Chapter 459. Mokujiki
「 I resemble Shirasaka Yukino? 」
Minaho-neesan’s speechless.
「 Yeah, you do, you’re deciding your relationship with this boy on your own 」
Kyouko-san’s voice is harsh.
「 You’re no different from that idiot girl, she thinks that she’s on a higher position on her relationship with him and she doesn’t break out of it, that’s why she’s like that 」
Yukino never asks for help from me because her att.i.tude never yields to anyone.
She’s not compa.s.sionate nor sweet.
If things stay like they are, she’ll definitely ruin herself.
「 Minaho’s the same. You look at him from above that you think you’re leading him. You think of yourself as more excellent. That’s why when you’re unable to keep that position, you make foolish ideas like “This child can go on without me” 」
「 I 」
Minaho-neesan.
「 But, I. I’m a woman who threw everything away for my revenge. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices 」
Oh.
Minaho-neesan’s revenge journey wasn’t even.
It must’ve gone through a lot of messed up things.
「 I will end this revenge today. But, I think that I’m not allowed to live after accomplishing my revenge. I must not be happy.
I
「 Look, Minaho-neesan I can understand how you feel, but 」
Minaho-neesan looks at me.
「 Sorry but, could you be happy for us instead? 」
「 Huh? 」
That’s right, I.
「 To tell the truth, if Minaho-neesan dies because the revenge is done, we’ll feel unhappy. We’ll feel so depressed 」
「 I’ll go away from you 」
「 That’s not what I’m talking about! Stay somewhere we can see! 」
Seriously.
「 If Minaho-neesan’s not with us, we’ll be sad! It’ll be the bottom of unhappiness! 」
「 ……！！！ 」
Minaho-neesan’s surprised.
「 That’s right, Ojou-sama, please stay where we can see you 」
Katsuko-nee said.
「 Yes, we’re family after all! 」
Nei also smiles.
「 Minaho-san, we don’t want to lose people we love anymore 」
Megu who lost her mother speaks.
「 Who cares about ethics, what’s right or wrong, or even reason. If Minaho-neesan isn’t happy together with us, we’ll feel troubled!! 」
I said.
「 But, I don’t deserve happiness 」
「 You do. 「 Eeei, I, we’ll make you happy!! 」
I resolve myself.
「 So please shut up and stay with us!!! 」
Minaho-neesan’s looking at me with her eyes wide.
「 Minaho, live. Dying is the same as escaping. As long as you live, you have to bear up the pain. That’s the duty of the living. You must live for those who can’t 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 And then; to live means to pursue happiness. As long as humans live, they’ll continue to wish to be happy. Even if you’re sentenced to death, also if you become a millionaire and be able to satisfy all your desires, peoples still want to be happier 」
Kyouko-san said, Margo-san.
「 That’s right, Minaho, sure, we made our hands dirty. Some guys would say “they have no right to be happy” There must be a lot of them. But, we will become happy. Even us can grow happy. That’s not a privilege! We’re alive! Other people might shun, or despise us for threatening or nearly murdering but, we’ll become happy with the firm resolution! 」
「 Margo 」
Then, Nei speaks up.
「 It’s inevitable. Sensei. This is a curse. Humans all have them as long as they’re alive 」
Nei smiles gently
「 You see, I can understand the self-abandonment times. When I lost Kei-chan, I despaired, asking myself if there’s still a meaning to keep on living, but! 」
Nei’s eyes look at me.
「 Now, I want to live, with Yo-chan, with everyone. There’s a lot of things to do and antic.i.p.ate! 」
Nei
「 Therefore, live, even when we’re hated. We’ll brush aside any difficulties. I want us to be happy. That’s not all! 」
I take over Nei’s speech.
「 I want to make you happy. You’re no longer alone. You have a family 」
Minaho-neesan’s eyes stare at me.
「 Yeah, Sensei’s also cursed! It’s a curse where you can’t endure unless you become happy! 」
「 I-I 」
「 Don’t go repeating yourself! Minaho, you’re also alive. Being happy is okay! If there’s someone who can’t allow you to be happy, then I’ll beat them up! 」
「 I’ll also fight! 」
Kyouko-san and Margo-san said strongly.
