How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 89: Battle of Words & Wit

[Diana's POV]

"Hi," I greeted her with a warm smile. "Nice to finally meet you."

She's... prettier than she looked in the photos.

Crimson hair framed her gorgeous petite face, tied into two small tails on either side of her head while the back remained untouched and flowed down to her back.

Her perfectly shaped eyes were an intriguing shade of pastel purple and they were immediately full of suspicions as soon as I stood in front of her.

She looked extremely skinny like a model who starved themselves to get that "perfect" body.

But look at those arms. She clearly doesn't eat enough.

I couldn't help but smile, and she returned the gesture, though it was clear neither of us was entirely honest about our emotions

With a spark in my eyes, she caught my intentions and reciprocated.

Ichiko began responding, "Nice to meet you too..."

"Diana," I offered my name.

"...Diana. That's a lovely name. I'm Asano Ichiko. I haven't heard much about you other than, that incident in the past with my..." she cleared her throat, looking embarrassed.

With your what?

"...with Bell. I'm curious, are the two of you perhaps... friends?" she looked at Bell then turned back to ask me.

I also turned my head over to Bell and he didn't show any reaction.

"Yes," I answered. "We are friends."

I wanted to reply that we were more than just friends to get a reaction out of her but that would've been a lie so I held back.

"How lovely," she said. "What a poetic story between you two. Aren't you grateful that Bell has allowed someone like you to be one of his friends?"

"Hahaha," I laughed. "You make it sound like he's doing charity work by being my friend."

Ichiko didn't respond but her eyes were saying, "Is he not?"

Alright. So that's how we're playing this. Two can play that game.

"What about the two of you? Are you two friends?" I asked. "Me and him have been hanging out all the time the past few months and not once did he mention your name."

I watched as her eyes moved to the corner, looking at Bell who was sighing.

"Can we talk while we walk?" Bell interjected and asked us. "Diana, what class do you have next?"

"World history," I answered.

"With Mrs. Fields?"

I nodded my head.

"Guess all three of us are heading to the same destination then."

I have the same class as him? Yes!

He began walking while Ichiko and I remained closely behind him, our conversation still not over.

"You said he didn't mention my name?" she asked me.

I nodded my head, looking at her with a smile that scrunched my face slightly.

How does it feel to not even occupy a single spot in his mind?

"That's alright. Our families wouldn't want us to speak about it too much until it's officially in the books anyway," she said, looking at me with this pretty elegant smile.

"Your families? Is that how the two of you met?" I asked.

"Yes."

I decided to throw an uppercut at her by saying, "So... I guess whatever relationship the two of you have must be superficial then. Since it was... you know, it only exists because of your families."

"Hmm hmm," she chuckled with her mouth closed.

A bunch of eyes were on us but I ignored them. It was only me and her on this battlefield. The pedestrians didn't matter.

"By the way, Diana, I must say, I love your skin," she complimented me.

Where is she going with this?

"...Thank you," I responded.

"I wish I could make my skin look that pale. It's giving me ghost vibes. I love scary movies. You should consider acting in one someday. I'll be there day one in the theaters to support it."

This... bitch.

"Really? Thank you. I'm so envious of your physique," I said, setting up a trap for her too.

Turning to her, I patiently waited for her to respond.

She hesitated but replied, "...Thank you, Diana, for that compliment."

Hook, line, sinker.

"Yeah. I wish I could be that short. I always wanted to fly. One gust of wind and I'll be in the air like a little fairy."

I even used my hands to gesture the motions of a fairy's wings.

We laughed and stared at each other with smiles of killing intent.

I'm not done yet, Ichiko.

"I hear your clan has been going around killing off other clans," I said. "Congratulations on all the victories. Must be hard taking the lives of all those people."

"Thank you," she said, a look of pride on her face.

She wasn't affected by mentions of war. I forgot that our cultures were different and our views on war with other humans were vastly opposite from one another.

My first blunder.

"I would congratulate you too on a victory but... it seems that there's none notable enough for any news channel or bloggers to write about it. What a shame. I'm sure someone as tough as you must've been through some battles as well."

