Chapter 77 – Evidence (5)
If I were to compare the person in front of me to an animal, it would be a huge bull.
No, more like…
-Thud!
“Are you just going to keep running away!”
A bullfight would be more accurate.
I lowered my upper body, watching Kumoto prepare to grab me, and clicked my tongue.
‘He’s so relaxed.’
Well, unlike me, who would be done for once caught, he has plenty of leeway.
‘If I had known it would turn out like this, should I have finished it when I fought in a boxing stance at the beginning?’
No. If I had, I would have taken one punch and my internal organs would have been twisted.
From the start, my strategy was to wear him down as much as possible since he was bigger and would use more stamina, and then corner him…
‘I underestimated the gym teacher’s stamina.’
Kumoto was in better condition than I thought. His breathing was a little ragged, and he had a few beads of sweat, but his stamina seemed fine.
It seemed he hadn’t been neglecting his workouts.
Thinking that, I looked at the gym teacher, who looked like he was about to pounce, and thought about where to escape.
-Tap!
Seeing me roll my eyes, Kumoto immediately rushed at me, and I lowered my upper body to avoid his grasp, then rolled to the side.
-Clatter!
‘Crap! Damn it, I messed up!’
Unfortunately, I hit a metal box while rolling to the side and injured my ankle.
I’ve mostly adapted to this body, but I guess because I have little practical data, I made a mistake like this.
The problem was that my opponent noticed it too.
“Hehehe. You hurt your ankle? Now you can’t run away like a loach, can you?”
Seeing Kumoto, who was taking a stance with a twisted smile, I had no choice but to discard all the plans I had in my head.
I tried to fight without weapons as much as possible in case of a fatal accident, but since things had turned out this way, I had no choice but to use one.
Thinking that, I took out the weapon I was most familiar with from my pocket.
“A military knife? A student like you is carrying something like that?”
A military knife, an indispensable and precious weapon from my military life.
When I held up the military knife, Kumoto didn’t look surprised, but rather mocked me.
“Do you think I’ve never dealt with a kid with a knife?”
It seemed he mistook me for a simple kid who had played around with a knife.
But he would soon realize that was a huge mistake.
***
Kumoto scoffed when he first saw the military knife.
Before becoming a gym teacher, he was a man who had practiced dagger fighting in the Self-Defense Forces.
He had swung a knife relentlessly there, so a kid with a knife couldn’t help but look pathetic.
But there was one thing Kumoto hadn’t anticipated.
While Kumoto’s skills were honed through mere practice, Takuya’s techniques were honed through bloody real-life combat.
-Thwack!
First, Takuya deeply stabbed Kumoto’s thigh horizontally to hinder his mobility.
‘When did he get close enough to stab me!’
The accuracy and speed were so fast that even the person who was stabbed only realized it after the fact.
His precision and sharpness were not just some kid’s play.
Kumoto, who was stabbed in the thigh, was flustered and tried to grab Takuya, but Takuya took a step back and adjusted the distance.
-Whoosh!
“Ugh!”
But Kumoto wasn’t the type of man to give up after one try.
He used his legs, which had a longer reach than his arms, to attack Takuya’s stomach to grab him.
-Whack!
“Cough.”
The unexpected attack landed squarely.
It was an attack that took advantage of Takuya’s psychology, who didn’t expect Kumoto to use his feet since he had only attacked with his hands and body until now.
Normally, the fight would have been decided right there.
“Cough…”
If someone of Kumoto’s size were to be hit like that, even someone of the same size would likely be done for. How much more so for Takuya, who was much smaller?
But Takuya was still standing.
No. Rather, his eyes were filled with venom, no, killing intent.
Kumoto was chilled by that look.
It was similar to the atmosphere of the soldiers he had seen in the battlefield he had been dispatched to before.
Eyes like those of madmen who went to the battlefield to die.
Kumoto, who had been relaxed until now, realized that Takuya was not to be trifled with and tried to act immediately, but Takuya was a little faster.
