Chapter 89: You must see my body! You have to see it!
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At this moment, two little people were fighting in Rin Matsuoka's mind, one representing rationality, the "angel," and the other his male instinct, the "devil."
Devil (male instinct): This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a beautiful girl's fair and tight body up close. You can't let it go!
Angel (rationality): The devil has a point.
Oh my God, the angel was actually agreeing with the devil!
Rin, who was feeling slightly expectant, suddenly sensed something unusual. He could feel a strong sense of fear coming from Karuizawa Kei, whose eyes were tightly closed.
His perception-enhancing abilities never failed, so he knew for sure that right now, Karuizawa was indeed terrified.
Rin started to observe her carefully.
The girl with honey-colored hair was slowly pulling up the left corner of her school uniform. Her face was a little pale, and her entire body was trembling, especially her slender legs.
It seemed as though Karuizawa might collapse from fear and terror at any second.
If she were just a normal girl, she would only feel shy, embarrassed, or disgusted at the thought of lifting her clothes and exposing her skin in front of a boy.
But fear? That was different.
'Narrator, am I right? Isn't she just scared?'
[Yes, this girl, Karuizawa Kei, is in a state of extreme panic.]
The narration system confirmed Rin's suspicion, and Karuizawa's palpable fear made him feel like he was a thug, bullying her.
Rin gently reached out and placed his hand on Karuizawa's trembling hand, stopping her as she continued to pull up her school uniform.
Startled, Karuizawa shuddered and opened her tightly shut eyes, revealing a gaze filled with panic and fear. The sight was enough to make anyone feel deeply sympathetic.
Rin met her trembling gaze and spoke softly, "Let's stop here, Karuizawa."
"No! You have to see it! Once you see it, you'll understand why I asked you to pretend to be my boyfriend!"
Rin's words were meant to stop her from showing the scar on her left abdomen and calm her fears.
But Karuizawa had already made up her mind to reveal her biggest vulnerability, her deepest fear, to the boy in front of her.
Her experience with being bullied was the thing she least wanted to talk about, something she had worked so hard to keep hidden. But now, she believed that if Rin saw her scar, he would understand why she had asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend.
Once explained, she thought, Rin would no longer doubt her!
He would believe that she genuinely wanted to be his girlfriend!
Rin's attempt to stop her only seemed to fuel her resolve, and Karuizawa started pulling up her uniform with even more force.
However, Rin's palm pressed firmly against her left hand, preventing her from pulling it any further.
"I won't look," Rin said seriously.
Karuizawa's eyes welled up with tears, a mix of fear and frustration. She sobbed, "Why… why not?"
"Even though I don't know what you want me to see, you're scared, aren't you? So there's no need to show it to me. If you're comfortable, you can just tell me."
"Is that really okay…?" Karuizawa asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Rin replied softly.
Rin smiled softly at Karuizawa, whose cheeks still bore traces of tears, and said, "I think a verbal explanation won't scare you as much."
When Rin spoke, his tone was exceptionally gentle, as though it held a magical power to soothe people's hearts. Karuizawa's inner fear and uneasiness began to fade and dissipate.
Karuizawa stared at Rin, her mind in a daze. His smile was warm, like the sun shining in the cold winter, and his voice was gentle, like a spring breeze whispering past her ears.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar emotion surged in her heart, and the fear that had gripped her was replaced by something more tender and youthful.
'I like him…'
Karuizawa realized that she had fallen in love with the boy in front of her.
Before, Karuizawa had only admired Rin for his good looks. Now, though, she found herself drawn to Rin's gentleness and attentiveness.
No one had ever made Karuizawa Kei feel this kind of tingling excitement before…
At this moment, Karuizawa felt like she would no longer be afraid, even if Rin saw her scar.
"Just look… It'll be easier if you see it yourself," Karuizawa said softly, her head still bowed.
Rin didn't hear any fear in her voice anymore—it seemed her emotions had stabilized.
He released her soft hand, which had been gripping the corner of her uniform, and lightly knocked on her head in a playful gesture. Karuizawa flinched, her face, still wet with tears, showing a timid expression.
At this moment, she was entirely different from the strong front she usually maintained. Her vulnerable look evoked an overwhelming desire to comfort and protect her, ensuring that she would never have to feel scared again.
"I said I won't look!" Rin declared, though his voice had a teasing edge.
"Oh…" Karuizawa responded in a soft, embarrassed tone, shrinking her head further.
"Now, tell me what you wanted me to see and why it scared you so much," Rin said, his voice calm as he encouraged her.
"Okay…" Karuizawa nodded slightly. She glanced at Rin shyly before extending her pale left hand toward him.
"What?"
"Hold it… I'm still afraid," she whispered.
"…"
Rin fell silent for a moment, then took her extended hand into his. Her soft, delicate hand felt warm and comfortable in his grip.
Karuizawa could feel the warmth of Rin's palm through her hand, and her face involuntarily broke into a shy smile, sweet as honey.
Her tear-streaked eyes sparkled, reflecting the tenderness she felt.
Rin, flustered by the shy and delighted Karuizawa, shifted his gaze away, rubbing his nose awkwardly with his free hand.
Truth be told, Rin wasn't great at dealing with the expectations and pleas of others—especially those of girls.
If it had been a boy in her place, he would have simply shrugged it off.
But with Karuizawa, he couldn't bring himself to do the same.
What a double standard!
Karuizawa clutched Rin's warm hand tightly, drawing from it a sense of safety. She gently parted her lips and began to tell him about her traumatic experience of being bullied in junior high school.
Rin listened silently, absorbing every word. In the distance, Horikita Suzune, who was leaning against a nearby tree, also quietly listened to Karuizawa Kei's story.
For about five or six minutes, Karuizawa recounted the painful experiences of her past, including the bullying that led to her being stabbed in her left abdomen, which left a scar she had tried so hard to hide from the world.