Chapter 78 - I’ll Kill You

  “Are you sad?” Fei’s voice was gentle, her golden eyes scanning my face for any sign of emotion.

  “No. I don’t want to talk about it,” I muttered, turning my gaze away. The truth sat like a weight in my chest, but I refused to let it spill out.

  Fei hesitated for a moment before forcing a small smile. “Are you perhaps… expecting an X-chocolate?”

  “I—I’m not,” I stammered, the lie slipping between my breath like a ghost. My fingers instinctively curled into my palm. “What are X-chocolates anyway?”

  “Oh, I forgot that you’re from Earth.” Fei let out a soft laugh and knocked her head lightly with her knuckles in an endearing, almost childlike gesture. “X-chocolates are a symbol of a woman’s appreciation for a man. Though, for some same-sex couples, it can be exchanged between partners as well. Our school is even holding an event for the tradition.”

  “So, it’s basically like Japanese Valentine’s Day,” I murmured under my breath. “Any other difference?”

  Fei tilted her head, her long black curls swaying slightly as she pondered the question. “I’m not well-versed in Japanese Valentine’s traditions since I’m Chinese, but… hmmm…” She tapped a finger against her chin. “I think the main difference is that X-chocolates are made using genetically engineered cacao beans grown here in Xyraxis. Oh, and they’re not as sweet as Earth chocolates.”

  Now my curiosity was piqued. “Genetic engineering, huh? I wonder what they taste like,” I whispered.

  “Oh!” Fei suddenly clapped her hands together, her eyes lighting up. “If you want, I can give you some X-chocolates!”

  “No, no, no!” I jumped up, waving my hands frantically. Heat crept up my neck, and I struggled to keep my voice steady. “I think it’s better if you give your X-choco to someone you actually love—like Neil, for example.”

  “But we’re not in that kind of romantic relationship anymore,” Fei said, her voice quiet yet firm.

  “Yeah, but giving me one will just make things worse with Neil!” I cried, throwing my hands up in frustration. “You know he already hates me, right?”

  Fei’s smile wavered, the warmth in her expression fading into something hollow. “Oh… okay.” Her tone was light, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it, like a flower wilting under an unseen pressure. “I was just going to give you an obligatory one, but if you don’t want it, then fine.”

  My chest tightened. Guilt crashed over me like a tidal wave. I gritted my teeth, my mind spiraling with regret. Damn it. Did I just make the kindest girl I’ve ever met feel unwanted? I didn’t want to reject her chocolates! If anything, I wanted to taste them, to know what made X-chocolates so different.

  But this whole love triangle situation was already a mess. If Fei gave me X-chocolates, Neil’s death glare would probably turn into something capable of actual murder.

  Before I could say anything, the door slid open with a sharp clack, and Professor Chen strode into the classroom. Just like that, the first period began, cutting off my conversation with Fei before I could make things right.

  <><><>

  The lunch bell rang, its sharp chime cutting through the classroom chatter. Finally—freedom. Since all my subjects were scheduled for the morning session today, my afternoon was completely free, an open expanse of time with nothing to weigh it down.

  Fei and I decided to stop by the locker room before heading to the cafeteria—she had forgotten her purse. For some reason, a certain short-statured nuisance had decided to tag along.

  “Hey, Remuel,” I muttered, glancing at him with suspicion.

  “Yes, Zaft?” he replied, looking up at me with an innocent—too innocent—expression.

  “Why are you tagging along?”

  Remuel sighed theatrically, then wrapped his arms around himself in a dramatic self-hug. “Well, my WAIFU partner went on a date with her boyfriend, leaving me to suffer in my own lonesome misery.”

  I rolled my eyes. Of course.

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  By the time we reached the locker room, Fei quickly retrieved her purse while Remuel sauntered over to his own locker, fiddling with the lock as if expecting something inside. I leaned in slightly, curiosity getting the better of me.

  The moment he swung the door open, all that greeted him was the shriveled, lifeless husk of a Xyraxian cockroach, its grotesque form curled up like a defeated warrior.

  Remuel stared at it. Then sighed in pure, unfiltered disappointment. “No luck here either, huh…”

  I smirked, crossing my arms. “Wait, you were actually expecting X-chocolates?”

  He didn’t answer, just looked away with a melancholic air.

  I grinned, unable to resist. “Well, too bad. Your dwarf ass won’t get girls, let alone their chocolates.”

  “Speak for yourself, street thug. You haven’t received any X-chocolates either,” Remuel shot back, arms crossed with a smug smirk.

  “We’ll see,” I scoffed arrogantly, striding toward my locker with all the confidence of a man about to prove his worth.

  With a dramatic flourish, I swung the door open… only to be greeted by a grim sight.

  An empty locker.

  No chocolates.

