Chapter 81 Interlude – The Memoirs Of A Certain Delinquent II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Higurashi Asuka…”
Haraguchi muttered the name to himself, gazing intently at the suspicious-looking girl who called herself Higurashi.
They were in the same third-year class, and what’s more, they were in Class A, the advanced class. Seito Academy’s advanced class had a high university acceptance rate, with an average deviation value of 70. Haraguchi had seen the final exam papers of the advanced class before, but it was completely Greek to him.
”Huh? What’s with that look?”
Higurashi raised her voice, annoyed at Haraguchi’s skeptical gaze.
”You, are you really in the advanced class?”
”Excuse me. Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Higurashi spread her arms wide, showcasing her immaculate uniform with not a single wrinkle. It seemed she was well aware of her appearance.
”No way, you’re trying too hard… or should I say, it’s too Showa-era?”
”I’m the type who gets in based on my looks… isn’t that a bit unnatural? But whatever, it’s fine…”
Although she didn’t seem to realize it, she was silently rejecting the boys who approached her. Haraguchi figured she needed to focus on her studies to maintain her high grades.
It was quite suspicious, but after stopping him from suddenly trying to flee and chatting with her, he felt a lot more at ease. The atmosphere was still somewhat awkward, but…
”Uh, you helped me out, right?…Ah!”
It wasn’t until then that Haraguchi realized. He quickly rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a pair of gym shorts.
”Is this… maybe Higurashi-san’s?”
”Well, I guess I couldn’t just leave you there.”
”Thanks! I really owe you one!”
For Haraguchi, who had been feeling isolated, just having someone lend a helping hand made him feel a lot more relieved.
”I’ll wash this and return it. Can I bring it back here tomorrow?”
As expected, he can’t just return the pants he wore without underwear to a girl like that.
”The next PE class is the day after tomorrow, so it’s fine. If you wash and return them, it’s okay even if you get them dirty afterwards.”
”Huh, get them dirty?”
Haraguchi was taken aback and asked again, not understanding what she meant.
”Yeah. I just wore them in fifth period, so you’re planning to take them home, right?”
Even Haraguchi, a virgin, understood the implication. In other words, she was saying, “You’re going to use them to mast***ate, aren’t you?”
”Whaaat!? No way, that’s not what I meant! I’m not a pervert!”
”Oh, I don’t mind that kind of thing. If you insist you won’t do it, then let’s just say that’s the case.”
Higurashi pushed her glasses up with her middle finger and hid her smiling mouth with her hand, looking amused.
”I really won’t do it!”
”Yeah, yeah, I know all about the behavior of middle school boys, so you don’t have to force it.”
”Don’t you have some weird prejudice!? Sorry, but I’ll just return it now. It’ll be a pain to explain to my mom too…”
It seemed like he would be accused of using the girl’s pants to mast***ate just because he took them home. He didn’t like being misunderstood and having his weakness exposed.
”No choice, then… If you bring it back tomorrow, I don’t care if it’s dirty.”
”I won’t get it dirty!! Why do you assume I’ll use it to mast***ate?! I’m really grateful, but since I can’t prove my innocence after taking it home, I’ll return it now!”
”Reality is more important than reputation, I suppose. That’s probably a common thing for boys in puberty.”
Higurashi muttered something like she understood, but didn’t really understand, and took back the pants that had been thrust back at her.
Then, she spread out the pants and deliberately pressed her nose to the crotch area, sniffing loudly.
”Hey, what are you doing!?”
”I thought maybe you had already gotten them dirty, but it doesn’t seem like it.”
”That way of thinking is already perverted! Have you been watching too much AV?!”
”I won’t deny that.”
Are you kidding me?!
Haraguchi felt uneasy about getting involved with this weird girl even more.
”By the way, haven’t you told your family about this?”
Haraguchi was taken aback by the serious question.
”U, yeah… I don’t want to worry my mom about this kind of thing…”
”That’s just going to make things worse if you commit suicide or something.”
”Ugh… I know, but I was trying to endure it. I thought it would eventually end if I just waited…”
Haraguchi looked down, his words trailing off.
”It’s been half a year already. If things stay like this, it’ll never end. Probably not even when you become a high school student…”
Higurashi’s words, which she had said every day, seemed to be true. Had this girl been coming here alone every day since she was a third-year student? Or maybe even earlier?
”I talked to the teacher about it, but they didn’t seem very cooperative or interested.”
”Yeah, that’s right. I even sent an anonymous letter to the principal twice, but there was no response.”
”What? Really?”
Haraguchi was more surprised that someone had been working behind the scenes for his sake without him knowing than by the principal’s lack of response.
”Do you know about Kurokawa-kun’s mom, Haraguchi-kun?”
”Kurokawa-kun’s? No, I don’t know anything about her…”
”Kurokawa-kun’s mom is the actress Hishikawa Yōko.”
”What?! Is that true?!”
Even Haraguchi knew the name of this famous actress. She was a national star who had been the lead in many dramas and movies, and was still active in the industry as a veteran actress.
