necessary for me to do so in hopes that the masked figure would make a mistake. In the pursuit of my selfishness needs, sacrifices often need to be made.

Speaking of sacrifices, I went easy on Hana. That student with the mask has been eating away at my thoughts. Since returning to school today, I've made sure to liven things up. Hana has promised to be there for me and she's been texting me nonstop to check in, but I have to keep pushing her further so that she will continue to only think of me and fulfill my purpose.

" Seems like you are cooking a plan." a small chuckle escaped his mouth as he held onto his gut to calm him humorously side, "I've been on the app called TikTok on your computer, and the new generations of humans sure make up some silly vocabulary." As he spoke, he gestured with his hands as if he were cooking. "You see," he explained, "cooking is more than just creating a meal. It's about creating something new and unique. But the kids these days use the word to describe simply coming up with an idea." He kept talking, but I could tell that my lack of interest was apparent and his words trailed off. 

As I stared into his hollow eyes, he suddenly looked away and let out a forced cough, dispersing the tension that had lingered between us." So what's the plan today?"

"I will be focusing on investigating rather than doing my work. Also, I'm going to mess with Hana some more, mhm, I wonder what should I do with her today?"

I can see the righteousness coming over Edel's body as his posture is serious, here we go. I wonder how Edel is in the shinigami realm. He's too chivalrous.

" What did she do to you for you to treat her the way you do? You are toying with her too much." as I figured, I basically mimicked him in my head.

I couldn't help but scoff at his words. Edel was always preaching about morality and ethics, but did he fully grasp the gravity of this battle? We were in a fight for our lives where people would inevitably die. This world was already struggling to survive, and with the added threat of the death note, chaos reigned supreme. The death toll had surpassed even the deadliest wars in history.

People who constantly preach about morality really irritate me. They are often hypocrites as if they have been in the same position as those who commit heinous acts. Society can push someone to their breaking point and force them to act on their impulses. In this world, no one will come to save you, so it's easier to just trample over others and put ourselves above them. That's what happened to me, and it's a common story for those who are labeled as "evil" individuals.

I shot a fierce glare at Edel. Right now, he reminded me so much of my parents and people from my past that I wanted to scream. I didn't want to be reminded of my past; I wanted to escape it. Everyone who was involved in those memories was either gone or out of my life, and I wanted to keep it that way. "I will do whatever I please with Hana, and it's none of your concern. She deserves every bit of pain that I inflict upon her because she is no different from all the other people who have wronged me in the past."

I didn't acknowledge his reply and continued walking towards school, ignoring Edel's attempt to convince me to go easy on Hana. This conversation and the vacant look on the woman's face in the live streams brought back memories of my childhood. I remembered one girl who warned me not to suppress my inner being but to embrace it instead, or else its hunger would only grow stronger.

******

Stepping into the school building, the overwhelming feeling is that of being in a foreign place. The usual loud chatter can still be heard, but it is muted compared to its normal level. People are huddled together, whispering among their close circles. Some students are even hiding in their lockers, isolating themselves from the rest. Is this the doing of that masked teenager from his venting livestream? Are they too afraid to share personal information with strangers? The various groups of friends are scattered throughout the hallway, using textbooks to cover their mouths as they scan the area cautiously. As each day goes by, he manages to annoy me more than the day before. One of my responsibilities is to monitor the top honor roll students. How can I keep tabs on them in such an open space? Everyone is on high alert and watching out for any potential death note users. If I try to follow certain individuals around the school, it would draw too much attention since everyone has their own cliques and I am one of the only lone wolves trying to tail them.

I have to maintain my facade of normalcy, continuing with my regular activities as if nothing had changed since the day I took over Yugin's identity. His only known personality was that of a serious student, and that's the mask I will continue to wear. Adjusting my glasses, I make my way confidently to my locker. No one suspects that I am the user of the Death Note, and even that mysterious masked teen wouldn't suspect me either. But who is behind that mask? Who in this school is responsible for those events?

"Yugin, there you are." I can already tell it's Hana Choi without even peeking my head out of my locker. The hallways may sound empty, but there are actually a lot of people around. They seem to act like paid statues, not moving when you're looking at them but moving quietly when your back is turned. I could hear multiple pairs of footsteps approaching me, and I knew Hana was walking with her group – or more accurately, her followers who were always by her side, blindly agreeing with her every word. 

As I rummaged through my locker, she snaked her arm around mine and pressed her body against me. Most teenage boys would be turned on by the physical contact, but all I felt was disgust. While I may use people for my own gain, it is not in a sexual way. The thought of dominating someone sexually does nothing for me; I am more interested in manipulating them to do dark deeds like eliminating their entire family. Plus, who knows where these girls have been or what they've experienced? I refuse to become another number on their list of sexual conquests. My ideal romantic partner has always been someone who is like me in every way - physically pure and mentally aligned with my beliefs. Someone who will stand by my side, helping me eliminate anyone who gets in our way. But finding such a person seems almost impossible, so I am grateful for the chance to be a death note user. Yet, the likelihood of meeting a girl who truly understands and shares my thoughts and values feels like one in a million. To be clear, that person will never be Hana Choi. 

I can sense the jealousy radiating from someone in the group. I am certain it's Anthony, and I know he is seething with anger, perhaps even wanting to harm me physically. His rage surrounds me like a suffocating cologne that he sprays without warning. I deliberately avoided making eye contact with Hana and instead glanced down at her chest, trying to appear hesitant and not too bold. I could feel Anthony's watchful eyes on me, like a hawk hovering above its prey.

"Yugin, come with us. You should be next to me so people won't mess with you." Hana extended a gesture that all the outcasts at school would eagerly accept. After her visit to my house, where I confronted her about how poorly she had treated "Yugin" over the years, she has been making an effort to make amends for her mistakes. But it still isn't enough; she needs to face consequences for how she mistreated "Dolion" during their last encounter. I'm ruining her out of pettiness and I simply don't care.

" Sure," I mumble under my breath, but it's still loud enough for Anthony to hear. Everyone else in the group eagerly nodded their heads, not because they were excited to have me there, but because their Queen Hana invited me. "I will meet you after the second period," I didn't wait for her reply as I hurried to the bathroom, my footsteps echoing in the hallway. But a few seconds later, I heard heavier and angrier steps behind me and knew without looking that it was Anthony Williams, always hot on my heels.

Without even turning the knob, my body was shoved into the bathroom and I tumbled across the floor. The corners of my mouth curved up as a slow smile formed. It never took much to make him this angry, but I couldn't help but enjoy it. His neck and face bulged with veins, his brown skin tinged with patches of red, and his teeth clenched tightly as if he had undergone an overly aggressive veneer procedure.

"I see you staring at her chest, you fucking nerd." As he inched closer, hatred dripped from his lips like venom. He moved with a slow, predatory grace, akin to Michael Myers stalking his helpless victims.

" Taking a page from your books, my eyes were staring at her tits when she was in my arms at my home. The full view sight of seeing her perfectly round boobs." I licked my lips as he clenched his fists and took a step toward me, I noticed a flash of hesitation in his eyes before the anger consumed him again. Before he could make another move, I quickly propelled myself off the ground and delivered a hard punch to his stomach. I could feel the impact reverberate through my hand, but I knew it was necessary to defend myself without leaving any obvious bruises or marks.

I lunged forward, grabbing his shirt collar with an iron grip as I raised my other hand. The red arrow appeared above my hand, a glowing symbol of my power and determination. I locked eyes with him, a menacing smirk stretching across my face. " Since you have a massive crush on Hana, I will use that to my advantage for this." confusion took over his face as my smirk grew wider, "I need a favor."