Today, my hair was curled extra perfectly. Last night I used a sheet mask that cost as much as 10,000 Yen per sheet, so my skin was soft and glossy too.101Please respect copyright.PENANADZiZ0DhfGa
My appearance was completely faultless today!101Please respect copyright.PENANAdvPivBB2Gf
After washing down my stomach medicine with some water, I took out my favourite fan from my chest of drawers. It’s been getting warm recently, so I don’t think it looks unnatural.101Please respect copyright.PENANAYfTQkHHnNN
It’s a dainty and beautiful European folding fan with butterfly-pattern black ribs, wrapped in violet and wine red leaves of a flower design. A perfect prop for my battle.101Please respect copyright.PENANAyAzzR58nuw
I grasped it tightly in my hand.101Please respect copyright.PENANAiBd5mjMnD8
I am an actress, I am an actress… An actress! Actress! Actress!101Please respect copyright.PENANAL1lZvVl52Z
Sally forth! To the frontlines!101Please respect copyright.PENANArtC4Q8d4ux
The issue is when to take action. I’d like to avoid doing it during breaktime because of all the people here.101Please respect copyright.PENANAHdO8lAH5JL
I guess there’s no option except after school. They don’t usually leave right after class, so I guess that’s my chance.101Please respect copyright.PENANA3cYIX2Ispa
I hope it goes well.
“What a lovely fan, Reika-sama.”
“Thank you. I very much like it too.”
I fiddled with the folding fan in my hand.101Please respect copyright.PENANABARqIMiUuN
When our eyes met, Tsuruhana-san snorted again as well, today.101Please respect copyright.PENANAOXZWaN4tdh
I can’t delay things any longer. I need to settle this before any more white hairs appear.101Please respect copyright.PENANAv27gshnDdb
I waited impatiently for school to end. And I had plenty of stomach medicine to accompany me while I did.
Since it’s scary by myself, I think I’ll have Serika-chan and Kikuno-chan flank me.
After a long time, school finally ended.101Please respect copyright.PENANAWFaFsNww3P
With fan in hand, I left my seat.
“Serika-san, could you accompany me for a little while? I was thinking of having a word with Tsuruhana-san and her friends.”
Serika-chan’s eyes glinted with a sharp light.101Please respect copyright.PENANAPQpsZ2BDNq
She began texting for her best friend Kikuno-chan. Serika-chan was thirstier for blood than I was.101Please respect copyright.PENANAnZWFIer347
The other girls began gathering around us too.
“Well then, shall we go?”
When I curled my lips upwards, everyone gave a cold smile to match.
When we left our classroom, it didn’t take long to find her. She was coming our way, surrounded by her gyarus.101Please respect copyright.PENANARIBYky8svt
All the students who planned on leaving early had left, leaving us a hallway devoid of others.101Please respect copyright.PENANA49tntU5dGj
As I continued to open and close my fan, my eyes met with Tsuruhana-san’s.
“You’re in my way, Kisshouin-san. Mind moving?”
Tsuruhana-san gave me a challenging smile, and her followers all started to snicker too.101Please respect copyright.PENANADio52t56WK
The girls around me immediately seethed with malice.101Please respect copyright.PENANAtdsWJtbMD5
Shutting my fan with a snap, I said,
“Tsuruhana-san. Who exactly do you think you are speaking to?”
“Hah?”
Taking a step forward, I continued.
“Say, Tsuruhana-san. When on earth did you gain the right to speak to me in such a manner? A normal student like you, to a Pivoine member like me.”
I pointed my fan at her and suddenly glared dangerously.101Please respect copyright.PENANAUZ7LjXI7C9
I could see the confidence in her eyes shake.
“It appears that the Pivoine’s influence has dwindled quite a bit. It surely has, has it not? For a person like you to take this attitude with me.”
I drew closer.
“Oh. Or were you perhaps instead implying that the Tsuruhana family is even greater than the Kisshouin family? I had no idea. I never knew that my Kisshouin family had grown inferior to the Tsuruhana.101Please respect copyright.PENANA5cKZIgwpJb
But it seems that you at least, see it that way, correct?101Please respect copyright.PENANASWstWLKWX5
Or is that how the entire Tsuruhana family sees it? That the Kisshouin family is one to make light of, that is.101Please respect copyright.PENANAevkwgrkdD5
If that is the case, I must really have a word with my father. It seems like we will have a lot to ‘deal with’.”
“Say,” I continued with a smile, as she grew paler and paler. “You know, I very much dislike conflict. Because of that, I have overlooked your behaviour for a long time. But lately, you seem to have gotten a little full of yourself. Do you not think so?”
“…”
“Or could it be, Tsuruhana-san, that your behaviour was actually a declaration of war? If that truly is the case, then with my power as a Pivoine, as well as with all my power as a Kisshouin, I do not mind keeping you company.”
Finally, grazing her cheek with my fan, I whispered into her ear,
“Well?”
Tapping the silent and still girl with my fan, I prompted her for an answer.
“…My deepest apologies, Reika-sama,”
she replied bitterly and painfully, her skin still white as a sheet.
I responded with the sweetest smile I could muster.
“Goodness. As long as you understand, I shall not give you any trouble, you know? Because I truly find no amusement in crushing you. As long as you refrain from irritating me, all shall be well. Are we clear?”
“…I understand.”
