CH 18 – Hypocrite
-Disclaimer-
This chapter contains content that may be uncomfortable for some readers, such as gore, strong language, as well as exploring the topic of sexual assault and r*pe.
Please read at your own discretion.
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"What!? Did you say that Chiaki hasn't been back for a while already?" (Isamu)
"...Yeah. She said she was leaving to do something, and then never came back." (Mei)
"..."
"I'm sure she had things to do. She'll be fine."
(...My gut is telling me something isn't right.)
I knew that someone was trying to kill me, especially the people around me.
It was clear this person wanted me to suffer, killing those dear to me, such as my mother.
It could just be a coincidence, but even the smallest things that seem unrelated or unimportant were the ones that stuck out like a sore thumb.
Deciding to trust my uncomfortable gut feeling, I got out of my seat, as I walked towards the classroom door. Turning on my heels, I looked back to Mei.
"Mei, stay here. I'm going to go look for her."
"Alright. Come back as soon as possible, okay?"
"Yeah, I will."
After leaving the room, I began to trudge through the hallways, surveying the whole area. Flipping my phone out, I went to the speed dial, and tapped on "Spoiled Onee-san."
...The only reason I had her number saved was because she nagged me about it, asking me to add her on IG, while taking my phone and stamping her phone number into my contacts. I changed the name from "Cute Chiaki" to "Spoiled Onee-san" without her knowing after.
Brrr! Brrr! Brrr! Brrr- Heyo~ It's Chiaki~ I'm not available at the moment, so feel free the leave a me-
Sliding my thumb off the decline button, I continued darting all over the place.
I checked everywhere.
From different classrooms, to courtyards, to the cafeteria, and even my special sleeping place.
Alas, with no success.
This was really getting on my nerves. With no other places to check, I returned to the classroom, in which a letter was neatly placed on top of my desk.
Mei was talking to Touma and Akari, so I didn't bother calling out to her.
The only words that were on the piece of paper, was:
"Come to the roof. Chiaki is here."
I froze in place, mindlessly staring at the words.
Recollecting my thoughts, I began piecing things together.
It was clear to me that something had happened to Chiaki, and was on the roof. The fact that the perpetrator sent a letter, directly on my desk, showed that he seemed arrogant. First it was my mother, then it's Chiaki now. Probably a sadist, maybe even a little smart. The fact he chose to blow up our house seemed to show that he didn't want to dirty his own hands, seeing as he didn't leave any traces. It might come off as impulsive as well. It couldn't be Touma, as he had been talking to the girls this whole time. But thinking back to motivation, this person probably did it out of not revenge, but heavy jealousy.
Hmm. Probably a guy. Has to be a student at this school. A little smart, clearly arrogant. A sadist.
Ending my thoughts, I left the classroom, and headed towards to the rooftop.
While I may had sounded calm and collected, in reality, I was slightly nervous; my palms were sweating, and I had this revolting urge that was crawling up my digestive tract.
This was the person who tried to kill my mother and I.
Pure murder. An arsonist. A twisted fucking sadist.
How could I not feel anxious? It was like pressure was crushing my ribcage, making it hard to breathe.
But Chiaki was taken. So even knowing that I might be jumped, stabbed, killed, I took one step up the stairs each time.
Yet... another sensation slithered up from the deepest part of my body.
The murky impulse to inact violence.
I finally had a chance. It came so soon. The exhilarating feeling writhed in my heart, pumping my heart with not just anxiousness, but excitement.
Was I always this type of person?
Or did I become influenced by the past Isamu?
It doesn't matter. After all, "he" was "me," and "I" was "him."
Reaching the top, I grasped the handle, and flung it open.
The untouched scenery entered my eyes. The checkered white floors, the green benches and overgrown plants, to the sun glaring from the horizon.
And... there they were.
Two people.
One leaning behind a chair, and one sitting in the chair tied up with rope and a gag in her mouth.
As the man raised his head to look at me, he chuckled, before opening his mouth.
"...Finally. You're here."
A moment of relief washed over me, as I confirmed that Chiaki was alive. Digging my foot into the ground, I sprung from the door, before the man pulled out a box cutter and put it near Chiaki's neck.
"Hold your horses mate, you wouldn't want to see her neck get sliced through do you?"
Tsk!
"Mmmph! Mmmph!" (Chiaki)
Chiaki twisted her head left and right, as she struggled to escape from the grasp of the man.
Sighing, I took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you?"
"Who am I? I'm the main character, that's who I am."
"...What..?"
Momentarily, I felt a shockwave travel up my spine. My blood went cold, as if my body had frozen all over.
"...Main character?"
The man took a few steps back, as he turned around to face the glowing sun. Lifting both his arms into the sky as he raised his head to the sun, his voice thundered, "YES!!! The main character! The one to survive all the ordeals, to have all the heroines, the one chosen by God himself!"
"...You're not from this world."
It was so clear from the start. If I had been reincarnated into the manga world, what rule stated that other people couldn't either?
"That is correct, my dear Watson."
"...Fucking psycho."
I didn't dare to dash at him while he talked. Chiaki was only a few inches from him, and there were desperately far from where I stood.