Takuya took something out of his pocket and scattered it in front of Kumoto. It was sand.
Kumoto closed his eyes tightly from the sudden pain, and Takuya didn’t miss the timing and pushed Kumoto backward.
Kumoto tried to brace himself by pulling one leg back, but the deep wound made by the knife restricted his movement.
-Bang!
Thanks to that, Kumoto fell backward helplessly, and he was about to pass out from the impact, but Takuya didn’t allow it.
Takuya balled his fist and punched Kumoto’s face like a sandbag without any hesitation.
-Crack!
“Kaaaaaah!!!”
Thanks to that, Kumoto couldn’t pass out even if he wanted to, and his mind became clear due to the pain.
“You bastard!!”
-Crunch!
After being hit for a while, Kumoto squeezed out the last of his strength and grabbed Takuya’s fingers and twisted them, but…
“Is that all you got?”
Takuya, as if mocking him, made dozens more cuts on his arm.
“Crazy… monster…”
“A monster is better than a beast.”
With that attack, Kumoto realized that he had completely lost.
-Whack!
-Thud!
For a long time, he had no choice but to become a sandbag for a boy several times smaller than him.
Until he completely passed out.
***
“Huff! Huff!”
I breathed roughly, muttering as I looked at Kumoto, who was lying, no, passed out, on the dirty warehouse floor.
“If it were my previous body, you would have died today. Kaah- ptoo.”
Then I spat out blood-mixed saliva as if spitting phlegm on the floor.
It seemed that my esophagus and organs were badly damaged from the fight.
Thanks to that, I could feel my internal organs twisting.
After spitting out the blood-mixed saliva, I took out a stamina recovery potion and gloves from my subspace pocket, put on the gloves, and then sucked the stamina recovery potion.
Honestly, I didn’t know how much this would help with the pain, but in this state where my legs were trembling like a newborn fawn, it would help somehow.
Thinking that, I chugged the stamina recovery potion.
Fortunately, it had a significant effect. At least my legs weren’t trembling like a newborn fawn anymore.
Thanks to that, I confidently went down the stairs and couldn’t help but be amazed by the scene that unfolded below.
‘What is this.’
Below the stairs, there were all sorts of adult products.
For example, the very high-quality cat ear headband and tail in my hand right now were prime examples.
I was momentarily distracted by the adult products, but I slipped a few into my subspace pocket.
“Why are there so many adult products?”
I didn’t forget to say this while loosening my neck a little.
After getting a few adult products, I decided to carry out my original purpose of rescuing Haru.
Haru was trapped in a prison-like place inside the room. To be precise, she was tied to an X-shaped device.
‘Look at his taste.’
I looked at the sight of the high school girl tied in an X for a moment, but since I didn’t know when she would wake up, I decided to rescue her first.
I was in the process of untying the leather that bound her wrists for the rescue.
“Agh, damn it, it hurts like hell.”
When I fought that gym teacher earlier, he broke all the fingers on one of my hands, so my fingers hurt like hell when I tried to untie the leather.
It felt like the adrenaline that had been flowing was slowly subsiding, and the pain was becoming more vivid.
Well, it wasn’t like I had a bullet in my side, so this was fine, but I couldn’t help but grumble.
‘But, what excuse should I make…’
In addition, I was also worried about what excuse I should make to the mothers.
After enduring the pain for a while, I finally managed to free Haru.
Fortunately, Haru didn’t seem to have regained consciousness even while I was untying her.
‘It would have been a problem if she had woken up while I was untying her.’
Thinking that, I carried the limp Haru on my back and went upstairs.
When I got to the top, I placed Haru and Hiro side by side in the corner of the warehouse, and tied up the gym teacher with jump ropes and other things that could be used to tie him up.
“Whew! Is this the end?”
After finishing the cleanup, I went back downstairs and threw down the clear evidence, such as photos and recordings of all the evidence that the gym teacher, no, the delinquent teacher Kumoto, had done, and the circumstances of his dealings with the chairman.
