In the novel, there were many other men other than the B4 who approached Lariensa. She was pretty and lovely, so it was natural that many men had approached her.
However, the problem was the main character of the novel was Sibel.
At that time, Lariensa didnât know what a frightening bastard Sibel was and how a student committed suicide at the academy because of him.
Because that student was the one who confessed to Lariensa the day before.
After that, all men who confessed to Lariensa committed suicide.
As a result, various articles in newspapers were pointing out the educational issues of the Cloud Academy for a while.
There was a scene where Lariensa, who later learned that it was the work of Sibel, went to him and questioned him. As Sibelâs secret has already been revealed and his obsession with Lariensa has begun, Lariensaâs life has become worse since then.
ăâWhy did you do that?â
âI donât know what you mean by that, Lariensa.â
âI already know everything. Those students who died did not actually commit suicide. It was all your doing!â
Sibel laughed. Just like how he always does.
A good guy with unwanted power.
She used to believe that Sibel was that kind of guy but then he whispered cruel words to her with a contemptuous smile.
âEverything was all up to you.â
âSibelâŚâ
âIt means everything that happened was all because of you.â
ââŚâŚâ
âYou didnât want them to die?â
What was he talking about? She couldnât understand him. No⌠She didn't want to understand.
âDonât waste your smile and show it to others.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âThatâs why many people get tangled up.â
âI, IâŚâ
âThe guilt that you feel right now is your punishment.â
ââŚâŚâ
âYou, an insect who keeps toying with me.â
Sibel, who embraced Lariensa, said terrible things with a devious smile, not his usual bright smile.
âAnyone who takes you away from me.â
ââŚâŚâ
âIâll wipe them all out.âă
This canât be⌠Iâm glad I saved Lara from him, but I hate to be on the receiving end of that terrible fate! I want to protect Lara but I also want to protect myself!
But why does this gatekeeper keep on singing even after seeing my stiff face?
Ohh?! Heâs coming even closer!
Why are you holding my hand? No way! Are you going to kiss the back of my hand?!
Now, Sibelâs expression, who was wearing a pretentious mask, sank coldly.
âŚHis eyes look mad.
Sibel took off his mask and stretched his hand towards the back of the head of Mr. Gatekeeper, who was about to kiss the back of my hand.
I assure you guys, if that hand reaches Mr. Gatekeeper now, this man will soon die.
I didnât want to hurt such a nice person but⌠it canât be helped.
Iâm sorry, Mr. Gatekeeper!
âStop!â
I shouted before Sibelâs hand could touch Mr. Gatekeeperâs head, and before he could kiss the back of my hand.
Of course, I pulled out my hand.
âStop!â
ââŚâŚâ
âDonât do this!â
Donât blame me too much. Iâm just doing this to save your life!
âI think the date is over, so Iâll give you my answer. Surprisingly, I didnât feel anything for you. You understand what Iâm saying, right?â
âMarilynâŚâ
âSo now, I need you to move on and forget about me.â
Iâve never thought Iâd dump a man rudely.
Mr. Gatekeeper, donât cry this time, okay?
âMa-Marilyn! Come on, just give me one more chanceâŚ!â
Why are you so persistent when all I did was act cute?! If you keep doing this, I have no choice but to say something worse!
âHow pathetic of you!â
In a romance novel that Natalie read, thereâs this beautiful wicked woman who had a lot of men who courted her. What did she tell those men who courted her againâŚ?
âStop being so clingy to me and just get out of my life!â
My heart hurts even more when I say thisâŚ
It seems that not everyone can become a villainess.
âYou⌠Youâre really a cruel woman!â
Surprisingly, just like in the novel that Natalie read, Mr. Gatekeeper left, blowing the same lines as those men who were dumped by the wicked woman.
Mr. Gatekeeper, you looked so hurtâŚ
If it weren't for Sibel, I could have refused you nicely.
ââŚYouâre trying too hard.â
We were the only ones left after Mr. Gatekeeper left, but Sibel was still angry. He didnât even wear the fake smile that he used to wear.
âYouâre very tactful. You meant to protect him from me, didnât you?â
First of all, I said those harsh words to Mr. Gatekeeper because I had a bad feelingâŚ
But your feelings for me have already grown this deep? Isnât it too fast?
After our meeting at the clock tower, there was nothing to talk to each other about. Sibel even pretended not to know me in the classroom, perhaps because he knew how I was annoyed with the Sisamo.
So the last time we talked was during the festival, at the clock tower!
But youâve grown to like me so much that youâre showing this crazy jealousy?
Even the word âjealousyâ seemed cute in his vocabulary.
âYou attended a matchmaking party and now youâre making separate appointments with people you know little of?â
Moreover, Sibel is being aggressive towards me.
I think itâs getting a little bit dangerous, isnât it?
âHow did you know I attended a matchmaking party?â
Was it a useless question to ask? For Sibel, who always controls things behind the scenes and activities in the dark?
