Since the moment you first learned how to think clearly… there has always been something missing. Not something you could explain. Not something anyone else could ever notice. You’ve always existed in the background—an invisible thread in the fabric of other people’s stories. Never the main character. Just a quiet girl. Just… you.

No one paid much attention. And that was fine. Because you watched. You listened. You learned. While they laughed and gossiped and tripped over their own idiocy, you stayed quiet. You always stayed quiet.

Until now.

The first day of sophomore year—something felt different. You didn’t sleep. Not from anxiety, no. It was something else. Excitement? Hunger? A spark. Like something was about to change.

You woke up late—of course. In your rush, you barely remembered to grab the crumpled classroom schedule off your desk before dashing out the door. Your heartbeat was too fast. Your thoughts too loud. The world seemed like a blur.

You pushed through the school gates, eyes scanning the numbers and halls, trying to find your classroom—when suddenly—

THUD.

You collided into someone, the paper slipping from your hands and drifting lazily to the floor. Your knees almost buckled. You looked up.

And time stopped.

A boy stood there. A year older, taller, effortlessly graceful, like someone who didn’t exist in your world until this moment. Soft brown hair. Warm eyes. That smile.

That smile.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you…” His voice was kind. Real. He helped you pick up the paper. He didn’t even hesitate. And then— He walked away.

But your feet didn’t move. Your mind didn’t move. Your entire world cracked open, and you finally felt something.

You didn’t know his name, but in that instant, it didn’t matter. He was the answer. The answer to the emptiness. The warmth to the cold void you had carried inside you for years.

A girl’s voice, sharp and cheery, cut through the daze.

“That’s Aoto Senpai! He’s a junior. Everyone’s obsessed with him—he’s super kind and, like, insanely hot.”

You didn’t even look at her. You only smiled.

A smile you hadn’t worn in a long time.

No. You weren’t going to be one of those “everyone” girls. You weren’t going to stare from afar, at least not for too long.

He made your heart beat. That was rare. That was sacred. And if he could make you feel real… then he belonged to you.

Only to you.

He. Will. Be. Yours. No matter what it takes. No matter what rules you have to break. No matter who you have to hurt.

You forgot all about your classroom. Your hand clutched the schedule like it was a foreign object. Irrelevant. The only thing that mattered now was him.

You began to follow.

He walked across the courtyard, chatting casually with his friends, the breeze tugging gently at his uniform. Everything he did had a strange kind of beauty. Like a film you couldn’t look away from.

And then—her.

A girl approached him. She smiled too easily. He laughed. His hand brushed her shoulder.

Your body froze mid-step.

Something hot surged through your chest—burning. A knot of black envy and crimson rage twisted behind your ribs. Your fingers twitched. You had to curl them into fists to stop the trembling.

Why was she touching him? Why was he smiling at her like that? That smile… was supposed to be yours. That warmth. That kindness. That voice. All of it. Yours.

You dug your nails into your palm so hard it left crescent-shaped marks. Your breath came in shallow, shaking waves. You whispered to yourself, quiet enough that no one would hear—Why… isn’t the knife in my hand?

A fantasy flickered, vivid and intoxicating—her eyes wide with fear, her mouth silenced by your hands, the blood pooling gently at her feet while he stood helpless, finally seeing you…only you.

No. Not yet. You had to be careful. Precise.

You weren’t some impulsive fool. You were smart. You always have been. But you’ve always known—since the beginning—that if someone ever tried to take what was yours… if someone dared to make you feel this way, and then try to steal it…

”If I can’t have you, no one can.”