22 - Strength

Akito lay motionless on the subroof, the harsh sun scorching his exposed skin. The water bottle beside him had long been emptied, leaving him with nothing but the simmering heat and his thoughts.

'...That's right... I've got time to think this through,' Akito sighed internally, squinting against the glaring sunlight.

'How did Sakurai anticipate my move so accurately that last time? It's not like I can actually teleport. I just push my body to its limits, moving really fast in short, strained bursts. It's most effective in the dark... Sometimes, I move so fast even I don't know where I'll pop-up... How'd he do it...?'

A smirk played on his parched lips as he entertained a wild thought. 'Could he see the future...?'

"No way," Akito scoffed aloud, dismissing the idea as quickly as it came. 'Stuff like that only happens in mangas.'

'...Yeah, definitely not,' he concluded, his gaze drifting back to the empty sky, the mystery of Yuuto's ability gnawing at him.

'...One thing for sure, I wont figure it out if I stay here..!!' He thought, struggling up to his feet.

'I rested for a long time... Might as well go after her... Who knows what she'll do?' He mused to himself, carefully climbing down the ladder with a throbbing, pounding head, reentering the school.

Meanwhile, Yuuto guided Saki to the fire exit, their steps hastening toward the roof.

'We should head up. It'll give us a better view to spot where that shota is hiding... Also because there's too much security guarding the storage room. I guess that Shota bastard thought I'd go there...' Yuuto thought, peering back to ensure Saki was keeping pace. She trailed behind, her reluctance palpable in her hesitant steps.

'...I know I got shot and all... But... I feel really light climbing the stairs... Post injury endorphin release, maybe..?'

[The body may release endorphins in response to pain or stress, which are natural painkillers and can induce feelings of euphoria.]

'Has to be it,' Yuuto shook his head.

As they stepped outside, Saki's gaze drifted to the school's perimeter, spotting dozens of policemen encircling the building. The sight tightened her chest with anxiety.... And curiosity.

'There's so many... They're like statues... Standing together like that,' Saki thought.

"Ignore those puppets. They're just making sure no one slips out," Yuuto remarked casually, nodding for her to follow him up the stairs.

'How can he remain so calm?' Saki wondered, her thoughts racing back to the morning's chaos. 'I wanted to escape, to run home... But the P.E. teacher blocked the school exit. I ended up hiding and crying in the bathroom instead. I am... Really not dreaming, am I?'

Climbing the stairs, Saki wrestled with a question that had been gnawing at her since Yuuto's unsettling comments about her family.

"H-hey... About what you said earlier—about my dad... How did you know? And why would you say my mom would throw me away?" Her voice was a mix of curiosity and dread, fearing the answer yet needing to know.

Yuuto paused, his back still turned to her as he ascended the stairwell. "Honestly? I just spat out some bullshit due to the adrenaline. Did it actually hit the spot?" His tone was dismissive.

Saki bit her lip, skepticism clouding her features. 'It was too... precise to be mere adrenaline-fueled babble. Has he been... watching me?' she pondered, a chill running down her spine.

"I see... Okay... she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yuuto resumed climbing, 'She bought it. Well, she's gullible as hell, even in the manga. I guess this plays in my favor for now,'

"...So why did you break my phone? Is it also... Because of adrenaline..?" Saki asked, her voice echoing slightly in the stairwell as they reached the top.

'She is sharp though...'

Yuuto, his gaze fixed on the windows below in search of Satoshi as the radiant sun warmed his skin, responded without turning.

"It was an eyesore," he said flatly.

'Needed to cut off her ties to her drug dealer... Ah, right, her boyfriend,'

"Just because it was an eyesore?" Saki pressed, her disbelief evident.

"Yep," Yuuto confirmed, still scanning the scene below.

"Oh..."

Gathering her courage, Saki ventured another question, her voice trembling slightly. "Then... why did you say you'd... save someone like me?"

At this, Yuuto paused his frantic search and turned to face her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes met hers squarely, offering a glimpse of sincerity. "It wasn't anything big... You seemed lonely, like you could use a friend, so I meant just that. It might've sounded more dramatic than I intended—I was about to pass out, after all," he explained, his tone softening slightly.

