Alas, I’m still in the flower of my youth, and now I’m going to die at the hands of a perverted yandere?
“Ah! I get it!” Hana excitedly threw her arms around Liang Sheng. “Sheng-chan must have liked me for a long time. You secretly investigated me and stalked me! I’m so happy…”
This… You figured all that out without me even explaining? I wanted to marvel at her bizarre train of thought, but fear won out. I nodded frantically and stammered, “Yes, yes! I really like Hana!”
“Ding~” Favorability increased.
“Hana’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 100+”
Again… it went up again! I nearly burst into tears. This was the first time I’d ever felt that a favorability boost was a bad thing. Despair washed over me.
Hana tightened her arms around my neck, hugging me closer and closer. I had every reason to suspect she planned to assault and murder me—to kill first and ravish later.
In my hazy vision, I spotted a group of tall men in black clothes bursting through the bathroom door. Unfortunately, Hana had me in such a chokehold that I couldn’t make a proper sound. I could only manage a few weak “Ah ah” cries.
“Who’s there?!” Hana whipped her head around at the sound of footsteps. She saw the group glaring at her menacingly. She released her hold on me and slipped a hand into her pocket.
Don’t tell me it’s a knife? My eyes locked onto her hand. Sure enough, she pulled out a switchblade. With a sharp click, the blade snapped open. Hana’s face was no longer that of a sweet girl. It twisted into something ferocious, her cute little fangs bared in a way that looked utterly terrifying.
“Sheng-chan, stay back. You might get hurt. Keep your distance.” Hana glanced back at me, her face softening. But as she turned to the group, her expression turned savage again.
“If you dare hurt Sheng-chan, I’ll kill every last one of you!” Hana roared.
The short guy at the front of the group spoke up. “Miss, if you just obey Madam’s orders and come with us to the mental hospital peacefully, things won’t have to escalate like this.”
He paused, clearly about to keep posturing, when another group of burly men appeared at the bathroom door. They were all in black suits and dark sunglasses. They looked familiar—Lu Ziqing’s bodyguards.
Big bros… Have you guys forgotten this is the women’s restroom?
The short guy flinched but puffed out his chest anyway. He pointed aggressively at one of the bodyguards’ noses and barked, “Hey! Can’t you see I’m in the middle of making an arrest here? If you don’t want a beating, scram!”
Wow, talk about boldness born of skill! I thought. No one without real ability would spout lines like that.
Then, one of the bodyguards floored him with a single punch. The short guy foamed at the mouth and convulsed on the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
Whoa, big bro, are you One Punch Man? I gazed admiringly at the bodyguard. He hadn’t even shifted his feet—just raised one arm and dropped the guy in an instant.
“Liang Sheng, are you in there?” Lu Ziqing poked her head in, her voice laced with anxiety.
“I’m here!” I called back immediately.
“Wahhh!” Song An’an burst into tears. “Is A-Sheng okay? I just saw… I saw a bunch of bad guys go into the bathroom.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” I quickly reassured her.
Gu Yuqi shoved through the crowd and rushed to my side. She grabbed my hand and looked me up and down. Seeing no injuries, she let out a relieved breath.
Whoosh! A fist suddenly flew toward Gu Yuqi. She reacted quickly—thanks to her love of kickboxing—and blocked it with her arm. She looked at her attacker in surprise. It was Hana.
“Who are you to Liang Sheng?” Hana growled through clenched teeth, the tip of her blade pointed at Gu Yuqi’s chest.
“I don’t know her! I don’t know her!” I lied hurriedly. Hana was incredibly strong in a fight, and I didn’t want Gu Yuqi getting hurt.
Only then did Hana lower the knife. She shot Gu Yuqi a vicious glare.
Gu Yuqi wasn’t grateful for my save. On the contrary, she frowned, angry that I’d claimed not to know her. In a bold move, she swept me up into her arms.
The world spun around me. I looked at Gu Yuqi in bewilderment, wondering what her game was.
“Heh, what do you think our relationship is?” Gu Yuqi taunted, pointing first at me, then at herself.
“Put Sheng-chan down!” Hana shrieked. She swung the knife at Gu Yuqi’s face.
Crap, crap, crap! I yelped inwardly, curling into a ball.
Gu Yuqi stepped back, dodging the strike.
“You… put me down first before you two fight!” Tears streamed down my face as I pleaded.
“Fine…” But as she said the word, Hana lunged again, stabbing toward Gu Yuqi’s arm. Distracted by me, Gu Yuqi retreated a step but didn’t fully evade it.
Blood trickled slowly down her pale skin. Before I could even express my heartache, she slammed me to the ground with a thud.
