You're Ugly
Let's think about what made the young lady dead serious. "Let go." "I am letting go." "Then keep holding on." "Yes." What kind of situation is this? The guy who said he was heading home looked terrified. The young lady was fuming. Hmm... Something must've gone down while I stepped away for a bit.
I cautiously asked the young lady, who was glaring at Ruin with cold eyes. What happened? I was dying to know what he'd done to leave this prideful bastard so deflated. I knew Ruin was uncomfortable around her, but I figured him for the unyielding psycho type who wouldn't back down easily. So what the hell did she say to break him like this?
"Why's he acting like that?"
"He's sulking."
"What'd you say to make him sulk?"
"Um..."
"Um...?"
"I said he was ugly."
Olivia was glaring at Ruin with icy eyes. He'd disrespected her mansion. She hated that the first guy to see the place I'd painstakingly fixed up was trash-talking it. He looked like dried seaweed anyway. And the bastard had the nerve to run his mouth. It grated on her nerves, especially since she hadn't eaten and was already on edge. This intruder showing up out of nowhere and badmouthing her home? Yeah, that really pissed her off.
"Why're you dissing someone else's house? You make yours out of gold or something?"
"..."
"Why pick a fight? You rich or what?"
"Haa... Why's everyone getting on my nerves..."
"Answer me, you ugly fuck."
"Ha... This is fucking ridiculous."
"I'm even more baffled."
Olivia was genuinely curious. This prick started the shit-talking, so why was she the one getting mad? Ricardo always said to speak kindly, so she'd been holding back the really nasty stuff and trying to be nice. Why was he still picking fights? She was truly puzzled. So she asked if he was crazy.
"But why're you talking shit to me?"
"'Cause you're annoying."
"Shouldn't I be the annoyed one? You barge into my house and start insulting it. Makes me feel shitty."
"..."
"Why can't you talk? You mute or something?"
Olivia asked Ruin with pure curiosity—and a heavy dose of "I'll lose my shit if there's no good reason."
"You look like a goddamn mutt and you're throwing tantrums. Pisses me off."
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Um... Watch your mouth. Only I get to curse in this mansion."
"Bullshit. Total bullshit."
Green Hair let out a long sigh and said to Olivia,
"What bugs me is you acting like this. No talent, nothing going for you, but you get pissed anyway... Fucking pathetic."
Olivia shot back at his retort like it was obvious.
Nothing going for her? Without that, she'd be no better than a corpse.
"I'm pretty."
"Bullshit."
"Ricardo said I'm pretty."
"His eyes must be fucked up then..."
"Ricardo's never wrong."
As Green Hair's rough comeback rang in her ears, Olivia replied in a frosty voice.
"That's your first warning."
"..."
"I'll put up with three. Ricardo says that's the limit for anger."
"That damn Ricardo... Aigoo, scary."
"That's two."
"..."
With warnings stacking up, Green Hair shut his mouth. He stared at Olivia, face twisted like he was plotting the perfect jab to hit her where it hurt. When he found it, he smirked slyly and said,
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Admit it, you're childish as hell. Pink hair? Pink? You in kindergarten?"
"It's pretty. Way prettier than your hair color."
"Thought your head was a flower garden, but your brain's one too."
His pouty lips and muttering irked her. The constant boundary-pushing taunts. The attitude rubbing her the wrong way. Everything from one to ten pissed her off. Worst of all? Him shitting on the stuff Ricardo put his heart into. Olivia was starting to boil.
"That's three."
"Three? What're you even gonna do?"
Olivia said with conviction,
"I can do anything."
"Bullshit."
Green hair. Ugly face. Academy uniform. Olivia's mind raced, cross-referencing memories until it clicked: the Tower Lord's one flaw. His disciple, Ruin. She didn't remember much about him, but she knew a few weak spots to scratch. Dirty personality. Lost to her before. Got wrecked by Ricardo. And... no friends.
