Episode 31: Muzzles Pointed at Each Other
Just as Kamijou Yuuto finished baking the last of the hotcake batter and placed it on a plate, the door to his house was thrown open and slammed shut violently.
Then, the sound of something falling with a thud.
“…Ayano?”
He took off his apron and went into the hallway.
“—!?”
Ichinose Ayano had collapsed in the entryway.
“Ayano!”
Yuuto rushed to her and embraced her.
“Are you okay? What happened!?”
Ayano was trembling as if frozen.
She didn’t appear to be injured. There were no loud noises, and no signs of commotion outside, so she shouldn’t have been involved in an accident or incident.
But Ayano’s condition was far from normal.
Anxiety stirred in his heart.
“…I’m, sorry…”
Ayano whispered, trembling.
“I had my picture taken… I’m so scared…”
“…A picture!? Who would do that!?”
Ichinose Ayano had a secret she didn’t want others to know, however small it may be. But even without that, Yuuto understood that a girl suddenly having her picture taken would be terrifying.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have been assaulted or anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to be relieved by that.
He thought it was more important to stay by her side right now than to rush outside aimlessly.
“It’s okay, calm down.”
Yuuto hugged Ayano tightly.
He shouldn’t have let her go alone. If he had known this would happen, he should have gone to the Convenience Store with her instead of making hotcakes.
He bit his lip, but he knew that just regretting it wouldn’t do.
Once Ayano calmed down, he would gather any details about the person who took the picture and report it to the police.
But if someone she knew had done such a thing…
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Ayano flinched and her body stiffened as if terrified.
“…”
Yuuto picked up the unmoving her and took her to the living room.
The visitor, receiving no response, rang the doorbell again.
On the living room intercom screen, a familiar face wore an indescribable, punchable smile.
“…Ah, I see…”
He realized that a feeling he could only describe as hatred was budding within him.
“Ayano, stay here. I’m going to have a little chat with the honor student (that idiot).”
Yuuto took out his Smartphone, slipped it into his pants pocket, and stood in front of the entrance.
–The doorbell rang for the third time.
◇
“Well, hello, Kamijou. Good afternoon.”
When Yuuto opened the door, Mikado Kouki greeted him with a blatantly fake smile.
Yuuto barely managed to resist the reflexive urge to punch him and stepped outside.
He had no intention of letting this man into his House.
“Sorry, but is it alright if we talk here?”
“Ah, of course. My business won’t take long.”
Kouki smirked.
“I’ll get straight to the point. I want Ichinose-san to break up with you and go out with me.”
“…Huh?”
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the words. He just couldn’t make sense of them.
“What are you talking about? More importantly, about what you did to her earlier–“
“Ichinose-san’s picture? Ah, yes, I took it. It was presumptuous of me, but she was just so captivating.”
Yuuto clenched his fist at Kouki’s lack of remorse, but then,
“Here, it turned out quite well, don’t you think?”
Kouki showed him the screen of his Smartphone.
–It was a picture of Ayano looking at condoms at the Convenience Store.
“—!?”
She must have been intently studying them, because she hadn’t noticed him taking the picture from relatively close by.
A strange profile, showing a mix of fear, anticipation, and embarrassment.
Then, Kouki swiped the screen.
It was a picture of her in front of a crosswalk, her expression twisted in terror as she reached out towards him.
“You…!”
Yuuto grabbed Kouki by the collar, closing the distance between them.
He had never been in a fistfight. He had never seriously punched anyone.
He had never hated anyone enough to want to kill them.
–Until this moment.
Just as Yuuto raised his fist, Kouki smiled wickedly.
“Before you hit me, why don’t you take a look at this?”
For a moment, a glitch ran through Yuuto’s mind, which was filled with nothing but anger.
What he was shown was a chat screen on a messaging app.
The images from earlier had been selected.
“What…?”
His eyes widened.
“It’s addressed to my brother.”
Kouki grinned as he said,
“He’s fallen from grace now, but he’s still quite useful. He’s been helpful in spreading rumors for me.”
“…!”
A chill ran down his spine at that smile.
His mind raced, but he understood.
“You’re the one who started… those rumors?”
“That’s right. I had my brother spread them to all the contacts I know, using an account he created.”
“These days, it’s easy to edit photos, isn’t it?”
He couldn’t let that happen.
He didn’t know what kind of pictures of her he would edit or how.
But more than anything, the image of “Ichinose Ayano holding condoms” was too far removed from the image people had of her.
Now that the unsavory rumors about her hadn’t completely disappeared, if that image spread, it would slightly increase the “credibility of the rumors.”
That would become a source of doubt and good material for gossip.
It would lead to other malicious rumors, such as “At least she’s interested in that kind of thing.”
He had to stop this man here.
But,
“–Don’t move.”
His finger was just about to touch the send icon.
–Damn it.
Yuuto would need to perform one action to punch him or knock the Smartphone away.
Kouki would send it faster than that.
Once that data was sent from his Smartphone to another device, there would be nothing Kamijou Yuuto could do.
It was as if he was being held at Muzzle point.
“Would you mind letting go of me?”
“—!”
Yuuto released his grip on his collar and lowered his fist.
“What do you hope to gain by going out with Ayano after threatening her like this? There’s no way you can become a proper couple like this…”
His lowered fist was clenched tightly and trembled.
Kouki shrugged.
“Ah, I don’t really care. I don’t care about her feelings.”
“Huh…?”
Kouki suppressed a laugh at Yuuto’s dumbfounded expression.
“Just like you said, she’s just a ‘decoration’.”
As if it were obvious,
“I’m expected to be perfect. I have a duty to meet those expectations.”
Gleefully,
“I already have so much, but there’s one thing I don’t have yet. And that’s a ‘girlfriend’.”
