Rina Akane, a girl born with a talent for everything and smarter than most to make use of those talents. Hailed as a genius and praised by everyone. Even at the age of nine, she could keep up with the training which broke countless teenagers' resolve. The expectations were never a burden for her, she knew she could achieve anything and everything with just a bit of effort, besides, she enjoyed it.
But that changed very soon, the result of her skill awakening was ambiguous. What did the priest mean by saying that he couldn't figure out the nature of her skill? In the organization, the ones with the most powerful skills were revered the most. What would she do with that useless 'skill possessing individual certificate'? How would she train her skill when she didn't even know what it was and how to even activate it?
The expectations were now a burden, she tried everything to call out her skill. Everything failed. The expectant eyes now looked with pity. The frustrations piled up, she gave up... on everything. Still, she held out for a very long period for a ten-year-old - A whole year.
Still, the worst was yet to come. On a day when the father, the head of the organization, took her on a stroll to cheer up the eleven-year-old girl. Some enemies attacked. The father died protecting the girl. Why? Why did it happen? Why was she such a deadweight? If only she knew how to use her skill, she could've helped him. If only she knew how to use her skill, she could've escaped, and her father would have fought without a burden. If only she knew how to use her skill, she wouldn't have just sat and watched her father die fighting.
If only... if only she wasn't born...
Yeah, she could just die, and all the trouble would get solved. The girl thought.
No, she had to live on.
Her father didn't save her that day just so, she could die at another.
She went back to finding answers to find a way to activate the skill. Then she remembered - the priest who evaluated her awakening said something about having a similar case a few days ago with a boy. What was the boy doing? Did he figure out a way to activate his skill?
She started to 'observe' the boy - from afar. Was it wrong of her? Who cared, the boy wouldn't know. Hm, the boy was strange, in many ways. Why he wasn't working to find a way to use his skill at all? He had little to no interest in becoming a Guardian too! Pretty much every boy of that age had a singular dream to be a Guardian, saving the city from Sinners, it was cool, why else. Why was he more interested in books? More so, history books!? He could've been an average bookworm, but she had seen more, more inside, there was something more to it... he wasn't just a normal eleven-year-old, maybe he was a genius as well, like her? Well, he did seem more mature, more interesting, somewhat like herself.
But what was he doing with his life exactly? He seemed driven to attain a wealthy future, he even worked for it. But wasn't the best way to achieve that would be to become a guardian? He seemed smart enough to know at least that... why was he so uninterested in that job and his skill?
So, she went and asked him directly. Of course, she was subtle about it and with a disguise on.
"Of course, becoming a Guardian is an option for a future like that, but there are other options too. Why not try hands on those? If you want something, then there are always multiple ways to get it."
Those words struct her to the core... why couldn't she think of that! 'The boy was a genius or what!' The twelve-year-old girl thought.
She wanted strength but was her dormant skill the only way? Of course, not! Why hadn't she looked around herself more? Since the public usage of skills was declared a sin, they were also taught to fight using knives, and other man-made weapons. She already knew the basics, she just had to master it like no one. And she did it in just a year. Combined with a gun, she was a cheat. She rose back to being the genius of the organization, the worthy daughter of the new head, her mother.
Aware or unaware, she was becoming addicted to three things, knives, guns and that boy...
A year later, she even proposed to him, to make him all hers. But the boy playfully rejected her.
"Haha, maybe when we grow up." Is what he said.
-
I opened my eyes, my head was resting on something soft and firm. I don't know how much I slept, but I felt really fresh. I sluggishly looked up, past a pair of mounds, seeing a familiar face, I smiled.
'It's Rina ..........!!!!!!!!! Fuck! It's Rina!!'
I jolted upward and took exactly four steps back before finally, my mind calmed down a bit... I looked at Rina, she was... just sitting there with a shocked and subdued face, as if her cat won't come close- her cat was me?
Fena was lying beside her, sleeping. So were Yelo and Emy. They looked rather relaxed; did they forget what she had done to me back there?
We were outside the Boss Room, the next floor, for sure. Its construct was similar to the beginning of the previous floor. The similar boss room's door which can be opened by no one except Rina, and a similar glowing emerald Ward Stone above the gate, embedded on the wall, shining in all its glory and illuminating the area with green.
