Morning of Monday, 4th week of May.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauMOZzJRCq
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It was 8:24 a.m., still very early.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx3gnVaOh9
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“Did you enjoy your pudding?” Runa asked me. She was in her seat, second row of the second column near the door in front of the classroom. I was standing between her and Yui, who also was in the second row but in the first column of seats.  I wasn’t paying much attention when Runa and Yui were talking about a television drama, which Yui was far more enthusiastic about than Runa. I wasn’t the type that watched television much. So during the conversation, the word ‘pudding’ was the one that got my attention.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGV21nAQALA
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“Hmm, it was okay,” I replied. “But it wasn’t the pudding that I asked you for. I told you to buy them at 7/11.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrhF31LRDh
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“Why are you still complaining? I told you yesterday by the train station that I had no time to find the convenience store. If I had searched before I arrived, I’d be going home late,” Runa explained, a little bit annoyed.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRkiFqVkVW
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“Mika, you’re so picky. That’s the reason why you’ll never find a boyfriend,” Yui said casually.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhWrDf65Sb
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The nerve of this girl, as if she was any better than me.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDDMT8Np3W
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“Shut up, toilet-chan,” I replied to Yui out of irritation.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtj8paMwU6
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Yui froze. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes resembled someone who had just seen a ghost. She slowly lowered her head and began staring at the ground. “Never call me that again,” she said. “I still have trauma from Runa calling me that nickname for three months when she found out.” Yui stood up, yet her eyes were still glued on the floor. “The whole class that time almost found out! And I almost decided to never ever come out of my room because of it!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdvPgZCcM3
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“Umm, that’s actually not—” Runa was about to say something. But then, Yui launched herself at me and started kneeling. Then, for whatever irrationality that came into Yui's strange mind, she started pulling my skirt.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXxqICb3eH
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“Hey! Yui! That’s dangerous!” I shouted. I grabbed my skirt so it wouldn’t accidentally be pulled down by Yui.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Hvo1B5fM4
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“Please! I beg you, please! I don’t want to become a shut-in,” Yui begged. She wasn’t listening or even aware of the panic she was inducing in me. She was trying hard to be frantic and it was annoying that she decided to sacrifice my dignity just to prove her point.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomhzRI3J3M
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“Stop!” I shouted louder. “Fine, fine! I won’t, so stop pulling!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIXAAHCxA1
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Yui stopped. I observed her further, being cautious of what she might do next. But she was still kneeling on the floor. Yui slowly moved up her head to glance at me. I noticed how she was exerting herself to make her eyes appear almost welling with invisible tears. “Really?” she asked, sounding like a puppy who whimpers for a treat.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhejSeGoiht
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“Yes, really. So please stop.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sgvTILHxg
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Yui stood up fast, then smirked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHlNUH6zej
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“Okay!” Yui went to her seat, returning to her usual quirkiness. As soon as she sat down, I saw her smirk go wider. “Now that’s acting…” she muttered. But I heard it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RRXCBQogj
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My right eye twitched.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrfpcjGMHR
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I knew Yui was just pretending, but that was not the reason why I conceded. I faced her and I was about to express my annoyance at her when suddenly the entrance at the back of our classroom slid open.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1zHY6LdI6
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My annoyance turned to curiosity as I focused on who entered just now.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9tlJu9MuR
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And I saw him...35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSCRPDr9dn
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Kuroiwa Rei…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcujsRRF8nB
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Just a week ago I would have definitely pulled my eyes back away from him immediately. But this time I kept them on him. I was actually surprised that I did. And now that I was able to observe him properly, I saw what was going on around him. The back of the classroom that was populated earlier by some classmates, magically cleared when he entered. Not a single stare from anyone toward him, and their backs were turned on him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mCUWc01JZ
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I caught his messy black hair.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb3I3dr3SW
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I gripped my left hand.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUDRI7fnQu
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I glimpsed at his uniform looking a bit unironed.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nFXTuQLQS
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I gripped my right hand.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSWEGOMgcg
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I spotted how his tie was slightly crooked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQtC0zGbDu
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I crossed my arms on my chest.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF7tZf4C0s
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They were just small details, and except for his hair, the rest that I noticed weren’t really that bad, but it was messy enough for me to question, How could he tolerate going to school looking like that?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcKi7RHU57
