Chapter Text
As a famous singer once said, “There is no woman without a wound, nor man who does not lie.” True love does not exist in all cases, and in a world that has grown in an unequal way, one party always ends up worse off than the other. One party is betrayed and sad, while the other is happy and goes on to find another victim.
She thought that throwing all those things in the trash would help calm her down, but it had the opposite effect.
Her anger increased, and memories of those days came flooding back into her head. Memories of that person who broke her heart and left her adrift. She wanted to cry in peace, but she couldn't do it in the middle of the school hallway. Besides, she still had more things to get rid of.
Except for a few janitors and certain students who had extra classes, she was lucky that no one witnessed her sad figure at that moment. What she didn't understand was why she had stayed after class. She told herself it was because she wanted to keep herself distracted to avoid remembering him, or because if she went home, her anxiety would kill her. But what she was doing was counterproductive to her goals; she kept remembering him, and her anxiety was overwhelming her in a place far from home.
Momonoki told her that she would be there to help her. She listened to her cries and broken words during all those days, hugging her friend and assuring her that she would not let her suffer. She encouraged her to go to school, accompanied her during every break, and made sure she took good care of herself. Raim stood out for being a beautiful girl, and Momonoki wasn't going to let her beauty be destroyed by someone who didn't know how to appreciate her.
But it wasn't enough. Raim still felt alone.
It wasn't enough that her first ex had cheated on her, but now her second partner had done the same. Both with the same results, with a girl who felt betrayed and realized that it didn't matter how good she was at seduction and offering her heart. She had only been a pawn in their eyes. She was a flower that had been wilted and degraded to the maximum.
She had little time left before going to college, and it seemed that everything was against her. It was already serious that she had no idea what to study for her future. But it couldn't be possible that just when she needed the support of her supposed soul mate, she found him cheating on her with someone else.
And she knew that Momonoki couldn't be with her all the time. They were both going to choose different majors in college, so their time together would be significantly reduced.
“I held your fucking hand the whole time, and this is what I get for it?”
Her anger was very noticeable at first glance. Her gaze and her clenched fists were signs that she wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. Especially when her mind was filled not only with images of her ex, but also of the girls who, since she entered school, had caused her nothing but trouble.
They were vain, lacking in awareness, and aggressive toward her to the point of considering her a disgusting girl. No one wanted to talk to Raim; either they considered her incompatible with them or they simply wanted her to be alone so she would have the worst time of her life.
Momonoki always said that those girls were like that because they were jealous of her beauty and her strong personality, which allowed her to advance quickly toward her goals. And although that was partly true, as she had won a small beauty contest that year and had outstanding grades unlike many of her classmates, this time it wasn't enough to alleviate the damage done to her self-esteem.
She felt that she had been left for someone more beautiful than her. She felt that after that, she would be alone against the world. Raim knew that all those girls wanted fate to turn against her. She could imagine that they would have smiled when they found out what happened to her ex.
Except for Momonoki, she hated all those girls.
Sometimes she thought her beauty was both a blessing and a curse. She had fallen in love with two people she found charming, and those two had broken her heart mercilessly. She felt used.
She arrived at her locker after a long walk. She wanted to tie up the loose ends and finally break all ties with him, but at the same time, she couldn't open it because the memories of her ex would come flooding back into her head. She looked for ways to take his gifts and destroy them, but her willpower wasn't as strong as she thought.
She fell to the floor, leaning her back against the lockers and covering her face with her arms. She was lucky that no one was in the hallway; at that moment, she just wanted to be alone. Without anyone criticizing her. Without anyone betraying her.
She cried profusely, not knowing what she had done wrong. She didn't know why everyone hated her. She didn't understand why her rivals were luckier in love; she even thought that in the end those girls were right, she was just a horrible girl compared to them. Her beauty would never shine for anyone; she would just remain a girl who would be used for pleasure and stabbed until the end of time.
“Are you ok?”
A male voice made her lift her head. And the first thing she saw was a huge figure in front of her, disheveled, hunched over, and wearing a mask on his face.
“What do you think?” she said hostilely.