I looked back at Rina, our eyes met. She averted her eyes down, then looked back at me, she opened her dried lips and sighed. She had something to say to me and it looked like she had calmed down now. I sighed as well, preparing to resume our leftover "conversation".
She stood up and bowed. "Let me apologize for what I did back there... what you said about me was all true, I was lying to you about me, and yes, I was faking my personality, but not everything was a lie, and everything had a reason." Her voice cracked at the latter half. She exhaled. "Are you willing to hear my reasons?"
"...Yes, and no need to be so formal," I didn't have many options anyway. I crossed my arms, not sure if her sincere display right now was an act or not...
She exhaled. "I am not the granddaughter of Amaterasu's head... i-instead I am False Rulers' head's daughter."
"I see." I blinked, twice. So, she is related to a mass murderer/anti-government/terrorist organization... or well, at least that's how this organisation was projected to people by the media... I can understand why she lied about that. Since, at that time, she eventually needed to explain her unnatural survival skills and guts while also giving a nice impression, she used the name of an organization with a rather good public image.
"But still... taking up a whole new persona for a lie like that doesn't make much sense, more than that, how were you so good at it?" I prodded.
She wiped her eyes and spoke, "I was trained for that, that's why I was good at it. You know none of my previous personas or disguises was ever even suspected, well not before today..." I noticed a small smile and light blush under her cheeks. "I did it to make you fall in love with me..."
"Huh!?" I raised my brows.
She smiled melancholically. "You remember that girl who proposed to you?... You were twelve at that time."
"??.... Uuuuh, You mean to say that it was you!!??" I was surprised, by a lot.
"Yeah", she blushed. "Well, since you were an adult on the inside, no wonder you playfully rejected me that time." She sighed. "To you, it must've seemed like a kid's silly crush, but for me, you were my whole world... Ren." She smiled with tears in her eyes and with a hint of... obsession? "Even now, I love you, that's why I tried to be an ideal girl for you--"
"Why try to kill me then?" I asked.
She cried. "I'd never!" Softly she added. "It's just... when you found me out, I let the childish desire to find something that you've been hiding from me too, and for that, I used some... intimidation. I am really sorry to have hurt you, Ren..."
'That's true. She did look 'happy' when I pointed my finger towards her to invoke my skill... to kill her... When she thought that she confirmed that I've killed someone in the past or past life.'
I chuckled, 'But, the reason for that was something entirely different, huh... but at the same time not too different, huh.'
Fena woke up, she glanced at me and then at Rina. She shook her head exasperatedly and then went back to sleep. Did it look like a couple's banter to her?
'Hmm...'
The reasons she gave me till now, explain pretty much everything that happened so far between me and her. But still... since when we were in the boss room, I have been noticing this sudden fluctuation of emotions from her and I don't think it was a part of her act... something still is off about her...
"How did you come to like me?" I asked.
"LOVE you!" Rina corrected and blushed slightly. "And I don't think it is relevant. I'd like to keep that story to myself... for now." She playfully harrumphed and smiled.
"Since when have you loved me?" I asked.
"Since I was eleven," Rina replied. "Please don't be so direct!" She whispered, blushing red with an expectant smile on her face.
"Why did you come to my school?" I asked.
"It was a coincidence, I was there for a mission," Rina replied.
"Have you... ever stalked me?" I asked.
"Yeah." Her smile faded, instead guilt and tears filled her eyes. "I am sorry for that." She bowed again.
"I don't mind it..." I smiled, awkwardly so.
'Can you tell me how long have you stalked me?' I thought to ask this question but dropped the idea. If my suspicion was correct, then this question would only make things worst between us.
At least she knows that it was wrong of her to do that, besides, I just asked that question to confirm my suspicion. One more question and that will be the end of this conversation.
"Earlier, you told me that you have killed in the past. It doesn't matter if it was for your organization or whatever. But, did you ever kill someone for me?" I asked with my most serious expression.
".... No." She shook her head.
I noticed the short pause, I don't know what happened, but I didn't think to prod any further.
It seemed like a bad idea...
....as she really is one 'those'...
My heart raced because of what I was going to do.
"Hah, well, it didn't matter anyway" Saying so, I grabbed her curvy waist, pulled her closer, and kissed her on her soft lips. She stiffened up due to my sudden actions but her body soon loosened up in my embrace.
...Yeah, those obsessive types.
A Yandere.