The rain hit the windowpanes of the Kushida residence like a relentless barrage of tiny needles. Inside, the house was dead silent.
Kikyo stood in the center of her bedroom, her chest heaving, her hands trembling so violently that her knuckles were bone-white.
Her eyes were bloodshot, completely devoid of the warm, cheerful light everyone at school had known for the past three years.
Even amidst her mental breakdown, Kikyo possessed a striking appearance.
Standout short, beige-colored hair framed her delicate face, and her large gradient crimson eyes usually gave off an inviting, angelic warmth.
She had an exceptionally cute face paired with an enviable figure, standing at an average height with soft, pale skin, slender legs, and a notably well-endowed chest that strained against her uniform.
Her middle school outfit, a modest blue blazer over a crisp white blouse paired with a pleated skirt that sat well above her knees, was disheveled.
The fabric stretched tightly across her bust as irregular, shuddering breaths shook her frame.
It was all gone.
Her perfect reputation.
Her status as the beloved, sweet, angelic girl who helped everyone.
Her secret blog, the only place she could vent the black, putrid hatred she felt for her fake, talentless classmates, had been leaked.
In her desperate, hysterical rage, she had shattered the glass house entirely, spilling everyone's darkest secrets, tearing her entire class apart until they were screaming, crying, and clawing at each other's throats.
She had won, in a sick, twisted way. She had destroyed them all before they could mock her. But now, she was ruined.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sharp, vibrating buzz of a smartphone sitting on her desk.
Kikyo flinched, staring at the illuminated screen like it was a venomous snake. The caller ID read: Homeroom Teacher - Middle School.
Before her trembling hand could reach for it, a calm, steady hand reached past her shoulder and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" a cool, smooth voice spoke into the receiver.
Kikyo snapped her head around, her heart jumping into her throat. Standing right behind her was Ren, her twin brother.
Where Kikyo possessed soft, approachable features, Ren's physical presence carried an understated intimidation.
Standing a head taller than her at 178 cm, he had a lean, sharp athletic build with broad shoulders and slim hips hidden beneath his immaculate school uniform.
He shared her striking crimson eyes, but his lacked her theatrical warmth.
They were sharp, calculated, and predatory. His dark beige hair was styled with effortless precision, and his posture radiated a calm, absolute authority.
Unlike her, Ren was not sweating or shaking. He wore a polite, gentle expression, but his eyes glittered with a cold light that had always secretly terrified her.
"Ah, Sensei," Ren said smoothly into the phone, turning his back slightly to Kikyo.
"Yes... I understand. It's terrible... No, she just walked through the door. She's in complete shock... Yes, the entire class? That's awful... Don't worry, Sensei.
Our parents aren't home from their business trip yet, but I will manage Kikyo and make sure she stays inside. We'll discuss the administrative leave tomorrow."
Ren paused, listening to the frantic voice of the teacher on the other end, before adding in a tone of pure sympathy,
"Please handle the school's PR, Sensei. We wouldn't want the board involved, would we? Goodbye."
He ended the call and placed the phone back on the desk with a soft clack.
"Ren..." Kikyo choked out, her voice raw from crying and screaming earlier that afternoon.
She took a step back, her facade completely shattered, her true, ugly nature bared wide open.
"You don't know what happened. They forced me. They were talking behind my back, those worthless, disgusting pig—"
A sharp slap echoed through the bedroom.
Kikyo's head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly blooming bright red.
She collapsed onto the edge of her bed, gasping in shock, holding her face as she looked up at her brother with wide, terrified eyes.
She had never been struck in her life.
Ren did not look angry. He looked down at her with a calm, amused expression, casually wiping his palm on a handkerchief.
"Save the performance, Kikyo," Ren said softly, his voice laced with dark authority.
"I've known you were a rotten, hypocritical monster since we were eight years old. Did you really think you were fooling me?"