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I took a deep breath.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqxDMHiq6r
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“Ah, there he is,” Runa said, sitting beside me. “Kuroiwa-kun,” she continued. She stood up quickly then practically jogged toward him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39CLzkowIt
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Kun?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZSwXWqehl
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Runa stopped in front of Kuroiwa-san. And that was enough to change the atmosphere inside the classroom. Earlier there weren’t any eyes heading toward the back, now it felt like every pair targeted Runa and him. Especially the boys.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoWZE2EJJy
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I could hear Runa asking Kuroiwa-san questions about past lectures. But I could also hear murmurs around the room. ‘What is going on?’ ‘Why is she talking with him?’ ‘Doesn’t she know he’s dangerous?’35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXgPLMQSwp
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I was surprised Runa didn’t even notice those murmurs. But she seemed like she was really paying attention to his answers to her inquiries.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkJP8T2kSC
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Sigh…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV0Kv82zPi
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I guess I wasn't really in the position to actually blame everyone else. I mean, this guy showed up during the first day of school with a patch on his cheek. I even thought he was a delinquent. But since Runa trusted him and nothing dangerous really happened whenever she went to his apartment alone, I started to ask myself if maybe I was wrong. But these people had no reason or any basis to even start asking the same questions.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rmABIFEnR
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“Woah,” Yui whispered.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLdd8ejhSU
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“Are you going to fantasize about romance again?” I reprimanded Yui.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DzVlSPdZo
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“No… it’s just that… this is the first time I properly looked at him… he actually looks… human.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQS8TSVae6
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“...What do you mean? What were you even imagining him to look like?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAwFL81udB
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“The dark lord.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbz5JbdpI1
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“...Who?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1I8GnxVNt
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“Darth Vader, you know, from that popular sci-fi movie.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tzyX7bgUc
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“...I don’t get it.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr18InnNwkT
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The front door slid open behind Yui and me. Both of us turned around and saw Hina appearing from the door. She looked like she ran to get here.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5PcfOFzGy
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“I thought I was going to be late,” Hina said while catching her breath.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5apF6xrw7
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“No worries, you’re on time.” Yui smiled at Hina.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTpTaKSPjy
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“Where’s Runa?” Hina asked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5qOjvARKh
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“At the back, talking to—” I interrupted myself when I thought I noticed Hina’s eyes widen as she looked toward the back. It was so subtle that you could easily miss it unless you were paying attention to her eyes. I only caught a glimpse of it…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1aBBFd9zm
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Hmm?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJPaaCSsqZ
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Was it my imagination? I couldn’t tell, since I couldn’t think of any reason why she would react how I thought she had reacted.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4pf8nrxHV
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I glanced at the clock. Homeroom was about to start.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Pzg3YqlBr
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During English class…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9XM2EW0Hs
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“Tojo-san.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv8x2qE0km
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I was listening to Ms. Eguchi, our English teacher…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxaW4kmZoR
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“Tojo-saaaan.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NbTZ5QDs5
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We were in the middle of an important lecture that might show up in the exams…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdsH2FJjKf
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Thud*35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJ83CMwV1g
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But this idiot guy sitting behind me had been trying to distract me. I glanced below my chair to see what the thing that hit my back was. A crumpled paper. I turned my head around halfway toward the one who was causing me annoyance, just enough for him to see my eyes. And then I glared at him. I glared at him like I was stacking tons of papers on his head until he stopped interfering with my studies.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofSxVfu2ms
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“Stop it, Katou-san,” I whispered angrily. But he only smiled at me and gestured for me to pick up the paper. I didn’t want to, so I ignored him and turned my focus back on the lecture.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUFW0FGnWX
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“Read it,” Katou-san said. I felt his voice get closer so I reflexively leaned forward even though he wasn’t close.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qCMRBpl8V
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I still ignored him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxZRBlS096
