Volume 1 - CH 7.3

Posted on July 4, 2022by Soafp

Translator: Soafp

“Fuhahahahaha!”

“Don’t laugh so high with a straight face, it’s weird.”

The fresh, handsome man makes a rude comment, but I forgive him because I am in a good mood.

A week has passed since then. Every day, a new story about Yukito Koknoe was being told.

Yes, the culprit of all this was really me. However, towards the end, I had nothing to write about and the content was quite lax. I guess that’s the limit of my imagination.

“He has a friendship with the president of the student council” “He treats his classmates as pets and bites them like dogs”.

“He is earning money from his older partner” It was still good enough up to about this point however “Unacceptable scum who use tacks to make holes in posters.” “Sweet-toothed scum.” “When buying goods at a convenience store, he always get a plastic bag.” As a result of such steady efforts, however, I am now the biggest scum in the school.

Day after day, night after night, I’ve been on fire, always with a full tank of high-octane petrol.

On the surface, the rumour that I left work early because I was so upset by the revelation of my crime is true. In reality, after going to the infirmary, I left early and spent the rest of the day working on my own performance, which is an unbecoming behaviour for a student.

Perhaps horrified by my scrappiness, my classmates hardly spoke to me during the week. I can say that I have returned to the way I should be as a loner, though it is only fresh and handsome.

You can probably tell by now. So I took advantage of their anonymity to snatch the culprit’s crime.

By overwriting the rumours, I was able to make the slanderous accusations against Suzurikawa disappear. That was the objective.

And that will come to an end today. Last night, the last rumour was spread.

A rumour that Yukito Kokonoe is threatening Koharu Sato .

“Kokonoe!”

A male student from a neighbouring class shouts into the classroom. He grabbed me by the bosom with his momentum.

If I get at least one punch here, everything will be resolved amicably.

The evil of Yukito Kokonoe has been destroyed and justice has prevailed. [Finished] ← Keep the sticker on here.

It is truly a gripping good and bad story. Everyone must feel refreshed.

His name is Yuichi Miyahara. He is a childhood friend of Koharu Sato.

To tell the truth, the problem was solved on the second day.

It was a female student called Koharu Sato who first spread a hoax about Suzurikawa on social networking sites.

She came crying to apologise. For her, it must have been terrifying to see how someone, who was supposed to be targeting Suzurikawa, had somehow framed me, a completely unrelated person, as the culprit, and then persistently and thoroughly humiliated me.

Even if she had attacked Suzurikawa further, as long as she remained anonymous, it would all be my crime.

In the first place, Koharu Sato deeply regretted it and did not continue after the first time. She was so riddled with guilt that she was thinking of apologising to Suzurikawa. It was at that time that this disturbance happened.

When I heard her story, I was troubled. I wondered whether it was really okay for it to end like this.

Koharu Sato and Yuichi Miyahara were childhood friends, but Yuichi Miyahara’s heart was far away from Koharu Sato.

In junior high school, Yuichi Miyahara was a member of the track and field team, but felt the limits of his talent and quit track and field because of his monstrous illness.

Koharu Sato was unhappy about this. To her childhood friend, Yuichi Miyahara is a hero. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t become a great athlete. She just admires his dedication to track and field, and this has gradually sublimated into a love affair. She wanted him to be the cool Yuichi Miyahara.

However, Yuichi Miyahara gradually begins to distance himself from Koharu Sato, who urges him to return to athletics. Then, in an attempt to find a new encounter, Yuichi Miyahara confessed his feelings to Hinagi Suzurikawa.

It was Yuichi Miyahara who had confessed to her on the day I was peeping in with the goddess senpai.

When Koharu Sato researched Suzurikawa and found out about her past, she took action to prevent Yuichi Miyahara from being stolen from her.

But the cost was high and she was also hurt.

So here’s a revolutionary solution. First, I spread bad news about myself. It got interesting halfway through and I ended up doing it thoroughly, but it was a good thing I did it afterwards.

Then, when my bad reputation had spread, I spread the rumour that I was blackmailing Koharu Sato.

The effect was extraordinary. Yuichi Miyahara, who feared for Koharu Sato’s safety, stood in front of me like this in an attempt to rescue her.

The two must have been childhood friends after all. Even though their paths may have crossed, deep in their hearts, both of them still cherish the other. Yuichi Miyahara never wanted to abandon her.

There is no need for truth in this farce. It is not too late for Yuichi Miyahara.

With unaccustomed amusement, I whispered ugly words in Yuichi Miyahara’s ear as if to stir him up.

This is good. This is the right answer. The next step is for me, the root of all evil, to receive the retribution of karma.

