Volume 2 Chapter 8/9 – Four Demons 2: Normal/ Sacrifice 2

| Kuzukawa Shou

“Kussun, what should we do?”

“Aaah!? … Haa, okay, yeah.”

Today, in the end, Aika didn’t show up. Neither did Todou. I was seething with rage after my carefully planned scheme failed. But losing my cool here would be a problem.

If I snapped, I could end up getting expelled. I can’t rely on my older brother or my old man anymore. I don’t trust myself when I’m in a rage.

I was standing on a pedestrian bridge near the station with Shimo. It was off the school route. With cars passing underneath, we could raise our voices a bit without any issues.

Whenever I’m on the edge, I cool down by chatting with Shimo like this. It’s my way to let off steam.

If Ue or Naka were here at times like these, I’d probably end up hitting them without thinking.

Whether it’s someone who talks too much or someone who doesn’t talk at all, they both irritate me. It’s not like I want to pick fights with my friends.

That’s why it’s always just me and Shimo.

Yeah, Shimo’s a good guy. I can trust him. He’s a bit too enthusiastic about experimenting on girls and filming them.

“Haa, well… let’s keep an eye on Todou next week and decide what to do then. He was just a part of the plan, so we could just let him go, but we’ll leave that to Naka.”

“Ah, Naka seemed to like him, so that’s fine. He’s a good guy.”

Yeah, Naka’s a good guy. He likes petite girls and enjoys hitting people a bit too much.

“Let’s keep him around as the tragic role in the NTR play.”

“No, he’s more like the Best Supporting Sufferer, Kussun.”

“… It doesn’t matter which! It’s all good enough!”

“Whoa, Kussun, calm down, calm down.”

“Aaah!? I am calm!”

“Speaking of, the other Todou girl was pretty good, huh? Ue said he’d do his best for you, Kussun. He’s a good guy, isn’t he?”

Yeah, Ue’s a good guy. He always works hard for others. He enjoys gang-raping with his buddies a bit too much.

Yeah, she was quite a beauty. Great figure, too.

A girl like that makes you just want to slap some handcuffs on her and lock her up. And then just break her completely.

“Haa, yeah… she was tempting.”

“The other two looked good, too.”

Right, there were three of them. I want to lock them all up, make them swallow keys, and pit them against each other. It makes me want to destroy any concept of friendship they have.

“Yeah, it was good… their resistance was perfect. It’s like they were begging to be broken, right?”

“Yeah. They really looked like they wanted to be broken.”

Right? They all seemed like they were begging to be broken all at once.

“All three at once.”

“Exactly! All three at once. They wouldn’t have had to go through this if they had just submitted from the start.”

That’s right. If they had given in from the beginning, it would’ve been boring. Locking them up wouldn’t have been any fun.

Just think about it rationally.

“Exactly. It’s their fault for not being able to do that. Just think about it rationally.”

“No one likes being left out, right?”

“Exactly. Being alone would be unfair. Just think about it rationally.”

Just think about it rationally.

◆　◇　◆

| Hatsushiba Tomoka

In the end, Aika didn’t come to school.

Her social media was silent, too.

On the way home, I went straight back without stopping anywhere. I parted ways with Mee and Maya at the station.

Originally, I only changed my look to avoid being recognized by Kuzukawa and his gang, but deep down, I was still serious at heart.

I had planned to become a full-fledged gal over the course of my three years in high school.

…But what even is a full-fledged gal?

I don’t even really know what a gal is supposed to be in the first place, nor do I care. If I keep this up, they’ll see through me, so I need to act like a proper gal. But what does it even mean to act like a gal?

It’s so stupid.

But is being stupid okay? No, that’s just a stereotype.

“Haa…”

But today was impossible. Kuzukawa and the others were irritated, and without saying a word, we all went our separate ways.

Calm down, I told myself. As the train swayed, I looked out the window to regain my composure. Utility poles appeared and disappeared rhythmically. It felt like the perfect beat for drum and bass. I found myself staring absentmindedly.

That’s not good.

I can’t afford to mess up my priorities. Until I capture the decisive moment, I can’t let Aika fall apart. I need to refocus.

