Chapter 6: Life is not Bueno

[A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the late update and shorter chapter. I just finished writing this chapter and wanted to post it before i go to sleep. I'm guilty for this since i got back to my degen Maplestory grind. For those who plays the game, I'm currently trying to level up my DW to 260! Anyway, please enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 6: Life is not Bueno

Hey, everyone! It's your man, Aruto Igarashi, or should I say Takayuki? …Well, not for much longer, considering the trouble that came knocking at my door this evening while I was still working with Grandma Tanaka.

So, curious about how life's been treating me since we last caught up? Honestly, it's not great. I never expected fate to fuck me so badly. Like seriously, fate threw everything that could fuck me over at the same time, and it's not even funny. Honestly, it is currently the biggest crisis I've ever faced since I started my life as a fugitive.

Let's do a quick recap of my trouble as I also give you my own insight about it! Deal?

Don't worry, I'll promise it will be fast! Just trust me on this one.

What? You ask, how am I communicating nonchalantly while stuck in such a mess? Well, don't stress over it! Just trust your boy.

As I said before, don't worry about it and enjoy the ride, people!

Where was I? Ah yes! The crazy yandere ex-girlfriend who caused the first incident of my current turmoil. Yeah, well, I didn't expect someone of her calibre to appear at this stall. Hell, I didn't even know she knew that I, Takayuki, worked there.

But I guess logic doesn't apply to your Yandere ex-girlfriend, right? I might feel bad for my boy Takayuki for being in a relationship with this girl but fuck him. How in the world do I have to be the one to deal with his heavy baggage?

Also, I guess it is my fault for stealing someone's identity, even though I know that millions of families suffer every year because of it. Do I regret it? Maybe a little bit, but it's not like I did something wrong with this guy's identity.

It was pretty harmless in my book, but I did get to meet Grandma Tanaka and made a hell lot of money, and I also got to live as a free man before all this shit got down, so that's a big win in my book.

(Huh…)

Now that I think about it, I dwell on my past quite a lot in the last few… Man, I should really focus on the present and my future if I don't want to be the next experimental subject for the rest of my life…

Next up, my second trouble of this evening. The damn cops! Those goddamn gangsters that were after my ass since day one. They just had to pull up on me and didn't seem in the mood for a friendly chat. Yeah? I don't want to see you guys in front of me, too! Why don't you leave me alone already?

Moreover, how dare they pull up before me and ask, "Do you know where Aruto Igarashi is?" How shameless could you be? I'd bet my left nuts that they knew I was me and were simply waiting for me to slip up as they arrested me on the spot.

Shameless as always, those cops are! Even in this new Earth!

(Psst! Between us, I'm very glad that the cops are the ones after me and not some special units from the government or a group of IS! But don't tell that since they are currently my biggest nemesis.)

And then, the icing on the cake: the anonymous tipper who snitched my location for those cops! 

Like HOW? I was pretty secretive about my hiding, doing my best to hide and destroy my tracks, but there can only be so much I can do to blend into the city, you know?

I call bullshit on that! There is no way this anonymous tipper doesn't have a vendetta against me!

Like, it's not like there is a bounty on my ass or I'm a terrible murderer thirsty for blood, for fuck's sake! I'm only running away from my poor fate!

This third point is eating at me from the inside because I have no clue on how or where this person found me! Was it luck? Did they spot me by chance? No idea, and that's what scares me the most. If I can't figure out how to hide from such a person, I might have to continue to dance in their hands for the rest of my fugitive life.

And I downright refuse to live under someone else's control.

No, I won't allow it!

Thank you for lending an ear to my rants, and I apologize to those who didn't want to hear it. I've got a lot of anger in my heart because of my current predicament.

I'm not sure if we still have time to discuss—Ah, crap, I guess I really don't have time now, do I?

Let's refocus on the present, face my demons, and find a way to escape this mess peacefully.

Goodbye, everyone; brace yourselves, as my rants will return in the next chapter!

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I blinked in surprise, my emotions heavy as I realized I must have zoned out even in such a situation. I guess I'm built differently, huh?

Maybe I can use this Yandere girl as a shield against those cops. They surely won't arrest me on the spot when there's an innocent civilian bystander near me, right? Heck, I might even be able to use this girl to make a quick escape.

It's time to activate my big fat brain in this situation, so….

BIG BRAIN MODE, GO!

(PSA: There is no such thing as a Big Brain Mode. It's just another delusion of Aruto)

"Honey! I'M VERY SORRY, BUT SOMETHING CAME UP IN MY LIFE, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO DRAG YOU IN! SO LET'S TALK VERY FAR FROM HERE AND ABOUT OUR FUTURE TOGETHER!" I blurted out with all my heart poured into this quick bullshit I'd just conjured up.

