"H-Hi, Miori... how are you?"

Renji’s hesitant, almost reverential voice comes through Miori’s phone.

Meanwhile, Miori lounges comfortably in her enormous bathtub — a bath she decided to take after her usual evening kickboxing training session.

"How am I? I don’t know, Renji. I might be in a good mood... or extremely irritated, depending on what you’re about to tell me."

"R-Right... I just wanted to let you know that earlier this evening, I did what you asked me to do at Cordesol Meat. I taught that loser a good lesson. Enough to force him to stay home for at least a week, but not enough to send him to the hospital... just like you told me."

"Oh, it only took you almost two years, but it seems you finally managed to make yourself useful for something. I’m honestly satisfied — I didn’t think you’d actually have the guts to do it."

"T-Thanks, Miori... so... was I good?" Renji stammers timidly, with the hesitant tone of a child seeking a parent’s approval.

In response, Miori bursts into loud, unrestrained laughter.

"Do you even hear yourself when you talk? And to think I believed I had a boyfriend — instead, I ended up with a frightened little puppy. Sure, on the outside you’ve become a handsome muscular guy who always dresses fashionably, but inside you’re still the same dull loser: insecure and scared. Pathetic..."

"Why are you saying all these things right now?! I did exactly what you told me to do! Then why are you insulting me even now?!"

"Because you’re pathetic, that’s why. But honestly, I can’t even blame you. If people found out that the famous Renji Kurotani — the guy every girl at our university fantasizes about — is actually smaller than my little brother, and that the one time I decided to reward your efforts by sleeping with you, you came before we even properly started... well, not even the ugliest girl on campus would look you in the eye anymore."

"Stop it, Miori... this is really humiliating..."

Even though it’s only a phone call, Miori can vividly imagine the devastated, humiliated expression on Renji’s face just from the tone of his voice — and that image draws a long sadistic smile across her lips.

"If it was humiliating for you, it was even worse for me. With all those things you kept saying — that you’d fuck me all night, make me scream, and everything else — you actually managed to turn me on. And all that for a useless little toothpick that died after seven seconds? Is that really what my body is worth? Seven miserable seconds? And you still have the nerve to complain about the way I treat you?! I treat you exactly the way you deserve, you miserable loser! Thank the God of Light that, despite everything, you are still the least disgusting among the guys around me — otherwise I wouldn’t have even let you come within fifty meters of me. Actually... you were the least disgusting."

"M-Miori... what are you trying to say?"

Renji’s voice now trembles with worry mixed with frustration.

"I mean exactly what I said. It’s obvious you’re not the coolest and most popular guy at the university anymore — and that was the only reason I kept paying attention to a loser pretending to be tough. But even if you only shined thanks to the light reflected from me, someone still managed to outshine you."

"Y-You don’t mean—?"

"Yes, I’m talking about dear Aoshi. If he managed to win over and keep a girl like Eliss by his side, then he’s worth a hundred times more than you. Without me, you wouldn’t even have enough charm to win over the most desperate woman on the planet. And even if by some miracle you did, she’d run away laughing the moment you pulled down your pants."

A faint malicious smile curls her lips.

"Honestly, I think I was too harsh on Aoshi. I suppose I owe him an apology — for the cold way I rejected him, and especially for what you did to him this afternoon. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know I just dumped the brute who beat him up."

"N-No, you can’t be serious! Don’t tell me that after I just risked getting arrested for you, you’re leaving me again just to go back to that loser?! That’s insane!"

Renji clenches his teeth in rage and desperation as he speaks.

"Of course... this was all planned from the start, wasn’t it? That’s why you told me to beat up Aoshi. You just needed an excuse to get close to him again, right?!"

"Congratulations — you finally figured it out despite that chicken brain of yours. Anyway, consider our relationship officially over. Oh, and naturally, you’re forbidden from seeing other girls until I’m officially Aoshi’s girlfriend again. I can’t allow people to see you around with another girl while I’m single. Actually... it’s probably better if you stay away from the university for a while. I wouldn’t want my dear Aoshi to stop showing up just to avoid running into you — that would be such a shame. Maybe he’ll even manage to give me the pleasure you were never capable of giving me."

"N-No, please, Miori, don’t do this! I-I’ll change, I’ll become worthy of you — I’ll surpass that loser Aoshi in every possible way! Just give me one more chance, I’m begging you..."

"You think you can be better than Aoshi? Well, there’s actually a pretty simple way to prove it — steal his girlfriend. If you’re really better than him, Eliss should leave Aoshi for you without hesitation, don’t you think? Seduce her and take her to bed. Only then will I know for sure that, despite everything, you’re still the best... or rather, the least pathetic one around."

"O-Okay, Miori... I’ll do it! I’ll seduce that slut in no time, I promise! Now that she’s working alone while Aoshi’s stuck at home injured, it’ll be easy to convince her to come with me after her shift! I’ll even send you pictures as proof!"

"Then make sure you take them with a phone that has a powerful zoom, otherwise I won’t be able to see anything," Miori replies before bursting into laughter.

But Renji doesn’t even flinch — right now, he can’t afford to contradict her in any way if he wants to make this deal happen.

"Anyway, deal. You sleep with that girl, and I’ll get back together with you. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to seduce Aoshi. Consider it a competition: if I manage to seduce Aoshi before you seduce Eliss, then it’s goodbye forever. Otherwise, you’ll be allowed to call me your girlfriend again."

"Alright, challenge accepted, Miori!" Renji replies firmly.

Miori hangs up on him.

That idiot seriously thinks he has a chance of getting Eliss into bed before I get Aoshi? He’s even stupider than I thought — he wouldn’t be able to get close to a girl like her even in a thousand years. As for me... I’m sure Aoshi hasn’t completely forgotten our happy month together. It’ll be child’s play to make those feelings bloom again. Less than twenty-four hours from now, and Aoshi will already be at my feet. It’s so exciting...

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Two sharp knocks on the bathroom door pull Miori out of her thoughts. Before she can even say ’Come in’, the door swings open.

Standing in the doorway is a woman who looks like a more mature version of her — long black hair and a toned, athletic body that would make most women in their twenties jealous despite being close to fifty.

It’s Kagura Yukinaga — Miori’s mother.

"What the hell are you still doing awake at this hour?!" Kagura snaps, clearly irritated. "In less than seven hours you have to be ready for university, and you’re still soaking in there? Have you lost your mind? Do you really want to show up tomorrow with dark circles under your eyes and half asleep? I didn’t raise you to be this irresponsible!"

"You’re right, Mother... I’m sorry... I’ll go to sleep right away," Miori murmurs, lowering her gaze, too intimidated to meet her eyes.

"And let this be the last time! Was I clear? I want you in bed before midnight, otherwise you can forget about the gym until graduation!"

Mrs. Yukinaga’s harsh tone weighs on Miori’s shoulders like a boulder.

"Why was I cursed with a problematic daughter like you? Ever since you were little, all you’ve done is give me trouble, and now you’ve become even worse! Thank God at least your brother gives me some satisfaction..." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

With that, Mrs. Yukinaga violently slams the door behind her.

Miori pulls her knees to her chest, lowering her gaze to the rippling surface of the now lukewarm water. Her half-lidded sapphire eyes glimmer faintly.