The World’s Only Max-Level Lazy Introvert Accidentally Goes Viral After Helping a Famous Streamer Who Forgot to Turn off Her Dungeon Stream - 23

Chapter 23: The Lazy Introvert Commands Over Full-Grown Adults

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“Huh..?”

“The boss’… Son?”

“Blo-Bloody Silencer…?”

With just those words, the yakuza members finally realized their own foolishness. They looked up at me in panic. Their eyes were filled with despair as they trembled from fear. Jinba was supposed to be their last ray of hope, but it turned out Jinba couldn’t even help them. They were at the end of their line. 

Well, since they’re already this scared… It should be fine for me to let it go for now.

I sighed heavily and set Shiori down, who I had been carrying on my back all this time. 

“Don’t go far away from my side, just to be safe. We don’t know what might happen next after all.”

I said and Shiori only nodded silently. She was usually so cheerful and bright, but she looked so gloom now. She was clinging tightly to my clothes, probably trying to find something to hold on to so she wouldn’t feel as scared. 

Well, this kind of reaction was to be expected from a normal high school girl like her. Sure, she was a famous streamer, but she was still a law-abiding high school girl. It was only natural for her to feel shaken after witnessing such a bloody battle. I couldn’t afford to taint her in this kind of environment any longer. I had to get her out of here as soon as possible. 

I turned my attention to the man I had known since I was young. 

“Oi, Jinba. Care to tell me what’s going on here? Why are you guys willing to go as far as to bribe politicians for someone like Onizuka?”

“No… That’s not it. They belong to a group under our umbrella, but they’re not related to anyone in the main clan. The Kamisuyama clan is not involved in this matter.”

“Haah… I figured. That’s what I thought too.”

I scratched the back of my head roughly before looking down at Onizuka. 

“Well, all’s well that ends well, but I’m still concerned about one thing. Why are they getting politicians involved? It seems like an overkill just for this guy.”

“Well… Actually, this incident caught us by surprise too.”

“What did you say…?”

“I know I’m not supposed to say this, but there’s something weird going on in the clan. There’s this… Unsettling mood if I may say so. To be honest, I have no idea what’s going to happen next either.”

Strange. The Kamisuyama clan was supposed to be one of the top yakuza families in Japan. I had always kept my distance from anything related to the yakuza, so I didn’t really know much, but.. For such a large organization to make this kind of blunder… It was weird. Something didn’t add up. Something… Something else was going on here. 

But well, I couldn’t care less about the clan. I had always lived in a regular house since I was young. I started living on my own right after graduating middle school. I begged my father to let me live a life free from all yakuza stuff. I didn’t want to get involved in anything troublesome. In fact, getting involved in an annoying match like this was the last thing I wanted. Hence why, I didn’t want to dig any deeper. Something was amiss. There was no denying it, but it was my father and Jinba’s job to solve it. Not me. 

“My deepest apologies, Ren-sama. The mistake is mine. Please, forgive me.”

Jinba bowed his head deeply at me and I shook my head casually to dismiss him. 

“It’s fine. I don’t mind it. More importantly, stop helping Onizuka. Just seeing his face is enough to make me furious.”

“Of course. It was never our intention to help him in the first place.”

Jinba bowed again and then… He cautiously added, as if he wanted to gauge my reaction. 

“…As an apology… How about if I offer you some black market item that we’ve acquired from the Dungeon Management Bureau?”

“Black market item…?”

Right. So they had been working together with the government after all. The ‘Experience Juice’ that Onizuka had consumed must be obtained from the Dungeon Management Bureau as well. They were influential enough to be able to secure a large quantity of rare items like Experience Juice and they didn’t even realize one of their sister groups had misused the item. 

“I don’t need it. I don’t need any dirty items like that.”

“That’s not true. I’m sure Ren-sama will find it to your liking.”

“…Humph.”

I pivoted on my heel, turning my back to Jinba.

“….More importantly, how’s the old man? Is he doing well?”

“Oh, absolutely. When he saw the video of you getting hit by Onizuka, he screamed, ‘Oooohhh, my precious Ren!!!’”

“Heh. He’s the same as ever.”

My father always doted on me like crazy. He only showed his terrifying face to his subordinates, but he was always extremely lenient when it came to me. Hence why, it was hard to believe that he would order the group to do something that would hurt me, let alone kill me. I didn’t know what Jinba meant by the ‘unsettling mood’, but it seemed there was something ominous brewing within the organization indeed. 

“Ren-sama, what would you like to do? The boss often shouted,’Ahhh I want my subordinates to protect Ren!~~~~’ Would you like to take up on his offer?”

