My Girlfriend is a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 26 – Thus, the Truth Becomes a Lie

The movie theater serves as a substitute for a locked room where one can hide from people. Once the screening starts, the ceiling lights dim, making it unlikely for Mitsuru, who lost track of us earlier, to find us among the audience. Running around inside the theater would be a nuisance anyway, and I think it’s a reasonable choice, especially given my injured foot.

“Heeh… a movie theater, huh?”

“Is this your first time?”

“Yeah. We didn’t have anything like this in my village. So, I’m not very familiar with movies, though it’s not like I know nothing about them.”

“Which movies do you know?”

“You probably won’t know them. They’re from around the 1990s.”

“Why something so old?”

I’m not exactly a movie geek myself. I would know the famous ones, but I guess such convenient circumstances are unlikely. This conversation seems pointless, so let’s drop it.

“Ah! There you are!”

Third interruption of the day. Even I, known for my patience, am about to lose it. Turning towards the source of the voice, I saw Mitsuru Aikura, who had repeatedly disrupted our date. Now, if Shizuku hadn’t disappeared, I could just act normally and escape, but things are different now.

Let me say it again. I’m at my wit’s end. I’m really getting angry.

“You, stop messing around! You’ve been following us since earlier, we’re on a date here! What’s the deal, is gratitude an obligation? Is there a law that says ‘failure to express gratitude results in three years of imprisonment’? Listen carefully because I’ll only say this once. Kindness and gratitude are not obligations but acts of free will. Kindness comes from not expecting anything in return, and gratitude is expressed even when it’s not required! …Please, just go home. Seriously, I don’t need your gratitude or anything.”

“…Are you angry?”

Ignoring the surrounding attention, I confronted her. Whether it’s about a low boiling point or dealing with a woman, it doesn’t matter. It’s me who’s feeling uncomfortable being stalked. If I call the police, I’m confident I’ll win. I want to ask seriously, but what makes Mitsuru Aikura different from an ordinary stalker? To me, she looks like nothing more than a stalker confidently moving around under the pretext of ‘gratitude’.

“It’s extremely unpleasant. Returning a favor with animosity is not what I’d call gratitude.”

“But… I just wanted to thank you, Ryuma…”

“Then let me enjoy a wonderful date with my girlfriend. It’s annoying to be interrupted constantly.”

I didn’t even consider the possibility of Shizuku being found out as the wanted death row convict. I was simply upset about our date being disrupted. Precious date time should not be wasted, not even for a minute. Whether it was once, twice, or thrice, if there hadn’t been people around, I would have gladly shouted profanities at her.

“…Hey, you.”

“I know. We’re attracting attention, aren’t we?”

“No, it’s different. I sense Kusune’s presence—and it’s coming from that woman over there.”

“Eh…?”

It seems that the ‘presence’ Shizuku senses is different from the usual sense of the word. It’s unlikely to feel someone else’s presence from another person. However, when it comes to Kusune, Shizuku’s sensors are accurate, leaving no room for doubt.

“…We can’t afford to be noticed here. Can you two follow me for a bit?”

Although Shizuku’s grip on my wrist suggested otherwise, she talked as if she’s urging me to make a decision. Mitsuru obediently followed, but I wished she would struggle and run away. If it escalated into a fight, more onlookers would gather, but since Shizuku let go quickly, the commotion seemed to die down. I think I heard a click of disapproval from the man who had been poised to take a picture… or at least, I feel like I did.

“Where are you planning to go?”

“To a place where we won’t be seen. It seems like you’re in quite a predicament. I still think it’s best to have a proper conversation… Nfufu.”

——————————

The place we arrived at after our date got interrupted was a famous ruin in the neighborhood known as the Nekoyashiki. Instead of ghost stories, it was rumored that numerous cats gathered here. Some said that cat enthusiasts visited daily, while others denied it.

Ideally, we would have been comforted by the cats, but today, not a single cat was in sight—almost as if they had cleared out for Shizuku’s visit. While there was a risk of encountering acquaintances, there was also the advantage of not being suspected of trespassing. Shizuku led us to a Japanese-style room inside the Nekoyashiki, where we were finally let go.

“This place should be fine.”

“What, are you going to break up with Ryuma?”

“Break up? Why would I?”

“Because you’ve been defeated by the strength of love between me and Ryuma, perhaps?”

“I don’t like you. There’s no reason for me to become fond of a stalker like you.”

Whether it was a love triangle or one-sided affection, it didn’t matter. Shizuku and I were on the same side, making it a non-existent triangle. It was as if a line segment and a ray intersected, creating something that logically shouldn’t exist. In fact, I didn’t understand what I was saying. Neither the line segment nor the ray made sense.

“Let’s be straightforward about this. Your fate depends on your answer. Why do I sense Kusune’s presence in you?”