「 I’ll also beat that guy! 」
「 Me too! 」
「 Me too! 」
Katsuko-nee, Nei, Megu too.
「 We’re already a family. We’ll be together for always. I won’t let Minaho-neesan go whatever you say 」
I declared.
「 That’s why, Minaho-neesan, I’d like to consult about tomorrow instead of ending today 」
「 Tomorrow? 」
「 Yeah, tomorrow. The future of our family, there’s still a lot of things for us to do to make our family happy 」
Yeah, it’s not over when the revenge is done.
Our family will continue to live.
We have to worry about to be happy.
「 It won’t end today, it’ll always continue. As long as the family is there, we have to keep working hard 」
「 You 」
Minaho-neesan’s looking at me.
「 I have a lot of people I have to make happy. Everyone has their own problems, others take years of time to resolve. Mao-chan is still very young, besides 」
Oh
「 My child would be born next year, won’t it? I will become a father 」
Yukino and Nagisa will be pregnant.
Or possibly Katsuko-nee, and other girls too.
「 I have to make everyone happy. No, I’ll make everyone happy! Not just ten, twenty years, I’ll continue to make efforts to make them happy for all the time until I die. After all, the number of girls I have to make happy is still growing! 」
First is us. My son, my grandchild.
I have to make the happiness last, I have to find new happiness one after another.
「 Nei-neesan is right, this is a curse. A curse to spare all effort to become happy until death. But I’ll gladly take that curse! I’ll make Minaho-neesan happy too! 」
I
「 Minaho, are you going to let this guy go so far with his speech? 」
Kyouko-san laughs.
「 You’re his Onee-san, right? Do you have no resolve to continue fighting together with him? 」
Minaho-neesan is puzzled.
「 There’s no need to, I will hold onto Minaho-neesan whatever happens! 」
「 Me too, I’ll hold onto Sensei! 」
「 Me too, Minaho-san 」
Nei and Megu hug Minaho-neesan from both sides.
「 Guys 」
I hug Minaho-neesan from the front.
「 Sorry. Even though I’m your sister, your teacher 」
Speaking of which, me, Nei, and Megu are all Minaho-neesan’s students.
「 Your alumnus are here too 」
Margo-san smiles.
「 I dropped out, but I’m also here 」
Katsuko-nee’s crying;
「 Sorry, I’m so sorry 」
Minaho-neesan quietly sheds tears.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Now then, how about we make our preparations for later? 」
Kyouko-san speaks after making sure Minaho-neesan’s feelings has calmed down.
「 Ah, please wait 」
I stop the flow.
「 What’s up? 」
Kyouko-san looks puzzled.
「 I’d like to discuss tomorrow first 」
Err.
「 Not the metaphor of future tomorrow but the literal tomorrow 」
What am I talking about?
「 Ah, today is May 5, so it means I want to talk about May 6 」
「 So what about tomorrow do you want to talk about? 」
Starting with Kyouko-san, everyone looks at me.
「 It’s a lot of things 」
I start talking.
First, about Kouzuki house
I have to cheer up Jii-chan for whatever means we can.
Misuzu, Ruriko, and Yoshiko-san have to show that they get along with Jii-chan in public.
Besides, there’s a party tomorrow.
Following, about Kouzuki security service.
To restore the honor of Kouzuki security service, they’ll lure the organization from Kitakyushu and then destroy them all together.
Then, lastly, about Yukino.
「 That’s the three things I’d like to discuss, and do something about it 」
「 Do something? What specifically do you want to do? 」
Kyouko-san asks me.
「 Err, that, I have the image of “it would be great if it goes like this” but I don’t know how exactly am I about to do it That’s why I’m asking everyone 」
「 Talk about it 」
Light has come back to Minaho-neesan’s eyes.
「 Yeah 」
I somehow conveyed my thoughts even though I struggled a lot.
「 I get the gist of it. What do you think, Kyouko-san? 」
Minaho-neesan first asks the opinion of the eldest, Kyouko-san.
「 I don’t think that’s bad. It’s welcome to have a stable connection with the Kouzuki house and Kouzuki security service in the future. There’s no harm for us, but 」
Kyouko-san looks at me.