âIs that really important right now?â
âYes. If you wanted to mess with me, you should have come to the party and mess with me. Then I wouldnât have to make a separate appointment as you said.â
âThen I would have killed four people, not one.â
W-What do you mean by that? K-Killing is too harsh.
Relax, relax!
âAnd, even if it wasnât me, someone else has already made a big deal out of it though?â
âYou even know that?â
âStop trying to divert my attention.â
âŚTsk, how quick-witted you are.
âCalm down for now. Why are you so angry? Is dating another guy something to be so angry about?â
âI just donât understand.â
âDonât understand what?â
âAll these things that you guys do. Going to a matchmaking party, holding hands, kissing, and then getting married. Why go through so many unnecessary procedures?â
âThis guyâŚâ
âI won't deny it. But because youâre doing those things that I just donât understandâŚâ
I can feel it again. A black fog rising from somewhere, and this menacing aura!
âIt makes me so angry.â
Sibel stared at me and asked me outright.
âIf that bastard asked you out, were you going to go out with him?â
I was going to reject him anyway. So, can you suppress your anger now?
âMarilyn Launer.â
Donât call me by my full name! Itâs ominous!
âDonât waste your smile and show it to others.â
âDonât waste your smile and show it to others.â
Huh? Isnât this the line from the novelâŚ?
âThatâs why many people get tangled up.â
âThatâs why many people get tangled up.â
Is it already decided that I would be the one who would tread on his route? Is Lariensaâs fate now being pushed upon me? Is that so, huh?
I will not let that happen!
âHiing! No, no!â
ââŚâŚâ
âMarini rheally, rheaallly hatesh it when Tibbel ish sho schkary! (Marin really, really hates it when Sibel is so scary!)â
I wasnât confident to make eye contact with him, so I closed my eyes and acted cutely. Even if my eyes were closed, itâs an additional bonus because it can still make me look cute!
ââŚâŚâ
I couldnât hear a response from Sibel so I decided to open my eyes and look at him. When I opened my eyes, Sibel found himself dumbfounded by what he just saw.
Unlike Mr. Gatekeeper who fell in love with this cute act, this is the normal reaction one would have.
Thatâs right. Itâs better to be dumbfounded than angry.
Take it, my cuteness!
âR u shtil goin to bhe angrei iff Marini dosh dish? (Are you still going to be angry if Marin does this?)â
I made all kinds of cute expressions like taking a selfie with my other hand on my cheek.
âŚNo matter how I think about it, I think Iâm into acting cute.
âHiiing! Hiiing! Tahke itt!â
I alternatively finger bullets at Sibel as if I were holding a gun on both hands.
I just need to protect myself from a real gun, though I doubt that thing would appear in here⌠Even if it does appear, Iâm sure it wonât work against Sibel.
âStop it.â
âReaally? âŚCan I really stop now?â
Sibel nodded with a blank face. He looked expressionless, but he looked better than before.
Covering his face with his hand, Sibel was trying to calm himself as he breathed in.
âPfft!â
âŚYou just laughed right now, didnât you?
ââŚIf you're going to laugh, you should have done so earlier.â
If you turn your head now and laugh, Iâll be more embarrassed..
âAre you feeling better?â
âYeah, thanks to you.â
If you feel better in exchange for my shame, then should I say itâs a relief that nothing serious happened?
But Sibel also muttered something unusual.
âBut thatâs weirdâ"
âWhatâs weird, huh? What?!â
Itâs very ominous if you say things like that.
âYou speak as if your tongue is cut in half.â
âJust say itâs short-tongued sounds.â
âYes, that. If someone else did it, I would have thought they were sick in the head.â
âHoho. Is it cute when I do it?â
ââŚYeah.â
Itâs all lost now. I'm deep in his route already. Iâm now forced to ride Sibelâs route.
âMay I touch you?â
âW-Where do you want to touch me?â
âJust your hand.â
âWhy?â
âIâve got something to check.â
I was trying to make Sibel feel better, and he asked me for this earnestly. I think itâs a lot of improvement for Sibel, knowing his true personality.
Okay, sure. Iâm just glad that you didnât hurt anyone today.
I reached out my hand as a gesture of permission, and then he took my hand.
Then we stayed still for a long time just holding hands.
âUntil when are we going to stay like this?â
âIâm still checking. I wouldnât still know even if Iâm gonna kiss you, right?
âWhy would you ask if you know itâs not gonna work?â
Earlier, Sibel said that he doesnât understand why one would go through so many steps just to date someone like holding their hands, kissing, dating, and then finally getting married.
But suddenly, that Sibel asked me if I could kiss him.
I want to deny it, but it seems that his feelings towards me have already grown deepâŚ
What should I do with this?
