Every Sin Deserves Punishment - Chapter 16: The Devil's Friend

Chapter 16: The Devil’s Friend

The incident at the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library. The encounter at the family restaurant.

I had learned my lesson. I realized that it was my carelessness that led to the risk of encountering Nakiri. I gave Yoshiki the money for the order at the family restaurant and told him that from now on, I would only teach him in the school building.

Yoshiki takes a break during his free time. During lunch and after school, he heads to the gym to play basketball. Although I didn’t have a chance to teach him any problem-solving methods, he seemed to have studied on his own. Yoshiki passed his midterm exams without failing any subjects.

Summer vacation arrived.

I imagined outings to the sea or mountains. I met up with the group I got to know at school, and we mingled, boys and girls, exchanging smiles. I approached the person I liked and took a step forward from being just friends with her. It was something I couldn’t do, and I felt so envious that tears almost came to my eyes.

As usual, I participated in volunteer activities. My task was to support a forest school program. I was assigned to a group of elementary school students and helped them with orienteering. This time, there were other boys and girls besides me. We introduced ourselves briefly and waited for the start time.

I stood on the podium, prompted by the teacher in charge. The gazes of boys and girls, both hugging their knees, were fixed on me. Even though they were small elementary school students, the gathering of more than a hundred of them was quite intimidating. I mingled with the other volunteers, maintaining a smile as I introduced myself.

The teacher in charge took a deep breath. The start of the orienteering was announced. We joined our assigned groups and dispersed with the elementary school students. Trees, trees, and more trees were everywhere. The scent of the earth and grass stimulated my senses, reminding me of the campfire held during my elementary school days. I remembered a time when Nakiri and I held hands and danced silently in front of the trees shrouded in darkness, creating an odd atmosphere. By then, I must have already been conscious of Nakiri. If I had confessed my feelings and she had reciprocated, would our future have been different from what it is now?

I shook my head. It was a meaningless thought; people can’t go back to the past no matter what. I never confessed my feelings, and I let go of Nakiri’s hand, which led to her being hit by a car. No matter how much I regret it, my reality remains the same.

I continued as a support staff, walking behind the elementary school students and observing their lively backs.

It was surprising. I thought my heart would be more restless. Even though the past was settled, the fact that I was bullied in elementary school remained unchanged. I was prepared for at least some palpitations, but it seemed like an unnecessary worry. Perhaps I had finally come to terms with it, at least to some extent.

“Ichigaya-san.”

The one who called out to me was a fellow support staff member, a boy of the same age as me, I think his name was Sada-san.

I raised the corners of my mouth instinctively.

“What is it?”

“I don’t have anything particular to say, but I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk to you.”

“I’m surprised you can act like that around me, considering my appearance.”

The stereotype of blonde hair equating to delinquency is flawed, but there are still many such prejudices in Japan. At Seiki High School, it’s up to the students’ discretion, but I’ve heard that in other schools, even if your natural hair color is blonde or brown, you’re forced to dye it black. Whether this is true or not, it’s common knowledge that blonde hair is generally avoided.

“Well, you’re a little scary, but I thought this might be the only chance to talk to you.”

“A once-in-a-lifetime encounter, huh? Well, it’s a different school, after all.”

“Huh?”

Sada-san blinked and let out a small laugh.

“I guess you didn’t realize it, but we’re from the same school.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Were you only looking at Nakiri-san?”

“Well, not exactly…”

I averted my gaze. I couldn’t even remember the names of half of my classmates, let alone those of the same age from other classes. I had no argument against the statement that I only had my eyes on Nakiri.

“Hey, how long are you two going to keep talking? Introduce me too!”

A drawn-out voice spread. A girl with a flashy appearance stood there. Her natural blonde hair was loosely curled and hidden under a round hat. Her body’s curves defied her casual clothing, proudly displaying her voluptuous figure. Despite our apparent differences, I didn’t feel the urge to avoid her. The innocence remaining on her face evoked a sense of familiarity.

“Eh… But we’re in the middle of a conversation.”

“You can have a cozy chat at night with him. You’re in the same cabin, right?”

“Okay, okay, your highness.”

Sada-san held out his palm in exasperation. A bright smile appeared on the girl’s face.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kanase Nanaka from Class 2. It was unfortunate about Nakiri-san. I didn’t think Sogou-san was such a terrible person.”

Sogou. It was a name I didn’t want to hear. Even my classmates who enjoyed being spectators refrained from mentioning that name in front of me. It was either a sign of great courage or a lack of awareness that it was a bad thing that made her even mention him.

However, I wasn’t as angry as I thought I’d be. Perhaps it was due to the innocence emanating from Kanase-san. I was at a loss for how to respond.

“Huh? Didn’t you call him Sogocchi?”

“Did I? I forgot.”

Kanase-san laughed it off. Despite the peaceful atmosphere, I felt like the colors in my vision were dimming.

