Chapter 33: Right: The Path to Retribution
“With all due respect, Mother… situations like ‘dealing with a stalker approaching your childhood friend’ are not exactly common occurrences in the daily life of a perfectly ordinary university student, are they?”
『I acknowledge that the situation itself is unusual. However, that is precisely why it is suitable. If this were an ordinary occurrence, you would simply construct patterns and countermeasures in advance, would you not?』
Indeed, Mother was correct.
If the problem were something predictable, then I would simply analyze it, prepare accordingly, and provide the ideal answer.
Even while normally living as a “perfectly ordinary university student,” if told I was being tested, I might very well begin by constructing the exact type of person expected of me.
However, when the scenario itself became unrealistic, constructing that persona became much more difficult.
Well—
difficult, but not impossible.
After all, in textbook light novels, there were countless scenarios involving a childhood friend being targeted by someone.
“Understood. Then I shall handle Inugashi Kaito according to my own judgment.”
『I look forward to seeing it, Gouto. The one who decides what use you have… is you yourself.』
With that, the call with Mother ended.
I turned toward my worried-looking “childhood friend” and “best friends” and explained the situation exactly as it had been presented to me.
“It appears the handling of Inugashi Kaito has been selected as a test of my humanity.”
I briefly summarized what Mother had said.
The matter involving Inugashi Kaito had already been shared between the Inugashi family and the Kirishiro family.
And rather than intervening directly from above, they had temporarily suspended outside punishment and entrusted the matter entirely to me.
In other words—
my response to this problem would determine how “normal” a human being I had become.
After hearing the explanation, Taketsuru nodded once before speaking.
“Kirishiro. University life with you was fun while it lasted. I don’t know what kind of debt-slave labor they’ll force on you after you fail this test, but take care.”
“Why are you assuming I will fail?”
What a cold-hearted man.
I shifted my gaze toward Kuwajima instead.
Kuwajima busily pulled a black bandage from her bag, wrapped it dramatically around her right arm, and spoke in an ominous tone.
“Kukuku… a profound question indeed. Truth itself is stained in darkness, and all who reach for it grasp only mud and ruin. Yet hope may shine brightest only beyond despair. Never hesitate to extend your hand toward destiny.”
“Meiko.”
“In Kumamoto dialect, that means: ‘It’s hard to say this, but… if you don’t give up, I’m sure you still have a chance! Good luck!’”
“So she believes in me slightly more than Taketsuru does.”
Why were both of my closest friends evaluating my humanity so poorly?
Hadn’t I saved both of them before?
And why translate your own comments into “Kumamoto dialect” just because they were awkward to say, Kuwajima?
Then the final remaining member, Meiko, quietly spoke.
“I never thought the test would come this soon… Gouto-kun, if you get sent underground, I’m going with you…”
What kind of resolve was that supposed to be?
After hearing all three responses, I cautiously asked the question forming in my mind.
“…Just to confirm. Do all of you think I’m incapable of dealing with this as ‘a perfectly ordinary university student’?”
“More like… that way of handling things is the problem.”
“The issue is that what’s being asked of you here probably isn’t a ‘protagonist’ response.”
“There’s even a chance things would go better if Gouto-kun just… didn’t do anything at all…”
I see.
Apparently my level as a “perfectly ordinary university student” was still insufficient.
Back in high school, becoming ordinary had never been this difficult.
What an unexpectedly challenging thing normality truly was.
For the moment, the gathering dispersed for the day.
After all, Inugashi Kaito had only appeared very recently.
We still didn’t know what he was thinking or what actions he intended to take.
There was even the possibility he would never appear again.
So rather than deciding on a concrete response immediately, we agreed to wait until his intentions became clearer.
Although during that discussion, all three of them strongly instructed me:
“Don’t go acting on your own.”
Honestly, what exactly did they think of me?
“…Hm?”
After seeing the others home, I realized I had run out of milk.
Kuwajima had insisted she couldn’t drink coffee, so I had made café au lait instead, which completely threw off my consumption estimates.
It wasn’t as though one day without milk would kill me, but the supermarket was still open.
Recalling today’s sales information from memory, I decided to head out for groceries.
And it was while walking toward the supermarket that it happened.
──────
『Crossroads of Fate』
Left: Path to Ruin
Right: Path to Retribution
──────
The hallucination abruptly popped up before my eyes, directly over the road ahead.
At the moment, I was heading toward the supermarket, and the left path continued directly there.
But “ruin”…?
Meanwhile, the right road led away from the supermarket and toward a large intersection.
And that one was labeled “retribution.”
Neither option sounded particularly positive.
“…………Well. Right, I suppose.”
I had no idea what the hallucination intended, but deliberately choosing the “path to ruin” seemed questionable even by my standards.
