The two walked toward the restroom, hand in hand, under the bewildered gazes of the others, looking just like a lovey-dovey couple.
However, it was all a lie.
There was no sweet couple here—only a kidney held hostage by a kitchen knife!
Watching them leave, Kiyoko's friends had eyes full of excitement, their faces practically screaming gossip. If not for the threatening look Kiyoko gave them before leaving, they probably would've already pressed their ears against the restroom door to eavesdrop.
But... wasn't the organizer of this mixer right here? They could just ask her directly!
And so... this mixer ended before even making it through the self-introduction phase. Technically, the seven of them (minus one who was basically dead) were still sitting together, but in reality... it was already over!
Since when was a mixer just about discussing someone else's drama?!
At that moment, Yamamoto was completely petrified. All his expectations, all his desires, shattered along with his soul…
Now he regretted it—deeply regretted it. Why didn't he listen to Nojima and just dump that bastard into the ocean back then?!
Meanwhile, Aina wasn't having a good time either. Faced with the relentless questioning from her two best friends, her expression was completely blank.
Come on! She had joined PaB less than 24 hours ago! How was she supposed to know what relationship Kiyoko and Shiro had?!
"Kiyoko's been searching for that scumbag who abandoned her in high school, right? Maybe Shiro is him," Aina said helplessly.
It seemed like a reasonable possibility. It wasn't like Kiyoko had fallen for him at first sight or anything...
...Actually, knowing Kiyoko's personality, that wasn't entirely impossible either!
Her two friends, satisfied with this answer, became even more excited.
They had heard Kiyoko talk about that scumbag for ages and were extremely curious! They bombarded Aina with questions about Shiro.
With no other options, Aina turned her pleading gaze toward the only other living person from the same club—Kohei.
And then… she saw a devilish grin.
This bastard!
------------
Restroom
Shiro turned his head away, staring at the horrifyingly made-up face in front of him.
"Kiyoko…"
"Hmm? What is it~?"
"Restrooms are usually meant for one person, right…?"
"So?"
Kiyoko batted her big, sparkling eyes at him, pushing the knife-shaped phone case closer.
Hiss—
Feeling the pain in his waist, Shiro wisely gave up. Even though they were now squeezed into the same restroom…
"..."
(′｀;)?
"Aren't you here to use the restroom? Hurry up and go!"
Kiyoko urged him. If they didn't finish quickly, her friends would definitely ignore her warning and come barging in!
If they saw the two of them together in the restroom, their minds would be flooded with all kinds of indecent thoughts!
"..."
Shiro remained silent.
A man and a woman using the same restroom? He'd never heard of such a thing! This was more stressful than taking a bathroom break during the college entrance exam!
Seeing that Shiro still wasn't moving, Kiyoko gave him a disdainful look. "Hey, don't tell me you can't do it after not seeing me for so long~?"
m9( ｀д′ )!!!!
"You're the one who can't do it!"
How could Shiro tolerate this? He immediately pulled down his pants to prove himself!
And then… he met Kiyoko's playful gaze. Her eyes were full of mischief, like an old man watching a young fool make a mistake.
"..."
Speechless, Shiro felt the awkwardness settle in. He silently pulled his pants back up.
Damn it, this girl was a complete pervert. And with that thick makeup, he couldn't even tell what expression she was making.
Seriously, why did this otherwise normal girl have the personality of an old man? And why was she dressed up like some horror-movie zombie?!
"Sigh, it's been a while, Kiyoko."
Shiro let out a deep sigh. Sooner or later, he had to face this, so he decided to start with a conventional greeting.
"Oh, not that long. You only managed to shake off my pursuit two weeks ago."
(???)!
Shiro looked at her, completely at a loss.
Was this really an appropriate thing to say in this situation?!
And why was she talking about stalking him like it was completely justified?!
"Ahem… Actually, it was all just a misunderstanding…"
"It wasn't a misunderstanding. I know you recognized me back then, but you hid at that purple-haired big sister's place, didn't you?"
Σ(?д?|||)??!!
This time, Shiro was genuinely shocked.
How the hell did she know all that?!
Wasn't she supposed to have the personality of an old man?!
Seeing his astonished expression, Kiyoko proudly raised her chin.
Hah! Never underestimate a girl's intuition—especially one who has kept up with the latest episodes of Detective Conan!
"Uh… would you believe me if I said it was still a misunderstanding?"
Shiro put on his best pitiful expression, hoping to earn her sympathy.
"Nope!"
"..."
They stared at each other in silence. Kiyoko knew him too well, so well that she could predict what he was going to say before he even said it.
"Sigh…"
She leaned against the restroom door, her eyes filled with resentment.
"I only have one question. What were you thinking back then?! Was I not good enough for you?! Why did you still end up with that woman, Busujima?!"
Just thinking about the moment she saw him leaving a love hotel with another woman made her furious! She jabbed at his waist with the knife-shaped phone case in her hand.
Hiss—my kidney!
Even though Shiro had realized that the knife was fake, it still hurt like hell when she stabbed him with it!
"Answer me!"
Kiyoko pressed closer. He was her first love, after all. No matter how easygoing she usually was, she still cared deeply about her first love.
But instead of treating her like a girlfriend, this bastard treated her like just another casual fling!
And the worst part? She wasn't even his only casual fling!
Their faces were now inches apart. For the first time, Shiro noticed the tears welling up in her big, playful eyes.
Feeling guilty, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a wet wipe, and gently began wiping off Kiyoko's makeup.
Under the damp tissue, the thick makeup started to smudge and smear—
And then…
He was left staring at a horrifically ruined, zombie-like mess.
{{(°△°; "}}!
Shiro's hand trembled.
He quickly stuffed the wet wipe back into his pocket.
Crap. He had completely forgotten, there was no way her makeup would come off cleanly with just a wet wipe!
That moment of softness? Yeah… it was totally wasted…
"Ahem… You see, birds yearn for freedom, Kiyoko. You have to understand that even if I flew to another tree, it was against my will! You… are my true home!"
(T/N: Spoken like a true scumbag there XD, can't even comprehend where did he get the gall to say that.)
Shiro gazed deeply into her eyes—one of the only places he could still look at now…
(???)!
"You already used that excuse back in high school. Got anything else?"
"Eh? Did I? I thought I came up with it in college…"