"Hahaha. Thank you but no. I haven't been in any battles. I'm just... you know, such a nice person that I don't like hurting others. I'm not, what's the word? A... savage. No no no. That's not the word I'm looking for."

"Hahaha," she lightly chuckled.

.

.

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[Ichiko's POV]

"Hahaha," I chuckled.

Resorting to call me a savage means that you've already lost this battle, my friend.

This girl Diana wasn't someone I expected to have a relationship with Bell other than that incident in the past caused by a demon curse mark.

If it was anyone else, I wouldn't even worry.

Not to toot my own horn but I knew that my source of popularity wasn't merely because of my clan or my talent; it was because no one was as elegant as me or as beautiful.

I would be foolish not to hear and see all the compliments people have for me on the internet.

Not only was this girl beside me also extremely beautiful with her dark blue eyes that looked like they were deeper than the ocean and her light blue hair that flowed like a cascade of liquid silk, but she was also his former crush.

It's just a former crush. Not anymore... right?

Bell said that they weren't meant to be and when he thought of her, all he felt was a sense of guilt.

There should be nothing to worry about then but the fact they hung out during the break, it was easy to fall back in love.

But I told myself that even if he did fall back in love, I'd just make him fall for me even harder.

Bell opened the door for the two of us and we walked in.

I waited patiently for him to pick a seat first.

He chose a seat in the back that was one seat away from the wall.

Not wanting to sit by anyone else other than him, I wanted the seat on the wall.

Going up to the boy who was sitting there, I said, "Excuse me?"

He lifted his head off the desk, turned to me, and immediately his face was flushed.

"Yes?" he nervously responded.

"Could I please have that seat?" I asked.

"Of course of course," he rapidly answered, picking up his bag and moving to the row in front.

I would've also liked to pick the other seat beside Bell because then Diana wouldn't have been able to sit next to him but I would've hated having to sit beside her.

So the two of us sat down on either side of Bell.

Bell turned to Diana and said something, "Why did you sit... never mind," before shaking his head.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he responded.

I chimed in, "It seems that Bell doesn't want you to sit beside him. Perhaps it's best for your friendship that you go ahead and move."

"Is that true?" she asked Bell, laying her head down on the desk so that she could look directly up into his eyes.

Bell shook his head and looked at me with these eyes that questioned why I said such a thing.

It's a shame that I only found the eyes to be sexy so I didn't feel any guilt about it.

If you keep looking at me like this, I'll have no choice but to keep annoying you.

I chuckled inside.

"Ichiko," Diana called my name.

How dare she interrupt my Bell-gazing.

"Diana?"

"...Never mind," she smiled and turned her head back to the front of the class.

I waited for a minute to pass.

"Diana," I called her name.

"What is it, Ichiko?" she asked.

"Could you... never mind. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Hmm, thank you for being so considerate."

"You're welcome."

Bell let out a sigh, buried his face into his palms, and told us, "Alright. That's enough you two. Behave. At least while we're in class."

"Behave? What do you mean behave? I'm not doing anything. I don't know about her though," said Diana.

"Well, Diana, what a coincidence. I'm not doing anything either. I'm just... being cordial," I said.

"Girls, please. Let's not do this the entire day. I'm here to learn. Please?"

Diana stared at me and I stared back. At the same time, we looked away from each other.

"Okay," I responded. "I'll play nice."

Anything for you, Bell. I'll even kill her if you ask me to.

"Fine," she said. "I was just trying to break bread."

The only thing that's going to break is your confidence once I'm through with you.

"Thank you," Bell said, shaking his head at the situation.

I was embarrassed that I had to show this side of me when the only side he's seen so far was the perfect version of me but I had to stand up for myself.

There's this dangerous enemy in front of me and only a fool would stand still while in danger.

I don't want to admit it but she was good with her words.

It seems like I'm back on the battlefield again.

Only this time, there would be no bloodshed; only hurt feelings.

And it won't be me.

I was fully confident that I — Ichiko of the Asano clan, the successor of the family, a warrior from the East — was going to win this battle against a little girl who had nothing going for her other than her looks.

And even then, I was confident that I was better looking than her.