Vol. 2 Chapter 1 – Hell

Asahi-san is sitting on my lap, facing me as I sit on the bed.

“A-Are we really doing this…?” (Reiya)

I ask, looking into her eyes closer than I ever have before.

“Of course. It’s a Punishment Game, after all. The loser listens to what the winner says… right?” (Hikaru)

She says with a bewitching smile.

“Alright… But, please be gentle…” (Reiya)

My resolve is set… not really, but defying her in this state is impossible for me.

“Okay then… Close your eyes?” (Hikaru)

As instructed, I close my eyes, and my senses other than sight become even sharper.

The pleasant weight on both my thighs.

The sweet scent of shampoo tickling my nostrils.

From where we touch, an almost feverish body heat transmits.

She certainly declared she’d go on an all-out attack, but this is beyond just being close; it’s complete contact.

Her attack power in her second form (clingy mode) far exceeded my imagination.

Perhaps I’ve opened Pandora’s Box, something that should never have been opened.

I can feel her body heat even through the air on the surface of my face.

Her breath faintly touches my face.

If I opened my eyes, her face would surely be closer than I’ve ever seen it before.

It feels like heaven… no, perhaps I’m actually in heaven right now.

*****

–The time rewinds to the day before reaching heaven.

Someone, please help me.

Monday arrived, a full two days after I went to cheer for Asahi-san’s match.

The second floor of the main building at Shuei Private High School had transformed into hell for me.

“Hey, hey, that rumor… is it true…? You know, about Hikaru…”
“Eh…? No way… I mean, the guy involved is him…”
“But isn’t it true that something happened to start such a rumor? I heard some girls in this class heard it too…”
“No way… Weren’t they just seeing a mass hallucination…?”

Whispers from the girls could be heard from all corners of the classroom.

“Seriously impossible… Why him…?”
“Dude, I’m… genuinely shocked…”
“More than shocked, I’m pissed. Can someone punch him for me… physically?”

The resentful voices of the boys, making no effort to hide their feelings.

An atmosphere colder than the abyss of the eighth circle of hell fills the classroom.

The topic of conversation is, of course, that incident.

The matter of Asahi-san confessing to me right after making a full comeback and brilliantly winning her match.

Only about ten people heard it directly, but now it seems the rumor has spread throughout the entire grade… no, the entire school.

From the moment I arrived at school until now, no one has come to question me directly, but I’ve been continuously bathed in piercing gazes.

Like a transfer student on the first day, surrounded by everyone and bombarded with questions–

‘Awesome! You! How’d you win her over?!’
‘Hey, doesn’t Kageyama-kun look kinda cool up close…?’
‘I liked Asahi-san, so I’m super shocked… but if she’s happy, then it’s okay!’

…and somehow or other, end up being congratulated like that.

It’s not like I was expecting that kind of cliché youth drama exchange.

I wasn’t expecting it, but… this is just too harsh…

I feel like I’m being forced to dance a jig on a bed of needles.

Moreover, the instigator and central figure of the incident, Asahi-san, isn’t in the classroom.

Following Saturday and Sunday, she’s officially absent again today to participate in the tournament.

Meaning, I have to survive this hell alone for the entire day.

Just as I decided I had no choice but to feign sleep (Feign Death), my specialty, and lowered my head, my smartphone vibrated in my pocket.

Taking it out, I saw a message from Hino-san.

‘Should I help?’

Shifting my gaze from the screen to the front row of the classroom, I saw Hino-san looking this way too.

She conveyed the same words as the message again with a glance.

‘It’s fine. It’ll probably die down soon. You know what they say about rumors.’

I operate my phone and send her a message back.

It’s not fine, and I don’t think it’ll die down soon.

However, if she were to intervene here, the classroom would undoubtedly turn into a sea of fire.

‘Okay. But tell me immediately if anything happens.’

I initially thought she was scary, but having her as an ally is incredibly reassuring.

As I was about to reply with words of thanks, another message arrived from her first.

‘I’m rooting for you. For both of you.’

Those encouraging words lighten my mood just a little.

‘Thanks. If I’m really in trouble, I might rely on you.’

I send back a message of gratitude and shift my gaze from my phone to the teacher’s desk.

Five minutes until class starts.

Thinking about my current situation is futile, so I try to think about something else as much as possible.

Naturally, what comes to mind is Asahi-san.

She’s probably in the middle of a match right about now.

I don’t think I need to worry anymore, but instead, another thought surfaces.

How should I respond to her feelings?

I have to admit, without deceiving myself any longer, that I like her in a romantic sense.

Meaning, we’re now happily in a state of mutual affection.

However, annoyingly, the inferiority complex towards her still exists within my heart.

It doesn’t feel real that I, someone like me, could be in that kind of relationship with a person who can create this situation with just two words.

I find myself hating my troublesome personality even more.

The unpleasant attention from those around me pushes my thoughts towards negativity the more I think about it.

And just as expected, the morning classes ended without me being able to concentrate at all.

While the bell was still ringing, I took out my lunch from my bag, trying to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Even that trivial action momentarily drew the gazes of those around me.

Pretending not to care, I quickly grab the plastic bag and head out into the hallway.

Has the rumor already spread throughout the school? Even after leaving the classroom, the surrounding gazes didn’t cease.

Ironically, I’m now experiencing the feeling of constantly being under scrutiny, just like Asahi-san, but in an infinitely unpleasant way.

Out of habit, I’m heading towards that place, but those two will surely ask me various things.

As I was thinking about how to answer them, I placed my hand on the door to the connecting corridor.

“Ah! There you are!! I thought you weren’t in the classroom, but here you are!”

An incredibly loud voice echoed from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a petite girl, about a head shorter than me.

“You’re Kageyama-kun, right? From Class B?” (Akane)

Her way of speaking had a strong accent with an unfamiliar intonation.

She approached with a bouncing gait, her bob cut revealing her forehead swaying.

“Y-Yeah, that’s me, but…” (Reiya)
“Well then, there’s something I wanna ask ya… Is that okay?” (Akane)

This is the first time we’ve met face-to-face, but I knew who she was.

One of the most popular girls in our grade, said to surpass even Asahi-san in terms of all-around friendliness.

According to Hayato, ‘The Assassin from Kansai’–Ogata Akane had appeared before me.