My Memories Came Back, But I'm Not Telling My Childhood Friends - Chapter 32-33

Chapter 32

After school, I stop by the convenience store to buy dinner before heading home.

When our parents get home late from work, my older sister Yuri and I usually eat together.

We’d go out to eat, cook something together, or buy convenience store meals like today. It’s been our habit since we were kids.

…Though these past few years it’s always been convenience store food.

“Sis, I brought dinner.”

I call out from outside her door without going in.

No answer comes back.

She’s not out. I know she’s in the room.

The light is on and I can sense her presence.

But no matter how long I wait, she doesn’t reply.

“I left the meal in the living room.”

After a while, I say that and head to my own room without seeing her face.

I drop my bag beside the desk and dive straight onto the bed.

“Haa…”

I let out a big sigh and stare into emptiness.

The soft bed slowly soaks up my tiredness.

But it does nothing for the exhaustion in my heart.

“Sis…”

I mutter quietly in the empty room.

I keep wondering how things ended up like this.

About two years ago, my sister Yuri stopped looking me in the eyes.

We didn’t fight or anything. We used to be the closest sisters ever, the kind who never even argued.

Like I said before, when our parents weren’t home we’d cook together, go shopping on days off, and even compete over who got more perfect scores on tests.

We respected each other and shared a deep bond of trust.

I loved my sister from the bottom of my heart.

But one day, my sister broke.

No… she was broken.

Someone made her lose all faith in people.

She started rejecting contact with others and shut herself away in her shell.

Luckily she managed to graduate middle school and now goes to a correspondence high school, but except for the days she has to go in, she stays locked up at home and doesn’t even talk to her own family.

She’s had counseling many times but the wound in her heart never heals. She’s still sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.

My sister used to be someone everyone looked up to, a model honor student.

Unlike me, she was kind even to bad people, and she had the strength to correct those around her.

I remember people calling her a goddess who could wrap everything in gentleness.

She had qualities I didn’t, and sometimes I felt a little jealous.

But that overly kind heart of hers got taken advantage of.

The evil she couldn’t fix ended up swallowing Shizuno Yuri whole.

I still clearly remember the look of despair on her face.

She was trembling in the corner of her room with eyes that doubted everything in the world.

I couldn’t wipe away my sister’s trauma no matter what I did.

I reached out to help her again and again, but she pushed me away in fear.

Once again, I felt how powerless I was.

I should be the person closest to her heart. We’re the only two sisters…

Why can’t I do anything for her?

That’s why I decided at least to punish the shameless person who broke her and kept living like nothing happened.

I knew it would probably end up like what happened with Reita, and that my sister wouldn’t want it.

But I couldn’t settle down unless I did something.

I already had a pretty good idea who did it.

The guy who was closest to my sister — Daiki Yokomizo, the current Student Council President at Shirosaki Academy where I go.

That man had been very close with my sister.

Even after she broke, he kept enjoying his school life like nothing was wrong.

I’ve always had a sharp nose for bad people, so I knew right away.

But my sister is the way she is. She never came forward as a victim or told anyone what happened, so the truth stayed in the dark.

I never saw the crime myself either, so I didn’t have solid proof.

Yokomizo is the popular, trusted Student Council President on the surface. If I asked him directly, he’d just play innocent.

So I decided to look into his true nature without him noticing.

But I never got decisive evidence, and he graduated.

That’s why I had no choice but to follow him and enroll at Shirosaki Academy.

Honestly I wondered if I really needed to go that far, but when I found out my childhood friends were going to the same school, my doubts disappeared right away.

And so I made up my mind.

Even if it meant twisting my own life, I would definitely make that man pay for his sins.

—

Chapter 33

To expose Yokomizo’s true nature, I went to the student council room again today.

“Hello, President. Thanks for all your hard work today.”

“Hey Soraka-chan. You too, good job.”

I bow to Yokomizo who arrived first and sit down on a nearby pipe chair.

His outside appearance is still perfect as always.

But I can tell. The nasty smell of a bad person is all over him.

Behind that mask, the devil who broke my sister is probably smirking.

Still, Yokomizo is careful, so he doesn’t show his tail easily.

I’ve joined the student council and even used myself as bait to get close, but I still haven’t gotten solid proof.

Without evidence, I can’t hold him accountable.

But it’s okay. It’s only a matter of time now.

I’m starting to understand how he works.

He probably has helpers. The delinquents at this school.

He uses them cleverly to make his own position stronger.

He creates problems on purpose, then solves them himself to win trust from everyone.

The bad security at Shirosaki Academy lately is definitely this guy’s fault.

What a total con artist.

But his mask is starting to peel off.

All I have to do is stay calm and wait for him to make a big slip.

“By the way Soraka-chan, I heard you were dealing with delinquent students again today. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“Yes. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Security has been pretty bad lately, so you have to be careful.”

…Look who’s talking.

He’s probably the one behind it to raise his own favor with me.

Whenever I’m handling delinquents, Yokomizo almost always shows up to “save” me.