“I don't know, I'm just asking. At this hour, I don't think it's appropriate for you to stay here.”
“You shouldn't be here either.”
For a moment, she wanted to get up and punch him in the face. She wasn't afraid of his size at all; she just wanted to be alone and didn't care if that got her expelled. But it didn't seem like the boy had come to bother her.
She focused her eyes and realized she knew the boy. Or at least, at first glance, she knew of his existence. She tried to remember his name without success, so she focused on the characteristics he was known for.
“Hey, aren't you the guy obsessed with animals and people's bodies?”
“Heh, yeah. I guess.”
“Just what I needed. Some weirdo noticing my sad existence.”
The boy said nothing and just stared at the girl with tears on her face. She didn't seem to want to talk to anyone, but he had come there for a clear reason.
“Why are you here?” she said with all the coldness in the world.
“For this.” He held up a small notebook before handing it to her. “I saw your notebook in the trash while I was recycling. I can tell it was yours because of your signature on the first page and the smell of your perfume that has lingered.”
That notebook was where she had written down notes and experiences she had had with her ex. It was incredible that the boy knew immediately that it was her notebook, although it was also strange that one of the reasons for this was her perfume. Luckily, he seemed to respect her privacy because he didn't seem to know its contents, but the fact that he had brought the notebook to her was enough to make her anger grow.
It seemed that fate hated her to the point that it didn't want her to forget her ex easily. She didn't take the notebook and threw it out of her hands onto the floor.
“Just throw it back in the trash, damn it.”
“Are you sure? It's a nice notebook, and it wouldn't be worth throwing away,” he said as he picked up the notebook again.
For a moment, she wanted to punch him. She was coming out of a breakup, and he was talking nonsense. But she remembered that Momonoki had once told her not to act or say anything she might regret later. She couldn't blame the boy. He didn't know she had broken up with her boyfriend.
“You're so innocent... What was your name?”
“Balam. Balam Shichiro. And you?”
“Just call me Raim.”
She didn't feel like giving him her full name. The last thing she wanted was to give personal information to someone who acted strangely toward everyone. From what little she knew, Balam had a strong obsession with animal research and human anatomy. He went so far as to use overly taboo terms in front of his classmates, and his explanations were very uncomfortable to listen to. Additionally, his hunched posture and the fact that he touched many people out of the blue didn't help. He was simply horrible to look at for many.
“Listen, you don't have to tell me what's going on. I don't think it's something you want to share with me, and I understand that. But at least I want to make sure you get home. School will be closing soon, and I don't want a guard to call your attention.”
“What if I want to stay here?”
“Well, then there's nothing I can do to change your mind. I just came to give you your notebook, but it looks like I'd better get rid of it myself.” Balam sighed. “I'll see you later...”
“No,” Raim replied, suddenly changing her mind. “Just... stay here for a while.”
She didn't even know why she had said that, but she couldn't bear to be alone at that moment, even though she denied it. Balam stood there for a while longer, thinking she had misspoken, but he realized she was serious when she gestured for him to sit down beside her.
The two remained seated on the lockers, staring at the ceiling. They could hear the rain outside.
“Are you planning to study anything after you finish school?” asked Raim, wanting to change the subject.
"Yeah. I think after this I'm going to lean towards becoming a teacher. My idea is to study medicine first, but I want to focus more on teaching. To guide the younger generation so they don't go down the wrong path. What about you?"
Balam already had plans for his future; he had a clear ambition despite appearing to be somewhat careless. Meanwhile, she was still at the beginning. She had certain doubts about what to study; in fact, her idea was to get a recommendation from her boyfriend. But that idea had already been ruled out.
She wanted to say any career to prevent him from seeing her as someone insecure, even though her tears said otherwise. However, he was known for being able to detect lies easily somehow.
Therefore, she decided to be honest with him.
“I don't know,” she said.
Balam laughed slightly at her, something Raim quickly noticed even though he was covered by his mask.
“What's so funny?” she replied, almost angrily.
“I'm surprised you don't have a clear decision. Whenever I saw you in class, I saw a girl who was totally firm in her words and her goals.”
