【022】Ideal

【Hayama Takehiko】

She’s late. …Too late.

Today I had arranged to meet with Inoue. But there was still no sign of her returning. I went back to the station, but she hadn’t come back.

I couldn’t imagine Inoue abandoning a promise.

Recently, she seemed strangely fixated on the Tanaka Akio incident. I thought I should probably give her a lecture soon, and then this happens.

“Oh, Hayama.”

“Chief Noyama.”

On my way from the station back to my car, I ran into Chief Noyama. He seemed to be heading home.

“What’s wrong?”

Chief Noyama was sharp.

He seemed to have noticed my slight change in demeanor.

“Actually, I was supposed to meet Inoue, but I can’t find her… She’s not the type to break a promise, so I’m a bit concerned. Chief Noyama, have you seen her?”

“Hmm, I haven’t. Why don’t you look around the area?”

“Understood. I’ll do that.”

“I’ll contact you if I find her too.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Chief Noyama said this and left.

He really is an incredibly thoughtful person.

“…Well, time to search.”

If I could turn back time.

Why didn’t I tell Inoue earlier not to get too deeply involved in the case?

It’s too late for regrets now.

【Inoue Reina】

…I can see light.

Where is this…?

When I woke up, I was in some dark room.

I was seated in a chair. Handcuffs on my limbs, and for good measure, tied up tightly with rope as well.

I tried moving my body a bit, but I didn’t think I could escape.

“Ah.”

I tried speaking. My voice echoed through the room. I realized this was underground.

…So the culprit really was Nakano Nanaka after all.

I was knocked out with a stun gun and brought to this place.

—Wait. Isn’t something off here?

If Nakano Nanaka killed Tanaka Akio, the method of transporting the body from my earlier theory (see Chapter 010) could more or less fit.

But this time is different.

It happened at a park. Even though the area was dark, there were people around. Even bringing me into this room would have that constraint.

I can’t believe an ordinary high school girl could transport me all by herself.

Impossible to execute alone.

Which means—

“Oh, you’re awake?”

It appeared suddenly.

I was slow to notice her presence.

“Nakano… Nanaka…!!”

“Isn’t it tiring calling me by my full name every time?”

Nakano Nanaka was wearing the same uniform as when we met. With the same atmosphere, she looked at me.

“You killed Tanaka Akio, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah.”

She confessed so easily.

Having the truth I wanted to know so badly presented to me this simply left me dumbfounded instead.

“Why would you…”

“Why?”

Nakano Nanaka tilted her head.

As if to say, what are you talking about?

“Because he insulted my Misa-kun.”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, but listen to this. Actually, I’m dating him now. Does this mean all my efforts have finally paid off? He’s working really hard to be worthy of me. Just watching him makes me so happy.”

“…What are you saying…”

“Like this morning too. Recently, he even cut his hair, which makes him look even cooler. It’s good that his charm is increasing, but bad bugs might gather. It’s quite an effort shaking them off.”

“Misa-kun… that’s Tamura Misaki, right?”

I asked in a trembling voice.

“Yes, that’s right. Why?”

“The false groping accusation! Spreading the rumor that he was a murder suspect! It was all your fault, wasn’t it!? Why would you do things that are bad for someone you love!?”

“That’s fine.”

I don’t understand anymore.

“Misa-kun needs to be unhappy, so his world becomes just him and me. I want all of him. I can devote everything for that. Because I love him.”

The girl before me is a monster.

A monster wearing the skin of a girl.

Evil itself.

I took a breath and glared back at the monster.

“That’s just your twisted ego. Do you know what they call that? Apparently, it’s called yandere these days. In your case, you’re just a murderer who committed a taboo.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

The monster said, eyes wide.

Haha, still saying crazy things.

“Don’t you think love that transgresses taboos is something wonderful? I think crime is about sacrificing yourself. Murder especially is one of the worst crimes. Everyone knows that. They know, so they don’t do it. But are you supposed to abandon love for that? Is love only worth that much? No, right? It should be precious. It should be wonderful. But it’s not clean. That love is filthy, murky, and somehow sickly sweet. Love is something that ensnares people, isn’t it? Don’t you think so too, Inoue-san? You’re in love too, aren’t you? With Hayama Takehiko, right? Your superior? You want to date him, don’t you? You want to have sex with him, don’t you? You want to fall endlessly, don’t you? For his sake, you’d shave off as much of yourself as needed. I just want to devote myself to the person I love. Yandere… Don’t you think that’s a good word? It means you’re sick from loving, right? To be able to devote yourself to someone you love that much—isn’t that ideal? —I think yandere is the ideal self-sacrifice.”

She’s beyond help.

This monster has been broken for a long time.

But I want to say one thing.

I want to tell her.

“You’re just justifying yourself, aren’t you?”

“…What?”

Nakano Nanaka’s expression twitched.

Ah, she’s shaken.

So she does get shaken after all.

“No matter how you dress it up, no matter how much you talk about love. In the end, nothing you did is right. —You’re wrong.”

I said it.

Hey, what kind of face are you making now?

Nakano Nanaka—

“…What?”

I let out a sound when I saw Nakano Nanaka’s face.

“You really are annoying until the very end.”

She was smiling.

No. This is different.

Critically, I was wrong.

She is—

At the same moment I reached that conclusion, my consciousness faded.