Make Them Love Me Or They'll End The World-Chapter 135: I Want To Speak To You...

The walk to college was, for the most part, ordinary, if you ignored the little Tenka × Kentaro moments that had begun to sprout like weeds between them. They ended up side by side as always, though neither said much. The rest of the group was in their usual morning chatter, gossiping and arguing about nonsense. Kentaro and Tenka, however, walked forward with their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Both were thinking hard.

For Kentaro, the thought was split: half on Shaula and the looming festival play, half on last night, the confessions, the awkward silences, and the feelings he couldn't afford to untangle right now. He could feel Tenka stealing glances at him, her presence radiating heat even without her saying a word. He didn't dare look back. If their eyes locked, he wasn't sure what would happen, and right now he needed normalcy more than anything.

I love her, yeah… But in what way? Kentaro thought. Maybe if it weren't for the Alberlines, if it weren't for everything, I could just… Be happy with her. The happiest guy alive. But now? After meeting Serica, Yura, and Aria, things aren't that simple. They can't be.

He sighed softly, forcing a smile as Serica made a ridiculous face, mocking Yura's morning tantrum.

"DAMN YOU, SNOW WOMAN!" Yura barked, lunging before Aria grabbed her wrist like a babysitter wrangling a feral cat.

Kentaro chuckled at their antics, the silliness breaking through the heaviness in his chest. Still, his gaze drifted back to the girl walking silently beside him.

Alright. I need to say something. She won't. Tenka's hopeless in situations like this…

He sucked in a deep breath. "H-h-hey, Tenka…"

She flinched as if struck by lightning. Her back straightened, shoulders stiff. "Y-yes? What is it?" She replied, trying, and failing, to keep her voice calm.

Kentaro swallowed. First step done. Now, don't mess it up.

"Listen, Tenka," he began, scratching his cheek to hide the blush creeping up his face. "About… Everything that's happened. I know it's gotten… Awkward between us. I don't like it. I want us to stay the same. I want us to just… Forget about all this awkwardness. I feel like I can't be normal around you anymore, and I don't want that."

Tenka's eyes widened. For a moment, she just stared at him, stunned. Then she looked down, her voice smaller than usual.

"I-I understand. Sorry for saying what I said. I didn't mean to make things awkward between us."

There was something defeated in the way she said it, and Kentaro's chest tightened. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but then...

"Watch it, Tenka!" he shouted.

"Whoa!"

Too lost in her own thoughts, Tenka hadn't noticed the lamppost right in front of her. Just before her forehead could meet steel, Kentaro grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her toward him. She stumbled forward, colliding against his chest.

Her face went crimson.

Kentaro looked down at her, his hand still firm on her shoulder, his gaze met hers, and this was the perfect time to set things straight, to make Tenka feel better and to tell her what he said back then wasn't a lie. "I want you to know, Tenka… I meant what I said. I do love you."

His face was closer than it had ever been before, tainted with a red blush on his cheeks. The words were sincere, and for a second, Tenka swore steam was about to shoot out of her ears.

She practically launched herself back from him, waving her hands. "Umm, y-yeah, I know. Thanks!"

Kentaro smiled, finding Tenka's reaction cute, but before he could say more, a voice cut in.

"What are you two doing?"

They froze. Ahead of them, Serica had stopped walking. Her head tilted, her hands behind her back, her expression curious and innocent as always. She glanced between Kentaro's flushed face and Tenka's scarlet cheeks.

She didn't get it. Of course, she didn't.

"O-oh! Nothing, Serica! Just keep walking, hahaha!" Tenka stammered, marching ahead at lightning speed to escape the situation.

Kentaro scratched the back of his head, flashing Serica a sheepish grin as he watched Tenka catch up to Yura and Aria."Will you walk with me? Serica seems I've lost my walking partner?"

Her eyes sparkled like stars. "Mm!" she nodded, practically bouncing as she joined him.

The rest of the walk passed without incident, or at least, without more lamppost-related near-deaths.

*

By the time they reached the college gates, Kentaro was greeted not by peace but by the mischievous grins of Tenka's friends.

"Heyyy, Kentaro~ Or should I say… Prince Kentaro?" Sumire sang, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Please don't start this," Kentaro groaned, quickening his pace toward the building.

But there was no escape. Within minutes, Mika and Rei had distracted Serica, Yura, and Aria, while Sumire corralled Kentaro and Tenka into an empty classroom.

"Is this necessary?!" Kentaro cried as Sumire pushed them inside.

The door shut with a loud click. Sumire's grin widened like a predator cornering prey.

"Hehehehehe…"

Tenka and Kentaro exchanged nervous gulps.

She straightened her posture, her chest straining against her blouse with every step as she approached. "I want something from both of you. Well, not just me, we want something from you."

Kentaro gulped again, his voice trembling. "W-w-what do you want from us?" He sounded like a prisoner awaiting execution.

Sumire leaned forward, hands behind her back, eyes gleaming. "I want you and Tenka to play the lead roles in our play…"

"HUUUH?!"

