The Story Where I, the Strongest Mercenary, Was Reincarnated as a Bullied Introverted High School Student ~ When I Was Freely Enjoying My School Life, for Some Reason the Girls Around Me Started Glancing at Me~ - Chapter 3&4

Chapter 3: For the Sake of Family

What caused bullying to occur? Would it not happen if I weren’t there?

No, they would surely find another “weak person” and repeat the same process. Both in reality and online, everyone wanted to beat down people they found beneath them more than necessary. By doing so, they probably deluded themselves into thinking they had become somebody important.

Such human psychology seemed to be the same wherever you went.

“Hey, you! You damn stupid piece of trash! You’re too slow making the food!”

Even at my part-time job at a restaurant, my treatment was similar to what I experienced at school.

“I’m only employing you because Dojima brought you here! Don’t work so sluggishly!”

“S-sorry…”

That’s right, I was working part-time here through Dojima’s introduction. Dojima was the guy who used me as a punching bag in class. Of course, he didn’t introduce me out of goodwill. I had half of my wages taken by Dojima as an “introduction fee”.

“There’s going to be an international exhibition nearby starting this weekend, so it’s going to be busy with lots of foreign customers! When that time comes, whether you cut your finger with a knife or break your hand getting it caught in the dishwasher, you’re going to work yourself to death!”

“Y-yes… I’ll do my best.”

It wasn’t that I was slow at work. As a kitchen staff, I worked harder than the other employees. It was just that I, being the “weak one”, was targeted as an outlet for this hired manager’s stress.

(Huff… huff… my whole body hurts…)

Dragging my body that still ached from the bullying, I continued cooking. It wasn’t just that I was too scared of Dojima to quit even though I wanted to. Even with my wages cut in half, I desperately had to work and save money.

My father was drowning in alcohol, and my mother was earning the living expenses all by herself. I worked hard to contribute even a little to help, and if possible, I wanted to send my little sister to college. So I had to keep trying my best…

“Ah~ah, you. You’re getting bullied by that baldy again~”

A female high school student who worked as hall staff, Kanai-san, said this while laughing from behind the counter.

Since the restaurant had gotten a bit quieter, the other hall staff girls had gathered around too.

“But well, it can’t be helped with Fushimi, right?”

“That’s right, he’s always trembling and cowering.”

“That’s why he becomes an easy target for bullies~”

Without offering comfort, they just talked to me while I worked, purely for entertainment. But such existence healed my heart a little, as I had the illusion that there were only enemies around me. Words of gratitude came out of my mouth.

“Thank you.”

“Huh? Why are you being grateful?”

“Because everyone… doesn’t bully me.”

When I said this, the hall staff girls sighed with eyes that looked down on me from the bottom of their hearts.

“…Really pathetic, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he’s finished as a man. Too much of a coward.”

“It’s not so much bullying as we’re just not interested.”

“Ah~ah, what a waste talking to a guy like this.”

They immediately erased me from their sight and began chatting while changing the topic.

And I went back to diligently preparing food.

(If I endure this, Dojima and his gang won’t lay a hand on my sister, and if I work hard, I can save money. I’ll… protect my family)

I had such feelings working as support in my heart.

Chapter 4: Mercenary Reincarnation

After work.

From the pain of being beaten continuously and being worked like a slave while being scolded constantly, I had become completely exhausted both physically and mentally.

(But with this, I’ve now worked desperately for one year… I’ve saved up nearly one million yen in wages. This should be enough to pay for my sister’s school fees…!)

As I walked down the road where the sun had completely set, I saw my sister Ami walking with her classmates. She must have just finished cram school. Unlike me, Ami was smart and worked hard at studying to go to university.

Then, one of Ami’s friends, whom I had met once at home, noticed me.

“Ah, isn’t that Ami’s big brother?”

When told this, Ami’s eyes met mine as I walked along dejectedly, and she immediately looked away.

“He’s not my brother. Not that guy.”

“Eh, but—”

“Let’s just go! I’ll study a bit more at Reina’s house before going home.”

Ami was always like this. She probably didn’t want to be thought of as having such a pathetic man as her brother.

But that was fine. To me, she was my precious little sister. Besides, if I could pay for Ami’s school fees, she might see me as a big brother again.

With such hope, I took my usual route home. When I turned the corner, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

“Hey, Fushimi. What a coincidence meeting you here.”

“…Huh?”

When I turned around, Dojima was waiting for me with several of his underlings. All the blood drained from my body with a bad premonition.

“…By the way, I actually need some money right now. It would help if you could spare just a little… about one million yen.”

“…Eh… ah…”

“We’re friends, so you don’t mind, right?”

I had been set up. Dojima had never intended to let me keep the money from the beginning.

The school fees for my sister that I had saved by working desperately for a year disappeared into Dojima’s entertainment money.

“Say cheese!”

“Gyahaha! It came out great~”

Knowing that resistance would only result in more injuries, I was made to hold alcohol and cigarettes as instructed and had my photo taken. On top of that, I was forced to drink some alcohol. He probably wanted to increase the material to blackmail me with.

With this, I had lost everything. All that remained was a path of living as Dojima’s slave, being exploited.

◇◇◇

After being released, I returned home and staggered into my room.

(I’m tired now. Of everything… I want to be free…)

That was all that came to my exhausted mind. What caught my eye was the LAN cable connected to the computer in my room.

(Even though it’s this thin, it would probably be enough to strangle my skinny neck…)

Such thoughts were carried out through hazy thinking. I unplugged the LAN cable from the computer, stood on the chair, and tied it to the ceiling.

I had thought about dying several times before, but I couldn’t go through with it because my mother’s face, who loved me, would always flash before my eyes. But now, because of the alcohol, I had forgotten even that memory.

Making a loop with the LAN cable hanging from the ceiling, I put it around my neck.

How did it come to this? It was probably because I was weak. Because I was weak, my life had become one of being dominated by the strong.

(When I’m reborn next time, I want to become a stronger creature… An invincible… creature like a dragon…)

When I kicked the chair away, the thin cable bit into my neck.

At that moment, Fushimi’s body lost consciousness.

And the soul of the mercenary ‘Invincible Dragon’, Miyamoto Ryuji, who had nowhere else to go, entered it.