“That Raim no longer exists.”
The girl covered her face with her arms again, trying not to remember those memories of her being confident in class. In the end, her enemies had won. Balam, for his part, looked up again and began to speak.
"I'm going to guess that answer comes from that incident you just had. But don't let your mind deceive you. Reality says otherwise, and I am a witness to that. Besides, we still have a year and a half to think about what we want to study. Right?"
She glanced slightly at the boy beside her. Normally, she only received positive comments from Momonoki. But she never expected to receive compliments from someone as strange as Balam.
“I guess you're right,” she replied.
They both remained seated in the hallway. For a few minutes, they were silent, listening to the rain, with no one to interrupt them. The few students who were at school had left, leaving only the janitors and security guards behind. They could still leave, but they knew they risked being scolded by someone on staff if they stayed there.
Raim thought the moment would come when Balam would have to tell her he had to leave so he wouldn't be late home. But during all those minutes, he stayed by her side. He didn't seem to want to get up.
“Why are you still here? I mean, at this point, you should have left.”
“The streets are unsafe,” Balam replied. “If my mother taught me anything, it's that you should always help weak beings from the dangers outside. My friends always must face rocks or the arctic cold of the city. And now, just look at yourself. Although I don't know much about you, at least I know you're not in any condition to go out walking like that.”
She knew that when he said “friends”, he meant the animals on the streets. She also knew that when he said, “weak beings”, he was including her. She felt offended.
“What are you trying to say? That I'm not capable of getting home?”
“Just look at yourself. Your makeup is ruined, your clothes are going to get even more damaged in the rain, it doesn't look like anyone has come to pick you up, transportation fares will be expensive now, and you don't look like you have the energy to go home. If you don't leave quickly, you'll probably end up sleeping at school.”
She hated to admit that he was right. Of all the people she could meet at school, Balam saying that was a blow to her pride. Her house was far away, and she knew that going out late at night in that context was like going through hell. The area outside the school was full of demons and wasn’t safe unless she had company.
But he didn't look trustworthy. And even though she knew self-defense, she didn't want him to walk her home.
“I'll be fine. You don't have to act like a gentleman.”
“I can take you to where you live. I can pay for the transportation. Just tell me where it is so I can accompany you.”
“I can go alone, just give me the money and I'll go on my own.”
Balam took a deep breath, not thinking she was being stubborn.
"Raim, do you know the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’? I know you hate me, just like many others here, and I know you still want to hit me for showing up out of nowhere. But we both know that for you to get home, you need someone to give you a hand. Remember that even public transportation is risky at this hour. Your enemies are those demons outside this school, and even though I am also hostile in your eyes, you need me."
“Someday you will find out that it cuts both ways.”
Balam laughed again after hearing her. Raim was someone who was strong with her words, there was no doubt about that.
“You and I both know you won't last five minutes before falling and catching a cold. You're in no condition to go home alone.”
Raim felt uncomfortable with his comment. It seemed like he still saw her as weak and fragile.
“What do you know about being alone?”
There was a brief pause at that moment, but Raim could tell that Balam smiled under his mask after hearing that question. As if it were something very easy to answer.
“I know a lot, actually. You know why.”
He was known for being strange. No one heard the name Balam without feeling disgust or discomfort, and he seemed to know it perfectly well. Raim then began to think about what Balam's life was like. Going to school alone, not having a friend to congratulate him or accompany him, not even having someone to share his interests with.
Raim knew he had gone too far with his comment.
“I'm sorry.”
“Don't worry about it.”
The girl thought again about the boy's offer, and it didn't seem like there was any other way out. In fact, she knew she didn't deserve this opportunity after being so cruel to him. But Balam hadn't held it against her. It seemed like he genuinely wanted to help her.
“Alright, but if you try anything, I swear I'll kill you. I hope you keep your word, Shichiro.”
“Don't worry, after this, you can go back to seeing me as a stranger.”
The two got up from the ground and, under an umbrella that Balam had brought, began walking to the bus stop. They waited twenty minutes, but finally the bus arrived. And just as Balam had said, the fare was expensive, but he made sure to pay for it.