Sogocchi. It was a nickname that suggested a close relationship. Could these two be acquaintances of Sogou? If so, was this encounter intentional? I couldn’t stop the suspicion that was bubbling up inside me.

“Ichigaya-san, your face looks scary! Don’t get the wrong idea. I understand your suspicion, but I’ve already cut ties with Sogou.”

My thoughts must have been written all over my face. Sada-san looked startled and began to explain. It wasn’t so much that he was afraid of being seen as Sogou’s kind, but rather, he seemed afraid of me. The nickname ‘For The Sake Of Lovei’ carries a mocking connotation, but the most common sentiment is one of fear. He must have been worried about what would happen if he became a target.

I forced a smile onto my face.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hold a grudge. You can relax.”

Sada-san breathed a sigh of relief, and I could see through my vision that he was genuinely relieved, which made me feel guilty.

“That’s good. You might not believe it, but we’re actually grateful to you. Especially Kanase, who was being targeted by that psychopath.”

“You mean Sogou, right? In that case, so he’s a dark empath?”

“Dark empath? What’s that? It sounds cool!”

Sada-san’s eyes sparkled. He was a stranger, so I held back my exasperation and continued.

“A true psychopath is cold and indifferent. They lack empathy and will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. On the other hand, a dark empath is someone who gets close to others. They pretend to be good people and try to manipulate others to become their puppets.”

Sogou manipulated Mibu and our classmates to exclude me and make Nakiri his. It was an act that a mere psychopath couldn’t accomplish. Until the very end, he never got his hands dirty. When we faced the next human-shaped opponent, what should we do? We still haven’t found the answer.

“Wow, that’s harsh. Ichigaya-san was Nanaka’s savior.”

“Was I being targeted?”

“Weren’t you aware of it? It was quite obvious.”

“Was it?”

“Poor you. Even that jerk makes me feel a little sorry for him.”

“That’s so mean!”

Kanase-san puffed out her cheeks, and Sada-san’s laughter filled the quiet forest. The carefree interaction between the young man and woman was the epitome of youth. Sogou had been part of the same group as these two while I was misunderstanding Nakiri. During that time, the devil was enjoying a student life filled with smiles. In the face of this fact, I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

Regardless of my inner turmoil, the orienteering activity continued. We chatted casually, gave advice to the elementary school students, and reached the goal point, marking our completion by stepping on the designated spot on the map. The other group members also left their footprints, and the space became livelier with increasing commotion.

It was around lunchtime. We dispersed and used the facilities to cook the ingredients we had brought. The sound of a knife hitting the cutting board spread. The smell of burning firewood filled the air, followed by the distinctive aroma of curry roux tickling my nostrils.

“It smells good! I’m getting hungry!”

“Nanaka eats a lot but doesn’t gain weight. I’m so jealous!”

I noticed that a short-haired girl had joined the group. Judging by her attitude, she was undoubtedly a friend of Kanase-san, and they seemed to have been assigned to a different group.

“I’ve heard that a lot. I have a body that only gains weight where it should.”

Kanase-san proudly puffed out her ample chest. Ignoring her proud smile, the short-haired girl shook her hands nervously. It seemed that Kanase-san had a unique body type where she didn’t gain weight despite overeating due to inefficient nutrient absorption.

What about Nakiri? The Clothing Club is an indoor club, but her outstanding proportions remained unchanged from the entrance ceremony, several months ago. It wasn’t just a unique body type; she probably ran diligently in private. That seemed more like the Nakiri I knew.

“Shut up!”

The atmosphere in the room grew tense. I focused my attention in the direction where the sound came from. Four boys were facing a single girl. Three of them were sneering, while one boy seemed excited. The girl, looking troubled, furrowed her brows in a distressed expression. It seemed less like a fight and more like the excited boy had pushed the girl away.

“Don’t talk to me anymore.”

The four boys turned their backs, and the girl looked down, dejected.

The wind blew past me. The golden hair swayed and moved away.

“Hey! Why are you being so mean to her?”

I couldn’t help but stare. Kanase-san had gone to scold a boy she didn’t know. Her directness was impressive, and I couldn’t help but take off my hat to her.

“What’s with this woman?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“It is my business! Boys should be kind to girls, right?”

The scene of an older person admonishing a child was admirable, but this method of scolding was a bad move for boys of this age. The four boys exchanged glances and voiced their displeasure, their expressions turning sour.

“Shut up, old hag!”

“What? That’s rude! I’m only sixteen!”

“To us, you’re an old hag!”

“I’m getting angry now!”

“Wow, the old hag is losing it!”

“Run away!”

As expected, one of the boys ran off with a smug grin. I thought they would disappear from sight, but the boy at the back of the group turned around. He glanced briefly at Kanase-san—or more accurately, at the girl left behind—before turning his back and running off again. It’s common for someone fleeing to check behind them, but there was something about the way he looked back, as if he were reluctant to leave, that unnervingly caught my attention.