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Thud*35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LHFetCjqd
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I assumed that was another crumpled paper thrown against my back. My left eye twitched and I immediately grabbed the first one from the floor. I was about to throw it back at him when the teacher called.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzFxt1KXe6
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“Is something wrong, Tojo-san?” Ms. Eguchi asked with her usual soft tone that sounded more worried than upset.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YK2vq7MXx
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“N-nothing,” I said. I took a deep breath and composed myself. I sat straight and prepared to continue focusing on the lecture. I hid the crumpled paper inside my hand and crushed it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCefbP8qpfR
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“Just read it,” Katou-san insisted.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbp9tQpY9z
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Alright fine then.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFzfFpOxHJ
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I opened the crumpled paper to see what was inside. I was not careful. I didn’t care if I accidentally tore it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM7S8jZyMl
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‘Hang out with us later?’35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2IcRddlCj
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I took another deep breath. I wrote ‘NO!’ on the paper, crumpled the paper carefully, glanced at Katou-san, and threw the paper at him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKSapxQEQz
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It hit his nose. I was satisfied.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUdOWWAse7
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I stuck my tongue toward Katou-san before he even realized just what happened. Then I faced the front. Hopefully, he got the message and finally stopped.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf2yjHd8T1
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A few seconds later35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamxNHNChCa
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Thud*35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0bHvHFd8V
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Seriously! This guy!35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRt4XHFnekO
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Thud*35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhLxG0ZSQC
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Two in a row?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsLaCLGuqq
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I gripped my hands and I almost broke my pencil in half because of it. I reflexively stood up and snapped in his direction.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrwu20teo1
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“Will you please, stop!” I shouted.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRi0ClETR2
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“Huh? Umm, huh? What’s wrong, Tojo-san? D-did I make a mistake?” Ms. Eguchi panicked in front of the blackboard, and she was shifting her attention between me and what was written on the board. “I-I’m sorry if I did…” she said with her left hand covering her mouth slightly.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHKGJJS5rz
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I raised my hand reflexively. “Sorry,” I said, “I think I just had a headache. Can I be excused to the infirmary?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38Nkql14Sj
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“Oh… Oh! Alright then, I thought you were angry because I made a mistake. Thank God.” Ms. Eguchi sighed in relief. “If that’s the case, let’s see…” She pulled out the attendance book from the desk and laid it out on top of it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQlNCyvudl
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I knew what she was about to do, so I tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZEjAUJ7Fi
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“Umm… Eguchi-sensei. There’s no ne—”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fuwPzl92M
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“The one to take you to the infirmary is this person!” Ms. Eguchi said as she closed her eyes and randomly placed her index finger into the attendance book.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjXluTyQHw
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There were thirty students attending class 2-B, me included. Three of them would have been the ones I would have preferred. Fifteen of them, I wouldn't mind. Nine of them would make me think twice. And two of them were the ones I definitely wouldn’t want. And of all the names where Ms. Eguchi’s finger landed, one of the two that I didn’t want was chosen to walk me to the infirmary.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpeu2Kg3beb
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And this particular one was now walking a few steps behind me.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddha1604bV
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“Hey!” I said. I stopped to face him. “Kuroiwa-san, if you’re really not into this, you can go back to the classroom, you know.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBKf8QZVN6
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Kuroiwa-san just stood there and said nothing. He only stared at me looking confused.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFVBEUsqyA
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“I mean, you look like a creep walking behind me like that. You’re supposed to accompany me, not become my stalker.” I explained to him assertively.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq10DqWnpT
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“Okay,” Kuroiwa-san replied with his dull voice.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXwYCk6QRu
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I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and turned around to continue walking.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUUggrxgbv
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A few steps later… Kuroiwa-san was still walking behind me.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ15myQcuKl
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I stopped, crossed my arms and turned around toward him. And this time he was a few more steps further than before.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSVrxCQOk0
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How?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3aTaKdLNJ