At every moment, Raim did her best to prepare a fist or pull out an object to throw at him in case he wanted to do something inappropriate. But throughout the entire trip, he never tried to hurt her. Not even when she let her guard down for a few seconds did he try to do anything wrong. It was a peaceful trip without any problems.
They arrived at Raim's house, and she said goodbye in the most appropriate way, thanking him for his kind gesture. He said goodbye, wishing her a speedy recovery, saying that it wasn't nice to see a girl like her suffering and damaging the good image she had at school.
She told him not to worry, that she would be fine. They parted ways, and she went into her house. Although the pain of her breakup was still felt inside, she felt that she had been given a little band-aid during the time she spent with Balam. He made her forget her ex for a moment. And even though it wasn't much, it made her afternoon better, even if she didn't believe it.
At that moment, she felt that someone else understood her.
The first step she took at university, she felt a lot of eyes on her. There wasn't a day that went by without her attracting attention, something she had come to accept without question.
In this new world, she now felt freer, even though she carried the weight of being attractive and dazzling. It wasn't the school where she had made enemies without meaning to; now she was in a place where everyone was pursuing their own goals, and the new people she met were beginning to see the more extravagant qualities of her personality. No one wanted to be mean to her; in fact, many wanted to get to know her better.
She was a new woman, or at least that's what she wanted to believe. She was still beautiful, confident, and someone everyone wanted to be with.
But at the same time, everyone knew how dangerous it was to get close to Raim when it came to love. The girl could see through the tricks and lies of people who tried to flirt with her, she could make anyone blush without any problem, but above all, she rejected anyone who proposed to her without mercy. She had her reasons, she didn't say it in a hostile way, but she was direct in saying “no” and broke hearts without feeling any pity.
Having her as a friend was great but trying to have her as a girlfriend was suicidal. She was like a rose. Beautiful to behold, but up close, she could hurt you with her thorns. Poison ivy, attractive to the eye but lethal if you weren't careful.
No one managed to capture her heart. Not even anyone came close. She had friends who asked her what her type was, but she only replied that her heart would only belong to someone who met her personal standards. They all wondered what that guy would be like, but Raim kept it a mystery. She wasn't lying when she said there were attractive guys at school with good intentions, but she had to be honest with them, and sometimes honesty hurt.
Still, there were always stubborn people who wanted to try to win her over even though she rejected them. That morning, after arriving at her locker, she noticed three students from another faculty approaching her from a distance. She easily recognized the boy in the middle; he was a boy she had rejected twice, but he didn't seem willing to give up. But this time, it didn't look like he was going to take no for an answer. And this time he had brought reinforcements.
Raim quickly sensed that this guy didn't come with good intentions. But she decided not to attack first.
The boy came over to where she was, leaning against the lockers and standing in front of Raim. The other two stayed behind him so that no one would notice them. Raim was unlucky that most of the faculty was in class, so she was alone during those few minutes. Even so, she kept her friendly gaze despite knowing that these guys looked dangerous.
“Wow, but it seems that fate has brought us back together again.”
“Hey honey, it's so good to see you again. But I thought fate had already given us an answer about our relationship. I don't think it's right to challenge it, you know?”
She could sense some anger in the guy. He had once again understood that she was rejecting him. And it wasn't just him who was upset; it seemed that his friends were also uncomfortable with her response.
“You know that fate wants us to be together. You can't say no.”
“What if I give you the same answer again?”
“Well, I'll take you to a special place to change your mind. Maybe you'll even help convince my friends.”
Raim had met persistent people before, but this guy was already making her angry. She didn't like being seen as weak, and she knew what he meant by that. Still, she wasn't going to let someone stupid guy get away with it.
She didn't respond for a moment, letting him make his next move. He could appear strong, but his heart was the source of his thoughts, causing him to act without reason and reveal his weaknesses.
“Then it looks like we have a deal. Take my hand and follow me.”
The boy extended his hand for Raim to accompany him somewhere far from the university. She took his hand delicately at first, making the boy feel excited to be holding the hand of one of the most beautiful girls in the university.
