Make Them Love Me Or They'll End The World-Chapter 145: The Purple Ring?

"Her ring… It's purple."

Kentaro's voice trembled, almost choked by emotion, but the weight of his words froze the air around them.

The other girls followed his gaze. Their eyes landed on Tenka's hand, where the ring pulsed faintly, glowing not with the usual dual colors of balance but with a steady, ominous violet. The same shade that had consumed Kentaro in darkness during his haunting dream.

Yura scoffed, a curl of disdain forming on her lips. "A glowing ring? Hmph. What's that supposed to mean?"

Kentaro shook his head slowly. His chest felt tight, panic creeping at the edges of his consciousness. "No. It isn't a power. It's a stabilizer for emotions. But… it's never supposed to be just one color."

With trembling fingers, he reached out and gently shook her shoulder. "Tenka. Wake up."

"Mmm… Just five more minutes, Kenny," she mumbled, half-asleep, still clinging to his arm.

"You're gonna make us late, silly." His smile was thin, almost a mask of normalcy, but his voice maintained the gentleness reserved only for her.

Eventually, her eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep, only to snap into awareness as she realized where she was, who she was holding, and the three Alberlines staring intently at her.

"What are you-" She stopped short, words dying in her throat.

Before she could move, Kentaro caught her wrist, the one adorned with the glowing ring. "Tenka," he said softly, but the edge in his tone was unmistakable. "Your ring… Why is it glowing purple?"

Her breath hitched as she looked down. The glow stared back, unyielding.

Confusion flickered across her features before fear settled in. She clutched her hand to her chest, as if trying to shield it from the world. "…I don't know why."

The way her eyes lingered on the gem betrayed her. Something unsaid churned beneath the surface, forcing her to stand abruptly.

Kentaro rose with her, concern knitting his brows together. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Her voice came out too quick, too hollow. Without another word, she walked straight into the bathroom and shut the door with a finality that echoed painfully in the tense silence.

The girls exchanged uneasy glances, Serica's usual softness now tinged with doubt. "Ken… Do you think Tenka will really be okay?"

Kentaro's gaze remained fixed on the closed door, his heart a heavy stone in his chest. "…Honestly? I'm not sure." The words felt like a confession, laden with dread. "But I need to tell her about the dream. About what I saw." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Dream?" They echoed together, eyes widening with curiosity and concern.

He nodded grimly. "Yeah. Long story... I'll tell you later."

By the time they left for college, Tenka still hadn't returned to herself. She walked beside them, but her silence felt heavier than any crowd could muster. Kentaro noted everything: her hand curled tightly around the ring, the way she avoided his gaze, the hollow mask she wore. Initially, he wanted to dismiss it as embarrassment, but the longer they walked, the clearer it became, she was concealing something vital.

At the gates, Tengen appeared, weaving through the throngs of students. His eyes met Kentaro's, and with a single nod, they understood one another's unspoken urgency.

"Got it," Tengen muttered under his breath.

"HEY! Yura, Serica, Aria!" He suddenly shouted, waving them over.

The girls froze mid-step, Aria instinctively shrinking behind Yura. "Who… are you?" she asked, cautiously.

"Hmph. Speak," Yura demanded, unimpressed.

Tengen blinked, momentarily thrown off. Seriously? But then his phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts.

Just go with it. They're practicing their acting.

'Kentaro'

Tengen stifled a groan. "…Right. Acting. Of course."

Reluctantly, the girls followed him, casting a wary glance back before blending into the crowd.

Kentaro smiled, watching them disappear. But there was only one person left in his focus.

"Tenka."

She didn't stop. Didn't even notice. Students surged around her like waves, but she drifted farther away, the distance between them growing unbearable. When he called again, sharper this time, his voice broke through the noise.

"Tenka!"

She froze, her head snapping up, surprise widening her eyes. Slowly, she turned, and there he stood, waiting with a simmering intensity in his gaze.

Kentaro furrowed his brow, his voice carrying the weight of his worry. "What's going on with you today?" His tone cut sharper than he intended.

Her lips parted, but the words came out weak and shaky. "Let's… talk about this later."

