Hypnotic Heartache
Written by: Ares
Title: You guys were worried, huh??
I'm fine now.
I can finally solve everything.
My heart feels so full.
Is this what love feels like?
Written by: ForGlory
Title: What a total lunatic lololololol
Wanting to save that monster girl so badly that he used a one-day gay hypnosis? Are you insane? lololololololol
"Haa… Jayden…"
Hypnosis is really something else.
I don't know how it works, but ever since I got hypnotized, Jayden keeps popping into my head.
They said it's like copying the feelings I normally have for someone I love and attaching them to Jayden's image?
Anyway.
Right now, I genuinely felt affection toward Jayden.
Ahh, my one and only precious Jayden.
To think I have to pass the curse back to you and kill you…
"But you started it first, you bastard…"
Lying on the bed, I muttered with tears welling up in my eyes.
Even though the hypnosis made Jayden precious to me,
I still knew it was all because of the hypnosis.
I had the feelings, but I also understood that Jayden was a piece of shit.
That's why passing the curse to him didn't make me hesitate at all.
Just then—
Knock knock knock.
[Ares, are you awake?]
"Ah, yes."
The dorm supervisor came to see me again today, just like always.
And as planned, she gave me the choice.
[Please choose one: cutting your wrist with a box cutter… or opening the bathroom door and sleeping with your head facing the bathroom.]
"I'll go with the latter."
[……]
Tap, tap, tap.
After I answered quickly, the supervisor left.
Since I'd be free from this damn choice curse tomorrow anyway, there was no reason to hesitate.
…Though the fact that the action I chose would summon a ghost made me feel pretty uneasy.
'Once this is over, I should ask Claire to exorcise my room.'
After that, I opened the bathroom door and went to sleep with my head facing it.
Written by: Ares
Title: A Refreshing Morning
I wonder what my Jayden is doing right now?
I'm so curious.
Love is truly great.
After coming to this school, I'd never had such a refreshing morning.
"Ares…!"
"Ah, Ellie."
"Good morning…"
"Yeah, the weather seems really nice today."
"Huh?"
On the way to school in the morning.
While walking the usual path, I ran into Ellie, who had caught up to me.
When I greeted her brightly after she carefully said hello, Ellie looked at me in surprise.
"Ares… did your mood improve?"
"Huh? Haha, is it that obvious?"
"Yeah, you look really happy. I'm glad… You seemed really down yesterday."
"Hahaha, everything got solved."
Right now, my heart was overflowing with love, but also the refreshing feeling of being freed from this shitty curse.
Nothing could be better.
'…It does hurt to pass the curse to Jayden, though.'
But what could I do?
The one who shits has to clean it up.
Just then—
"……Ah."
"Huh? …Why?"
"……Aah."
I spotted him in the corner of my vision.
Among the many students heading toward the academy.
A male student faintly visible in the distance.
'Jayden…!'
Thump.
They say the world really does blur when you see someone you love.
My eyes captured Jayden's back view clearly, as if through a telescope.
"……Aah."
"……"
An involuntary sigh escaped me.
That strong back.
That slightly cocky gait.
I couldn't look away.
"Ares…"
"Yeah…"
"……Who are you looking at?"
"Yeah…"
"……"
Ellie's voice seemed a little lower beside me, but I couldn't really hear it.
My consciousness was focused only on Jayden.
This morning commute had become, in my heart, just Jayden and me walking to school together.
And then—
Swish.
"Ah…!"
"……"
Jayden glanced back as if he'd noticed my gaze.
And then—
──Our eyes met.
"Aah…"
Jayden looked like he'd seen a ghost and quickly started walking away.
His fast walk soon turned into a run.
Just like that, Jayden disappeared from my sight.
"Aah…"
My chest hurt.
Jayden must hate me, right?
"……Ares."
"Yeah…?"
Only after Jayden vanished from view did Ellie's voice finally register clearly.
When I turned at her call,
Ellie was staring at me blankly, her face damp with tears, looking flustered, shocked, and unable to understand.
"Ah, no way…? No way…?"
"Huh, what, what is it?"
At my question, Ellie lowered her head slightly and muttered.
"Don't tell me… but… no, that can't be… but my chest… You said it got bigger when you looked at me… So why…?"
Did she leave something important back at the dorm?
Right now, my mind was filled only with the image of Jayden who had just run away in panic, so I had no room to care about Ellie's behavior.
'Aah, Jayden…'
My chest ached.
Is this the pain of heartbreak…?
It hurts.
