Twisting The Twisted

SC: Mizuki Kano

Oreki is a great leader, and a person in general. (Make it bigger)

I didn't want to do it.

I just wanted to help me.

I-I just wanter he-help.

SOmeoOne?

--After announcement of exam--

The new exam, thankfully, wasn't a monster. It was straightforward, almost easy. Why anyone would risk their entire future for a measly million points was beyond me. Except for a select few, of course.

Momoko, the ever-so-arrogant student council president, immediately came to mind. I wouldn't put it past her to choose money over friends. It wasn't that she necessarily loved money, but it fueled her entire persona. Money was like the oxygen she needed to maintain her inflated sense of importance. Without it, she'd deflate like a popped balloon.

The school bell rang, a welcome sound that signaled the end of the day. As I made my way back to the dorms, a message buzzed on my phone. An unknown number. My heart lurched, a cold dread settling in my stomach. I opened the message with trembling fingers, only to see the single, chilling sentence: "You are useless."

Vague, yet potent enough to send shivers down my spine. But I forced a smile, closed the phone, and quickened my pace. Almost there. Almost safe. My phone buzzed again. Another unknown number, another message with the same cruel words. Panic started to claw at the edges of my composure. I shoved the phone into my pocket and practically sprinted for the dorm building.

Once inside, I slammed the door shut behind me, the echoing bang a small comfort. Rushing to the mirror, I took a deep breath. "It's alright," I mumbled, trying to convince myself. "You're not useless. You can't be." My voice wavered, betraying the fear gnawing at me.

Just as I was about to repeat the mantra, the doorbell rang. My breath hitched. Taking another deep breath, I forced myself to open the door. A box sat on the doorstep. My makeup order perhaps? But the size seemed excessive. Maybe it came with a free gift?

Ignoring the nagging unease, I picked it up and carried it inside. The excitement of a new makeup set was short-lived. As I tore open the box, a loud pop startled me. Confetti? No. Paper. Thousands of tiny slips of paper, each emblazoned with the same hateful words: "You are useless."

Panic turned to terror. How did this person know my address? My phone, charging on the table, began to ring. An unknown number. With trembling hands, I answered it, my voice barely above a whisper.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" I demanded, the words laced with a surprising amount of anger.

The voice on the other end, calm and collected, simply repeated, "You are useless."

"STOP IT! ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" I nearly shouted.

The voice continued its monotonous drone, each repetition a jab at my already crumbling confidence.

Finally, I threatened to end the call. A flicker of opportunity.

"Do you want to not be useless?" the voice inquired, a hint of amusement in its distorted tone.

Silence. I couldn't speak. The tears were welling up now, blurring my vision.

"If you do," the voice continued, "answer the question by pressing 'no' on the voting system. You know, the one for the stupid exam. If you do that, your class gets a million points and gets rid of a burden. And let's face it, someone else might already press no anyway."

The burden. Oreki. He'd made it clear I was the most expendable member of the class. The logic was undeniable, yet the thought of betraying my classmates...