Chapter 288: Fear

After getting out of the taxi, Yamahisa Naoto stood in front of the public middle school where he had endured three years of humiliating student life. His expression was one of deep gloom.

He had long lost count of how many times he was dragged to the vacant lot behind the school building by older or taller students, only to be extorted for pocket money or beaten.

Yet he never dared to tell his teachers or parents about it, fearing harsher retaliation. His only means of self-preservation were enduring in silence or skipping school to avoid his tormentors.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get into the private high school his parents wished for him to attend—he also longed to escape this place. But he knew he wasn’t particularly bright and frequently skipped classes. Despite his efforts, some things simply couldn’t be achieved through hard work alone.

He no longer wanted to be bullied at will, nor did he want to endure his parents’ endless scolding. He was tired of this life.

After finally climbing over the school wall, Yamahisa Naoto made his way to the school building.

Although there were many houses around the school, most with lights on, the school building itself was pitch black, emanating a chilling atmosphere.

It was the first time Yamahisa Naoto realized how terrifying a school could be at night.

With a heart full of fear, it took him nearly ten minutes to cautiously make his way to the rooftop. Slowly, he approached the edge of the railing and looked down.

The moment he did, his face turned deathly pale.

Below was a pitch-black abyss, like the entrance to a bottomless hell. His legs trembled uncontrollably.

After a while, he finally managed to climb over the railing, his entire body shaking.

“Don’t do it!” Suddenly, a young woman’s voice called out from the stairwell.

Startled, Yamahisa Naoto turned his head and saw a young girl walking toward him while speaking, “Don’t do something so foolish! Please come back over!”

“Wh-who are you?” Yamahisa Naoto asked, still terrified. He couldn’t even be sure if this woman was a person or a ghost.

“Don’t be afraid. My name is Aikura Ai. I’m a student who lives nearby. Please, climb back over, okay?”

“Go away! I don’t need your help! Leave me alone!” Now certain she was just an ordinary person, Yamahisa Naoto shouted at her.

Aikura Ai tried to reason with him, “Listen to me. Don’t do something like this. There’s nothing that can’t be solved.”

“My problems have nothing to do with you! Get lost! If you come any closer, I’ll jump!” Seeing her slowly approach, Yamahisa Naoto immediately yelled to stop her.

“Okay, I won’t come closer. Please don’t get so agitated.” Aikura Ai stopped in her tracks, not daring to move.

“Get out of here! All of you are bastards! Everyone only knows how to bully me! I’ll show you the consequences of messing with me!” Yamahisa Naoto screamed, tears streaming down his face.

“Damn it! If you want to die, just do it already! Crying in the middle of the night—aren’t you worried about waking people up?” A cold voice suddenly interrupted Aikura Ai’s attempts to persuade him.

Yamahisa Naoto looked up and saw a man slowly walking up behind Aikura Ai.

“Masashi…” Aikura Ai exclaimed, startled by his blunt words.

Ignoring her, Lei Yin continued walking forward, step by step.

“Don’t come any closer! If you do, I’ll jump!” Yamahisa Naoto shouted in fear, watching the man approach.

Lei Yin’s expression turned mocking. “I’ve never even met you before. Do you think I’d care if you jumped?”

“Stay back! I mean it! I’ll really jump!” Yamahisa Naoto threatened loudly.

Unfazed, Lei Yin kept walking and sneered, “The amusement park was fun, wasn’t it? How was the French cuisine? And what about the woman you just slept with? It must’ve been your first time, right? How did it feel? Was it thrilling? Everything you just experienced—all of it—only requires money. Isn’t it great to spend freely?”

“How… how do you know all that?” Yamahisa Naoto asked, his face filled with disbelief.

Standing in front of him, Lei Yin looked at him for a moment before suddenly grabbing him by the collar. Staring straight into the boy’s eyes, he said, “You want to die, right? Let me help you.”

With that, Lei Yin pushed him back forcefully.

Time seemed to slow as Yamahisa Naoto felt his body lose control, tilting backward.

