Every Sin Deserves Punishment - Chapter 18: Boys' Talk at Night

Chapter 18: Boys’ Talk at Night

After finishing the curry rice made with the elementary school students, we headed to the cabins provided for our stay. The interior, fitting for the wooden exterior, was adorned with natural wood. There were no artificial colors like white or red; the entire space was dominated by shades of brown, except for the window glass.

“Wow, this feels special.”

“This is how an overnight stay should be.”

Sada-san and Ogata-san marveled at the interior, looking up in awe. It had been a while since I had spent the night with my classmates. I tried to maintain a poker face, hiding my excitement and anxiety. We played rock-paper-scissors to decide our sleeping arrangements, and I grabbed a futon from the corner and spread it out on the floor.

We were all set for bed.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, the lights were dimmed, and a lamp was lit. The darkness was partially exposed, and the interior quickly transformed into a setting where ghost stories could begin at any moment. Ogata-san held a lantern-like object in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a lantern-style light. Doesn’t it add to the atmosphere? Let’s begin, boys’ talk.”

“Hey, I have a wonderful suggestion. How about we sleep?”

I’ve been slacking off on my jogging lately, so I’m tired. My eyelids feel heavy, and my consciousness is pleasantly hazy. If I’m going to sleep, now is the time.

“The night is still young.”

“Let’s have a heart-to-heart talk.”

My fleeting wish was brushed aside. The two of them looked lively, as if they belonged to a sports club. Their energy seemed boundless.

“I see. I’m going to sleep, so please keep your voices down.”

I closed my eyes and turned my back to them.

“I’ve always wanted to ask, are you dating Nakiri-san, Ichigaya?”

I opened my eyes with a sigh. It would be easy to ignore them, but we were spending the night together in the same cabin. We would be working together tomorrow too. I couldn’t just brush them off.

I turned my body around.

“No, we’re not dating.”

“Why not?”

“Because I got rejected.”

The two of them widened their eyes.

“Really? After causing such a dramatic incident, it’s unbelievable that you got rejected.”

“It just happened.”

I replied in a flat tone. If I made a poor excuse, they might confront Nakiri. Even if there was some misunderstanding, it was better to say that I was rejected. My first encounter with Sada-san and the others was today. They wouldn’t bombard a rejected person with questions.

“Reality can be cruel.”

A sigh-filled comment shook the air in the room. A story where a love that hasn’t been fulfilled for years finally comes to fruition is dramatic, but reality is usually like this. Most of the time, not even a reunion is possible to change that, and it becomes just a memory. When I think about it this way, I feel fortunate to have met Nakiri again.

“Changing the subject, what did you like about Nakiri-san?”

“Her face, of course.”

For some reason, Ogata-san spoke up. Sada-san frowned.

“I wasn’t asking you, idiot.”

“Why not? I’m sure Ichigaya liked her face too.”

“Who are you talking to? He’s the man who was called ‘For The Sake Of Love.’ Don’t group him with someone like you, the embodiment of lookism.”

“Please stop calling me by that nickname, it’s embarrassing.”

“You’re being picky. There are countless boys in the world who don’t even get a nickname.”

Ogata-san playfully raised his shoulders. Perhaps he wanted a nickname for himself? But having a nickname doesn’t bring any benefits.

Ogata-san leaned forward.

“So, what did you like about Nakiri?”

“Her face.”

“The embodiment of lookism!”

“The embodiment of lookism!”

Their voices overlapped, and Ogata-san seemed to be enjoying himself. Stop looking at me like that. It was just a random lie, you’re not my friend. I won’t deny that Nakiri is beautiful, though.

“Well, that’s that, then.”

“No, no, you’re definitely lying. You’re just giving a random answer because you think it’s a pain in the ass.”

“That’s not true. Good night.”

I turned my back to them again. Something warm landed on my shoulder and started shaking me vigorously.

“Ichigaya!”

“Please, let me sleep…”

“Wake up!”

I sighed deeply in response to their fervent plea.

“What do you two want to hear to be satisfied?”

“Everything, without leaving anything out.”

“Can’t it be just that I enjoyed being together with her?”

“Then it’s no different from being friends.”

“Aren’t you overthinking this? I understand that you’re longing for a dramatic development, but it can also be seen as being carried away by the atmosphere. It’s no different from the suspension bridge effect.”

“Speak for yourself. Was Nakiri-san’s reason for rejecting you also because of that?”

“I think she was put off by the weight of my feelings. I’ve been carrying these feelings for her since elementary school, up until now.”

“That’s indeed heavy.”

“Goo, goo.”

I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I felt like a child who had fallen into a deep slumber. I wouldn’t wake up until the clock struck midnight.

“Wait, hold on! I won’t interrupt your story again! I swear, be specific! Give us a concrete episode!”

“A harmonious one.”

“I’ll tell you, but if you say something unnecessary again, I’ll go to sleep without warning. Is that okay?”

“I shall agree.”

“UmU.”

I carefully chose the episode to share. I intentionally left out the important parts and summarized the content briefly before speaking. I briefly mentioned fighting alongside upperclassmen, competing in tests and races, and other similar events.

“That’s surprising. I thought Nakiri-san was an indoor person.”

“Why did you think that?”

“It’s her atmosphere, I guess. Nakiri-san has this aura of being a young lady, and her father is the president of a company, right?”

“That’s news to me.”

Now that I think about it, I’ve never once considered Nakiri’s background. No wonder things didn’t work out. I was a former bullied kid abandoned by my father, while she was the daughter of a company president. We stood on completely different positions. Perhaps it was fate that we were born under such different stars.

I felt like laughing, so I quickly turned around.

“That’s enough, right? I haven’t fully recovered yet. Please leave me alone.”

“Yeah, sorry for going on and on. We’ll sleep too.”

“Yeah.”

I closed my eyes. This time, I truly let my consciousness sink into the darkness.