If the same thing keeps happening, it can’t be a coincidence anymore.

Knowing I’m the sister of the girl he broke and still targeting me… what a disgusting man.

But for now I have to stay humble and make sure he doesn’t notice I’m investigating him.

The worst thing would be getting fooled and losing my chance. Without solid evidence, I’d be helpless.

“Oh right. Speaking of the bad security, you’ve been talking a lot with that guy Kawakami lately. What’s your relationship with him?”

Reita’s name suddenly comes up and my chest stirs.

“He’s… just an old childhood friend.”

“I see. Then I recommend you cut ties with him soon. Hanging around someone like that will only bring you trouble.”

“…Yeah.”

It hurts to say things I don’t mean.

I’m sorry, Reita.

I already broke our promise, and now I’m even saying this…

“Also, your test results weren’t great this time. What happened?”

“I just didn’t do well…”

This test went terribly. Maybe from the tension, or maybe because I kept missing sleep and couldn’t focus on studying.

I really am pathetic.

Everyone thinks I’m a capable girl, but that’s not true at all.

“Then how about I teach you? I may not look it, but I get top of the grade every year as a third-year.”

“Yes, please do.”

Keeping a smile on my face is starting to hurt.

I want to judge this hypocrite right this second.

Calm down… Don’t let your guard down.

He should slip up soon—

“By the way, Soraka-chan.”

“Yes?”

“Is your sister doing well? The one I broke?”

“…………”

—!?

It was way too sudden.

Yokomizo smirks with an evil grin like he caught me off guard.

It was so abrupt that my eyes widened and I froze.

“That face… So you really did come to get revenge for your sister.”

“……!”

He knew…

Since when…?

At least until yesterday he didn’t show any sign.

“Man, that was close. If that guy hadn’t warned me, I might have gotten stabbed by you.”

“That guy…?”

“Oops… That’s my business.”

So someone tipped him off?

But who…?

I didn’t show any openings.

Besides, I haven’t told even my childhood friends about this.

They might suspect something, but they can’t be sure.

Anyway… now that it’s come to this, there’s no point hiding.

Actually, it’s better that he showed his true colors.

Looks like it’s time to settle this.

“So it really was you who did that to my sister…”

“Kukuku… That’s right. I did it.”

Yokomizo laughs like it’s funny, without a shred of guilt.

My nails dig into my palm from anger.

…Stay calm. No matter what, stay calm.

“You can’t talk your way out of this anymore.”

“Talk my way out? Kukuku… You think I’d reveal it myself without any plan? If it was going to come out anyway, it’s smarter to make the first move.”

“What are you planning…?”

…A bad feeling hits me.

The helpless frustration of being one step behind.

“Do you know what kind of things your sister went through back then?”

“What did you do…?”

I don’t actually know the full details of what happened to her.

We haven’t talked properly since then. I asked people around but no one knew.

“She trusted me completely. And then I betrayed her, and in the end I left her in a completely exposed state—”

“……! Shut up! You scum…!”

I can’t listen anymore and shout at him.

“Whoa, scary. I wish you’d be more modest like your sister. You’re going to become my girlfriend from now on, after all.”

“…Stop your disgusting jokes. I’m reporting you to the school right now.”

I can’t deal with this guy anymore.

I was recording the conversation from midway, so I try to leave the student council room as fast as possible.

But—

“Kukuku… Are you sure that’s okay? If you do that, those embarrassing photos of your sister will spread everywhere, you know?”

“……! You wouldn’t…!?”

Yokomizo waves his phone with a hideous smile.

The screen shows my beloved sister in an exposed state.

I can’t stand to look and turn my eyes away.

“It’s ready to spread anytime. If you want to protect your sister’s honor… you understand, right?”

“……”

He got me… He took a hostage.

It’s a classic move, but the most effective way to crush justice.

I feel a swirling despair slowly wrapping around my feet.

“Don’t worry, Soraka-chan. I don’t want to hurt you. Just stay by my side as my girlfriend.”

“Who would ever be your girlfriend…!”

“Oh? Is that the attitude you want to take? Should I spread the photos?”

“……”

My insides are boiling with rage.

Listening to this monster is the worst humiliation for me.

No way. I can’t bow to a guy like this.

But… my sister already has deep scars in her heart.

If anything else happens, she might really break this time.

In the worst case— I don’t even want to think about it.

“You think you’ll get away with doing something like this…?”

“Unfortunately, if it doesn’t get found out, it’s not a crime.”

“You piece of trash…!”

I want to slap him right now, but since my sister’s safety depends on every single move I make, I can’t do anything reckless.

“Oh, and just so you know, if anything happens to me, I’ve told my friends to spread those photos. So you better not do anything stupid.”

I should have noticed earlier… If I had, maybe I could have prevented this…

…I’m powerless. Why am I so powerless?

At this point, the only way to stop him is to take him down with me.

But I can’t risk my sister’s honor— her life— even if I’m willing to risk my own.

A completely hopeless situation.

What should I do?

How can I stop this man…?