A Man Who Was Cheated on by a Bad Man and Had Everything Taken From Him Decides to Get Revenge by Starting a New Life - Chapter 12

Am I being manipulated?

Is it some kind of brainwashing?

By whom?

I don’t understand what the detective is talking about.

“Who is manipulating me?”

“Who knows? It’s just that you share common traits with the victims we’ve seen so far.”

“What kind of common traits?”

“Sorry! That’s classified information.”

If what this detective is saying is true, then why would someone manipulate me?

“Would you like me to introduce you to a counselor?”

“Yes, please.”

The detective gave me the website of a counselor used by the police. Normally, new patients would have to wait more than six months for an appointment, but if I mentioned the detective’s name, I could get priority access to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists assigned for external counseling.

“Koda-san! Are you okay?”

Minase-san.

She approached me as I was talking at the far end of the first-floor lobby.

She must be coming back from an outside sales visit.

Her senior colleague, with whom she often goes on sales rounds, was already heading towards the entrance gate.

“I’m fine.”

“I see… You looked like you were deep in thought, so I got a little worried…”

Did she gather up the courage to speak to me?

She kept glancing at the detective while showing concern for me.

“I’ve finished my business here. Koda-san, if you find out anything, please contact me.”

“Understood.”

The detective raised a hand in farewell and left the building.

“Excuse me, but who was that person?”

“Ah, um, it’s something unrelated to work.”

“I see… Sorry if I was being intrusive.”

“No, don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, right. Here, if you’d like, have this.”

She handed me a sweet treat she had bought as a souvenir during her outing.

“Minase-san, Koda-kun, what are you two doing here?”

“Konno-san.”

Sakura happened to pass by as Minase-san and I were talking.

There were still three hours left before the end of the workday, but judging from the personal bag she was carrying, she was probably leaving early.

Minase-san explained that we had just run into each other, and she was giving me a souvenir. She handed the same treat to Sakura as well.

“Konno-san, are you heading home?”

“Yeah, I have some things to take care of at home…”

After seeing Sakura off, Minase-san and I returned to the sales department.

We ended up alone together in the elevator.

“U-um!”

Minase-san clenched her fists and turned to face me.

“…Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

Dinner?

I don’t mind.

Actually, maybe I should have been the one to ask her.

We haven’t been chatting much on LIME lately, so this is a good opportunity.

Her face, faintly flushed with embarrassment, was adorable.

She said she would make a reservation at a place she had been to with friends before.

It was three stations away from our workplace—not too far.

She said she’d send me the location via SNS later, and we parted ways near the restroom.

“Something good happen to you?”

While using the urinal, Honjo came up behind me and started massaging my shoulders.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I had to resist the urge to tense up.

“Not really…”

“What’s that girl’s name again? You know, the busty one.”

“You mean Minase-san from Sales Section 2?”

“Yeah, yeah, Minase Somegiri-chan.”

The hands that had been gently massaging my shoulders suddenly slid under my arms and grabbed my chest.

“Hey! Cut it out, Honjo!”

“I can’t hold back anymore~ I wanna pound you from behind so bad~”

I tried to pry his hands off, but he was too strong.

He started thrusting his hips against me over and over at an absurd speed.

“Enough already!”

“Owww~ I wonder if my sweet little Sawa-chan felt even more pain than this?”

I zipped up and turned around, slapping Honjo across the cheek.

But he barely flinched. Instead, he grinned at me while pretending to be in pain.

His sister—was she hit in the head with a hammer?

Or was she stabbed in the back with a knife?

Besides Onoda, the one who dumped the body, was there another perpetrator?

If it was a man, he might have done more than just kill her…

I don’t know exactly how she was murdered, but the pain and fear she must have experienced would have been unimaginable.

“If Minase Somegiri-chan got raped and murdered, that’d be so sad, huh?”

“Honjo, you…”

“Koda-kuuun, don’t forget to wash your hands~”

Without waiting for a response, Honjo left the men’s restroom.

Could he be planning to hurt Minase-san…?

I won’t let that happen.

Does he think I’m the one who killed his sister?

Or did he realize that I used his siblings in the company’s advertising as part of my revenge?

No— even if he figured it out, to develop such murderous intent over it is insane.

Either way, something inside Honjo has snapped.

That much is certain.

After work, I headed to the restaurant where I was supposed to meet Minase-san.

Since I left the office at closing time, the train station platform was packed with people.

“The next train is an express train. The express train will not stop at this station. Passengers on the platform, please stand behind the yellow line—”

I was checking the location Minase-san had sent me on my phone.

Then—

No way.

I felt a sudden, forceful shove on my back.

I fell onto the tracks.

As screams erupted around me, a blinding light rushed toward me from the side…