CH 31

Frankly, Shinkai thought she could not win.

She was crushed by the trauma that she would never get over, and she was tortured and defeated as it was. And then she went straight to those men……

But.

(I never thought she would overcome her trauma at this last minute)

I was going to use this moment as a nail in the coffin for Shinkai Sakura (Humiliated by those guys) but I failed to do so.

I had left a note in Riku’s pocket when I was followed.

The contents were as follows.

Nanase Natsume is good friends with Shinkai Sakura.

Shinkai Sakura spends her time alone in the empty library after school.

Shinkai Sakura was bullied all the time.

And I slipped a piece of paper I had written into the opinion box of the student council, which is always there.

[After school, the library has become a hangout for delinquents. Some kids have already been victimized, so I need your help.]

Normally, it is my step sister’s job to look over such opinions. However, she’s currently occupied with other duties. 

The two guys and Shinkai Sakura’s personalities would surely clash once the situation was set up. And if she was close to Nanase Natsume, whom they were after, they might be able to pull the strings with her. This plan was made in anticipation of that.

So after setting up the place and making all the adjustments, I was hiding in the shadows in the library……

(Good thing I had a thumbtack and an instant glue.)

A few minutes before it was about to come to a head, I applied glue all over the door lock so that a large number of thumbtacks would be caught in the door, killing any sign of the situation. By the way, I put all the used remnants together and put them away in Kai’s bag. I wore work gloves at home and at school when I touched these things, so there were no fingerprints on them. In short, I wanted to make it look like Kai and the others had done it all.

(This is a bit unexpected.)

I didn’t expect Shinkai to replicate the technique I used on her. The accuracy was a little lacking, but it was still well formed. It seems that she still has a certain amount of physical skills and her sense of style.

As a master, I am happy for her, but I beg her not to awaken at the last minute. That is a privilege that only heroes are allowed to enjoy.

（But it’s still okay.)

It was certainly unexpected. But it was just as I thought.

When Shinkai Sakura somehow manages to escape, I intervene in a much different way than originally planned. To be honest, there’s an element of improvisation involved from here on, but it should not be a problem.

In my breast pocket and in my trouser pocket, I have different devices running, and I’m trying to make the most of them. It’s as if I’m taking it out on the eight ball at that moment.

(……Let’s get this over with for now.)

I walked toward them with a heavy heart. Gradually, I make my presence felt so that I can be seen by everyone.

Now, parting gifts to this fateful relationship….

※

“What the hell are you doing here !?”

Kai, who had been in a fierce battle with Shinkai, was the first to say so. The unexpected appearance of a third party had completely upset him, and he was unable to maintain his composure, his tone becoming rougher than usual. Riku and Shinkai were choking on their words with their mouths open, as if they didn’t know what to say.

Before anyone could start talking, I made up a good reason for being here.

“I was studying in the library and fell asleep. And then I heard someone making noise. I can’t help but to check it.”

“Eh, A-ah…….”

Even Kai and Riku, who had been bullies until just now, didn’t seem to know what to say to me. But that’s no wonder. After all, I was completely unrelated to the person who was completely involved, and from the outside, I was just an outsider.

However, Kai immediately changed his mind and switched his target from Shinkai to me.

“H-haha, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Senpai. If you just go home and keep quiet about what happened today, I won’t make it worse, you know?”

“……”

As far as threats go, I guess I couldn’t have said it any better.

At first glance it appears that I was being threatened, but it’s clearly the other side is in a weaker position.

After all, the students were seen fighting with each other. It was a despicable act of two men attacking one girl. If Shinkai testifies, these two students will be expelled from school……and, in the worst case scenario, the police will take care of them.

Despite being in such a precarious position, the intimidation that he possesses is enough to create the illusion that he is at a disadvantage. This man has a talent for bargaining.

But…

“Sorry.”

“Ah?”

“It’s too late.”

I take out a certain object from my breast pocket. It’s a white rectangular object, and it’s a useless tool that anyone with a smartphone doesn’t need to have.

“Is that a……voice recorder !?”

“……Well, yeah.”

It’s not just a voice recorder. It’s a crazy voice recorder that I’ve modified.

Not only can it reproduce sound quality clearly, but it can also be connected to the Internet at all times, riding the wave of the IoT. By attaching a special device smaller than a penny, I can record from there and immediately save it to the Internet. This way, the data is safe even if it is stolen and can be immediately played back on a smartphone.

In addition, this voice recorder has a voice conversion function. In other words, you can change your voice and speak like a certain famous detective. Well, I don’t plan to use the voice conversion function this time.

