Episode 151: Cornered

The time rewinds just a little, back to the Chairman’s Office at the Nishikawa Headquarters.

「Yamazaki-san… I’ve looked out for you because of our personal relationship, but this is too much. Especially involving high schoolers, I can’t overlook this.」

The news doesn’t register. High schoolers? I haven’t heard a single report about that.

「As a business, you might dabble in gray zones. But this is too far. It’s criminal.」

The monitor in front of me showed the footage of the mixer Kazuma was holding just a moment ago. Even though it’s supposed to be a networking event, they’re just acting like idiots.

They didn’t even bother to have a fake meeting or an interview for appearances.

And involving the staff of our business partners… his words were too blatant and direct.

…And they’re classmates?

Knock knock…

「Enter.」

Click.

「Excuse me. Executive Managing Director Satsukawa of Saba Electronics has arrived.」

Letting someone in at a time like this meant the visitor was planned from the start.

And when it comes to Executive Managing Director Satsukawa of Saba Electronics… I don’t know him personally, but even I know the name.

Why at this timing…?

「Well, well, Satsukawa-san, it’s been a while.」

「President Nishikawa, you look well. My daughter was in your care… sorry for the trouble.」

Looking at the two of them talk so familiarly, it seemed they had a personal connection outside of work.

Nishikawa Group and Saba Electronics, both giants in their respective fields.

「No, Eri and I were saved thanks to your daughter. I’m the one who should thank you.」

Since the name Eri came up, it means the children are connected too.

「Let me introduce you. This is the Representative Director of Yamazaki Industries, Yamazaki-san.」

「Nice to meet you. Oh, no need for business cards. This is the last time we’ll meet, after all.」

Executive Managing Director Satsukawa’s way of speaking was beyond rude by business standards.

But he clearly knew that and was saying it on purpose.

It seems he has the same goal as President Nishikawa…

「We don’t do direct business with your company, but I’ve put out an alert to every single affiliate of Saba Electronics regarding this matter… so you won’t be hearing your name around anymore.」

In other words, he’d be targeted by not only the Nishikawa Group and its affiliates, but Saba Electronics and its related companies too.

Loans, credits, work… all cut off. And on top of that, this situation.

What… it really is the end, isn’t it?

My head won’t spin. I can’t understand what’s happening.

The end? My company?

What did we do?

I just continued doing exactly what I’ve always done.

Where did it go wrong?

Where? The answer is obvious.

Kazuma… that idiot…

Yamazaki suddenly started raving.

「Are you guys crazy!? Why are you flirting in this situation!?」

When did it get like this…?

Ah, I guess once I started praising Sara-san, I couldn’t stop.

Reluctantly, I tried to pull away, but Sara-san wouldn’t let go of me yet.

「What a truly noisy man. You’re ruining the mood. Especially when Kazunari-san was finally acting spoiled.」

Sara-san’s out-of-place rebuttal was probably 100% serious.

I can’t see them, but I feel like everyone’s looking at us with cold eyes.

「S-Sara-san, I’m gonna pull away now!」

When I said that, Sara-san finally let go. She looked a bit dissatisfied, but…

She looked into my eyes, gave a firm nod, and then focused her gaze on Yamazaki and Yuzuha again.

「…Are you jealous, by any chance? A piece of trash like you won’t manage that in a lifetime, you know? Not even a tenth of what Kazunari-san has… no, that’s an impossible number too. It’s impossible for you to be happy like us.」

Sara-san looked at Yamazaki with eyes full of pity, like she was looking at a truly pathetic person.

From Yamazaki’s perspective right now, it must feel like he’s being massively mocked.

…She’s not being serious, is she?

Looking at Nishikawa-san, she shot me a quick look of exasperation.

「What the hell are you talking about!!!! Happiness? Who cares about that!?」

Being mocked from a completely unexpected angle, Yamazaki barked like he was losing it.

「I just pity you. You’ve never felt happy, have you? Using people, plotting against them… you always thought about nothing but trashy things. That was fun for you, wasn’t it?」

「Huh? …Huh?」

Yamazaki seemed like he couldn’t understand what was being said to him at all.

Thinking about it normally, there doesn’t seem to be anything in him that could feel happiness.

「I’m very happy now. I have a precious person named Kazunari-san, and I have close friends… I’m always smiling and having fun… you’ve never felt that way, have you? How about you, Sasagawa-san? Were you happy being this man’s lover? If so, you’re a truly saintly person.」

Yuzuha had been looking at Yamazaki sadly ever since she saw us. She didn’t answer Sara-san’s question and just kept staring at him.

「…Hey, Kazuma-kun. Was I really a plaything? Were you only planning to use me? You acted like you were having so much fun. You gave me advice, we went out so much… we even…」

Yuzuha asked Yamazaki while clenching her hands to hold back the sadness.

Yuzuha definitely has a childish side, but she must have really liked Yamazaki.