Fear. In that moment, Yamahisa Naoto experienced the fear of death for the first time in his life. It was sudden and overwhelming, a terror so immense it felt like a dream. But unlike a dream, he knew with absolute clarity that this was real—he was about to die.

The world turned completely upside down. Yamahisa Naoto saw the scenes he had just seen moments ago. Beneath the dimly visible school building stretched a profound darkness, as terrifying as an endless abyss.

I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die! Yamahisa Naoto screamed internally. Tears and snot began streaming uncontrollably from his eyes and nose.

Just then, he felt his body abruptly stop. In that instant, it seemed as though time itself had frozen.

Glancing indifferently at the boy whose right ankle he had caught with one hand, Lei Yin slowly lifted him up single-handedly and then casually tossed him onto the ground.

Aikura Ai still hadn’t recovered from the series of events that had just unfolded. She glanced at the boy lying on the ground, then turned to Lei Yin with wide, astonished eyes. “Masashi, he…”

Before she could finish, Yamahisa Naoto, who was lying motionless on the ground, suddenly erupted into an earth-shattering wail.

“Let’s go,” Lei Yin said without sparing the boy another glance. He simply turned to Aikura Ai.

“But…” Aikura Ai hesitated, looking at the boy sobbing uncontrollably.

Without replying, Lei Yin took her hand and began walking toward the stairwell.

As they descended the stairs, Aikura Ai finally couldn’t hold back and spoke, “Masashi, if we leave him like this, he might try to kill himself again. Should we go back and check on him?”

Lei Yin continued leading her downstairs and replied coolly, “When he came here, even if we hadn’t appeared, he would already have lost the courage to jump. And after experiencing the fear of near-death, do you think he’ll still have the nerve to jump again?”

For a moment, Aikura Ai didn’t know how to respond.

After a while, she asked softly, “Masashi, are you sure he won’t try again?”

“Don’t worry. He’ll probably live longer than us.”

Aikura Ai couldn’t help but laugh, her anxiety slowly fading. It was then that she realized he was still holding her hand. Although she knew he was only worried she might trip in the dark, her heart couldn’t stop racing.

※※※

“Miss Hasegawa, may I have this dance?” A young man in an Armani suit approached with a smile, extending an invitation.

Naoko noticed that quite a few people in the garden had already started dancing to the music.

“It’s just a simple social dance,” the man said with a smile. “It’s easy to pick up, and you can leave the little girl with one of Mr. Amuro’s servants.”

Before Naoko could respond, a young woman in a sleek, strapless gown suddenly walked over and clung to the man’s arm. “Andy, I’ve been looking all over for you. Let’s go dance!” she said, throwing a challenging glance at Naoko.

Andy, visibly uncomfortable with how tightly the woman was holding him, tried to refuse. “Kyoko, didn’t we just dance?”

“But I want to dance again. Is that not allowed?”

Andy’s discomfort grew, and just as he was about to decline, Naoko smiled and said, “Mr. Andy, I’m not much of a dancer. You should dance with Ms. Amuro instead. Excuse me.” She then took the little girl’s hand and walked away.

Watching her graceful retreat, Andy’s eyes revealed a hint of disappointment.

Amuro Kyoko, annoyed, snapped, “Do you like that woman?”

Andy, growing impatient, replied, “She’s already engaged. I just wanted a break. Go find someone else to dance with.”

“Don’t go! I only want to dance with you.” Amuro Kyoko quickly followed him.

Although the party was held in a garden, it had drawn quite a crowd. Everyone was dressed in suits or evening gowns, making it just as formal as an event held in a hotel ballroom.

Not wanting to interrupt Yoshiko’s conversations with other guests, Naoko sat quietly with Amy to rest. If she weren’t worried about being impolite, she would have left long ago.

Glancing at Yoshiko, who was holding a glass of juice and chatting with a few elegantly dressed ladies, Naoko sighed softly. She realized her old friend had changed so much, becoming increasingly distant and unfamiliar.

Suddenly, she felt a small tug on her clothes. It was Amy.

“Amy, what is it?”

“I need to use the bathroom.” Perhaps because of the warm weather, Amy hadn’t eaten much but had drunk plenty of juice.