Ow ow ow! My butt’s gonna be black and blue, sis! Don’t you know how to handle with care? I rubbed my sore rear, tears glistening in my eyes.
Hana crouched down, full of concern and heartache. It was all that stupid woman’s fault for dropping Sheng-chan (Wasn’t it you?). Hana was furious, and the consequences would be dire.
She stood up, switchblade raised, ready to stab Gu Yuqi again. I gritted my teeth, summoning my resolve. I grabbed the hem of Hana’s clothes like my life depended on it and whispered like a mosquito, “Hana, you can’t kill the people close to me. Otherwise, I’ll hate you.”
Hana’s mouth fell open, her face stricken. “Does Sheng-chan care that much about others? Isn’t having me enough for Sheng-chan?” she demanded passionately.
“No, Hana. I have my own family and friends… If you kill them, I… I might kill myself too!” I went all in, hoping the threat of my own life would make her stop.
Hana gripped the knife tightly. With a clang, she dropped it to the ground. She threw herself onto me, hugging me fiercely, her voice choked with sobs. “Don’t leave me, Sheng-chan. I can do anything for you—even end my own life.”
I was stunned. I was also deeply relieved that this story’s yandere wasn’t the type to murder her beloved, but more like Yuno from the anime—the kind who would give everything for the one she loves.
Then, something unexpected happened. The fatty next to the short guy suddenly swung an iron bar at Hana’s head. In my panic, I instinctively shielded her head with my hand…
Thwack! The bar smashed into my hand. I screamed in agony. Hana froze at the sound. She turned to see the trembling fatty holding the bar, then looked at my hand. Rage exploded within her.
“You dare touch Sheng-chan?! You’re dead!” Hana shot to her feet like she wanted to tear him apart. But she hesitated. “Sheng-chan said… no killing…”
“No! Sheng-chan said not to kill the people close to her. You’re the one who hurt her. So, you can die!” She tilted her head, her logic twisting back into place.
Fatty was scared but figured a little girl couldn’t do much. He relaxed, leering at her. Not bad looking for a kid…
Splurt. Agonizing pain erupted in Fatty’s gut as warm liquid flowed down. Trembling, he looked down to see Hana’s switchblade plunged into his abdomen.
“Aaahhh!” Fatty rolled his eyes back and passed out from the pain.
Chaos erupted outside the bathroom—screams from the elegant ladies, people dialing 110 and 120, children wailing.
“Little girl! Are you okay?!” Liang Wengao bellowed from outside, straining to be heard over the crowd. He couldn’t push through the throng.
He’d been upstairs earlier when the commotion started below. He grabbed a shell-shocked waiter to ask what happened—and nearly fainted himself.
“Dad, I’m fine! Don’t come in! Absolutely don’t come in!” I shouted back.
Hana coldly yanked the switchblade from Fatty’s gut. She stared at the blood in disgust and muttered, “So gross.” Then she turned to me with a warm, springlike smile. “Sheng-chan, my hand’s got something dirty on it. I can’t get too close to you.”
Truth be told, that scene scared me too. But seeing the fatty who’d hit me get his comeuppance felt satisfying.
I smiled at Hana. “Hana, you’re really strong!”
Delight bloomed on her face. She blushed furiously, clasping her hands to her chest. “Sheng-chan praised me… Sheng-chan praised me! I’m so happy…”
I had no idea why she was so thrilled, but to rein in her darkening tendencies, I kept going. “Hana’s so cute. You’re a good girl. Be obedient and listen to me, okay~”
It worked like a charm. She beamed, flashing her little fangs, and chirped, “I know! I’m Sheng-chan’s good girl.”
“Freeze! Police!” Right on cue, the cops arrived. One pointed at a towering bodyguard. “Did you hurt someone?”
The bodyguard shook his head—what did this have to do with him?—and pointed at the purple-haired girl in twin tails. The cop glanced over, shocked that a little girl was the culprit. Skeptical, he asked, “You sure you saw that right?”
“…” The bodyguard deadpanned, “I’m sure.”
A few bold onlookers chimed in that yes, it was the girl. Only then did the cop believe it. He approached Hana sternly. “Kid, come with us.” He pulled out handcuffs, ready to take her away.
Hana stepped back, gripping her switchblade tightly, looking ready to do something rash again.
No way—if she hurts a cop, that’s assaulting an officer! I intervened. “Hana! Go with the police officer. (The 26-year-old cop winced at being called ‘uncle.’) I’ll be waiting at home. Be good and listen to them, or you’ll never see me again.”
“But…” Hana hesitated.
“Listen!”
She nodded at last, tossed the switchblade aside, and held out her hands. Click. The cuffs snapped onto her wrists.
I let out a long breath as I watched Hana’s retreating figure.