“Shu-chan, stop! I knew I couldn’t do this!”

The one who desperately stopped the furious Yuichi Miyahara in a pathetic voice was Koharu Sato.

“Kokonoe, I’m sorry! I know it’s not something that can be forgiven even if I apologise. But I’m really sorry!”

“Suzurikawa-san and Kokonoe-kun, I’m sorry too!”

Huh? How did this happen …….

The sloppy plan collapsed, and the eye-witness account disintegrated.

Contrary to my expectations, the end of the project was not as tight as I had hoped, but it can’t be helped.

The objective was generally achieved. Koharu Sato’s attempt to apologise to Suzurikawa was stopped entirely for the sake of this moment. It was necessary to pull Yuichi Miyahara out.

If the conversation had ended at that point between Suzurikawa and Koharu Sato, who was about to be crushed, might not have been able to face Yuichi Miyahara. If she had tried to hide what she had done from Yuichi Miyahara, she would have carried guilt and regret with her for the rest of her life.

“So. Is it finally over? Explain everything from the beginning, Yukito”

In the end, it was all about the revenge of Yukito Kokonoe on Hinagi Suzurikawa.

“Isn’t that good enough?”

“Of course not. We heard it from Suzurikawa.”

“From Suzurikawa?”

“You don’t trust us that much? Are we that helpless? Don’t think that you can always manage everything on your own.”

“It’s properly beneficial to me too.”

Arrogant, haughty and selfish to any extent. It may be a means that Kouki and others cannot tolerate. Nevertheless, I think I did the best I could.

If I pretend that I spread Suzurikawa hoax because I was angry about being rejected, the credibility of the posts will be lost. No one will know what the truth is. The past will become ambiguous and no one will want to mention it again.

The past of Hinagi Suzurikawa has become inviolable, known only to her.

But that is not all. This plan contains tremendous advantages.

“Miyahara, I have one favour to ask of you.”

“W-what is it? Tell me anything! Anything that I can do, I will do!”

“Join the athletics club.”

“It’s ……. Is that it…..!”

Ugh ……. I am sorry to Miyahara-kun, who is looking at me with sparkling eyes, but I actually have no good intentions or anything.

There have been a series of invitations from sports clubs, but the most persistent of these has been the athletics club.

That’s when I came up with the idea of using this sure-footed Yuichi Miyahara as a scapegoat!

Eh? What’s going to happen to the refreshingly good-looking guy and Kamishiro? I don’t know. They can take care of that on their own.

With this, not only Suzurikawa, but also Koharu Sato and the smoldering Yuichi Miyahara can all be put to rest in a positive direction.

And above all, the number of people who approach me, a man of ill repute, will decrease, and with this I should be able to regain my ideal quiet and peaceful life as an insidious loner. I can also say goodbye to the recent school life, which has been quite noisy.

But still, it was extremely difficult to appease Yuuri, who had lost her temper. I can’t say now that it was actually an act of my own making, even if it’s not possible to say so.

At any rate, in the end it all went down the drain, but it was an epoch-making plan that killed not two birds with one stone, but five.

This was also possible because my mentality is as strong as an orichalcone, so I can say that everything fell into place as it should have, with no loss to anyone. It’s perfect. Nyahahahahahaha!

This is the closing of the show. —- but she won’t allow it.

“Suzu-chi, why don’t you go home?”

“Don’t call me that! I have someone waiting for me …….”

After school, when I returned after the hearing and thankful sermon of Sayuri, there was only one person left, Suzurikawa.

The classroom was dyed red in the evening sun, and her eyes were shining scarlet.

I felt nostalgic. Come to think of it, I feel like something like this happened a long time ago.

Yes, I’m sure she was like this that day too…

A throbbing headache. Fatigue had set in. I need to refuel with something sweet.

“Hmmm. Meeting up, huh? Get home before it’s too late.”

“Why? I was waiting for Yukito”

“—-Me?”

“You know….Thank you”

“All I’ve done is make you hate me.”

“Fufu. Yeah, you’re right. Really. I hate Yukito”

Silence falls. Somehow, we no longer share the same time like this.

Or perhaps it was a misunderstanding that such a time existed.

“I did a terrible thing to you. I’m sorry.”

“…… Yeah.”

“No one can touch your past anymore.”

“…… yes.”

I do not know what Suzuriakwa was afraid of in the past.

When I was devoting myself to basketball with all my heart, I didn’t look at Suzurikawa.

If Suzurikawa was suffering, I had the chance to notice it. But in the end, I abandoned her.

I am not like Yuichi Miyahara. That’s why Akane-san won’t forgive me. I think that is a natural thing for a parent to do.