“No. I don’t need it. Do you really think someone like him can hurt me?”

“…Hahaha, my apologies. Of course not.”

Jinba bowed at me again before he ordered the two remaining yakuza that were still conscious to clean up the rest. It looked like they would also take care of the unconscious Onizuka too. 

“In that case, Ren-sama, I will send you some of the black market items we have. I’m sure you will find it to your liking. Also, I’ve heard this Onizuka kid had stolen 500.000 yen from you. We will make sure his brother compensates you and give you double the amount.”

“That won’t be necessary. Don’t bother. Just… Take care of Shiori. Her streaming equipment got destroyed by the explosion. I want you to bring her the replacements by tomorrow. Remember, I want you to get her the same exact equipment that she had.”

The man who was nearly twice my size, Jinba, bowed deeply and left the scene with his subordinates. 

★★★

And this is it.

Only Shiori and I were left. The yakuza had cleaned up after themselves and left the area. The place, which had been so chaotic just a moment ago, was now eerily silent. 

“…”

Even Shiori, who was usually so cheerful, remained silent. Well, not that I could blame her. She had just found out the guy she had been chasing after was connected to a dangerous yakuza organization. It was only natural for her to be shaken up by that fact.

――”Ren-kun, I’m sorry. Mama told me not to play with you anymore..”――

――”Huh? But why? We haven’t finished that game yet! We… We were having so much fun…”――

――”She-She said I can’t, so… I’m sorry!”――

――”Ah! Wait…!”――

It was always like that. My friends always left me after they knew I was related to the yakuza. That was one of the most painful experiences my younger self had experienced. It was heartbreaking to know the friends who had been so close to me just yesterday, would suddenly change their attitude the next day. And… By the time I realized it, I became obsessed with wanting to become an ‘ordinary person’. I avoided interacting with other people to prevent myself from getting hurt. Video games were my escape and once I grew tired of playing video games, I found dungeon exploring to be my next obsession.

I was living an empty life, cursing my own blood and avoided forming a deep relationship with people. I always thought I would keep on living in this way and no matter how much I wished for an ordinary life, my wish would never come true. The same thing would keep on happening. The people I knew would leave me again once they knew I was related to the yakuza. And Shiori too… 

“Sorry, Shiori. You must be scared, huh?”

I kept my distance from her and talked while keeping my gaze fixed elsewhere. I didn’t have the courage to look her in the eyes. I was afraid to see the rejection flashing in her eyes. 

“I think you already know, but well… I’m not the good guy you think I am. I was lucky nothing bad happened today, but who knows what next incident I’m going to get caught up in again in the future.”

“…”

“That’s why, you should cut your ties with me too. There’s nothing good that can come from being with someone like me.”

“—No, that’s not true.”

However, Shiori’s response betrayed my expectations. It was something I had never heard before.

“Huh…?”

Her unexpected answer caused me to let out a baffled-sounding voice from confusion. 

“What are you talking about? If you keep staying by my side, you’re going to get caught up in—”

“Fufufu~ Did you forget, Ren-kun?”

Before I could finish my sentence, Shiori suddenly came to me and struck a cute peace sign, just like what she often did during her streams.

“I… I want to keep chasing after you, no matter where you go.”

“…”

“Ahaha~ I can see the doubt in your face, Ren-kun. But you see, I already had my suspicion from the start. When Onizuka assaulted you in the back alley, you didn’t flinch at all when he mentioned his big brother is in the yakuza. In fact, you didn’t even react when he pulled his knife out.”

“…”

“That’s why, honestly? I’m not surprised at all. I just thought… Ahh, Ren-kun is so cool~”

“Yo-You…”

“That’s why…”

Shiori then, to my surprise, jumped into my chest and murmured in a very soft voice.

“Don’t try to take care of everything on your own. I know that deep down… Ren-kun is very kind after all.”

“…”

“And I’ve fallen in love with that side of you. I don’t care even if you think I’m reckless or foolish. So, please… Will you let me stay by your side from now on?”

My first impression of her when we first met was that she was a strange woman. Although she was a famous streamer, but to me, she was just a strange woman who had a yandere tendency. I thought that someone like her wouldn’t be a good match with me. But I guess… I had already acquired what I had been craving all along. Something I had desperately wanted since I was young.

“Humph… Are you an idiot?”

‘Fufu~ I don’t care even if you call me idiot or whatever~ As long as I can stay by Ren-kun’s side~”

And at that moment, I felt like I could truly smile from the bottom of my heart again, something I hadn’t been able to do since a long time ago.

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