Chapter Five: Control and Omens

At six o'clock in the morning, Yuuma woke up precisely on time thanks to his biological clock. He opened his eyes and looked at the familiar ceiling, his mind still filled with the chaotic memories of yesterday—the intense sex in the equipment room, the brief appearance of Stardust's true form, Ayako Suzuki's gentle care at the door of his house, and the pair of eyes watching him from the shadows on the street corner.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. The room was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds outside the window. Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting golden dappled patterns on the floor.

Then he smelled the fragrance.

It didn't taste like instant noodles, nor did it taste like a simple breakfast I made myself. It was... the aroma of crispy fried bacon, the wheaty scent of toasted bread, and the rich fragrance of coffee.

Yuzhen froze. He threw back the covers, got out of bed, and walked barefoot onto the wooden floor towards the door. The aroma grew stronger, wafting from the kitchen downstairs.

He went down the stairs and into the living room. Breakfast was already laid out on the table—two white porcelain plates, each with perfectly fried bacon and eggs, two slices of golden-brown toast, and a small vegetable salad. In the center of the table sat a small glass pitcher filled with steaming coffee. There was also a glass of orange juice, with fresh orange slices floating on the rim.

The cutlery was set out neatly—the knife and fork were on either side of the plate, the napkin was folded into an elegant shape and placed on the left side of the plate, and the coffee cup handle was facing right; everything conformed to standard Western breakfast etiquette.

But the most eye-catching thing was the note in the center of the table.

A pale pink sticky note with delicate patterns along the edges, on which were written words in flowing black ink. The handwriting was beautiful, a woman's handwriting, but Yuu knew it wasn't Sato Misaki's handwriting—or rather, not the original Sato Misaki's handwriting. It was Stardust's imitation, but neater and more forceful than the original.

Yuma picked up the note and read it aloud:

“Yuma:

Good morning.

I came early to prepare breakfast. The bacon was fried a little browned, the eggs were fried on one side, and the yolks were runny—these were things I remembered from your memory; that's how your mother used to make them.

I brew the coffee quite strong. If you don't like it that way, you can add milk and sugar, which are all in the kitchen cabinet.

This body has some things to take care of today; the Sato family has a morning meeting that I must attend. So I can't accompany you to school today, nor can I watch over you at school the whole time.

But promise me you'll eat a proper breakfast. Don't eat instant noodles, and don't just grab something quick and easy. Your health is important, and it's important to me too.

I'll wait for you at the school gate after school this afternoon. Be on time, don't keep me waiting too long.

Also, do you remember what I said yesterday? If anything happens, anytime, call me.

I will wait.

—Stardust

There was also a small heart in the bottom right corner of the note, drawn with a red pen. It was very delicate and showed great care.

Yuzhen stood there holding the note, not moving for a long time.

He could feel a warm current welling up inside him, a complex and contradictory feeling. On one hand, he was grateful for Stardust's care, grateful that she made him breakfast, grateful that she remembered the taste from his memory. On the other hand, he also felt a kind of... pressure. Stardust's care was too comprehensive, too meticulous, too... possessive. She not only took care of his body, but also tried to control his life, his habits, everything about him.

But in the end, gratitude overcame unease.

He walked to the table, sat down, picked up his knife and fork, and began to eat breakfast.

The bacon was indeed fried to a perfect crisp, with curled edges and the fat rendered out, resulting in a fragrant but not greasy taste. The egg was fried on one side only, with the white perfectly set and the yolk intact and plump. A gentle poke with a fork released the golden yolk, which flowed out and soaked into the toast. The toast was toasted to perfection, slightly charred on the surface and soft on the inside. Spread with butter, the savory aroma of the butter and the wheat flavor of the toast blended perfectly.

The coffee was indeed very strong. Yuzhen added a little milk and sugar, which made the flavor rich and balanced.

He ate slowly, savoring each bite. It was indeed the taste he remembered, the breakfast his mother often made when he was a child. But there were some differences—his mother's breakfasts always felt rushed, because she had to hurry to work; while Stardust's breakfasts, in every detail, revealed meticulousness and... dedication.

After finishing breakfast, Yuzhen cleaned up the dishes, washed them, and put them back in their place. He looked at the pink note, hesitated for a moment, and finally folded it neatly and put it in the inner pocket of his backpack.