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“Walk beside me!” I said with more assertion. “Can’t you walk faster?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LN5tA5UkN
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“...I was,” Kuroiwa flatly said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YZwwsCmGV
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Sigh…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvghsqggwg
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“Alright… just try to walk beside me, I’ll wait,” I replied. I tried to be calm. This guy was too weird. Was he really just slow or was he deliberately being slow? I couldn’t tell at all.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdFvr78qbL
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When Kuroiwa-san finally reached me, I uncrossed my arms and started moving with him. I matched his speed and glanced up at him. I smiled.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjG2HHNV1vR
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“See, much better, right?” I said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0z1KvM7Una
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Kuroiwa-san didn’t answer, he just kept his eyes forward. I didn’t mind it at all but some other things still did. Other things that didn’t involve walking. We took a couple of steps and during those I was debating myself if I did want to ask him or not. And ultimately, I just really wanted to know. I wanted to know if he had the answers I was looking for.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ35KOzRBS
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“So, umm.” I hesitated for a bit. I took a little breath to clear my mind before I continued. “How did you manage to teach Runa about quadratic equations so quickly?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lqqMHYQJz
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Kuroiwa then stared at me. I noticed that while he was still facing me, he would move his pupils to the right, then up, then toward me.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQKI6ihiIg
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“I made her understand them.” Kuroiwa-san answered.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkk1croVpZ
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“Well, evidently. But that’s not what I’m asking.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSrtUYe6yh
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Kuroiwa-san sighed. What? Why? Was he annoyed? I couldn’t tell just by looking at his face. But if he was then, the nerve of this guy. I just asked a simple question.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOz6HxwNsb
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“Fine, if you don’t want to answer then nevermind,” I said while getting mildly irritated by his attitude.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43iyMgC9kZ
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“Sorry,” Kuroiwa-san replied. “I was just thinking.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHfMwork1V
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Huh? Really? So he wasn’t annoyed?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfnHOzMwtr
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“My method was to integrate information into her by making her become familiar with what quadratic equations are. I needed her to listen to all the words and their meanings and simply have her make a conclusion for herself. To solve it, I made her do one problem repeatedly and had her focus on it until she understood the basics before we moved onto a more difficult problem.” Kuroiwa-san explained. He sounded very competent and I could somehow understand the logic behind what he was talking about. But repeatedly making her solve one problem?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ096l94Xd6D
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“So, how many times would you have her repeat solving one problem?” I asked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGD3ucVIvC
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“About twenty five for the first one. Fifteen for the second. Eighteen for the third. Eleven for—”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡll7V2JUYEe
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“Wait, wait a minute.” I was surprised. Kuroiwa-san made Runa repeat that many times in one equation? Could you even call that progress? “Is that even teaching? Isn’t that a bit of a torture? What would you do if she got bored and instead stopped learning because of it?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking every question I had. His methods were just so nonsensical that I believe the risk if he failed would have heavier consequences than if he taught her normally.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGqsIMpFCX
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Kuroiwa-san sighed again. Which is it? Was he annoyed, or was he just thinking, or maybe something else? My eyes kept observing his expression. Still the same, but I never left my sight away from him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CPwtSdzS3
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“I have reasons why I chose that method,” Kuroiwa-san said. His eyes were meeting mine, but for some reason, I would avoid his gaze and glance over to the side, my heart beating a little faster.  However, I eventually succeeded in locking my gaze onto his, while I tried to calm myself down.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZioHehuLg
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“What is your reason then?” I asked, still not convinced of Kuroiwa-san's explanation so far. Runa suffered a lot internally for this guy and I need to know why she kept going back. “Are you talking about… the condition you gave her?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO536vElDi3
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Kuroiwa-san turned his gaze up front slowly. I frowned because it looked like he was trying to avoid my question. As we stepped on the covered walkway that separates the new school building from the old one where the infirmary was, I asked him again.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQmcjlVrjh
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“What was the condition exactly?” I asked with clear resolution. There was no way I would just let Kuroiwa-san not answer it this time.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyDIpLTZCO
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“That’s between me and Miyase-san,” Kuroiwa-san said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKjeS4VXPk
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I closed my eyes and stopped walking halfway through the covered walkway. Was this guy serious? Did he really think that I would just let this go and accept his answer? There is no way. I clutched my hands so tight that I felt my nails dug in my palms.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YHBaYnDId