I had no clue what awaited me down the path of “retribution,” but if the hallucination had gone out of its way to present choices, then surely it was at least preferable to ruin.
Without fully understanding why, I began walking down the right path.
As mentioned, this road led toward a large intersection.
There was a gas station there, a convenience store, and a police box.
Aside from the convenience store, none of them were places university students frequented particularly often.
I wondered what exactly I was supposed to find there—
when suddenly my phone vibrated.
Looking down, I found another hallucination popup displayed across the screen.
──────
『Smartphone』
Incoming call scheduled:
Five minutes from now — Unknown Number (Inugashi Kaito)
Recommendation:
Speaker Mode
──────
How strangely specific.
The hallucination occasionally informed me of future events, but this was unusually precise.
Also—was it really acceptable for an “unknown number” to already be identified by name?
Well, there was no real disadvantage in obeying.
So I switched my phone settings to speaker mode and continued walking.
Five minutes later would place me directly in front of the police box.
And sure enough—after continuing onward, I arrived there exactly as predicted.
Two officers were stationed outside.
One relatively young.
One middle-aged.
They appeared to be casually chatting together.
As I looked toward them, the hallucination appeared one final time.
──────
『Police Box』
※Consultations regarding stalking victims are also accepted.
──────
No, you hallucination.
I have told you repeatedly that this is unacceptable.
From an ordinary perspective, yes, consulting the police about the Inugashi stalker issue was obviously the correct choice.
But from the perspective of a “perfectly ordinary university student,” involving the police was absolutely forbidden.
I already explained this before.
That is not the sort of choice made by “perfectly ordinary university students.”
Ordinary university students never go to the police or the hospital no matter what happens.
If they did, the story would end immediately.
At least, that was my position.
Unfortunately, before I could continue mentally arguing with the hallucination, my phone vibrated.
Caller ID:
Unknown Number.
According to the hallucination:
Inugashi Kaito.
I stared silently between the phone and the police box for several long moments.
Then—
“…No helping it,” I muttered, choosing the path of retribution.
“Hmm? Can we help you?”
The moment I stepped into the police box, both officers turned their attention toward me.
After briefly wondering how to phrase things, I simply decided to tell the truth.
“I’ve been receiving a call from an unknown number, and I’d like to ask a favor. Would you mind listening in with me?”
“……Huh?”
Both officers looked utterly baffled.
Interpreting their confusion as consent, I placed my phone on the counter inside the police box and answered the still-ringing call.
『Y-You finally answered! You’re Kirishiro Gouto, right!?』
“That depends. And you are?”
When I asked, the caller answered proudly.
『Don’t pretend you forgot! I’m Inugashi Kaito! Meiko’s true childhood friend!』
Ah.
So he introduced himself voluntarily.
I found myself mildly impressed.
While both police officers stood nearby radiating increasing confusion, Inugashi continued.
『Listen carefully. If you want this resolved peacefully, then don’t tell anyone about this. Especially not the police. If you break that promise, there’s no telling what’ll happen to you.』
“I see.”
The eyes of both officers immediately sharpened.
Well, technically speaking, I had not told anyone.
Nor had I contacted the police.
The one doing that at the moment was Inugashi himself.
As I experienced the rare sensation of feeling genuinely awkward on someone else’s behalf, Inugashi finally delivered his challenge.
『Fight me in a duel with Meiko on the line, Kirishiro Gouto!!』
…Indeed.
Perhaps the left road truly had been the path to ruin after all.
Because as a “perfectly ordinary university student,” accepting a duel challenge was naturally mandatory.
In fact, refusing the duel was barely even an option.
No matter how unfavorable the situation, one was never permitted to flee or hide.
If anything, when a woman was involved, “perfectly ordinary protagonists” often initiated such battles themselves.
It was an extremely ordinary event.
If I had received this call midway to the supermarket, I would have been forced by circumstance to accept.
However—
right now, I stood beside the eyes of public authority.
And before being a “perfectly ordinary university student,” I had to respond as a perfectly ordinary citizen.
“Do you happen to know what the crime of unlawful dueling is?”
『S-Shut up! That’s why I told you not to call the police!』
…Well, I hadn’t called them.
“By the way, Inugashi Kaito. Any guesses where I am right now?”
『Hah? We already confirmed you went back home—』
“I’m inside a police box. This call is on speaker mode.”
『 』
On the other end of the line, I could practically feel Inugashi’s mind go completely blank.
Which meant it was now time for the two officers—both glaring with incredibly sharp eyes—to step onto the stage.
“Inugashi Kaito-kun, was it? Mind if we have a little chat?”
『Eh… ah… yes sir.』
Stalker versus Police.
Fight!