However, she began to squeeze it so hard that it seemed as if she was about to break the bones in his hand. Raim was stronger than they expected.
“How sweet. Too bad I already told you that you're not my type. And I don't think it's a good idea to get to know you better. You bore me,” she said.
She didn't seem to want to let go, and it got to the point where the pain was starting to make the boy cry. He wanted to hit her, but she didn't seem afraid of what he might do.
“If you do anything weird... you'll be making a big mistake.”
“I've done a lot of weird things in my life, honey. I'm not afraid of a jerk who needs two people to do something that any man can do alone. And you know what? This time I'll make sure my answer fits in your head.”
With a sharp blow to his stomach, she managed to temporarily incapacitate the boy, bending him in half. And there, while he was recovering, she took the opportunity to lift him slightly and, after giving him a quick look with her purple eyes, she gave him another blow to the head that made him fall to the ground immediately, unconscious.
Raim knew that his bodyguards were going to attack her, given their huge advantage. There were no teachers or students around at that moment. But she didn't seem worried. The two of them were thinking about how to hurt her for knocking out their friend, but a male voice interrupted their thoughts.
“Is something going on here?”
The duo turned around after hearing a voice behind them. There was a boy significantly taller than them, muscular at first glance, with short hair and wearing a gray mask that covered part of his face. They didn't know how he had gotten there, but he didn't seem friendly.
Seeing his green eyes and the strength that boy had was enough to intimidate those students, and they decided to leave quickly. The two went to help their friend up, leaving the area and leaving Balam and Raim alone in the hallway.
When they walked away, they both began to speak more clearly.
“You know, you didn't have to show up. I could have handled them.”
“I know. But I didn't want your hair to get ruined.”
The two made sure no one was watching them, and when they confirmed they were alone, Raim kissed him on the cheek. Balam always had to lower his face to her height so she could kiss him, but it didn't bother him at all.
“Shall I walk you to your classroom?” Balam asked.
“Sure,” Raim replied.
The girl took his arm, and they began walking to the language school where Raim studied. And there, as they walked, the girl remembered once again how incredible her boyfriend was. Meeting him had been a great adventure. After he had comforted her in the school hallway, their story was filled with so many memorable moments.
Throughout the rest of high school, she could never forget Balam's kind gesture. In the days that followed, she tried to sit next to him during breaks to thank him for what he had done for her, but then she would approach him just to talk to him. Balam didn't mind listening to her, and he even apologized for the notebook incident. He didn't know that she had broken up with her ex at that time, but she told him it was fine, no one could know someone at 100%.
In the year and a half they had left at school, they began to get to know each other and realized that, although they had significant differences, they were somehow compatible. They had both unintentionally made enemies, they both survived the stress of expressing their likes to the outside world, and they even realized that their birthdays were in the same month, only five days apart.
Raim always thought that Momonoki was the only person she could consider a true friend. But she never thought that Balam could also be considered a friend. They shared intimate secrets that revealed a lot about their pasts, such as why Balam always wore a mask or why Raim had always had self-esteem issues.
They both grew up understanding their own problems and insecurities, and after some time, she was able to find her calling in language and fashion. If it weren't for Balam, she would have been wandering aimlessly.
“Do you think those guys will try something again?”
"Maybe. But I'm not afraid of them. After all, I'll be happy to break their hearts again."
“And their bones, from what I can see.”
Raim laughed at her boyfriend's comment. Sometimes she didn't believe in her own strength, but he assured her that she was someone who could defend herself in specific situations. Her self-defense classes were useful, and her boyfriend assured her that she was a strong person.
Now, she knew that Balam was three times stronger than her; he could easily defend her. But she also knew her boyfriend's personality; it was very different from his physical appearance. Beneath those muscles and intimidating image was a friendly and gentle guy, someone who only opened to certain people and who showed himself to be a gentleman hidden among a bunch of monsters.
She didn't want him to risk fighting too much so as not to make him stray from his true personality; but he told her that he didn't mind beating someone if it was to protect her. She was the flower he wanted to take care of until his last day, and he wanted to fulfill his mother's promise well.
