Recently, Eriri had begun to question herself.

Did she really not possess even a shred of personal charm?

She'd bragged to Kasumigaoka not long ago, saying she could make Yukinoshita cry and apologize in minutes.

But now? Forget making Yukinoshita cry she couldn't even get her to respond.

Soubu High and Toyonoki Academy weren't terribly far apart, but as a student, Eriri had no legitimate reason to visit another school.

She had, in fact, spent three whole days and nights brooding over this, before finally coming up with what she considered the most diabolical plan ever devised.

Yukinoshita liked to toy with people's feelings, right?

Then this time, it was her Eriri Spencer who would don the mask of justice and turn the tables. She'd become a hero cloaked in deceit, a righteous avenger who would play with the devil's heart!

She would create an alternate account construct a fake persona seduce Yukinoshita with a lie, earn her trust and affection, and once Yukinoshita had fallen for this fictional version of her…

Reveal herself.

Mock her.

Crush her.

"So this is all Yukinoshita is good for."

"Now do you finally understand the pain you've inflicted on others?"

Yukinoshita would fall to her knees, weeping and begging for forgiveness.

And Eriri would throw her head back and laugh.

Ha↘ ha↗ ha↘ ha↗! (hands on hips, evil villain pose)

Kasumigaoka and Tomoya would look at her in awe:

"Only Eriri could pull off something like this!"

"That's why we love her the most!"

She'd already designed detailed character profiles for each of her alt accounts, mapped out all possible response trees, even choreographed the exact poses she'd strike when delivering her grand reveal.

Only one issue.

Yukinoshita still hadn't accepted her friend request.

Everything had stalled right there.

(:з」∠)

Yukinoshita, may all your vegetables come short-weighted when you shop!

Just as she was in the middle of grumbling to herself and working on her manuscript, her mother knocked on the door.

"Eriri?"

"Come in, Mom," Eriri replied, slipping on her glasses. "I'm working on a deadline."

Mrs. Spencer opened the door gently and stepped inside.

Her long black hair was tied into elegant twin ponytails, and though she radiated maturity, there was an air of innocence and grace that made her especially beautiful both serene and striking.

"Still working?"

"This one's a commercial commission," Eriri said proudly, puffing out her chest. "It's a promo illustration for a super popular mobile game. Once the campaign launches, everyone who opens their app will see my art right there on the loading screen, with my name!"

Mrs. Spencer took a seat on the other side of the tea table, offering her usual praise.

"You've really been working hard lately, Eriri. I'm proud of you."

Eriri fidgeted with a strand of her blonde hair, looking a little flustered.

"…Well, obviously. I am a genius with talent far beyond the ordinary."

"One compliment and you're already floating."

Her mother glanced at the half-finished sketch on the desk.

"There's a private party at your uncle's place in a couple days. We were planning to bring you along, but if you're buried in work like this…"

"Nope. No way. Absolutely not," Eriri interrupted without hesitation. "I've got this commercial project and I'm helping Kasumigaoka with the promo for her new book. I'm swamped!"

"I figured." Mrs. Spencer nodded. "Then your father and I will go on our own."

As she continued sketching, Eriri asked casually, "Why the private party, anyway?"

A private gathering was very different from a large-scale banquet.

The former usually had more… targeted intentions.

Like matchmaking.

Why was everything about matchmaking lately?

Japan is doomed, seriously.

"Well," her mother said, "your cousin just turned twenty. The Spencer family has been looking to strengthen their ties in Japan, and your uncle thought it might be time to start looking for a suitable fiancée for him."

Technically, Japanese law recognized adulthood at twenty, but men could marry at eighteen, women at sixteen.

There was no rush on the Spencer side.

If both families were satisfied, they could get engaged first and discuss further steps down the line.

Of course, "satisfaction" here referred to whether the two families approved of each other.

It wasn't all that rare Mrs. Spencer herself had met Mr. Spencer that way. Fortunately, their marriage had turned out affectionate and stable.

Eriri couldn't care less about all this elite-family matchmaking nonsense.

She was still young, her parents adored her, and she didn't need to worry about such things for now.

"Well, good for him," she said. "Maybe once he gets engaged, he'll finally stop drag racing all the time."

Mrs. Spencer rose from her seat. "I hope so too. But your aunt's a little hesitant. She heard the girl's reputation isn't exactly… spotless."

Eriri raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Oh? Who's the girl?"

She wasn't very into socialite gossip and scheming debutante drama, but being part of the Spencer family meant she'd seen her fair share of smear campaigns and backstabbing.

There was always a chance this girl was being unfairly targeted.

Mrs. Spencer thought for a moment. "I believe it's the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family?"

Eriri's pen her sacred, beloved drawing pen slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a sharp clack.

No.

No way.

Not her.

The second daughter of the Yukinoshita family was none other than Yukinoshita Yukino that horrible woman!

Smeared? Framed?

As if.

Yukinoshita was the smear. The walking manifestation of deceit. The final boss of human manipulation.

Mrs. Spencer noticed Eriri's sudden freeze.

"Do you know her, Eriri?"

Eriri shot to her feet.

"Of course I do!"

"She's she's—"

She's manipulative, shameless, sharp-tongued, brimming with malice and bad intentions an enemy of all mankind!

That's what she wanted to say, but

"Oh? Then why don't you tell me what kind of person she is?" Mrs. Spencer said, curious. "If she's not suitable, I'll just skip the party altogether."

NO.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to connect with Yukinoshita.

To get closer to her.

To catfish her into a whirlwind online romance.

To break her heart and make her sob with regret over her past sins.

She couldn't let it slip away!

With tears in her eyes, Eriri forced a smile and gushed:

"Miss Yukinoshita is the kindest, most thoughtful, gentle, beautiful, upright person I've ever met. I've admired her for so long. If the Spencer family lets her slip away, they'll regret it forever! So please, Mom, you have to go to that party and you have to take me with you!"

Eriri: Tears… rolled down my face… QAQ

One day… one glorious day…

Yukinoshita would be the one saying these things.

Singing Eriri's praises a thousand times a day.

That was the bare minimum repayment for the suffering she'd endured today!

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Already hooked? Let me know what caught your attention—your review fuels the adventure ahead!

The season is shifting. Dive into OneJourney and stay a step ahead of the pack.

[email protected]/yanxx

Change @ to a.