Distance.

The next day Ayane came with a broken heart, forced to enter the classroom with devious eyes staring at her. It was suffocating and unbearable.

Everyone avoided her as if she were an outcast, someone that didn't belong there. Their gazes were filled with hatred, especially Masato, who was behind all of this.

Today the bullying was even more severe.

As she was reading, she was hit with a paper ball, she looked around to find the culprit, but everyone looked away. When she again resumed reading, she was again hit.

"Why are you guys doing this...", she murmured to herself, "I hate this..."

The murmur was heard by Yuki, who was heartbroken herself, forcing herself to not talk to Ayane because of the threat she was given by Masato...

The previous day, Masato and his gang took Yuki before Ayane came.

"Yuki, come with us for a second", Masato ordered.

She was confused.

"Why?", she asked.

"No questions. Just come with us."

"Eh? No I wont-"

Masato forcefully grabbed her arm and dragged her along with him. Yuki didn't have that much might to resist it and couldn't help but go with him and some other boys that followed him.

She was visibly scared. This type of situation is never good. And to make it worse, they were taking her to a place where there were little to no students.

"What is happening... what are they gonna do with me? Where am I going?", thoughts ran through her mind without answers.

They took her to an isolated room and encircled her, before closing the door.

"Eh?! W-What are you guys doing?"

One of the boys handed over a brown paper bag to Masato, which he removed to reveal a bulk of paper with something written on it.

"Ahm- 'Nightly Mysteries', written by our dear friend Yuki-chan or in alias, Snow-sensei!!", Masato said in a mocking tone.

Hearing that title made Yuki very much embarrassed and uncomfortable. She wanted to hide in a corner. It was her first book that she had ever written and published in an online website. So it naturally was a little cringy and childish.

She rushed to Masato to grab that book to stop him from reading, but Masato couldn't care less, he moved and continuously read the book in a cringy manner. The others' laughter didn't help Yuki's situation. She was on the brink of tears. She is a shy girl, and was easily vulnerable and emotional to bullying.

As Yuki was getting tol close, Masato threw the book at another boy, who did the same thing, and the cycle continued.

"Stop it for now. That was enough fun for us.", Masato said, halting the bullying.

She grabbed the book and hugged it tightly so that no one could get that again.

"W-what do you want. W-why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?", she said with tears in her eyes, which are about to roll down.

"Simple thing, you befriended that outcast, Ayane. Thats why."

Yuki was confused.

"What did she do?"

"She... She had the nerve to disgrace me infront of everyone!", Masato screamed.

Masato went to her, and grabbed both of her cheeks with one hand with force.

"Don't talk to that outcast if you don't want to get bullied again. Otherwise, it won't be just us, but the whole class that will do this to you and you 'friend'. Do you understand?", he whispered, projecting his evil eyes onto hers.

She couldn't do anything but to accept what he said and started distancing herself from Ayane to protect herself...