Those with connections to the chairman would try to bury this incident, but they wouldn’t be able to.
Because the recruitment of people who had already been victimized was over, and at the same time as reporting it, I would also spread this incident to the media.
If there was no response, I would have to turn Miyagi Prefecture upside down.
Thinking that, I went back upstairs and turned on the screen to check the progress.
【Status】
[Haru]
[Corruption: 0%]
[Lust: 0%]
[Development Area▼]
[Capture Progress: 90%]
[Salvation Progress: 95%]
[Scenario Progress: 92%]
The scenario was so far along that it could be said to be nearing its end.
‘Now, all that’s left is for Hiro to confess and for her to accept.’
Thinking that this scenario was almost over, I felt the fatigue that had been building up in my body disappear a little.
Well, that’s that.
“Ah, hello. There’s a kidnapper here who kidnapped a high school girl. Where is it…?”
First, I’ll finish reporting it.
To avoid any possible tracking, I used the gym teacher’s flip phone to report and inform at the same time.
“Ah, you’ll be here in 10 minutes? Okay, I understand.”
After roughly finishing the call, I threw the flip phone aside and approached the sleeping Haru, squatted down, and tidied her disheveled hair.
“I’m sorry for making you go through this. I’ll take you to your favorite family restaurant next time. Please forgive me.”
I stroked her hair for a while and apologized to her, and after saying that, I stood up again.
“Then, see you later. Sis, no, Haru.”
After saying goodbye, I checked if there was anything I had missed, and then left the warehouse, went through the bushes, and got into Miyuki’s car, which was waiting for me.
“Master! Your injuries!”
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
“It’s not nothing! Quickly, quickly, to the hospital…”
“I’m really okay…”
There was a slight problem in the process, but anyway. I erased my traces in the warehouse, safely returned home, and got into bed comfortably…
“Ta, Takuya?! Your face!”
“Q, Quickly, to the hospital!”
“I’ll take you to the hospital I go to!”
I couldn’t. Rather, the house was in an uproar.
Thanks to that, even though it was well past dinner time, I was taken to the hospital and ended up lying in a hospital bed, starting my hospital life under the care of Ayaka’s mother, who was a nurse.
It was an unexpected variable, but since there wouldn’t be any problems with the scenario or my safety, I felt relieved while receiving the care.
Takuya was relieved, but there was one variable he didn’t know about. That was…
-Beep beep beep
“Ah! Don’t film there!”
“Control this area quickly!”
“Agh, why are there so many reporters!”
“The victim! Hmm, it seems she’s very heartbroken. Let’s interview her later.”
In the noisy scene, Haru, who was sitting in the ambulance with her face down, muttered softly as she thought.
“Why, why did you go so far as to get hurt to save me…”
-Thump.
-Thump.
Why did that child act like that for her, and why did he say those words at the end?
Haru had heard everything Takuya had said.
***
A few days passed, and the media was in an uproar.
It was partly because the gym teacher was quite famous, but also because powerful figures in the area were involved.
Usually, wouldn’t the powerful people bury it?
Whether it was good luck or bad luck, those powerful people were connected to the yakuza, so it became impossible to bury it easily.
Thanks to that, the matter grew, and many of the big shots were caught.
Well, of course, the ‘real’ ones didn’t suffer any damage.
Anyway, the truth is that this kind of talk wasn’t important right now.
So what was important? That was obviously…
“U-Um, Haru! There’s something I want to tell you!”
“Yeah, what is it?”
Hiro’s confession event.
I watched Hiro, who was stuttering to convey his feelings, with a pleased look on my face.
‘Finally, I’m filling in this last piece.’
[Salvation Progress: 97%]
I looked at the salvation progress, which had only a little left, and thought.
Now, if those two get together, my job is done.
I really went through a lot of hardship because of this.
I had to do brawls that I didn’t even do well in my previous life, play Cupid, report to the media, and it was all so annoying.
