Chapter 22: Mob defeating the worst

Translator: Soafp

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After Hihara Karen left I turned around and immediately talked to Sakamoto who was hiding.

I pushed down my feelings of fear and spoke …….

“I know you’re here. Come out.”

With that, a hooded Sakamoto came out from around the corner. I couldn’t see his face because he was still wearing his hood.

“Since we’re here, how about taking off the hood? Well, if you are too scared to show your face, I won’t force you…”

Sakamoto slowly reached out with his hand towards the hood and revealed his face. Anger was evident on his face, and it seemed like he had already lost his rationality. As he removed the hood, Sakamoto’s teeth clenched, and he pulled out a knife from his pocket. In response, I held the water gun in both hands.

Can I really win with just this? I feel anxious about the possibility of being stabbed in a place where the dictionary won’t protect me. But I have to confront him here.

I will put an end to this bad ending right here!!!! And save Hihara Karen this moment!!!!

“You remind me of that person from the past and bring back my humiliation… I can’t forgive that. Even though I’ve been thinking about it for so long, unable to fulfill my grudge…”

“It’s such an inconvenience. It’s creepy when you hold a grudge to this extent.”

“I’ll kill you!!”

“I don’t mind you coming at me anytime, but since we’re here, why don’t you tell me about that past of yours? It’s probably not a big deal anyway.”

Provoking him, I said, and Sakamoto began speaking while trembling with anger, always ready to kill with his knife. He’s confident that he’s in a favorable position. But beware of complacency.

“Alright then!! I’ll tell you! It was when I was in high school. There was a person in my class named Akai Konana… AAAAHHHH!”

Midway through his story, I fired the water gun. There’s absolutely no need to engage with someone like him. I already know, and there’s no way I’ll let this opportunity slip away.

“My eyessssss!!”

It’s a water gun filled with even spicier chili peppers than before. Blended with gochujang. It stings more in the eyes and hurts even more.

Immediately, I contacted the police. I assume Hihara Karen has already contacted them as well, but just to be sure.

“Uhm, is this the police? There’s a man with a knife causing a disturbance near the candy store in Nanairo Town. He’s really dangerous. Please come quickly.”

Unable to open his eyes, Sakamoto blindly rushed at me. He mostly came towards the sound, but I was crouching down.

Tripping over that, he fell down. With him lying on the ground, I kicked him in the groin.

“M-my eyes!”

Last time, I didn’t face charges for assault, so I can confidently send this guy flying this time. Though I’m only aiming for his groin…

I kicked him repeatedly, occasionally opening his mouth in pain, and whenever he did, I fired the water gun. I bought time until the police arrived. Fear was certainly present, so along the way, I kicked away the knife he let go of.

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That guy was apprehended in a normal manner. I was also taken away… ‘it’s you again’!!! That was the expression on their face, but this time, I was released after a certain period.

Is this guy also dangerous? It slightly hurts to see that kind of expression…

Nevertheless, thanks to being blinded by resentment, various things worked out for the better.

The plan was mostly successful. I attacked while pretending to listen to his story and let his guard down, using the water gun. Then, to buy time until the police arrived, I relentlessly kicked him in the balls. It was definitely the right move. The balls can’t be trained, and it’s the strongest weak point of a man.

The fact that everything went smoothly was, of course, due to the person’s disturbed mental state and his inability to make rational judgments.

That person was already mentally unstable, but meeting Hihara Karen triggered his memories and drove him to madness. Taking advantage of his already broken personality, I engaged him in a one-on-one fight, but it was still scary.

　Fear of death is not something you get used to so easily. I learned it well when I fought with a stalker, a psychopath, and two people with knives.

　Even with all this preparation, I was still afraid of scary things. Maybe it would be a different story if I were a man of great talent, but I am still just an ordinary man. It makes me feel a little inferior, but now that Sakamoto is locked up, I won’t have to worry about it for a while. She’s not going to die.

　No, there’s one thing that’s been nagging at my mind. It’s about the Hihara’s family……

However, this has nothing to do with the bad ending. This happens in the original “story” as well, so I don’t need to do anything, and I can’t do anything to stop the divorce of the Hihara couple.

It’s strictly a family matter, and there’s no need for me to intervene to that extent. And even if I were to intervene, what could I do?

Whether they divorce or not, the world won’t end, and in the original “story,” the world was saved even if they separated. So I don’t need to stick my neck into it. But…

When I was on the train, I remembered the envious and sad expression on her face when she saw a happy parent-child relationship.

In the “story,” her parents get divorced. She had noticed for a while that her parents’ relationship wasn’t good. But she couldn’t admit it, couldn’t gather the courage to do anything, and ended up facing their divorce.

