Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

I marched into the night, aimlessly wandering through the academy roads. The moon was barely visible in the sky, and the darkness clung to me like a bad mood.

'Go away!'

Lucy's voice still rang in my head. Her cold words and Kyro's smirk had burned me far more than any spell could.

I couldn't go back to the nobles' dorm, not with my head spinning and my fist aching to punch something.

The night guards would be patrolling the area soon, with bright torches, ready to grab anyone they caught wandering after curfew.

I needed someone to talk to, and Miss Fumiko's house was the first place I thought to go. It was the closest, so I turned toward the tutor's area.

I ducked low, weaving through the academy's outer paths. I stuck close to hedges and trees, where the moonlight barely reached.

The air was crisp, stinging my nose, and every windy rustle made me freeze.

As I crept to the hedges, my blazer snagged on a thorn. I muttered a curse, yanking it free. A rustle behind me caught my attention, but it was just a cat, darting through the fallen autumn leaves.

A dim torch flickered near the tutors' office, so I cut through the arena grounds, my boots sinking in the soft dirt. I didn't mind getting caught, but I was in no mood to explain why I was sneaking around the academy grounds.

I finally made it to the tutors' area, and Miss Fumiko's cottage came into view. Its windows were all dark, except for a faint glow coming from her bedroom.

I sprinted to her door, heart pounding. Then, I knocked twice, soft and sharp. I never imagined myself coming back here, but given the circumstances, I couldn't bear to spend the night in my room alone, haunted by my thoughts.

The door creaked open, and Miss Fumiko stood there, her loose hair resting on her shoulders, slightly disheveled. She was clad in a loose white linen, her painted toes sticking out beneath.

Her eyes narrowed, taking me in.

"Rin? What's wrong?"

I swallowed, dryly. "Can we talk?"

She stepped aside, letting me in, but her face said I'd better have a good reason.

*****

"You think Kyro gave Lucy the pendant, to control her?" Miss Fumiko asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.

The single Lumi lantern on her desk cast a soft glow, painting her study in warm shadows.

I stood by the door, my blazer still dusted with orchard dirt, my hands stuffed in my pockets to hide the tremble I felt in my fingers.

Miss Fumiko leaned against the desk in her library, her eyes studying me carefully. Despite the tension between us, she had listened to my narration, with a tint of concern written over her face.

"Lucy's been acting different," I replied, shifting my weight to ease the ache in my legs. "But as soon as she touched that pendant, it's like she became a whole other person."

"Right. And you're sure it's because of the pendant?"

I sighed. That tone in her voice was unmistakable. "You don't believe me."

"I'm trying to, Rin." She crossed her arms, her white robe shifting in response. "But your story isn't checking out. The only reason you suspect Kyro is because of the mana pressure you felt. But that doesn't necessarily make him a bad person."

"It does." I shot back. "He's hiding it, isn't he?"

Miss Fumiko arched her brows, her eyes pinning me. "You're hiding yours too. Does that make you a bad person?"

Fair point. I bit the inside of my cheek, hating how smart she was.

"You have to be honest," she continued, her voice softening as she stepped closer. "Kyro hasn't done anything wrong."

I frowned, curling my fingers in my pockets. "You're defending him, too?"

"I'm not defending anyone. I'm being neutral." Miss Fumiko's gaze was steady, but not unkind. "You have to consider the probability that Kyro's not a threat, but you see him as one because of your affections for Lucy."

"You're saying I'm jealous?" The word left a sour taste in my mouth. My heart thud painfully as I recalled Lucy making the same accusation.

"It's a probability," she replied, her lips twitching, like she was fighting off a smile.

"I'm not. I may be in Rin's body, but I don't think Lucy dating others would make me jealous."

The way Lucy looked at Kyro twisted something in me, but jealousy wasn't the right word. Even if I was jealous, I wouldn't dare admit it to Miss Fumiko.

"Then why are you against her relationship?" Her eyes searched mine, like she could tell I was keeping something back.

"Because I don't trust Kyro!"

My voice came out harder than I expected.

