Fish, Prawns and a Squid - Part 3

The bell rang, and I began making my way down to my locker.

There was a decent commotion this morning as a result of the seafood-locker incident. It seemed the student whose locker I used as bait was from another class. The school didn't put out a public announcement which was to be expected. Especially with no method of determining the perpetrator, the school was likely discussing possible options.

The flow of students slowed down as more time passed. Everyone was packing their bags and heading home for the day. Eventually, the entire locker area was empty, and the eerie atmosphere of silence consumed the room.

Almost thirty minutes later, in the distance, I saw a girl walk back into the school. She took a quick look at the security camera and noticed that it hadn't been cleaned. She also glanced around to see if there was anyone nearby. I quickly hid behind cover in order to avoid letting her know of my existence.

Ah.

As she got closer, I finally recognised her.

Emi Tachibana.

She walked over to my locker and plopped her bag onto the floor. In the front pocket, she grabbed out a pair of bolt cutters and clipped off my lock. She caught my lock in her hand and quietly placed it on the ground. Then, she opened my locker.

I had placed several of my useless books in my locker as bait.

Out of her bag, she grabbed several pens.

I see what is going on now.

She held the pens over my books in my locker and cut off the tips with the bolt cutters. As a result, deep, dark ink leaked all over my belongings. The ink flowed all through my locker, seeping into my book and the wood.

Finally, I decided to show myself.

Slowly I walked towards her, not making a noise.

"Hey now, why have you done this."

She suddenly jolted around in shock and dropped the bolt cutters onto the ground. The collision echoed throughout the halls, filling the room with a sharp, clanging sound.

She was silent, so I decided to continue speaking.

"Why have you done this... Tachibana Emi."

All of a sudden, her face showed no fear... only anger.

"Tell me, why have you come to this school?" she asked.

"Why do you want to know."

She kicked the lockers, sending a loud thump through the halls.

"Y-you! Even this many years later, you still let my father's words control you?"

"Who says his words control me."

"You have so much power, yet you simply listen to a dumb mission and follow it naively like a stupid little duckling!"

"Tachibana, you understand just as much as I do."

[Illustration]

"The Ideal Human Project was years ago! It's in the past. Just forget about it." She took a deep breath, "I fucking hate you. Stay away from me! I don't give a shit whether it's your mission or not!"

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Tachibana, you don't seem to understand. The reason I follow my mission is not because of any affection I have for you."

"Fuck you! You're a pervert, a dumbass, a bitch."

She raised her arm.

I grabbed her wrist and slammed it into the lockers.

"Tachibana, you're not going to change my decision."

She looked at me with pure rage.

"...Let go of me."

I released her arm.

"Why... why are you here... I thought, finally, I could be free by coming to this school. I even had Uncle implement special measures. I don't understand..."

"Tachibana, you don't get it."

"Shut up! Leave this school. Never come close to me ever again."

I looked down at her.

"...What do you want from me... Is it my body? Is it my hand in marriage?!" she continued.

"You know that I don't care about you at all."

She fell silent.

"I would prefer to live my school life in peace. I would appreciate it if you would stop making such large commotions."

"...you, you want peace? You want fucking peace?"

Tears were flowing freely from her eyes.

She grabbed the collar of my shirt.

"I'll stay away from you as much as possible. In return, I want you to leave me alone as well." I offered.

"No... no!"

"I don't see the problem. We can both have the freedom we desire."

"If you want freedom, then piss off and forget about your stupid mission!"

"You don't understand. Without my mission, I would also lose my freedom."

"Who's going to stop you? Who's going to punish you?!"

"There was never anyone who would punish me. However, I willingly chose to accept it. It's something that only the Outcomes would understand."

She was very sensitive to the word.

"You dare talk about the other Outcomes? They were my friends. They were my happiness... and you... you..."

"Tachibana, the one clinging onto the past is you."

She pulled my face closer to hers. The emotions on her face showed something less of anger; instead, it was more of sadness, of despair.

"Ayato... I'll accept your offer for now, but I'll never forgive you."

It's okay. I never wanted your forgiveness.

She marched off into the distance, picking her bag up and leaving through the entrance.

For personal reasons, I wasn't going to report her. Although, I should get a stronger lock.

I looked inside of my locker and saw that ink had already flooded it. There was such a great quantity that it was beginning to drip out of my locker, even with the door closed. I took some tissues out of my bag and tried to clean it up as much as I could.

It was lucky that my useless workbooks soaked up most of the ink. I grabbed them and threw them into the nearby bin. Some ink dripped onto the ground, but there was nothing I could do about it. I cleaned up my vandalised locker as much as I could before deciding to head back for the day.

I wonder where I'd buy a new lock. I guess I could ask the school to provide me with another.

Knowing the type of person Tachibana was, I doubted that she'd try to do this again. However, I likely wasn't off the hook just yet.

She will likely never forget the incident, with me and the other Outcomes of the Ideal Human Project.

As much as I try to pretend as if it didn't happen, guilt still sits at the bottom of my heart.