Chasing Morimura away.
Getting out of the bathtub, Kei Karuizawa stood naked in front of the mirror, fighting the urge to shatter it as she stared at her own reflection:
Her long blonde hair, damp from the warm water, clung to her frame. A face that could be called 'cute' was matched by a body that could be called 'beautiful'.
The only thing that didn't fit was a gruesome, twisted scar that stretched from her left ribs to her navel.
It was proof of her past resistance against bullying.
Thumbtacks in her indoor shoes, animal carcasses in her desk drawer, dirty water thrown on her in the bathroom, words like 'slut' or 'whore' written on her uniform, and regular beatings were all commonplace.
The girl couldn't understand how human malice could run so deep. It was as if by torturing and strangling their own kind, they could draw sustenance from it, like a parasitic fig tree, and take the other's place.
But none of that mattered anymore.
She didn't care about being popular, about friends, youth, or anything else. As long as she never had to fall back into that hell, she would do anything.
Yōsuke Hirata, looking troubled, spoke tentatively, "I'll try to resolve this perfectly. Until then, can you wait patiently?"
...
Kei Karuizawa fell silent for a moment. Watching the light fade from Yōsuke Hirata's eyes, she finally, after a long pause, nodded slowly.
I see. This 'host' is useless now.
—So said the "parasite," Kei Karuizawa.
"His utility value is too low. Should I switch to another one?"—Ayanokōji thought to himself as he took a sip of coffee.
————
The scene changes. The time is late at night.
Two in the morning, in the lounge area of the second basement floor. Kei Karuizawa waited for her "boyfriend." A smile had just appeared on her face before it was instantly smoothed away. "Why is Ayanokōji-kun with you?"
Yōsuke Hirata glanced at the expressionless Ayanokōji beside him, smiled, and waved his hand. "Sorry, Ayanokōji-kun heard I was coming to see you and specifically asked me to bring him along. I don't know why he wants to see you either."
"Huh?" Karuizawa crossed her arms and turned her gaze to Ayanokōji. "What do you want with me?"
The girl's tone was not the least bit polite.
Ayanokōji looked at Karuizawa, pulled out one yellow, five black, and three red chips from his pocket—nine in total—and said calmly, "As promised, we split the winnings. Here's 153,000 points."
Karuizawa's eyes widened instantly. "You won that much?"
"If it's just that game, and it's simply a matter of keeping a poker face, I'm quite confident," Ayanokōji said casually.
Although he had used a few other minor techniques, he had no intention of mentioning them.
"I get it," Kei Karuizawa said, taking the chips and looking at Ayanokōji. "You can go now, right?"
The girl casually stuffed the chips into her pocket and tried to shoo him away, making no secret of her desire to be alone with Hirata.
Ayanokōji noticed her actions, and after a moment's thought and a glance at Hirata, he nodded and left without another word.
Once Ayanokōji was gone, having taken the elevator, Kei Karuizawa finally breathed a sigh of relief. She handed Hirata a canned coffee she had been hiding behind her back and asked nervously, "I already told you about it on the phone... Can you agree to it, Hirata-kun?"
Her eyes were filled with yearning as she awaited his answer.
Hirata didn't rush to answer. Looking into the girl's eyes, he asked seriously, "Is it true what you said? That Manabe-san forcibly took you to her dorm today and treated you roughly?"
Kei Karuizawa nodded quickly and said earnestly, "It's true. If that Hiyori Shiina hadn't happened to come knocking, I almost wouldn't have escaped."
Seeing the girl's expression, which didn't seem fake, Hirata thought for a moment and then nodded. "If that's the case, I will definitely handle it. I won't allow violence to happen around me. I'll go talk to Manabe-san later and try to negotiate an outcome that satisfies everyone."
Kei Karuizawa was stunned for a moment, then quickly spoke up. "But I was treated so roughly! Aren't you going to help me deal with her? You're my boyfriend, you know."
