12 ☆ ( "RED RIBBONS." )

It's been eleven days and counting–the torture continued.

Yamaguchi brought in her friends and made my life secretly miserable, no matter how hard I tried to keep it together. At home, I have no choice but to push away Mother and Father whenever they ask why I've been studying for so long despite having no tests. Still, I told them that I just needed more focus.

Yamaguchi knew how to make me break. She's started to know my pathway around the school, and in the process, has started to take my notes out of my notebook, leaving me to rewrite them.

Every. Single. Time.

Her friends even blocked my way to certain stairwells, causing me to run around the whole school trying to get back to class on time. They've been sending me malicious and threatening texts, telling me to break up with Riki since he's for everyone, yet I haven't faltered.

At least, not in front of them.

"And I was saying that–hey, Rie, are you okay?"

I couldn't let Yamaguchi and her sheep get to my head. If they did, they'd have control over my whole body, and I'd start to do irrational things. I'd do things that go against what I stand for, and even worse... I'd lose Riki. I couldn't let him go no matter how much I thought about it–I even made a pros-and-cons list yesterday night as I cried, but the pen ink began to smudge from the mess.

I let out a heavy exhale. I was holding it in for god knows how long. I hoped that like breathing, it would push her out of me, yet, she remained.

Yamaguchi Hisako. "Watch your back." Her little followers. Give in.

"Bubblegum girl."

I lifted my head, seeing the four of them staring at me with concern. Finally, the feeling of reality and being present resurfaced. I looked to my left and saw Hanae's hard grip on my shoulder. I shifted my sight to my right hand, seeing Riki caressing it with his left. Then, my eyes centered on the clouds, in an attempt to regain full consciousness. "Sorry," I apologized, suppressing my frown with a downward smile. "I was thinking about something."

"We can tell. You were pacing in place, and you started breathing pretty heavily," Hanae commented, brushing my shoulder soothingly. Still, I looked at her hand–and remembered what Yamaguchi did the first time we met. I shrugged it off and slithered my hand out of Riki's grasp, crossing my arms. "What were we talking about again?"

"About how the sports festival is coming, and we're trying to convince Riki to play soccer for Class A," Riki rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Sunoo whined, hitting him softly. "Come on, Riki. You're the only one who can beat all the special students who transferred here because of sports! You'd be our saving grace!"

"I don't think it's a good idea. I don't want to feel like I'm playing for the sake of something, you know?" Riki shook his head, arms mimicking mine by crossing. He spared me a glance–and I had a feeling that this was about me. "I like playing whenever there's a break, that's it. There's other things I could do, though."

"You're only doing this because of Rie, right?" Hanae tsked, pointing between us. "You remember what happened before you both dated and you played soccer, so you're thinking that you'll upset her."

I furrowed my eyebrows, shooting my head in his direction. "Is that it?" Riki tried to deny it, but it became more obvious. His eyes panicked, looking at the people surrounding him, unable to stare right into my eyes. "If that's what's holding you back, you don't have to worry. We're dating, and I'm not insecure about you having fans."

"No really, it's–Ugh, fine. I hate you, Hanae," My best friend stuck out her tongue in a tease. "I just don't want to potentially upset you, Rie. Even if you tell me you won't, even the possibility of it stops me."

"You don't have to worry about me, really," I looked into the lunch mom packed me, took out a cucumber with my chopstick, and ate it. "I'd rather watch you play soccer than worry. I want to see you play."

His smile slowly rose. "Do you mean that, Rie?"

"Of course I do," I nodded, giving him the stamp of approval. He nodded proudly and looked toward Sunoo, giving him a nod too.

"If my girlfriend approves and wants me to do it–I'll do it, Sunoo!"

"Okay, great. I'll tell Teacher Edo that you're Class 1A's representative," Sunoo nodded, looking back at me. "Hey, Sato. What's the reason you've been asking us to eat in the classroom nowadays? Usually, you like buying food in the cafeteria."

"I was just about to ask that," Hanae replied, causing me to gulp the vegetable. Don't say anything, Rie. Don't give in. Don't say anything, or else things will blow out of proportion. You can handle this.

I pushed up my glasses. "I don't feel like seeing a lot of people right now. Besides, don't you like how quiet it is?"

"Yeah, but, it just isn't... ordinary of you," Sunoo winced. "That's all. We, or at least, I, won't pressure you on that topic any longer than I have."

"You must want to get on Rie's good side all of a sudden–throwing me under the bus?" Hanae huffed, rolling her eyes. "Sunoo, you're quite the fox."

He pushed up the bridge of his glasses, a comical, dramatic white glint overcoming its frame. "Thank you," He briefly spoke. "I'm aware."

"You–!"

"Sato," I stood up at the sound of Teacher Fujii's voice, facing him. Quickly, I bowed, and he nodded slowly. "Sorry to interrupt your lunchtime with your friends, but it's urgent. I'm about to go to a meeting and I need some paper from the art room–" Suddenly, he picked up scissors from behind him, motioning them to me. I took a few steps forward and grabbed it by the blade, fixing it later in my grasp. "–Please bring it to the teacher's lounge after. I need to grab the other papers. Thank you!"

He ran off, leaving me to watch him jog down the hall. I sucked in my lips for a moment in hesitation, looking down at the black, long pair of blades, gripping them a little tighter. "Rie, should I come with you?" I heard Riki ask me, making me shake my head.

"No need. I'll be quick and be back in a minute."

"Oh, okay," Riki sounded a bit sad, making me feel a bit pitiful. "We'll be waiting for you, then!"

