Every Sin Deserves Punishment - Chapter 15: The Omnipotence of the 10,000 Yen Note

Chapter 15: The Omnipotence of the 10,000 Yen Note

Once again, we decided to hold a study session. As usual, Yoshiki took the initiative. With the end-of-term exams approaching, he seemed to feel a sense of urgency. He contacted me via a chat app to discuss the study session schedule.

I had no reason to refuse. If I stayed at home alone, I would only end up thinking unnecessary thoughts. It was better to go out, get some fresh air, and study with Yoshiki.

However, I had some concerns. There was a possibility that I might run into Nakiri at our destination. The place Yoshiki suggested was the Tokyo Central Library, the same place I had visited before. It was a popular study spot, and there was a chance that Nakiri might be there to study for her exams.

After some thought, I suggested a family restaurant a little further away. It was the same one that Sogou, Mibu and I had used in the past, and although it held unpleasant memories, I was willing to endure it for the sake of my mental capacity.

I finally got up, got dressed, put on my sneakers, and exposed my hazy mind to the outside air. After a walk that felt like a chore, I stepped into the elevator and experienced a sense of weightlessness as my field of vision expanded. The goofy sound reminiscent of a microwave oven created a unique atmosphere as it delivered the air to the first floor.

I stomped on the entrance floor and stepped onto the concrete ground with a restless heart. Feeling the liberation of being outdoors, I moved forward. The once-fresh cityscape had become a part of my daily routine, and the dazzling smiles of others, which I had found difficult to look at before, now entered my field of vision without any particular emotion.

Getting used to things is scary. Once an event is organized into a memory, most things are transformed into the past, labeled as ‘memories’. Would even these gloomy days eventually become cherished memories?

“Ara, hello.”

The lady from the other day seemed to blend into the scenery of the town. Her mustard-yellow jacket gave off a stylish, sophisticated vibe. The last time we met, she was dressed casually, perfect for picking up trash, so the image flip left me feeling a bit disoriented.

“Do you perhands don’t remember me?”

“No, I do. Hello. Where are you headed today?”

“I’m going shopping. In the era of a hundred-year life, I can’t afford to lose to the younger generation.”

The old lady smiled cheerfully, with the liveliness of a young girl. She seemed even more youthful than me.

“You were also very energetic during the garbage collection. Do you do any sports?”

“I enjoy dancing. It’s a great way to have fun while strengthening my legs and lower back.”

“That’s a healthy hobby. They say that exercising makes you more positive.”

“Yes, like dolphins, isn’t it?”

“You mean endorphins. Serotonin also plays a part.”

“As expected of a student, you’re well-informed. By the way, you’re quite fashionable today. Are you going out with friends?”

“No, I’m going to a family restaurant to study. A friend of mine is struggling with a workbook, so I’m going to help them.”

“You were also teaching a friend the other day. Do you teach them every day?”

“No, I don’t usually go to such lengths. This study session itself was set up at the request of a friend. I guess they’re feeling the pressure with the end-of-term exams approaching.”

The old lady’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You participated in volunteer work even though the end-of-term exams are near?”

I realized my slip of the tongue. The old lady must have also been a student in her youth, and she would have understood the importance of end-of-term exams firsthand. A student’s primary duty is to study, and the value of getting good grades on end-of-term exams is different from that of volunteering.

“Well… that’s not quite right. I had time before the end-of-term exams at that point.”

“You’re a student at Seikis High School, right? If my memory serves me correctly, it was two weeks before the exams at that time.”

This time, it was my turn to be surprised.

“You know my school?”

“I’ve seen you walking in your uniform. It’s one of the top schools in Tokyo, and it often makes the news. Oh, and you caused quite a stir with your school broadcast, didn’t you? You’re quite famous, you know?”

I didn’t even have the leisure to feign an expression. I bitterly curled up the corners of my mouth.

“So you knew and kept quiet about it. You’re quite mean.”

