8:49 a.m.

I can't believe how late I am...

Mai Takahashi arrived at school and walked down the hallway. 

Some students were still chatting and catching up on shows or games from last night. 

Mai fidgeted with her hair, looking uncomfortable.

I don't know why, but my body just feels off today. Actually, everything about me feels different today, like I'm not myself... well, not that feeling different hasn't happened before, but today just feels completely off track for me. Maybe it's because... of Yuuki-kun and me...

She blushed all the way to her ears and sighed, "Well, at least I'm here now..." 

She adjusted her satchel and walked into class, where she spotted Yuuki Tanaka calmly seated, legs crossed, engrossed in his book.

Well, it seemed like he was reading, but he was just looking through his book. 

Literally.

Ryota didn't come to school today, or maybe he's late?

Yuuki flipped to the next page for no reason. He couldn't possibly focus on the book in front of him when he was worried about a friend. 

Standing silently in class, Mai couldn't take her eyes off Yuuki. 

My sweet Yuuki looks so good with a book. *chuckle* My sweet Yuuki... looks... so good... with a book...

Suddenly, her pink-purple eyes glowed a faint blue, and red hearts formed in them. A wide grin spread across her face, but it wasn't sweet—it had a sinister edge, with an unsettlingly obsessive feel. 

She took a step forward, but before anything else could happen, Mihara appeared out of nowhere and hugged her. 

"Mai!" 

After gently breaking the hug, Mihara asked, "What's up?!" 

The unsettling expression vanished from Mai's face as she looked at Mihara and replied, "Oh, hello Mihara."

Mihara grabbed Mai by the wrist and pulled her to a nearby seat not far from Yuuki's desk. 

Despite her efforts, Mai couldn't tear her eyes away from Yuuki, but this time she seemed more normal. 

With a bit of force, Mihara made her sit down and whispered a little loudly, "Stop losing focus, okay?!" 

Mai nodded gently, "Alright, I'm sorry?" 

Mihara waved her hand calmly, showing she wasn't offended, just being her usual playful self. 

"So, I wa--" 

Before Mihara could continue, Mai absentmindedly said, "Uh-huh..." while still staring at Yuuki.

Suddenly, Mai started to see all sorts of visions. 

She couldn't tell if these were hallucinations or her true intent visually manifesting before her. 

Her vision turned blood-red, all she could see was Yuuki. 

Countless voices started speaking into her head with sinister chuckles behind each word. 

‹Don't you want see what his insides look like? I'm sure they taste just as good as his lips!›

‹No, look at his head... it looks so cute! Maybe consider cutting it off and keeping it for yourself... we could use it to keep him close to you at night...›

‹If you want that, it's better you just rip out his heart... that's even more romantic!›

‹Yes, his heart, that's the best option to go for! Take his heart, his heart, his heart! Do it now! It won't take much, just look for something sharp and stab your beloved. If you have his heart, he'll always be with you forever!›

‹They could bury both your hearts together! Eternal love!›

Mai was already starting to look feverish. Even small bubbles of sweat started popping up all across her forehead. 

His heart... do I want it? Or maybe, I could tear mine out and give him, right? 

She gently placed a hand on her chest. 

Mihara got a bit frustrated and used her hands to grab Mai's face, redirecting her gaze. "Listen to me!" Mihara's voice raised slightly, but she realized she might have been too loud when a few students glanced over. 

Since the first-period teacher hadn't arrived yet, most students were either copying homework, chatting with their partners, or just having fun. Mihara thought it was the perfect time to talk to Mai before the teacher showed up. 

Mai, looking slightly surprised, said, "S-sorry, I'm just a little shaken today is all..." 

Mihara sighed softly, "Look, it's okay if you're really into Tanaka, but that doesn't mean you can ignore me, come on! Remember, sisters before misters!"

“I'm sorry,” Mai sulked a bit, “I don't mean to ignore you, honestly. I've just been feeling off since yesterday...”

Mihara, listening, couldn't help but smile with flushed cheeks, seeing her friend as totally lovesick. She chuckled and leaned closer to Mai, saying, “I get it, trust me. Kissing a guy you've been crushing on since forever is a big deal...” Mihara glanced away briefly, letting out a little squeak to release some excitement before continuing, “And the way you two kissed was so hot! I mean, they call Tanaka 'Onnamenai,' like he doesn't know how to kiss or do anything with a woman, but clearly, he's got skills...” 

Mihara wasn't exactly innocent; she knew her stuff, so reminiscing about Mai's kiss from yesterday got her all fired up. 

“The way he bit your lips and held your hips... I gotta admit, it made me feel a bit dizzy, hehe.”

"M-Miharaaaa!" Mai exclaimed, her face turning a deep shade of red in embarrassment. 

Mihara chuckled mischievously, “Oh, come on, no need to be shy about it. I saw how close you two were...” She winked at her friend. “...if you were any closer, he'd be wearing you like a jacket.”

Mai groaned softly, feeling increasingly embarrassed, and covered her face with her hands, wishing Mihara would stop talking about it. 

“So, back to what I wanted to tell you...” Mihara switched back to serious mode, taking both of Mai's hands and placing them in her lap. “Now that Yuuki has made it clear he's into you, we need to figure out what caused this sudden change, or if there was ever a change at all.”

“W-what do you mean?” Mai asked. Mihara sighed heavily, shaking her head. “Oh, my inexperienced best friend... Look, it's like this: Tanaka clearly rejected you in front of the entire class, then kissed you in secret. We need to make sure if he really likes you or if he's just using your popularity to get to another girl.”

[ Mai's Love Meter: 99↑ 99! ]

Of course, Mai's Love Meter wouldn't drop; it would only increase even more. If he was using her, it just fueled her love for him even stronger, so it wouldn't go down. It would take a lot to make a woman with a Love Meter at 90 lose interest in a man. But that wasn't Mihara's intention at all; she just wanted to help Mai.

"D-do you really think that's what he's trying to do?" Mai asked. 

Mihara shook her head, replying, "What? No, of course not, but it's a possibility--" 

Suddenly, Yuuki appeared out of nowhere, saying, "Would you ladies like to share with me what you're talking about?" He smiled mildly at them. 

Mai felt a bit jumpy seeing him and stuttered, "O-oh, uhm, Yu-yuuki... kun." 

Mihara smiled at Yuuki, saying, "Oh, come on, you know it's not right for a guy to eavesdrop on girls' conversations." 

Yuuki sat closer to them, saying, "Well, I agree with that, but if Mai's involved..." He made eye contact with Mai. "...I wouldn't mind listening in." 

Mai smiled back at Yuuki, but inside, she was burning with an anger she never knew she could feel.

The seat he took was inches closer to Mihara than it was to her.

[ Mai's Love Meter: 99!! ]

A small grin appeared on her face as her hands vibrated with a strange sort of excitement. 

It seems I'm not keeping enough eye on him... if he's sitting that close to Mihara, the he's probably sitting near other women too. Maybe even sleeping with them!

---

Author's Note: I don't know how well the story is progressing. But I hope you guys are enjoying it at least ^-^!!