Chapter 160 | Imoko, Suffering Forever In Exile

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[Imoko's Point of View]

『Where… is this?』

Imoko suddenly opened her eyes.

She found herself standing in the streets of Shibuya.

Snow was gently falling from the sky.

『Why… am I… here?』

Then, Imoko realized that Shinji was waiting for her in front of Shibuya Station.

『Shinji-kun!?』

『Ah! Imoko!』

Shinji smiled at her.

This couldn’t possibly be real.

After all, she had already been discarded by him, thrown off a rooftop, and had died…

『I've been waiting for you. Were you cold? Shall we go to a café?』

…Ah, Imoko felt tears welling up in her eyes.

That's right; what she was witnessing now was an image from 【that time】.

The day she cheated and abandoned Shinji.

What if she hadn't betrayed him…?

『Ugh… sniff… I'm so sorry! I'm so sorryyyyyyy!』

Tears of regret flowed down Imoko’s cheeks.

Shinji smiled gently as he patted her shoulder.

『It's okay now. I didn't wait that long; let's go.』

『Yeah!』

Shinji reached out his hand to her.

『Where should we shop? Today, I’ll buy you whatever you want! It's your Christmas present!』

…Back then, she hadn't known that he was the grandson of an ultra-wealthy family. If only she had known…

If only she had realized his worth back then—she wouldn't have let him go and wouldn't have ended up like this!

『I'm so sorry… Shinji-kun…I was really foolish…』

At that moment, Shinji looked at her with a smile and said,

『That's right.』

★

“…………”

Imoko awoke once more.

This time, she found herself inside a filthy shack.  

“…………”  

Voices echoed around her—nothing that sounded like Japanese. She lacked the strength even to stand up and simply lay there on the ground.  

…Imoko began recalling everything that had happened before: being thrown off the rooftop—she should have died.   

Yet here she was, alive somehow.

It seemed someone had caught her beneath the rooftop (along with those delinquents).  

Later on, mysterious men in black suits took those delinquents away in a truck heading who knows where…

Amidst their work, ominous phrases like “organ donation” or “autopsy” reached Imoko’s ears.  

When she finally woke up again—it turned out to be aboard a ship.  

There they informed her about losing all ties to Japan permanently—her citizenship gone.

She could no longer live as before in that country anymore.

Not just unable to return home; instead, she’d been flung overseas—a place far worse than Japan regarding safety…

With no language skills and no money left at all—the only thing available to Imoko was selling herself into something degrading…  

“I want to go back… I want to go back…”  

How much time had passed since being thrown off that rooftop?

The mirror reflected nothing but her worn-down appearance now…

Gone were the days of self-confidence; gone was the beautiful girl she’d once been.

Now all there remained was a tattered body with a face looking close to death itself…

“#K’PR’#R$!!!!!!!!!!”

A mysterious man entered abruptly yanking at Imoko's arm forcing her onto her feet against will.

Ahh, today too she’d have to face yet another stranger whose name or words meant nothing familiar…   

“I want to go back…”   

Was it merely returning home—or perhaps going back until times when she still felt confident about herself?

Worn down as she was—her mind couldn't think clearly anymore…

All she knew now is she’d never be happy again for as long as lived—

Still young enough for survival—but soon enough even discarded like trash would come upon her fate without mercy…

No chance ever returned home; no easy life ahead…

In an unfamiliar land—  

Imoko must bear existence alone until death claims its due…   

“Please help meeeeee… anyone! Anyone will do… Someone, please…”  

But there wasn’t anyone left who could come rescue her now—

Everything occurring came from choices made—from all self-inflicted misfortune facing consequences head-on:

Hadn't done something terrible toward Shinji on Christmas Day,

Hadn’t acted during Rika’s pregnancy fiasco…

None of this nightmare would exist if only she’d chosen differently.

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