Miss Fumiko leaned back on her desk. "Now we're getting somewhere," she said, her fingers brushing against a book. "You have a hard time trusting people."

"No... I don't trust anyone."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"You don't see how that's a bad thing?" she asked, tilting her head.

I stared at the shelf on the wall, its wooden slats warped from years of holding thick books. Memories I thought I had forgotten bubbled up in my head, and soon enough, I let them slip out.

"I was born in Brannersport. My mother lived near the decks, making money by whoring to sailors. I didn't understand it, but I never cared – most of the sailors tossed me a gold coin when they came around."

My voice grew flat, like I was reciting someone else's story. I

"I had a dream. To buy a big ship and sail the high northern seas, where I'll spend the rest of my days. I shared my dream with my mother, and she told me that when the time came, she'd help me achieve it.

I turned to Fumiko, and locked my gaze onto hers, my eyes unblinking.

"When I turned seven, she sold me to a slaver, for twenty-five silver pieces. He reminded me of it every day, to make sure I understood how useless I was."

Then, I lowered my voice.

"That was the last time I trusted someone other than myself."

My throat tightened, my mother's betrayal cutting deeper than I expected it to.

Miss Fumiko's gaze softened, after a minute of silence, she spoke out.

"It's not. You trusted Theo with your secret. You trusted me."

"I was desperate."

"But you did, and we were able to help you." She stepped closer to me once more, close enough for me to catch a whiff of her scent. "You don't have to trust Kyro, but you can trust Lucy. Trust that she can make her own choices. Trust that she can take care of herself if anything goes wrong."

I kept mute, my gaze dropping to the floorboards. She was right, but it didn't make Lucy's words hurt any less.

I looked up to Fumiko, her face half-lit by the Lumi Crystal on her desk.

"Do you trust me?"

She flinched for a moment, as if I had asked a weird question. "Yes... I trust you."

"But not enough."

The words came out sharper than I meant. My heartbeat quickened as I remembered the kiss we pretended didn't happen.

Miss Fumiko swallowed, her eyes flashing with realization. "So, that's why you've been ignoring me for the past two weeks."

"Tends to happen when you kiss someone, and reject them the next day."

"You kissed me," she snapped, her breath hitching as she stepped closer.

"And you kissed me back." I held her gaze, my heart pounding in my chest.

She scoffed. "It's not as simple as you think it is."

"Please. Enlighten me."

Fumiko's lips parted, but she turned away, quietly unfolding her arms. Her shoulders slumped down, and when she spoke, her voice was quieter.

"Do you know why I became a tutor?"

"No," I whispered, I'd always wondered, but never asked, too caught up in my own mess.

She turned back to me, gently stroking her hair.

"As a noble of House Nara, a lot of things were expected from me. One of them is marriage. Didn't matter who, so long as it was a noble. This was my own way to build the strength of the House."

Her gaze shifted to the Lumi Crystal, and for a moment, I saw a tear flicker in her eye.

"All my life, I was surrounded by people who only saw me as a bargaining chip, not a person. So, I ran away to choose a life for myself. "

She faced me, her voice growing softer.

"That kiss wasn't a mistake Rin. I wanted it more than you know. But it reminded me of everything I ran away from."

My throat tightened, her words hitting harder than anything I felt earlier. For the first time, I saw who Fumiko truly was.

I stepped closer, close enough to feel her warmth. I brushed my hand against her cheek and wiped away a tear.

"Fumiko," I said, my voice rough, "You ran away because you had no choice. But this time, you do."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, neither of us moved, the air heavy with everything we weren't saying. Then, she leaned towards me, closing the final gap between us until I felt her warm breath on my chest.

"But, I'm your tutor..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, her lips trembling with want.

I slid my hands to her waist, pulling her closer till her cinnamon scent flooded my nose. Her lips were inches away from mine, her eyes burning with desire.

"Rules don't apply to us, Fumiko."

She didn't pull away. Her hand grazed my arm, trembling as she reached for my neck. Her gaze flickered to my mouth, and her lips slowly parted...