The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers - Chapter 118-119

Chapter 118: What I Feared Most

“How is it? Waking up in such a filthy place? Did you have a good time?”

“…The worst feeling ever.”

Rinmei uttered only those few words. The girl in front of her, a flashy party girl, twisted her lips into a satisfied smirk at Rinmei’s reaction.

“Actually, I like it. I love seeing people I hate squirm like this.”

“…You’re a messed-up person. You should stop; your hobbies are awful.”

“Yes, yes, drop the goody-two-shoes act already, Songstress.”

Her mocking laugh grated on Rinmei’s nerves, igniting a deep-seated anger within her.

“…Hey, what am I supposed to do now? Can I leave already?”

“Oh… yeah. You’re no use to me anymore, so scram. Bye-bye.”

“…You’re as demanding as ever.”

Keisuke stood up, gave the party girl a disdainful glance as he passed her, and headed for the exit. Before leaving, he turned to Rinmei one last time.

“See you, Songstress. I’ll at least pray for your safety.”

“…Save it. I don’t need concern from someone who’s spent the whole time doing what they’re told. I’m not that weak.”

“Tch.”

With a click of his tongue, Keisuke left the filthy warehouse. The party girl snorted derisively as she watched him go.

“It’s hilarious, you know? Acting all tough, but he’s totally out of the loop with shady dealings. Did you know? That guy’s just a regular student. Isn’t it laughable?”

“…I don’t care. Do you really think you can get away with this?”

Rinmei dismissed any interest in Keisuke, her tone sharp and threatening, but the party girl remained unfazed.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. No way I’m getting caught.”

“…What do you mean?”

“You know, right? I have all kinds of connections in the underworld. Yakuza, for instance?”

“…Don’t tell me…”

Before Rinmei could finish, the party girl answered her unspoken question.

“Bingo. That’s why I’ve got help. Like putting pressure on the cops or patrolling this place.”

“…You’ve stooped to doing things like that while still playing around with older men? I don’t get it.”

Rinmei spoke defiantly, but cold sweat trickled down her face. She realized her situation was hopeless; no one would find her here. She would remain a prisoner forever.

This was what you’d call a no-way-out situation.

“Ahaha, figured it out? Isn’t this what they call… checkmate?”

“…What’s your goal?”

Despite the reversal of roles from a few days ago, Rinmei’s unyielding attitude didn’t waver. When she asked, the party girl nonchalantly revealed her purpose.

“Oh, you remember what happened before, don’t you? It pissed me off so much—your glasses friend, you… So, it’s payback.”

“…Payback?”

“Yup, payback. I’m going to make sure you can never defy me again. No matter how long it takes. Ahaha, even if you apologize now, it’s too late. You really made me mad.”

“Wait… us?”

The party girl’s crazed demeanor didn’t faze Rinmei as much as her choice of words. It hinted at something Rinmei feared most.

“Oh, you caught on? I wanted to stage a touching reunion for you, but oh well.”

“…Stop it.”

A terrible possibility crossed Rinmei’s mind. It shouldn’t happen. No, it mustn’t happen. Rinmei desperately hoped—but then:

“…Rinmei-chan!!!”

“!?”

No… they came.

Rinmei could bear her own suffering, but she never wanted her friend dragged into this.

“Oh, you came. You really are brave. Such a sweet, loyal friend.”

“…Haruka…!”

“I came to help you, Rinmei-chan!”

Standing before her was her friend Haruka, her eyes blazing with determination.

—

Chapter 119: Hope Born in Despair

“Haruka…!”

Rinmei called out. Normally, such a voice would be filled with joy for a friend who had come to help. However, her voice was overflowing with despair.

“Wow, really. The way you disregard your own safety for your friend—it’s impressive. I’d love to learn that… though I doubt I could.”

“…Party girl-san, please… release Rinmei-chan. In exchange… I’ll take her place.”

“Haruka, no! Get out of here now! Please, party girl! Don’t hurt Haruka! Everything is my fault!”

Rinmei raised her voice at party girl, willing to accept any consequence herself but desperate to protect Haruka. The party girl was observing her reaction; then she looked down on Rinmei with a mocking smile.

“Haha! That’s the reaction I wanted to see! You, who never gave me the time of day before—your attitude has always annoyed me so much. But seeing this now? Totally worth it. Serves you right! Kyaa-ha-ha!”

The party girl laughed loudly, her ugly laugh filled with a sense of revenge, as though she were doubling the repayment for every slight she felt she’d endured.

“Hah… I laughed too hard. Well, fine. I’ll let you off.”

“Really…?”

“Yes, really. However…”

The party girl approached Haruka and delivered a powerful punch to her stomach.

“Ah…!”

“Only after I’m satisfied.”

“Haruka!”

Haruka clutched her stomach in pain, coughing violently. The party girl didn’t stop there; she knocked off Haruka’s glasses and grabbed her disheveled hair roughly.

“Let me vent my stress on you. It really irritated me when you dared to defy me.”

“Ha… ha… Rin… mei-chan…”

“Stop it, party girl! Please… please stop… don’t hurt Haruka!”

“Here’s a question for you, Rinmei-chan. Which is more important to you—your friends or your family?”

“What are you…”

“You heard me. Like I said earlier, I have connections with shady people. Some of them specialize in selling people’s bodies, you know?”

“Stop it…”

“So, what’ll it be? Your guardians, right? Both women, I believe? One’s a high school sophomore, and the other’s a proper adult. I’d happily trade the two of them to spare this little four-eyes here. What do you say?”

There was no way to choose.

Kanna and Sayaka would probably agree if it meant saving Rinmei and Haruka.

But betraying them like that… Rinmei couldn’t stand the thought of them living with wounds that would never heal.

“…I… I’m fine.”

“Haruka…?”

“This kind of violence… I won’t lose to it… So, just wait a bit, okay? Rinmei-chan, I’ll… I’ll save you.”

“You should just shut up!”

“Ugh… agh… cough, cough!”

“…Stop it already… please, stop it…!”

Watching Haruka get beaten and kicked repeatedly, Rinmei’s vision blurred.

There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t trade her only friend or the two who had raised her like family.

(If I sacrifice myself…)

That was the only thought left.

If she sacrificed herself, the three of them could be saved. That way… But unconsciously, she thought:

(Someone… someone help us…)

“…Eiji…”

Suddenly, the building shook violently.

The unexpected tremor left party girl, Rinmei, and Haruka bewildered.

“What the heck is going on!?”

The party girl hurriedly left the warehouse to check the situation.

“What’s… happening?”

“R-Rinmei-chan…”

“Haruka!!!”

No, there was no time to think about that now.

This was their chance.

“…We’ve come to help.”

“…Idiot.”

Rinmei and Haruka moved.

Despite their battered bodies, they used the metal cutting tool they had prepared beforehand on the chains of the handcuffs.

“It’ll take some time, but… I’ll manage, so just hold on…!”

“…Okay.”

But what exactly happened…? Rinmei wondered as she glanced toward the door.