You Want to Kill Me?

"Are you going to kill me? Are you serious?" (Kato Satsu)

Hearing the clerk's inner voice, Satsu felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn't help but re-examine the sleazy middle-aged man in front of him.

The man's reason had clearly been completely replaced by rage; his mind was filled with nothing but the thought of killing Satsu.

To think he'd come up with such a reckless, stupid idea? Well, it makes sense. After all, he's even capable of sexually assaulting a female student. Did I push him too hard?

Come to think of it, he loses half his salary every month. And in three years, who knows if he'll report me before he leaves.

It's just a pity, though. My monthly guaranteed points are gone.

Satsu felt no fear at being targeted; his heart held only disappointment and regret over losing his ATM.

Leaving the digital store, Satsu's mind was entirely occupied with how to deal with the clerk's impending retaliation.

Although Satsu could report the clerk's behavior right now, he had just deposited three hundred thousand points—even if he had the excuse of a transaction.

Everyone knew that those pieces of junk weren't worth three hundred thousand.

Reporting him too early would look like a guilty conscience. However, since the man had developed murderous intent, as long as my claim of self-defense holds up, whatever happens to him won't be my fault.

Just as he was about to leave the mall, three familiar faces caught Satsu's eye: the Yamauchi trio.

The three were browsing a high-end men's clothing store. Although a small mountain of clothes had already piled up beside Yamauchi, he was still urging the clerk to bring him more.

But after a moment, Yamauchi's eyes lit up. He snatched a suit from the clerk's hands and prepared to pay, muttering to himself.

"Twenty thousand points! A suit costs this much!" (Haruki Yamauchi)

Even though he couldn't hear the three of them speaking inside the shop, Satsu was reading their inner voices with great interest from the side.

After all, since they were planning to crash his party tonight, the more he knew about their thoughts, the calmer he could be when dealing with them later.

Ignoring the dissuasion from Ike and Sudo, Yamauchi insisted on buying the suit. He held it with a fervent gaze, as if looking at a winning talisman.

"So what if you're handsome! Kato Satsu, I'll make you cry in rhythm tonight." (Haruki Yamauchi)

At least tell me your methods!

Satsu, crouching behind a potted plant, was dying of anxiety. Having observed them for so long, those who knew were aware he was eavesdropping, but those who didn't would think he was begging for food!

Wait! Neither of those things is particularly glorious.

After a brief distraction, Satsu pulled himself together and stared fixedly at Yamauchi, but the latter's mind was, if not blank, at least a chaotic mess.

"Anyway, I get one hundred thousand every month, so what's this?" (Haruki Yamauchi)

"Tonight, if little Kikyo apologizes to me properly and sincerely begs me to date her, I might just show some mercy." (Haruki Yamauchi)

"By then, I'll have little Kikyo in one arm while watching Satsu kneel on the ground, begging me to teach him how to pick up girls." (Haruki Yamauchi)

Reading this, Satsu felt like vomiting. He shook his head, trying to shake these thoughts out of his mind.

"Is there anyone who can speak up for me? Yamauchi should pay me for the cost of reading his inner voice." (Kato Satsu)

Seeing that he wouldn't be able to read any useful information, Satsu simply closed his eyes, letting his world go quiet for a moment.

Although I brought some of this on myself, it's only been a few days since school started, and I'm already busy as hell.

Satsu brushed his hair back lightly and stood up to leave the mall.

The afternoon passed quickly, and after school, Satsu headed back to the dormitory without delay.

After all, there was a rather important gathering tonight, and he had to take it seriously and attend with his utmost sincerity.

"Take a shower! Change into going-out clothes!" (Kato Satsu)

Just as he reached the fourth floor, Satsu ran into Haruka Hasebe, who was opening her door.

"Hasebe-san, you're back early?" Satsu initiated the conversation.

"What a coincidence, Kato-kun!"

Hasebe responded with a smile, "I was planning to try cooking for myself, so I came back a bit early."

Should I ask him to taste my cooking? It would be a good way to return the favor, though I didn't prepare any special ingredients today. (Haruka Hasebe)

"Oh, so you haven't eaten yet? I'm actually treating Kikyo and the others to dinner tonight, want to join?"

Just as Hasebe was hesitating, Satsu took the initiative. Since he knew her inner voice, he couldn't let the conversation drop.

Besides, he wasn't short on money right now; treating a few more people wouldn't hurt, so why not go with the flow?

"Can I?" Hasebe replied, pleasantly surprised.

"Of course. Let's exchange contact info, and I'll send you the location in a bit."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Kato-kun." As she spoke, Hasebe took out her phone.

"Just call me Satsu."

After getting ready, Satsu waited considerately at home until Hasebe was also prepared, and the two left together.

But the moment they stepped out of the dormitory building, Satsu caught sight of the digital store clerk hiding in the bushes.

This gave Satsu a jolt; he never expected the man's retaliation to come so quickly.

"That bastard is really popular with girls! He deserves to die!" (Sleazy Clerk)

"Though... that girl is really hot~" (lecherous middle-aged man)

"To think he'd expose his own tailing just to get a few more looks at a woman. Dealing with an opponent like this makes me look so amateurish." (Kato Satsu)

Although Satsu was speechless, since the guy had come knocking, he had to deal with it.

He immediately turned his head and whispered to Hasebe, "Hasebe-san, sorry! I just remembered I have something to take care of. You go on ahead!"

With that, he didn't even wait for Hasebe to respond before bolting away.

Confirming that the shop clerk was silently following behind him, Satsu turned into a narrow alley.

Because he had been in such a rush, Satsu hadn't made any preparations. Now, the only way to establish a valid case for self-defense was through a video recording on his phone.

He started the recording and placed the phone in his chest pocket with the lens facing outward.

Every word and every action from here on out must be performed as if I'm completely oblivious. I have to play the part of a victim who accidentally used excessive force.

Satsu kept glancing at the clerk behind him while constantly warning himself in his heart.

If the video didn't capture the scenario he wanted and the school authorities launched an investigation, the truth about the three hundred thousand would come out, and he would be playing with fire.

Confirming that the alley had no surveillance cameras and was rarely used, the clerk finally pulled a fruit knife from his jacket.

Feeling the clerk's heart pounding wildly, Satsu found his own emotions stirred, and he actually began to grow excited.

He stopped in his tracks and slowly looked up at the setting sun.

"The sunset is truly beautiful."

"Because... it always makes blood shine so brilliantly!"

As Satsu muttered to himself, the clerk charged at him from behind, screaming as he swung the knife down!