21 Chapter 21: Korosaku Lee

[2023- November 20]

.Monday.

"Ah, right," Korasaku glanced at me and suddenly slung his arm around my shoulder, as if we were long-time buddies. I felt a bit uncomfortable, but I decided to let it slide and continued walking. "Matsuki, I never imagined I would run into you here. And your name is Matsuki? I didn't know that before."

"Ah, right. You might be curious, so let me reintroduce myself. I'm Korosaku Lee, the guy who was with Takumi the last time you saw her."

"Huh?"

If it was in the alley, he... he's the guy Takumi was with in the alley. It's him...

"Oh, don't give me that look. I know introducing myself doesn't exactly make me proud, considering what happened back then. But... let me explain first," he paused, "I understand what you went through back then. We're buddies now, aren't we?" He smiled. "Both of us were deceived by Takumi."

Deceived by Takumi? What does that mean?

"Don't stare at me like that. Just like you, I'm also a victim."

"A victim, you say?"

"Well, you see, the truth is... what happened to you, Takumi did the same..."

"What did she do?"

"Where do I even begin..." He scratched his cheek.

"Hm... I suppose I'll start by telling you why I ended up in this situation."

We stopped walking, and his friends distanced themselves from us. Korosaku sat on a worn-out bench and gestured for me to sit beside him, but I chose to lean against a nearby pole, crossing my arms. I glanced at him as he began to speak.

"So... um... I'll start now." Korosaku looked down at the ground and let out a heavy sigh, as if he was about to reveal his story to the world. I noticed him gripping his trembling fingers, trying to calm himself down. His demeanor seemed to change.

I'm not particularly interested in someone's backstory, but whatever. Let's hear him out. I'm a bit curious about what this guy meant by saying we're the same.

As Korosaku continued, he delved into his own troubling story. To summarize everything he told me:

After I dropped out of school, a teacher who knew me learned about the incident and informed the principal. It turns out that a student witnessed what happened and falsely accused Korosaku as the instigator. This led to the students who had been victims of his gang coming forward and reporting them.

The school administrators took action to prevent such incidents from happening again, hoping to eradicate the source of the problem and protect the school's reputation. Korosaku and the others involved were tracked down by the teachers, with the help of students who witnessed their actions.

When they were about to be questioned by the school administrators, Takumi stood up for herself and portrayed herself as one of the victims. She claimed that I, her boyfriend, had suffered greatly because of Korosaku's actions. While that part is true, it angered me to hear her casually using my name like that.

"And..." Korosaku bit his lip and continued, "She also claimed that she was forced to be with me to satisfy my sexual desires. Unexpectedly, she planned to spread these fabricated stories to the other students who admired her. She knew they would side with her, and I was on the verge of being expelled from school. I hadn't done anything to her; she wouldn't even let me touch her. Yet, she accused me of attempting to rape her."

"However, Takumi made me an offer. She said that if I was willing to do anything for her, she wouldn't spread those rumors and I wouldn't be expelled. I had no choice but to comply. If I didn't, I would be expelled, and my parents, especially my father, would not be pleased..."

"...Then, after that incident, she asked me to retrieve some papers from my father's drawer. At the time, I didn't know the purpose or the significance of those papers. I didn't understand their importance. I did what she asked because it was the only request she made, and I just wanted her to leave me alone. But afterward... my father, who is a lawyer, faced severe consequences. His position was revoked, and our family suffered greatly. All of our properties and money were taken by the government. Later, I learned that I was the cause of it all. Those papers I handed over to her were crucial documents. I didn't realize their significance at the time. I regret it deeply, and I will never forgive her, even if it costs me my life."

He paused briefly, biting his lips,

"But it didn't end there. When we tried to confront her, she ignored us and called someone to defend her. One of the people who came to her defense was that bulky guy, Gomburza. He attacked me and my friends, leaving us injured and confined to the hospital for a long time. After I was discharged, the other guys distanced themselves from me and backed down. But I'm not the type to just let things go. I can't forgive her. She did something wrong, so she deserves to face consequences, right?" Korosaku stared at me with a chilling expression, as if he had just emerged from a dark place.

Has he lost his mind? Could it be that since he entered the hospital and came out, his sole purpose has been revenge?

"Hahahahah!" I laughed and placed my hands on his shoulders, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. "That's right, that girl deserves to be punished."

For a brief moment, I noticed a smile on his face as he laughed. I smirked, seeing his unwavering determination for revenge. Though I couldn't fully grasp the reasons behind Takumi's actions, one thing was clear: she hadn't changed since the last time I saw her. I still harbored deep-seated resentment towards her, but... did I really need to get involved with her again? I already had Kira. Yes, Takumi could just go screw herself. I had nothing to do with her.

"I understand why you want to seek revenge on her, and I wish you luck," I said.

"What about you?" Korosaku asked.

"Me?"

"Don't you also want to get back at her?"

"Well, I certainly do," I replied,"but.."

"Then..."

"No, I'm not willing to risk my life. Takumi seems to have money, considering she can afford bodyguards. It's not worth my life. I'm not foolish like you guys. I value my life, especially after the near-death experience I had back then."

"Is that so.. so you're just the same as others..."

Looking at him, I noticed how his behavior changed as he mumbled those words.

"How much do you actually know about Takumi?" I asked, causing Korosaku to release his grip on me. He stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Not much, but I know she's rich and a bitch. I don't know how or why she manipulated me to harm my family, but I... I can't forgive her..."

...

After listening to Korosaku for a while, I made a decision. "I'm going to part ways with you guys now," I announced, coming to a stop. The three of them looked at me, clearly surprised. "O-okay," Korasaku responded. "I thought you wanted to learn more about Takumi."

"I'll save that for later," I said, forcing a smile. Getting involved with them didn't seem like a good idea, especially now that I finally had Kira in my life. With her I'll finally...

With that, Korosaku and I went our separate ways. His two friends bowed to me before continuing on their path.

I guess it's time for me to focus on treating Kira better and taking Rina San's advice to heart. Revenge won't solve my problems, and I need to move forward.