Chapter 12 : Please give me an order, Master

The night grows deeper and deeper,

I stare at the empty ceiling.

I reach out toward the grayish-white sky.

The only perfectly empty place in this house.

I try drawing on the white canvas.

Toys and love.

Love and toys.

I ended up liking someone who saw me as a toy.

I approached with love, but what I got in return was…

Play, teasing, humiliation.

Before I knew it, Yena’s face was drawn before me.

When it’s over, I hold her close.

Shedding endless tears, waiting.

Seeking comfort from the one who tormented me.

‘…’

You started this first.

You were the one who treated me like a toy first.

You were the one who…

“Yena…”

Actually, you know…

I have this hypnosis app.

“But I wasn’t planning on using it on you, really.”

My eyes meet Yena’s.

She smiles at me.

Just like the day we first met.

“Never, ever. Yeah. Never…”

I really wasn’t going to use it, but…

I clench my hands tightly.

My fists ball up, nails digging into my fragile skin.

Yena is still smiling.

She’s beautiful, Yena.

Keep smiling like that, so I can feel at ease.

There’s no turning back now, but if this is the only way to have you…

My wrist starts trembling.

When I finally loosen my grip, red marks appear.

Covering my eyes with that hand,

Hic… sniff… sob…

I cried endlessly, until the night faded.

Really, endlessly.

“Hayul…”

I hastily send a message as soon as the thought crosses my mind.

A long time passes, but there’s no reply.

An empty chatroom, not even marked as read.

You didn’t have to ignore me this much…

Sigh…

Lying in bed, I run my hand over the empty spot beside me.

Just a few hours ago, you were here.

“I… that… Hayul…”

My words get stuck in my throat.

Why is this happening?

All it takes is a simple ‘I’m sorry.’

But for some reason, I can’t say it.

I don’t even understand my own heart.

I’m not usually like this.

Apologizing is something I can do even in my sleep.

With a grin, with a sly expression.

‘What am I supposed to do in times like this…?’

I’ve never gotten this deeply, this quickly involved with someone before.

I’ve always apologized flawlessly on the surface.

Even the slightest hint of disappointment, and I’d apologize right away.

It didn’t matter, because it was never sincere.

This time, too, if I just say sorry.

If I admit my mistake, everything will be fine.

After all, I’m not really serious about her…

She’s just a toy, after all.

Who sincerely apologizes to a toy…?

So I’ll just act normal the next time we meet and—

“…No.”

Something feels… wrong.

That expression I saw…

I don’t think a simple apology will be enough to fix this.

I thought I understood people well.

Ha… seriously… What do I do?

Why am I like this?

Monday.

I left home early and just walked.

Wandering wherever my feet took me.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her house.

I let out a deep sigh and turned to leave, but then—

Click—

The door opened.

“Hayul… Ha-ha…”

“…”

“…G-good morning.”

“Yeah, hi. Hehe…”

Hayul, with swollen eyes, stepped outside.

She made an awkward expression for a moment, then quickly put on a smile and greeted me.

“Yena, what are you doing? Come on, let’s go. We’ll be late…”

“…Alright.”

Even though there was still plenty of time, Hayul urged me to hurry.

Just like always.

‘…’

The moment our eyes met, I knew.

She was acting. She was forcing that smile.

Her lips trembled slightly.

The corners of her eyes wouldn’t fold naturally, remaining stiff.

Sometimes, even her hands would shake.

…How could I not notice?

It was so obvious.

She must have cried herself to sleep last night.

She was never good at acting.

“Ahem, was the first period P.E. today?”

“Yeah. I think so?”

“…Hehe. Right, it is.”

Having a strangely mismatched conversation, we walked together.

After a few more awkward exchanges, we ended up walking in silence.

As we walked, I thought about the small notebook in my uniform’s inner pocket.

‘She’ll use hypnosis today, won’t she?’

She’s acting like everything’s fine, but her mind is unstable right now. She must want to rely on something.

If she takes out her phone when we’re alone… then it’s definitely hypnosis.

‘…Can I break it? With something this simple?’

That notebook held all the traces of my worries up to now.

If her mind ever truly breaks, it’s the last safeguard I have to bring her back.

Yeah… Something like this.

I have to rely on something like this.

It was unexpected.

The Yena I knew…

I thought she’d apologize right away.

I thought she’d say she was sorry, that she was wrong.

‘…Why.’

Bad thoughts kept creeping in.

Was she not sorry at all?

Then why did she come to pick me up?

No. There must be a reason.

If it’s the Yena I know, there has to be a reason…

‘The Yena I know…?’

I’ve only known her for a week.

What do I really know?

