Aoi's help

Mikasa stood in front of me, her arms crossed, eyes scanning me like I was some kind of science experiment gone wrong. "Alright, spill it, Ryo. What's up with that depressing aura? You look like you just got dumped."

I sighed. "It's complicated."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow. "Try me."

I hesitated. Could I really just dump everything on her? She had just come back, and I wasn't even sure she wanted to get involved in my messed-up life. But then again, Mikasa had never been the type to back down from a fight. Maybe that's why, despite everything, I told her everything.

By the time I finished, she let out a long whistle. "Wow. So, you thought you were saving a damsel in distress, and it turns out the damsel was actually a backstabbing snake?"

"That's… one way to put it," I muttered.

Mikasa smirked. "And now you don't know what to do, huh?"

"I just—I feel like an idiot." I ran a hand through my hair. "I was ready to go to war for her, Mikasa. I thought Toru was the villain, but now I don't know what to believe."

Mikasa's smirk faded. She looked at me, really looked at me, and for the first time in a long time, I saw something serious in her expression. "You're not an idiot, Ryo. You just wanted to do the right thing."

I looked away. "Did I?"

Mikasa placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "Yeah. And that's what matters."

The next day at school, Yuki was back to her usual self—or at least, she was pretending to be. She laughed with her friends, flirted with guys, and acted like nothing had ever happened.

But when she saw me, her smile wavered.

She knew.

She knew that I knew.

She pulled me aside between classes, her voice sweet, but her grip on my wrist tight. "Hey, Ryo~ We need to talk."

I pulled away from her grasp. "I don't think we do."

Her expression darkened for just a second before she forced her fake smile back on. "Oh, come on~ Don't be like that. You know how things are, right? It's just how the game is played."

"Game?" I repeated, disgusted. "You used me. You used Toru. And what? You were just going to keep playing everyone?"

She sighed dramatically. "Ugh. You really are naive, huh?"

I clenched my fists. "No. I just thought you were better than this."

Yuki's expression shifted. I saw something flicker in her eyes—something almost sad—before she quickly hid it behind another smirk. "Well, that's your mistake, then."

Before I could say anything else, I felt a hand on my shoulder. A familiar warmth, a presence I hadn't expected.

"Alright, that's enough."

I turned—and there she was.

Aoi.

For the first time since she had refused to help me, she was standing beside me, her usual bored expression replaced with something… different. Something determined.

Yuki let out a small laugh. "Oh? And who's this? Your bodyguard?"

Aoi tilted her head, her deep brown eyes staring straight into Yuki's soul. "You could say that."

Something about the way she said it sent a chill down my spine. Even Yuki, for all her bravado, looked a little uneasy.

Aoi turned to me, her expression softening. "You were right to want to help, Ryo."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

Aoi sighed. "I watched. I listened. And I changed my mind."

I stared at her. "So… you are going to help me?"

Aoi smirked. "I never said I wouldn't help. I just said you needed to try first. And now that you've proven you actually care, I suppose I can step in."

Mikasa suddenly cut in, crossing her arms. "Hold on, hold on. Who is this chick, and why does she sound like she's got some kind of god-complex?"

Aoi turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "And who's this? Your sidekick?"

Mikasa scoffed. "Please. If anything, you're the sidekick here."

I sighed. "Oh boy…"

Aoi ignored Mikasa and looked back at me. "If you really want to fix things, Ryo, then we do it my way."

Yuki narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly are you planning?"

Aoi smiled. But it wasn't a friendly smile.

It was the smile of someone who was about to turn the tables.

"Let's just say… I don't like cheaters."