Episode 139: The Man Named Yamazaki

「And well… that’s how it is.」

I finished giving them the rundown on Yamazaki and Yuzuha and took a breath.

This time, I left out the emotional stuff I told Sara-san, like how isolated I was and how I felt by the time I graduated.

If I’d gone that far, the story would’ve been way too long.

While I was talking, Sara-san stayed close to me in silence, her hand resting on my arm.

Since everyone already knew the most important parts, I wasn’t that anxious, but having her there still gave me the courage to speak calmly.

「So, the reason you couldn’t be firm with that childhood friend until the end was because, deep down, you couldn’t bring yourself to fully hate her?」

Natsumi-san seemed curious about that part and asked me directly.

「It’s hard to explain. Looking back now, I guess I could’ve done something extreme like filing a police report, but at least for a while, I really wanted Yuzuha to go back to how she used to be.」

I’d watched over her for so long that I understood why she’d become so twisted.

That’s why I just couldn’t…

「Wait, did you actually like that girl, Takanashi-kun?」

「…!?」

She hit the nail right on the head… why is she so sharp about stuff like this?

She hasn’t noticed anything about Hayato at all, though.

「I knew it. I guess that was acting as an unconscious brake, huh?」

I wonder.

At least toward the end, I definitely felt like I couldn’t forgive her.

「U-um, Kazunari-san…」

Sara-san spoke to me, looking incredibly anxious.

She’s probably worried about the part where I liked Yuzuha.

「It’s okay. You’re the only one I love, Sara-san. Besides, I’ve decided to crush Yuzuha… along with Yamazaki.」

To put Sara-san at ease and to let everyone know my resolve, I said exactly what I’d decided earlier.

「Crush… them?」

Maybe because I used such strong language, Sara-san looked like she couldn’t quite grasp my true meaning.

Natsumi-senpai and Hayato seemed unsure how to react, too.

「Sorry, I know I’m saying something extreme. But even if I try to forget, even if I try to get away, they’re the ones who came after me like this.

This time it was just me, but there’s a chance Hayato is already being targeted by Yuzuha for something. And… if anything happened to Sara-san, I’d…」

Natsumi-senpai and Hayato nodded, seemingly understanding what I was trying to say. Sara-san looked lost in thought, while Todo-san just stared at me.

「If they’re gonna be this persistent, I’ve got no choice but to settle things once and for all. Whether it’s the police or socially or whatever, I’ll make it so they can’t do anything stupid, to the point where they won’t even be able to think about messing with us.」

I think I know what I’m saying.

It’s definitely not a praiseworthy act, and even as I’m saying it, I feel a sense of wrongness, like this isn’t me.

I even feel scared of what I’m trying to do… so at the very least, I won’t do anything criminal. I won’t do anything that would disillusion Sara-san… or make her cry.

Maybe she felt my internal conflict, because Sara-san, who’d been listening in silence until then, gently hugged me.

「Kazunari-san, I don’t want to force you down a path that scares you. However, if those two continue to exist as they are now, it’s clear they’ll keep doing unnecessary things.」

While slowly stroking my head, she spoke in a calm, careful tone.

I listened quietly, waiting for her to continue.

「To be blunt, I can’t forgive those two from the start. Between their foolishness toward you and this recent incident, I absolutely cannot forgive them for pushing a kind person like you this far. So, Kazunari-san…」

She took her hand off my head and moved back slightly so we were looking at each other from a close distance. Sara-san looked me straight in the eye.

「I’ll follow your lead. To me, it’s obvious that letting those two roam free will only lead to more grief for you. If that’s the case, I have no hesitation in removing them. If this is a sin, I’ll gladly carry it with you.」

So don’t be afraid to move forward…

I felt like her eyes were saying that.

Of course, I don’t plan on doing anything I shouldn’t, and I firmly vowed to myself that I’d never do anything to make Sara-san sad.

When I nodded, Sara-san smiled and hugged me once more.

「I mean, basically, I just can’t forgive what they did to you, so I want to get back at them.」

She said it in a playful tone, trying to lighten the mood.

Maybe because of that, Natsumi-senpai, Hayato, and Todo-san all relaxed their expressions.

「Honestly, you two just flirt whenever you get the chance! But yeah, I can’t forgive them either. I’d like to make them regret it.」

「Yeah. And even putting Kazunari aside, I’m involved too. Now that I know there’s a chance Yamazaki was involved in Sagawa’s case, I can’t just stay quiet.」

「I’m doing this for my friend, so I’ll cooperate fully! If you’re gonna crush Yamazaki, I’m all for it!」

It was a relief that everyone seemed to back my decision.

But hearing the word「crush」come from the cute Todo-san felt a bit… off, I guess.

…Wait, Todo-san said she had something to talk about, too.

「Thanks, everyone. By the way, Todo-san, didn’t you have something to talk about?」

「Yes. But before that, I’ll tell you about Yoko… my friend, Tachikawa Yoko. I don’t think I should really tell anyone since it’s about my friend, but I think it’s necessary this time.」

With a shadow falling over her face, Todo-san began to talk bit by bit about her friend.

「The first time I really noticed Yamazaki was after Yoko reported that she’d confessed and got a boyfriend. Yamazaki was famous, so I knew his name, and at first, I even teased her about catching such a handsome guy. But apparently, even back then, Yamazaki was already seeing at least several other women.」

I’d never heard a specific number, but I definitely felt like it wasn’t just one or two. Since they talked about a「collection,」there must have been quite a few.

「There’s a chance he just dates them for fun and tosses them to other guys once he’s bored. In fact, that’s exactly what he was about to do to Yuzuha.」

「That’s the worst. Why would he…」

Natsumi-senpai muttered with a look of pure disgust.

I bet he’s got all sorts of ways, like picking them up at different schools or meeting them through his president-dad’s connections…

「One thing’s for sure: Yamazaki often used his money to show off on dates. He brought brand-name stuff to school, too.」

「Yeah, I’ve seen that before.」

I’d witnessed him acting like he was showing off in the classroom.

I ignored it, but now that I think back, it happened all the time.

「Ugh, what a gross guy.」

「If they’re low-class women who can be swayed by money or looks, then they’re a good match for a piece of trash. He probably used those tactics to collect people outside of school that he doesn’t see every day, don’t you think?」

I think Sara-san is right.

There were probably multiple women like that who were easy to collect.

「Anyway, Yoko didn’t notice it. He always picked her up in a car with a driver for dates, and the locations were always fairly far away. But apparently, she ran into Sasagawa Yuzuha by chance…」

So because they were at the same school, he couldn’t fully hide it…

That’s how it connects to that morning.

「The rest is just like Takanashi-kun’s story. From Yoko’s perspective, it was like being told right in front of Sasagawa Yuzuha that she was just a friend and had no right to act like a girlfriend…」

There’s no doubt he prioritized Yuzuha because she was in his class. And he probably labeled Yoko-san as someone who just had a misunderstanding and pushed all the blame onto her…