”This school has a good reputation and a high name value, so if you pay enough, you can get in even with bad grades as a special student. It’s convenient for famous people to dump their problem kids here, too.”
That’s something Haraguchi is well aware of. Seito Academy has a free-spirited atmosphere, but on the other hand, many children of wealthy corporations and conglomerates attend the school, and even if they cause trouble, the school administration tends to turn a blind eye as long as they make large donations. It’s a system where the school’s brand power is boosted by the donations, and that brand power attracts even more money.
”Especially with the timing of Kurokawa-kun’s high school entrance 6 months from now, a massive donation from the Kurokawa household will be made to the school. If Kurokawa-kun causes a bit of trouble around that time, the school administration will probably sweep it under the rug.”
”Damn it! Can’t we rely on the teachers at all!”
”Yeah. A little incident like that won’t change the situation. It’s just a small thing, after all…”
”Huh…?”
For an instant, Higurashi’s expressionless face seemed to lift up for a moment, and Haraguchi felt a chill run down his spine.
Higurashi inserted his finger into her chest pocket and pulled out a small object, showing it to Haraguchi. It was a black USB memory stick held between her slender fingers.
”Kurokawa-kun has caused all sorts of problems. If the details of those incidents are leaked to a weekly magazine or spread online, it’ll be a fatal blow to Hishikawa Yoko’s image. Why not fight outside of school instead of struggling in this unfavorable environment?”
”T-th-that’s…”
”Recent cameras are high-performance even for general use, so you can take clear video from 50 meters away (≈164 feet away). The voice recorder is hidden in that bush over there.”
Higurashi pointed to the bush near where Haraguchi had been bullied.
”However, I’ve processed the image so that it’s unclear who the victim is, but at least your classmates know what’s going on, Haraguchi-kun. In this day and age, if the story gets out, your identity might be exposed and you might even face secondary victimization from those around you. As for other methods, I think you could negotiate directly with Hishikawa Yoko and send the video to the CM sponsor, threatening her to get a large sum of money and Kurokawa-kun’s transfer. But either way, Haraguchi-kun needs to be prepared for the consequences.”
(What the…?! Is this girl really a middle school student like me?!)
Higurashi, who was talking about a plan to take down a famous celebrity or extort a large sum of money, made Haraguchi shudder.
”W-wait a minute! You can’t just suddenly say something like that and expect me to decide right away!”
”There’s no need to rush. It’s up to Haraguchi-kun’s feelings, but this is a strategy I came up with as a third party. If you don’t agree, there’s no need to force it. This is for your to keep as a safeguard. I update it weekly, so even if it gets lost, it’s no big deal.”
”Ah, thank you…”
Haraguchi felt like he was being forced to accept the USB memory stick, like a fox being tricked.
”W-why are you going this far for me?”
Haraguchi didn’t know much about Higurashi, but he thought it would take a lot of time and effort to edit the video weekly. He couldn’t understand why a third-year student from a special advanced class would spend their precious time on him, someone he didn’t even know.
”Why? Because I have the time, that’s all.”
But Higurashi answered nonchalantly.
* * *
”Hey, you little brat! Get on your knees!”
”N-no way!”
Kurokawa, who had grabbed Haraguchi’s blazer collar, started swinging his fists wildly at Haraguchi’s head, which was guarded by his arms.
”A-ahh, it hurts! Gyaah!”
Haraguchi’s body swayed greatly back and forth, making it hard to aim, probably because he was too light. As expected, his grip was also unreliable, but when Haraguchi let out a loud, exaggerated cry, Kurokawa couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Kurokawa let go of his hand, and as Haraguchi stumbled, Takehata kicked him from the side, sending Haraguchi flying with a flourish.
”Hehe, what a great start to the week!”
”Hey, you’re getting too cocky lately! This month is Strengthening Discipline Month, so shape up!”
As Haraguchi lay there, groaning, Kurokawa and Takehata gave him a kick and left him behind, walking away from the school building.
”Phew.”
After confirming that the 2 were completely gone, Haraguchi slowly got up, brushing off the dirt from his uniform.
He looked up at the school building and saw a thin figure leaning against the railing on the rooftop.
”Good work.”
Higurashi looked up from the book with a cover she was reading and called out to Haraguchi, who had just arrived on the rooftop.
”Yeah, hi, Higurashi-san.”
Higurashi didn’t respond, simply continuing to read her book in silence, as usual. Haraguchi didn’t mind and approached Higurashi, leaning against the railing to take in the vast, rural landscape stretching out before her.
It had already been a week since Haraguchi met Higurashi.
Haraguchi didn’t mention the video Higurashi had prepared, and Higurashi didn’t ask about it either.
Haraguchi had no intention of using it, but just having it made him feel at ease, knowing it could be a powerful weapon to destroy Kurokawa’s foundation if needed.
