Despite still being voluminous, Laureen carried herself much differently as she walked through the hallway. Her head was held high, looking forward and even directly staring at other students.

"What?!" she asked in an aggressive tone. "Never seen a stranded whale before?"

Her remark left the gossipy girl speechless as she continued to walk on proudly. Then Brad and his friends caught her eye, approaching them with a smile on her face.

"What are you staring at, stupid walrus?!" Brad sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as he towered over her. So she had evolved from whale to walrus by now?

Her expression remained unfazed, her gaze steady as she met his with a calm resolve. With a nonchalant shrug, she responded, "Do you know what happens to penguins in the Antarctic, Brad?"

His face filled with confusion, both about what Laureen said and how she said it. "What?!" he blurted out.

Laureen smirked. "They get fucked by walruses."

Brad's face twisted with rage, his cheeks flushing crimson as his friends erupted into laughter. He lunged forward, his fists clenched in fury, but Laureen remained composed.

Before he could utter another word, Laureen deftly sidestepped his advance, leaving him stumbling forward in embarrassment.

After kicking him to the ground, she sat down on his face until his screams stopped under the weight, only leaving muffled sounds of desperation. The other two boys watched bewildered.

"Why am I even guarding you anymore?" Said the creature out of a dark corner, stepping into the light. "You seem to be perfectly fine on your own."

"I don't know, maybe you've got some hidden feelings for me," she teased, wiggling her eyebrow at him in a seducing manner. Now the creature seemed just as horrified as the other 2 boys, who ran off by now. His look went down to the struggling Brad, threatening to break under her weight.

Laureen laughed as she noticed. "Oh, he's just fine. I can still feel him breathe."

Then came a weird noise, which the creature at first couldn't associate with anything, until a certain smell crept up into its nose. "D-did you just fart?!"

"Yup," giggled Laureen, before letting out a grunting laugh.

Feeling somewhat responsible for her unhinged transformation, the creature scratched its cheek, pondering. After all, he had taught her how to defend herself, but it wasn't just that. Laureen had changed. Or rather, she was just herself to the core—not trying to be someone else anymore.

"Where's Akira?" asked Laureen, looking around.

"That's what I'd like to know," said the creature worriedly. "Thought he might be with you..."

"Nope, that beanstalk hasn't showed up today."

The creature's expression grew darker. "That's weird. It doesn't fit him at all."

"Haven't you two left the house together? I thought you always walk to school like an old people couple."

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Old people...? "No, he went off early. Said he had something to do…" As the creature began to think, a weird sensation flooded its body.

What's this feeling?!

Its heart began racing, as images of horrible scenarios spread across its mind. But they seemed more than just real.

Never had it experienced something like this...

Suddenly people started running across the hallway, their screams echoing through the corridors.

"Hurry outside!"

"He's gonna jump! He's gonna jump!!"

Laureen's previous calmness suddenly vanished as her soft body stiffened, just like her expression.

The creature's eyes widened in realization as he muttered, "No way this whore would…"

"Whore? What whore?" Confusedly Laureen looked around. Questioningly she held a finger towards herself. "Are you talking about me?!" But the creature had already turned around and ran off, diving into the crowd.

Pushing people away, it surged forward until it reached a staircase. It sprinted up the stairs, stumbling multiple times. And with each fall the fear grew larger. The fear of losing someone he liked... or perhaps even loved.

Then it finally reached the door leading to the rooftop.

Rattling at the doorknob, panic rushed through the creature. "Akira! Don't do it! Akira!!"

Damn it! I can't believe she went this far!

Then it took a run-up, jumping against the door with full force. But it didn't help. The creature simply slid to the floor by the door.

But unlike before, it wouldn't rise up again.

What the hell am I doing here…?

Who am I kidding with this?!

I'm not a human… Why do I care about him so much?

All this time, ever since that day it had entered their home for the first time, it started acting like one of them. It simply took the dead brother's place, disguising as someone he never was. Initially to gain Akira's trust and kill him when the time came. But who was it kidding? If it wanted, it could just kill him at any moment.

There's no need to put on a mask.

But that's the point. It didn't do it because it was necessary, but because it wanted.

Feeling their emotions ripping them apart, it couldn't help but start laughing. "Hahaha..."

How could it forget? Its true identity, its purpose in life…

It was to kill.

Materializing energy around its arms, forming dark shimmering blades, it cut open the door with ease.

No more acting human.

Standing at the edge was Akira, his orange hair fluttering in the wind, his body swaying off balance. The creature approached him, soaking up his despair from the air. It filled them with satisfaction.

"Y-you're not my brother, are you…?" asked Akira as the creature stood behind him.

"No."

Akira turned around, as if surprised—as if he had hoped until the last moment that he'd been mistaken. That the white haired girl had lied to him. "Then why did you do all of this?! Why did you pretend…?"

The creature had no answer. At least none that would be satisfying to the boy. It did it simply because of itself—its feeling of loneliness—or perhaps, out of curiosity what it meant to be human.

"I'm going to kill you now," it said dryly.

There was nothing Akira could respond. He was feeling no more than hatred. For the world, for its unfairness, its cruelty and… the fact that his 'brother' had lied to him.

Akira looked down again, the other students watching him in both despair and excitement. Laureen stared at him, their eyes meeting, but she didn't say a word. Her throat probably was dry from fear. Fear of losing her best friend, her newfound confidence. It all would wash away with Akira's blood spreading across the ground.

"I hate you…" murmured Akira.

The creature looked at him unweavering. It hated itself too. But from the moment the system had chosen, only one of them would survive. And it wouldn't be Akira.

The boy stepped forward, losing his balance over the abyss, and falling down.

But he wouldn't hit the ground.

Holding onto his hand was a pulsating mass of darkness. Akira looked confused.

"I can't…," whispered the creature. "I can't let you die…" It hung leaned over the edge, holding on with only its fingertips.

"You have to," said Akira, as he smiled at it, understandingly.

"Wh-what…?"

"The girl explained it to me… otherhwise you'll die."

Now it seemed to understand. "That's why you…?"

"Yea… so let me go," said Akira, as he dangled in the air. "Please, brother."

Trembling, the creature clung to his hand, but slowly, the weight of decision became unbearable. One last time it looked at Akira's pure smile before his fingers slipped through and he plummeted into the abyss below.