“Well then, good friends of Tsuruhana-san, are we clear as well? Of course, if you are dissatisfied, please feel free to speak. As long as you are prepared for the consequences,” I added, slapping the fan onto my palm.
All of her friends hung their heads as well, expressing their joint agreement.
“Good. It brings me such joy that you are all so understanding. Please have a little moderation in your actions from now on. Well then, everybody, gokigen’you.”
After giving a final, dark, Enjou-styled smile, I turned my back to them, my skirt fluttering behind me.101Please respect copyright.PENANAzLntTSNqmN
All of my followers followed suit and bade them farewell, before following behind me.101Please respect copyright.PENANAPnAMrfwPaz
Because I suddenly noticed a gaze, I looked forward to find Kaburagi giving me a disgusted look before walking away.
“You did it, Reika-sama! I feel so refreshed!”
“That look on her face! It serves her right!”
When we arrived back in the classroom, all of the girls erupted in joy.101Please respect copyright.PENANAZJ28wo957b
But almost none of their voices reached my ears.101Please respect copyright.PENANAC2HjzNgOHi
What the hell was that look.101Please respect copyright.PENANAjUnk27eyfv
That look that was completely looking down on me. What the hell was that!101Please respect copyright.PENANAJxcOKvRpfP
Who do you think pushed me into doing something like this!101Please respect copyright.PENANARDJsFUe3Sz
DON’T MESS WITH ME, YOU DUMBASS!
“I need to head to the Pivoine for a little!”
“Eh-, Reika-sama!?”
I flew out of the classroom.
The last thing I wanted was to use the power of my family.101Please respect copyright.PENANAPbrvIVREmd
But I didn’t have any other way. Could I have helped it?101Please respect copyright.PENANAL7TJR4YJek
I know that if our family ever falls into ruin, doing this is only going to bite me back. What would I do if I get treated like Sara?101Please respect copyright.PENANAsZp5luIfT2
The prosperous eventually decline. Pride will have a fall. I don’t wanna live in a city beneath the wavesss!101Please respect copyright.PENANANVuAOsW9KV
Wai-, hey! Even while I’m agonising here, he still has no idea, does he!101Please respect copyright.PENANAyWzCgdNlHt
Kaburagi, I hope your whole head turns white!101Please respect copyright.PENANAJPYqiOZBtw
When I arrived at the salon, Kaburagi was enjoying tea with Enjou. I strode right towards them, and Kaburagi gave me a puzzled look.
“Kaburagi-sama, I need to have a word with you.”
“…What?”
“Could you take some responsibility and begin cleaning up after your own messes? Could you not at least control your own followers?”
“It’s not like I tell them to follow me. They just make trouble on their own. To begin with, I don’t even pay attention to them. And I have no recollection of accepting them as my followers.”
“Because they made the decision to follow you, it is none of your business, you say? So you dare to say something so irresponsible. It truly makes one question whether you even have what it takes to be the next leader of the Kaburagi Group.”
“What did you say!”
“Did I misspeak? If you cannot even properly handle such a tiny group of people, I can scarcely imagine the difficulties you will have in the future.”
Since he glared at me, I glared back at him.101Please respect copyright.PENANAicE7jYpkA0
Around that time, Enjou stepped in.
“Now, now, you calm down too, Kisshouin-san. Aren’t you letting the blood rush to your head a little?”
This time I glared at him.
“Could you stop pushing your friend’s problems onto me? I believe I have more than paid back the debt. I’m sick of cleaning up after you.”
“Oi!”
“Masaya. Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve caused you trouble, huh.”
I don’t feel even a speck of sincerity from your apology, you know.
“Well then, I take my leave. Gokigen’you.”
Leaving the salon, I decided to just skip my lessons, and headed straight home.101Please respect copyright.PENANAMoYXpo6yLY
I was excited from my victory against Tsuruhana-san, and rash because of my anger at Kaburagi, but once all that cooled down I became terrified.101Please respect copyright.PENANAvM0kim27Mf
I went and said something unbelievable to Kaburagi.101Please respect copyright.PENANASsLGw2Isx1
Because I was so agitated, I had lost all sense of judgement. And of all things, I went and picked a fight with Kaburagi!101Please respect copyright.PENANAEG4rdNJwQb
I’ve done it now. I’ve so done it now.101Please respect copyright.PENANAIQWaA0Vi7t
Oh my godd…101Please respect copyright.PENANAXAOzqcMxym
But it was all his fault, okay! I didn’t do anything wrong!101Please respect copyright.PENANAmbbZVtbzVQ
The moment I reached home, I hid under my futon and trembled.101Please respect copyright.PENANAzws3nmdpYn
And then at some point I grew angry again and fell asleep as I sulked.101Please respect copyright.PENANAK1tDqDBj67
When I woke up, I binged on salad-flavoured rice crackers.
Even though I tried so hard to become an easy-to-get-along-with character, because of that stupid Kaburagi, I sped straight down the road to Domineering Reika-sama, didn’t I!101Please respect copyright.PENANA94jDYOmgnL
Goddammmitttt, I’ll open a pack of mugichoco too!101Please respect copyright.PENANAMWPT8GJjTc
…………That embarrassing actress mode became some splendid dark history.101Please respect copyright.PENANAqViLrgoPMY
Who on earth was I even channelling. Just remembering it makes me want to writhe.101Please respect copyright.PENANAFdS6JyF4cU
Geez. Why was Kaburagi even watching that.