Chapter 27: Cracks and Confessions

School had always been quiet for me. Controlled. Predictable.

My desk. My books. My silence. My performance.

And Airi, watching from beside me like a gentle flame. Always burning. Always warm.

But today, a variable arrived.

Her name was Minako. Transfer student. Black hair cut short, sharp eyes, and a confidence too quick to be genuine. She introduced herself with practiced poise and an unmistakable gleam in her gaze when it landed on me.

I ignored her.

Until she sat beside me.

"I've heard about you," she said, her voice smooth, almost teasing. "Top student. Mysterious. Quiet."

I kept my eyes on the book.

"And taken," I replied calmly.

She laughed. "I didn't say I was trying to take anything. Just curious."

Her presence was calculated. She wasn't reckless, just… persistent.

Throughout the day, she found ways to talk to me again. Asked for help in Chemistry. Sat closer at lunch. Complimented my handwriting.

I didn't encourage her—but I didn't shut her down completely either.

Because I couldn't afford to be too sharp. It drew attention.

When she asked for my WeChat, I hesitated only a moment.

Then I gave it.

A calculated risk. One conversation meant nothing.

Or so I thought.

After School

The sun had begun to dip behind the apartment blocks by the time Airi and I reached our street.

We walked side by side—her steps a little faster than usual. Her hands were in her skirt pockets. Her mouth tight.

I already knew.

She'd seen Minako. She'd noticed the glances. Maybe even overheard a bit.

Of course she had.

When we reached our gate, she didn't stop.

She walked up to her door, unlocked it, then turned.

"Come inside," she said.

I blinked once.

"My parents aren't home," she added.

Her voice was too casual.

I followed her in without a word.

The house was dim, the hallway warm with the scent of clean linen and a trace of her perfume. She slipped off her shoes quickly, then turned and looked at me sharply.

"Sit."

I sat.

She stood in front of me for a long moment—arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Who is she?" she asked.

"Minako. A new transfer student."

"You gave her your WeChat."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To avoid attention."

Her eyes narrowed. "You think I'm stupid?"

"No."

"Then stop lying to me."

I tilted my head slightly, watching her emotions stir like a storm behind her eyes.

"I'm not lying," I said calmly. "But you're upset."

"Of course I'm upset," she snapped, stepping closer. "She looked at you like she wanted to eat you alive. And you… you just let her."

I didn't move.

She climbed onto the couch, straddling me, fingers pressing against my chest.

"You say you love me," she whispered, "but sometimes I think you're just pretending. That you're not really here with me at all."

I looked at her, expression still blank.

That hurt her more than any words would've.

"Do you even feel anything?" she asked. "Anything at all?"

"Yes."

"Then prove it."

She kissed me—fierce, frustrated, hungry. Her lips trembled slightly as they pressed against mine, and her hands clutched the sides of my shirt like she was holding onto the last part of a dream.

I let her pull me down onto the couch, her breath hot against my neck, her body pressed close.

This wasn't just lust.

It was interrogation through affection.

Her love was a net. And she was tightening it.

She pushed my shirt off and pressed kisses along my chest, murmuring, "Tell me the truth. Tell me there's no one else. Tell me you're mine."

"You're the only one," I said softly.

It wasn't a lie.

Because the others weren't girls.

They were goddesses.

And Elira didn't count—not in Airi's world.

She stared at me for a long time, eyes wide, vulnerable. Her skirt had risen. Her legs straddled me, bare and trembling slightly. Her blouse was half-unbuttoned.

"Don't pull away from me again," she said. "I'm serious, Ren. If I feel you drifting… I'll pull you back."

Her voice was calm. Sweet.

But her grip on my shoulder tightened.

"I'll make sure no one else gets close. Ever."

I held her gaze.

And I believed her.