“Oh my! After lying, you call me mean? What a naughty boy.”

I was struck by a mix of shock and exasperation. I felt like I was being toyed with. If I didn’t change the topic, the old lady might start scolding me.

I wouldn’t let that happen. I opened my mouth with the intention of changing the subject.

“Bad news spreads quickly, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. Most news programs mainly report negative things, right? That’s just the way the world is.”

“It’s a tough world.”

“Yes, it is. By the way, children who engage in delinquency often have some kind of problem. What kind of problem do you have?”

“Huh?”

I was caught off guard by the unexpected question, and a strange sound escaped my lips. Before I could even stop to think, the old lady continued.

“Come on, tell grandma all about it.”

She smiled warmly, her expression saying, ‘I won’t let you escape.’ Her playful demeanor also exuded a sense of security, as if she would embrace me tightly. I must have been out of my mind, for my lips opened against my will, as if the contents of my mouth had turned into helium gas.

“I had some issues with an acquaintance, and we ended up cutting ties.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Did your friend do something?”

“No, it was entirely my fault.”

“I see. So, your friend told you to break off the friendship?”

“No, that’s not it.”

The old lady tilted her head and furrowed her brows.

“What do you mean? Don’t tell me, you initiated the break?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re troubled by that? I don’t understand at all.”

“You’re right. To put it simply, I did something I shouldn’t have, so I decided to step back.”

“Why would you do that!?”

Her tone rose, and I was momentarily stunned by her surprise.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Of course, I’m surprised! If the victim were to say they wanted to break off the friendship, I could understand. But for the perpetrator to say that is strange. The other child might be wishing for reconciliation with you.”

“I don’t have the right to do that.”

“Why do you get to decide that? Did someone tell you to do that? Aren’t you just assuming that on your own?”

“Well…”

I unintentionally trailed off. What the old lady said was mostly true. No one had told me to cut ties with Nakiri, and it was me who initiated the break. If she accused me of assuming things, I couldn’t deny it.

But I had my reasons.

The old lady in front of me was an outsider. She was just an ordinary person who had heard rumors and knew me as a troublemaker.

She didn’t know what I was struggling with or what I had done.

And yet, she was telling me that I had assumed Nakiri hated me? I wished she would think before speaking.

I had put a creepy letter in Nakiri’s locker and threw her shoes into the incinerator.

Nagiri may have kept coming to school like it was nothing, but for others, that could’ve been traumatic. She could have easily stopped coming to school.

That’s what I had done. Thinking that she didn’t hate me was overly optimistic.

As I suppressed the frustration that was about to burst out, the old lady clapped her hands in understanding.

“I’ve got it! You’re just scared of being rejected right at your face by her, aren’t you?”

I was taken aback. I blinked and tried to understand the meaning of her words.

“Me, afraid?”

“No matter how you look at it, yes. You did something wrong and feel guilty about it. In that case, you would normally apologize. If you were rejected after apologizing, that’s one thing, but from what I’ve seen, you haven’t apologized. Am I wrong?”

“That’s not…”

True.

I was about to say that, but I stopped. I had something on my mind.

Had I ever apologized to Nakiri?

I did feel that I had done something wrong. I had bowed my head and expressed my willingness to accept punishment.

However, I didn’t think I had actually apologized.

To be honest, apologizing now wouldn’t make much difference. It had been more than a day or two since I had confessed my sins to her at the observation deck. If I were to stand in front of Nakiri now, she’d probably just sneer at me and ask what took me so long.

A tight feeling gripped my chest. I pulled out my smartphone and glanced at the time.

“Oh, it’s already this time. I have to go or I’ll be late for my appointment.”

“Wait, just a minute!”

I left the place at a quick pace and entered the family restaurant, where I was greeted by the sound of a bell. I glanced around the store and saw Yoshiki waving at me.

“Hey, over here!”

Yoshiki waved his arm. This time, he seemed to have kept his promise and arrived on time. I pushed the conversation with the old lady to the back of my mind and sat down across from Yoshiki, looking at the menu.