“I’ll take you now.” Holding the little girl’s hand, Naoko led her to the restroom.

As they moved, Momo Yoshiko noticed them. After excusing herself from the group of ladies, she discreetly followed them.

When Amy came out of the restroom, Naoko was about to return to the party when she saw Momo Yoshiko walking toward them.

Momo Yoshiko looked at her and said, “Naoko, can we talk somewhere private?”

Naoko nodded, holding Amy’s hand as she followed her.

The garden was vast, surrounded by a variety of flowers, trees, and greenery. Momo Yoshiko led Naoko to a pavilion and gestured for her to sit on a bench opposite her.

Once seated, neither of them spoke for a while.

After what seemed like an eternity, Momo Yoshiko finally broke the silence. “Naoko, I’m really glad to see you again.”

“I feel the same. Ever since we graduated high school, I’ve missed you,” Naoko replied sincerely.

Hearing this, Momo Yoshiko looked up at her, her eyes filled with a complex mix of sadness and nostalgia.

After a moment, she whispered, “Naoko, you need to be careful with Yamamoto Kazuo.”

Naoko didn’t show any surprise. Instead, she spoke gently, “Yoshiko, if you’re willing, you can start over.”

Momo Yoshiko gave a bitter smile. “So you’ve figured it out. You’re right; I’m not his wife. I’m just his mistress. In high society, this isn’t uncommon. As long as it’s not a formal occasion, having a young, beautiful mistress is far more presentable than bringing along an old, unattractive wife. That’s their true mindset.”

Naoko spoke with a touch of sorrow, “Yoshiko, we’ll both grow old. Aren’t you worried? Do you really think he’s someone you can entrust your future to?”

Momo Yoshiko shook her head. “Of course I know all that. Once I’m no longer attractive or he falls for another woman, I’ll be worthless to him. But I can’t turn back anymore. Do you know? Just one of the dresses I wear now costs as much as my salary from several months back. I’ve grown used to having servants attend to me, driving luxury cars, and wearing designer clothes. I can’t go back to working overtime for a pittance or serving coffee to bosses whose minds are full of perverse thoughts.”

She paused, then continued, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. The house and sports car I live in are already in my name, and I’ve taken quite a bit of money from Yamamoto. What we have is a transaction—he wants my body, and I want his money. Isn’t that a fair deal?” She let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Naoko’s heart ached. “Yoshiko, this isn’t right. You shouldn’t waste your youth and time on such things.”

Momo Yoshiko took her hand and said, “Naoko, do you love your fiancé?”

Naoko looked at her, then nodded. “I love him more than I love myself.”

“And does he love you?”

With a face full of warmth, Naoko replied, “No one in this world could treat me better than he does.”

Momo Yoshiko smiled. “Naoko, you’re luckier than me. Alright, I’d better head back to the party. Otherwise, Yamamoto might start suspecting something.”

“Yoshiko.” Naoko called out softly.

Momo Yoshiko turned back and smiled at her before walking away.

Watching her friend’s lonely figure fade into the distance, Naoko’s tears began to fall silently.

After some time, she felt a small hand gently stroking her hair. Looking up, she saw Amy’s worried face.

Naoko couldn’t resist pulling the little girl into her arms, hugging her soft, warm body.

※※※

Holding Lei Yin’s hand, the little girl said, “Lei, Naoko is very sad.”

“I know. Can you go to sleep first? I want to go see her,” Lei Yin replied.

“Okay.” The little girl obediently nodded.

After she closed her eyes, Lei Yin left the room and walked to Naoko’s door.

“Are you asleep?” he asked softly as he entered, sitting beside her bed.

In the darkness, Naoko slowly sat up and leaned gently against his chest.

“Lei, I’m scared. I’m afraid people will change, becoming completely different from how they used to be,” Naoko murmured softly.

“We can’t control whether others change. All that matters is that we don’t. I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life,” Lei Yin said, tenderly stroking her hair.

“Lei…” Naoko hugged his waist tightly, trying to feel his warmth.

Lei Yin lay down beside her, holding her close. He kissed her lightly on the corner of her forehead, his left hand continuing to gently stroke her hair.