Kikyo's lip trembled. She tried to spark that vicious, explosive anger that had just destroyed an entire classroom, but looking into Ren's dark eyes, the flame was instantly extinguished by a wave of suffocating fear.
Ren walked over, stopping just outside her personal space.
He leaned casually against her study desk, folding his arms across his chest as his eyes slowly swept over her form.
She was still wearing her middle school uniform.
The short pleated skirt exposed her smooth, pale legs, and the white blouse strained against her generous chest.
"You're in a corner, Kikyo," Ren murmured, his voice smooth and detached, like a salesman laying out a contract.
"If I call Mom and Dad right now, if I tell them what you did, your life in this house ends. They will look at you with utter disgust. They'll pull every string to lock you away in some strict boarding school where you'll be watched like a rabid dog.
You want Mom and Dad to remain completely ignorant about what happened at school? You want them to keep believing you're their precious, perfect angel?"
Kikyo's chest rose and fell sharply.
The thought of her parents finding out, seeing the look of absolute revulsion on their faces, sent a chill straight down her spine.
"Ren... please... don't tell them..."
"Then you'll do exactly what I want," Ren said, his gaze locking onto hers with terrifying weight.
"Every single command. Every single urge I have. You want me to handle Sensei? You want me to bury your digital footprint so we can both transfer smoothly to Advanced Nurturing High School? Then prove how badly you want to hide your pathetic, rotten nature."
He gestured down at her uniform, his eyes cold and unwavering.
"Show me your submission. Tear that uniform off yourself."
Kikyo froze. The words hung in the heavy silence of the bedroom like a suffocating blanket.
Her dark, bitter pride flared up in an instant, screaming at her to fight back, to yell at him, to claw his face.
Her fingers dug violently into her thighs, her knuckles turning chalk-white as a war raged inside her head.
To strip herself bare in front of her twin brother, to destroy her own dignity with her own hands, was a humiliation worse than anything she had ever imagined.
She opened her mouth to snap at him, to refuse, but as her eyes met his, the anger died instantly in her throat.
Ren wasn't threatening her with force.
He was simply waiting, holding all the cards, completely unbothered by her hesitation. He was giving her a choice, and both options were a poison trap.
Five seconds passed. Ten seconds.
The cold realization sank deep into her stomach. If she refused, she lost everything. Her reputation, her freedom, her future, and her family's love.
A choked, humiliating sob escaped her throat.
Her trembling hands slowly rose to her collar, her fingers shaking so wildly she could barely grip the fabric.
She looked up at Ren one last time, searching his eyes for a shred of mercy, but found only dark, expectant satisfaction.
With a sudden, desperate pull, she yanked her collar open.
Buttons popped off one by one, scattering across the hardwood floor with sharp, clattering sounds.
The white blouse tore down the middle, slipping off her shoulders to expose her simple white bra, her smooth midriff, and the full shape of her upper body.
The cool air of the bedroom hit her exposed skin immediately, making her violently shiver.
She dropped her hands to her side, her head hanging low, tears of absolute humiliation dripping onto her bare lap.
A translucent, ghostly interface flickered sharply into Ren's vision.
Target: Kushida Kikyo
Quest: Break Kushida physically and mentally.
Reward: Dominator's Aura (Passive)
Status: In Progress (Mental: 65% | Physical: 10%)
Ren smiled, stepping forward until he stood directly over her bent frame.
He reached down, grabbing her chin firmly and lifting her tear-stained face so she was forced to look up into his victorious eyes.
"Good girl, Kikyo," Ren whispered, his thumb pressing firmly against her lower lip.
"Your pride is dead. From this moment on, your stress, your dark outbursts, your punishment... it all belongs to me. Whenever you step out of line, you will come straight to this room and take what you deserve."
Kikyo's breathing came in ragged hitches.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her knees trembling as she felt the last remnants of her free will slip entirely into his hands.
She opened her mouth, her voice barely a whisper of complete, total defeat.
"...Yes, Brother."