"No." His voice hardened, desperation creeping in. "I want to know now. The ring. That purple light. Why have you been acting so distant since this morning?"

Students slowed their pace around them, their whispers blooming like weeds.

"Ohhh, couple's fight."

"She totally cheated."

"No way, look at him, he's the one who cheated."

Murmurs buzzed like gnats, stinging the air. Tenka's face flushed crimson, not from guilt but from sheer embarrassment. She stormed forward, seizing his hand and yanking him along.

"W-Wait, Tenka-"

"If you're going to be an ass, at least do it somewhere private."

She dragged him through the crowded hallways, into an empty classroom, slamming the door behind them with a force that echoed the turmoil inside her.

Kentaro stood quietly, allowing her to take the lead. As silence enveloped them, he finally broke it, his voice low but charged. "Tenka. Once more: the ring, its color, and your behavior. What's going on? This isn't like you. Honestly, you've been different lately, and this just-"

His voice faltered, the weight of his concern flooding the space between them. He wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap that had formed, but he hesitated, fearful of the truth she might reveal. Tension hung in the air, thick and unbearable, like a storm waiting to break."

*

Kira had arrived on campus unusually early, her heart pounding with anticipation. The role of the antagonist in the upcoming play held her imagination captive, and she could already envision the script swirling in her mind, the warm spotlight glinting off her face, and maybe, just maybe, Kentaro admiring her from the crowd. That thought alone was enough to fuel her excitement.

However, as she stepped through the gates, confusion twisted in her stomach. The campus was alive with an energy far beyond the typical morning hustle. Students flocked together in restless clusters, their animated buzz ringing in her ears and heightening her unease.

"This isn't normal," she whispered, tightening her grip on her bag as she brushed past a pair of students whose laughter felt out of place amid the tension.

Fragments of their conversation slipped into her consciousness like errant leaves caught in a gust of wind.

"Some guy and a girl, fighting by the gates."

"Dragged him into a classroom."

"She cheated, I swear-"

"No, it was him-"

Kira's mind raced, and her lips pressed into a thin line. "Could it be Kentaro?" The notion sank like a stone in her chest, nagging at her.

She hesitated just long enough to listen to a group of girls whispering furiously, their expressions a mix of shock and excitement. Yet their words were nothing more than a tangle of hearsay. No names. No specifics. Just rumors that spread like wildfire, fueling her anxiety.

"I'm wasting time," she sighed, shaking off the growing dread as she resumed her hurried pace toward Mr. Tachibana's office.

The sharp click of her boots echoed against the polished floor, the sound seeming amplified in the eerily quiet corridor ahead. As she ventured further, the voices faded, leaving only the hollow cadence of her footsteps mingling with an unwelcome stillness. Suddenly, she heard something else, footsteps, multiple sets, drawing nearer.

Kira slowed her stride, instinctively counting the approaching footsteps. Seven.

Six were light and hurried; one was heavier, male.

She frowned, a flicker of recognition sparking in her mind. This was not Kentaro's gait.

Her lips curled into a half-smile, a mix of intrigue and irritation. "Who else would walk around surrounded by that many girls?"

Without a moment's hesitation, she picked up her pace, following the growing murmur of voices that echoed around the corner.

"So yeah, Yura, you'll be amazing as the antagonist-"

The chatter abruptly died, their lively exchange replaced by an eerie silence.

Kira rounded the corner to find Tengen, Sumire, Mika, Rei, and the rest of the Alberline group frozen in place, their faces drained of color.

Directly in their path stood Kira, her presence commanding and fearless. Her gaze sliced through the stunned group, keen and predatory. Tengen's eyes widened, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple as he stammered, "You've got to be joking."

Kira's expression hardened, her eyes locking on each of them with the ferocity of a hunter locking onto its prey. Her voice came out low and dangerous, a cold whisper that sent a shiver through the air.

"Why are all of you here?"

The question hung in the air like a thundercloud, pregnant with uncertainty, leaving her heart racing and her mind spiraling into the unknown. The tension felt electric, a cliffhanger that threatened to plunge her into a mystery far deeper than any role she'd ever auditioned for.