Saki's hand instinctively moved to her chest, her fingers pressing against her heart.

'He wants to be my friend...?' The thought was both comforting and confusing. It was the first time someone had expressed such a sentiment towards her without any ulterior motives.

"You... mean it?" she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Yuuto's thoughts churned. 'This girl has been through hell. Her own father lusted after her, and she has no allies in the world. If she had just one person who would genuinely stand by her, she might not have gone down such a dark path.'

Indeed, Saki needed care and support to regain a semblance of normalcy, if that was even possible. But that depended on the person offering that support being normal themselves.

"Of course I don't mean it, dumbass," Yuuto spat out, his voice rough and coarse.

"W-what..?" she stammered, taken aback.

...And Yuuto Sakurai was anything but normal.

"Don't 'what' me. I ain't gonna be friends with a junkie who whores herself out for money and just a little bit of public acceptance while getting passed around like a communal fleshlight just because she lacks the ability to say a simple 'no' when she doesn't want something. Fate may have cucked you out of your good life, but it's your fault as well." Yuuto muttered with a hiss.

"W-what... what are you..." Saki stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, frozen in place as Yuuto's harsh words sank in.

"Y-you...!" Saki clenched her fists, glaring at him, her face flushed with embarrassment, slight panic, and anger.

"That is why..." Yuuto cut her off.

"...?"

"When this whole thing is over, we'll talk about being friends after we Baseball that fate of yours in its ass. Also, there's a fee. I charge 10,000 yen per case. I'll give you a special deal, though—you can pay up after the job," Yuuto said, his eyes burning with resolve.

'Haaa...'

'I want to go home... I don't want to be his friend anymore...' Saki thought, looking down as cold sweat streamed down her face, confusion evident in her features.

'10,000 yen fee for a job? What job? What are we going to do? Baseball fate's ass...? What is he talking about? And the way he seems to know everything about me... He must be a stalker. I'm so scared... Hayato... Where are you... Mom, I miss you so much...' she thought to herself, shivering in place.

"So, do you accept my services?" Yuuto asked earnestly.

'...Something bad will happen if I refuse, right...? I'll just accept for now...'

"Y-yes..." she replied weakly.

"Excellent," Yuuto said flatly.

'Good. It will be much easier to stay near her and do my job. Guess I could just bash her boyfriend's head in while wearing a mask or something, first of all...' Yuuto mused with a shrug.

Turning back to the windows, Yuuto resumed his surveillance. It only took a few seconds before he found his target.

'...Found him... The principal's office,' Yuuto mentally confirmed as his eyes locked onto the elusive Satoshi, who was sitting comfortably in the principal's chair. Acting swiftly, Yuuto ducked behind a nearby air duct, pulling Saki down with him for cover. Through the corner of his eye, he also spotted Kaede, Kanoko, and Nao—and that ever-present butler.

'...Doesn't look like he's harmed them... Yet. From that little show he prepared just for me earlier, he's the savoring type... he probably saves breaking them for when he catches me... Hah,' Yuuto thought, a challenging smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Who's that..?" Saki's voice broke through his thoughts.

"The little fucker who hypnotized everyone in the school, and even the police force. If I want to put a stop to this bullshit, I'm gonna have to either kill him or figure out how he does it," Yuuto explained, his tone hardened with resolve.

"Why would he do that...?" Saki asked, her eyebrows knitting in confusion.

"Dunno. I crippled his younger brother, apparently, so he wants revenge," Yuuto said, his tone nonchalant as if he were discussing something as mundane as the weather.

Saki's eyes widened, and she stared at him, momentarily speechless.

"Uh... I-... I see—"

"I don't even know who his younger brother is. I've crippled a lot of guys at this school," Yuuto mused, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful expression.

Saki blinked, trying to process his flippant remark. 'Uh... Understandable why he'd hypnotize the whole school for that... No... Wait, considering what I've heard about Hiroki... And our conversation just now, did that guy even need to hypnotize them to turn everyone against him...?' she thought, increasingly confused.

'But man... He's pretty far. The principal's office's just right below the farthest point from here. I'd need a really big rope, and the storage room was guarded. I also can't leave her here the same way I leaved that wacko...' He thought, looking towards the subroof he had placed Akito.