Their synchronised shout echoed through the empty classroom. For all their nerves, the request was… Surprisingly mundane.

Sumire nodded sagely, though her grin betrayed her glee. "Of course! You two are the perfect couple. Don't deny it. And it's not like I want you to kiss on stage or anything, well, maybe just a little, but honestly, Kentaro, you've always liked Tenka. The way you stare at her? Please. And Tenka, the way you hover around him? You give off the biggest 'don'ttouch my boyfriend' energy."

Her words tumbled out faster and faster, a machine gun of teasing.

Tenka and Kentaro both stared at her, flat expressions cutting through the monologue. Finally, Tenka sighed.

"…We already decided that."

Sumire froze mid-sentence. "…Wait. You mean you're actually doing it?"

Tenka glanced at Kentaro, then looked away, her face pink. "Y-yeah. I don't see why not, it could be good practice if I were to do some acting in the future."

Kentaro let out an awkward laugh, scratching his head.

The silence stretched until.

"WHAT?! JUST LIKE THAT?! YOUR ROMANCE IS REAL!!!" Sumire shrieked.

Right on cue, Mika and Rei barged in, curiosity plastered on their faces.

"What's wrong, Sumire?" Rei asked.

"Sounded like you got shot or something," Mika added.

Sumire spun toward them, eyes wide, mouth ready to spill the secret. "I-it's Tenka and Kentaro, they actually like-"

"NGHHH!"

Her cry was muffled as Tenka lunged, clamping a hand over her mouth.

Kentaro sprang into action, nodding at Tenka's silent plea. "What Sumire was trying to say is that… Uh… Me and Tenka are playing the lead roles. Prince and princess, you know? Hahaha…"

The other girls blinked. Sumire squirmed in Tenka's grip, muffled protests spilling out.

Then, to Kentaro's surprise, Mika and Rei's faces lit up with delight.

"Ohhh, great! We knew you'd pick Tenka!" They squealed. "Our plan worked!"

Tenka tightened her grip on Sumire. Leaning close to her ear, her voice dropped into a dark whisper. "If you dare tell them anything, Sumire… you see those cannons of yours?"

"HMMM?!" Sumire's eyes went wide.

"I'll chop them off and make you look like a loli… Hehehe."

"HMMMMMMM!" Sumire nodded frantically, humming in terror.

At last, Tenka let her go. Sumire stumbled back, saluting like a soldier. "I won't say anything, Sensi!"

"Good." Tenka crossed her arms, smirking. She turned to Kentaro, flashing him a thumbs-up. Kentaro, helpless, gave her one back.

And just like that, the "interrogation" was over.

But the peace didn't last.

As the group walked back toward their classrooms, the air suddenly shifted. It was subtle at first, like a drop in temperature, a hush that crawled across the hallway. Then the sound of footsteps, deliberate and unhurried, cut through the chatter.

A figure blocked their path.

Shaula.

She stood like a queen surveying her court, arms folded, posture relaxed yet coiled with threat. Her eyes swept past Tenka, Sumire, Mika, and Rei as if they didn't exist, piercing straight through to Kentaro. Her lips curved into a smirk, sharp enough to slice the silence itself.

It was as though the world stopped moving. The distant voices of other students dulled into nothing, the usual bustle of the hallway fading like it had been swallowed whole. Only her presence remained, heavy, suffocating, inescapable.

Tenka instinctively stepped forward, the tension in her frame visible even as her voice came out steady. "Shaula. What do you want?"

The smirk didn't falter. "Hehehehe… Oh, nothing. I just want to speak with Kentaro."

Her words hung in the air like a blade, and no one dared breathe.

"Then speak now." Tenka's tone sharpened, her body shifting just enough to shield Kentaro behind her. The commander's instinct was written across her every movement.

Shaula tilted her head, the smile sliding into something colder. "I'd rather do it alone."

Mika and Rei exchanged a whisper, their voices trembling even in the quiet.

"You think she's trying to steal Kentaro from Tenka?"

"I… I don't know. But this won't end well."

Even Sumire, usually bold with her teasing, shrank back. Her hand crept to her chest like she was shielding herself from the sheer pressure rolling off Shaula.

Before Tenka could snap back again, Kentaro took a step forward.

It was small, but in the silence, it was thunderous. His heart pounded like a war drum, yet his jaw stayed firm. He forced his voice out, steady despite the fear tightening his throat.

"Fine. After school. Rooftop."

For a heartbeat, Shaula simply stared at him. Then her smirk returned, sharper than before, predatory.

"Perfect," she purred. "I'll see you then."

She turned, walking back into the classroom without another word. Yet even as her figure vanished behind the door, the suffocating pressure she carried seemed to linger like smoke in the air.

Tenka exhaled slowly, realising only then that she'd been holding her breath. Her shoulders finally lowered, but her voice was tight. "…What's her game?"

Kentaro placed a hand on her shoulder. The contact steadied her, if only slightly.

"I don't know," he admitted softly. "But we'll find out."

Tenka nodded. "…You're right."