I Was Blackmailed Into Accepting Bullying Using My Childhood Friend as Leverage, But When I Found Out My Friend and Bully Were Together, I Abandoned All Compassion and Swore to Take Revenge with Everything I Had - Chapter 03: An Invitation to Hell

Chapter 03: An Invitation to Hell

Note: This work contains depictions of violence and sexual content, but it does not promote any of these actions.

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The next day, I woke up feeling more rested than I had in a long time. I had a refreshing sleep and woke up comfortably.

When I checked the clock, I saw that it was an hour earlier than usual. After a light stretch, I headed to the bathroom. I decided to use the hair wax I had bought but never touched before, slicking my hair back. The reflection staring back at me in the mirror felt unfamiliar, as if it wasn’t really me. I couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved by the cold expression on my face.

The usual route to school looked different simply by leaving an hour earlier. Or maybe it seemed that way because I had left behind who I was yesterday.

It’s my usual way to school, but just by leaving an hour early, the world looked different, or maybe it was because I had disconnected myself from yesterday.

As I walked, a girl carrying a tennis racket appeared from a side street, probably on her way to early morning practice. 

She gave me a small nod, and I returned the gesture with a slight nod of my own. 

Judging by the color of her ribbon, she was likely a first-year student. She jogged off toward the school, and as I watched her go, I noticed a small car heading straight toward her.

Instinctively, I sprinted forward, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her close as I jumped straight up to avoid the oncoming car. We landed on the asphalt, with me cushioning the fall by taking the impact myself.

The small car scraped against the guardrail and sped off, leaving us behind.

The girl clung to my chest, trembling…

“Are you okay?”

I asked as I gently spoke to her. She nodded in a daze, her eyes unfocused from the fear and shock. Seeing this, I carefully helped her to her feet, dusted off her racket case and sports bag that had fallen nearby, and handed them to her.

“Be careful from now on.”

With those words, I started walking toward school.

As I walked, I thought back to what had just happened. Even though it was a split-second decision, I had seen the car moving in slow motion. I dove at least five meters to reach her, and somehow, I had managed to jump two meters straight up while holding her, dodging the car.

What exactly had happened? As I pondered this, I realized I had already arrived at school. When I checked my phone, I was shocked to see that my usual 20-minute commute had taken only five minutes. Since I didn’t recall running, I figured the clock at home must have been off. Shrugging it off, I headed to the empty classroom.

Inside my desk were the torn-up remains of the diary that Iketsuki and my childhood friend had used the previous day.

With trembling hands, I dumped the diary scraps and crumpled paper into the trash. For a brief moment, an image of my late mother’s face flashed through my mind, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

I then walked over to Iketsuki’s desk and, with all my strength, stomped on his chair.

Crack.

With a dry, splitting sound, Iketsuki’s chair broke, leaving a hole where the seat used to be, revealing the floor beneath it.

I sat at my desk for a while, reading one of my favorite web novels to calm myself. As time passed, a few students trickled into the classroom, but, as usual, none of them greeted me. Amid this silence, I heard some loud, vulgar voices coming from outside.

“So yeah… the night before last, we went at it all night—huh, what the hell is this…?”

Iketsuki noticed the large hole in his chair, his face turning bright red as he scanned the classroom and began shouting.

“Hey!! Who the hell did this to my chair!?”

As he looked around, his eyes locked onto a male student. Grabbing the student’s collar, Iketsuki growled, but the boy just shook his head and kept glancing nervously in my direction. 

Iketsuki followed the boy’s gaze and spotted me. He and his gang then surrounded me, kicking over my desk.

“Hey, mutt, was it you who thought this would be funny? Hah!?”

I slowly lifted my head. When Iketsuki saw my face, different from usual, with clear, cold eyes, he flinched for a moment but quickly regained his bravado. He crouched down right in front of me, glaring into my eyes from up close.

“Answer me, Komainu! Was it you?”

Without hesitation, I responded.

“Yeah, I’m the one who put the hole in your chair. So what?”

A vein bulged dangerously on Iketsuki’s forehead, and he punched me hard in the face. His lackeys followed his lead, kicking me in the arms and ribs.

I’ve been waiting for this, Iketsuki… Heh.