Chapter 189 Justifiable Defense.txt
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Bang!
Crack!
”Gyaaaah!!”
”Doctor!”
”…D-Doctor!?”
”Are you both okay?!”
With Hidemaro’s elbow bent at an angle no human limb should ever go, Haruto stood over him, pressing the man to the ground. He looked up at Yuna and Sasahira as he maintained the pin.
”W-We’re fine… but… D-Doctor…”
”…Huh—Kyaah! B-Blood…!”
”It’s just a scratch. I’m alright.”
A thin line of blood trickled from Haruto’s ear, streaking red down his shoulder. Though he called it a scratch, a portion of his ear was clearly missing.
(That was close… A second slower and…)
He might’ve had to gamble on a five percent survival rate. He’d always believed that running into someone with a gun in Japan was practically unheard of—
But somehow, he’d rolled that tiny probability.
”Sorry, can someone grab rope from the back room?”
”I’ll go!”
Yuna answered quickly and dashed off. The fear that had frozen her earlier seemed to have finally lifted.
”…I-I hope she’s okay?”
”…Now that you mention it, yeah… that’s a problem too.”
Gyaaaah!!
”Ah… I thought so.”
In the back room, three men lay collapsed with their arms and legs bent in all the wrong ways. Haruto’s handiwork.
”Waaah… Doctor! Sasacchi!!”
Yuna came running back, sobbing as she clutched the rope. But both Haruto and Sasahira’s eyes drifted, not toward her face—but lower.
”Waaah…”
Still crying, Yuna noticed their stares. Confused, she followed their gaze—
”Ah… N-No!!”
Somehow, without realizing it, she had… lost control. It must’ve happened when one of the men grabbed her, trying to drag her to the back room. She had instinctively squatted down in fear.
Sasahira rushed over and whispered something to her, trying to ease the situation.
Woo-woo.
Pee-pee.
”Finally. They’re here.”
”When did you call the cops?”
”I used the car’s emergency system. Was that… not okay?”
Modern vehicles came with a built-in emergency report system that could be triggered automatically or manually. Haruto had activated it the moment he heard someone screaming for help.
Now that things had calmed down, though… he began to wonder if bringing public attention to an incident involving both an idol and an AV production company was really the smart move.
”Well, given how it turned out, there’s no avoiding it… But this won’t count as excessive self-defense, right?”
”I think we’ll be okay! …And even if it doesn’t count, I’ll take the blame. It was my call.”
Sasahira had witnessed the moment Haruto broke in through the window.
The men scattered on the floor had their limbs twisted in ways no one should ever have to experience.
This wasn’t just self-defense anymore. Even Haruto worried the cops might treat it as going too far.
Under Japanese law, four conditions must be met for an act to be considered self-defense:
① Urgent and unjust infringement
A situation where a person’s body or property is being, or about to be, unlawfully harmed.
② The intent to defend
The desire to protect one’s own life, body, or property.
③ Necessity of defense
The defense must be necessary under the circumstances.
④ Legitimacy of the defensive act
The act itself must be reasonable and appropriate.
These might sound obvious at first glance—but there’s one especially tricky point to watch out for:
② The intent to defend.
In this case, based on the screams, it could be argued that ① was present—someone was clearly in danger.
With multiple attackers and two women at risk of being taken hostage, Haruto had judged that immobilizing the assailants by breaking their legs was the only viable option.
It was a calculated act to save his own life and rescue the two women in immediate danger.
Therefore, conditions ②, ③, and ④ could be considered satisfied.
However—if Haruto had acted out of personal judgment, saying something like:
“Anyone who does this kind of thing deserves pain. So if I think they’re doing something bad, I’ll make them suffer.”
—That kind of thinking would not fulfill the intent to defend. And the whole act might no longer qualify as self-defense.
Let’s make it even clearer with another example:
Imagine you’re walking down the street. Out of nowhere, a stranger punches you.
Furious, you immediately punch them back—because hey, they hit you first. That’s fair, right?
Well, no. While ① would be fulfilled—you were unjustly attacked—your reason for striking back was anger, not protection.
And that violates ②.
The intent to defend must be exactly what it says: the desire to protect.
Even if the situation’s the same, how you express or explain your actions changes everything. Never forget that.
※ By the way, self-defense doesn’t apply only to protecting yourself. You’re allowed to defend others, too.
Notes:
• Hidemaro – Male. The president of the AV. His appearance includes a suit, which he unbuttons to reveal a handgun. He is authoritative and aggressive, ordering his subordinates around and threatening Haruto. His relationship with the others is antagonistic, as he is the primary threat in the situation.
• Yuna – Female. A famous idol. She has well-defined features and is described as idol-like in appearance. She is a member of a popular idol group known for intense dance and singing performances. She is considering an AV job, which is unusual for a current popular idol. Her relationship with Haruto is that of a customer seeking assistance.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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