I had done this much, so I hoped the reward would at least be worth the value of my broken finger.
Thinking that, I listened to Hiro’s confession.
“U-Um, I’ve liked you since we were kids! Please go out with me!”
Well, the stuttering was a minus, but it was still a decent line.
In addition, the angle of bowing and extending one hand, which was a Japanese light novel-style confession method, was also good.
I naturally expected Haru to accept the confession.
But the words that came out of Haru’s mouth were far from what I had expected.
After listening to Hiro’s confession, Haru bowed her head without any hesitation and said.
“I’m sorry. I have someone I like.”
“Huh?”
“And I don’t want you to come to my house anymore. I’ve already told my family.”
“Ha, Haru?! Wh, what are you…”
“I’m sorry. Don’t call me out like this again.”
“…”
Haru said that and left.
-Thud.
Hiro’s legs gave out from Haru’s shocking words, and he stared blankly at the spot where Haru had been.
And in this situation, I…
[The second scenario has been cleared!]
【Status】
[Haru]
[Corruption: 0%]
[Lust: 0%]
[Development Area▼]
[Capture Progress: 100%]
[Salvation Progress: 100%]
[Scenario Progress: 100%]
[You have succeeded in filling all the salvation progress, but you have not reached the given salvation goal! A penalty will be given!]
“What the hell.”
I was staring at the air like Hiro, half out of my mind.
No. I was trying to be.
[Penalty: Nerf of physical abilities (permanent)]
[The excess achievement reward objects to the penalty!]
[The penalty is being adjusted.]
[The excess achievement reward objects to the adjusted penalty! The penalty is being readjusted!]
.
.
.
.
Until I saw the screen fiercely fighting among themselves.
‘No. Why are their opinions so divided?’
Thinking that, I waited to see what penalty I would be given, and after a while, the result came out.
In the end, my penalty was simple.
[The final penalty has been decided.]
[Overall decrease in physical abilities
*Adjustment details: Decrease in physical abilities excluding stamina, separate size adjustment function added to the lower body, penalty period adjusted from permanent to 3 years.]
The penalty was that my body would become weaker than it was now.
[Scenario excess achievement reward: Improvement of physical abilities (reward can be received after the penalty ends.)]
In addition, the excess achievement reward I was given was that I would become much stronger than my current physical abilities.
‘Is this some kind of giving a disease and then giving a cure?’
I had received a reward, but I had a body that I could only use in 3 years.
[*The penalty will be applied 3 days from now! Please be careful.]
After discovering this notice on the screen, I turned it off.
I had to check the scenario clear reward, but I didn’t want to check it in my current state.
While I was feeling down,
“Oh? It’s Takuya-kun? Hello~”
Haru, who had cleanly rejected the confession, said as she looked at me, who was hiding.
At her gaze, I was about to get angry for a moment, but I calmed myself down.
‘Right. Well, it’s not Haru’s fault.’
From the beginning, there was no option that she would definitely accept Hiro’s confession.
Thinking that, I said as kindly as possible.
“Hello.”
Correction. It was impossible to speak kindly with this feeling.
Thanks to that, I answered with a sulky tone, and at my answer, Haru smiled as if she was happy about something and clung to me.
‘Why is she, a grown-up, clinging to me like this… wait a minute?’
Looking at Haru, who was clinging to me with an expression that was impossible to think of as someone who had just coldly rejected Hiro, I began to have a thought.
‘Could it be, does she like me?!’
That thought that Haru might like me.
It was more likely to be just a misunderstanding.
What did I do for Haru to like me? I just made a mysterious appearance and worked hard as Cupid. Could it be that I had seduced Haru?
With that thought, I glanced at Haru, who was looking at me.
And in Haru’s eyes that I looked at…
‘Oh crap.’
She had the look of a female looking at a man she loved, not just a normal friendly street kid.
Seeing that, I had no choice but to smack my forehead.
It seemed that I was being crushed by the disaster I had brought upon myself.