「 As for Yukino, I can’t make the judgment 」
I knew it, her evaluation on Yukino is low.
「 To be honest, I think that girl knows too much about us. If it were Cordelia, then she would’ve dealt with her already 」
That means they’d kill Yukino.
「 Then, why won’t Kyouko-san kill her? 」
Nei asks.
「 Well, that girl is a fool among fools. She hasn’t grasped the whole thing on us yet, right? That’s why we can use her as information derangement 」
Kyouko-san looks at me.
「 That’s why I think that this boy’s plan is impressive. That’s a personal opinion. However, that girl is a part of the revenge plan against Sousuke, right? Minaho’s responsible for that plan. I think that it’s for Minaho to judge 」
Kyouko-san pa.s.ses the baton to Minaho-neesan.
Minaho-neesan.
「 It depends on Yukino-san 」
She looks at me.
「 I think that your proposal isn’t bad. But, it’s unknown how Yukino-san will move with that. As for me, I only have three patterns of execution on my plans. And so, I think we’ll observe Yukino-san and have no choice but to respond flexibly 」
Yeah, she’s completely back.
It’s the usual Minaho-neesan.
「 What’s wrong, you’re making a strange face 」
I
「 Minaho-neesan, I love you. I like you a lot! 」
「 W-What are you saying?! 」
Minaho-neesan blushes from what I said.
「 I also like you a lot! I love you! 」
Nei smiles.
「 Stop the jokes at such times 」
「 It’s not a joke. I really like Minaho-neesan 」
「 Yeah, Minaho’s most attractive when she makes conspiracies 」
Kyouko-san laughs.
「 I think so too 」
Margo-san too.
「 Then that’s great, Minaho. You’ll do Yoshida-kun’s plan, right? 」
「 Yes, Margo, I’ll take his proposal 」
「 Okay, then I’ll be meeting up with Shou-oneesan. You don’t mind sallying the all-stars? 」
「 Leave that to me 」
「 Kyouko-san, how about Miss Cordelia and the three? 」
Margo-san asks again.
「 Hmm, if we use them for the operation tomorrow, I think that they need some kind of reward 」
Kyouko-san replied.
Miss Cordelia is Kyouko-san’s girlfriend, but they’re on a different organization.
Raiding some gang offices was playing around with Kyouko-san, but;
Work related to Kouzuki security service won’t be the case.
「 Then I’ll consult it with Shou-oneesan 」
Margo-san said.
Shou-oneesan’s promoted as the site manager of Kouzuki security service.
She must’ve been thinking about making a relationship with Miss Cordelia, a member of an American Criminal organization.
「 Okay, if Kouzuki security service are willing to accept then Cordelia would join in, if they’re not ready for it then they won’t 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 I’ll partic.i.p.ate. I didn’t get to rampage last time at the hotel 」
「 Then, I thought of something interesting to do. I’ll talk to Shou-oneesan about it too! 」
Margo-san grins.
It seems that she came up with an absurd strategy.
「 That’s nice. Margo’s creativity is, so I’m looking forward to it
Kyouko-san smiles.
「 Minaho, give me ten minutes. I’ll pack up the basics 」
「 Oh well 」
「 There’s a lot of things we have to put for today 」
Minaho-neesan and Margo-san’s golden combination makes concrete plans.
「 Katsuko-san and Nei, I’ll ask you to seek information from the net again 」
Margo-san looks at the two.
「 Leave it to me 」
「 Roger! 」
The two of them are motivated.
「 Uhm, what about me? 」
Megu looks troubled.
「 Megumi can make tea or ma.s.sage my shoulders! Do anything you can! 」
「 Yes, Nei-oneesan! 」
Yeah, the gloomy atmosphere has changed completely.
Today, it won’t end with the revenge on Shirasaka Sousuke.
There’s work tomorrow too.
It won’t end, it never ends.
Even if today is over, tomorrow will come again.
I won’t let it end.
We will get over tomorrow until we pant to our death.
「 Then, you talk to Misuzu-san and Ruriko-san 」
Minaho-neesan looks at me.
「 Yeah. Misuzu should be coming to the mansion soon so I’ll talk to them.
I’ll do what I can too.
Then.
Pipipipipi.
