CH 262

Chapter 262 – Scumbag’s Background

“….No way… That’s horrible…” (Sayuri)

My most dreaded memories resurfaced in my mind as I told the story about Ryoji. The memories filled me with so much hate that I wanted to just forget it all. Founder-sama was holding her hand over her mouth, her eyes stricken with sorrow. Then, she suddenly glared at Ryoji.

“You! You were her lover, weren’t you?! You were childhood friends! How could you do something so cruel?!” (Sayuri)

“Hah? Cruel? Don’t measure me by your own standards. Right, Keika? We had a ton of fun that day, didn’t we?” (Ryoji)

“….!” (Shakuhara)

Of course, I wanted to refute him, but the words wouldn’t come out. My mind was more traumatized by this guy than I’d thought. I was so scared that my mouth wouldn’t move.

“That’s another form of love. Giving up your body for me. It was because of that time that I was able to get in contact with my current organization. That’s right. I am where I am today because of you. Thank you, Keika.” (Ryoji)

“….Sigh. You’re seriously annoying.” (Sayuri)

Ryoji’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed in displeasure, and he raised his gun toward Founder-sama and fired.

“Sayuri-neesan!” (Aoyama)

Aoyama immediately pushed Founder-sama out of the way, saving her from the bullet. But in covering for her, she ended up taking the shot instead, and it pierced into her right shoulder.

Aoyama tumbled to the ground as fresh blood splattered. Founder-sama cried out her name and held her in her arms.

“I-I’m fine… It’s just… a scratch…” (Aoyama)

It was no mere scratch. The bullet was still lodged deep into her right shoulder. A large amount of blood was seeping out, dying her clothes red.

“Tch. I missed, huh? Oh well, I’ll be killing you all anyway.” (Oshikura)

“Ryoji-kun! Why?! Why do you always, always do such terrible things!” (Saniwa)

Hearing Riwa suddenly raise her voice, I muttered her name as I turned to look at her face.

“We grew up together since we were kids… The three of us really got along so well… And it was always so fun… and happy… So why did it have to…?” (Saniwa)

Riwa’s shoulders began to shake and tremble as she struggled to get the words out. Tears began to fall from her pure, innocent eyes.

“…It was nothing, really. I just wanted some… excitement.” (Oshikura)

“Eh? E-Excitement?” (Saniwa)

“I was bored of always doing the same old stuff with you two. Every single day, not moving forward at all. I was tired and fed up with the status quo.” (Oshikura)

Ryoji was a model student. He had good grades, was good at sports, and was popular with the girls. He was everyone’s hero, someone everyone looked up to.

“I guess hanging out with you guys was… fun. It was calm and peaceful. But… somewhere along the line, I started to think to myself. What if I destroyed this peace?” (Oshikura)

He was really thinking something like that…?

I never noticed it. Ryoji was always a gentleman in front of us, showing a fresh, pleasant smile. But behind that facade, that was what he was thinking…

“Then one day during my second year of high school, I met a certain person. Do you know who?” (Oshikura)

Of course, no one knew. Not even me or Riwa.

“He was my savior, my benefactor. And also the one you guys killed—Hosen Touya.” (Oshikura)

Everyone gasped. He was the one who was trying to start a war with them until only just a while ago.

“You know how my mother raised me alone, right?” (Oshikura)

Of course I knew. From what I’d heard, his father left with another woman right after Ryoji was born.

“My mother loved me. No… She loved me… Until middle school, that is.” (Oshikura)

“W-What do you mean?” Riwa asked, unsure of what he meant.

“In middle school, my mother began to detest me. The reason was simple. As I grew up, I started becoming more and more like my father.” (Oshikura)

Apparently, whether she wanted to or not, as Ryoji grew up, he began to remind his mother of the man who had abandoned her and left. Her behavior towards him grew colder and colder until she started becoming violent towards him.

“That… I didn’t know about that at all. Why… Why didn’t you tell us?” (Saniwa)

“Riwa… I had to be the perfect person to everyone around me, as that person whom anyone could rely on. But because of that, I couldn’t let anyone see the shameful parts about me.” (Ryoji)

“….” (Saniwa)

“One day, I met Touya-san, who introduced me to the world of the yakuza. I was trembling with delight. It moved me deeply that such a world really existed. This was the best kind of excitement that I was looking for. What I needed wasn’t peace… Yes. It was a dangerous stage where even the slightest misstep would lead to death.” (Oshikura)

After that, apparently Ryoji worked hard to gain Hosen’s approval and was accepted into the group. He said that he did whatever it took. And one of these things was the incident with me.

Ryoji was kind. He was a man whom everyone acknowledged and depended on. He was the man I fell in love with.

But that must have all just been Ryoji’s prideful facade. He wore the mask of a model student, and as his frustration built up in him, it twisted his personality. I suppose that was what happened.

If I had recognized it earlier, maybe this would have happened…? That incident… would it not have happened either?

But at that moment, I looked closer and saw Ryoji’s mouth start to curl up. He was smiling, like something was funny.

And then—

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“BAAHAHAHA! I can’t hold it anymore! Your faces, what the hell! You guys are pitying me? Hahahahaha! That’s way too hilarious!” (Oshikura)