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“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I shouted at Kuroiwa-san. He stopped and turned halfway to face me. But his eyes locked onto mine. “You don’t know anything about what Runa went through last week because of your recklessness!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhfFL3yyox
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I walked toward Kuroiwa-san to meet his stare closer. I wanted him to hear me. I wanted him to listen to every single word I would say to him. He needed to understand.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTvzznF6LZ
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“Ever since she came back from your apartment, ever since she heard about your condition. No matter how much she tried, it showed on her face. She looked scared, she looked unsure, she looked like her world was being torn to pieces. She tried to keep it all to herself but it showed, yet she kept coming back to you. There’s no way I would just let you answer me with something vague. I won’t allow it. You don’t know how much distress you’ve caused her!” I poured all the tightness in my chest into my words. My eyes gradually gravitated to the ground. And my voice started to sound quieter. “And I worried about her. I kept thinking if I was making the right decision to just let her go alone. And almost every night that’s all I could think about. And because of that… because of that…”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU67OqU9VQH
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“I apologize,” Kuroiwa-san said. “I understand I caused her distress.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF4d4Nny2N
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“Don’t give me that nonsense!” I forced my head up to meet his gaze fiercely. “Don’t tell me that you understand it when you were the one that caused this all!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1Ax5oevyz
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Kuroiwa-san just kept his stare. I could feel him trying to observe every expression I was making. I reflexively avoided his eyes and turned my head to the side.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90JBLkNOur
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“Did you know that Runa’s mother forbade Runa to go to your apartment yesterday?” I said while my head returned to staring at the ground.  “Did you know that when her mother found out, Runa cried herself to sleep? That she’d do that after a night and a day of your study sessions. That you transformed her fears into trust in just an instant. That after just one session. I was so impressed when she started teaching me lessons that I didn’t know about. I couldn’t make her remember one lesson I taught her for a week. And you made her understand a lesson that is more difficult than what I taught her. How did you even do that…?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1bKvGY3m9
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I couldn’t sustain the animosity from my voice. The more things I said, the softer they sounded. I was supposed to talk about what Runa was feeling. I was supposed to make him understand what he made her feel. But each sentence I spoke started to reveal what I truly felt.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2xvBjLxY2
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It’s unfair.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfv6ptUt3i9
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“Even I need help.” I muttered to myself. I was consciously careful for Kuroiwa to not hear it. I wasn’t jealous of Runa about anything. It was just that I also needed what she had. I held my breath and tightened my shoulders. I caught my lips before they could even tremble. I felt the need to cry but I couldn’t afford it. So I had to suppress it, if not, I would spend time fixing my contacts that I was wearing. But still, my eyes couldn’t escape tearing up.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHNwSokJSc
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I shut my eyes. I tried to glue them together. Then I heard Kuroiwa walk toward me, then behind me.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfM3szmw0h
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“If you can’t tell me what the condition is… then at least tell me what it is for.” I said one last time before he could leave.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIchDpC9lb0
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I heard nothing. So I turned around to see if he went back inside the new school building without hearing me. And I saw him still standing right in front of the entrance.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAoFpKc69p
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“I asked her to show me her resolve,” Kuroiwa-san said, straightforward and true. I didn’t feel like he just lied to me. His eyes, even though I couldn’t read them, didn’t show any malice.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1vx2pAwwE
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But resolve…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByHYX19bQv
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Was I not showing enough resolve?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOldCNHk5CZ
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“The infirmary is close by. I think you can get there on your own at this point.” Kuroiwa-san continued. He carefully turned himself toward the entrance but he paused. “If you overthink too much, your headache will get worse,” he said then started walking.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkb3HBlda3Z
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—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsImj2tgNRO
Afternoon of Tuesday, 4th week of May.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYJLUymA0g
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I checked my phone. Still 4:26 pm.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB7F96Go46
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I sat here at the train station for almost an hour now. Today was supposed to be my turn to cover for Runa. Well, yesterday, it was Hina and Yui’s turn. I went home early before lunch break because I genuinely started having a really bad headache. I felt guilty that I had to make Yui and Hina handle covering for Runa, and that I had to volunteer to do it alone today.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABHQ9lk0Fa
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Last night, Runa messaged me about her plans to be absent this morning. I wanted to tell her no, but I couldn’t. I knew it was because she needed more time to study. And because of that, this morning, everyone noticed that both Runa and Kuroiwa-san were absent. So naturally, everyone started talking about it. And if these two weren’t careful enough, people would start to misunderstand their relationship. That would be another set of problems if it happened.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDbvMMvHwO
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Sigh…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzypchfM1J
