Chapter 88: Final Chapter

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Translator: Soafp

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When I arrived at the hotel, I quickly got out of the taxi and hurriedly increased my pace.

I dashed through the lobby and headed toward the café area.

A suffocating tension gripped me.

Aoi is—.

As I glanced around, I saw two figures ahead.

In the back of the café, Aoi and Koda sat facing each other.

The distance between them was too close, almost as if they were in a very intimate relationship.

I instinctively took a step forward.

But at that moment—

“Wait!”

From behind, Miyabi grabbed my arm.

“…Why?”

I turned around in confusion, and Miyabi was looking at me with serious eyes.

“Please…”

At those words, my throat tightened.

Suppressing my frustration, I reluctantly stopped as Miyabi urged me on.

I moved closer to the table where Aoi and Koda were.

Hiding behind a large pillar, I could clearly hear their conversation.

Kagura, Marin, and Ranko, who had followed, also gasped and hid.

And then—suddenly.

“…Ugh…!”

A faint, trembling voice.

Aoi was crying.

My heart skipped a beat.

I can’t.

Right now—

As I was about to act impulsively, Miyabi's hand once again reached out and stopped me.

“…!”

Unbearable anxiety surged in my chest.

Why stop me?

Aoi is crying.

“Miyabi—”

Just as I was about to ask, Aoi suddenly stood up.

“Koda-san, I'm sorry for accepting your invitation! I have to go…!”

“Huh?”

Koda's bewildered voice echoed.

“Go…where?”

Aoi inhaled a little, as if gathering her thoughts—

“To Hajime's—”

She began to say, then shook her head.

No.

She was no longer hesitating.

That's why she corrected herself clearly.

“To the person I love!”

My chest instantly warmed.

It felt as though time had stopped, and the world was filled with Aoi's words.

Miyabi, with tears in his eyes, smiled and whispered.

“You read it… Aoi.”

Kagura, Marin, and Ranko, who were behind, also held their breath as they watched the scene.

However, breaking the silence—

“F-Foolishness!!”

A low, rough voice rang out.

The air in the café froze.

Koda clenched his fists, his face twisted in anger.

He bit his lip, seemingly suppressing unbearable rage.

“…What are you saying, Aoi-chan…?”

His voice cracked, and he spoke with the intensity of someone on the verge of exploding.

“Do you have any idea how much I—”

He grit his teeth, stopping himself.

“…Don't mess with me…!!”

This time, his words burst forth as a shout.

“All of you, Hajime, Hajime, Hajime!!!”

Koda's angry voice echoed throughout the café.

His eyes bloodshot, his face flushed red, he breathed heavily, his shoulders heaving.

It was as if everything he had built up until now had collapsed in an instant, his fury consuming him.

“That’s enough! Come here!”

With that shout, Koda roughly grabbed Aoi’s wrist.

“Stop it, please!”

Aoi desperately resisted.

“Shut up! Just come with me!!”

The strange atmosphere caused a stir among the people around.

At that moment, a staff member hurriedly approached.

“Sir, this is a problem! Please, you can’t cause a scene like this…!”

However, Koda sneered, snorting dismissively, and looked down at the staff with a sharp glare.

“Don’t you know who I am? Call the manager! I could have you fired right now!!”

The staff member's face immediately turned pale at those words.

As he froze in fear, Koda pulled Aoi's hand even more forcefully.

“What are you going to do?!”

Aoi managed to squeeze out the words desperately.

Then Koda twisted his face into an ugly grin, his voice low and sticky as he whispered.

“I’m going to ruin you… and make Hajime realize who's in charge here…”

—I wasn't going to let those words finish.

Koda's body was suddenly flung backward, crashing into a table behind him.

The sound of the impact echoed, and the café fell silent.

“…What…”

In front of Aoi, I slowly stood up.

“I won't… let this happen… I won't let it…”

I massaged my aching shoulder and breathed heavily.

“…Why are you here…?”

Aoi asked with a trembling voice as she looked behind me. I glared at Koda.

Koda, still lying on the floor, slowly began to get up.

His hair was disheveled, his tie crooked, and a red bruise was beginning to form on his face.

But instead of being intimidated, a grin filled with madness appeared on his face.

“You… If it weren't for you…”

His voice was low and hoarse as he muttered.

He wobbled to his feet and staggered toward me as if possessed by something.

“If it weren't for you…!!”

In that moment—

“Shut your mouth and sleep it off…”

A cold voice echoed through the room.

The next instant, a figure flashed before my eyes.

A gust of wind swept through the room.

The source of the wind—Kyoko nee-san.

In an instant, she stood before Koda, who was shouting, “You b*****d!” and lunged at her.

But—

Kyoko nee-san’s movements were swift.

Her sharp gaze locked onto Koda, and in the blink of an eye, she lowered her center of gravity. In the next moment, a sharp spinning kick was unleashed.

—The powerful kick landed squarely in Koda’s crotch.

“Ugh…!!!”

Koda's face turned pale, his mouth hanging open in silence as he froze in place.

One second later, he couldn't even make a sound as he held his groin, dropped to his knees, and collapsed.

The café fell into complete silence.

“……”

I breathed in sharply.

T-That looks like it hurts… Wait, Kyoko nee-san, did she come out here…?

I turned around, and noticed that Miyabi, Kagura, Marin, and Ranko were all silent, their faces pale.

Amidst the silence, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.

It was the hotel security guards.

“What happened?! What’s going on…?!”

Kyoko nee-san, with a face that seemed completely natural, pointed at the collapsed Koda.

“He's committing an act of violence in public, and trying to forcibly abduct a woman. That's a crime, right?”

The security guards exchanged glances and quickly surrounded Koda.

And from behind them—

“Got new evidence!”

Ranko held up her phone, grinning widely.

I was surprised and involuntarily looked over at Aoi.

Aoi, also looking confused, met my gaze.

But the next moment—

We both burst out laughing.

“…Haha…”

“Fufu…”

Despite the situation, we couldn't help but laugh.

On Aoi's face, which had tears still fresh, there was a clear smile, as if the sun had broken through the clouds.