Chapter 63: Echigoya, You’re Evil Too

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“Kojima-san’s stepbrother is such a scumbag, isn’t he?”

“….”

“Don’t you think he deserves some karma?”

“….”

“Don’t you agree, Kojima-san?”

I nudged her, trying to bait her into a reaction. But, of course, she stayed silent.

Not that I needed her agreement. I just wanted to talk.

“You know, Kojima-san, your stepbrother seems to be causing trouble everywhere. I have a feeling he’ll face some divine punishment sooner or later.”

“I hope he does…”

Ah, gotcha.

“If he does get punished, your family might fall apart, you know?”

“It’s already broken.”

“I see.”

Of course, she’s desperate to get away.

“Well, in that case, I guess it’s fine if he faces some punishment. It probably can’t get worse for you.”

“….”

Her silence felt like agreement. That was all I needed.

“Look, I can’t promise to fix everything, but things might work out somehow. For now, just get some rest. As long as you’re with the Kurebayashi family, you’re safe. We’ve got some time before your stepbrother shows up.”

I doubt my words gave her much comfort, but I wasn’t trying to comfort her. I was just stating facts.

After that, I handed over the phone to Misa-san and asked her to take care of things. Apparently, talking to me calmed Kojima-san down a bit. Good enough.

And no, that wasn't a typo.

Now, onto the next task…

***

“Yuuta! It’s Jones, your new neighbor! Here’s some moving-in soba for you.”

“Already?!”

“A soldier must be swift, Yuuta.”

“Jones-san, sometimes I can’t figure out what nationality you are.”

So, after I informed Jones-san about Azusa’s affair, we talked, and somehow, three days later, he moved into the apartment next to mine. It sounds crazy, but it's just a sudden turn of events.

“It's essential to share information quickly, considering how long preparation takes. But it's quite a coincidence that the a*****e cheating on Azusa is your acquaintance's brother-in-law.”

“Well, it's more like convenient storytelling… But still, she's in a tough spot, and she's fine with her family falling apart. So let’s push him to the edge.”

Jones-san gave me a thumbs up.

“Absolutely! A man should return the humiliation he faced tenfold.”

“Forget tenfold; let's crush him completely.”

“Evil, aren't you?”

“I can't compare to you, sir. Hohoho.”

“Hahaha!”

Jones-san and I could easily fall into a comedic routine.

“Anyway, we’ll need Azusa-san’s cooperation.”

“Yeah, she'll probably go along if we ease up on the punishment a bit.”

“…Got it.”

I only knew the surface of how much Azusa suffered, but if Jones-san said so, he was probably right.

“When we met, Azusa-san did seem genuinely regretful.”

Reflecting on this, I regretted my words as soon as I spoke.

“….”

“Oh, sorry.”

Hearing my unnecessary comment, Jones-san tensed up. I quickly apologized.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. Sorry for the extra remark.”

“No, it’s fine. Given everything, even if it’s ‘finally,’ anyone would regret it after being pushed that far.”

“….”

“Maybe I should’ve been merciless from the start and driven Azusa to the brink.”

“….”

Even after three years since the affair was exposed, it still stung for Jones-san. He rarely showed this vulnerable side, usually turning everything into a joke.

It’s hard to deal with complex feelings that can't just be laughed off.

“Now, it’s too late. Damn b***h.”

That’s why revenge was necessary.

At least for Jones-san right now.

There’s not much time until the Spring Festival. It’s time to buckle down and prepare.