Then he went upstairs to change into his school uniform, packed his schoolbag, and prepared to go to school.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the dining table. It was now spotless, as if nothing had happened. But the aroma of breakfast lingered in the air, along with the feeling of it having been carefully tended.

Yuma closed the door and headed towards school.

He had no idea what would happen today.

But he knew that Stardust was watching him.

Even when she wasn't physically present, she was somehow watching over everything he did.

The first class in the morning was math. The teacher walked into the classroom carrying a stack of test papers, and looked to be in a good mood.

"The results of last week's quiz are out," the teacher said. "Overall, everyone did quite well. In particular, one student has made great progress."

He opened the exam paper and began reading out names and scores.

Yuzhen lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously picking at the scratches on the table. He didn't have high expectations for his math score—he wasn't good at science, and he had performed poorly on the last quiz due to nervousness.

"Fujiwara Yuuma." The teacher suddenly called out his name.

Yuma looked up.

"Ninety-two points," the teacher said, his voice filled with obvious praise. "The highest score in the class. Moreover, the problem-solving approach was very clear, the steps were complete, and the paper was neat. A great improvement."

A low murmur rippled through the classroom. Yuu could feel the gazes from her classmates—surprised, curious, and even a little envious.

He was stunned. Ninety-two points? The highest score in the class? How could this be? He remembered that during the exam, he was unsure about many questions, and even only wrote half of a few of the more difficult ones…

"Fujiwara-kun, please come up and get your test paper," the teacher said.

Yu-chan stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. The teacher handed him the test paper and patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep it up," the teacher said. "At this rate, you should be fine for the final exams."

Yuzhen returned to his seat with the test paper, looking at the red marks and annotations, still feeling a bit unreal. He carefully examined the major questions—they were indeed his work, but the solutions were much clearer than he remembered, and the steps were more complete. He even wrote down the correct solutions for some parts he was initially unsure about.

What... is going on?

The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class. Students began packing up to go to the next classroom. Yuzhen remained seated, staring blankly at her test paper.

"Fujiwara-kun."

A gentle voice sounded from beside her. Yuuma looked up and saw the class president—Onodera Aoi.

Kui is the class monitor and a recognized model student. She has shoulder-length black hair with slightly inward-curling ends and neat bangs. Her eyes are large, dark brown, and always have a gentle smile. Today, she is wearing her standard school uniform—a dark blue blazer, a white shirt, a red plaid pleated skirt, and black tights that hug her slender legs.

She was holding several test papers, presumably to hand them out to other students.

"Congratulations," Kui said with a smile, her voice soft like a spring breeze. "You got first place in the class."

Yuma hurriedly stood up: "Th-thank you..."

"You're welcome." Kui took a step closer and handed him a test paper. "This is your English test paper, which has been graded. Eighty-five points, that's very good."

Yuma took the test paper, and her fingers accidentally touched Aoi's hand. Aoi's fingers were slender, soft, and her skin was smooth.

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Yuma hurriedly withdrew her hand.

"It's alright." Aoi smiled, a warm and pure smile. "Fujiwara-kun has been working very hard lately, I've noticed. You often study in the library, right?"

Yuuma nodded. He did go to the library often because his home was too quiet, so quiet it was unbearable.

“From now on…” Aoi paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come and ask me. I’m the class monitor, it’s my duty to help my classmates.”

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt, and her eyes darted away.

Yuuma looked at her and suddenly realized—Aoi was really beautiful. Not the flamboyant beauty of Sato Misaki, nor the aggressive beauty of Stardust, but a quiet, gentle beauty. Her features were delicate, her skin fair, and her lips a pale pink. While her figure wasn't as voluptuous as Sato Misaki's, it was well-proportioned and slender, possessing a youthful innocence unique to young girls.

Moreover, she had a clean scent—the fresh fragrance of laundry detergent, the floral scent of shampoo, and the unique smell of a good student, a mixture of books and ink.

It was completely different from the complex aura of Stardust that was mixed with lust and possessiveness.

"Thank you, class monitor..." Yuzhen said softly.

"Just call me Aoi," Aoi said, her face turning even redder. "Well... I'll go hand out the other test papers now. See you next class."

She turned and left, her steps hurried. Youzhen could see the lines of her calves encased in black pantyhose—straight, slender, and with delicate ankles.

He stood there, watching Aoi's retreating figure, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

It was a long-lost, normal, high school student feeling.

