Chapter 17: It Was a Misunderstanding

“Wait, like?!”

Carmilla’s mouth dropped open instinctively, her entire being plunged into shock by Yuriko’s words.

Immediately after, her face turned as red as a ripe strawberry.

Her eyes darted around in a panic. It was only her first day meeting Yuriko, and she had already been confessed to?

This was far too intense for her!

“Um, I… you… look, I’m sorry, I can’t accept this right now!”

“Ah, why?”

Yuriko blinked her large, innocent eyes, not expecting her apology to be rejected.

Did she really do something so offensive that Carmilla wouldn’t even accept her apology?

‘I really messed up…’

Thinking that she had broken a beautiful girl’s heart on her very first day, Yuriko felt a wave of disappointment.

She had genuinely wanted to become friends with Carmilla.

Seeing Yuriko’s visible dejection after being turned down, Carmilla panicked even more and hurried to add, “It’s not that I dislike Ruri. It’s just that we only met today. We don’t really know each other yet. This is all moving too fast…”

Listening to Carmilla’s explanation, Yuriko became confused.

What was moving too fast? Since when did an apology depend on how long people had known each other?

But Yuriko wasn’t stupid. She quickly realized there was a misunderstanding.

Carmilla must have misinterpreted something to say such things.

But what exactly did she misunderstand?

“Wow, confessing to your desk-mate on the very first day? How spicy — “

Yuri’s voice drifted over at that moment.

Confession?

Yuriko recalled what she had just said. She had said, “I like being with Carmilla.”

Could that have been misunderstood as “I like Carmilla”?

Now it was Yuriko’s turn for her face to flush. she never imagined her words would be taken that way. Confessing on the first day?

Yuriko wouldn’t dare do that even in her next life!

“No, that’s not it! I meant that being around Carmilla makes me feel at ease, so I wanted to spend more time with you. I didn’t mean that I like you — wait, it’s not that I don’t like you! I mean, I like you in the way friends do!”

Through Yuriko’s frantic explanation, Carmilla realized her mistake, but this only made her face feel hotter.

Before, she was blushing from shyness; now, she was blushing from pure embarrassment.

“So I just misunderstood? Actually, I’m very happy that Ruri likes me.”

Carmilla kept her head lowered, too ashamed to look at Yuriko. To jump to such a conclusion on her own was humiliating.

It made it seem as if her head was filled with nothing but those kinds of thoughts.

“Tch, boring — “

A certain blue-haired classmate clicked her tongue. After tossing out that remark, she left, her interest completely gone.

“Then… we should head back too.”

“Yeah…”

After that misunderstanding, Yuriko felt too awkward to look at Carmilla. She packed her books and left the classroom with her.

The atmosphere was stiff. Neither of them felt comfortable enough to start a conversation along the way.

It wasn’t until they reached the Academy gates that they both stopped at the same time.

“My house is that way. What about yours, Carmilla?”

“Mine is in the other direction. It looks like we aren’t going the same way.”

Shengxiu Academy was located in the center of Pilgrim City, so students lived all over.

It seemed their homes just happened to be on opposite sides of the city.

“I guess we part ways here, then.”

“Yeah…”

Carmilla suddenly thought of something and pulled her phone out of her handbag.

“Oh, right. Let’s exchange contact information. It’ll be easier to reach me if Ruri needs anything.”

“Oh, okay…”

Yuriko pulled out her phone as well and added Carmilla.

Once the friend request was accepted, Carmilla sent a smiling emoji.

Yuriko replied with a waving emoji.

Seeing Yuriko’s reply, Carmilla hid half her face behind her phone.

Only then did she dare to look at Yuriko, though her gaze quickly darted away again.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Goodbye?”

“Goodbye.”

After the farewell, Yuriko and Carmilla split up. Yuriko let out a long sigh of relief.

‘How awkward. I’m too embarrassed to even talk to Carmilla now. Misunderstood as a confession on the very first day… she’s going to think I’m some delusional guy.’

‘Correction: A delusional girl, meow.’

‘Oh, thank you so much! You never miss a chance to take a dig at me!’

‘I am only stating the facts.’

‘…’

After a moment of silence, Phantom uncharacteristically initiated the conversation again.

‘Do you like her?’

‘Who, Carmilla?’

‘Yes.’

‘And?’

‘Are you going to pursue her?’

‘?’

Yuriko looked down at herself.

Her vision was blocked by her rising chest, preventing her from seeing her toes.

‘If I were a man, I definitely would have tried.’

‘Can’t a woman pursue her, meow?’

‘Isn’t that nonsense? Not everyone’s sexual orientation is skewed. She might not even like girls. What kind of happiness could I even give her? With my fingers?’

‘I actually think you have a chance. Are you really not going to try?’

‘We’ll see… wait, why are you so invested in this? Do you really want me to get a girlfriend that badly?’

‘…I just feel like you aren’t young anymore. It is time for you to be at the age of romance.’

‘But I’m only 16.’

‘In the era I was born, a 16-year-old girl like you would already be preparing for a second child.’

‘Second child my foot! If you want to give birth, go do it yourself!’

After bickering with Phantom all the way, Yuriko finally arrived near her home.

She just had to pass through the alleyway in front of her to reach her house, which also happened to be the base for the Bone Crusher Gang.

Before entering, Yuriko checked left and right. After confirming that no students in Shengxiu Academy uniforms were around, she stepped into the alley.

Passing through the alley, Yuriko arrived in front of an older residential building. This building was the base of the Bone Crusher Gang.

The entire building belonged to Yuriko, and all the core members of the gang lived there.

A sturdy man was leaning against the entrance. He had a peculiar hairstyle and held a lit cigarette, blowing out clouds of smoke.

Seeing someone in a Shengxiu Academy uniform approaching, the man didn’t even look up as he spoke.

“This isn’t a place for a student like you. Get lost.”

“And where exactly do you think I should go?”

Upon hearing Yuriko’s retort, the man flinched. He looked up and realized it was his own boss!

The man, who had looked so cool a moment ago, immediately switched to a silly grin. He bowed and reached out to take Yuriko’s handbag.

“Oh, it’s the Big Sister! Look at my memory. I completely forgot the Big Sister is a student at Shengxiu Academy now. You must be exhausted after a full day of classes. Please, come in!”

Yuriko walked into the building and entered the main lobby on the first floor.

“Everyone, pay attention! The Big Sister is back!”