Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess - Chapter 142: If We Share The Burden Together.

If We Share The Burden Together.

“So, the fact that you’re asking about this… does that mean something happened?”

Now then, how should I explain this to Nishikawa-san?

I could just tell her everything as it is, but since she knows nothing about the situation, I would have to start from the very beginning—including everything about myself.

“Hmm… How can I explain this simply… Oh, right! Sara, could you lend me your phone? Takanashi-kun, come over here for a moment.”

As I thought, I’ll need to explain everything about me and Yamazaki.

I shouldn’t leave this to Sara-san; I should be the one to say it directly.

As Natsumi-senpai took the phone from Sara-san and stepped aside, I moved to stand next to her. Just then, I thought I saw Natsumi-senpai flash a mischievous grin.

Or so I thought—until the moment I was about to sit down, and Natsumi-senpai gave me a gentle push from behind.

“Whoa!”

I lost my balance and ended up falling into Sara-san’s arms.

“Ah! …Are you alright, Kazunari-san?”

Sara-san quickly opened her arms and caught me, holding me tightly.

“Natsumi! What if you had hurt Kazunari-san…!”

Sara-san tried to scold Natsumi-senpai, but her words trailed off awkwardly.

What’s going on?

“Eririn, can you see this?”

“Huh…? Eh, e-eeeeeeeh!?”

Nishikawa-san’s scream—or rather, her shocked cry—rang through the room.

“S-Sara, what about your fear of men!? Wait, did you just hug him yourself!? What? What!? Natsumi, explain this!”

“Isn’t it obvious? You and I… we’ve been beaten to the punch.”

Even if I needed to be introduced, surely there was a better way than this…

I felt like burying my head in my hands just thinking about how I was supposed to greet Nishikawa-san after all this… Well, technically, the one holding my head right now is Sara-san.

“T-There’s no way… I thought Sara would be the very last one… Actually, I thought it would be impossible for her for a long time…”

I could clearly hear Nishikawa-san’s bewildered voice.

Well, anyone would be shocked seeing a close friend like this so suddenly.

…Though, Sara-san, could you please let go soon?

When I tried to shift away slightly, Sara-san only tightened her embrace.

Ah… so she’s not letting me go yet…

“As you can see, Sara’s completely head over heels in love now. She’s like a totally different person—just sweet and affectionate.”

“Natsumi, we’ll have words later about you pushing Kazunari-san. Eri, I’m sorry for the late update. The truth is… I’m together with Kazunari-san now.”

No, this is something I should say properly myself.

I’m going to need Nishikawa-san’s cooperation from now on, and I can’t keep showing her such a pathetic side of me.

“Sara-san, please, let me be the one to say it. Also… if you could let me go…”

Hearing my request, Sara-san reluctantly released me. Seeing the lingering sadness in her expression made me feel a little guilty, but for now, I had to focus on speaking to Nishikawa-san.

Since Natsumi-senpai was still holding up the phone toward me, she must want me to continue talking like this.

I faced Nishikawa-san squarely, who appeared on the smartphone screen.

“Nice to meet you, Nishikawa-san. My name is Kazunari Takanashi. I’ve been officially dating Sara-san since last month.”

As I said that, Sara-san gently placed her hand on my arm and leaned against me affectionately.

“Eri, sorry for not telling you sooner. But I’d like to prioritize the more urgent matters now. Let’s talk properly another time.”

“…Alright. But let’s make that ‘another time’ tonight. If I don’t hear everything soon, I won’t be able to sleep.”

Nishikawa-san replied lightly, though a slight tension remained in her voice.

It seems she’s willing to prioritize the main issue for now.

Nishikawa-san straightened her posture and wore a more serious expression.

“Takanashi-san, was it? Nice to meet you. I’m Nishikawa Eri. I have many things I’d like to ask you, but let’s leave that for another time. For now, your appearance here suggests you have some connection with Yamazaki?”

“Yes. To be precise, it’s not just me—there are multiple women who were toyed with by Yamazaki, who treated their feelings lightly.”

I then gave her a brief explanation of everything: what Yamazaki and Yuzuha had done to me in the past, the current situation, the circumstances of Tachikawa-san and Hanako-san, along with showing some photos and RAIN chat logs.

“…So, he was hitting on me even while he had a girlfriend. He sure underestimated me.”

A thin, chilling smile appeared on Nishikawa-san’s face.

It was a little intimidating—it reminded me of how Sara-san looked when she was angry.

Still, it seemed she believed what I was saying.

Honestly, I didn’t think she would accept it so easily.

“From what you’ve told me, he sounds like a textbook enemy of women. I’m sure there’s even more to uncover. So then, Takanashi-san, what is it that you want from me—or rather, what do you intend to do about Yamazaki?”

