Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Episode 45: The Bystander

It had seemed his objective had voluntarily disappeared.

There was no need to stay any longer.

He was about to turn away, ignoring the two people confronting each other on the rooftop, when he unconsciously stopped, staring at the profile of the girl beside him.

Pale cheeks, colorless lips. It was difficult to describe her expression as simple sadness or surprise… an indescribably complex emotion.

The girl named Itou Maho looked as if she might collapse at any moment. And so, a new “purpose” was born in the Novelist’s mind—

“Class Rep, stay here and don’t come over. Don’t let those two see you either. It could be dangerous.”

His voice reached the girl’s ears, noticeably gentler than usual.

“Eh…? But…”

Just as the Class Rep was about to say something, the Novelist had already crossed the stairway entrance without hesitation, stepping onto the rooftop.

*

“Liang-kun!”

Noticing his figure, Niwa Takahito showed a delighted expression—though he hadn’t noticed the Class Rep in the shadowy corner—and called out loudly.

“Th-that’s right! Be careful! This guy has a weapon! But don’t worry, there are two of us now, if we just wait for the right moment…”

The person standing opposite him was indeed Miki Yu. He gripped his dagger tightly, watching the Novelist with a tense, guarded expression.

“My, my, it’s troublesome how you’ve just assumed I’m your ally.”

He laughed softly.

“…What do you mean?”

Niwa Takahito showed a strange expression.

“I’ve always been direct, so the first thing I need to tell you is… I dislike you, Niwa-san. I’ve disliked you for a long time. Of course, it’s not because you’re popular with girls.”

That was half a lie.

“But, I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? Why…”

“That’s not the point. ‘Give and take’ is the self-regulating rule of human society. Conversely, whether taking without limits or giving without conditions, both ultimately breed imbalance. There’s nothing good about it, so isn’t it natural to despise such people?”

“What are you… talking about?”

Niwa Takahito wore an expression of incomprehension.

“But it seems worrying about Niwa-san was pointless, as you’re an even more boring person than I imagined. Though it’s sudden, let me tell you about my parents.”

He began speaking seriously.

“From a very young age, I knew my parents’ relationship wasn’t good. Though they could barely maintain an affectionate attitude in front of others and me, once it was late at night, they would argue loudly in the living room…”

“Thump!”

The Novelist seemed to hear a sound from behind the stairway entrance, where a certain girl was hiding, shocked by his words… Don’t worry, I won’t continue talking about SM.

Beginning with phrases like “I have a friend/colleague…” was a common way to start conversations in difficult situations. However, because it failed to spark interest, it was easy to ignore or overlook.

But when starting with “parents,” even unwilling ordinary people would instinctively close their mouths and become listeners. Just like these two before him.

Perhaps because in their hearts, parents were only mentioned in serious situations, completely different from the Novelist’s habit of using them as convenient excuses for bad behavior.

“…Especially my father. During the day, he was a polite and enthusiastic good man, highly regarded by the neighbors. But when he came home, he became temperamental and would physically abuse my young self and my mother. Why would my mother marry such a terrible man? I often wondered.”

“One day, I learned from my mother about something that had happened before they were officially together, during one of their dates. That day, he had made my mother angry by being late, and when asked why, my father had sheepishly answered ‘because the flower seller in the park looked pitiful, so I helped him write signs and advertisements’… They had been to that park several times, but only my father had noticed the flower seller. He had specifically gone to help.”

“At that time, my mother thought that someone who treated others with such kindness must be a responsible man who would cherish his family. But the reality was completely opposite.”

The Novelist narrowed his eyes slightly.

“You know, Niwa-kun, you must be the same type of person as him, right?”

“What nonsense are you talking about.”

Niwa Takahito denied it without hesitation.

“I would never do anything bad, and after I get married, I would never hit my wife! After all, they’re family that I love!”

“If that’s the case, then why did you abandon Haruko…!”

Miki Yu beside him couldn’t help but roar in anger.

“What’s this, Miki-kun, you completely don’t understand, do you? Since you want to know so badly, let me tell you on Niwa-san’s behalf.”

However, the one who answered his question wasn’t Niwa Takahito. It was that “outsider” who had suddenly intruded.

“Niwa is the heir to a wealthy family, right? If the family elders found out about a shotgun marriage with a commoner’s daughter, they might scold him… He might even lose his inheritance rights. So he actually had murderous intentions toward Haruko-san from the start, and the suicide incident was just conveniently used. Or perhaps he planned this whole thing himself.”

“Is… that so? Just for that kind of reason…!”

Miki Yu showed an expression of unbearable pain.

—”I’m lying.”

However, this was casually denied by the other party.

“I know absolutely nothing about what happened a year ago, and I’m completely ignorant about the Niwa family’s affairs, how could I know the truth?”

This person, seemingly unaware of what a cruel joke he was playing, continued speaking.

“Though, Niwa-san actually told me before that he has a twisted fetish where he only feels pleasure when seeing someone he loves suffering and being tormented… Of course, that’s also a lie.”

Miki Yu stared blankly at the Novelist.

Next, this person rattled off more than a dozen “motives” almost without pause. Among them were explanations favorable to Niwa Takahito, such as being used, threatened, or deceived.

“…Of course, the reason might be more pure. Just as he said himself, because on his way to get help, he saw someone in trouble who needed assistance, so he kindly went to help… Maybe it’s just that simple?”

“Coming back to it, why my father was so kind to outsiders but so cruel to his family, I still haven’t found the answer to this day.”

“What… are you trying to say…”

The hand gripping the knife had become so stiff it had lost feeling. The man asked trembling.

“Miki-kun.”

The Novelist smiled.

“In your opinion, what should a mother who endures domestic violence do to be correct?”

“…Of course…”

After a long silence, he slowly spoke.

“She must leave your father.”

“Exactly. No matter what the motives and reasons are, whether it’s personality, mental illness, or other circumstances, whether being threatened, used, or deceived. Even if that man had a pitiful background… none of that matters to my mother. She needed to abandon her illusions and leave that man.”

The Novelist moved closer, whispering in a voice that absolute bystanders couldn’t hear, into the ear of the man who was about to become a criminal—

‘The same goes for you, Miki-kun.’

‘You’re well aware of the fact that Haruko-san was abandoned, and you know that regardless of what the truth was a year ago, after today, Niwa-kun will continue living happily as always. Can you really tolerate such a thing?’

The youth staring into Miki Yu’s eyes wore a smile, but his pupils held no trace of mirth.

‘Grip the knife in your hand tightly, keep remembering how your sister died in humiliation and pain, and stare hard at that person, make up your mind properly—’

‘What comes next is something only you can do.’

*

“Liang-kun, what exactly are you planning to do?”

Niwa Takahito’s expression had calmed, no longer showing his earlier panic.

“What were you just saying to him? Could it be you’re an accomplice?”

…Had this guy noticed something?

In fact, forget the students inside the mansion, the police should have been arriving soon, right?

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything. Whether Miki-kun succeeds in his revenge, or Niwa-san escapes successfully, or they both perish together, it’s none of my concern.”

He went to the entrance between the rooftop and the stairs, closing the iron door and locking it. Ignoring the Class Rep’s cry and attempt to stop him.

“But, I also won’t let anyone interfere with you. Whether it’s Niwa-san’s friends, Miki-kun’s accomplices, the police, or security personnel… none will be allowed.”

Turning around, the Novelist’s lips curved slightly as he watched the two.

“Hey, you two, let’s bring this boring play to an end quickly, after all, there’s only me sitting in the audience now, isn’t there?”