For now, I should contact her individually. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make her depend on me. Just as I was thinking that, a message arrived from Aika.

“Are you at the park near my house…?”

My first thought was: Why? She’s been to my place a few times before, but only with other girls.

After graduating from middle school, I started living alone to erase my past. Aika shouldn’t know about the video from yesterday. Even her childhood friend Todou shouldn’t have seen it. I trust Shimode in that regard.

So, why?

“Guess I’ll go.”

I muttered, reapplying my disguise as a gal. If she was feeling down, I could use her as planned. If not, I could unsettle her with the video. There was no need to be scared. I decided to approach her with an air of authority, looking down on her.

◆

The park near her house. It was a quiet park with a large tree at the back, the only real landmark there. Aika was leaning against that tree, waiting.

“Ah, Tomoka-chan.”

“Aika, why did you skip school today?”

I spoke in a demanding tone to seize control of the conversation from the start. As expected, she was top-tier. Today’s outfit was a boyfriend-style look, and it was ridiculously cute.

“…Shouldn’t you know that, Tomoka-chan?”

“Wh-why would I know something like that?”

Know? Know what? The video?

How does Aika know? Did Shimode mess up?

She always had a smile on her face, but today something felt off. Her smile seemed cold, almost chilling, and it made me uneasy.

Is this really Naruse Aika?

“The video.”

“!”

“You have it, don’t you?”

As I thought, she knew about the video—probably its contents, too. What should I say? What I want is a sacrifice. Either she relies on Kuzukawa or on me. That’s the priority.

Moreover, Aika is top-tier. If she, who hasn’t given in to Kuzukawa, suddenly finds herself with no other escape, something’s bound to happen. This is an obvious choice for a perfect sacrifice. Stay calm.

“What are you talking about?”

“How’s Kyou-chan?”

“Let’s switch.”

A man emerged from behind the tree. He was stylishly dressed, with a clean and neat appearance. He had well-groomed black hair, was slightly taller than average, and had a lean, muscular build. Kyou-chan? Who is this guy?

“Who are you?”

“Haha. That’s harsh, Hatsushiba-san. I’m Todou.”

…This is Todou? Don’t mess with me. He looks completely different! Were these two connected? This isn’t what Shimode told me! If Aika starts relying on him, it’ll mess up my plan. What do I do? No, it’s not too late yet.

“Todou… what do you want?”

“Hatsushiba Tomoka, from Hikawa Elementary and Murasakibara Middle School. You were in the volunteer club back then.”

Without answering my question, he started talking plainly.

It was the first time I’d seen Todou’s eyes.

He was looking straight at me, but… what? It felt like he wasn’t really looking at me at all.

This isn’t the Todou from yesterday.

No, that’s right. He’s done his homework. I was someone nobody paid attention to. But who told him about me… and why even look into me?

“So what? Is this some kind of payback for yesterday? Annoying.”

“Ever since elementary school, you were quiet, hardly noticeable—a girl who could disappear without a trace.”

So what?

What’s the point?

Wait… how does he know all this?

“There was only one person who ever laughed with that girl.”

No way… did he investigate that far?

“Stop it.”

“She was important to you, wasn’t she?”

“…Yeah.”

I couldn’t lie about that.

If he’s willing to stop, then fine.

Even Todou looked somewhat relieved.

“Today, it’s about something else.”

“…?”

“Aika said it at the beginning. Hatsushiba-san, weren’t you listening?”

“…The video.”

“That’s right.”

As he praised her, saying, “Well done,” he reached over and patted her head. I didn’t even notice when he got that close. I couldn’t brush his hand away; I was too weak to resist. And it felt good, so I didn’t want to resist.

Why? Is my head buzzing because of everything that happened? It feels good. Three months since school started, and it turns out I’ve been pushed pretty far without even realizing it. It feels good.

I hadn’t felt the warmth of another person in a long time… it feels good. I can’t fight it…

Is this really Todou? He’s smiling so carefree… all my defenses are gone… Ah, I’ve been so lonely all this time…

Before I knew it, he was hugging me.

“Well then, including everything else… would it be alright if we visited your house?”

Looking at Todou, who gave me a gentle smile, I could only nod quietly.