If I knew her so well, then why—

Ding-dong-dang-dong—

“Ah.”

I snapped back to reality.

Before I knew it, I was the only one left in the locker room.

I should head to class.

By the time I got to the gym, teams were already being formed.

Yena stood still, deep in thought, and since there was an empty spot next to her…

“Yena. Let’s team up.”

“Oh, uh. Yeah.”

I approached her naturally and teamed up.

Naturally.

Today’s class was badminton, a two-on-two match.

We each took our rackets and got into position.

The opponent’s serve.

We stood apart, waiting.

Tick—

The shuttlecock flew toward me, and I instinctively returned it.

It flew high—ah, I should’ve hit it softer.

The opponent smashed it down hard.

Bang—

The shuttlecock shot toward Yena.

She just stood there,

“…Ah.”

She only snapped out of it after the shuttlecock passed her.

“…It’s okay. Let’s try again.”

“Yeah…”

She seemed so out of it today.

The atmosphere had been strange since earlier.

…Why you?

Are you feeling guilty now?

‘No. Don’t waver.’

I steadied myself.

The opponent served again.

This time, Yena returned it well.

The shuttlecock bounced back and forth.

It was more fun than I expected.

Before I knew it, I was getting into the game.

Tick—!

A slightly off-center shot sent the shuttlecock toward Yena.

She stared at it blankly, then—

“Ah!”

Panicked, she reached for it at the last second.

‘That looks dangerous—’

“Ack!”

And of course, it happened.

Yena tripped and fell.

The moment I saw it, I dropped my racket and ran over.

It was instinct.

“Are, are you okay?! We need to go to the nurse’s office. Can you stand?”

“Oh, uh… I’m fine. I just twisted it a little. Haha, wait a sec…”

She pushed herself up with her arms, but her posture was shaky.

Just then, the teacher appeared without a sound.

“Hayul, take Yena to the nurse’s office.”

“Ah, okay.”

“I’m fine, ugh.”

I lightly pinched her arm, cutting her off.

Just listen to me today, okay?

I wrapped my arm around hers and put her hand around the back of my neck.

She kept insisting she was fine, so I kept pinching her until she stopped.

…Somehow, I felt like I was starting to understand the way she tormented me.

“It’s just a minor sprain. Be careful today, and I’ll put a brace on it.”

“Okay…”

Still, what a relief.

I was worried something worse had happened.

Just then, a phone rang.

“Hmm, hold on. Hello? Oh, no. Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

The nurse took the call, then quickly hung up, saying she had to go deal with an urgent matter.

“Lie down on the bed for about an hour, then head back to class. I’ll leave the door open, so just keep it that way.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Alright. Hayul, stay with her for a bit. I’ll be back.”

She left in a hurry.

I stared at Yena.

“…?”

“Haha… Looks like we’re alone?”

She couldn’t hide her nervousness and tried to joke.

I turned away from her and walked toward the door.

Creak— Click. Clack.

I locked it. So no one could come in.

A shiver ran through my body.

A rising, uncontrollable excitement.

I, I…

“Hayul?”

Ah, this is bad.

This doesn’t feel right.

“…Isn’t this a little too obvious?”

“…?”

“I mean, I can’t even run away. Are you really going to devour me just like this? Pfft.”

I blurted out random nonsense to defuse the situation.

Whether it was provocation or seduction—anything to get out of this.

Hayul lowered her head and fiddled with her phone.

I kept trying to talk to her, but she didn’t respond.

When she looked up again, her eyes, filled with anticipation, strangled me with fear.

“Yena, I… I saw something interesting. Oh, yesterday? Or was it the day before?”

“Haha… Let’s watch it together later.”

“Noo… I want to show you now.”

Hmm. Wrong move.

I couldn’t even move.

This is bad.

I ran through countless scenarios in my mind.

There had to be a way out.

Hypnosis? No way. How could something like that be real?

My mind spun in confusion.

I had been calm when I prepared for this. But now that it was happening, fear took over.

What… What was going to happen to me?

“Take this…!”

With a cute little noise, Hayul shoved her phone toward me.

[You are falling into hypnosis.]

A simple phrase, with pink spirals spinning on the screen.

I couldn’t resist looking at it.

My vision blurred, and I…

“…?”

Wait.

I looked away, then back at the screen.

I frowned and looked again.

‘Why isn’t anything happening?’

This isn’t right.

Huh?

For once, I was truly caught off guard.

Then, suddenly—

I realized.

And I laughed.

“Ahaha…!”

“Eh? Ehh?!”

This… is fake.

Of course.

How could something like this be real?

Hayul, you fool.

Now then—

Let’s play a new game