After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 53

When I finished reading the last page of the notebook, a cold shiver ran down my back.

At first, I thought it was because the sun had gone down and the air had gotten cooler, but that wasn’t it.

My head hurt badly, and my heart was pounding.

The memories I tried so hard to forget. Realizing that all of them had been wrong made cold sweat drip down my face.

“(Hey, Yuu-chan. Did you remember?)”

“─Gasp.”

Without a sound, a whisper touched my ear from behind the bench.

My body froze.

I already knew who was standing there.

And I understood why she had set up such a big plan to lead me here.

I gathered my courage and tried to turn around.

But─.

“Wait.”

“…”

“Stay like that. Keep looking forward.”

Her voice was gentle and calm. But for some reason, it also felt cold.

I swallowed and did as she said, sitting still on the bench.

In front of me, the red sunset shone through the gaps in the trees, making the surface of the lake sparkle.

“…Is that you, Serena?”

“…Yeah.”

Suou Serena.

That was the name I heard back in middle school. Her last name changed, I had guessed the reason from the diary I just read.

But her first name…?

“It’s my second name. It’s Serena Ray on official papers.”

“…I see.”

She answered as if she could read my thoughts. It made sense looking at her now.

She was probably half or a quarter foreign.

Before we met, she must have gone through a lot. Her striking looks could help her or hurt her.

That’s why she had changed her appearance before.

“Can I ask something?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened…?”

Even without saying his name, Serena would know who I meant.

After reading the notebook, the mask had fallen off her.

No, her mask had already been cracking for a while now.

I hated him so much. That’s why I needed to know.

Serena had been with him just a short time ago… No, he isn’t dead, right?

“He’s fine.”

The bench creaked as Serena placed her hand on the back of it from behind.

She let out a small laugh.

I let out a breath of relief.

“That is if he’s still alive.”

“─What!?”

N-no way?

“He might be dying somewhere right now.”

I didn’t have to look to know that Serena was smiling, a twisted smile on her beautiful face.

“…What did you do?”

Even if something changed inside her that day, I didn’t want to believe she would cross that line.

“No way, did you use that knife─”

“…”

A knife!?

“─For him to get scared and run away from a toy like that.”

“A-a toy…”

“Yeah. A toy.”

I let out a sigh at those words.

I still didn’t know what exactly happened, but judging from how she spoke, he probably wasn’t dead. Probably… maybe. Honestly, I wasn’t very confident.

“Do you want to know how it ended?”

“…I-I’ll pass.”

I shook my head.

I didn’t know what happened, but I felt it was better not to find out.

“I see… that’s too bad.”

She really did sound disappointed.

I could hear the enjoyment in her voice.

“Can you tell me what happened from that day until now?”

“Yeah. Of course. That’s why I’m here. You need to know.”

“…”

A chill ran down my spine, but I kept listening closely to every word that came from her lips.

＊＊＊

I never told Yuu-chan about my family.

My family was very poor.

My father barely worked, and we survived only on my mother’s part-time job.

Even so, he hit us, made debts, and was the worst kind of person.

I hated him.

And I also hated my mother, who always defended him, even when she was the one suffering the most.

That day, my family had to run away in the middle of the night.

Debt collectors came because of the money my father owed, so we had no choice.

Well, that part I can accept.

Even if my parents were trash, I didn’t blame them for the night escape itself.

What I can’t forgive is having to say goodbye to you without explaining anything.

Because of my disgusting father and mother and because of that filthy Shindou, I was forced to be separated from you.

Maybe I broke a little at that moment.

Because of Shindou’s lies, I shut myself away for a while.

But one day, I learned you had stopped going to school by chance.

I decided to find out the reason. No matter what.

It didn’t matter how far away we lived.

I asked many people.

I found someone’s weakness and used it to threaten them.

I did everything I had to do to learn the truth.

Ah, but don’t worry. I kept my virginity.

After finding out the truth about Shindou, I made a plan to see you again.

First, I would throw Shindou into a deep hell.

Then, I would go to the same high school as you and take everything back for you.

And this time, we would tie our love together with an even stronger bond.

To make the plan go smoothly, I had to erase myself once.

So I cut off my parents.

I faked evidence of violence and sexual abuse, got them arrested, and forced them to divorce, so I could change my last name.

Well, it wasn’t all lies.

It’s true they hit me and even tried to assault me.