Kurokawa and the others seemed to sense that ease, and last week, Haraguchi had received relentless bullying every day. It seemed like it would continue for a while, but it was just a bit more troublesome than usual.
”Haraguchi-kun, aren’t you stronger than those guys?”
Higurashi’s slightly muffled voice echoed. Haraguchi glanced sideways, but Higurashi’s eyes were still fixed on her book, her mouth not moving.
At first, he was surprised, but this is Higurashi’s abdominal breathing technique. Since he had some free time, he practiced it and got the hang of it, apparently.
”Wait, I don’t think I can win against them, no way.”
”…You’re still so calm even after getting beaten up that much.”
”Well, it’s because I’ve been getting beaten up for a long time. You learn how to minimize the pain and figure out how to end it quickly. If you get hit in the head, you’ll hurt your fist, so you gotta guard yourself properly. I’ve gotten better at taking hits, but I don’t think I can beat them.”
”Winning a fight on the spot might be tough, but the conditions for winning are different for each person. Haraguchi-kun’s winning condition is something he decides for himself.”
”Huh?”
Higurashi was completely absorbed in her book, flipping through the pages as if she was outside the conversation. Only her abdominal breathing technique voice was speaking to Haraguchi.
”Haraguchi-kun, you should know. Not using the video I made would go against your rules, wouldn’t it?”
”Yeah…I guess so. I don’t want to lose, but using that feels different somehow.”
”What are you going to do from now on, Haraguchi-kun?”
When asked, Haraguchi thought about it. He tried to put his feelings into words.
”I don’t have any plans…I don’t know what to do. But I won’t give in to them. I’ll endure until they give up.”
”Ah…it’s a endurance contest, huh?”
”Yeah…I guess that’s what it is. The part where I can win with my own strength is probably just that.”
When he put it into words, his feelings seemed to solidify.
Higurashi closed her book with a pat and looked up, speaking in a voice.
”Hmm, Haraguchi-kun is strong, after all. Then, let’s quickly prove it. In 2 weeks…no, if they’re really stubborn, we might see results in just one week.”
”Huh? What are you talking about?”
”From now on, if they hit you, you’ll just take one hit. And then you’ll hit back.”
”Hey, if I do that, I’ll just get beat up even more!”
”Which is better, getting beat up until graduation or getting beat up for about ten more days?”
The answer is obvious, but is this really a good conversation to be having?
”Hey, I don’t think they’ll actually stop doing that. They’ll probably just get even more brutal, won’t they?”
”I’ve been investigating Kurokawa-kun’s actions, and it turns out they’re just picking fights they know they can win. They’re not even fighting fair, just ganging up on regular students and beating them up. You can’t even call that a fight.”
”That’s so cowardly, those guys…”
”It’s not like Kurokawa-kun has anything to lose by continuing to bully you, Haraguchi-kun. Even if you get hit back once for every hundred times you hit, that’s still okay. If you learn that you’ll get hurt every time you throw a punch, how long do you think Kurokawa-kun can keep this up?
”This is a test of endurance, isn’t it?”
That’s exactly what Haraguchi wants. Until now, he’s just been waiting for Kurokawa-kun to get bored, but now he’s going to raise the stakes and shorten the time frame.
”In terms of burden, Haraguchi-kun is shouldering a much heavier load. If Kurokawa-kun stops throwing punches because of this, it could be said you have won a complete victory, couldn’t you?”
”That’s true… yeah.”
Haraguchi’s burden might increase from 10 to 20 or 30, but he’ll overcome it with sheer determination. And Kurokawa’s burden will go from 0 to 1. This 0 and 1 are completely different things. For the first time, Haraguchi and Kurokawa will be on the same level. Kurokawa’s boasts about fighting one-on-one will become a reality.
However, Haraguchi’s condition for winning isn’t to knock Kurokawa out on the spot, but to land at least one hit. After that, it’s okay if he gets knocked out. If he can keep doing that and eventually make Kurokawa run away because his burden becomes too much, then Haraguchi wins.
It’s been a while since he has had a real fight, not since elementary school. Back then, Haraguchi wasn’t still a kid.
He couldn’t believe he could win in a fight against Kurokawa or Takehata, who have a physical advantage over him. But he thought he could at least land one good punch.
Honestly, he’s always wanted to give them a good beating. But he gave up on that idea, thinking it would be pointless and he’d just get a more intense counterattack in return.
But he was wrong. There was a meaning to it.
Bam!
Haraguchi clutched his cheek with both hands, as if he had been slapped.
A sharp, stinging pain.
Kurokawa’s condescending, annoying smile floated in his mind.
”Uggggghhhhhh!”
The emotions he had been holding back started to boil over.
He was shocked to find that such a festering anger had been building up inside him.
If he could just land one punch on that face, he wouldn’t care if he got hit a hundred or 2 hundred times in return. The number of times he’s been hit so far doesn’t matter. It’s a one-to-a-hundred endurance test.
Bam!
Bam!!
”Alright… I’ll do it.”
Haraguchi made up his mind.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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