“Eririn, are you sure it’s okay to trust him so easily? What if he’s been tricked by Yamazaki somehow?”

Natsumi-senpai chimed in with a teasing tone.

It was something I had worried about too, but still, did she have to say it out loud and stir things up?

“Of course I’ll trust him. He’s someone Sara chose, after all. There’s no way I wouldn’t believe in the man she trusts.”

“Thank you, Eri. You know, Kazunari-san had been quietly tending the flowerbed you left behind even before we met. Even without anyone to thank him, he kept doing it.”

Hearing it put that way made me feel oddly embarrassed—as if I were being turned into the hero of some touching story.

It’s not like I had been doing it out of a pure heart or anything deserving praise…

“Well, those flowers meant a lot to me. Thank you. If that’s the kind of person you are, then I’m even more willing to help. Is there anything I can do?”

“Thank you very much. In that case, could we first discuss together what actions might be possible?”

Thus, with Nishikawa-san now joining us, our first strategic meeting officially began.

Particularly regarding Yamazaki, the only person capable of inflicting significant damage on him at this point is Nishikawa-san, meaning we would have to rely on her for many things.

“I see. As evidence of involvement in a crime, it may be weak, but it seems almost certain that he introduced a victim to a known sexual offender. Understood. For me as well, this is a valuable opportunity. I will try to gather more information from my father to use this matter as leverage.”

If this plan succeeded, it would not only allow Nishikawa-san to sever her personal ties with Yamazaki but could even implicate Yamazaki’s parents and company, depending on how events unfolded.

If it came to that, it might very well lead to his complete downfall.

But… is it really right to go that far?

This was no longer a personal issue. It had the potential to spiral into something far greater. How could I simply say, “Please do it,” as if it were nothing…?

At that moment, Sara-san gently pulled me into a hug from the side. Her expression revealed a complex mix of emotions.

She seemed to sense the conflict within me, as if she had something she wanted to say. But before she could, Nishikawa-san spoke first.

“…Takanashi-san, it’s only natural to hesitate when things escalate to this level. In fact, those who could boldly charge ahead without second thought are either extraordinary—or destined to suffer consequences later. So, it’s perfectly fine for you to feel the way you do. And remember, this isn’t your burden alone. As the Nishikawa Group, we cannot afford to favor someone who poses such a grave risk to us. Thanks to you, we have the chance to avert serious harm before it happens.”

Nishikawa-san was assuring me that I didn’t need to bear all the responsibility alone.

Though I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we were about to do, the core of it remained unchanged—

I had to protect Sara-san.

I had to ensure no harm ever reached her.

“Takanashi-kun, I agreed to be part of this with you. So if there’s responsibility to be taken, I’ll shoulder half of it.”

“And I feel the same urge for revenge against Yamazaki. So let’s make it one-third instead.”

“I’m the one who introduced you to Youko and the others! Of course, I’m in too. One-fourth.”

Hanako-san, Tachikawa-san, and Toudou-san each stood up, voicing their support.

“Oh come now, don’t leave me out. Count me in too—one-fifth.”

“And since Sasagawa Yuzuha is already targeting me, Yamazaki is bound to be involved as well. Don’t exclude a direct stakeholder like me—one-sixth.”

Natsumi-senpai and Hayato followed, raising their hands.

“I’m the one who will actually execute the plan. If anything, my share should be the largest. But fine, I’ll settle for one-seventh.”

Nishikawa-san added her name to the count, though with a slight tone of dissatisfaction.

“Hey, don’t forget about me! Even if it’s just over the phone, let me join in. I’ll expect a full explanation later, but count me in for one-eighth.”

Without us noticing, Yuuji had called and was now appearing on Natsumi-senpai’s smartphone screen.

“Really, it’s supposed to be my role to bear the weight alongside Kazunari-san. Please don’t distribute it all so freely. Still, if it eases his burden, I’ll gladly compromise—one-ninth.”

And with that, Sara-san, still holding me, firmly declared her share.

One-ninth… roughly 11%.

If we divided it among all of us, each person would bear just a little over 10%.

Such a small share… it was almost surprising.

“Kazunari-san, you don’t have to carry everything on your own. I, and all of us here, are with you. So please, move forward as you see fit. I’ll be by your side, wherever this path leads.”

Chuu…

Sara-san kissed my cheek softly and smiled at me with a brilliance that almost hurt to look at.

“Please do your best. I know you can do it, Kazunari-san.”

I would protect this smile.

If it was for Sara-san’s sake, I could accomplish anything.

As for Yamazaki, Nishikawa-san agreed to take temporary custody of the matter. We decided to wait for her findings before holding our next meeting.