After that, I went to live with my mother’s parents, far away. They didn’t know anything.

I started over from the beginning.

Once I entered high school, everything was exactly as written in my diary.

I worked hard to improve Shindou’s reputation.

I watched over you from the shadows.

I followed where you went.

I analyzed your patterns.

I collected things you no longer needed.

I returned things you forgot, left items you liked, checked your social media, and liked all your posts.

I removed anyone who might get in your way, other than Shindou.

I took photos.

Exchanged personal items.

Collected your hair.

Got your bodily fluids.

And I kept loving you.

Just when the year of preparation was about to end, she transferred in.

Sena-san.

I learned she also hated Shindou, thanks to the notebook she dropped.

It contained everything. Her past, her heavy feelings, her own plans.

So I decided to bring her into the plan.

All I had to do was not return the notebook.

Then she naturally started carrying out her own plan.

Next was Orihara-san.

I heard rumors that she was looking for the person who had helped her once.

I also learned who that “savior” was.

When I saw her sniffing a handkerchief I recognized, it was easy to figure out the rest.

I was a little annoyed.

She was holding something I gave you.

Hehe, I’m joking.

I haven’t done anything to her yet.

So, to stir up her emotions, I made a notebook and dropped it where she’d find it.

I copied part of Sena-san’s notebook and adjusted it a bit.

I needed Orihara-san’s heavy emotions, no matter what.

And she really did it beautifully.

She prepared something that described her past and the feelings tied to it.

So I picked it up.

Then I pretended to be someone anonymous and told her that Shindou, the filthy one, was her “savior,” making her believe it.

After that… you already know.

Shindou relied completely on Sena-san’s control and lost the ability to do anything on his own.

He fed on Orihara-san’s dependence to feel superior, gaining the illusion of being capable when he really wasn’t.

Then, he pushed everyone away and ended up alone under my influence.

Everything went exactly as planned. The filthy Shindou fell deeper and deeper.

And after that… you already understand, don’t you?

＊＊＊

“Gasp.”

After hearing everything, my whole body started shaking and wouldn’t stop.

“…Why did it have to be Ethics class?”

“I wanted you to understand. To know what this revenge really was.”

“…”

From an ethical point of view.

Could her revenge be considered right?

What she did was because of what Shindou did.

She could say it was karma, a natural payback.

But from the view of someone who knows nothing, they might think she went too far.

Driving someone into despair, cornering them mentally. Is that really the right thing?

That was the meaning behind my question.

She was asking me if I could accept the person she had become. At least, that’s how it felt.

I was hit with so many sudden truths that my head was spinning.

Maybe I was overthinking it.

…But I needed time before I could give her an answer.

Even so, there were still things that didn’t fit after hearing the story.

There were things she avoided talking about. I was sure of it.

The biggest question was this.

Why did she include the other two girls in her plan?

Their beloved person… which was me. It was like she was adding rivals on purpose.

If what she told me was true, Serena could have easily removed them from the picture.

So then, why?

“Why did you show me Mizuki’s and Yukina’s notebooks… And your own diary?”

“Hehe.”

Serena let out a small laugh.

“…It’s your punishment.”

“─Gasp.”

Punishment?

For what…?

“(For making all of us fall apart. For making us love you this much, and for not noticing any of it.)”

A chill ran down my spine as she whispered behind me.

“Look.”

Her hand came from behind and pointed forward while pulling my gaze ahead.

There, through the gaps in the trees, the bright evening sun reflected off the lake’s surface, forming a glowing ring of light.

“““Now we can be together forever.”””

◇◇◇

Afterword

Excuse me for the afterword today as well.

I’ve been doing my best with the horror tag.

The next chapter will be the epilogue.

This story became pretty heavy, with lots of explanations.

Well, things moved quickly around this part, so I think there are a few points people might wonder about. Some of that was on purpose…?

I also received some comments asking for an after story, or scenes about what happens with everyone afterward. So here’s a small note.

Thank you very much for all the wonderful comments.

The next chapter will be the end of this arc, but depending on the results of the GA contest, I may write more.

If everything up to now is the revenge arc, then the continuation would be like a different arc.

I already have a rough outline in mind. I really hope it can get published as a book (seriously).

But since the Kakuyomu contest is also starting soon, I’ll be ending this part for now.

So yes, the next chapter will be the final one, an epilogue.

I hope you stay with me until the very end.

Reviews, stars, and comments are always welcome.