She will find a wonderful partner from now on. A partner who will meet Akane-san’s expectations.

“…………”

Suzurikawa will be safe now. She can now go on her way in the sunshine with her chest out.

She can’t have a hater like me around. She deserves a place of her own.

“— Hmmm—-!?”

The vision darkened and for a moment my thoughts blanked out.

Suzurikawa’s face is so close that even our breaths are in contact with each other.

I couldn’t even try to speak out. ―――― My lips are blocked.

“…… so far away. We used to be next to each other all the time, but now we can’t reach each other this far.”

Slowly our lips drift away from each other. My lungs were repeatedly contracting for fresh air.

“……What….”

“—- That day, the light that was inside me went out and I walked down a dark road. It was cold, freezing. I followed you, you who are warm. Why do you think I chose this high school? Yukito’s mother told me. —I wonder if Yuuri-san wouldn’t have told me.”

With a wry smile, Suzurikawa spoke in a torrent of words. The scarlet shimmering eyes were shining brightly.

“Please. I want you to come to my house now.”

–The person in front of me is Hinagi Suzurikawa, whom I don’t know.

[Hinagi Suzurikawa PoV]

“Onee-chan, if you don’t hurry up, we won’t have time. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes”

“Onii-chan will be fine. Because he promised me.”

How many times have I been pushed back by my sister, Hiori? At one point, things got really nasty. It was because I had betrayed Yukito. Not only my sister, but also my parents were angry with me.

Yuktito was well acquainted with my parents and they loved him. I have a sister, Hiori. Papa wanted a son as well. For him, Yukito was like his son. That’s why Papa used to play catch with Yukito. That’s how close they were then, and they always played together.

The whole family knew that I liked Yukito.

I think that’s why they couldn’t forgive my betrayal. The situation caused by it made me suffer in hell.

My parents had never been so angry with me before. But even that was necessary for me, someone had to be angry with me to make me feel better.

“Onii-chan, it’s all over the news at our place. There’s a first year in trouble.”

“Yukito you mean. It has to be him”

The first year of junior high school, She intends to enrol in the same high school as me.

The only freshman who would be bad enough to be known to such a lightweight would be Yukito. Not much time has passed since we entered high school, but the name of Yukito Kokonoe is well known anyway. There were even people who went to the trouble of coming to see him in class.

“Onee-chan you really haven’t done it, have you?”

“No, I haven’t! I wound’t dare!”

“If that’s a lie, I’ll break it off with you. You betrayed Onii-chan yourself, and you gave yourself to that lousy, incomprehensible man.”

“I know that better than anyone!”

“Because of you, Onii-chan is hurt. I also want him to teach me how to study and stuff, but he’s changed. I feel he is further away than he used to be. If things continue as they are, Onii-chan will become an irrelevant stranger.”

“I wonder how it feels be be childhoodfriend again, Hiori…..”

I really hate myself. Selfishness and stupidity make me feel anti-heroic. I always bother him, annoy him, hurt him, betray him. And yet you try to help me.

And then —– a miracle happened. I couldn’t believe it.

Because like magic, he saved me in an instant.

With his lie, my past became ambiguous and dissolved into time.

But I couldn’t watch. I hurt myself and spouted mindless dialogue lines.

Day by day, Yukito’s bad reputation is spreading. It’s a needle in a haystack.

He bared his own heart and cut it to pieces himself.

That’s something I wouldn’t normally stand for. And it is he himself who is doing it.

He spreads his own slander and libels and humiliates himself. I don’t know what that means.

I am sure that only he knows. ……

At that time, I was only thinking of myself. I didn’t know or try to know what kind of state Yukito was in.

When I asked Ouka about his path, she told me a few things.

She couldn’t stop crying. She had been with him for a long time, but she didn’t know anything about him.

It wasn’t just my fault that Yukito became like that. But that doesn’t exonerate me. It doesn’t make me feel lighter.

Instead, I felt more guilt for hurting him more, and I was afraid to see him so close to breaking down. I thought I had no more remorse, but now he’s suffering more than before. I’m one of the people who was part of it. One of the ones who hurt him.

I don’t care what the consequences are. If I don’t face him, I will never be able to move on from this. I want to tell him, even if he hates me or rejects me.

“—– I will change. I won’t change my mind. I will be who I want to be. This time I will save you.”

I have not turned my back on him. Nobody has forgiven me, neither my heart nor my body.

It is too self-punishing. If this continues, surely one day he will be gone from everyone’s sight.

I mutter quietly. I’m going to stop running away. I’m afraid he won’t like me, so I’ll stop using that as an excuse to keep avoiding him.

–I’m not going to be able to do it again.

