CHAPTER 140: SAKURA VALENTINE’S MASTER PLAN: PART-1

Sakura Valentine’s POV

"It was he who kissed me!!"

Those filthy words from that Valra bitch still echoed in my heart... hammering again and again like a curse that refused to ever leave my body.

I really wanted to stab her throat, to dig my nails in and drag that lying tongue out from her mouth, to rip it off and throw it away for spitting out such disgusting words... yet the worst part, the part that made my blood burn even hotter, was the truth buried in them.

A truth I couldn’t accept, no matter how hard I tried.

It was me who first made the move, me who took the chance to slip into my senior’s heart... but this bitch, this parasite who had only blackmailed her way closer, was already kissed by him?

Why her!!

Why that worthless slut!!

Look at her, grinning like some filthy fucking slut who thinks she’s already won!!

OH fuck! My hands shook.

I wanted to rip off those lips, shred them until nothing remained but blood and silence... those lips that dared to touch him. I wanted to tear them apart, so much, so desperately!!!

In the end, I realised just how far back I was in this twisted race, how pitiful I looked, even though I cheated, even though I bent every rule just to stand ahead. And still, I was falling behind.

Unable to handle the truth burning inside me, I found myself secretly following Leo and Valra, watching their hands, their fingers intertwining so naturally... like she belonged there, like a bitch in heat clinging onto what wasn’t hers!

I was sure, absolutely sure, she was up to no good... and then I saw it, her disgusting little movements, arrrhh!! Rubbing her fingers against his palm, stroking as if she already owned him, as if she wanted to get fucked right there!

That bitch!!

THAT FUCKING BITCH!!

... Calm down... Calm down.

I had to breathe. If I lost control now, it would be unsightly of me, shameful, weak. I forced myself to calm my anger, pressing it down hard, even as it writhed inside me. I kept walking in the shadows, every step careful, making sure I didn’t get caught.

"See you tomorrow, Leo," That bitch Valra said, her voice coated with fake sweetness. But she didn’t move, not an inch... I knew it, she was up to no good!!

Look at her, acting like some shy little bitch, pretending to hesitate, pretending to blush! I know what you are aiming for, bitch!!! Don’t think I don’t see through you!!

But then... I saw it... my Senior... my beloved Senior... leaning down and...

K-K-K-Kiss?

Crack!

The wall beneath my grip split as my nails dug in, my hand shaking. That fucking rotten bitch!! She actually dared... and then... then I saw her glance, quick but sharp, straight at me.

She knew... She fucking knew!!

FUCK YOU!!

I screamed the words inside my skull before I walked off.

That bitch did it on purpose, didn’t she? She knew I was following her. She wanted me to see it. That’s why she kissed him like that, why she leaned in with that disgusting smile, that fucking rotten bitch... that slut.

FUCK YOU!!

When I reached my house, I didn’t react to my mother or Luna, who kept asking what had happened. Of course, I was too tired and too... worried to even utter a single word.

I just dragged myself into my room and went straight to sleep... or at least tried to. Honestly, I thought maybe sleeping might help me cool down, maybe dull the storm swirling in my chest.

Even though Luna, my maid, kept bothering me with her endless questions and soft hands tugging at my sleeves, I simply lay down on the bed and... shut my eyes, refusing to answer.

"FUCK YOU!!!"

I shouted furiously into the pillow. No matter how many times I closed my eyes, no matter how tightly I clenched them, that bitch’s face was the only thing appearing in my mind, mocking me, grinning, laughing at my pain.

I need to do something... I have to do something!

I clutched my puffy toys so hard I almost ripped them apart, as if tearing her face in my imagination. The night dragged on like that, my body restless, my heart burning, until finally morning came.

"Cough, cough."

My throat stung. Wait... did I catch a cold?

I froze, shocked. This couldn’t be real. Vampires don’t catch colds. I had never even heard of such a thing!

Even my mother and Luna were stunned beyond belief... like literally, what the fuck was going on here?

My mother almost screamed herself hoarse, rushing all over the house, making a complete mess, scattering things everywhere.

And my father... oh, my father—without a second thought, he lifted me up with his own hands and carried me to the hospital.

We had cars. We had drivers. But no... he carried me like I was fragile glass, his face hard with panic.

Dad, I know you’re worried, but... at least take me in the car!!

Luna... I didn’t even know how to describe her state. She was freaking out beyond reason, pacing circles, blaming herself again and again for not noticing when I got cold, as if it was her sin. Her eyes brimmed with tears, her hands trembling as she reached out for me but stopped midway, afraid she’d hurt me more.

To our surprise, even the doctors... actual specialists in vampires, men and women trained at Merlin Hospital, didn’t know what was happening to me.

They examined, whispered, and looked at each other with confusion. Their faces said it all. They were more surprised about me getting a cold than actually trying to cure it.

Wait... Merlin Hospital? Isn’t that the very place where Leo’s aunt works?

The thought slipped into my mind, breaking through my feverish haze. Come to think of it, this hospital treats both unnatural beings like us and humans alike. That means... Leo’s aunt might know something about this.

Maybe she even already knew?

Well, whatever. First, I needed to deal with this ridiculous cold.

I lay on the medical bed, forcing a calm expression, even as my mother continued to panic beside me. Luna was still crying in the corner, biting into her sleeve to muffle her sobs, while my father was already on his phone, making calls all over the world, demanding answers, ordering consultations from anyone he could reach.

