Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Perfect Reasoning (12)
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The rusted sign of Iwamoto Industry stood there like a tombstone. And there I was, staring blankly at it. Hwayoung was scratching her head, and the driver wore a troubled expression as well. In the midst of everyone's silence, Yumi came over from somewhere with a stick in hand and started poking at Shinsuke's corpse.
"...Is he dead?"
"It's dangerous, so please step back. The sign might collapse and hurt you."
The driver carefully pulled Yumi back. His expression wasn't good; it seemed like Shinsuke dying was a problem he wanted to avoid. Hwayoung looked at the driver and asked,
"What do we do?"
"It would've been great if he were alive in many ways, but now that he's dead, it's a hassle. Even if we report it to the police like this, the investigation will be a pain, and the higher-ups won't like it. It'll create even more headaches for Miss Hwayoung's school life too."
The driver's words carried some convincing weight. There's a world of difference between reporting a kidnapper to the police and beating one to death. Especially for Hwayoung, who hated chatting about abilities with strangers, it felt like an important issue.
But then, couldn't I just say I was the one who beat him?
I didn't know how much info Shinsuke had dug up and reported on me, but having an informant like this meant someone was suspicious of my skills or actions, right?
So wouldn't it be better to boldly show off my overwhelming power and cater to those vicious villains' tastes?
Already, an image floated in my mind: me standing proudly in front of a photo of Shinsuke beaten to a bloody pulp. Standing tall before the other Prophets, swinging my fist as I declared,
[No big deal. He charged at me like he thought he was some hotshot fighter, but when I just gave him a light tap, he bawled like a little girl.]
Hmm, yeah.
Perfect. Imagining it in my head, I looked every bit the bloodthirsty elementary schooler, a promising young villain.
That's it. This was the way to dispel those nagging suspicions, flip the opinion inside the Prophets, and carve out a spot for myself.
Hwayoung had helped me out, but I couldn't let a precious young lady like her get caught in the spotlight over something like this.
If I'd already decided to play the villain for the sake of the world, my family, and my comfy retirement, wasn't it only right to make sacrifices like this too?
Yep, I'm so smart.
I steeled my resolve and spoke to the driver.
"...How about we just call the police and say I beat him up and won?"
But the driver shook his head firmly at my words. Even as he did, he kept observing Shinsuke's body from various angles.
"Hmm... Putting such a cruel frame on Miss Hwayoung's friend is something we absolutely shouldn't do. And..."
The driver squinted at Shinsuke's back. He looked like he'd spotted something odd.
"Looking at him now, this guy... seems to belong to some pretty dangerous organization. I've heard of them before... Getting tangled up with a place like this would spell trouble for Miss Hwayoung, me, and all you friends here."
His mention of a "dangerous organization" made my heart skip a guilty beat. But who am I? A pro at expression control, a villain prodigy who drew gasps of admiration. I hid my face perfectly and nodded. Yumi grabbed me and fussed dramatically.
"A dangerous organization's guy...? Serika! How could you follow some random creep like that! You almost got into big trouble this time!"
She smacked my back as she said it, and each hit made the bruise throb, so I shrank away with a groan.
"S-Sorry! D-Don't hit me!"
Hwayoung nodded in agreement as Yumi kept thumping me and venting her anger.
"She's right, Serika. I won't say anything about your bad taste in men, but following actual bad guys around will get you in huge trouble. From now on, if you like a guy, you have to consult us first."
"...Huh? Bad guys? A guy I like?"
What was that about? Why bring up bad guys? And what guy I like? Hwayoung tilted her head the opposite way as I cocked mine and asked,
"...Not that? I thought you two were dating since you talk on the phone so often and text all the time."
I quickly pieced it together. They'd seen me constantly on my phone, calling and texting Shinsuke, and must've misunderstood.
"Ah...! Y-Yeah! I do kinda like bad boys...! Like last time, remember? I said I hate those boring romance comics. Guys need that rough, hot-blooded charm, right? Yeah?"
I couldn't come up with another excuse, so I just rolled with it. Glancing at Shinsuke's corpse, I continued,
"I thought he was just a cool, edgy bad boy with tattoos, not a real scumbag!"
Yumi gave me a look like she couldn't believe it, her lips pursing.
"Serika, you trust people way too easily, it's a problem. Like that test last time—you believed the teacher when she said to pick 3 if you didn't know, marked all the hard ones 3, and got a 40."
"H-Hey! We agreed that was a secret!"
I'd made up for it elsewhere to barely hold my average at 60, but picking on my weak spots like that was unfair.
It wasn't that I was dumb; private elementary school tests were just too hard. Hwayoung chuckled at our bickering and shook her head. As I racked my brain for a comeback amid the commotion, the driver poked his head in.
"Everyone, how about this? This Yamaguchi Shinsuke is a member of a very dangerous organization. If it gets out that we're involved in his death, it'll be trouble for sure."
Hwayoung tilted her head and asked,
"But if they were already investigating Serika, doesn't that make her a target too?"
The driver shook his head.
"The secret organization I know is run by some really weird... researchers. It doesn't make sense for them to suddenly focus on an ordinary elementary kid like Serika. Him bringing her here alone is proof. If it was an official organization op, it'd be easier to drag her straight to their hideout."
The driver glared at Shinsuke with utter contempt and said,
"My personal guess is this dimwit tried to go rogue, banking on the organization's backing."
It made sense when I heard it. The "personal deviation" part was off, but a personal investigation fit.
I'd been puzzled why he suddenly rambled about backers while beating me,
but that tied it all together.
Shinsuke was jealous and scared of me.
Who am I? A highly capable physical enhancement ability user, a talented villain prospect. He must've feared I'd shake his position. And he couldn't believe a mere elementary kid had such talent.
So he assumed I had backers, dragged me here, and tried interrogating me with beatings.
Being too smart and exceptional was a problem too, apparently.
I'd have to hold back a bit from now on.
"Of course, that doesn't mean we can relax. Serika is our young miss's precious friend, isn't she? We'll assign some protection from our side for the time being."
"P-Protection? How do I explain that to Dad...?"
"Don't worry. Our guards specialize in protecting their charges from the shadows."
The driver said it matter-of-factly. Yumi's eyes sparkled at his words.
"In-Invisible bodyguards. So cool..."
"If anything dangerous comes up for you too, Miss Yumi, we'll assign someone."
"Uh, n-no! That's okay! I'm fine! Hehe..."
Yumi grinned ear to ear but shook her head. I knew that look—she was probably fantasizing about mysterious bodyguards right now. The driver smiled warmly at Yumi and Hwayoung as he fiddled with his phone.
"Yes. Then we'll have our people come clean up the scene. Let's head to the car. We'll dispose of any personal documents right away."
Calling in pros to handle this on the spot showed Hwayoung's family was no ordinary bunch. Something about a Martial God Church? Was there a religion like that in the original story?
I pondered briefly, then shrugged.
Dwelling forever on unsolvable puzzles was pointless.
What mattered was getting home safe today.
And the fact that one vicious Prophet had died.
For some reason, it felt like the path to my happy future had gotten a little closer.