Chapter 35 – For What It's Worth, As a Former Friend

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“…I came anyway.”

In the end, even after pretending I didn't care, here I was, standing outside Nishida's apartment to check on him. What a bleeding heart I was. That was sarcasm, by the way.

The words I muttered to myself echoed in the quiet like a loser's monologue.

It looked like he hadn't moved out, barely. Not that I came for some heart-to-heart. I just wanted to see what was going on with him. Not even sure if he was home right now…

“…Don't f**k with me, b***h!!”

Crash!

That shout—soaked in venom and rage—blasted through the air just as I stood frozen in front of the building. I flinched hard. What the hell was that?

It sounded a lot like Nishida.

Bad vibes. Real bad.

Unable to ignore it, I crept toward his unit and pressed my ear to the door.

“What is this, huh!? This isn't enough! You're still 150,000 short!!”

“I-I've given you everything I have…”

“Lies!! Don't try to fool me! If you're broke, there are plenty of ways to make cash, got it!?”

What had I just walked into?

That was Nishida's voice, without a doubt. And the other was Naegi-san's.

This wasn't just bad. This was so twisted it made my skin crawl.

I couldn't stop myself. I reached for the doorknob. It turned easily—it wasn't even locked.

And when I pushed the door open, two sets of eyes locked onto me.

Naegi-san was shielding her bruised face with her left hand, trembling like a cornered puppy. Nishida had his arm cocked back, ready to swing again.

“…Nakanishi-kun…”

“N-Nakanishi… what the hell…”

“What on earth are you doing, Nishida!? Are you really the kind of trash that lays hands on his own girlfriend!? I knew you were a pathetic, gambling-addicted deadbeat, but I didn't think you'd sink this low!”

Both of them froze.

And me? My mouth was already running before I could even stop it.

But seeing the woman I once liked, getting beaten by the guy I used to call a friend—there was no way I could just stand there and watch. I had to say something. Had to do something.

“I don't care what the ‘circumstances' are. No, forget that—even if you had some sob story, are you seriously telling me Naegi-san did something so foolish—so utterly foolish that she deserves to be hit by you, Nishida? You, a worthless piece of nothing who wasted his student life gambling and piling up debts!? If she did something that bad, then say it. I'm listening.”

“I-It's… this is between us…”

“‘Between us,' my foot. What, just because it's your relationship, you think that gives you the right to beat her? That means you can hurt her and no one gets to say anything? You really think you can take responsibility for that!? This isn't some careless mistake where you knock her up on a risky day and say, ‘My bad, I'll handle it.' This is way beyond that.”

Nishida went silent.

That silence told me everything I needed to know. He had done it—gone all the way with her. No protection. No sense. No shame.

Any lingering feelings I had for Naegi-san, faint as they were, vanished like smoke in the wind.

I didn't like that she had chosen Nishida over me, but I sure wasn't about to go, “Serves you right” when she was being beaten like this.

 “Also, Nishida, your yelling was so loud I could hear it from outside. And from what I picked up, you've been having Naegi-san cover your debt. What the hell is wrong with you? Instead of hustling to pay it off yourself, you leech off your girlfriend? And when she can't give you more, you hit her? Are you for real?”

“N-No, that's not—”

“Hold it. Are you even working right now? Don't tell me you've been mooching off her while still blowing cash at pachinko. Don't tell me you're still saying crap like, ‘I just naturally wake up at nine,' or, ‘I don't wanna go, but somehow I always end up there'—that kind of brain-dead addict logic.”

“….”

“You moron. Money doesn't fall from the sky, and you're taking out loans just to gamble? That's financial suicide with extra steps. Weren't you at some elite university? And this is where you ended up? What happened—were you always this reckless, or did you cheat your way in?”

“…Shut up.”

“And on top of it all, when things go south, you don't just sulk—you take it out on your girl. You hit her. That's not just wrong, that's garbage-tier human behavior. Stop whining, stop making excuses. Grow up already. That's advice from a friend. Take it.”

“Enough, SHUT UP!!”

Right as I laid into him, Nishida suddenly lunged with a wild punch.

Crack.

“S**t, that hurts!”

He barked as his fist smacked my cheek. But there was nothing behind it—it barely moved me.

“You think I'm taking this crap from you, Nakanishi!?”

“You just sucker-punched me mid–TED Talk, you pachinko-brained idiot!”

Thud.

“Ah.”

I let out a breath. Maybe hit him a little too hard. He was out cold, eyes rolled back like a broken slot machine. Probably a concussion. Not dead, so… no need to panic.

“…Nakanishi-kun…” Naegi-san's voice cracked as she said my name, like she wasn't sure if she should be horrified or grateful.

That was when I noticed how hard I'd been staring.

Her face—bruised, battered, purple and blue like some failed art project. No denying it. She'd been abused. Badly.

Well, I'd already jumped on this sinking ship. Might as well ride it all the way to the bottom. I needed to hear everything.

But not here. This dump wasn't the place. And dragging her outside with a face like that? Yeah, not an option either.

Someplace safe… someplace I could keep her for now.

“….”

She stayed silent.

Her silence said everything.

Yeah. The only place left was mine.

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I almost forgot about this series again… oops.