Vol 2 CHAPTER 23: With the Footsteps of Ruin Echoing, I Come Crawling for You【Volume 1: With the Footsteps of Ruin Echoing, I Come Crawling for You 【NTR Execution Arc】】

“Kudo-kun, I’m sorry—please take these back.”

It was one day after school, a while after the second semester had started.

Kotofuki came over from the class next door and said that. What she was holding out to me were the autograph-session tickets I’d given her at the end of summer.

“Did something happen?”

“Well… Satoru-senpai said he has something he absolutely can’t get out of that day, so—”

Inside the noisy classroom, with classmates chatting however they pleased, Kotofuki stood there looking completely deflated. It was hard to call her anything but pitiful.

And from what she was saying, it sounded like this time too, Ichinose-senpai had turned down Kotofuki’s invitation. A result that was unfortunate for her—and for me—

“So… are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. More importantly, I’m sorry. Even though you went out of your way for me—”

“You don’t need to apologize to me. But yeah… that’s a shame.”

—satisfying, because it was exactly as scripted.

It took effort to keep the smile from slipping out.

I’d expected this: the tickets that were supposed to be for Ichinose-senpai getting returned because of his one-sided convenience.

Because I’m the one who set up Ichinose-senpai’s “convenience” that day.

That day, his childhood friend had strictly ordered him to keep his schedule open no matter what. And from everything I’d seen so far, I already understood that someone like him had no chance of objecting to Takanashi’s demands.

In the end, just like always, he prioritized his childhood friend over his own girlfriend.

Sometimes I wonder how Takanashi manages to get her demands through every time, but I follow that sense of danger telling me not to dig too deep, and I don’t try to find out.

What matters is, I felt relieved that the plan was proceeding exactly as intended.

“Do you think senpai maybe didn’t like that rock band that much?”

“No. Satoru-senpai was really upset about it. He even said he wanted to go if he could, so I think it really is something he can’t help.”

Kotofuki spoke like she was trying to convince herself that it couldn’t be helped for her to be treated carelessly. Her eyes looked genuinely disappointed—and somewhere deep in them, I felt like I could even catch a trace of anger.

Watching her like that, I made up my mind.

And rousing myself, knowing this was the moment that mattered, I said it.

“—Then, how about you and I go, Kotofuki? To the autograph session.”

“Huh—”

Kotofuki stared at me, shocked.

As for me, I forced down the cold sweat inside and met her eyes with a calm face.

If she turned me down here, my scheme would collapse completely.

Even then, I had no intention of giving up—but it would mean I’d have to build a brand-new plot from scratch, so I wanted her to say “yes” no matter what.

That’s why, for these four months, I’d acted in a way that lured her into lowering her guard. Please—just nod. I waited for her answer while praying to the heavens.

Then Kotofuki asked, looking a little flustered.

“Um… what do you mean?”

“Ah, sorry. That’s not something you propose to a girl with a boyfriend— but, you know, it’s an autograph session, and it’d be a waste… so I thought, at least go get the autograph.”

I explained it like I had no ulterior motives, like I was making excuses.

That if she got a signed board and gave it to him, Ichinose-senpai would probably be happy. And since I’d started getting interested in the band too, I thought I might as well go with her, just because.

“But now that I’ve said it… is it really not fine? I mean, if you don’t want to, Kotofuki, I’ll seriously back off.”

“Ah—no… it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s not that at all. But—”

Kotofuki hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Can I call Satoru-senpai and ask for permission?” Of course, I said, “Go ahead.”

Kotofuki took out her phone and called.

And once he picked up, she started talking with a voice that sounded a little more prim than usual. “Hello—”

——

——

“Hey, Kudo-kun—he asked if the autograph session venue isn’t in ○○ Town… do you know?”

I waited beside her while she finished the call, and when she pulled the phone away from her ear, she asked me that. I had no clue what the intention behind that question was. Even Kotofuki looked a little confused as she asked it.

But I answered without pausing to question it.

“Yeah, it’s in ●● Town, so it’s a different place.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Kotofuki turned her attention back to the call, and watching her, I couldn’t help feeling kind of exasperated.

—Well, yeah. If she sees him out on a date with Takanashi, that’d be bad.

That day, Ichinose-senpai had a date planned with Takanashi. He couldn’t let Kotofuki witness it. So he made sure to confirm her location.

○○ Town and ●● Town are a decent distance apart. As long as Kotofuki doesn’t deliberately head toward ○○ Town, there shouldn’t be any chance of them running into each other.

“Yeah… no, um— a friend. Yeah, the one who gave me the tickets…”

Kotofuki was acting oddly hesitant on the phone, like it was hard for her to say.

Was he asking about who I was?

Even Ichinose-senpai, apparently, couldn’t be completely unconcerned about his girlfriend going out with some unknown guy. Still, when Kotofuki said in a firm voice, “It’s fine,” it seemed he didn’t press any further—because she looked relieved, like she could finally breathe.

“Yeah. Then… I’ll talk to you later…”

And with that, the call ended.

Kotofuki turned back, looking a little happy, and smiled at me.

“He said it’s okay. He told me to shake hands in his place.”

“Oh, seriously? That’s great. Sorry, though— for bringing up something annoying.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m the one who should be sorry. It’s all because of my situation, always being selfish and—”

Kotofuki said that with an apologetic face, but for me, there was nothing to be troubled about at all. If anything, thinking about what’s coming for her makes me want to apologize instead.

Because what’s ahead for her… is going to hurt.

And that experience is exactly what I went through once.

As I looked at Kotofuki with that pitying feeling, she suddenly went, “Ah!”

“Oh, right. I still have to thank you, Kudo-kun. Since we’re doing this anyway, I’ll treat you to lunch that day.”

That was the “thanks” we’d promised on the day of the summer festival for those tickets. We’d made a deal that she’d treat me to something good someday—and she was trying to keep it.

“Ask for anything. I’m really grateful to you, Kudo-kun— I’ll take you anywhere. I’ve got allowance, too!”

“Oh? Then I’ll take you up on that—”

I said it.

“There’s a place in ○○ Town I’ve been curious about. Would that be okay?”