Chapter 3:Her Voice Was a Weapon
The door creaked open.
And for a second, the classroom forgot how to breathe.
She stepped in like the world had been waiting for her — not just the room, not just the school — the whole damn world. Her presence hit like a tidal wave wrapped in silk. Quiet, graceful, but unstoppable.
Itsuki.
Mimi's breath caught.
She didn't even know her name yet, but everything inside her screamed it.
Itsuki looked like she walked out of a manga panel and straight into Mimi's life. Jet-black hair that glimmered like ink under sunlight. Skin so smooth, it didn't look real. Eyes shaped like delicate blades, cutting through the tension in the room without even trying. There was something dangerous in how calm she was — like she didn't need to try to be beautiful. She just was.
Mimi's heart wasn't beating — it was thrashing.
Her whole body stiffened. She knew this feeling. That terrifying rush. Not from fear — but from recognition. From the electricity crawling under her skin, warning her that this girl wasn't like the rest.
She wasn't safe.
Not in the way Mimi knew safety.
She was something else entirely.
"The only free seat is next to Mimi," the teacher mumbled.
Of course it is.
Itsuki walked down the aisle like the air itself parted for her. And Mimi could feel it — feel her — with every step closer.
And then—
She sat down.
Right next to her.
So close Mimi could hear her breathing. Smell the soft scent of cherry blossoms and fresh rain. Feel the warmth radiating off her skin.
And then—
"Hey."
One word. That's all it took.
Mimi's soul left her body.
Her voice wasn't soft. It was dangerous. Like honey that could drown you. Like a blade wrapped in velvet. Smooth, deep, and intentional. A voice that knew how to haunt you long after it stopped speaking.
Mimi slowly looked up.
And there she was.
Smiling.
That kind of smile people fake for cameras — except this one wasn't fake. It was quiet. Kind. Patient. Like she saw something in Mimi that nobody else ever had.
"I'm Itsuki," she said, eyes steady. "From Japan."
Mimi swallowed hard. Her voice cracked when she spoke.
"Mimi."
Itsuki leaned in just slightly, a soft gleam in her eyes. "Pretty name."
Mimi turned away, cheeks burning. Her heart felt like it was being yanked out of her chest. She tugged her sleeves down instinctively, hiding what no one ever cared enough to ask about. She'd built her walls high — too high — but now, this girl was sitting right beside her like she belonged there.
And for the first time in a long time...
Mimi didn't know if she wanted to run —
or stay.
Chapter 4 Preview: Doxxed
She blocked him.
She buried the past.
But it clawed its way back.
One message.
No name.
Just six words:
"I never said goodbye, Mimi."
And beneath it—
a photo she never took.