When it came to fights, Olivia's brain spun at top speed. Forgotten memories surged back, fueled by her vicious streak to bite down hard. So with a cold voice, she struck again.
"Loser."
"...What?"
"Loser."
"You just called me a loser? Holy fuck, everyone..."
"Hit a nerve?"
Olivia asked with innocent curiosity. Vague memories painted Ruin as an outcast. He had "friends," sure, but no one really liked him. No one puts up with a smug prick forever. No family backing. The Tower raised him hands-off, so all he had was decent magic. She recalled his shitty academy life.
"That's why you're mad, right? 'Cause it stings?"
"...You're fucking mood-ruining."
"Not ruining. That's just who you are."
"..."
"Apologize. Do that, and I'll let it slide."
"Can't."
"Um..."
Olivia stroked her wheelchair's armrest, pausing dramatically.
"No apology? Then I'll get mad."
"Pfft. You?"
"Yeah."
"You, who can't even move her legs?"
Ruin taunted her. He laughed mockingly, inwardly ridiculing his past self for fearing this woman. She couldn't move freely or use magic—why had he ever been scared? Recalling old grudges, he sneered down at her with a venomous smile.
"You're... a useless cripple."
"..."
"Nothing without Ricardo..."
"Last warning. Watch your words."
"Huh?"
"I suck at holding back anger."
Ruin slowly extended a finger toward Olivia's forehead. She used to terrify him, but now she seemed pathetic. The demon of genius and scorn looked worthless. He planned to flick her forehead and laugh. That'd teach her place. So, why not poke once?
The moment his finger reached her forehead with a 'pok'—
—Shiiiing....
Ruin felt an inexplicable killing intent. A savage malice crept up from his toes, ready to shred him apart. It was a first. His legs nearly buckled. Worse than facing the Archbishop of Despair in the Hamel Mountains—this bottomless, chilling dread consumed him.
What the...?
Trembling, Ruin looked at Olivia. No mana emanated from her. She just sat there, lips pressed tight, glaring.
"I'll say it once more."
Gulp.
"I suck at holding back anger."
And.
"I'm being nice right now."
It terrified him. This nothing of a girl scared him shitless. Was it trauma from past defeats? Rage twisting into fear? Didn't matter—he was helpless. A pitch-black abyss stared back. She was legless trash, yet gazing at her made his heart pound like he'd fallen into the void.
Haa... haa...
Ruin panted roughly. An alarm blared inside: Provoke her more, and you die. No reason to fear, he denied—but his shaking legs betrayed him.
And as her lips parted—
"Die—"
"Why're you still here instead of leaving?"
Ricardo had returned.
In the snowy boys' dorm at the academy. A delicate, feminine voice leaked into the dark night—too soft for a man's. The nightmare-plagued student clutched his blanket, sweating coldly.
"No... It's not true..."
"I... didn't mean to..."
"So... run away..."
Deep in the nightmare, his friend's face was painted black. The one who always smiled, shared food with happy grins—now obscured in shadow.
—What? Why're you alone again.
—...I miss Mom.
—Tough ask to fill.
Sob... Mom... I miss Mom.
Me too, Mom~! Oh right. I don't have one.
Bitter childhood memories. The boy who planted the dream of the sword in him sat beside, full of hope as always. In the dream, the boy handed him a chocolate and smiled.
—Eat it alone.
—You not eating?
—Nah. Don't like chocolate much.
—Why?
—Um... too sweet?
Then, a 'gurgle' from the boy's stomach.
—Whiiistle~
—...
—What? Not eating?
Pretending innocence with a whistle and grin, the boy kindly unwrapped the chocolate and smiled. An unforgettable face. That smile—he'd loved it most, craved it endlessly.
That time, he'd asked the boy for the first time.
—You... what's your name?
—Me?
—Yeah.
My name is...
The dream ended, as always, right at the part he longed to hear most.