âIâve told you this before, but nothing good would happen if you lock me up.â
âIâve never said Iâd lock you up, isnât it ironic when you say that?â
âThat's how ominous your presence is!â
ââŚOminous? I am?â
âŚWhatâs wrong with you?
Usually, he used to think little of anything I said or just laugh at it, but now, for some reason, his reaction was different from other times.
At first glance, he looked angry, but I clearly felt different from anger.
âWhy? Iâve been trying my best.â
Donât tell me⌠are you hurt? Because I said your presence is âominousâ?
âYou told me not to lock you up. Thatâs why I didnât do it.â
âT-Thatâs right, I did.â
By the way, confinement isnât really supposed to be done.
âBut I allowed you to touch me just now.â
âAlsoâŚâ
Thatâs a matter of course, Sibel.
âBut my presence is ominous?â
âYou just saidâŚâ
âWhy?â
ââŚâŚâ
âBecause I tried to kill that bastard earlier?â
I think heâs starting to get mad again.
âIf you still think that my presence is ominous even though I didnât kill him, it would be better if I justâŚâ
I put my thoughts into action before Sibel continued his next words. I put both of my hands on Sibelâs face. I donât like the fact that I have to tiptoe because heâs tall, but I canât help it because it would look weird if I hold his shoulders.
âThis is a carrot.â
[T/N: Just to clarify, know that in the previous chapters, she compared Sibel to a beast and took a carrot-and-stick approach to tame him. So, this line corresponds to her holding his face and that this is a âcarrotâ.]
ââŚâŚâ
âAnd what I said about you being ominous⌠I just said it out of anger.â
It was true that Sibelâs presence was very ominous, but I should still lie a little to survive and keep Mr. Gatekeeper alive.
âBut itâs true that every time you talk like that, itâs a little scary. Do you want to become a scary person?â
ââŚYes.â
ââŚWhat?â
âI said, yes.â
Are you trying to be perverse?
âŚLetâs not get annoyed for now and just let it slide.
âYou may want to be, but others wonât. They donât want to be with scary people so they run away.â
âBut youâve never been scared of me.â
âEarlier, you were really frightening. You act like youâre going to kill someone else.â
âExactly how many days have you been together that youâre trying to protect him from me?â
âI donât want Mr. Gatekeeper to die, but Iâm thinking of you, too.â
âMe?â
âI donât want you to kill people.â
âWhy?â
âUhmmâŚâ
But I think he already killed someoneâŚ
I donât want Sibel to commit murder, though. Not at least since he met me.
That way, people around me will be safe and I will be able to feel a little more at ease.
âFor your sake and mine?â
âI can see youâre forcing yourself to come up with a reason.â
âItâs not like that.â
âŚYouâre really quick-witted.
âI would feel uncomfortable if I find out that youâve hurt someone and Iâll have a repulsion against you. Youâll get angry if I refuse to see you, right? Surely, that would be the case.â
ââŚâŚâ
âAnd that would make me hate you even more. Then, this vicious cycle would only go on and on and on. So, for the sake of our relationship not to end, donât hurt anyone else.â
âFor our relationshipâŚâ
Sibel smiled again and asked me a question.
âSo, whatâs our relationship?â
Our relationship is somewhat ambiguous and I donât see Sibel as a man for me to date either. Although, Sibelâs feelings for me have already started, but not me, so itâs not like weâre lovers or something.
Taking that into consideration, there is one normal relationship left that we can call ourselves.
âWeâre friends.â
ââŚfriends.â
âDonât you like it?"
âI donât think you remember, but weâre already friends.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âThe day I returned your coat when you threw it away in the trash.â
Oh, I remember!
âIâm glad itâs just a misunderstanding. Then, Marilyn.â
âYeah?â
âCan we be friends?â
ââŚHuh?â
After that,
âAre you reluctant to shake hands with me?â
In the end, I decided to be âfriendsâ with Sibel.
âAlright, letâs do it. Friends.â
âB-but that was when you were still pretending to be a kind guy to me! I didnât know who you really were at that time, but now that I know you, this time, I want to be friends with you for real!â
In a hurry to make excuses, I scratched the back of my head with embarrassment.
âFrom now on, we are really friends."
âHmmââ
ââŚYou donât like it?"
âNo, itâs not bad.â
Thank godâŚ
I hope this saved me and Mr. Gatekeeper from danger, right?
Mr. Gatekeeper. Live well. You have to live the life that I gave you well!
âSibel.â
I took my hands off Sibelâs cheeks and opened my mouth as I watched Sibel listen to me like an obedient child.
âAs my friend, promise me three things.â
âWhat else are you going to say again?â
âFirst, promise me not to hurt anyone no matter what happens.â
Sibelâs nodding face showed signs of calmness. He keeps his promises, so I think I can trust him.
âSecond, if youâre angry or upset with something, release it to me.â
This means not to take it out to others like before. Sibel nodded while I looked at him to see if he understood.
âLastly, let me know right away if I said something that hurts you.â