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 38: Shizuku Himeno & Ryusei Iketsuki - Final Act, Part 4: The Final Fate

Chapter 38: Shizuku Himeno & Ryusei Iketsuki – Final Act, Part 4: The Final Fate

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

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“…………”

“…………”

The sky outside was painted red by the setting sun, and there wasn’t another car in sight on the coastal highway. 

Although it was my first time outside in years, not much seemed to have changed since three years ago.

I glanced at the woman driving the car beside me. She wore a black dress, and her hair, once long and in pigtails, was now cut short. She had on thin, frameless glasses, but her long bangs obscured her eyes, making it hard to see them.

“S-Shizuku… it’s been a while… Have you… have you been well?”

“…”

Shizuku didn’t respond, her eyes fixed straight ahead as she continued driving.

“I… I’ve wanted to apologize to you for so long… I know an apology can’t make things right… but please, let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you…”

“…”

I turned toward Shizuku, bowing my head deeply from the passenger seat.

“I am truly, deeply sorry!”

“…”

With my head still bowed, I thought about everything I had done—the brutal assaults from Fudo that I deserved, the disintegration of my family, the unforgivable betrayal of Shizuku, who once trusted and loved me, and the hell I endured behind bars.

I couldn’t believe that serving my sentence could ever truly atone for what I had done.

Especially not to Shizuku, who had every right to kill me if she wanted to.

Tears overflowed from my eyes, dripping onto my hands.

Suddenly, the car came to a stop with a soft screech.

Shizuku, without saying a word, turned off the engine and got out of the car. 

I watched her as she walked to the front of the car, where she stood, holding her hair in place against the wind while gazing out at the sunset over the ocean.

I unbuckled my seatbelt, quietly got out of the passenger seat, and stood next to her, looking at the same sunset over the sea.

“I’ve never seen a view like this before…”

As I looked around, I realized that Shizuku had parked in the lot of an old convenience store. The sign had been removed, and weeds were sprouting up through the cracks in the neglected pavement. 

I took a 1,000-yen bill out of the envelope with my release money and bought two warm coffees from a rusty vending machine.

I collected the change, put it in my pocket, and walked over to Shizuku, who was still staring at the ocean. Gently, I handed her one of the coffees.

“…”

Shizuku silently took the coffee from me, opened the lid, and took a small sip.

Watching her, I smiled faintly and opened my own coffee, downing it in one go. Then, I crushed the empty can in my hand, dropped to my knees, and bowed deeply to Shizuku.

“Shizuku… I’m truly sorry! I swear, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you! So, please… please—”

“Hey, it’s cold. Let’s go back to the car.”

Without waiting for my full apology, Shizuku walked past me and returned to the driver’s seat. I couldn’t see her expression as she passed, but just hearing her respond to me gave me a glimmer of hope. I quickly brushed off my knees, stood up, and got back into the passenger seat, reaching for the seatbelt.

[Stab]

A sharp pain pierced my back.

“S-Shizuku…”

I turned to look at her, but her face was obscured by her long, drooping bangs. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I noticed her lips trembling.

[Thrust]

This time, pain shot through my chest. Gah! Blood filled my lungs, and as they contracted, I coughed up a spray of blood. It splattered across Shizuku’s pale face, dripping down onto her trembling lips.

[Slice, slash]

A sharp blade cut through the right side of my neck, and bright red blood sprayed all over Shizuku and the inside of the car. 

I instinctively pressed my hand against the wound to try to stop the bleeding, but the crimson liquid continued to gush out, seeping through my fingers.

[Vroom] Shizuku started the engine, ignoring my spasms from blood loss, and slammed the accelerator, heading straight for the pier.

With her left hand, Shizuku took the knife and thrust it into her own abdomen.

She slumped forward, resting her head against the steering wheel. As the car sped toward the edge of the pier, Shizuku turned to me, gave a faint smile, and then closed her eyes.

“S-Shizu…” I reached out my hand…

The car hit the water with a massive impact, quickly sinking into the sea. Water rapidly filled the car, and the buoyancy lifted Shizuku, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, to the roof of the car. Her expression seemed to show a mix of satisfaction and regret…

I can’t breathe… I can’t…

Shizuku Himeno & Ryusei Iketsuki Arc – END

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(Author’s Note and Additional Explanation)

Since there’s nothing left to explain after this, I’ll add a brief explanation here.

First, the car Shizuku was driving belonged to her mother, and she took it without permission while her mother was away. Of course, Shizuku was driving without a license, but any questions about how she was able to drive properly should be dismissed as part of the fiction.

The next chapter will begin the final arc of Kenichi’s story. Please stay with me a little longer as we conclude his tale.