Opening the unlocked hobby room of Shio, I urged Nao to enter it with me.
“How do you even know this room? I’ve already been to this house a lot of times and I’ve never been inside here.”
Nao commented as she entered the room and saw the state it’s in.
“Because this is Shio’s, err, his wife’s hobby room. Only she have access here.”
I noticed what she said about being here a lot of times already. So, it’s not only that one time where Shio caught them. He’s already bringing her here regularly without Shio being aware of it.
“I see. So where’s the proof?”
She also didn’t comment about the room full of otaku materials. She’s also like this in my memory, she even defended the anime otaku girl in her class before. Even if she’s somehow rough with her words, she’s kind, maybe a bit too kind. And that’s how I took advantage of her before.
I led her to the table where Shio’s yearbook was left open. I turned it back to the first page before showing it to her.
“Finally see the resemblance?”
I asked her when she seemingly froze at her spot after reading that message which Shio wrote and the picture below.
“… That bastard!”
Nao whispered while gritting her teeth. I could see her shoulders were slightly trembling and her fingernails were about to dig into her palms.
“Hey, careful.”
I took her hands to stop her from hurting her palms. Her fingernails were a bit long after all.
But yeah, this reaction. This is something I want to see. That guy, while he’s busy explaining to Shio who will leave with me later, I’ve already damaged his image in Nao’s mind.
“I didn’t mean to have you hurt yourself when I showed this to you. I’m just concerned that you’re just being used.”
I drew near her and embrace her, this time she’s not pushing me away anymore, instead she started hitting my chest as tears started to flow from her eyes.
“What do you know? After not looking for me all these years, now you’ll suddenly appear before me and immediately destroy what I currently have. Why are you this cruel to me, Ruki?”
“Maybe I am cruel, but you know how I was back then. If there’s someone who knew how I really was back during my 1st year, it’s you. I’m sorry for not looking for you, Nao.”
If not for seeing her here, I might really not remember her. Maybe there are others like her who I simply forgot after losing contact with them, I didn’t even have a chance to cut them off like how I did with Haruko and the others.
.
“It’s too late for your sorry, you moron. Just stand there and let me hit you.”
“If that will calm you down then alright.”
She didn’t say anything else after that. Apart from her hits which just simply stopped, she didn’t look up at me again and just used my shoulders to wipe her tears away.
“You’re doing this for that woman, right? Saying you want me back but in truth you only wanted to get back at her husband who hurt her.”
Ah. Did she figure it out already? Well, she’s only half right.
“At first, yes. I really planned to punish him by stealing his new girl. However, seeing that you’re his new girl, I’m not only doing this for her anymore.”
But yeah, if it’s any other girl, I might do the same trick if she showed up looking like this. However that girl will obviously be wary of me and will not talk to me easily like Nao.
“You still have your way with words. Tsk.”
Clicking her tongue, she then pushed me away to get out of my embrace.
“I’m just being honest with you, Nao. In the end, it’s still your decision, right?”
I might still want to steal her but for her to cry like that, she’s already in love with Shio’s husband.
“Huh? Since when did you learn to say that? Giving me the choice to decide.”
The Ruki in her memory was the guy who was only driven by his desire. I might’ve spent the most time with her during that year but I never gave her a choice.
“Well, a lot happened and changed within me, I wouldn’t say I’m already a different person. As you can see, I’m still trying to steal someone.”
“That trait of yours will never change. I’ll go and talk to Nobuo, what about you?”
“I’ll also go and see Shio’s state.”
“Can we act like we don’t know each other?”
“If that’s what you want, but Nao, I’m serious about wanting you back.”
“Let’s talk about that again when you finally responded to my mails.”
“… Alright, I’ll dig through the mountain of mails I didn’t read to find yours.”
“This moron. I’ll be going first.”
Leaving those words, Nao went out of the hobby room but before she did, she looked back at me one more time before continuing on.
It’s been 2 years, how long will I need to find her last mails? There’s a filtering function but I never saved their names in my phone so I have to check those mails from 2 years ago one by one.
Err… let’s check it later. At least she didn’t cut off our way to reconnect with each other. That guy will also have no idea about my connection to Nao.
After closing Shio’s yearbook, I also went out and made my way upstairs. I saw Nao standing by the door of one of the rooms and suppressed shouts coming out from inside.
They’re still arguing, eh?
“Won’t you open it?”
I asked Nao when I also reached the door.
“He will be mad at me.”
She answered with worry on her face. Did she really want to stay with that guy? Haa. I don’t care if she will be mad at me but I won’t let her stay here today.
“I see. Then let me do it. Stand back for now.”
With a complicated expression on her face, Nao nodded at me and took a step back like I said.
“I loved you, Nobuo but what did you do to me? Do you think I will just endure because of my love for you? I’m done. I’m leaving this house!”
When I opened the door, the married couple were at the opposite sides of the bed. With her shouting like that, I could see Shio’s a bit disheveled appearance and the tears that still runs in her eyes.
I don’t know what they’re talking about until now but I guess that didn’t go well and now they’re at this state.
“Aren’t you the one who entrapped me? Who pulled me into this marriage, huh?”
Her husband answered pushing the blame of their marriage to her.
What he’s saying might not be false though. Knowing how lovestruck Shio is with him.