I nodded, hearing a quick murmur from Jungwon that was something along the lines of, "Wanting to sneak off with your girlfriend without us, huh?"

I moved quickly through the hall, hoping that none of Yamaguchi's friends would see me scurrying. I probably looked stupid–no, I definitely looked stupid. Still, I made it to the art room within half a minute. Nobody followed, thankfully, which allowed me to catch my breath.

I went toward the paper wheel. I opened my scissors with my hand, and I lined it up perfectly–

"Sato."

I should've known. I'm never safe. Maybe Riki asking to come with me was a warning from the Gods–something I should've taken seriously. I turned around and saw Yamaguchi only a few feet away from me, both doors closed. There was nowhere to escape except outside the windows, but even, the pathway toward the closest one was blocked with scattered easels and portraits. "Yamaguchi," I replied, holding the scissors by the finger rings. "You've finally shown yourself."

"I thought that you'd get the hint eventually–but it seems like you continue testing my patience," She laughed, bitter honey laced in her tone. I held my glare, penetrating her face in my head, wishing that it popped right off like a pinata. I felt violent, but violence was never the answer.

These feelings were bottling up, more water being added from the inner turmoil of the canister, and I felt the external covering starting to expand. No, I'd surely burst if I continued.

Yamaguchi tilted her head sweetly, walking toward the desk that separated us. I also took a few steps closer to it, narrowing my eyes. "Break up with him, Rie," Her informalities made my stomach churn. A singular cucumber was being digested, but it sure felt like I ate my whole sandwich in seconds. "He's too good for you–no, for someone like you. You're nothing compared to him."

I stayed silent, holding it in. Yamaguchi didn't like that. She gritted her teeth. "I know you're putting on a facade, Rie. You don't have to try and act all high and mighty because you want to save your relationship with Riki!" She exclaimed, flailing her arms upward. Then, she suddenly pointed at me, her colored nail between my eyes. "I'll tell you right now, Rie. You and Riki are destined to fail! You both are going to break up, no matter how much you try to salvage it!"

Truthfully, I wanted to bite her finger off.

But then, her words were biting me. "You're a fool to fall for Riki out of nowhere. There was no basis for what you felt for him, and you didn't even know him before this year! Do you even think his feelings for you–no, even your feelings for him–are genuine!? What if he's just messing with you!?"

My eyes faltered for a moment. My silence was starting to cease. "You know nothing," Was all I could croak out, looking at my feet. I heard Yamaguchi scoff, feet shuffling. "You think you know him and our relationship, but you don't."

"I know about him more than you do. Hah, do you really think that he didn't know me?" My face lifted. My eyes scattered around her face, and I felt my world begin to crumble. "He's... we've... soccer... years ago..."

Red ribbons.

Dark brown, chestnut hair.

Greenish-hazel eyes widened to emit her insanity.

Furrowed eyebrows.

Red Ribbons. Red ribbons. Red ribbons. Red. Ribbons.

Then I remembered how she touched me. Her fingers and fingernails were coated in nail polish. She barely touched you. She barely touched you. She doesn't even like you enough to touch you. It's obvious she's disgusted with you. She barely touched you.

Watch your back.

"And–!"

Without a word, I slammed the scissors blade first into the desk. I thought a woodsy, abrupt sound would come from it, allowing me an opportunity to speak, but it was different.

Vastly different.

It was a soft squelching sound, yet, it was nowhere near... right. I felt the bottom of my hand touching something gentle, soft like skin, and I swallowed. It wasn't until my hands trembled and slightly pulled the scissors back up that something coated my fingers–something thick and solvent–and dripped like rainfall against the side of the desk.

Then, it pierced my ears. Yamaguchi's blood-curdling scream.

I looked down and saw red oozing out of her skin barrier, the blades of the scissors fully submerged into her hand. I widened my eyes, letting go of the weapon. Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Oh no. No, please. No.

"What–OH MY GOD!" Teacher Fujii slammed the door open and people followed, screaming as Yamaguchi held her punctured hand. The blood fell down her wrist and dripped from her forearm, her polished nails now coated in her blood.

I looked at the door that slammed open on the left. Riki was there. So was Hanae. So was Jungwon. So was Sunoo.

Nobody's going to believe you, Rie. Nobody's going to believe you didn't see her hand. Nobody's going to trust you. Everyone's going to leave you.

"SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE, NOW!"

"RIE!" I heard as I felt my knees buckle, Riki running past the crime scene, past the desks, and eventually, kneeling to me. I couldn't see him. I could only hear him. He was distant, far away, but the sound of his voice distorted like TV static. His touch was there, but it didn't feel there.

All I saw were my hands. My red, bloody hands. They were stained a dark red–as dark of a red as the red on Yamaguchi's ribbons. My eyes were glossed in tears, unable to fall–because I am not the victim of this. I am the perpetrator. I could not cry when I just committed a crime.

"Rie. Rie! Look at me. Look at me, nothing else. Look at me, Rie. You're going to be okay," Distant noise. Very, very far, noise.

Then, a new hand touched me. It was Hanae's. She gently patted me. "Rie."

There was no possible call that could get me out of this trance. I fell into oblivion–and two things engulfed me in it. Both were words.

Red, and, Destiny.

I could deem it as something I read in those fantasy-romance books: The Red String of Fate. They told me it was a singular string. One thing that connected someone to their destined other.

But I realized that fate was not that simple.

That the blood on my hands was my overlapping strings of fate, connecting me to all the people in this room. They connected me to all the people who watched me hurt Yamaguchi Hisako. It wasn't blood.

It was fate telling me to cut everything regarding my strings–including the people–off.

And I was going to give in to it.