'No longer there, huh? I did plan to check up on him, make sure I didn't kill him and ask some questions... Welp, now he either escaped somewhere... Or just another hypnotized I'll have to deal with,' Yuuto mused with a sigh.

It was just then that hordes of students suddenly burst through the fire exit behind them and the sub-roof entrance from afar.

"Damn it!!" Yuuto called out, looking momentarily back to where Satoshi is located.

...Where he stared back at him with a sneer.

'Got you, Hiroki Morii...'

With a click of his tongue, Yuuto grabbed Saki's arm, pulling her along as they attempted to escape.

"LET'S GO!! There's another fire exit!!" Yuuto screamed.

But as they ran, even that fire exit was blocked off, swarmed with students, each one seemingly hypnotized and relentless. Yuuto tried to find a gap, a way to push through while keeping Saki safe, but it was futile.

"Fuck...!!"

Soon, they were backed up against the air ducts, surrounded by a circle of blank-faced students.

Yuuto then looked back to the screwed lid of the air duct behind him.

'...I won't be able to pry this open. It's too tightly wound; I'll need a crowbar for this,' he figured, returning his gaze forward.

From the crowd emerged a single man, walking towards them with a menacing stride, adjusting his eyeglasses with a sneer.

"Hiroki Morii... Hearing of your exploits, I expected you to be more than this... I expect just a little bit of a thrill... How disappointed I am..." He let out in perfect Japanese, noticing the dumbfounded, awestruck Saki standing behind him.

"Oh...? Another student who's not under hypnosis..? Haa... That guy was sloppy... Well, luckily I am here," Benson sighed.

"..." Yuuto was silent, looking around.

"Not some snide remark? An attempt to hurt my feelings, perhaps? I'd heard of your erratic nature... Surely, you can at least entertain me with some form of banter."

'...So, is he also a hypnotist...? The fact that brat was sitting all comfortably in the principal's office says no. A lackey...? He can somehow transfer his control to other people?' Yuuto thought.

"There's no banter," Yuuto started, scrutinizing him, "The fact you're taking control of this mob says everything I need to know about you," Yuuto pointed at him.

"Excuse me...?" His tone hardened a little.

"You heard me. You're just another brown-nosed sniveling, just like your boss."

"He is... Not my boss," Benson said slowly.

"You know what? I'd actually be cool with him just being your boss... But the funniest bit is you hiding behind a bunch of kids. That's the best you can do?" Yuuto taunted with a smirk, "Come on, if you're so disappointed, why not drop the act and face me one-on-one? Or is your bravado just as thin as your hairline?"

Benson's face flushed with anger, the vein on his forehead bulging slightly. "You think you can challenge me?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.

'Got 'em...'

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think," Yuuto replied, his eyes narrowing. "Prove me wrong. Show me you're more than just a puppeteer... Or a boytoy for you precious master..." He mocked. "I won't even use these," Yuuto disrespectfully pulled out the sticks he had holstered under his belt and tossed them to the ground beside him.

With a snarl, Benson waved off the students surrounding them, stepping forward with clenched fists. "Very well, Hiroki Morii. Prepare yourself for a lesson in humility."

'...All I have to do is take this bastard down before he can issue a command,'

"...Is probably what you think, is that right?" Benson echoed Yuuto's thoughts loudly with a smirk, his eyes are of a predator; looking at prey.

"...!!"

"AH... HAHAHA!!" Benson laughed heartily, his voice echoing with derision. "You see, Hiroki Morii, I don't really care about your opinion of me. All that matters to me is winning and getting paid. If I have fun in the process, that's a bonus. If not, well, I'm not going to exert extra effort for someone I don't even consider an equal."

'Damn it...!!' Yuuto clenched his fists tighter.

"And you, who were so easily cornered, are far from being able to disrupt my focus with your juvenile taunts. Just give up and surrender. Otherwise, I'll unleash these kids I've been hiding behind; I'll send them hurling towards you," Benson threatened, his tone casual as he retreated behind the crowd of students.

'... Well...' Yuuto thought, raising his fists as he ensured Saki remained protected behind him.

'I guess we're doing this...!!!'

