Chapter 534: A Devil’s Proposal
Chapter 534: A Devil’s Proposal
I held her gaze, my voice steady. "I have an idea," I said. "But I’ll need your help."
She didn’t hesitate. "What is it?" Her voice was fierce, determined. "I’ll do anything... for my sister."
I took a deep breath, the words hanging between us like a promise. "Be my girlfriend."
Silence.
Yuko’s entire body froze as my words hung in the air between us. Her breath hitched, her eyes widening as if I’d just suggested something unimaginable.
The fire in her gaze flickered between shock, disbelief, and something darker—something that made her grip her own arms tightly, as if to keep herself from lashing out.
"What..." she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, her mind clearly struggling to process what I’d just said. She took a step back, her expression twisting into something between horror and fury.
"You want me to... to pretend to be your girlfriend?" Her voice cracked slightly, the idea clearly repulsive to her. "Are you serious?"
I didn’t back down. My voice remained steady, my gaze locked onto hers. "I’m dead serious."
Yuko’s breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. "Why the hell would I agree to something like this?" she demanded, her voice rising. "You’re asking me to lie to my own sister! To betray her!" Her fists clenched at her sides, her entire body trembling with barely contained rage.
"I’m asking you to help her," I corrected, my voice calm but firm. "You said it yourself—Haruna would never fight for what she wants. She’d rather suffer in silence than risk hurting Hannah. But if she thinks you took me from her..." I let the implication hang in the air, watching as Yuko’s expression shifted from anger to reluctant understanding.
"She’d hate me," Yuko whispered, her voice breaking slightly. "She’d think I stole you from her."
"Exactly," I said, my voice low. "And that anger? That betrayal she feels? It’ll force her to finally admit how she really feels. Because right now, she’s too busy playing the martyr to see the truth."
Yuko’s eyes burned with conflict. "But what if it breaks her?" she asked, her voice raw. "What if this destroys her instead of helping her?"
"Then what’s your alternative?" I shot back, my voice sharp. "Let her keep suffering? Let her keep pretending she’s fine while she’s falling apart inside?" I took a step closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You know this is the only way, Yuko. She won’t fight for herself when it comes to Hannah. But she’ll fight against you."
Yuko’s fingers dug into her own arms so hard her knuckles turned white, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps as she processed the plan. The conflict in her eyes was raw—anger, fear, and a desperate need to protect Haruna all warring inside her. She knew I was right, but the cost of it gnawed at her like a physical pain.
"And Hannah?" she demanded again, her voice trembling with frustration. "She’s already pretending to be your girlfriend! How the hell am I supposed to explain this to Haruna? How do I even look her in the eye after this? She’ll think I’m the worst person in the world!" Her voice cracked, the weight of the deception pressing down on her.
I didn’t hesitate. "I have a plan," I said, my voice low and deliberate. "I’ll let Hannah break up with me—in front of Haruna. And you’ll be the reason for it."
Yuko’s eyes widened, her mind racing through the implications. "What do you mean, I’ll be the reason?" she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.
I met her gaze, unflinching. "They’ll catch us together. Haruna will think I was cheating on Hannah with you. And Hannah—" I paused, letting the weight of the words sink in. "Hannah will break up with me because of you."
Yuko’s entire body went rigid. "Wait—what?" she breathed, her voice barely audible. "You’re saying Hannah will blame me for this? Then Haruna, she.... she’ll think I ruined her friend’s relationship?" Her eyes darkened, her voice rising in panic. "Jack, that’s—that’s worse! She’ll hate me! Haruna will be furious, and she will never trust me again!"
"Exactly," I said, my voice calm but firm. "Haruna will be so angry at you for ’stealing’ me from Hannah that she won’t be able to hide her feelings anymore. She’ll lash out. She’ll finally admit how she feels about me—because she’ll think you took something that was hers."
My voice didn’t waver. "I’ll let Hannah pretend to be heartbroken because of this." I let the words settle between us, watching as Yuko’s face twisted—horror first, then the slow, reluctant dawn of understanding.
"And when Haruna sees that," I continued, "when she sees Hannah hurt because of you—" I didn’t finish. I didn’t need to. The silence did the work for me.
"She’ll hate me," Yuko whispered, her voice breaking. "Both of them will."
"For a little while, yes," I admitted, my voice low. "But it’s the only way to force Haruna to stop lying to herself. To make her fight for what she wants instead of sacrificing herself for everyone else."
Yuko’s hands trembled at her sides, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps. "This is cruel," she said, her voice raw. "You’re asking me to destroy my relationship with my sister"
"I’m asking you to save Haruna from herself," I corrected, my voice firm. "Because right now, she’s drowning in her own silence. And you know it."
Yuko’s eyes burned with conflict, her voice barely a whisper. "And what if it breaks her?"
"Then what’s your alternative?" I shot back, my voice sharp. "Let her keep suffering? Let her keep pretending she’s fine while she’s falling apart inside?" I took a step closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You know this is the only way, Yuko. She won’t fight for herself. But she’ll fight for you."
"You’re not ruining anything," I said, my voice steady. "You’re giving Haruna a reason to stop hiding. And Hannah? She’ll be fine. She’ll be angry for a while, but she’ll understand eventually."
Yuko’s expression twisted, her voice rising in frustration. "This is insane!" she snapped, her fists clenching. "You’re asking me to deceive the the person I care about most!"
"I’m asking you to help her," I corrected, my voice firm. "Haruna needs this. And Hannah? She’ll move on. But Haruna—" I stepped even closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Haruna will finally see the truth."
Yuko fell silent, her gaze flickering away as she wrestled with the idea. The weight of the decision pressed down on her, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. Finally, she looked back at me, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "And what about you?" she demanded. "What do you get out of this?"