Chapter 102 - Realistic Stranger, Illusionary Me

Kizhashi's POV

I was staring at Sakamaki's cold calculating gazes as his eyes were fixated on me. He slowly walked towards me with his hands inside his pockets. Was he hiding something in his pocket? This was a terrible idea to meet alone with him.

"Don't worry, I just wanted to talk about something." He said, probably noticing my troubled gazes.

"What is it?" I asked, but he didn't reply and kept staring at me. Again, there was an uncomfortable silence between us.

I couldn't wait any longer. "How did you get that photo?" I asked, looking at him.

"Oh, that?" He took out his mobile from his left pocket with a boring expression on his face. After shuffling through it for a few minutes, it looked like he got the photo.

"Yes… what about it? What the hell do you want?" I said in a rough tone, clenching my fists.

"You see, Kizhashi-san… I want you to listen to me for a moment."

"Why should I?! You think just because you have a photo of me getting bullied, I should listen to you?"

"Of course not." He said, while walking closer to me. I didn't step back, because I wanted to face him properly. "I would like it if you cooperate with me right now."

"I don't want to."

"You're quite popular, aren't you?"

"What does my popularity have to do with anything right now?" I asked, a bit confused. But he didn't answer my question and continued on his own.

"You have quite a lot of friends among the first years, right?"

"Hey are you even listening to me? I understand nothing you're saying."

His eyes moved up from his mobile and looked directly at me. "Don't worry you'll soon."

"What the hell does my social life have to do with this photo?!" I was getting irritated at his way of saying things by twisting them around.

"Areh, of course it has." He chuckled slightly. "After all, you're not what you appear to be."

What do I appear to be? What does he even mean?

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously, because I didn't know what answer I was expecting from him. Many thoughts were running wild in my mind. Many scenarios were building up.

"I wonder how everyone will react when they'll know that you are not actually dating Gaisen-kun." He said in his indifferent tone. I felt my world breaking apart as soon as those words left his mouth. More like the illusionary world I was living in was getting destroyed by a person I never expected.

"What happened? Are you good?" He asked, looking at my stiffened expression.

"How do… Did Gaisen tell you this?"

"So my speculation was indeed correct. Thanks" He laughed like a maniac. What the hell is wrong with him?

"Wait… you didn't know?"

"You're an interesting one, Kizahshi-san." His laughter came to an end and there was again silence between us. The tension between us was even more than before.

"So, I want your assistance with something."

"But I…" Before I could say anything, he added, "Rejecting isn't an option."

"Huh!? Why did you ask me in the first place then? What the hell!?!"

"Oi, lower your voice." There was a sense of authority in his voice, which pissed me off.

"If you try anything, I'll scream." I threatened him. I knew this guy was bad news. I should've called someone with me for backup.

"And who exactly will come to help you right now?" He said, while his gazes scanned the empty classroom we were in.

"If you don't cooperate with me, then I'll have to use other methods." He said, as he slowly started walking towards me.

"Wha… What do you mean?" I said, but even I could tell that I was scared right now.

"Well, if not you, I'll find someone else. But I'll make sure to ruin your social standing." He took a small pause to look into my eyes. I don't know what he was thinking, but I had a feeling that wherever this was going, it was going to end up badly for me.

"This picture is precious. You know how fast rumours spread in high school, right?"

"And I'm sure that you're aware of the backlash the person in question receives."

"Why are you doing this to me?" I said, but my voice couldn't reach him since it was really low.

"You're a damn liar Kizhashi-san."

"What gives you the right to call me a liar, you're a loser yourself. Are you trying to get back at me for picking on you!?"

"That you need to latch on to someone so that you don't get bullied like you used to back in your middle school days."

How does he even know about it? Only Gaisen knows about this. Why did he tell this guy!? Just why!? Why did he have to ruin my life like that? I don't know what Sakamaki wants me to do. What if he tells me to use my body for him? What am I going to do!? Everything is ruined. Everything is gone.

Why?

Why?

Why me?

"I know what you are? You're a pathetic parasite." His words didn't hurt me, but the truth of those words was something that I didn't want to believe because a person who I thought barely knew about was telling me these.

His cold gazes were piercing right through me. I didn't realise that I had backed up against the wall by now. My hands were searching for something to hold on the flat wall surface.

"So this the darkness that you hide under your mask?" His right arm held my right arm and pinned me against the wall and in his other hand he was holding his phone. I could see the image displaying on the screen.

"S...So what!? Go ahead, laugh, laugh at me like everyone did." I didn't try to hide the fact anymore. I was revealed. My whole facade was revealed to an outsider.

"Despise me, bully me. Do whatever you want. I don't care!" I could feel his grip getting tighter on my arm.

"You know when people say that at the end of darkness there is always light?" He asked, but I didn't respond. He looked into my eyes for a few seconds before continuing. "They're wrong, darkness can only be devoured by another darkness and I'm willing to devour yours." I slowly raised my head and looked through my teary eyes. I didn't realise that tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Listen, I'll be your new host. I'm way better than Gaisen or Nishimiya. But in return, I expect assistance from you in certain things." He said and lifted my chin with the arm he was holding his mobile in. Looking up close at his eyes, they looked so empty at that time. Devoid of any emotions.

He wasn't the Sakamaki I used to see hanging around with Gaisen.

Standing before me was a completely different person.