"Haah... Of course, you'd choose not to surrender. If you had, Satoshi might have made you one of his hypnotized pawns on a whim... But you're just too stubborn for that," Benson sneered as he turned to walk away.

"Seize hi—"

"Is it really that bad...? Being hypnotized...?" Saki's voice came out hesitantly from behind Yuuto.

Benson paused, turning around with a curious hum.

"The heck are you talking about...?" Yuuto shot back, his eyes narrowed, focused intently ahead.

"Is it bad, I asked...? Look at them, Hiroki..." Saki murmured, her voice soft yet carrying a weighted question.

"Okay, I'm looking. And? All I see are a bunch of mindless zombies clumped together under the whim of some overgrown child. What's your point?" Yuuto responded sharply, his gaze still locked on the crowd and Benson, awaiting any sudden moves.

"Being... together with everyone... No one hates you or tosses you out... You're part of a big group... that will never treat you badly... Is it... really... something as terrible as you make it out to be?" Saki said, stepping to the side and walking past Yuuto.

"STOP!!" Yuuto shouted, his voice echoing around the roof, freezing Saki in her tracks.

"What are you talking about, you damn coward!?" Yuuto began aggressively, "LOOK AT ME!!! LOOK AT WHAT YOUR OH-SO-LOVING GROUP DID TO A HUMAN BEING AND—"

"NO, YOU LOOK AT ME!!!" Saki screamed back, matching Yuuto's intensity.

"...At first, when you mentioned my mom tossing me out... I thought you were crazy. Then you got very specific about my life... I don't know if you've been stalking me... But you somehow knew exactly what was going to happen to me..."

Yuuto fell silent, listening intently, trying to process her words.

"Then this... Whatever you said about how my mom would throw me out... You... You knew it would happen, didn't you? That I'd... Despite everything I've tried, I'd just end up alone again... And with what you said about 'fate'... I bet even Hayato... will throw me away at some point, right?" She voiced, her words laden with a mix of accusation and despair.

Yuuto momentarily looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"I knew it. I always did... No matter what I did, or how well I did it, everyone would hate me, and see me as nothing but an object... Even you... Even you said you would never be friends with someone like me," Saki continued, her voice cracking.

"THAT WAS JUST TO MOTIVATE YOU TO—"

"To do what!? Improve!? To be brave!?" She interjected loudly, turning back to face him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm not brave like you are!!! I don't want to have to carefully think about everything I say just so others will accept me, I don't want to prostitute myself for money so that people will accept me for the things I buy... I don't want to be thrown out of my parents' house... I don't want to be alone!!!"

"...And before my eyes... there's a simple, easy way to avoid being alone... Just be hypnotized... If I do that, I won't have to face any of what you said will happen to me, right?! It doesn't matter if it's my fault or 'fate', I just won't feel any pain anymore if I get hypnotized. So... why shouldn't I take that path...?! What can you say... What kind of solution do you propose... that will make my parents love me unconditionally, that will make my classmates accept me for who I am... Why should I stay with you and risk getting hurt more than I already am?!" She asked, her voice resounding across the school's rooftop.

A cold breeze swept through as Yuuto looked down, struggling for words.

Saki waited, her eyes fixed on Yuuto, half-expecting some profound answer...

...That didn't come.

"...This is goodbye, Hiroki. I... I really hope you find a way to save yourself... Or that he doesn't hurt you too much..." She said reluctantly, her voice tinged with sadness as she turned and walked towards the crowd of hypnotized students. Benson gestured subtly, allowing her to pass.

As Saki approached Benson, he adjusted his glasses, his tone flat yet carrying a trace of seriousness, "I'm not into romancing minors, despite this whole operation. That's more his style. I'll take you to him, and try to talk him into just hypnotizing you." He muttered, a tinge of pity in his gaze.

"...Because you accepted my services," Yuuto's voice cut through the quiet, soft yet carrying a weight that halted her steps.

"Remember...? 10,000 yen. Just that, and I'll help you reclaim the life that was cucked away from you by fate, with a side dish of character development," Yuuto's voice grew stronger with each word, his plea echoing with a mix of desperation and determination.

"Wanna know why?" Yuuto added, a fierce determination igniting in his eyes.