(I still don't know your name, though…)

Hook, line, and sinker, baby.

I nervously watched as Yandere's demeanour shifted slightly. I sighed in relief when she returned to her cutesy act.

(I dodged the first bullet)

She blinked and gave me her cute smile. "I knew it! Takayuki-kun would never hate me! Okay, Takayuki-kun, let's talk!"

I quickly took her hand, attempting to pull her away from the scene, but it didn't go smoothly with the official busybody.

"I'm very sorry, but mister, you can't leave this area," said a young policeman as he stepped before me and the Yandere.

I suddenly got goosebumps and felt a chill down my spine. You didn't have to be a genius to know who caused such a reaction in me.

I swallowed my saliva as I saw the Yandere slightly return to her madness. My eyes popped when I saw the Yandere reach for something behind her.

I quickly reacted and stopped the cop in a hurry.

(I swear to god that I saw a freaking knife in this chick's hand.)

(A Yandere girl without a knife is not a real Yandere.)

"C'mon, bro! Can't you see I'm having a moment with my… girlfriend? Anyways, don't be such a weirdo, okay? Is it too much to have some private time with my girlfriend!" I exclaimed with injustice in my tone.

Somehow, for the first time, the crowd finally decided to speak up and help me from my predicament against those cops…

(…)

AS IF!

I know those melon-eating crowds who were only interested in more drama and gossip! As for how and why I knew that? I would honestly do the same as them and fan the flame of drama.

Hey! I don't think you should blame me for this, okay? I'm just human like everyone else.

"Yeah! That's right, let those lovers alone, you weirdo!"

"Eww, that's so not okay for a cop…"

"They're only teenagers, okay! Leave them alone!"

"Yeah, fuck the police!"

"Yeah! They obviously have some issues, so you should leave them alone!

"Don't go too far, okay? We want to hear it, too!"

"Who said that!"

The crowd slowly surrounded the cops, showing their support for the young couple who were obviously deeply "in love."

"Ah, this…" stammered the flustered younger cop, caught in a dilemma. He was taken aback by the sudden show of support, looking at his supervisor in panic, clueless about dealing with such a situation.

Hell! They never trained him for this kind of situation at the Police Academy.

The uncle cop scratched his head in frustration, surveying the angry crowd. He reluctantly relented in defeat.

"Okay, okay, Nanashi! Leave that couple alone!" he shouted, giving the order to the younger cop.

"But—" protested Nanashi, surprised by the unexpected directive from his leader.

Could you blame him, though? They might be cops, but could they survive the wrath of this entire crowd, hungry for drama and gossip?

Moreover, they didn't entirely believe the anonymous tip they received and couldn't forcibly and publicly arrest this man. After all, Aruto Igarashi became a fugitive from the entire country. Did someone of his stature have time to play part-time at a Takoyaki shop?

It was simply unbelievable for him or the rest of the police squad when they heard these mysterious tips from their phone.

At the same time, it might backfire on them if they were to arrest the wrong man in this crowd. He was sure the entire police force would soon be under fire on the internet if that were the case.

So, he wasn't willing to take this chance and decided to play it slow. At least they knew where their suspect was and shouldn't be able to escape from them quickly.

The backup car stationed outside the market added a layer of relief to the situation. A simple radio call would suffice to bring reinforcements and deal with the potential Aruto Igarashi.

Yet, there was a more personal motivation for the police leader to play it slow—selfishness. Having worked as a cop for many years, he wasn't eager to jeopardize his chances of promotion. In a society where men's voices gradually faded, he didn't want to complicate his life further by apprehending the wrong person.

"No, but! I know you are eager to prove yourself, but have some patience! Our team is in backup, and this kid is still in our field of view," replied the leader as he lightly tapped Nanashi on the shoulder.

Nanashi, though disappointed, understood the leader's perspective. "I understand..."

He moved away from the couple but stayed within a close distance, not venturing too far. I sighed in relief, recognizing that my second crisis was averted, at least for the moment. However, I was fully aware that this respite wouldn't last long. Now, I found myself holding a time bomb as I discreetly observed the Yandere.

She flashed me a cute smile, but I could feel beads of sweat forming on my back. Regret washed over me for using her as a shield.

"Since these very nice policemen stopped interfering with us, let's talk about our future together, okay? TA-KA-YU-KI-kun <3~"< p>

"Ooh boy…" I muttered in defeat, staring into the distance in silence as I allowed myself to be pulled along by the Yandere.

(Takayuki, when I catch you, Takayuki! Takayuki, when I catch you, Takayuki!)