There was no ****, no possession, no complicated desires. It was simply a girl's kindness towards a boy, one classmate's concern for another.

Simple, pure, and warm.

Yuzhen took a deep breath and put the test paper into her schoolbag.

He didn't know how long this feeling would last.

But he knew he needed it.

During the morning break, Yuzhen decided to go to the restroom. He went into the men's restroom on the first floor, but it was empty.

He walked to the urinal and unzipped his pants.

But just then, the toilet door was pushed open.

Three people walked in.

Yuma turned around and saw them—the three boys from yesterday, Kenta and his two henchmen. They looked terrible, with bruises on their faces, swollen eyes, and limping as if they had been badly beaten.

Yu Zhen's heart jumped. He thought they were here for ****, that Xingchen's warning yesterday wasn't enough, and that they were here to settle scores with him today.

He hurriedly zipped up his jacket, intending to leave.

But Kenta suddenly knelt down.

He didn't kneel on one knee, but rather both knees touched the ground directly, their knees slamming heavily onto the tiled floor with a dull thud. His two henchmen followed suit, and the three of them knelt in a row before Yuuma.

Yuma was stunned.

“Fujiwara-kun…” Kenta began, his voice trembling with obvious fear, “I’m so sorry… Yesterday… Yesterday we were wrong… We shouldn’t have bullied you… We shouldn’t have hit you…”

His head was bowed so low it almost touched the ground. His two henchmen also had their heads bowed, their bodies trembling slightly.

"We...we were wrong..." Kenta continued, his voice trembling with tears, "Please...please forgive us...we'll never do it again...really...never again..."

Yuuma was completely stunned. He stood there, looking at the three boys kneeling in front of him, not knowing what to do.

"You...you guys..." he stammered, "Was it...was it Sato-senpai who made you apologize?"

"No, no!" Kenta shook his head frantically, the movement pulling at the wound on his face, making him wince in pain. "No, it wasn't Sato-senpai... it was us... we realized our mistake..."

His eyes darted away, avoiding Yuuma's gaze. Yuuma could tell he was lying.

"Really..." Kenta's voice trailed off, "It really wasn't Sato-senpai... it was... it was ourselves..."

"And the injuries on your faces..." Yuma asked.

"Yes, we fell by accident..." Kenta said, but even he didn't believe it.

Yuzhen fell silent. He looked at the three boys, at the bruises on their faces, at the fear in their eyes, and suddenly understood.

This must have been made of stardust.

Not as Misaki Sato, but as Stardust. She must have used some means to teach them a harsh lesson, making them so afraid that they dared not tell the truth and could only kneel here and apologize.

"I...I forgive you," Yuma whispered. "You...get up."

"R-Really?" Kenta looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“Okay.” Yuma nodded. “But… don’t bully others anymore. Whether it’s me or anyone else, you can’t.”

"Yes, yes!" Kenta nodded hurriedly. "We promise! We swear!"

He and his two henchmen got up, but because they had been kneeling for so long, their legs were a little weak and they almost fell again. They steadied themselves by holding onto the wall, and then bowed deeply to Yuuma.

"Th-thank you, Fujiwara-san..." Kenta said, "Well, we're off then..."

They turned and practically fled the restroom. The door slammed shut, leaving Yuuma standing alone inside.

Yuzhen walked to the sink, turned on the tap, and washed his face with cold water. Looking at himself in the mirror, at his still somewhat immature face, he suddenly felt a deep weariness.

Stardust is protecting him, in her own way.

But this approach... is too violent, too ****, too... disturbing.

He dried his face and walked out of the restroom. A few classmates were chatting in the hallway, and they all gave him strange looks. Yuzhen knew that what happened in the restroom had probably already spread.

He lowered his head and walked quickly back to the classroom.

He didn't know what would happen next.

But he knew that Stardust's control was infiltrating every corner of his life in ways he could not have predicted.

The afternoon classes finally ended. Yuzhen packed her bag and followed the crowd out of the school building.

As the sun set, the sky was dyed orange-red. The school gate was crowded with students; some were waiting for their parents, some for their friends, and some were discussing where to go for fun.

Yuma searched for Stardust's figure in the crowd.

Then he saw her.

Stardust stood under a cherry blossom tree beside the school gate, wearing her school uniform—a dark blue blazer, a white shirt, a red plaid pleated skirt, and black stockings that encased her long, slender legs. Her posture was elegant, her back ramrod straight, her hands clasped in front of her, like a true lady.