"Because I'm Anti-NTR Man. And I don't give up on my clients, despite how cowardice they are," he declared, standing upright, his gaze calm yet piercing.

"Hah... How ridiculous," Benson muttered under his breath, adjusting his glasses once more.

"Well, don't be shy. Grab him, you lot," he commanded dismissively as he turned to walk away, with Saki hesitatingly following beside him.

As the students began to close in on Yuuto, he turned towards the duct opening.

'...I've had a theory for a while now... But I tried not to mix some manga logic with my reasoning...' Yuuto thought, grasping both ends of the metal opening tightly. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder as the students drew nearer.

'I suppose I've run out of logical ideas... How... Embarrassing..!'

With a resolute grimace, he mustered all his strength and squeezed his grips on the duct.

Benson paused and turned to look back at Yuuto, a smirk playing on his lips. 'Is he seriously trying to pull it out...? I really, really overestimated him... With that small build, there is no way he could—'

CREAK The sharp sound of metal straining echoed across the rooftop.

'What..?'

CREAK

The metal began to bend, the rusted screws at the corners starting to crumble under the pressure. The students were now mere inches from Yuuto, whose shoulder bandage was soaked anew with blood.

...But he didn't stop.

"GRRRRGGGHH!!!!!" Yuuto grunted, channeling every ounce of strength from both his lower and upper body. With one final, Herculean effort, he tore the metal duct cover off with a resounding boom, the force of his action recoiling his body backward and thrusting away the dozens of students who had reached out to seize him.

"I-IMPOSSIBLE...!" Benson gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening as he witnessed the unexpected display of strength before him.

Saki turned, drawn by the noise, just in time to see Yuuto forcefully toss aside the metal duct cover and dive into the opening leading back into the building.

In that moment, a spark of hope flickered in her eyes as she watched him disappear into the duct, her breath catching in a mixture of shock and admiration.

"Tsk!!! SHIT!!" Benson inwardly fumed, his body tensing as he turned sharply towards Saki.

"Girl," he barked, startling her, "That guy seems to care about you. I'll use you to lure him out—" He advanced towards her aggressively.

Just then, a kick struck his face seemingly out of nowhere.

"Sorry, man," a voice said coolly, as a figure materialized from behind Saki, stepping in to defend her.

"She's with me now," the newcomer declared. Saki turned around, her eyes widening in surprise.

'Who is that...? A student at the school...? I've never seen him among the others...' she thought, observing the taller guy who sported a serious head injury.

"Oh? You defended against that? I thought you were all brains," the stranger remarked, noticing that Benson had blocked his sudden kick with his arm.

"Hmph... I've spoken enough for a week," Benson hissed as he started moving toward them with a quick stride.

"Well sorry, but as you can see, I'm not in condition to fight... I'll leave kicking your ass to Sakurai," the stranger stated.

'Sakurai...? Who...' Saki puzzled over the name as the guy suddenly lifted her up and sprinted towards the now clear fire exit.

"Damn it..!! AFTER THEM, YOU PUPPETS!!" Benson shouted, setting off in pursuit. 'I need that bargaining chip..!'

"What!?" Saki exclaimed, bewildered as she was whisked away.

"I'm Akito. Nice to meet ya'. I'll get you somewhere safe, hold tight," he assured confidently as he carried her back into the school.

Meanwhile... Down the vent...

'I knew it... Something's seriously wrong with my body... What is this...? I tore open that vent opening despite getting shot and beaten like a dog not too long ago...' Yuuto pondered, his thoughts racing as he crawled hastily through the narrow space.

'I'll think about it later. I don't want to deal with kids climbing after meeee—!!!' His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the metal beneath him gave way, and he tumbled through the gap...

...Landing directly on Nazuna, who remarkably seemed to have anticipated his sudden descent. She stood with her arms wide open, ready to catch him.

[NAZUNA IMAGE]

"Ya~ho... Yuuto Sakurai-chan..." she murmured as she caught him in her embrace. With a gentle twist, she allowed her body to fall to the ground, softly cushioning his fall with hers as they both landed together.

"Who are—..." Yuuto started to ask, bewildered, but before he could finish, Nazuna pulled him into a kiss.

'!!!'