Chapter 0: The Sickness Called Love (Prologue)

A dull thud echoes as the blade pierces flesh.
Staring at the gleaming knife lodged in his chest, Shangguan He’s eyes widen with terror and agony.
Why did it come to this?
She was his first girlfriend…
The one he promised a future with…
How did it turn out like this?

“Urgh—!”
A gush of blood spills uncontrollably from his mouth.
Life drains from his body at an alarming rate.
Stumbling, Shangguan He collapses onto the floor, gasping for air like a dying fish.

“You… I…”
Propped against the wall, he barely lifts his head.
Before him stretches a Japanese-style classroom, bathed in the crimson glow of a blood-red sunset, and a pair of slender legs wrapped in black pantyhose.

She stands not far away.
A girl with long black hair, clad in a navy-blue sailor suit.
Her face is devoid of sorrow or joy, her dark eyes reflecting Shangguan He’s pitiful state.

“Urgh—!”
Another mouthful of blood escapes, his vision darkening at the edges. Looking at the girl, he musters his last ounce of strength to ask,
“Why… why…?”

A warm breeze stirs the beige curtains, filling the classroom with the scent of osmanthus.
Faint shouts of energetic sports club members drift in from outside…

“Why?”
Repeating his question, the girl’s expression shifts for the first time.
Her delicate brows furrow toward the center, her cherry lips press tightly together, and her enigmatic black eyes brim with resentment and love.

She doesn’t rush to answer. Instead, she pulls out a notebook, flipping through it as she speaks,
“March 5th. Asakura drank from your water bottle during gym class on purpose. You noticed, shared a knowing smile with her.”
“March 7th. Fukumaru asked you to meet behind the gym at lunch, gave you handmade cookies. You ate them in front of her, praised her skill, said you hoped to have more. She blushed and agreed.”
“March 9th. After school, Dai invited you to try a new ramen shop. You ate, then strolled for two hours, eleven minutes, and twenty-four seconds to ‘digest.’ You exchanged small gifts before parting.”
“March 11th. You and Sakuragi went to karaoke. Alone in a private room for two hours, she reluctantly said goodbye afterward.”
“March 14th. You and Tanaka played with sparklers at the park at midnight. She kissed your cheek in the heat of the moment, smiling happily. You stood there, hand on your face, savoring it for nine minutes and thirty-seven seconds.”
“March 17th. Arisugawa invited you to her house to see her backflipping cat. You went eagerly and didn’t return until 7:03 the next morning.”

With each page turned, a new “crime” comes to light.
Shangguan He, who juggled multiple girls, grows deathly pale.
Part from blood loss.
Part from sheer terror at her words.

“April 1st, this morning. Suzuki called you to Classroom B-1, handed you a pink confession letter, and left. You read it, overjoyed, agreed to date her at noon, and announced your relationship in front of the whole class…”
She snaps the notebook shut, her gaze falling on the dying Shangguan He. The despair in his eyes sends a thrill through her heart, mixed with twisted joy.

“Why? You’re asking why? Hmm… yeah, why, I wonder?”
Tilting her head, she tosses the notebook aside.
Her expression returns to its initial indifference. Pressing down the hem of her pleated skirt, she kneels and crawls toward him, heedless of the blood staining the floor.

She reaches out, her touch as delicate as if handling fragile glass, gently brushing Shangguan He’s cheek.
“I know it’s not your fault. How could it be your fault? Bees and butterflies swarm around a flower—can you blame the flower? Those girls are just like animals in nature, driven by their instinct to chase a strong male.”

“Cough… cough…” Shangguan He can’t move or respond.
Blood chokes his throat, the pain of suffocation drowned out by deafening ringing in his ears.
His life is ticking down.

But the girl seems oblivious. Her slender fingers trace his sharp jawline, his Adam’s apple, then rest on the wooden handle of the knife embedded in his chest.
“The fault is mine, isn’t it? But what choice did I have? What woman could stand her beloved being intimate with others? That’s impossible, right? If I brought this up, you’d get mad, wouldn’t you? It’s your freedom, after all. And even without me, you’d find a cuter, more interesting girl to be your girlfriend. But just imagining that… it hurts so much…”

As she speaks, she grabs his cold, limp hand and presses it to her cheek, trying to warm it with her body.
“This hand, meant to interlock with mine, will one day hold another woman’s. These lips, meant to press against mine, will one day kiss some random girl. This warm chest, meant for me, will one day be a haven for another female—just thinking about it makes me so sad, so sad, so sad, so sad… So, I’m sorry, okay?”

Hot tears stream from her eyes, but her lips curl into a radiant smile she’s never shown before.
“I’m sorry, but I love you so, so, so, so, so much… That’s why I had to kill you. Awful, isn’t it? It hurts, doesn’t it? It’s okay, because I’ll follow you soon. I’ve prepared our suicide notes. Don’t worry, we’ll be remembered as Yingcheng High’s first tragic lovers…”

The sailor-suited girl wipes her tears with Shangguan He’s hand.
Cradling his face, she studies his dazed, fading expression, then leans in without hesitation, kissing him.
Her warm, soft tongue pries open his stiff lips, savoring every trace of the sweet, metallic blood in his mouth.

After a long moment, she pulls back.
Her flushed cheeks glow in the warm twilight, making her look strikingly lovely, leaving Shangguan He momentarily speechless despite his state.
“I love you most, A-He.”

With those words, she yanks the knife from his chest. Blood gushes, staining her navy sailor suit red. She places his hand on the handle, then presses the blade’s tip to her own throat.
“Truly, I love you to death.”

With a smile, she thrusts forward without hesitation.
A dull thud.
The knife pierces her throat.
The pain of suffocation fills her with perverse joy, as if it’s proof of true love.

It hurts! I love you! It hurts! I love you! It hurts! I love you!
A-He, I love you most.
We’ll be together forever and ever.