Jayden…
Rather than killing you, seeing you run away from me hurts even more.
'Yeah, if I can't have you, I'll just kill you…'
Since this love could never be fulfilled anyway,
I hardened my resolve even more.
Written by: Ares
Title: I totally get how yandere killers feel now
How can it hurt this much?
To love someone but not be loved back…
This is self-defense, right…?
I knew it too.
That passing the curse quickly would be safer.
But love makes you an idiot, doesn't it…?
I didn't want to rush and dump it on Jayden right away.
Even though just this morning I'd thought that if I couldn't have him, I'd kill him…
'Just until lunch… No, until after school…'
I decided to let Jayden live a little longer.
"A~res."
"……"
"Ares~."
"……"
"……Ares!"
"Huh, huh?"
Suddenly Lana's voice called out.
I snapped back to reality and looked at Lana in front of me.
"Seriously… where is your mind wandering off to?"
"Ah… sorry…"
It was lunchtime.
Today was the day I'd promised to eat lunch with Lana.
But the location wasn't the usual east fifth-floor stairs.
For today, we ate somewhere else.
The place was the lounge on the first floor of the main building.
Students like us were scattered around eating lunch.
And among them—
Jayden was sitting there too.
'He still hasn't noticed…'
Glance, glance.
Jayden was happily chatting with his friend while eating.
Even though it was just his back, I was happy I could see him.
And at that moment—
"Ares…"
Lana, looking somehow displeased, blocked my view by pointing at Jayden.
"Why do you keep looking somewhere else while you're with me?"
"No, I was just… people-watching…"
"Huuung… people-watching…?"
For some reason, instead of her usual playful smile, she had a frown mixed with dissatisfaction.
"……"
"……"
After thinking for a moment in silence, Lana—
"Fine."
—smiled brightly and stood up.
Then she came over and sat right next to me.
"Whoa, why next to me…?"
"…Because Ares can't focus on me, …so I'm making you focus."
Then she took my left hand and—
gently lowered it under the table.
The place my hand arrived at was——Lana's thigh.
'Ooooooh!!'
Soft…
The moment I felt the soft, unique texture of a girl's skin on my hand, my heart started pounding wildly.
"How is it…? Now eating with me is more fun, right…?"
At the same time, Lana whispered in my ear in a soft voice.
Thump, thump, thump.
A situation any guy would instinctively focus on.
'Ugh…! Your hand…! Going that far inside…!'
Swish, swish.
Lana's skinship today was especially bold and aggressive.
Normally it would've ended on top of the thigh…
But slowly moving inward…
And her chest touching my arm…
"…Ah."
"……Huh? Why?"
Just then—
"Hiiik…!"
"Ah…"
My eyes met Jayden's as he was eating.
He looked at me, made a horrified expression, and hurriedly cleaned up his meal.
After asking his friends for understanding, he quickly left his seat.
"……Aah."
My chest ached.
Jayden…
Do you really hate me that much…?
"Ares…"
"……Aah."
"Ugh…. Ares…"
"……Aah."
"……Hey~, Ares…!"
For some reason Lana kept clinging to me and talking, but—
Right now, suffering from the wounds of love…, I couldn't pay attention to her words.
"Uuuu…. Seriously…"
Lana's voice started sounding more and more angry.
At the same time…, the sadness in my heart only grew deeper.
Written by: Ares
Title: Where did that refreshing morning feeling go…?
Now it's just painful.
Like a rainbow I desperately want but can't reach.
Aah… love…
I hate myself for still wanting him even while hurting this much…
Before I knew it, it was after school.
Now… it was time to deliver death to Jayden.
'It hurts…'
Today had been painful.
But this pain would end once today passed.
Jayden would die hugging the shit he himself had taken, and I would finally be free from this suffering.
'Yeah, if I can't have him, I'll just kill him…'
After homeroom ended,
I picked up my bag.
Now it was time to go to Jayden.
Just then—
'Wait… if I don't pass it now…, won't I be able to see him at the dorm?'
Jayden's room…!
The moment I remembered that, my heart started pounding with excitement for no reason.
'Yeah… Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for him too…, so at the dorm…'
Just as I was about to postpone passing the curse again—
"…—It's because of you, right?!"
"Seriously, won't you just go away?!"
Two familiar voices rang out.
'Huh…? Claire…. And…!'
Claire and Jayden were together at the end of the hallway.
The two were raising their voices as if arguing about something.
It was the first time I'd seen Claire so worked up.
And then, Claire's inner voice reached me.