“Be honest, Hinagi Suzurikawa. I don’t need malice just to hurt people. A childhood friend is a defeated heroine. Even so, I–“

Even so, I love him so much.

I can’t stop this feeling—-

“I’ve been waiting for you, Yukito.”

“She just got pissed off the other day. ……”

“What’s wrong?”

“……, it’s nothing.”

Here I am again. This is my second visit in a short period of time. Akane-san’s reverse reaction to this visit.

If she really begs me to come to her house, I have no choice, do I?

It was the first time I had seen Suzurikawa so desperate. I couldn’t ignore it.

I am a member of the home-school club, so after school is free time for me. It’s not like I have anything to do. It’s no problem for me.

Well, today was tough. I’m hungry and my head hurts.

In the past, we used to play together. I used to come to this house a lot. Until I moved to my current apartment, I used to live near here, and we used to interact with each other as a family.

It is a nostalgic memory now, and a time I can never get back.

I was told to wait a little while for preparations, and after waiting for about 30 minutes, I received a call from Suzurikawa. By then, it was past 19:00.

“I’m sorry. I called you.”

“Here, I’ll give you this.”

I gave her the Big Busy Bear (named after Yukito Kokonoe) that I had found while killing time at the arcade. I also reserved one for Hiori-chan and Akane-san. I was selling a lot of flattery.

“T-thank you! …… you have always been good at this kind of thing, you know.”

“I’ll call the clerk right away and have her adjust the position.”

“I-I see. Hiori will be very pleased.”

The expression on the face of Suzurikawa was very stiff. She didn’t seem to be in good shape.

“If you don’t feel well, can we do this another time?”

“I’m sorry, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Through the living room, I was invited directly to her room. It was very different from Suzurikawa room in my memory. I sat on the cushion she had prepared for me.

“When was the last time I came to this room?”

“It’s been about three years.”

“How nostalgic it is. It hasn’t changed a lot.”

“I-Is that so? I think I’ve changed a lot, but if the Yukito says so, then I guess so. Fufu”

Perhaps it is because she is relaxing at home, or perhaps it is because the problem has been resolved, but it is a very natural smile that I have not seen for a long time.

Taking a deep breath, Suzurikawa straightens her posture.

“Three years, so it wasn’t that long ago. Are your parents not here?”

…… especially Akane-san. Is it okay for me to be here?

“It’s okay. But for the time being, they’ve entrusted me with everything.”

“It’s not okay!”

No good! I don’t care if you’re in charge. ……eh what?

I would like to ask her, but I’m sure that’s the reason why she called me here.

Let’s wait for her to tell me. It will make things a little easier.

“…..It really is just like back then.”

Unusually, what I was thinking in my head matched what I was saying.

This is extremely rare for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been hit by nostalgia and I’m feeling a little more open-minded than I used to.

“Thank you for coming today.”

“After all that request. What do you want?”

“There’s something I want you to hear. And look. Look at me.”

As if she had made up her mind, Suzurikwa began to take off the clothes she was wearing.

Without any time to stop her, she took off her school uniform, and without hesitation, she even reached into her underwear, leaving her completely untouched. The sweet smell filled the room and stimulated my brain.

All I could do was watch. An action that could be described as delirium.

But all I could see was that her body was trembling.

“Come back to your senses, Suzurikawa”

Utterly ridiculous lines fly out of my mouth. It is me who is crazy. I am the one who is broken. Perhaps what I just said was wrong. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it must be so, although I did not know what was wrong.

A girl is naked in front of me, and what I’m being asked to do is not to speak in such an off-color and blunt manner. But what should I say?

“You got it wrong. I was wrong back then! I am normal now.”

“What are you saying?”

“I have regretted it for a long time. Since that day, I cried and cried myself to sleep every day. My sister was disgusted with me, my family was angry with me, –and I hurt you.”

“I don’t understand, did you do something wrong? But that has nothing to do with me. My contact with Suzurikawa has been almost nonexistent since then.”

“No, it’s all my fault. Unable to be honest about my feelings and trying to know how you felt,Yukito. I unilaterally asked for you without telling you anything. A mistake I cannot regret enough.”

It was incoherent. Even though I understood the meaning of the words, I could not understand even a fragment of what she meant . We had not had any contact for nearly two years.

Despite appearances, I am bilingual and speak English. My test scores in both English and Japanese exceeded ninety-five. If I could not understand the problem, it was beyond the scope of what a single student could solve.

However, I could see in her eyes that she had not lost her senses. That is the decisive difference between me and Suzurikawa. her obsidian-colored eyes were looking straight at me.

“Yukito, I did not have s*x with Senpai.”