"Revenge never solves the problem. It only allows resentment to build up, burying the issue temporarily," Hirata said in a calm tone.
"Besides, you should remember... I have no problem pretending to be your boyfriend, but I told you a long time ago—if you're in trouble, I will help you and I will protect you. But I won't hurt others to do it."
"So... it doesn't matter even if I'm the one being abused?" Karuizawa asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
Hirata said seriously, "Of course I'll do everything I can to help you. In the morning, I plan to talk with Manabe-san and the others..."
"You can't do that!" Kei Karuizawa said urgently. "If just talking could stop them, if just compromising could make it end, if just begging could get you spared... You have to understand..."
"Please, Hirata, help me," Kei Karuizawa begged, grabbing his arm.
Her weakness had already been exposed to Manabe. That girl would absolutely not let her go if she got the chance. This was her intuition as a "pitiful wretch."
————
2:30 AM—
In a boys' dorm room on the third floor, the faint sound of a door opening came from the entrance. Yōsuke Hirata walked in from outside, weary.
On the sofa in the dark living room, a pair of listless-looking eyes slowly opened. Ayanokōji asked in a calm tone, "Was it something troublesome?"
"Not exactly troublesome, it's just that I..."
Hirata's instinctive response paused. He asked, somewhat curious, "How did you guess, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? Summoning someone at two in the morning, and just casually accepting 150,000 points. She must have had something more important on her mind," Kiyotaka Ayanokōji said nonchalantly.
Hirata was silent for a moment, then sat down on the sofa after some thought. "I really can't hide anything from you..."
Saying that, Hirata recounted Kei Karuizawa's experience that evening and briefly described their conversation, concluding, "Our disagreement lies here. She believes only violence can solve the problem, while I believe violence solves nothing."
"To be frank—while she might be acting a bit unreasonable, as her boyfriend, shouldn't you be unconditionally on her side?"
"No, there's a reason for this."
Hirata confessed in a calm voice, "About the second week after we enrolled, Karuizawa came to me and admitted that she had been bullied in the past. That's why I agreed to date her and act as her boyfriend, hoping she could use this status to escape her bullied past."
"You might not understand, but I don't think Karuizawa-san's current personality is her true self. People who've been bullied have a certain unique aura. She's probably just forcing herself to act tough right now."
"Even if it means being a host to a parasite? What's in it for you?" Ayanokōji asked, seemingly casually. "If you're just acting, don't you plan on getting a real girlfriend?"
"It doesn't matter to me. As long as Karuizawa-san isn't bullied, that's enough," Hirata asserted, as if this was the only natural course of action. "If I have to give a reason, let's just say I'm atoning for my sins."
"Is this something I'm allowed to hear?"
"I never planned on telling anyone, but if it's you..." Hirata leaned back on the sofa and handed Ayanokōji the canned coffee Karuizawa had left for him.
Ayanokōji took it casually. "Thanks."
"I had a childhood friend I was very close with, a boy named Sugimura. We were in the same class throughout elementary school and would walk to and from school together every day."
"After we moved on to middle school, we were in different classes, so we talked less. The next time I really saw him, his formerly cheerful self was completely gone. He was treated to beatings as if it were normal. His bullies wouldn't even let him go to the bathroom, so he'd lose control in class, and then he'd get bullied for that all over again..."
"This scene played out right before my eyes, and I just watched, thinking that everyone would eventually get tired of the bullying and stop. Thinking that Sugimura would one day stop coming to school, and the bullying would just disappear."
At this point, Hirata turned to Ayanokōji, his lips barely moving, his voice almost inaudible. "And then... he jumped out of a school window. Right after I had looked the other way once again..."
"You really are a bastard." Complying with Hirata's unspoken wish, Ayanokōji took a sip of coffee and said this with a blank expression.
"Thank you..." A smile uglier than tears appeared on Hirata's face.
"His utility value is too low. Should I switch to another one?"—Ayanokōji thought to himself as he took a sip of coffee.
...
_____
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