“Didn’t you accept it with a smile when I brought you to meet my parents?”
Now with a lower voice, Shio asked him. For her, that memory was precious but it might not be the same for that guy.
“Look at this woman. If you’re in my shoes, do you think you will have the right to refuse? F*ck!”
Ending his words with a curse. He almost shouted his lungs out.
Judging by Shio’s reaction upon hearing his words, this might be the first time he blurted those words out. In her mind, she probably thought their marriage was perfect from the start.
“Shio…”
I went next to her and supported her. From his words just now, Shio’s knees was about to give up.
“Who the hell told you to come up? Get out!”
He shouted when he saw me holding her up.
“I’m not talking to you so shut up.”
This is not the time to entertain that guy, Shio’s my priority for coming here. For her to hear those words from him, she will surely be devastated by it.
“Ruru…”
She called out to me when she felt my arms supporting her.
“Isn’t this enough? You heard what he said.”
I tried to stand her up as she held onto my arms.
“I…”
She couldn’t finish what she wanted to say. Tears kept flooding her eyes after all. All her love for him, the perfect marriage that was what she believed was suddenly shattered because of his words.
He was forced to accept.
“Let’s talk about it later. I’ll get you out of here first.”
“Hey. Don’t f*cking ignore me!”
Her husband couldn’t endure it anymore. He shouted once again and was about to come to our side.
“Will you shut up? Isn’t this what you want? I’ll be taking Shio away from this house.”
I glared at him while saying those words to him. This is what he planned for bringing Nao here, so what’s up with his attitude now?
“She’s my wife. What right do you have?”
Yes, you are. But she’s mine now. After the words blurted out, this guy is really something.
“Then is it fine to call the Ministry? I’m sure they’ll be happy to remove a pedophile’s license for teaching.”
Taking out my phone, I acted like I’m dialing a number. Well, it’s a bluff but I wouldn’t hesitate to do that if he will still insist. I can’t let Shio stay here any longer or she will really break. Hearing those words from him was enough.
“Huh?! As if you can do that! Shiori will be implicated!”
“Why? She hasn’t done the same thing as you. I’m just her student helping her with her problems.”
It’s easy to play innocent and compared to him. If they dug out his records, they’ll find out that his wife was his previous student and using that, him being a pedophile who lays his hand on his students will be strengthened.
“You…”
Though fuming with anger, he still probably has some rationality so when he thought of what I said, he couldn’t talk back anymore.
“What? Speechless? Stay there if you still want to teach. And also, you shouldn’t lie to the girl like that. Until when will you keep the secret that you married your own student?”
Pouring in more oil to the fire that’s currently burning him, he immediately looked at Nao who was outside, watching the current spectacle.
“… Shut up and leave!”
See. Now he’s the one asking us to leave.
“Ruru. It’s enough. Let’s go.”
Shio also stopped me. She already somewhat recovered. She went through her cabinets and packed up some clothes.
Her husband stood frozen there. I don’t know what’s in his mind right now but surely, he’s already thinking of what he will do from now on. He wouldn’t be able to stop Shio now, all the rage that he felt, it probably already cooled down but he already said the things that Shio shouldn’t hear.
Maybe in his mind, even if he now have Nao, he still wanted to keep Shio, who’s madly in love with him, at his side. That’s why he never told her that the marriage was just forced onto him.
“We can’t leave her with him, Shio. Can we also bring her out?” 𝒗.𝒎
After packing her things, I pointed at Nao. She just watched everything that happened. It won’t sit well with me if I leave her with that guy.
“Her?”
“Un. I’ll tell you later.”
There’s no time to tell her my connection to Nao.
“Alright.”
She looked me in the eye and after a while, she nodded. I don’t know if she hated Nao, she’s her husband’s new girl after all.
“Nao. Let’s go. You can’t stay here.”
I called out to her. Though she looked back at me, she’s still reluctant to leave that guy alone.
“But Nobuo…”
“You saw his state. You can talk to him tomorrow if you want. For now, I won’t let you stay here.”
There’s a possibility that he might vent the rage he’s feeling to her so…
There’s always tomorrow. If he cooled his head, he’ll still go to school and teach. Well, there’s also a possibility that he will go to Shio. I’ll think about what we will do tomorrow when we reached home.
“Nao? Where are you going? Stay here. Don’t you dare leave me as well!”
Coming into his senses, he shouted when he saw me urging Nao to leave with us.
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?”
Sending him another glare. But I knew that it wouldn’t be enough this time.
“You… It’s all because of you…”
He stood up and I saw him cupping his hands into a fist.
He finally pieced it together, the events escalated because of me. From that scene at the door, to Shio standing up to him and what had just happened. Now, I’m even taking away Nao who he brought here. Though he didn’t know what’s my connection to her, that didn’t matter as his rage was now directed at me.
He’s clearly an amateur, so even if he raged earlier I never lifted a hand on him. Err… I twisted his arm and slapped his hand away. But he seemingly forget that now.
“Shio, I’m sorry but I need to hit him just once.”
Not waiting for her answer, I pushed her to my back before walking towards him. Easily dodging his fist, I sent him an unrestrained punch to his abdomen.
A crisp sound rang out as he immediately kneeled in front of me, clutching his abdomen.
Leaving him in that state, I grabbed both Shio and Nao’s arms and led both of them out of the house.