“You’re referring to the person who told me Ryuma’s name, right? ‘Sense’? What do you mean?”

She told her my name?

For what reason?

And moreover, she casually told Shizuku my name. It might not be my full name, but doesn’t that undermine my safety guarantee?

“…Let’s change the question. Why did you approach him?”

“That’s because——”

“Answer me. Don’t lie. I won’t forgive you.”

Shizuku’s words fell short, and I felt no murderous intent directed at me. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t the target of her wrath, or maybe I wasn’t significant enough to warrant it. However, Mitsuru’s expression, devoid of tension despite Shizuku’s stern warning, lacked substance. If pushed to describe it, she seemed like a finely crafted doll, emotionless and silent.

“I, I like Ryu… I mean, I’m grateful to him. That’s why I did it.”

“Ah, I’ll give you a second chance. I’m not being nice. Can you tell me your name?”

“Eh?”

I had suspected as much, but the reality was vastly different from my expectations. I doubted my own ears. After all, Shizuku Nanagi was a death row convict, and she had no qualms about killing right here right now.

“Tell me her name.”

But wait. At first, I knew nothing about her abilities, and the second time, if I hadn’t helped, I would have been in serious danger. Legally speaking, it was an act of God. However, revealing her name here would make it impossible for me to justify my actions.

I would become an accomplice to murder.

I had no intention of pretending to be virtuous, but I had no desire to participate in a murder either. I had been hiding a death row convict, and while I was prepared to continue doing so, I had not yet resolved to commit murder myself. I found the idea of casually allowing a woman who could kill so easily to roam free repulsive.

A hypocrite? Exactly. I am an unabashed hypocrite. It’s different from a layabout spitefully throwing stones at a virtuous person. I truly am a hypocrite, fooling myself into thinking I’m a good person. Realizing this didn’t make me reject my actions outright.

People are prepared to be stoned from the start. Protecting a death row convict is an act that accepts this. Yet, despite this, there is something about human logic that doesn’t sit right. It’s absurd to think that someone who has strayed from the path can simply return to it, especially when they’ve already taken that step. Nevertheless, let me say it again.

…I don’t want to be involved in a murder.

“…Hey, Shizuku.”

“Her name.”

“Ah, Mitsuru Aikura——”

I blurted it out. Any further hesitation and I feared Shizuku’s murderous intent would turn toward me. Ultimately, the self-preservation instinct that had been protecting me was shattered. Compared to the fear of being killed, the prospect of becoming an accomplice to evil didn’t seem so bad.

It was a selfish, despicable human reaction. I was beginning to hate myself as a human being. Shizuku took a deep breath and turned back to face me.

“You’ve been had.”

“Wh, what do you mean?”

“It’s a pseudonym.”

A pseudonym!?

That fact provided both Shizuku and me with crucial information.

Firstly, there was no benefit in changing her name at that point. The reason was simple: I possessed no powers comparable to Shizuku’s, and believing in a pseudonym to the extent of mistaking it for her real name would lead to situations like the one I was currently facing. The real reason she adopted a pseudonym was likely because she was wary of Shizuku—or rather, she had been focused solely on Shizuku. I had been somewhat aware, so there was no damage done, but it seemed that trying to shelter Shizuku would inadvertently rob me of my youth.

“That’s right! It’s a pseudonym!”

As soon as Mitsuru realized she had been found out, she burst into laughter with a pitch higher than anything I had heard from her before. Her sudden transformation left me bewildered. It was as if a completely different person had taken over her body… Her appearance hadn’t changed, but I couldn’t accept that she was Mitsuru Aikura. Her manner of speaking and behavior were too different.

“But you know, the reason I gave a fake name was for your sake, Ryuma.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because you’re being manipulated by that woman over there. I thought that if I killed her, you might be saved. Sorry about that… But now that I think about it, this is the perfect opportunity. Let’s kill her together. Otherwise, Ryuma, you’ll be considered a criminal.”

“…I am—”

Before I could finish explaining my stance, Shizuku silenced me. Although I remained cautious of Mitsuru and refrained from speaking, Shizuku’s hand physically stopped me from doing so.

“Unfortunately, he’s already my puppet. He won’t listen to anything you say.”

“Really? Is that so?”

“Yes. So, no matter what you do, it’s pointless. Skip the formalities and come straight for me, Kusune Rinbara…”

Shizuku mentioned the presence of Kusune. I didn’t understand what she was referring to, but it seemed that Shizuku had grasped something. Otherwise, such statements would be nothing more than bluffs.

“What’s justice, how trivial. My presence here proves your guilt. You’re just another pot calling the kettle black, aren’t you, you justiholic*?”

(e/n: *(ジャスティホリック) – as in someone addicted to upholding their so called sense of justice)