I'm going to die! But in return, your life is over too. So, struggle through the pain! - Chapter 2

I live with my mother in a single-parent household. She works hard to support us.

But it’s hard to talk to her about the bullying I’m facing.
Furuyanagi’s father is a prefectural councilman and a powerful figure in the local community.

Even if my mom were to step in, it would be useless.
On top of that, the company where my mom works is owned by a relative of Furuyanagi’s father.

Most likely, we’d just have to suffer in silence.
Even as a high schooler, I understood the fearsome power of authority.

It felt like no matter who I turned to, it wouldn’t matter…
The school’s indifference.

Furuyanagi’s father’s influence.

Even the police probably wouldn’t do anything.
There was nothing I could do…

I had no allies. That thought consumed me, and I started seriously thinking about suicide.

“Damn it…”

I stood at the edge of a building, but I couldn’t find the courage to jump.

Eventually, my truancy would be discovered.
How did it come to this…?

If I hadn’t stepped in back then, would I still be living peacefully as an otaku?

Or if I had stuck with soccer, would my life have turned out differently?

No matter how much I thought about it, it was too late now.
As usual, I wandered aimlessly around the bustling streets.
I spent my time at a used bookstore where you could read for free.

This time, I browsed the bargain section, where everything was 100 yen.

There, a book with an intriguing title caught my eye.
The Encyclopedia of Murder.

I picked it up without thinking.

It was an old Showa-era book that described countless ways to kill someone.

Poisoning, how to make bombs, where to stab someone to ensure death…

But the information was outdated.
Nowadays, I’d probably get caught.

Yet amidst the pages, one method caught my attention: framing someone.
This… this might be something I can do.
Yes… this could work.

I was planning to die anyway.

If I’m going to die, I’ll take Furuyanagi with me and drag him to hell.

With that resolve, I bought the book.

The next day, I started going to school again.

I had already decided to end my life.

With that thought, the bullying no longer scared me.

I began to provoke Furuyanagi subtly with soft words.

Of course, he punched me and threw me to the ground.

“You filthy pig, acting all high and mighty? I’ll kill you.”
Ah, how delightful… Punch me all you want, insult me all you like.

I recorded every word he said.

Each one would be the nail in his coffin, dragging him down to hell.

I could endure anything now.
I never fought back.
Come on, hit me. Kick me.
My body was covered in bruises, but I felt a strange satisfaction.
It reminded me of how much fun I used to have playing soccer.

My body was wrecked, and that was fine.

The more violent Furuyanagi became, the more he started using words like “kill” when talking about me.

Even better.

I almost felt like I’d turned into a masochist—it felt strangely good.

Whenever I got hurt, I went to the hospital.

I made sure to get everything documented and casually mentioned how a classmate named Furuyanagi assaulted me every day.

The police didn’t help either when I went to them.

“Come with your parents,” or “You should talk to the school first,” was all they said.

I knew they wouldn’t act because of Furuyanagi’s father’s position as a prefectural councilman.

And that was fine.

Because now, everything was in place.

One day, when someone looks into this, Furuyanagi will be seen for what he truly is—a monster.