An alarm sounds from the monitoring equipment.
「 Sousuke’s woken up 」
Kyouko-san said.
Oh.
Before tomorrow.
We have to finish up today first.
「 Megumi, do you want to check him out? 」
Minaho-neesan asks.
「 Yes 」
Megu answers.
To Megu, he’s a begrudged father who killed her mother and tried to make her a prost.i.tute.
「 Speaking of which, Yo-chan hasn’t seen him yet, right? 」
Nei asks me
「 I’ve seen him in videos 」
The videos in the mansion where Shirasaka Sousuke rapes a woman in the past.
Also, the recent images of Shirasaka Sousuke on TV coverage.
A director of a leading advertising agency wearing a fancy suit.
He’s tall, has a good physique, and a handsome man.
He has fancy cars and luxury watches.
His appearance won’t make you think that he’s in the late forties.
His hair is also black and plenty, that he was told to be a charismatic man same as male idols and star beauticians on TV.
「 Then, I’m sure you’ll be surprised! 」
Nei’s voice was dark.
「 This is from the camera feed 」
Katsuko-nee operates the monitoring equipment
A figure appears on the monitor.
「 Huh?!! 」
I’m surprised.
A man trapped in a low ceiling and narrow confinement room.
He’s wearing black and white prison clothes like from the old comics.
「 Is this?! 」
The impression I see is an old man past his sixties.
His back is bent, and there’s no vigor found in his body.
He’s just limped on the ground.
I don’t see any remnants of Shirasaka Sousuke left in him.
His body looks smaller too.
「 Is that really Shirasaka Sousuke-san? 」
Megu asks.
「 Yeah, that’s right. Ever since I caught him, I’ve made him endure so many things 」
Kyouko-san replied.
「 Well, he hasn’t eaten anything decent for a while 」
Hasn’t he eaten?
「 Ever since he was in Australia, he’s been only eating shrubs to become Buddha He hasn’t eaten anything but acorn over the past few days 」
Yukino, your Umaibo seems to be a treat.
Shirasaka Sousuke’s face is skinny and withering.
Or rather, it’s distorted.
It’s strangely hollow, or rather, the balance is strange.
「 Oh, Sousuke doesn’t have a single tooth now. When he first tried to escape, I broke all of it using an iron pipe. I guess he still has some teeth on the left part? 」
Oh, his face looks hollow because he has no teeth.
But.
「 When he tried to escape for the second time, I pulled out hair from his scalp. Then, he became hairless 」
There are parts where it’s bald and specks where there’s still hair.
Furthermore, most of the hair has turned gray.
「 Was he dying his hair? 」
Megu asks timidly
「 Well, he’s experienced a lot of horrible things. One morning, I just saw it turn white 」
W-What happened.
「 Huh, could this be? 」
I noticed that there’s a yellow discoloring on the prisoner’s clothes he’s wearing.
No, the floor he’s sitting on also is wet.
「 His a.n.u.s can’t contract anymore 」
Kyouko-san said.
「 Hard Gays have raped him a lot of times in Australia. In the end, he was stuffed with a metal bat, so the muscles around his a.n.u.s broke. I had a doctor examine it, and those wounds won’t heal. He’ll continue to discharge like that for his life unless it’s replaced with an artificial a.n.u.s 」
That’s why he’s rubbing his waist like it’s in pain so many times.
「 I used drugs when I slipped him to j.a.pan so his consciousness was hazy for a while but he regained it for the past few days. After showing him photos of his family, work, and a video with a woman. He now knows who we are and he also knows who he is 」
I.
I rediscover Minaho-neesan’s deep hatred.
To think that she’s gone this far on Shirasaka Sousuke.
Even though I was talking about the tomorrow earlier.
This man has no future.
「 Although, his physical endurance is reaching the limit. That’s why this is the first and final timing for the revenge, while his consciousness is clear! 」
I was so naive, wanting Minaho-neesan not kill Shirasaka Sousuke.
Shirasaka Sousuke is already half-dead.
「 Then, Minaho, let’s go with Plan B for today 」
Kyouko-san tells Minaho-neesan.
「 Yes. Please do 」
Minaho-neesan’s eyes that look the monitor are burning in blue flames of revenge.