ROSES HAVE THORNS-Chapter 92 - The Shadow Whisperer

"You need to... fuck... someone?"

"Yeah. I can’t stand it anymore. Seeing Diana up close like that while she scolds me is making me feel some type of way... You know what I mean?"

"Austin, did your meeting with the principal fry your brain or something? Was the punishment she gave you really that bad?"

"I don’t give a rat’s ass about the punishment!"

"Really? Then why were you crying, hmm?" Gary smirked as he poked Austin’s cheek.

"Stop it!" Already feeling irritated, Austin grabbed Gary’s hand and pushed it back with force. "I swear to God, you can be so weird sometimes."

"Easy now. I was only trying to lighten the mood. No need to get all grumpy."

"Yeah, well? You failed spectacularly. So why don’t you shut up and keep your hands to yourself so that we can go back to the dorms in peace."

"Haha. Whatever you say." Gary then took a step back as they were walking together and suddenly, without warning or making any sound, slipped into Austin’s shadow.

"Hey, what the–! Hey! Get the fuck out of my shadow! Hey! Heeeey!" Not paying attention to his surroundings, Austin began yelling and kicking his shadow.

"Is it not enough for you to always be buzzing around me like a mosquito?! Now you have to watch and stalk me from my shadow?! Oh hell naw! Get! The fuck! Out! Hi-Yah!" Austin blindly jumped towards his shadow, which resulted in him–

BONK!

"OW! FUCK!" –bumping his head onto the metal front gate of the academy causing nearby students to gossip about him.

"... What’s wrong with that boy?"

"... Don’t you know who that is? That’s the weirdo in Emelie’s class who’s always acting up for no reason. He’s also the one who was punished by the principal for making a scene at the dorms that one night."

"... Ew no way! That was him? Do you think he’s on the spectrum?"

"CAN YOU PEANUT GALLERY FUCKHEADS SHUT YOUR TRAPS AND PISS OFF!"

Like a pigeon being frightened at the presence of a human, the students all scattered when Austin stood up and screamed at them. Not wanting to make any more of a fool of himself, he quickly drew on his hood and ran down the hill to the dorms.

[Sounds like you’re popular. Good for you, Austin.]

"HUH?! Grimbledoor?" Austin held his head as he felt Gary’s voice reverberate inside him.

[Relax. This is just one of my abilities that comes with me slipping through the shadows of others.]

"Fan-Fucking-Tastic. Why is it always me..."

[No need to be sad. I’ll get out of your shadow once we reach our room. I promise.]

"How about you get out right now?"

[Nope. I like it here. It’s nice and... dark. As expected of you, Austin.]

"Fuck you, Grimbledoor."

[You said it. Not me.]

After finally making it halfway down the hill, Austin was about to turn left to go to the dorms when he saw a familiar figure walk out of the road, he was about to take.

’Is that?’

"H-Hey! Emelie!" He ran up to her.

"Hm? *Tsk* What do you want, creep."

[Damn, Austin. How did you know it was her? Her face is practically covered behind that hoody.]

"Heh. I’d recognise the sway of that ass anywhere."

"What the fuck did you just say?!"

[Whoa. You really are a creep.]

"W-W-Wait! I didn’t mean it like that! Really! Please believe me!"

"Just stay the hell away from me! And don’t talk to me like we’re friends because we’re any but!" Emelie shoved him away with one hand and walked down the road that leads to the city. "Can’t believe I just got my good mood ruined by that fucker." She muttered under her breath.

"Emelie, wait! I’m sorry! Let me make it up to you somehow!" Austin pleaded as he desperately chased after her.

He lunged forward, his hand catching the fabric of her sleeve. She yanked her arm back as if burned, finally spinning around. For a split second, her face wasn’t filled with the fiery anger he expected; it was a weary look of profound exhaustion that seemed to bruise the air. But just as fast as it appeared, it changed back to the same glare that she’d always give him.

Austin stood there, chest heaving, and his hair plastered to his forehead. He looked smaller than he had five minutes ago. His hands hovered and trembled in the empty space between them

"Why the hell do you hate me so much!?" he burst out, his voice cracking under the weight of his own desperation. "I don’t get it! I tried my best to be friendly! I never did anything to you! I’ve been nothing but good to you, and you treat me like I’m some kind of monster!"

He took a step closer, his eyes searching hers for a flicker of the warmth that he used to see through the monitor. "Tell me what I did wrong! Just one thing! Because from where I’m standing, I’m the only one fighting for this while you just... treat me like a freak and you just walk away like I never existed!"