She probably already knew the answer, but she couldn’t help but ask… that’s how it felt.

「…Yeah. I always thought you were a pain, annoying, a stupid woman. I never liked you once.」

On top of being sulky, Yamazaki had nothing left to lose and had given up. It didn’t look like a normal conversation could happen anymore.

Hearing the answer she already knew, Yuzuha slumped.

「Hah… I’ve seen plenty of hopeless idiots before… but the world is a wide place to have such a worthless human being.」

When Sara-san started talking again, a look of anger appeared on Yamazaki’s face once more.

「This bitch… looking at me like I’m an idiot…」

「Not ‘like,’ you are a certified, genuine idiot.」

Sara-san glared at Yamazaki with a look of pure anger.

「Why you—」

「Shut up, trash. Crawling around like a cockroach behind the scenes, overstepping your bounds with your non-existent wisdom. This is the result you invited. How does it feel to lose everything? Laugh. Isn’t this what you wanted?」

「Wha, wha—」

「Never knowing happiness, seeing everything as money or gain, and your only joy being the misery of others… such a shallow human. Perfectly you, isn’t it? Your paper-mache exterior is so thin I can see your filthy nature through it.」

Sara-san just kept tearing into Yamazaki, not letting him argue back. She must have been really stressed out because she wouldn’t stop.

…And there’s only one thing an idiot does when they can’t win with words. I stayed on high alert.

「I will never forgive anyone who makes Kazunari-san suffer. To make it clear even to your brain that lacks intellect, I’ve already ended everything for you. So, literally, go to ruin…」

Before Sara-san could finish, Yamazaki moved fast.

Sara-san seemed to have expected it and braced herself, but I jumped out in front of her.

It would’ve been cool if I could’ve stopped Yamazaki’s arm perfectly, but unfortunately, that wasn’t happening.

Sure enough, Yamazaki’s fist came at me, slipping right past my hands. Impact hit my right cheek like it was being sucked in.

But I didn’t let the impact push me back.

With Sara-san behind me, I planted my feet and braced.

As the impact settled, I grabbed Yamazaki’s right arm. He tried to shake me off, but it seemed I was stronger… or maybe Yamazaki was just weak.

Before I could hit him back, I decided to give him one last jab.

「…Thanks, because of you guys, I met the best woman in the world. When I think about this luck, the past is just a small stone named Yamazaki that I tripped over.」

「A small stone!?」

「Yeah, a small stone. You—」

Thud…

WHACK!!!

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Why?

Because Yamazaki, whose arm was still held by me, couldn’t react to Sara-san suddenly approaching and was pushed away.

He stumbled back, and though he managed to stop, he’d lost his balance. In that moment, a slap hit his right cheek with incredible force, and he collapsed.

「You trash… to Kazunari-san… I’ll never forgive you!!!!」

Sara-san shouted at Yamazaki, looking more furious than I’d ever seen her before.

Yamazaki, who had fallen from the sudden impact, scrambled to get up, but Sara-san approached him with incredible speed as if she’d been waiting for him.

WHACK!!!

A beautiful, high-pitched sound echoed through the venue, like an instrument being struck.

This one was even more intense. Yamazaki, who was pushing his upper body up, was hit on the right cheek so hard he collapsed back onto the floor.

Wait… I was the one who was supposed to hit him back…

「Not only did a piece of trash like you make Kazunari-san suffer, you made him anxious and gave him so much stress! Your very existence is a nuisance!!! Since you’ve lost everything, you’re an eyesore, so just disappear already!!!」

Sara-san, who was shouting at the fallen Yamazaki, had completely snapped and didn’t seem to see anything around her anymore.

「Hieee…」

「Crap… that person is scary…」

「S-she’s amazing…」

Next to Hanako-san and Todo-san, who were holding hands and shaking, Tachikawa-san was staring at Sara-san with starry eyes.

Nishikawa-san and Hayato just looked stunned.

「All of your actions, including hitting Kazunari-san, have been recorded on video.」

She told that to Yamazaki and the person who came to report to him. That person didn’t seem to understand the situation and was just flustered.

「I’ll gather all of it later and add it to the evidence of your crimes. Be prepared…」

Whether he lacked the will to stand or the strength to argue back, Yamazaki didn’t show any reaction as he lay there.

Sara-san gave him one last glance as if she had no more interest in him and returned to my side.

Seeing that, Nishikawa-san gave instructions to the guards and the man.

「Well, you came to call for this man, didn’t you? We’ll let you drag him away, so take him with you!!」

Yamazaki was forced up by the guards and stood, but he was limp as if he didn’t even have the will to stand on his own.

Was it the shock of being beaten by a woman…?

Was it the realization that he’d lost everything…?

Was he thinking about what was to come…?

Without a single word, without looking at us, or Yuzuha, or anyone, he was halfway dragged out of the venue.

Nothing but bad things were waiting for him now.

That much was certain…