I... I am really happy to have this family. Truly, I am. But could they please leave me alone for just a second?!

I wanted to shout, to tell them to stop smothering me, but... oh well. This was their way of showing love, wasn’t it? Their desperate, chaotic, overwhelming love.

Honestly... if Senior were only here right now... I wonder what would happen.

"My lovely darling, did you get hurt? Do you want me to heal you with my body?"

Heh... of course, Senior. That’s what you would say.

Sigh... I miss my Senior already... My parents were still dealing with doctors, trying to figure out what the hell was going on with me... time passed so slowly when—

Ring~ Ring~

That ringtone... the one I set only for my beloved Senior.

I immediately grabbed my phone from the desk, not even caring about the IV attached to my body. I didn’t give a damn about the wires tugging at my skin—nothing mattered except answering that call.

I pressed it to my ear without hesitation.

There was tense silence at first... not even a single word, not a breath, only the sound of my own heart pounding faster and faster, so loud it filled my head.

I didn’t know what to say, what to speak... He just called me, suddenly, out of nowhere.

Why?

Was he worried about me?

Was he missing me even after just one day?

"Sakura?"

That voice... Oh goodness, that voice! Just hearing it made my chest burst open with light. I was already floating over the clouds, trembling, dizzy, alive.

"... Y-You finally called me!!"

The words spilled out before I could stop them. I didn’t even know I was shouting; it came out so naturally.

My eyes stung, tears blurring my sight. My Senior had called me... Me!

My heart was shaking so much I thought I might collapse, my legs went weak, trembling under the weight of happiness as the tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Are you alright?" Senior asked quickly.

Such a worrywart! Always so serious, always so careful.

I rubbed at my wet eyes, sniffled, and glanced around the room to make sure nobody was watching. My mother and father were still arguing with the doctors outside. Luna was busy wiping her tears in the bathroom... Good. They wouldn’t hear me.

I walked back to the bed slowly, phone pressed tight to my ear, clutching it like a lifeline as I answered,

"N-No, it’s just... you finally called me. I-I’m so happy, S-Senior... sniff, sniff..."

"Come on now... It’s not like I don’t want to call you. I just... I’d rather speak with you directly than through this phone."

The moment he said those words, my body collapsed backwards on the bed, my chest bursting. It felt like I was falling into a river, sinking into smooth, endless waters, carried away by his voice alone.

This Senior of mine... he really knew how to play with my heart, didn’t he? He knew exactly what to say to make me ache for him, to make me melt.

"Oh? You l-love to hear my beautiful voice directly instead of over the phone? So sweet, Senior!"

I teased him. Honestly, Senior, you were making it impossible to think of anything but you.

You were... such a bad boy.

Then he asked me why I didn’t come to school today.

So sweet~ my darling was worried about my absence!

He must have felt lonely without me there, right?

He must have missed me, sitting in class, his eyes searching for me, finding only an empty seat.

His beloved Junior wasn’t there... he must have been crying inside, holding back those feelings just because I wasn’t around.

Come on, Sakura... as his girlfriend, you shouldn’t make your boyfriend worry too much about you!

"W-Well, cough, cough... I kind of had a mild cold so..."

I said it with a small smile, forcing the words to sound light. Even though I was lying in a hospital bed, I didn’t want him to worry about me too much. Of course, part of me loved that he cared... but if he came here now, he might encounter my weird family. And that was something I absolutely didn’t want!

"I see... well, take care. And if you need anything, you can call me anytime, okay?" he said, his voice carrying that sincere, warm tone that always melted me.

I blinked, smiling softly. He was so sweet!

"Really? You’ll come at any time?" I asked, twirling a strand of my hair around my finger, my gaze bright and just a little too excited.

Leo chuckled softly, that deep, gentle sound tickling my ears. "Of course, at any time."

Hearing him chuckle... hearing those words "anytime"... I knew he wasn’t bluffing. He meant it.

He was really serious about that.

Oh, my sweet Senior... but don’t worry. As your girlfriend, I won’t let you worry too much. I’ll take care of you just as much as you take care of me.

"Heheh... I-I love you!!"

Just then, the door opened and my family, along with Luna, entered the room. Startled, I cut the call immediately, not even giving him a chance to reply.

’Sorry, Senior!’ I thought with a pang in my heart, glancing at my parents who were frowning at me.

"My friend, Dad," I said smoothly, forcing a calm smile. Luna frowned for a second, narrowing her eyes at me as if she knew more than she let on, but she didn’t say anything aloud.

Anyway, when the doctors came back to check my body now... they said... my body had almost completely healed?

The doctors were confused. So were my parents. No one could understand what was happening to me.

It made no sense.

Just a few hours ago, I was really burning up, but now.... something must have happened.

What would it be?

They prescribed some medicine just in case and let me out of the hospital.

On the way home, I lay my head on my mother’s lap while my father drove the car, his grip on the wheel still tense.

"Dear, are you alright now?" my mother asked in a worried tone, brushing her hand gently over my hair.

"I still don’t understand why she caught a cold... maybe being with humans has started to affect her body too?" my father muttered, frowning as he tried to make sense of it.

But I didn’t hear any of them. Their voices were muffled, drowned out by one memory, one sound that refused to leave me.

"Of course, at any time."

Those words echoed in my mind again and again, ringing sweeter than any lullaby. And slowly... no, very slightly... a cunning little plan began to form in the corners of my thoughts.