Emelie stayed silent for a heartbeat. The wind hummed in the stretch of silence of where her response should’ve been. She looked at his outstretched hand, then back up at his face. Her expression of anger then hardened into something cold and final.

"You know exactly what you fucking did. Or rather, what you’re trying to do. I’m not here to play your stupid little games. In fact. I want absolutely nothing to do with you. Don’t you ever try to talk to me, or anyone that I’m close to, ever again. Because even though I will not kill you, you’d best believe I know plenty of ways to make your life a living hell. This is my last warning to you."

After saying her piece, Emelie floated off the ground and flew away. Leaving Austin looking completely dumbfounded.

"..."

[Damn. She really hates your entire being, huh? I mean, you even took a shower and brushed your teeth this morning. What’s there to hate?]

"..."

[Oh well. You win some, you lose some. There’s plenty of other women that’re going to be a part of your harem, aren’t there?]

"She was my main heroine..."

[I’m guessing that translates to: "She was the one I wanted the most".]

"Yeah..."

[Maybe she was on her period.]

".... You think so?"

[Duh. She literally has had zero interaction with you. How can she hate you when she doesn’t even know you?]

"She even called me trying to make friends with her a ’game’! Can’t she see my genuine goodwill?! Why is she talking to me like I’m trying to do something bad?!"

[Are you not trying to put her in a harem?]

"Of course I am! But that’s because my love expands across many women! It’s not like I’ll forget about her after I add her to my collection! She literally has the best sex scenes! Second only to Diana!"

[Sex scenes?]

’Seriously!? Where does this hate come from? Is this because I transmigrated and not reincarnated? Did the previous Austin do something to her? But the game made no mention of an "Austin" in her route. I’m so fucking lost on what to do!’

[Speaking of sex. Austin, are you still looking for a fuck?]

"I swear if this is one of your gay jokes..."

[No no no! I’m not talking about me.]

"Then who?"

[Oh, you’re gonna be happy about this one. It’s actually one of the girls you’ve been eyeing.]

"REALLY?!" Austin turned to his shadow and kneeled on the ground while looking at it in anticipation.

"... Hey look. It’s that weird boy from the front gate again."

"... Is he talking to himself? What a nutball."

"... Let’s get outta here before he notices us." The three girls quickly ran down the road that leads to the dormitory, fearing that Austin may get up and scream at them again.

"....."

[As expected of Austin. Your rising popularity truly knows no bounds.]

"So, who is it?" Austin asked as he got up from the ground and clapped his hands clean of any dirt. "It cannot be Diana since I’m not exactly on good terms with her.... yet. It can’t be the Saintess since we haven’t met... unless it is–"

[No, it’s not the Saintess.]

"Oh. *Gasp* Is it Mia?! My God, those delectable curves... Those huge mommy milkers... Just thinking about fucking her makes me wanna–"

[It’s Amy.]

".... Amy? Emelie’s best friend?"

[Yes.]

"Are you kidding me? Did you not hear what Emelie told me?! If I so much as talk to Amy, she’ll–"

[Austin. I’ve already sowed the seeds of doubt in her mind. I made her believe that Emelie was in love with her own crush, Kurt. And that she was secretly going out with him behind her back. This most likely ended in an argument between them because when she arrived back at the dorms yesterday, she was anything but happy.

She stormed into the place soaking wet from the rain, and she had tears in her eyes. I confirmed her suspicious behaviour when I sneaked into her room. She was thrashing Emelie’s bed in rage. It was so funny.]

"But Emelie just came back from the dorms..."

[Probably to try and make amends with her. It clearly didn’t work. I mean, you saw how shitty her mood was.]

"... You’re right. So that must be why she’s so angry!"

[Uh-huh. And with her crush, that being Kurt, now dead, I bet she’s grieving in misery and needs someone to comfort her. This is your perfect chance to swoop in and save her from the pit of despair.]

"Fuck yeah! She may be on the bottom of my priority list, but she’s still on the list. I’ll use all my charm and knowledge of her to cheer her up, make her fall for me, and fuck her brains out!"

[Hell yeah! I even got a little extra something to make sure your plan is full proof. I was gonna use it for... something else, but I’ll give it to you, my best friend.]

"What is it?"

[Hehehe~ An Aphrodisiac Potion. A.K.A.]

"A love potion." Austin rubbed his hands together while smiling deviously.