NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24 - I'll Never Forgive You
Around 7 PM today, come to the bench in XX Park.
It’s been a while since I’ve heard from Sato. Since we’re in the same guild and class, we exchanged contact information. There were many times I wanted to delete it, but even if I did, he could still contact me.
—
I’m not coming.
—
I refuse. Nothing good can come from this.
—
That’s fine, but you’ll regret it.
—
(What does he mean by that?)
Despite that one sentence, I had a strange feeling, so I decided to go. I should be okay now. It’s a good chance—if anything happens, I’ll punch Sato.
With that decision, Kenya followed the message.
Why didn’t I realize it then? The true nature of that feeling.
—
“Hello, Nana.”
Sato approached Nana with a fake smile. It was after school, during the time students were heading home.
“Who are you?”
Nana, suddenly approached and spoken to, didn’t notice the malice directed at her. To the innocent, unsuspecting girl, he just looked like an older student from the same school with a smile.
Though she had met him during the yakiniku dinner, she didn’t recognize him due to the drastic change in his expression.
(Alright, it looks like she hasn’t heard about me from him.)
Kenya hadn’t told Nana why he left the guild or about Sato’s bullying. Who would want to tell their little sister about such painful and embarrassing experiences? Kenya had hidden the truth about Sato, so Nana didn’t know him.
Sato understood this well.
“I’m an adventurer! I used to work with your brother.”
He flashed his silver adventurer tag to prove his identity.
“Oh! Is that so? You know my brother!”
“Yes, that’s right! So, there’s something I need your help with. I want to surprise Kenya!”
Sato lied without hesitation. The surprise was true, but it wouldn’t be a pleasant one.
“Huh? A surprise? My brother will be so happy! I’ll help!”
The pure-hearted girl was easily deceived, joyfully jumping with an innocent smile. Pure and kind Nana was easily consumed by malice and deceived by a false smile.
Eventually, he led her to a deserted park at night. There was no one around.
“What are we going to do here? Are we going to suddenly surprise him and give him a present?”
Nana giggled. What kind of face will he make? Will he be happy?
“Yes, that’s right. I hope he’ll be really surprised.”
Sato and some of his followers surrounded Nana.
“W-what’s going on? What are you doing?”
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
Suddenly, Sato burst into laughter. He then grabbed Nana from behind and pressed something against her.
“If the brother’s useless, the sister must be an idiot.”
ZAP!
“!?”
(Oh! This thing is amazing. It really knocks you out.)
Sato had pressed a stun gun against Nana, knocking her out. They tore her clothes, making it look as if she had been assaulted. She was left on the ground, and they took pictures of her.
“Sato! I can’t hold back any longer! Hey, that hurts!”
“Don’t do anything that would leave evidence. The fun is just beginning…”
(She’ll soon be begging us to stop, haha.)
They left a note and a ten-thousand-yen bill near her with a prepared laptop.
After a while, Nana woke up. Seeing the note and her condition, she understood—or rather, misunderstood—what had happened. She believed she had been attacked.
Scared. In fear, Nana couldn’t move. She didn’t fully comprehend what had happened. Suddenly, she had been knocked out and when she woke up, her clothes were torn, and there was that note and money.
—
Had fun, Nana. The ten thousand yen is for your daddy activities.
—
Nana, who had never had a boyfriend, thought she had been assaulted by the boys she had just met.
Scared. So scared. She trembled. Tears fell to the ground.
Why? How?
Time passed as she couldn’t move. She couldn’t think clearly, only holding her shaking body.
Brother, help me…
—
“Nana?”
“Brother?”
After a while, Kenya appeared at the scene, seeing Nana with her torn clothes.
“Nana!”
Kenya threw his coat over Nana and ran to her side.
Nana, recognizing her brother, desperately forced a smile. She tried to hide what had happened.
If she told the truth, her brother would go after them. He would get beaten up and hurt.
So, she had to lie.
She had to lie to her brother.
With that thought, she desperately suppressed her feelings and forced a smile.
“Don’t worry! Look, here’s some money! I’m sorry, I just did something a little like compensated dating. It was intense!”
Nana lied desperately, trying to make it seem natural.
“Look, it’s ten thousand yen! Let’s go eat yakiniku with Misuzu! I really want to eat yakiniku!”
She forced a smile and told a clumsy lie.
“Oh, um, oh? Sorry, there’s something in my eye…”
She held out the ten thousand yen bill with shaking hands, but tears started to flow despite her effort to hide it. Her heart, against her will, reached its limit. She tried to explain the tears away, but they kept coming.
“Oh, uh? Why can’t I get it out… I don’t know. Haha. Just, just… wait a bit… just… sob, sob…”
Kenya said nothing, only hugged his crying sister, who tried so hard to hide the truth.
He understood who had done this. There was no way this was a coincidence. Sato had called him there to show him this.
He gently wrapped his coat around the trembling Nana and held her softly. He reassured her with kind words, saying it was okay.
—
“Welcome back! What happened?”
When they got home, Misuzu was waiting.
“Misuzu, take care of Nana.”
“O-okay! What about you, Senior Kenya?”
“I have something to do. Something I have to do.”
Kenya hugged Nana tightly.
“Brother will finish everything. Just wait a bit.”
“N-no! I’m fine! It’s okay.”
“Don’t worry. Brother is strong.”
Seeing his gentle smile, firm confidence, and eyes burning with anger, Nana nodded. She trusted her brother, who had always been her hero.
She nodded and watched Kenya leave.
Outside, Kenya took a deep breath to calm his trembling body. Fresh air filled him, making his thoughts clearer and helping him understand the situation.
(What did Nana do?)
He could understand being banished for being useless, but he couldn’t accept it. But Nana had nothing to do with it.
Why target Nana? To anger me?
Though he took a deep breath, his body began trembling again. Blood dripped from his clenched fists. His anger made his head feel like it was going to explode.
His teeth clenched so hard they might break. He felt ashamed of himself for doing nothing, for thinking he’d act next time something happened.
Shaking with rage, he reached his limit. Kenya roared, releasing his anger.
“Sato!!”
He stomped the ground in fury, cracking the concrete.
“Just you, just you!”
Blood dripped from his bitten lips. His body shook, and he heard the sound of blood vessels popping.
“I will never forgive you!!!!”
His roar echoed through the quiet night. And the boy ran toward Sato’s guild headquarters.