Chapter 5:- Marked as Their Plaything

The classroom was packed.

Every student was already whispering about the scandal of Shizumi becoming Itsuki’s desk mate.

Then the door opened. One by one, the Three Heavenly Princes—Akihiro, Renjiro and Itsuki—walked in.

Instantly, silence fell.

Their very presence was suffocating, crushing the air out of the room. No one dared to speak.

Akihiro stepped forward, his cold eyes locking directly onto Shizumi.

“Listen carefully, all of you,” his voice echoed, sharp as a blade.

“From this day on…” He lifted his hand, pointing at her.

“This girl belongs to us—our plaything.”

Gasps filled the classroom.

Some students stared in shock, others—especially the girls—snickered cruelly, excitement glinting in their eyes.

Renjiro rose with a venomous smile.

“And that means exactly what it sounds like. From now on, treat her however you wish. She doesn’t deserve an ounce of respect.”

Itsuki shoved his hands lazily into his pockets, his grin crooked.

“Yeah… let’s see how long she lasts. How much she can endure before she breaks.”

---

From that day on, Shizumi’s life became hell.

In class:

Her notes were constantly stolen, her books ripped apart. Sometimes ink was poured into her hair, sometimes filthy words were scribbled across her uniform. Every time she tried to protest, the entire class roared with laughter.

At lunch:

Her food was snatched and thrown onto the floor. More than once, trays were deliberately overturned onto her, drenching her in soup and rice. Students sneered—

“Look at her, the Princes’ toy still thinks she’s allowed to eat.”

Sometimes, someone would slam her head into the table just to hear the sound of her cry.

At night in the dormitory:

Her roommate stole her belongings, tore her clothes, and soaked her bed. Whenever Shizumi quietly tried to wipe her tears, her roommate whispered—

“So, what did you expect? That a Prince would actually choose you? Now you know what it feels like to live at their mercy.”

Other girls would corner her, shoving her until her body hit the walls. Her screams were muffled, drowned out by their laughter, echoing over her broken pieces.

---

Everywhere she went, every moment of every day, Shizumi was isolated, mocked, and crushed under relentless humiliation.

And from the shadows, the Three Princes watched.

Akihiro’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

Renjiro’s poisonous smile deepened.

And Itsuki… chuckled lazily, whispering—

“Looks like she's having fun.”

---

Days blurred into each other.

Every insult, every shove, every cruel laugh chipped away at Shizumi.

But the deepest wound came not from the Princes, nor the bullies—

it came from Siya.

At first, Siya had tried to stay close to her. She had defended her, whispered encouragement, and tried to share quiet smiles. But soon, her own friends began to surround her, their voices sharp and poisonous:

“Why bother with her? Don’t you understand? If you stick with Shizumi, they’ll crush you too.”

“Think of your family name. Think of your position, Class President. Do you want to throw it all away… for her?”

The pressure mounted until fear swallowed her.

And so, Siya stopped walking beside Shizumi. She stopped speaking to her.

She stopped seeing her.

For Shizumi, that silence was louder than any insult.

---

One afternoon, dragging her bruised body across the courtyard, Shizumi’s eyes lifted to the roof of the old, abandoned building at the far end of campus.

The place everyone whispered about.

Cursed. Haunted. Dangerous.

Yet, it still stood—strong, unbroken, defying time itself.

She stared at it for a long moment, her fists trembling.

If even that crumbling building hasn’t collapsed… then why should I?

If everyone wants me broken, then I’ll just stand taller. I can’t… I won’t… give up yet.

---

The next day at lunch, Shizumi entered the dining hall carrying a tray, her steps cautious but hopeful.

Her eyes found Siya, seated with her group. For a second, a smile flickered on Shizumi’s lips.

She walked closer, carefully, clutching her tray like a fragile treasure.

“Siya…” she whispered, softly, almost pleading.

But Siya’s body stiffened. She immediately stood up, moving away as if burned.

“Please… stay away from me,” Siya said, her voice trembling but firm.

The words struck harder than any slap.

Shizumi froze, her chest tightening painfully. The laughter of the students around them echoed like thunder, mocking, cruel, endless.

Her fingers clenched around the tray until they shook, her eyes burning—

but she forced herself not to cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

She lowered her head, walked to the farthest, emptiest corner of the hall, and sat down in silence.

She felt truly, utterly alone.

---

The dining hall buzzed with noise.

Every table overflowed with laughter and chatter.

Only Shizumi sat alone, hunched quietly over her tray, eating without a word.

The seat beside her was empty—like a cursed spot no one dared to claim.

Then a new face walked in, her name is Juhi

Her face carried no smile, no frown, not even a trace of emotion.

Her eyes were steady, her steps slow, every movement mechanical—

as if she weren’t human at all, but some programmed machine.

Her gaze swept across the hall.

Every seat was taken—except the one beside Shizumi.

Without pause, without a word, Juhi walked straight to it.

She set down her tray, lowered her head, and began to eat.

No hesitation on her face, as if the whispers around her didn’t exist.

The hall fell into sudden silence.

A few girls stood up and marched toward her.

“Don’t you know who she is?”

“Sitting with her is like inviting trouble for yourself!”

“Get up right now!”

Juhi didn’t even look at them.

Her hands kept moving— lift bite, chew, swallow.

Her voice, cold It's as if it doesn't matter to her who is sitting with her and who isn't:

“The seat was empty. So I sat.”

And just like that, she returned to eating.

No fear.

No anger.

No confusion.

It was as if the girls before her didn’t even exist.

Shizumi froze in place.

Her heart thudded faster—

For the first time, someone had chosen to sit beside her.

So casually… so indifferently…

The girls’ anger flared.

Disgust was clear on their faces.

“Didn’t you hear? Get up from here!”

One of the girls roughly tried to shove Juhi’s tray aside.

But Juhi didn’t even blink.

Her voice came out cold and flat—

“I’m eating.”

The girl pushed harder, the tray nearly toppling over.

That’s when Juhi, without changing her expression, suddenly caught the girl’s hand in an iron grip.

Not too hard, not too soft—just enough to make the other girl freeze in shock.

“The food… will fall.”

Her voice was cold, emotionless, and eerily chilling.

The girl gasped.

She tried to pull her hand away, but Juhi’s grasp was strangely unyielding.

Her face remained blank—no anger, no smile, just empty.

The rest of the girls stumbled back in alarm.

“Is she… crazy?”

“She’s like some kind of robot…”

Slowly, Juhi released her hand, straightened her tray, and quietly resumed eating.

As if nothing at all had happened.

The hall fell into utter silence.

Only the clink of her spoon and the soft sound of chewing echoed in the air.

Shizumi’s eyes glimmered faintly.

For the first time in so long…

she felt like someone wasn’t afraid to sit beside her.

___

After that day, Shizumi couldn’t stop glancing at Juhi.

There was something strangely captivating about her—

that fearless, robot-like attitude,

the way she ignored everyone’s cruelty as if it were nothing but background noise.

One afternoon, Shizumi finally gathered courage.

She leaned closer, her voice almost playful despite the heaviness around her.

“Hey,” she said in a funny tone, without the slightest hesitation,

“can you be my friend?”

Juhi didn’t even look up from her food.

Her chopsticks moved with mechanical rhythm.

Her reply came flat, expressionless:

“No. Why should I?”

Shizumi blinked—and notice something about her and gives a gentle smile

but instead of being discouraged, she chuckled softly.

Something about Juhi’s bluntness made her want to try even harder.

~To be continue~

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