It would of been great if I had a gun, so I could put a round into his fucking skull, but I didn't have one, obviously.
"What? A psycho? No, no, nononono- NO!!! You've got it all wrong. I'm completely sane. You're the one who seems to have a few screws loose in your head."
"...Are you fucking mentally deranged? Look in the mirror first before you speak, please. Wait, nevermind, you ARE mentally deranged, so you don't need to check."
Ignoring me, he continued to speak.
"Don't you get it!? The pure bliss when you see your favourite character spring into reality, the chance to make her yours!!! Yet... Yet..."
He twisted on his heels, as he glared at me with a distorted expression.
"You took her from me!!! My Chiaki!!! My love!!! I gave her everything!!! I know everything about her!!! Her personality, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes, her past!!! I fucking DESERVE her!!!"
Ah... The way he was talking about Chiaki like she was just a character or trading card to obtain really started to get on my case.
The murky impulse continued to grow larger, and larger. I was barely holding myself back from just pouncing on him and slamming his head against the fucking concrete. However, I still had questions to ask.
"...Honestly speaking, that ain't my fucking problem whether or not she's yours or if I don't deserve it, or whatever bullshit you think you are. Chiaki is herself. She's not limited to be someone's wife. Her fate is not dug in stone that she has to be with the main character. She has her own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. So who the fuck are you to decide her life? You're just a fucking dumbass who thinks he deserves everything. I thought I was a nobody. Turns out there's someone who not even considered delectable trash."
"...Smart with that mouth aren't you? Well, there's one thing you got wrong."
"Which is...?"
"Of course I deserve her. I'm the god damn protagonist. Look at my face. The pure handsomeness that radiates from m-"
"Holy shit, please shut the fuck up before I puke. Again, you should reaalllyyy look in the mirror first."
Stiff, he stared at me.
He revealed his face.
Golden blonde hair, his bangs extending to cover one eye, with bright azure eyes, and chiseled facial features. A face that could easily swoon girls left and right, someone you look at, and think, "Oh. He's popular with the ladies for sure."
If the word "ikemen" would fit someone, this would be him, unfortunately enough.
He still couldn't hide the writhing muddy aura from himself though.
"...See? If I'm not the protagonist, who is?"
"Touma. You're a fucking idiot."
"No, Touma isn't anymore. I am."
That unadulterated arrogance this man had revolted me. Was it this possible to be this arrogant like he was riding some dude's dick like its the best thing ever?
"I know her more than Touma!!! I fucking deserve to HAVE her!!! I bet you don't know that Chiaki was actually bullied and blackmailed back in her middle school days, did you!? I bet you Touma has no clue either!!!"
"...What?"
"MMMPHHHH!!!! MMMPHHHH!!!!"
Chiaki wriggled and writhed and thrashed in the chair, screaming into the gag, as if to stop the man from going further. The tears trickled down her cheeks.
"We are of the same kind!!! Fellow soulmates!!! No matter if she was tainted by that fucking cunt of a teacher, I still love her!!! Don't you see!? No other person would love her anymore if they found out!!! But me??? NO! I'm different from all the other fuckers who whisper sweet love and lies to my beloved Chiaki, who immediately ditch her the moment the realise she no longer has her purity!!!"
Hick! Sniff! Mmmphh! Mmpphhh! Hick....
Chiaki... Chiaki slumped back into her seat, lifelessly.
A few seconds pass, as I slowly opened my mouth.
"...While I did think you were a fucking dumbass, I didn't think you were this much of a fucking retard- Are you a neanderthal?"
"...What the fuck do you mean?"
"Oh my god. Holy shit. There's no way someone can be this stupid. Zero fucking IQ, worm-shaped brain, piece of fucking shit. Are you kidding me? Why the fuck does that matter!?"
"You motherfu-"
"Who literally cares about that!!?? Whether she's tainted or pure or whether she was raped or whatever- that doesn't fucking matter! All I see in front of me is a young girl who has a vulgar mouth, with a strange obsession with cute things drastically in contrast to her image, who enjoys being spoiled- So, who gives a shit!? To me, she's just Chiaki!"
Ummphh..... Hick! Mmmph.....
Chiaki, slowly raised her head towards my voice. The tearstains that had dried up on her skin slowly became wet again, as her body tremored uncontrollably.
"You're no better than the fucking rest of them!!! You don't know how she feels- not once did you ask her about her thoughts and opinions, and you also didn't even consider what she wanted!!! You're just stuck in your fucking numb-skulled mind, thinking everything revolves around you, when in reality, you print a perfect version of Chiaki in your mind and post it up on the wall like some kind of fucking artefact that should be worshipped day and night- when in truth, she's just a normal girl you could find anywhere!!!"
"..."
"Un-fucking-believable! Never had I met the biggest fucking hypocritical dickhead, until now!"
"Enough!!!"
"That's right- you definitely fucking know it as well. How ignorant and foolish you are, as you continue to lie to yourself in a dream worl-"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"
Huff... Huff... Huff...
Recollecting his breath, he glared daggers at me, his face contorted and warped in madness.