But sometimes Balam felt that she was stronger than him. She was someone who could scare people with her firmness and determination. She hid a strength behind that image of a pretty woman. Anyone would have found it uncomfortable to witness, but Balam liked that; seeing that incredible side of Raim captivated his heart day after day. She had an imperfect nature when it came to loving someone, and it was one that only he understood well.
“You're not struggling with your studies, are you? Medicine is a complicated career.”
“To be honest, it's harder for me to maintain this haircut than to pass my specialty courses.”
“You know you look beautiful, honey. Don't doubt it.”
She was sure that, unlike her past relationships, Balam was someone loyal. With him, she felt like a beautiful flower again, no longer wilted. She had been reborn thanks to his care and encouragement.
But she wasn't the only one who was happy about it. Balam finally got to know what it was like to be loved by someone. To be loved by the first person who saw beyond his mask.
There was no doubt that Balam's appearance was striking to certain students; it was a radical change from high school. But even though he received compliments from many girls, they were nothing compared to the words Raim said to him. The girls at the university called him a variety of good things, but he simply responded with a thank you, maintaining a serious look and showing little emotion.
However, when Raim told him he looked cute, he would jump towards her and hug her with all his strength. He would even carry her, something the girl let him do without any problem. He acted as if she were his whole world and she even helped him improve his self-esteem. All he needed was some sincerity and honest affection so that he could also see the light in him.
At school, he always felt insecure about his impression, and sometimes even thought that he might die and only his family would miss him. But Raim helped him see himself in a different way. He had a lot to offer the world, both in terms of knowledge and physical appearance. She helped him see himself as more attractive and develop his own fashion style. They even shared the taboo topics that Balam liked to talk about endlessly.
In the end, they were both focused on human anatomy in one way or another.
When they both left school, they thought their communication would be abruptly interrupted. But the surprise came on the first day of college when they found out they were going to study their majors in the same place. Seeing each other in those hallways was such a joy for both that they couldn't resist hugging each other.
And after finding out that Momonoki was at the same university as her, Raim no longer felt alone. She felt she had started off on the right foot, and that was only confirmed as time went by. The courses became easy to adapt to, she met more friendly people, and she could express her beauty more thanks to the motivation of Balam and Momonoki. They both made her feel like a shining star, and that was enough to boost her self-esteem.
With Balam, she had a curious routine. They didn't share the same class schedules, but they waited for each other at the exit and even during breaks. They spent time together laughing and sharing intimate moments that only they knew the true meaning of. They created memories that were more beautiful than those they had made at school.
The idea of enmity that they had both mistakenly held for years had disappeared. And a year later, they were walking together. Like soulmates. Sharing the sincerest love one could wish for.
The university would be surprised to think that someone like Balam was with Raim. For now, they kept their relationship hidden, but it was because the boy was still discovering what love and fashion were. Only Momonoki knew their secret, but she approved of their relationship, knowing what a gentleman the boy was. But when their relationship came out, they would be ready to face a new chapter in their lives. Raim just needed Balam to come out of his shell, and she felt she was doing a good job.
They arrived at Raim's classroom after a long walk. The girl let go of her boyfriend's arm and leaned close to say goodbye to him.
“See you later, honey,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
“Good luck today, ok?” he replied.
Raim said goodbye with a smile, giving Balam enough motivation to endure the rigors of medical school. It was only a few hours until they would see each other again, but time flew by quickly. He focused on the upcoming exams, knowing that at least Raim was safe and happy in her classroom.
They were two significantly different people, but they were united by a negative past that they managed to overcome together. Now they were walking toward a beautiful future full of love and respect, maintaining a common goal. To be teachers in their specialties so they could guide the next generations and prevent them from falling into the risks they faced.
Raim, for her part, knew that this was going to be possible. They could say whatever they wanted, but Balam's words carried more weight. They could try to bring her down, but she would rise again like the tide. Her boyfriend finally made her eliminate her insecurities and made her a perfect flower in his eyes.
She was a strong girl, and no one was going to take that away from her.