Her parents, Hihara Konana and Hihara Enra, were apparently classmates since high school. In the “story,” Sakamoto Norie appeared, but that was only in their parents’ past. He never appeared in the “story” after that.

He was essentially a character designed to provoke their parents, but in the “if story,” he became a teacher at Isshiki High School and turned into a complete monster. In both versions of the story, their parents got married after he helped her when she was attacked by Sakamoto.

In the “if story,” although it was only briefly mentioned, it was apparent that there was a significant rift between the couple. After the death of Hihara Karen, it seems that they ultimately got divorced. They didn’t oppose it at all.

While there are some differences between the “story” and the “if story,” I still believe that her parents will get divorced. It cannot be denied that there has been a rift between them for many years in both worlds.

Why did this rift occur? It relates to the workplace where both of them are employed. Initially, they had a good relationship and were like a lovey-dovey couple, but working in the same place turned out to be detrimental.

HIhara Konana, formerly known as Akai Konana, had exceptional skills and beauty. She rapidly climbed the corporate ladder and was considered an elite.

Hirara Enra, on the other hand, was hardworking, but that alone was not enough. The disparity between him and his wife became evident. Working together in the same company made it even more apparent.

Within the company, it was challenging not to compare them since they were a married couple. Inferiority complex started to develop in Hihara Enra. He questioned whether someone far superior to him should even be with her.

Hihara Konana was aware of it. She noticed that her husband was troubled and being compared to her within the company. However, she didn’t know what to say. She feared that showing sympathy from a superior standpoint might be perceived as condescending.

This had been going on for many years. Initially, it was just a slight discomfort, but it gradually grew, and they stopped communicating to the point that they themselves couldn’t remember when it started. They tried to hide it from their child, but even that became increasingly difficult.

I wonder when it started. And is it okay to leave it like this? Both of them had that thought, but they continued to misunderstand each other… They ended up getting divorced in the winter of the year Karen became a Masou Shoujo.

They didn’t dislike each other. They loved each other, but that’s what caused the misunderstandings. The frustrating collapse of the Hihara family. As a result, Hihara Karen was taken in by her mother…

And her name changed to “Akai Karen.” It seems that her father returned to his parents’ home, but not much is said about him from there.

Hihara Karen, or rather Akai Karen, was left with intense regret. She wondered if she should have changed something. She despised herself for not having the courage to do something despite being aware, for not taking any action. However, her fellow magical girls comforted her multiple times, and she made the determination to cry and move forward.

At present, she can’t say anything to her parents, and she can’t stop the divorce. But it’s not my issue to solve. I don’t need to intervene in her family problems.

With a lingering feeling, I walked back home.

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[Karen PoV]

After parting ways with Izayoi, I received a message saying that the psychopath had been defeated and handed over to the police. I felt relieved, but at the same time, I despised myself.

I’ve been running away from everything.

Diving into the world of two dimensions may have been a way to hide from reality. A way to avert my eyes from my parents’ discord…

That night, the police came to my house a little late. It turns out they had arrested the teacher from Isshiki High School whom I had met recently. It was Sakamoto Norie.

When I heard that name, Mom and Dad had surprised expressions. According to the police, he confessed that his past grudge against Mom and Dad had turned toward me, and he tried to attack me. They came to hear more details.

What Sakamoto Norie was saying was occasionally incoherent, but to sum it up, he developed a murderous intent toward him because he resembled Dad, who once protected Mom.

The cause was when Izayoi said and did something that confronted Sakamoto in the school. As a result, he started stalking me and Izayoi to eliminate the troublesome presence of Izayoi.

Mom and Dad were telling the detective about their high school days. I was also present, but it was the first time I heard about it. I was astonished by the fact that such things had happened in the past and terrified by the realization that the grudge had awakened now.

What if Izayoi hadn’t been there? It’s possible that something terrible might have already happened within Isshiki High School. Even if not, I might have suffered greatly from being stalked.

I see… That’s why Izayoi was so cautious… I don’t know why, but he realized the danger of Sakamoto Norie before anyone else and took action.

It’s truly amazing… and painful. I’m envious.

If only I had that kind of courage, maybe my family could change. But I don’t have it. If only I had the courage like him…

I informed the police that nothing happened to me and asked them to leave.

“Are you okay, Karen?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Mom hugged me tightly. I could feel her concern. Dad also looked at me with a mixture of worry and relief.

At that moment, I wished Dad would embrace me too. I wanted the three of us to connect our hearts.

“I’m really glad. Karen, what kind of person is Izayoi-kun?”

“Well, he’s my junior and like a fellow Otaku…”

“I see. I want to thank him, so invite him to our house sometime.”

“Sure, Dad. I got it.”

With a lingering sense of unease in my heart, I returned to my room. Maybe there’s no turning back anymore…