Chapter 2: Troubled Girl

The moment he heard the voice, Kagami Yuto instinctively sat up straight. Curiosity made him turn toward the visitor.

Long, creamy-white wavy hair paired with Suzuran High School’s elegant green short-skirt uniform. A girl who looked like a delicate matcha cupcake slowly stepped into his view.

“Teacher, is this the counseling room?”

The girl stopped at the doorway and only entered after receiving his reply.

“Ah, yes it is.”

“Are you having some kind of problem, miss?”

Kagami Yuto rose slowly, keeping his expression as gentle as possible so he wouldn’t startle her.

“Yes… I came because a classmate recommended it. I heard this place can help people solve their troubles.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, but it didn’t sound shy. It felt more like a mechanical response born from complete disinterest in everything.

As someone trained in human psychology, Kagami Yuto noticed it immediately. After a moment’s thought, he decided to invite her to sit and talk properly.

“Yes. If you have any troubles, you can tell me about them. Or if you’re tired, you can even take a nap here. Sleep is the most direct and effective way to ease anxiety.”

“By the way, may I ask your name?”

“…”

“Tsukimi… Ryuune.”

“Tsukimi Ryuune?”

She tilted her head slightly. Contrary to the obedient impression her appearance gave, Kagami Yuto sensed that the girl before him was filled with coldness and arrogance toward others.

What an interesting child.

“So, Ryuune, what kind of problem are you facing?”

He picked up a brand-new notebook and slowly wrote her name on a blank page.

“If I tell you, can you actually help me solve it?”

Tsukimi Ryuune asked.

“Well, how can I know how to help if you don’t tell me? Or are you doubting my ability as a teacher? Honestly, I’m really curious what difficulties you’re actually facing.”

“Difficulties…”

“Is it hard to talk about?”

She shook her head slightly. Her golden eyes seemed to be weighing something.

“Teacher, do you think having everything in life is a good thing?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“I’m someone who lacks nothing. Except for a few things I can’t obtain, I don’t know how to keep feeling any passion for life anymore.”

“Uh… I see. So that’s the root of your troubles.”

“Can you tell me more? With just that, I can’t give you accurate advice.”

His pen paused for a moment. At the same time, his curiosity toward the girl only grew stronger.

Before starting this job, he had dealt with plenty of students facing classic problems. But none of them had been like Tsukimi Ryuune—someone lost simply because they couldn’t find a goal, especially when they already seemed to have everything. It was strange.

“How detailed do you want me to be?”

Her tone gradually turned colder.

“No, I just want you to explain it clearly. I’m not saying your words are unclear, it’s just…”

He tried to keep the conversation gentle, but he could already feel a hint of difficulty.

“Heh…”

“Let me put it this way. Everything you can think of is something I can obtain with ease. I’ve also long since moved beyond the desires of ordinary people. What I want now is simply something that can rekindle joy in my heart.”

“Do you understand?”

Kagami Yuto was slightly stunned. Watching her stop hiding her emotions, he also felt an indescribable, suffocating pressure.

No. Something was very wrong here.

So his earlier feeling hadn’t been an illusion after all. The girl in front of him wasn’t nearly as soft and sweet as she appeared.

Tsukimi Ryuune truly looked down on the man before her.

Or rather, as the god who ruled over everything, she looked down on everyone equally. In her eyes, since this human teacher couldn’t see through her heart, there was no need to say anything more to him.

It was laughable that she had actually hoped he could help her at the beginning.

“Ryuune…”

“Calm down first. I’m only asking these questions because I want to help you. If you don’t want to go into detail, we can try talking in a different way.”

“…”

At his words, the thought of leaving that had just risen in her heart paused slightly.

“You said earlier that you lack nothing. Does that include romance?”

“What…?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Kagami Yuto keenly caught the slight change in her expression and immediately sensed an opening.

“…Why are you asking that? I’m not interested in romance, and I don’t look up to anyone.”

“Is that so? But earlier you said you already lack nothing.”

“Although, as a teacher, I probably shouldn’t pry like this, emotional connections are an indispensable part of everyone’s life. Many people break through their confusion after meeting someone who becomes the other half of their life.”

He spoke with a serious expression.

“Teacher…”

“Are you trying to persuade me to find someone to date?”

“Eh…”

“No, what I mean is, your core problem might lie in interpersonal relationships.”

“Don’t you have any friends who can truly reach your heart, Ryuune?”

“Why… why would you say that…”

Her words seemed to strike a sensitive spot. She subconsciously averted her gaze from his.

“Because I can feel the loneliness coming from you.”

He said it seriously.

“Including from the way you’ve been talking to me. If there really was someone in your daily life you could open your heart to, you probably wouldn’t have come here asking me for help.”

His gaze looked as if it could see straight through her.

“…No. You don’t understand anything.”

“What?”

“I don’t want friends! Emotions are meaningless to me. Do you really think you understand everything?!”

She bit her lip hard, her voice slightly agitated.

“Where exactly is it meaningless?”

“With your conditions, there should be no shortage of people who want to get to know you. So why do you reject them all?”

“Because I… am fundamentally different from them.”

“Different in what way? All I see is that you’re on guard against everything, Ryuune.”

Kagami Yuto sighed.

Now he could be one hundred percent certain—the girl in front of him really did have problems in her heart. And they weren’t small.

“Not to mention, you don’t strike me as someone who likes to take the initiative either.”

“…”

“…Shut up.”

“Huh…!”

Before he could even understand what was happening, the next second a splitting headache crashed through his skull.

And right in front of him, the girl who had been accepting his help moments ago was now staring at him with cold, indifferent eyes—eyes that carried a clear hint of killing intent.