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Oga laughed, his voice full of mockery. "Kid, are you stupid or what? Did I say anything about counting down before we start? What is this, a schoolyard brawl?"
He sneered down at Yuuta. "If you're not happy about it, I'll give you a chance. Stand up and fight me again, if you dare."
Yuuta, furious but cowed, said nothing. He lay still on the ground, keeping his head down.
"Get up!"
"Come on, stand up!"
Oga ruthlessly stomped on Yuuta's head.
Yuuta, terrified, began to tremble; a dark stain spread across his pants, and a sour smell filled the air—he had wet himself.
Oga and his friends froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, pointing at the miserable figure beneath them.
"Hah! Look at this coward! This is hilarious!"
"I've never seen anyone so gutless before. This guy is pathetic. Get up, you loser! Haha!"
Finally, Oga stopped and chuckled, looking down at Yuuta with disdain. "Yuuta, why don't you just kneel? If you kneel, I won't bother fighting you anymore. I might even let you go."
The suggestion was offhand, but what happened next surprised everyone in the room.
The once motionless Yuuta, who looked like a beaten dog, actually scrambled up, dropping to his knees in front of Oga.
Watching this, Shinomiya Natsuha's face twisted in anger and disgust. She couldn't help but shout, "Yuuta! How can you be so spineless?"
"Stand up! Get up, now! Why are you kneeling to these scum?"
"Don't kneel! Get up!!"
Hearing her cries, Yuuta clenched his fists. But after a moment, his hands fell open, and he lowered his head further.
Despite Natsuha's desperate calls, Yuuta didn't even look up.
Oga's eyes lit up with a twisted smile. He reached down, patting Yuuta's head mockingly, his voice soft and insidious. "Yuuta, you're so obedient. Makes me feel bad for treating you this way."
He chuckled darkly. "Alright, I know how close you and Natsuha are—childhood friends and all, practically a couple."
"Let's make a deal. If you bring Natsuha out here and let us have our fun with her, not only will we let you off, but after we're done, we'll give her back to you."
"Our interest is just in her body, you know? It's not like we're after her heart. When we're finished, you two can go on with your little romance, get married or whatever. Think about it."
Yuuta's head jerked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "R-Really? If I do that, you'll let her go?"
Oga grinned, shaking his head. "Why would I lie to you? So, what do you say? Are you willing to let us have a turn with your Natsuha?"
Eagerly, Yuuta nodded, "Yes! I... I agree. I'll let you have her!"
In the kitchen corner, where she'd hidden herself, Natsuha froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yuuta, didn't you once swear you'd protect me, no matter what? How… how could you say such a thing?"
Her voice cracked, the words rough and dry like she hadn't spoken in days.
Yuuta suddenly whipped his head toward her, his expression twisted with frustration. "Is this my fault? Is it all on me?"
"Natsuha, you know Aikido, don't you? You're strong! Why don't you fight them yourself?"
"Are you just letting this happen on purpose, hoping they'd have their way with you?"
"You just talk big, but you don't know how much pain I'm in here. Do I have any other choice but to agree with them? I don't want to get beaten to death!"
"All you need to do is come out and let them have you, and we'll be saved. This nightmare will end."
"Please, Natsuha… come out and let them…"
With each word, Yuuta lowered his head, bowing over and over, his forehead striking the ground as he begged her.
Oga and his gang laughed uproariously at the sight, while Natsuha's face drained of all color, leaving her gaze empty and hopeless.
She couldn't comprehend how her own childhood friend, the one she'd thought she could trust, could say such vile things.
It wasn't just a betrayal of her; it was as if he'd trampled his own dignity into the mud as well.
The pain in her heart was like being cut by a thousand blades, unbearable and raw. Her once-bright eyes dulled, lifeless as she realized the bitter truth.
Being trapped by Oga and his friends had been terrifying, but hearing Yuuta's words made her feel hollow, stripped of all hope.
She let out a long, heavy sigh, feeling an odd sense of relief. All those times she'd held back from seeking out Hikari, feeling ashamed—'why did I bother?'
She'd even once felt embarrassed comparing Hikari with Yuuta. But now, it was all so clear.
The connection she'd once felt with Yuuta was nothing more than growing up together. It was never love.
She'd only made those promises because Yuuta had begged, even resorting to a hunger strike to force her into it. They were never truly together as a couple.
There was no reason to feel guilty. And Yuuta had no reason to keep getting beaten on her behalf.
'Yes, that is it.'
'But truly, Yuuta can't hold a candle to Hikari.'
'If Hikari wes here instead…'
A faint smile crossed Natsuha's face as she thought of him.
Oga and his gang didn't care what was going through her mind. All they saw was her hidden in the kitchen, and their patience was wearing thin.
Oga realized Yuuta's groveling wouldn't be enough to break her will, so he gathered his gang and prepared to break down the kitchen door by force.
"Alright, get ready, guys! We're breaking this door down."
The gang members swung their iron rods and smashed against the door, creating a loud, jarring noise.
Natsuha's smile faded as she stared at Oga's disgusting, twisted grin on the other side of the door.
Then her eyes shifted toward a small fruit knife on the counter nearby.
Without a word, she reached out, picking up the blade and gripping it tightly.
She didn't expect a small kitchen knife to defend her against men with iron rods.
All she wanted was a way to end her suffering before they could lay their hands on her.
Her only regret was that she hadn't been able to express her true feelings to that handsome boy in her heart.
'Goodbye, Hikari…'
Tears slid down her cheeks as she slowly raised the knife.
Oga, realizing what she was about to do, grew frantic. He pounded on the door harder, yelling at his friends.
"Come on, guys! Don't let her kill herself, or we won't get our fun."
"Damn it! While I've had my share of corpses, nothing beats a live one." [T/N: 💀]
"Push harder! Break it down!"
The door began to shudder, showing signs of giving in under the relentless assault.
Just as Oga and his gang grinned in triumph, ready to break through, a sudden knock echoed from the main door.
Knock, knock, knock…
The sound was soft, almost gentle, yet it strangely cut through all the chaos, making everyone pause.
Natsuha halted, the knife frozen in her hand.
Oga and his gang stopped their assault, glancing toward the front entrance in surprise.
Even Yuuta, lying prone and pretending to be unconscious, looked up slightly.
Everyone turned, staring at the door.
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