  Just the brittle, dried-up tail of a Xyraxian lizard, curled in a sad, lifeless coil. It looked just as pathetic as Remuel’s cockroach corpse.

  My shoulders slumped. I let out a defeated sigh.

  “Man, how I wish somebody would give me an X-chocolate,” I muttered, my pride crumbling into self-pity.

  “Me too,” Remuel groaned, leaning dramatically against the lockers. “I wonder what it even tastes like…”

  Just as we were about to wallow in our shared misery, a strange sensation prickled at the back of my neck—like we were being watched.

  Slowly, Remuel and I turned.

  Standing just behind us was a familiar figure. Not long-lost, exactly—we saw him every day. But it had been a while since we’d last been face-to-face with his ghostly pale complexion and wavy brown hair.

  “N-Neil?” I stammered, caught off guard.

  Beside me, Remuel immediately dropped into a wacky karate stance, hands raised as if preparing for an ambush.

  Neil flinched, his cheeks flushed red. “Y-Yo, Zaft. Remuel.” He gave a quick, awkward bow, rubbing the back of his neck. His voice wavered, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I-I know I’ve been avoiding you guys for the past month… for, uh, some unknown reason.” He let out a nervous chuckle before lowering his gaze. “I know it’s my fault—this whole misunderstanding. I’m sorry.”

  “Oh,” I muttered, unsure how to respond.

  Neil exhaled and stepped closer, hesitating for a brief moment before extending his closed fist toward me. “As a peace offering—and proof that I still like you guys—let me give you a token of my apology.”

  Curious, I opened my palm.

  Neil uncurled his fingers and dropped two small X-chocolate kisses into my hand, each about the size of a thumb. Their dark, glossy shells gleamed under the fluorescent lights. I glanced up at him, and to my surprise, his face was burning red.

  “That’s… way too nice of you, Neil!” Remuel suddenly hopped forward, his earlier karate stance forgotten. Without hesitation, he plucked one of the chocolates from my palm, grinning ear to ear. “Alright, you’re forgiven!”

  Neil let out a small chuckle, awkwardly scratching at his flushed cheek. “Thanks.”

  The moment might have turned into some overly sentimental, borderline cheesy scene between three dudes reconciling over chocolate—except it was abruptly shattered.

  “Hey, Zaft! I got my purse! Let’s go to the—”

  Fei’s voice rang out from behind me.

  I turned, only to feel the air around us shift.

  Neil stiffened. His expression instantly darkened, and his once bashful blush drained into an icy stare. His narrowed eyes locked onto Fei like she was some foul stain on the floor.

  Then, in a voice as sharp as a blade, he spoke.

  “Just how long are you going to keep playing this game, Fei?” His tone was cold, piercing. “Aren’t you worried about Zaft at all?”

  Fei inhaled sharply, placing a hand over her chest as if steadying herself. Her eyes wavered.

  “N-Neil…” she murmured. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play stupid, you homicidal bitch!” Neil roared, his voice echoing through the hallway like a gunshot.

  Fei flinched but forced a trembling smile, even as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She dug into her bag with shaky hands, pulling out a red box of X-chocolates. With a deep breath, she stepped forward and held it out toward Neil, bowing slightly as if clinging to a final shred of hope.

  “H-here, Neil,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “I made this for you. I… I just wish we could go back to how things used to be.”

  Neil’s gaze flickered down to the box. Slowly, he reached out.

  For a brief second, it seemed like he might actually take it.

  But just as Fei let go, trusting him to accept her gesture—Neil pulled his hand back, letting the box plummet to the cold, unforgiving floor.

  A sharp crack. The box landed with a dull thud.

  Before anyone could react, Neil lifted his foot—and stomped.

  The box crumpled beneath his shoe, the delicate chocolates inside bursting apart in a mess of rich brown and crimson packaging. The scent of engineered cocoa filled the air, but all I could focus on was the sheer, brutal finality of the moment.

  Fei’s breath hitched. Her entire body trembled as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. “B-but… why?” she choked out, her voice breaking apart like the chocolates at Neil’s feet.

  For a moment, Neil’s expression softened. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek, gently wiping away the tears. Fei’s lips quivered, and for just a second, hope flickered in her eyes.

  Then Neil spoke, his voice a quiet, chilling blade.

  “If you keep clinging to Zaft…” He paused, letting the words sink in before delivering the final blow. “I’ll kill you.”

  Fei’s eyes widened in horror.

  And just like that, Neil turned and walked away, his steps slow and deliberate, radiating an air of absolute, ruthless finality. His stained shoe left behind smudged chocolate and broken dreams.

  Fei stood frozen, her face crumpling as more tears poured down, heavier than before.

  I swallowed hard, my brain struggling to process what had just happened.

  What the fuck did I just watch?