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I leaned back to get comfortable on the bench I was sitting on. After what happened yesterday, I started to think more about many things. But what I had thought most was what he said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR6E2SLHqB
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Resolve.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT10QxFtOww
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The word echoed inside my thoughts.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTAuBNnJZ8
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As if I didn’t  have it from the start. It was always resolve that kept me up at night to study, it was always resolve that kept me going even if everything started to feel heavy. Resolve was what I gained first before I chose to walk toward this path. So I didn’t think I was lacking it. And I didn’t think that was something I was missing…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsYtZR0ebl
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So what do I lack?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQu7prft7lz
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I didn’t know…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oUT0VBPbb
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I closed my eyes to think more about it. To try and understand the question itself and find the answer afterwards. After all, leaving it unanswered didn’t sit well in my mind. And it didn't sit well with me all afternoon yesterday, all night last night, and all day today. I didn’t like to call a puzzle complete when it was still missing many pieces.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6vW5VPoAZ
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Suddenly, I felt a vibration inside my bag. I could also hear the faint ringtone coming from it. I hurriedly opened my bag to see what it was all about. Then it was a call… from Runa…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5yZMjZadV
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I answered it.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1ZoNGQPVm
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“Hello?” I said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xOVpgXgmn
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“Hello, Mika?” Runa spoke from the other side of the call, sounding like she was freaking out.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB4pd2Y9ub
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“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfq4kI47lo7
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“It’s Kuroiwa-kun, I am walking far ahead of him now so he wouldn’t hear me but he’s following me to the station!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDO0kMyxYu
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Huh?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ5kKAomDr
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“That creep! Did he finally show his real motives now? Is he stalking you?” I asked genuinely concerned.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUR3uWaTDM
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“No, it’s not that,” Runa answered. “He said he’s going to my house to meet Mom!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDOjnqveFJ
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“Why?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSplv3n0Mn5
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“I don’t know, he said he wanted to talk to her.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5n61Eh92B
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“You have to stop him! You know your mother is going to kill you if he shows up at your house and finds out you were still going to his apartment alone!!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tIKMlct4d
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“I tried, Mika, I really did. But he wasn’t listening.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqELesGPwQd
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I paused for a second to consider the options we had.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2wGnBlTN8
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“How about you ditch him. He walks slowly so if you run to the station he won’t be able to follow you,” I gave Runa some advice I thought would definitely work.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xipBJSIFr
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“No!” she replied.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXek3m2lASB
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“Why not? Runa, this is going to become a disaster if you let him.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAX0VgKsmml
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“I know, but he told me he would still go with or without me. And besides, he knew which train I always ride. He has been walking me to the station every time we’re done studying.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3za7QYuEYq
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“Seriously?” I said.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7E80EyKeM0
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“Seriously!” Runa replied. “And also… What if he gets lost?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvuL4eItc4B
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“Runa! You’re more concerned about him than what he is about to do to you!?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBx6CssHpD
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“I mean… wait, we’re almost at the station. We’ll talk when we get there.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2WUCYOzxy
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“No! Ditch him!”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKiKgP7wKb
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“Okay bye, talk to you later.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAxNkR8UCS
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The phone call ended.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxmYXdsQHL
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Did she not hear what I said? And what was that weirdo even thinking?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHDGoFhUAC
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I squeezed my hands because I knew what caused this. I shouldn’t have told him. If only I had known he would be this reckless. A day before the exams started and he chose to do something irresponsible? I couldn’t even imagine what was going to happen later.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9aEPXaJLL
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This is bad…35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuQk6FSwEh
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This is seriously bad…1234 copyright protection31ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYHSnKhJg3 尼

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