Every Sin Deserves Punishment - Chapter 22: Introduction and Warning

Chapter 22: Introduction and Warning

Later, I received a chat from Saotome-san. The invitation was to go out together on Saturday.

I declined with a reason, saying I had something to do this time. I had arranged to observe the basketball club with Yoshiki via chat. With my sneakers on, I walked towards the school building and stepped onto the gym floor with my indoor shoes. I greeted the club advisor and stood in the corner of the open space.

The deep bass reverberated through the wide space. The dark brown ball hit the floor and was passed from person to person, shaking the net of the goal. The well-built club members stomped on the floor and ran around in all directions. The dynamic movement was impressive to watch. With this impact in a high school match, it was no wonder that spectators would be excited during pro or NBA matches.

I couldn’t just enjoy the practice scene. I followed a male student with my eyes. He was Haruyuki Kazama-san, a classmate with the same name as the suspect mentioned by Saotome-san. I didn’t come to observe the basketball club; I was standing there to judge this person.

Kazama-san-san’s practice attitude was serious. He didn’t skip any of the basic training, such as running or push-ups. His relationship with his teammates was also good. At first glance, he didn’t seem like someone who would threaten girls. But I knew that there were people in this world who could commit evil deeds while maintaining an innocent face. Trust and blind faith were very similar. It was only after spending a long time with someone and getting to know their character that you could finally trust them, even if they betrayed you. A cruel person had taught me this with great misfortune.

I had no idea what I could do to see through a person’s true nature. But I had to do it. I didn’t want to see anyone else being degraded by malicious intent.

After the basketball club’s practice, Yoshiki approached me. For some reason, Kazama-san was standing next to Yoshiki.

“Yo, Ichigaya. How was the basketball club? Did you want to join now?”

“No, I can’t say anything yet.”

Although the match was exciting, I had no interest in basketball myself. Even if I had come to observe Kazama-san, I couldn’t repeat the same disloyalty as I had done with the broadcasting club.

“By the way, Yoshiki, is the person next to you a friend?”

Pretending not to know, I demanded an introduction to Kazama-san, and Yoshiki put his hand on Kazama-san’s shoulder.

“Yeah. I told you before that I was asked to introduce you. That’s him.”

Kazama-san smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Haruyuki Kazama from Class 1-A. You’re For The Sake of Love, right? I’ve always wanted to talk to you.”

“Please stop calling me that. I have a proper name, Ichigaya.”

“Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to call someone by their nickname once.”

A childish smile adorned his face. It was a familiar behavior for a first-time meeting, but there was something about him that was strangely likable. In this respect, he might be similar to Yoshiki.

“Now that we’ve met, let’s go grab a light snack together.”

“Kato-san. I’m sorry, but can I talk to Ichigaya-san alone?”

“Ehh, am I being left out?”

“I’m sorry. Since it’s a chance, I want to talk to him alone.”

Yoshiki puffed out his cheeks in a huff, and Kazama-san smiled bitterly.

In the end, Kazama-san calmed Yoshiki down, and he left the gym reluctantly. I waited at the entrance and met up with Kazama-san after he changed.

“Let’s go.”

Prompted in a light tone, I stomped on the concrete ground with Kazama-san. I nodded along to the trivial conversation as we entered the cafe and sat down on the wooden chairs.

I felt uncomfortable. It was partly because we were alone, but also because the suspect of the threat was right in front of me. The safe conversation was about basketball, but I wasn’t very knowledgeable about it. I had to be careful not to say anything careless and reveal my ignorance.

After we placed our order, Kazama-san smiled.

“Ichigaya-san, you know, Saotome has asked you for advice, right?”

I felt like my heart was being grabbed. To buy some time, I stretched out my arm and took a sip of cold water.

Was it a guess? Or was he trying to catch me in a lie? At this point, there wasn’t enough evidence to make a decision. It was best to play it off casually.

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, it’s okay. I’m not blaming you. I’m just worried about you, Ichigaya-san.”

“Me?”

I reflexively asked the unexpected question.

Kazama-san nodded.

“I don’t like to say this, but Saotome has a very loose attitude.”

“What do you mean?”

“To put it bluntly, she’s a face-chaser. Since middle school, she’s been approaching good-looking guys. Didn’t she say something like that to you too?”

An image of the scene before the entrance ceremony flashed in my mind.

Saotome-san had approached me, a complete stranger, with a face full of affection. I also remembered being invited by her to go out on a holiday. It was just like Mibu’s aggressiveness. Thinking of the devil, I made a fist under the table.

“Yes, she did say something.”

“Did she invite you to go out?”

“Yeah.”

Kazama-san sighed and rested his elbows on the table.

“I knew it. Saotome does that to the guys she likes. She did the same to me.”

“Kazama-san was invited too?”

“Yeah, it was when I was still in middle school. I turned down her offer to date, and she became clingy. She used a network unique to girls, and some people had terrible rumors spread about them.”

“That’s terrible.”

I couldn’t help but feel like it was happening to someone else, given the current situation. Saotome-san had a harmless face, but behind the scenes, was she smiling at me as I listened to her story? Pretending to be a victim and harassing someone she didn’t like was a technique that resembled someone I hated the most. It was unacceptable.

Kazama-san smiled contentedly.

“Right? Saotome is good-looking, so everyone is easily deceived. You should be careful, Ichigaya-san.”

He probably worried about me as a fellow man. I tried to nod, but I was tormented by a feeling like an electric shock.

To involve an unrelated person and degrade someone else. That act was undoubtedly evil. It was a sin that should be spat upon. I had no hesitation in despising the person who carried it out.

However, was it really Saotome-san who was manipulating and deceiving others? I should know better. Someone’s words were not always the truth. Kazama-san said that some people had bad rumors spread about them, but it was only Kazama-san-san who said that. How could I, who knew nothing, say for sure that the boy in front of me was not lying?

“I understand.”

I answered casually, putting Kazama-san’s white or black aside for now. Behaving in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion was a top priority.

Kazama-san removed his elbows from the table.

“By the way, what about your relationship with Nakiri-san?”

The iced coffee we ordered arrived. The staff clinked the bottom of the glass against the table and bowed before disappearing into the back of the store.

“Why are you asking that?”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything about you two. It’s a common topic among us, and I’m still curious. So, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean? There’s nothing I have to say about it.”

I put my mouth to the straw and tried to dispel my distractions with the bitterness. Nakiri and I were over. I had no reason to be disturbed. I matched the conversation casually and managed to get through this situation.