He then looked back to Chiaki, his face softening with a disturbing glint to his eyes.
I twitched as I saw him put his hands on her cheeks.
He rubbed them gently, as if he was carressing a lost dog he picked up.
My teeth started to grind against each other.
"Don't worry, you'll be mine soon... I'll make sure to get rid of the pest that has been flying around you recently, just you wait. I'll save you, right here and now."
Hee inched close to her face, as he landed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"MMPPHH!!!"
Chiaki squirmed in her seat.
From a small grin, to a few chuckles and then lunatic laughs, he slowly calmed down, as he walked towards me, in a calm manner, box cutter in hand.
That murky sensation...
I lowered my centre of gravity, as I readied myself.
"...You fucker... DIE!!!"
Driving his foot into the concrete, he bolted towards me, with a wide swinging motion, the blade hilt facing me.
The wide motion allowed me to take a step back, leaving his side exposed momentarily.
Lunging forwards, I wrapped my hands around his wrist and arm.
Stuggling, we twisted and thrashed around the spot, twirling on the spot as we both tried to regain control of the cutter.
With a burst of strength, he managed to push me into the wall, weakening my grip on his wrist.
As his hand slid out from my grasp, he swung the knife once more, in a more controlled and fast manner.
Holding my left arm up, I braced and tried to duck.
Splatter!
The cutter dug into my arm, as the blood trickled down and fell onto the floor.
"...Fuck!"
"Hehehehehehe!!!"
Swiftly retracting his arm, he went for a stab, then a slice, then a stab once again, always changing the angle in which the cutter came from and from different directions.
As I ducked and weaved, more cuts and slices began appearing on my body. It was impossible to find an opening in an opponent that sent out attacks like it was ice cream galore.
The burning sensation flamed my body.
"What's the problem? What happened to your smartass mouth, HUH!?"
Knowing that I was going to get scalloped anyways, I grit my teeth as I reinforced my conviction.
I suddenly dived into his attacking range, as I aimed to wrap my arms around his waist and topple him over.
Perhaps not expecting me to suddenly run at him, he panicked, as he swung his arm again, in a large radius.
Planting my feet into the ground, I stopped hard and fast, as the swing barely nicked the skin of my neck, as I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist.
"You fucking bitch!"
As I carried the momentum of the tackle, we stumbled towards the large fence railings, as I eventually slammed him into it. His box cutter flicked out of his hands, as it flew and spun across the floor towards Chiaki.
Clenching his collar, I engaged my lats, as I flung my right fist straight through his jaw.
Trying to escape from my grasp, the man squirmed as he landed weak hits on my upper body.
One flew through my face. It didn't matter though.
Whether it was the adrenaline pumping through me, or the pure anger and madness I was feeling in that moment, I didn't feel anything.
So, I punched him again.
And again.
And again.
"Let go of m-" Smack!
"Fuckin-" Splat!
"Wai-" Crack!
Each time his face got pummeled, the more distorted and unrecognisable it became, filled with blood and snot.
So, I smashed his face again.
And a-
Stab!
A flaring smouldering pain erupted from the side of my abdominal.
I looked down.
A whole silver dagger was inserted in my abdominal.
A sudden splurge of blood gushed from my mouth.
"Haaa...Haaa...ha... ha... hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
As I fell to the ground, clenching my wound, he jumped on top of me, pushing his entire weight on my waist.
And then he started ramming me across the face. From the top, to the side, to a double slam on my nose.
It felt like a thousand needles were piercing my body.
"Die! Die! Die!!! Hihihihihi!!! Look how pathetic you are!!! Witness my greatness!!! Chiaki!!! MY LOV- Huh?"
The murky sensation finally reached its highest point, as it tipped over...
With the last surge of my strengh, I pulled out the pencil I was planning to gift to Chiaki. My shoulder back, flung forwards, as the pencil pierced through the right carotid artery in his neck.
Yanking the pencil out of his neck, a strong shower of blood exploded out of it, like fireworks.
"...Huh.....?"
His shaking arms held the side of his neck. Blood continued to splurt through the sides of his fingers.
He collapsed to the floor, as a pool of blood began leaking from his neck.
I was beginning to lose consciousness. The adrenaline gradually settled, and the onstring of ignition in the form of pain assaulted my body.
".....Isamu....!!!"
As my vision faded to black, I heard the small cries of Chiaki. However, I had no more strength. No more willpower. As long as she was safe... Then... that's all it matters.
My eyes rolled back, as everything around me turned into the dark abyss.
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A/N: ...Writing this chapter, I didn't expect it to turn out like this in the end. I kinda just let my fingers flow, and this was the outcome.
I know everyone wanted him to suffer and be tortured, but I knew realistically speaking, that wasn't going to happen in a life and death situation.
Isamu is not some superhero, just a regular guy. So no matter what, he was going to get stabbed anyways. He didn't have a weapon on him, and the culprit had a knife. 99/100 times, a person will get sliced or stabbed if they can't run away.
I hope you guys understand.
I was also going to release a poll for how he should be tortured, but in the end, this ending is more realistic.
Thank you for reading this chapter.