My deskmate is actually my yandere reader.

Kurose Izumi didn't understand.

But the only thing he understood was that he had to respond to Shiraishi Chiren and give her peace of mind.

So he gripped Shiraishi Chiren's hand tightly and said, word by word, "Chiren, I believe in you."

"……Um."

Chire Shiraishi rested her head on Izumi Kurose's shoulder, trying to feel the sense of security he provided.

But she found that she could no longer do it.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, an insurmountable distance had already formed between them.

This distance will continue to widen until it completely blocks them out!

116. Izumi, why are you crying?

"Good night."

"Good night."

After saying goodnight to each other, the two, each with their own thoughts on their minds, returned to their respective rooms.

It's 10:47 PM now, my usual bedtime.

Unlike usual, the atmosphere between the two had changed, and the usual goodnight kiss was gone.

Lying in bed, Kurose Izumi thought about what had happened that day, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Hirasawa Shinbu and Shiraishi Chire's unusual behavior and attitude gave him an indescribable sense of unease.

In the dark and quiet room, Kurose Izumi picked up the phone from the bedside table, turned on the screen, and the glaring light made him squint slightly.

"Are you asleep?"

He sent a message to Hirasawa Shinbu, and then waited anxiously.

ding dong~

A moment later, my phone vibrated. Hirazawa Shinbu replied: "No, what's up? Why are you calling me so late?"

"Actually, it's nothing, it's just that you seem a bit strange today, like you want to tell me something?"

"You must be mistaken. I don't have anything to say. I called you over after school this afternoon to discuss something about me and Tsuda."

"yes……"

Kurose Izumi looked at Hirasawa Shinbu's reply with a puzzled expression, feeling that something was off.

Did Hirasawa Masato really want to discuss Tsuda Yoshi's matter with him in the afternoon?

Also, why did Shiraishi Chiren send a text message to Hirasawa Shinbu while she was in the toilet in the morning?

Finally, why was Hirasawa Masato so eager to show him what he had written, but unexpected things always happened just before he was about to see it?

The feeling of unease grew stronger in Izumi Kurose's heart.

The seeds of suspicion also sprouted at this moment and gradually grew.

At this moment, Izumi Kurose has no idea that the person behind the screen, Masato Hirasawa, is not actually Masato Hirasawa!

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom opposite his, Shiraishi Chiren had just turned off her computer.

"Alright..."

"Then let's go to sleep."

"Good night."

That night, Shiraishi Chiren also had trouble sleeping and was burdened with worries.

Fearing that everything would be exposed, Kurose Izumi fell into despair and cut off all contact with her.

"Do you know? I only feel disgust for you. You make me feel nauseous, just like the pure white flower in my book."

"When we first met, I thought you were just a bit extreme in your thinking, but you're actually a good person and very gentle."

"But—your subsequent actions completely exposed your true colors, and they were utterly disgusting."

The words that Kurose Izumi once said to "Kuchiki Touko" echoed in Shiraishi Chiren's mind.

It was like a curse, repeating endlessly, tormenting Shiraishi Chire's mind and filling her with fear.

'Izumi, I'm sorry, but there's no turning back for me now…'

At this moment, Shiraishi Chiren has shed all pretense and is simply a girl who is afraid of losing the person she cherishes.

She prayed for Kurose Izumi's forgiveness in her heart, but she couldn't let it go.

All the things we did in the past are now our retribution!

He who fools others will be fooled in return!

-

"Quan, I'm sorry, I lied to you."

"It was my fault, I know I was wrong, please forgive me, okay?"

"I beg you... please don't go, don't leave me. I will make it up to you, I'm willing to give you everything to make it up to you..."

"I love you, I love you, deeply, from the bottom of my heart, hopelessly..."

In a pure white scene, Kurose Izumi, in a daze, saw Shiraishi Chiren with tears streaming down her face, apologizing to him repeatedly.

He looked at Shiraishi Chiren with confusion and bewilderment, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but he seemed to have lost his voice.

"Why?"

Kurose Izumi murmured, opened her eyes, and felt a dampness on her face.

He reached up and touched his cheek, only to find that he had been crying without realizing it.

Why would I have such a dream?

"Qianlian, why are you apologizing to me?"

"Why is your image overlapping with hers...?"

Kurose Izumi muttered to herself, when suddenly she felt a lump in her throat, and tears fell like beads from a broken string.

He couldn't help but bury his head in the blanket.

Since yesterday, Izumi Kurose has understood that she and Chire Shiraishi can never go back.

They could never go back to being so close; a rift had grown between them.

Kurose Izumi couldn't help but care about what Shiraishi Chirei was hiding from him.

It was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart, making him restless in his dormitory and constantly on his mind.

After crying for a while, Kurose Izumi finally poked her head out from under the covers.

He took a deep breath, wiped his eyes, got up and left the master bedroom, going to the bathroom to wash up.

Kurose Izumi looked up at herself in the mirror—her gloomy hairstyle had been cut off, replaced by a cold and aloof face.

His eyes were red and he had dark circles under his eyes, making him look like he was in a bad state.

'What am I doing? If Qianlian sees this, she'll worry...'

Kurose Izumi gave a wry smile, turned around and walked out of the bathroom, where she ran into Shiraishi Chiren, who had just gotten up.

Her complexion didn't look very good either; she appeared somewhat gloomy and dull.

"...Good morning, Qianlian."

Kurose Izumi and she stood facing each other, looking at each other for a while before he finally spoke and greeted her.

Shiraishi Chiren stared blankly at Kurose Izumi's expression, without answering his question.

After a long while, she unconsciously reached out and stroked Izumi Kurose's face, softly asking, "Izumi, were you crying?"

"Why... are you crying?"

She murmured, gently stroking Kurose Izumi's face with her palm, her eyes filled with barely suppressed sorrow.

Did I upset you?

Kurose Izumi pursed her thin lips and answered in a low voice, "...I just had a nasty dream."

"What dream?" Shiraishi Chiren asked anxiously.

She seemed to sense something too, and her heart trembled.

“…A nasty dream.” Kurose Izumi slowly closed his eyes, his voice low and sorrowful. “I dreamt that Chire apologized to me, but didn’t give a reason, he just said sorry.”

"..."

Shiraishi Chiren's hands trembled slightly, and her usually clear and bright eyes were filled with sadness.

Kurose Izumi clearly noticed this slight tremor.

So, he mustered his courage, as if squeezing all the air out of his lungs, and asked, word by word, "Qianlian, tell me, why would I have such a dream?"

"...Dreams are always the opposite of reality." Shiraishi Chiren could only deny it outright, giving such a despicable answer.

She dared not reveal the reason, because that would cause everything to deteriorate and bring their relationship to an end.

The only thing Shiraishi Chiren dared not gamble on was whether Kurose Izumi would forgive and understand her after she revealed everything.

Kurose Izumi so vehemently disliked Kuchiki Touko, yet she also deeply loved Shiraishi Chire.

This extreme contrast will drive him to the brink of collapse!

"So what's the reality?" Kurose Izumi asked dejectedly.

At that moment, he understood something.

Although I don't know what Shiraishi Chiren is hiding, it's definitely not a good thing!

That is something that cannot be forgiven or understood.

That's why Shiraishi Chiren didn't dare to say it!