“Sorry, I need to use the bathroom.”

Yoshiki left his seat and returned to my field of vision a few minutes later. I spread out the workbook and notebook again.

“So, which problem don’t you understand?”

“Don’t rush me. Since we’re here, let’s study while enjoying some delicious food.”

That was my intention for coming to the family restaurant. I carefully examined the photos of the dishes and ordered black coffee and chocolate cake. I ignored Yoshiki’s teasing about my choice of black coffee and taught him how to solve a somewhat difficult problem.

A few minutes later, Yoshiki’s eyebrows formed a ‘ハ’ shape. Behind us, the bell rang to signal the arrival of a customer. I reflexively glanced at the newcomer and then turned back to Yoshiki.

I spun around and did a double-take. In a flash, I slid down in my seat, ducking beneath the table to hide.

Nakiri! Nakiri is here! A graceful figure was standing on the restaurant! Why? How? I didn’t understand at all.

I could guess why she was there. It was probably to study for the end-of-term exams.

But there were plenty of other casual dining places nearby. Why had she come to this family restaurant, which was unnecessarily far from the school? Was she bored, or was her homeroom teacher slacking off?

“What are you doing?”

Yoshiki peered at me with a look of exasperation.

This was bad. Yoshiki was known as my only friend. My presence would be revealed to Nakiri.

“Can you see her panties from there?”

“No!”

I hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand. The incident at the Tokyo Central Library came back to me vividly, and I felt embarrassed.

This place wouldn’t work. Being with Yoshiki was messing with my thoughts. For now, I needed a place and time to come up with a plan.

I told Yoshiki that I was going to the bathroom and stood up, banging my head on the tabletop. I rubbed my head and fled to the bathroom.

“What should I do? How can I…”

I walked around the bathroom with my arms crossed.

My pudding-like hair was well-known. It was impossible to pretend I didn’t know her.

Even if I tried to escape outside, the table we were using was at the back of the restaurant. It would be almost impossible to sneak out without Nakiri noticing. I couldn’t escape like this.

In a way, this might be a chance.

Just as the old lady had pointed out, I hadn’t apologized to Nakiri. This would be the best place to say ‘I’m sorry’.

Wait, what’s the best thing to do? Apologizing because I couldn’t bear the guilt is just self-satisfaction. I wasn’t considering Nakiri’s feelings at all.

It was the same as how I didn’t want to see Sogou and Mibu’s faces again. As a victim, she wouldn’t want to see the perpetrator either. That’s how victims feel.

I had no choice but to escape. But how…

“Phew, that feels better.”

A muscular man walked in front of me. He was wearing a knit hat, a leather jacket, and sunglasses, giving off a slightly intimidating vibe.

I had an idea. I reached out to the man who had just finished washing his hands.

“W-wait, please!”

The large figure stopped. When he turned around, his sharp gaze met mine.

“Wait, did you say that to me?”

I reflexively tried to pull my foot back.

But having called out to him, I couldn’t back down. I took out a 10,000-yen note from my wallet.

“Th-that hat… and the leather jacket and sunglasses, I’ll buy them for 10,000 yen!”

I was just going with the flow, desperately expressing my desire to buy his clothes.

The man’s expression turned to joy.

“R-really? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am.”

“All of them together didn’t even cost 5,000 yen, are you sure it’s okay?”

“Y-yes, I am.”

I panicked and gave a strange response, but the transaction was successfully completed.

I was relieved that he was so easygoing. I bought the clothes I didn’t like for 10,000 yen, covered my pudding hair with the knit hat, and disguised my eyes with sunglasses. I changed my image with the leather jacket and left the bathroom with a calm expression.

I walked past Yoshiki and Nakiri, ignoring the pounding of my heart. I left the restaurant, separated from the inside by a single door, and sighed in relief. I opened the chat app on my smartphone and told Yoshiki to take care of the bill. I quickly left the building.