For one reason or another I had awoken late in the night. Not desperate to remain that way I got myself a glass of water and returned to my room after rehydrating myself.

  Out of curiosity I checked my phone for the time. 1:00AM.

  Just as I was about to put my phone down I noticed I had 2 messages and despite my better judgement I decided to check who they were from.

  “Are you awake?”

  “I want to talk”

  What the hell? Don’t get chummy with me, you’re blackmailing me remember?

  Regretting opening my phone I found two messages from Saito-san. I can’t deny I was rather intrigued by what she had to say but I was also tired, and worried that whatever it was it wasn’t good.

  Spending a few minutes thinking it over my interest got the better of me and I replied. “Yes, what is it?”

  Just a moment later the message had been read. She must have been sitting on her phone all night, that checks out given that she is a delinquent.

  “How’s your tummy?”

  Is she seriously asking that?

  Just earlier in the day Saito-san had punched me in the gut causing me to collapse and have a coughing fit. Now she was asking how I was doing? That has to be a joke.

  “It hurts like hell thanks to someone”

  “Good. You deserved it didn’t you?”

  What the hell is she talking about, how could I deserve it?

  Just as I was lamenting over her words I remembered what I had done to her. Pushing her against the wall with more force than I intended. Maybe I did deserve it, but I had no plans of telling her that for her amusement. What was going on anyways, why was I even entertaining her antics? It’s bedtime, I should end this as quickly as possible and get some sleep.

  “I don’t think so, is there something you want?”

  “Well, whatever. I have a request Shiori-san”

  It was technically a new day but this is a bit excessive isn't it? But on the other hand, if I get it over with now then I don't have to worry for the rest of the day.

  “What is it?”

  “Simple, I want you to take care of yourself today.”

  Okay, now I’m confused. I would do that without her request, what’s more, she was concerned about me? That’s not likely, she must have another motive for the request.

  “I wouldn’t want you to break too easily.”

  With a followup ominous text from her she confirmed my suspicions. Honestly, it would have been more worrying if it was out of concern but what she just said was rather disturbing.

  Breaking me… Is that what she wanted?

  “I have a cold pack and a bandage, I will be fine. Is that really all you wanted to request? We also have not sorted out the weekends, do I still have to complete your requests then?”

  “Yep, that’s all. Shirori-san, it seems we’re matching” She replied with a smiling emoji. I could only picture her with her distinct forced smile she always showed me.

  What did she mean by that anyways? I didn’t push her that hard did I?

  “and the weekends are your own. Your school days however, those are mine. Goodnight Shiori-san”

  Before I could think too hard she had said goodnight. She’s just leaving on her own? Well that is what I wanted but I have to admit I'm a little curious about what this whole ordeal was about. Maybe there’s no use thinking about it, she is far too strange to comprehend. And I get the weekends to myself, which all in all is a relief.

  “Goodnight”

  ?

  It did not take me long after arriving at school to notice that Saito-san was nowhere to be found. Clearly skipping school as one would expect of such a person. Lately I had found it far too easy to tune out the conversations of my friends, their usual talk about nothing of interest was quite a bore to me. I still did my best to smile and nod occasionally.

  It’s remarkable that just a few days after meeting this strange girl who was blackmailing me, my thoughts had been of nothing but her. “Where is she, what is she doing I wonder? What did she mean that we were matching?”

  “Why am I even thinking of that annoying girl?” I mumbled to myself, too quiet to hear.

  As if I wasn’t upset enough just thinking about her, it turns out when it rains it pours.

  THUMP

  Haru had just collided with me once again, this time it was clearly intentional as you could see the huge mocking grin plastered on her face. To make it even worse, the shock had reverberated through my body and upset the bruise left by Saito-san.

  “BITCH!”

  The corridors that were usually bustling with the sounds of students moving from room to room grew quiet.

  I was in pain, a great deal of pain and as a way of coping with it I had emptied my lungs, though I had not meant to shout those words in particular. While it was cathartic, it was also very unlike me.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Sei-chan? Are you okay?” Haruka asked with a great deal of worry. It wasn’t like me to shout, nevermind curse.

  Haruka always showed a lot of concern when it came to me, while I appreciated the affection it was sometimes a little overbearing.

  These little moments where I found myself doing something completely unexpected had started to increase in frequency ever since I had met Saito. This was going to be an issue if I wanted to remain the perfect girl. I needed to do something before it got out of hand.

  “Did you hear that, the class president just swore?”

  “I know right, I didn’t think she had it in her”

  “Scary”

  “I bet she’s actually a mean girl”

  These people… they don’t know anything.

  “I’m glad I’m not in that class, right?”

  “Maybe she thinks shes better than all of us”

  SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP

  “Look at her face, that's terrifying”

  Just before I could do something impulsive again, as if an angel had descended from the heavens to assist me, Haruka placed her hand on my shoulder and reassured me.

  “She is a total bitch though, I have to agree. Don’t think too much about it, let’s just get to class” Haruka calmed me down and reeled me in from the depths my mind had begun to sink in.