He babbled about things Yuuto couldn’t understand.
“There were many women who made advances towards me. But regardless of my preferences, none of them were qualified. I was getting tired of it, and then I found her. A woman who is beautiful in both appearance and personality.”
It was a vulgar smile.
“Well, to be honest, I was surprised and disillusioned by her secret, but it’s still a trivial matter. It’s not a problem as long as the people around us don’t find out. Even if it does spread, if I protect her, my reputation will rise, right?”
–She really was a convenient woman.
Yuuto’s consciousness momentarily faded at Kouki’s words.
“What are you saying…?”
“From now on, I’ll have her do things that girlfriends do. Make me a Bento Box, spend our breaks together, go on dates on holidays–. The things you two are doing now, right?”
He felt terribly dizzy.
“Next Monday. Before homeroom starts, I’ll go to your classroom and confess to her again. For now, Ichinose-san just needs to reject you and accept me. What happens after that is our business.”
“So… what–“
“Don’t worry, it’s only while we’re students. I don’t mind if you two continue your relationship. You can go on dates, Kiss, or even–sleep together. Well, all after me, though.”
“Enough already, you–!”
“I’ll give you one last chance.”
Kouki showed him the screen of his Smartphone.
“I suffered humiliation at your hands. You rejected my confession and tarnished my life. Twice. I can’t forgive you two. This is also Revenge.”
But, he continued.
“Show me your sincerity. If you do, I’ll reconsider.”
“…”
Kamijou Yuuto couldn’t understand Mikado Kouki.
The man before him was fundamentally different from him.
Considering their relationship, it was just that a boy confessed to a girl he liked and was rejected, and then confessed again, but was rejected again because she was already dating the person she liked–that was all.
That’s how it should have ended.
His claims were not even slightly justifiable.
“You’re not serious after all.”
Yuuto took out his Smartphone from his pants and showed it to Kouki this time.
“I’ve been recording our conversation. If your parents or the school find out about this, you’re done for. Don’t get involved with us anymore!”
They each brandished their Smartphones at each other.
It was a situation where they were pointing Muzzles at each other’s foreheads.
It should have been even.
But,
“So, what if you did? This ‘last chance’ applies to me too, you know?”
Mikado Kouki smiled faintly.
“As I said before, my life was perfect until you guys messed it up. And my life has no meaning unless it’s perfect.”
“……?”
As expected, Yuto doesn’t understand.
“Do you know what people think of me now? I’m the nuisance who interferes with you two lovebirds. This isn’t what I wanted, it’s not what was expected of me. So, as it is, I have no meaning. To return to my perfect self, the girl who rejected me must choose me, accept me, and the people around us must acknowledge that she desires me.”
I don’t even want to understand.
“So, if that doesn’t happen, everything is meaningless. A meaningless me has no value.”
If he can’t have Ayano Ichinose, he’s willing to go down with her.
He’s not afraid to drag others into his self-destruction.
–He’s insane. Mikado Kouki is completely insane.
He operated his Smartphone.
The image in question was sent, and immediately a read receipt appeared.
After a short pause, he received a reply: “Entering operation.”
“Actually, I’ve already prepared an ‘ura-aka’ under her name. I’ll post edited photos and her address with the caption, ‘I’m doing compensated dating. Feel free to reach out.’ Those sleazy middle-aged guys will be ecstatic. Of course, if the school or police get involved, I’ll spill everything at that point.”
Kouki grinned triumphantly.
“Well, you two can only be a couple openly until tomorrow. You should enjoy it while you can. Either way, make sure it becomes your ‘last good memory’, okay?”
“――――”
Words failed him.
Kouki left the scene.
Yuto silently watched him go.
“――――っ, ah……”
Yuto, with trembling hands, operated his Smartphone and stopped the recording.
His breathing was off. His body felt heavy. His mind wasn’t working properly.
But he understood.
If his claims were true, Ayano would be used.
If she refused, her secret would be exposed.
He had evidence of his scheme, but Mikado Kouki said that if things didn’t go as he wanted, including himself, it would all be meaningless.
He didn’t care about his own destruction.
Their values didn’t align with his.
Therefore, negotiations were impossible.
There were no more moves left to make?
“……”
If Ayano would be hurt no matter what, should he just kill her with his own hands?
He understood that it would be him betraying and hurting her more than anyone else, but he thought that was the only way to stop that man.
More than anything, Kamijou Yuto couldn’t suppress his irritation.
It was disgusting, hateful, unbearable.
He weakly, yet resolutely, took a step forward.
“——No. Don’t go.”
Ayano hugged him from behind, stopping him.
“Ayano……?”
“Don’t go……anywhere——”
Her warmth and sobbing voice cooled his head.
She seemed to have heard the whole story through the intercom.
“I’m sorry, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay by Ayano’s side.”
Supporting the trembling Ayano, he entered the House.
He went up the entrance and tried to return to the living room, but on the way, Ayano’s body lost its strength, and they both collapsed, unable to support her.
“Ayano……っ!”
He hugged her, who was trembling as if frozen.
For how long, they snuggled together to warm each other,
“I’m sorry,”
Ayano muttered.
“Because I was seen by him, because those photos were taken. ——If I had just told Yuto from the beginning that I loved him……maybe this wouldn’t have happened——”
“That’s not true. It’s not Ayano’s fault.”
Yuto hugged Ayano tighter.
“Mikado is just thinking about himself. A reckless idiot is the worst kind. Besides, I couldn’t do anything either. I couldn’t protect Ayano. ——I’m sorry.”
They clung to each other’s warmth, seeking solace.
That alone reassured him.
That’s why he was so anxious about what was to come.
“……Please, Yuto——”
Ayano buried her face in his chest,
“With me——”
For her sake, she pleaded with her beloved.