But Yu-chan knew that was just an appearance.

He walked over. Stardust saw him and smiled. The smile was gentle and beautiful, but Yuu could see the possessiveness hidden within it.

“Yuuma,” Stardust said, his voice soft but loud enough for him to hear, “you’ve come.”

"Yes." Yuuma nodded. "Have you... been waiting long?"

“Not long,” Stardust said, reaching out and naturally taking Youzhen’s schoolbag. “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

They walked out of the school gate side by side. The surrounding students cast surprised glances, but no one dared to say anything. Sato Misaki's imposing presence, coupled with the rumors of yesterday's toilet incident, made everyone keep their distance from Yuuma.

After walking for a while and getting away from the crowds at school, Yuzhen spoke up.

"Today...those three boys..." he whispered, "Did you do it?"

Stardust didn't answer immediately. She continued walking, her steps steady, her expression calm.

“They bullied you,” she finally said, her voice soft but firm. “They hurt you. So they must pay the price.”

“But…” Yu Zhen wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Xing Chen.

“No buts.” Stardust turned to look at him, her eyes serious. “Yuzhen, you need to understand. Right now, you are mine. Anyone who hurts you is hurting me. Anyone who threatens you is threatening me. And I… will not allow anyone to hurt or threaten what belongs to me.”

Her tone was calm, but the possessiveness in her words sent a chill down Yuzhen's spine.

“And,” Stardust continued, a smile playing on his lips, “this is just the beginning. There are many more surprises waiting for you.”

“Many more…surprises?” Yuuma asked.

“Mm.” Stardust nodded, her fingers gently tracing the back of Yuzhen’s hand. “For example… to make your life at school better. For example… to make those who used to look down on you look at you with new respect. For example… to give you everything you want.”

Her fingers stopped, and she grasped Yuuma's hand. Her hand was soft and warm, but Yuuma could feel the strength within it.

“For example…” Stardust leaned closer and whispered in Yuuma’s ear, “to make you the happiest person.”

Her breath brushed against Yuzhen's earlobe, sending a tingling sensation through him. Yuzhen could smell her fragrance—perfume, and a faint, subtle feminine scent.

“But…” Yuma whispered, “I don’t need those… I just want… a peaceful life…”

"Peace?" Stardust laughed, a hint of pity in his smile. "Yuzhen, don't you understand? In this world, those without power cannot attain peace. Have you ever been at peace? You've been bullied, ignored, and forgotten. Is that the kind of peace you want?"

Yuuma fell silent. She was right. Before meeting Stardust, his life was indeed turbulent—a different kind of turbulence, one of loneliness, helplessness, and fear.

“Things are different now,” Stardust said, her grip tightening. “Now you have me. I will give you strength, protection, and everything you need. And you… just need to accept me, just need to believe in me, just need to… belong to me.”

Her voice was gentle, but the controlling nature of her words made Yuzhen feel suffocated.

They continued walking and soon arrived near Yuzuru's house. As they turned the last street corner, Stardust suddenly stopped.

“I won’t see you to the door today,” she said, letting go of Yuuma’s hand. “Aunt Suzuki is probably waiting for you again. I don’t want… her to see us together.”

Her tone was calm, but Youzhen could detect a hint of displeasure.

“Aunt Ayako…she just cares about me…” Yuma whispered.

“I know,” Stardust said, her eyes becoming somewhat complicated, “but her concern… is too much. So much that… it makes me uncomfortable.”

She paused, looking at Yuuma.

“Remember, Yuuma,” she said, her voice soft but each word clear, “You are mine. Only I can take care of you, only I can protect you, only I can…have you. No one else…can.”

Her fingers gently stroked Yuzhen's cheek, then withdrew.

"See you tomorrow," she said, turning and leaving.

Yuzhen stood there, watching her departing figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

Gratitude, unease, fear, and... a strange dependence.

He knew that Stardust was in control of everything he did.

He knew the potential consequences of such control.

But he also knew what his life was like before Stardust appeared.

Loneliness, helplessness, being bullied, being ignored.

And now...

Now he has people protecting him, people caring for him, people making him breakfast, people teaching those who bullied him a lesson, and people waiting for him at the school gate after school.

This kind of control is just too heavy...