━ Because of this guy, Ares…
━ I have to make him apologize
━ He's been so depressed again today…!
It seemed Claire had stepped in after sensing something was wrong with my condition.
And for Claire to get that angry…
I felt a little touched.
Just then—
"People like you…!!"
As the argument continued, Claire, looking extremely agitated—
suddenly raised her hand in anger.
The moment I saw that——my body reflexively jumped forward.
Smack—!!
"E-Eh…, Ares…"
"……"
"Hiiik! What the fuck…!"
Between Claire and Jayden.
The hand Claire swung had struck my cheek.
Thank god… I was able to protect him.
"Claire, stop. It's okay now."
"But…! The reason Ares was suffering so much…! I heard it from Lana!"
"……"
"I can't forgive it…! Ares was just…! Trying to help a friend…!"
"……"
Only then did I realize why Claire was so angry.
I see… so she found out.
"But it's okay now, Claire."
"……Yes?"
"You said it yourself. Yesterday."
"What do you mean…"
"——Love your enemy."
"……Eh?"
After briefly clutching my chest that had hurt all day,
I finally couldn't hold back anymore and shouted with all my strength.
"I—!!"
Then, grabbing Jayden's hand behind me, I shouted at Claire.
"I've fallen in love with Jayden!!"
"……Eeh?"
"Hiiiiik!! Let go of me!!"
"So it's okay now, Claire!! I'm really okay!!"
"……"
At my shout, Claire stared at me blankly.
At the same time, the students who had been leaving school in the hallway also stared at me in a daze.
A moment of silence.
Within it, Claire's inner voice could be heard.
━ What…? Eh? Huh? Hueh…?
━ Love…? The enemy…
━ Ha, but right now Ares looks exactly like
━ Eh, eh, eh, eh, eeeeh…!!
Eventually, Claire slightly opened her mouth, her cheeks turning red.
━ Two dicks making a cross…!!!
━ Kyaaaaaaaah!!
━ Lord, what should I do—!!
In the silence of the hallway, only Claire's inner voice rang out loudly.
And what broke that brief silence was—
"Uwaaaaaah!! What the fuck are you trying to dooooo!!!"
—Jayden.
"Ah…!"
"Get the hell away!! From this morning you've been staring at me with those creepy eyes—!! What?! Are you trying to get revenge before you die or something?!! Then just beat the shit out of me instead!! Why the fuck are you doing this weird shit that doesn't make any sense!!!"
"No…! Jayden…! I…!!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!! Fuck off!! Get away from me!!"
After shouting loudly, Jayden shook off my hand and quickly ran down the stairs.
"Ah, no!"
I couldn't let him go like this.
I had to catch him.
If he misunderstood my sincerity like this…!
I had to properly convey my true feelings!
"Ah, Ares!"
"Claire, see you tomorrow!!"
I quickly chased after Jayden.
Faster than when I'd been chased at school.
Faster than when I'd been chased at the hospital.
Tatatatatat!!
The moment I reached the first floor, I spotted Jayden running toward the back of the main school building.
He was probably trying to shake me off.
'I can't lose him!'
I ran straight after him into the backyard.
But the moment I arrived at the backyard——only an empty yard greeted me.
I was sure I'd seen him run this way.
"……"
"……"
The quiet backyard of the main school building.
'Yeah, thinking about it, this is where it all started.'
I calmly caught my breath while looking at the empty backyard.
And then I spotted it.
The power of love.
Behind a tree in the backyard.
Jayden's hair was slightly visible as he hid there catching his breath.
"Jayden."
"……"
No answer came.
But from the way his hair trembled slightly, I could tell he was listening.
So I didn't hide it.
I decided to speak right here.
To him.
My true feelings.
"——Ever since last night, I've truly come to hold you in my heart, Jayden!! Accept my feelings!! —Or clearly reject me and leave!!"
My loud voice echoed through the empty backyard.
And a moment later—
Step… step.
Jayden, who had been hiding behind the tree, revealed himself.
His expression was…
…a face of utter horror.
"What kind of bullshit is that, fuck…"
"Sob…"
"What the fuck kind of bullshit is that, you crazy bastard!!!"
Jayden shouted with tears even flowing down his face, then—
turned around and ran away again.
"……"
It was over.
My sincerity.
"Sob…"
That night.
I fell asleep in pain, shedding tears.
Written by: Ares
Title: What the fuck is this shitty memory…??
You bastards…
Why didn't you tell me to tone it down?
This fucking morning I want to cut my own throat…!!