005

Reo Iwasaki lived abroad with her mom, who owned an entertainment industry. She lived abroad for 11 years before returning to Osaka, Japan, where she began living with her dad, who ran one of the branches of the entertainment industry.

Reo and I met after she returned to Osaka, and since I was the first kid around her age she met after returning, we began hanging out with each other.

Reo was always cheerful, although she was shy at first, so it didn't take a while before everyone started loving her.

I knew she was a genius back abroad, but I had no idea she was greater than I thought she was. She was the kind of prodigy who won different awards and had a separate room to place her trophy collections.

She was not only intelligent, but she was also really athletic. She also appeared in some of the movies made in her family's studio, so she had spent a lot of time with adults, helping her act more mature among her peers.

The most important part was her strong moral and virtuous standards. She didn't act like a saint, but her behaviour and attitude was all everyone looked at.

"No one would ever believe I did something wrong even if you brought evidence." She had told me one day.

...《BEHIND THE MASK》...

A year had already gone by since I stopped avoiding her because of her comprehension. I was confused when she said it at first, so I decided to ask what she meant.

She smiled brightly, then turned away from me, "It's nothing."

A girl who everyone around her believed wouldn't even hurt an ant. A girl who apologised for the wrongdoings of others. Of course, no one would've believed it even if she killed someone.

I just entered middle school that year, while she was in her last year of elementary school. We couldn't meet as much as we used to, but we always went home together.

My grades weren't poor, but before someone like Reo, I was just another average student. I wasn't really into sports, but I was not bad at them either. Reo just felt too out of my reach as we grew older. Sometimes, I just felt like she'd suddenly leave someone as unimportant as I was. Now I actually wish she did.

Anyway, I wasn't the only one with that mindset.

"Why are they always hanging out with each other? Emiko would ruin her image." I heard one of the students say.

I wasn't even a bad student. There was no way I could've ruined her image.

I ignored the voices following me initially, but at some point, it became unbearable, and I began avoiding Reo. We only had time to talk when we were home, and sometimes, I just hid myself from her to avoid any conversations.

At some point, Reo stopped trying to speak to me, and it felt like we were growing more distant. I hated that, I didn't want to be far away from someone I cared so much about, but I refused to approach her.

The girl standing before me clicked her tongue, looking at me with resentment.

She had dragged me to the equipment store in the gym with some of her other friends.

"What do you guys want?" I asked with defiance. I wasn't planning on getting bullied.

"What do we want?" She asked, laughing and turning to her other friends.

Classes were ongoing, so no student or teacher would be passing by the school gym, and my scream for help wouldn't have been heard.

I was never a strong girl. I could talk trash about anyone and oppose them, but when it came to strength, especially in groups, I was left vulnerable.

"Ouch!" I screamed, falling on my butt.

They all laughed, taking videos of me during their violent acts. I talked back at them as they hit me, refusing to she'd a single tear. But that was all, I wasn't winning the battle anyway.

"Why are you guys doing this? I haven't even done anything wrong!"

"Tsk, you're just a toad lusting over swan meat. Don't get close to Reo-chan again!" She said before walking out with her clique.

I sat quietly in the store. I was a really stubborn girl, so I refused to let tears stream down my eyes.

After that, I kept avoiding Reo, but those girls didn't stop until I finally gave up. At some point, I dreaded going to school. I couldn't meet a teacher without evidence, and I felt to tired to actually report the bullying.

Mom kept asking what happened to me, and dad almost left for the school in anger, but I explained to them that I was just tired from going to school every day.

"Reo..." I called, staring at Reo, who just left the staff room.

The teachers were all out for a meeting, and there was no one in the room, so I wondered what she was doing in there.

She smiled brightly at me, "It's been long since you've called my name, Miko. Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Her smile quickly turned from bright to alarming. The way she squinted her eyes while smiling made me shudder. I immediately turned and ran away from her.

My heart pounded as I ran. The hallway felt too long, and I could hear the sound if footsteps approaching me. I was scared, even though I had no idea what was going on.

What exactly was she doing there when no teacher was around? Why was an elementary student not sighted when entering the middle school building? What was with that dreadful look she had? I kept questioning myself even after getting seated at my classroom.

It was not until the next day that the news came out. Three students were to be expelled from the school for several crimes committed both inside and outside of the school. The girls who had bullied me in the store were the students who got expelled.

It turned out that the school had installed security cameras in several other places in the school where punishable acts may be committed. And they had just installed it when I started avoiding Reo. At that time, I thought it was just a coincidence, but after a few years, I asked her, and she smiled.

"I did pay the school to install the cameras, I also dug some dirt on them, the ones they actually committed, and the ones I thought of."

When I asked her why she did that, she stared at me with creepily affectionate eyes and replied to me like she always did.

"I can't have others harming my prey, can I?"

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