  It’s fine, just calm down. Haruka’s right, everyone knows she’s a bitch, and I can just say I’m stressed with all the work I’m putting in before break. It’s perfectly normal.

  “Thank you Haruka, I really owe you one”

  “Nah, this is what besties are for” She flashed a gorgeous smile. She really was like an angel.

  The rest of the day passed without incident for the most part, except for P.E when I had to get changed and my bandaged torso was visible for all to see.

  Haruka in particular looked concerned but it was also clear that she had figured out why I had such a reaction to Haru.

  “What happened, how did you get this?” She asked with a face full of bother.

  “Ah it's nothing, don’t worry about it. One of the boys accidentally hit me with a ball yesterday as I was leaving to go home”

  “Jeez, they ought to be more careful! I can’t have my beautiful Sei-chan getting injured hmpf”

  Seeing Haruka get upset on my behalf was an uplifting sight and it made me giggle as she pouted. The compliment was also appreciated and I flashed her a smile.

  The weekend was nearly upon us and for the first time this week I felt both excited and relaxed. It was the perfect opportunity to unwind and get away from it all. Something I really needed before I exploded.

  Just as the last period was ending and people were leaving school I decided I should treat myself and asked Haruka if she wanted to go to the town for a bit. She agreed readily and we set off for town. I didn’t have anything in particular in mind but I wanted to get away from school and all things Saito related.

  A few hours later we had finished wandering around the town and had gotten crepes together. It was a nice and relaxing outing with my best friend. It was truly something I needed. We said our goodbyes and each headed our separate ways home.

  I received a text from Haruka expressing her gratitude for the outing and it left me feeling warm inside.

  Little did I know that my mood would change drastically after I got home.

  As soon as I walked in I could feel the tense atmosphere. My parents were both standing together and staring as if they had something to say.

  “Sei, Yuki is going to be coming home tomorrow and staying with us for a while.” my Father said, beaming at me as if I should be over the moon.

  Wonderful, just what I needed. And here I thought after having a relaxing evening and the weekend finally here I’d be able to chill after a chaotic week.

  My perfect know-it-all sister was coming home to ridicule me about how my grades aren't as good as hers were at my age, and how I don't have enough friends or that I should be looking for a suitable partner to get set-up in life.

  Yes, my Sister was one of the people whom I sculpted myself to appease. She had always made sure to make me feel like I was one step behind her. Making sure to remind me that I’d never be as good as her.

  Her attitude was the worst, I could never tell if she was truly trying to help me or if she really just thought that little of me. Of course my parents could never pick up on the distaste I had for her and assumed we always got along. They took her sly remarks as great advice and would pressure me to listen to her. She’s so perfect after all.

  “Ah that is wonderful news”

  Storming off before they could say anymore I laid on my bed grabbing a plush and holding it tightly. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream and curse and shout to the top of my lungs, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do any of that, so I just lay rocking back and forth.

  “This was supposed to be my weekend, my time for freedom away from it all. A time I could be myself for a couple of days and not worry about others. It’s not fair”

  ?

  I was on my way to a nearby supermarket at the request of my parents. They likely wanted to stock up on groceries before my Sister got here. The fresh evening air was nice and cool in contrast to the warm sticky bedroom caused by the summer heat so I wasn't too displeased about running this errand.

  Entering the store I got myself a small cart and began wandering the aisles. I had a small list of things my parents wanted but they also said I could use my initiative to buy some things myself, as long as it didn't go over budget.

  With a half packed cart and certainty I’d seen all the aisles I wanted to, I headed for the checkout.

  I’m not sure if it was cruel fate or the hand of God but standing behind the till was none other than Saito. She was wearing a mask and her hair had been messily cut short, it was now just down to her neck, in comparison to her usually long locks this was quite different. Although she was wearing a mask, it wasn’t doing much to hide the bruises on her cheek nor the black eye she had and there was no mistaking those deep green eyes.

  Was this why she wasn’t at school today? Highschoolers aren’t meant to have jobs either, not that I would tell on her though.

  “Saito-san, I didn't know you worked.”

  I decided to strike up a conversation with the girl as she processed my shopping. She didn't seem eager to have a conversation which I understood given the circumstance. I had wondered who gave her those marks but felt that asking her directly would be fruitless as she ignored my small talk.

  “That would be ￥4000”

  After paying up and heading for the exit, I flashed her a soft smile and told her I’d see her later before heading home with multiple bags in tow.

  After arriving home and putting the shopping away I wanted to grab a shower. The summer heat was ruthless and always made me feel gross by the time evening came.

  Relaxing in the cool stream of water my mind began to drift, somehow I was thinking of Saito-san again. These days she has been on my mind far more than I had ever anticipated one person could be. I started to wonder how she got those marks, and whether or not life at home was okay for her.

  “Is that what she meant by matching…?”

  I’d never seen her with a parent or guardian now that I thought about it. She was also working which meant she probably needed money. Perhaps her behaviour was just a reflection of a terrible life at home.

  Remembering I had my own issues in that my Sister was arriving tomorrow I decided to shelve the thoughts of Saito-san and get a good night's sleep. I would need it.