Chapter 37: Fall Prologue

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

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A damp, dimly lit air drifted through the alley as Konatsu walked.

The night had descended, and the flickering streetlights provided a feeble glow. Along the edge of the road, suspicious-looking men stood, calling out sweet invitations in low voices, but Konatsu ignored them and continued walking.

As she ventured deeper into the alley, the noise grew more distant, and an unsettling silence spread.

Soon, her destination appeared before her.

‘Karaoke Shop Ada'

A shabby neon sign flickered erratically, clearly on the verge of burning out.

Konatsu paused, letting out a deep sigh.

“Ha…”

She felt as if she were stepping into a prison. But after a small exhale, she steeled herself and quietly descended the stairs leading to the basement.

When she stepped into the dimly lit shop, a tired man in his fifties was sitting at the reception counter.

He briefly glanced at Konatsu's face but said nothing, quickly returning his gaze to the magazine in his hands.

It seemed that he recognized her as a regular customer.

Without hesitation, Konatsu headed toward the private room at the back.

She turned the knob and entered the room. The spacious area was filled with several sofas, enough to comfortably fit ten adults.

The moment she stepped inside,

“Dammit!!!”

A roar rang out as a table was violently kicked over.

“That damn woman! She chose that damn introvert over me!!”

The voice belonged to Yuji Godai. Sitting on the sofa, his fists clenched, he was seething with rage, about to explode.

“Aoi too… acting all high and mighty!!”

The one muttering this was Keita Takamatsu. He slammed the empty can in his hand against the weathered wall, and a dry sound echoed.

Konatsu sighed deeply, as if in disbelief.

“…So? What’s the reason you called me here?”

She asked calmly, and both Godai and Takamatsu glared at her.

“Tch…”

Takamatsu clicked his tongue and grabbed a new beer can from a bag.

Godai opened his mouth roughly.

“I can't afford to be picky anymore. I'm going to mess those women up…”

Without a word, Konatsu took out her phone and began operating it with practiced hands.

She quickly scrolled through several folders on the screen, selecting a specific image. Her fingers moved with no hesitation.

After a while, a notification sound rang from Godai's phone.

The sound echoed in the small room, and Godai's expression briefly froze.

He hurriedly grabbed his phone and checked the screen.

What was displayed was a candid photo of Godai and Miyabi on their date at the park.

From the angle, it looked as if they were kissing.

“This… So you want me to use this now?”

Godai asked, turning to Konatsu. She nodded slightly, smiling slyly.

“It’s not just that. Actually, I found out Hajime-senpai's secret.”

At her words, both Godai and Takamatsu frowned.

“…Huh? Secret?”

“You guys don't watch the news, do you?”

Konatsu said, almost in disbelief, and continued.

“There was a press conference broadcasted the other day. They announced that the novel I made you plagiarize would be adapted into a movie, and during that time, they introduced the original author of the book.”

The expressions on Godai and Takamatsu’s faces froze.

“Could it be…?”

“Yes, it’s Hajime-senpai.”

The two of them looked shocked. Godai hastily opened his mouth.

“How did you figure that out?”

Konatsu lightly held up her phone and grinned.

“Well, I found an old rabbit I remembered…”

“Rabbit?”

Ignoring the confused looks from both of them, Konatsu continued.

“Anyway, if you’re going to use that photo, now's the time, right?”

“…Now?”

Takamatsu furrowed his brow, looking puzzled.

“I read the novel that’s been decided to be adapted into a movie. It turns out, Hajime-senpai wrote it based on Miyabi-senpai and Aoi-senpai.”

He spat out the words in frustration.

“So what?”

“That's why. We'll let Miyabi-senpai and Aoi-senpai know that Hajime-senpai is the author. And then, we'll also tell them that the novel was written with them in mind. After that, we'll show them this photo and threaten them. They won't back down from threats related to themselves. But for Hajime-senpai, it's a different story. To protect him, I'm sure they'll act… For example, if we tell them we'll bring this photo to the weekly magazine and spread rumors that the woman who inspired the novel is actually a promiscuous s**t who'll sleep with anyone, how do you think they'll react?”

At those words, the corners of Godai and Takamatsu’s mouths slowly twisted into cold, cruel smiles, and their gazes met.

“…Sounds interesting.”

Godai muttered in a low voice, and Takamatsu let out a dry laugh. There was an excitement between them, clearly anticipating the plan that was about to unfold.

Konatsu looked down at the two with cold, indifferent eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, this is where I'll leave. The rest is up to you.”

Her voice carried the cold indifference of someone who had already lost interest in the situation. She stood up from the sofa, casually swept her hair aside, and slowly walked toward the door.

When she stepped outside the shop, the cool night air brushed against her skin. Taking a deep breath, Konatsu pulled out her phone and opened her contacts.

‘Sanae Koda'

She tapped the screen and held the phone to her ear, and a cheerful voice rang through.

“Kona-chan, long time no see! What's up?”

Konatsu couldn't help but feel a little exasperated by Sanae's carefree tone, though she couldn't stop a small smile from forming at the corners of her lips.

“Sana-chi, long time no see. Looks like there might be some setbacks with the plan, so I think I'll have to move to the next step.”

“Next step? Oh, that… Are you still chasing after Hajime-kun? It's hilarious how persistent you are.”

Sanae's laughter echoed through the speaker. However, at that moment, Konatsu's expression turned as cold as ice.

“Ah…?”

Noticing the sudden change in her voice, Sanae immediately realized something was wrong and hurriedly corrected herself.

“S-sorry! It was just a joke, really!”

“By the way, could you tell Suba-san to get in touch when he has some free time?”

“Suba-ni? Well, alright… but he's been busy with his movie roles lately. He's probably too busy, but if it's your request, he won't turn it down. After all, he's still got that thing for younger girls.”

Sanae chuckled.

“Still the same, huh… Suba-san hasn't changed.”

“That's right. My brother, even if he's my brother, he can't shake off his gross side. Is that all you need?”

“Yeah, for now… But I might ask for something else later.”

When Konatsu said that, Sanae casually responded, “Okay, no worries, it's a favor between childhood friends, so don't worry about it.”

After ending the call, Konatsu stared at her phone, quietly exhaling.

She had stirred things up enough between Miyabi, Aoi, and Hajime. Most likely, the relationship between those two and Hajime-senpai would never be the same again.

Now, the next step was…

Konatsu slowly closed her eyes, deep in thought. When she opened them again, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

“Marin Kousaka … Kagura Shinomiya …”

She quietly murmured their names. Her voice was cold, but there was a hint of enjoyment hidden within.