“The conversation between all of us here is saved in this recorder.”

[ [ [ !? ] ] ]

When I said that, each of their faces turned red with astonishment.

Two of the boys were frustrated that what I had done this time would be revealed to them at the drop of a hat.

The other girl was relieved that the evidence was already in place.

Gradually, they’re faces became more and more contrasted. The two boys are pale, and one girl has a look of relief on her face. And I stare at them with a cold expression.

(…..She doesn’t realize it, huh.)

I’m sorry, Shinkai. I don’t know what this means to you…….

“G-give me that thing !”

Kai rushes at me saying that. He passed Shinkai, who was supposed to be chasing him, and swung his right arm at me.

（I can’t show off my physical abilities here.)

Fortunately, Shinkai is still unaware of my true identity. So I didn’t avoid Kai’s fist and decided to take it unprotected.

“Oraaaa !”

“Ugh !”

I was hit in the stomach and blown clean through to the door. Thanks to the fact that I took a slight passive stance, no bones were broken, but it still hurt enough.

“Sh-Shiina kun !”

Shinkai saw this and immediately tried to run up to me. But Riku prevented him from doing so. He stood in front of Shinkai who was about to run, smiling fearlessly.

“Oops, don’t forget I’m here.”

“Tch…..”

Riku was equipped with brass knuckles, perhaps taken out of his pocket. Riku’s physical ability is not that threatening, but that weapon raises his danger level. Shinkai probably can’t get close to him unnecessarily. In the first place, I taught her not to fight badly against someone with a weapon.

Then Kai, who blew me off, approaches me and reaches out to take the voice recorder from me. But.

“….You better stop doing that.”

“What the hell. Are you threatening me at this point?”

“…….I told you, it’s too late.”

Before Kai could reach it, I took out my beloved smartphone from my pants and showed it to him.

“A call…..huh !?”

Kai was getting very upset, which was understandable. The phone’s screen displayed this.

[Calling: Shichinomiya Koharu.]

Shichinomiya sensei had been asking me about the exchanges up until now.

“Shichinomiya, you mean !?”

“T-that’s, the math teacher…..”

Shichinomiya sensei is in charge of the first-year math class as well, and she’s also the assistant to the Public Morals Committee. Maybe these two are indebted to her in math.

“Wouldn’t it be better to run away? It’s been about two minutes since I connected this phone call, so Shichinomiya sensei will be here in a minute. And she’ll have a lot of backup.”

When I made that threat, Kai turned completely pale.

Physical evidence could be drowned out by taking it away or making a reasonable excuse. However, the evidence of the almost rape of Shinkai (including the violence against me) was leaked to the outside world. And now, of all people, the teachers have found out about it.

Their school life is over.

(It was a pity. They had worked so hard to get into a school with a high deviation score.)

That’s right. One mistake in life can easily create a path to inevitable disintegration.

At that time, if I had this voice recorder with me…..if I had given up on that piece of shit back then, none of this would have happened.

“Damn it, let’s run away, Riku !”

“N-no way !?”

“Anyway, we can’t let them see us here !”

Kai shouted, and Riku ran toward the door before anyone else.  After all, he must have been a coward at heart. That it grew because of Kai.

He tried to run away and put his hand on the lock to open the closed door.

But he couldn’t.

“Ouch, what the hell is this !?”

“It’s a thumbtack and glue !?”

He was caught in the trap I had set for him. Riku’s hand had scratches all over and it was slightly stained red. The needle must have stuck deep into his hand.

I secretly took a picture of the moment with my phone and said to the two guys, 

“That’s stuck in there unlocked, so the door will open separately, you know?”

[ [….Huh?] ]

Hearing my words, they look at each other and slowly open the door. Then, the door was really unlocked.

(Human psychology makes us think that if the lock is blocked, that door won’t open.)

Above all, it was only natural, since they were the first to close that door themselves. This was probably a little out of character.

“A-anyway, we’re running away !”

But perhaps they were too lazy to notice the discomfort, and those two left the library without thinking. Well, as for those two, Shinkai will take care of them.

Now, I have a little more time before the teacher arrives.

“Um, Shiina kun?”

Shinkai Sakura looked at me with a surprised expression. What should I start with? And what should I say to her? I guess she doesn’t know anything about this situation. Considering the psychology of the girl who got involved, you would think it was inevitable. But for me, this is the moment of truth.

I picked up the voice recorder that had fallen to the floor.

“……”

Now then, let’s get this over with.