My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

Chapter 81: 77: More Persuasion

Without anyone noticing me, I made my way to the back of the school grounds.

It wasn't difficult.

The season's turn would be winter in about a month, and so the sky was already dark by the time clubs had ended.

Here, behind the school and in an area enshrouded by shadows, there should naturally be no one present at a time like this.

But instead, three people waited for me with blatantly malicious eyes.

Two boys and a girl, none of which I recognised, but after using the Measurement of Truth, I quickly found out that they were just some students from other classes in my year.

"You didn't run away, huh? Looks like you got some semblance of balls at least."

The girl in the middle of the other two spoke with a harsh tone that reflected her emotions explicitly. They weren't so sharp as to hurt, but I clearly felt the venomous intent "hidden" beneath them.

"What did you call me out here for?"

Of course, I knew what was going on, but I decided to ask anyway.

The girl's mouth, which was previously curled into a malevolent smile, contorted like a demon as all three glared at me, spitting out words.

"Son of a bitch... You know well why we called you here."

"Don't tell me you think Aikawa-san likes you buzzin' around her like a fly, huh?"

"Yeah, you bastard. What makes you think you're worthy of her? Just 'cause you're a little smart doesn't give you the right to hog all the attention, pig."

The two guys spoke while making intimidating faces at me.

Well, isn't this a little bit unfair?

The reason the three of them called me out here is so they can 'protect' Shizuko Aikawa, who they believe is 'too good' for 'someone like me', but there are numerous flaws in that logic so I don't quite understand.

I came here knowing this because I thought it would be better to uproot the problem at the source, but unfortunately, it might be a bit more of a hassle than I intended.

To be honest, it might be due to my own oversight.

If the cause for such a violent reaction is that I pretty much came out of nowhere and became someone close to Shizuko Aikawa before anyone even realised it, then I suppose it might make some sense as to why her fans would be upset.

Still, that isn't helpful.

Words aren't going to persuade people who already have the truth set in their minds, and logic doesn't work against people who didn't use logic in the first place.

Putting it bluntly, they are fanatics, and fanatics cannot be persuaded by any kind of regular logic.

If I deny anything or claim that there was no intention of that sort, they will say I am lying or call me a selfish bastard.

If I give them logical explanations for why they are wrong or why this situation is absurd, they will again deny it and say I'm trying to worm my way out.

Anyway, it seems the only option is force.

There are undoubtedly more such fanatics in the school, so if I want to nip this in the bud and never have to deal with it again, I'll have to deal with it properly.

Still, knowing what people with this kind of temperament are like, it won't matter what I do.

So, I'll just get it over with and hope that they'll leave me alone for a while.

"Okay. I hang around her."

If I'm going to do it anyway, then I might as well have some fun with it, right?

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

The corner of my lip arching into a smirk, I taunted the three of them. Of course, I knew their answer already.

"Arghh...!"

Blinded by something along the lines of jealousy, one of the guys jumped at me with an outstretched fist.

Woosh~!

Evading the snail-like punch of an amateur like that was something I didn't even have to think about accomplishing, and I quickly slammed my fist into his abdomen.

Thump-!

"Guh...!"

"Yo-you...!"

Collapsing to his knees in one fell swoop, the other guy charged at me before I could fully recover my stance.

However...

Fwip-!

Thud-!

Placing my hands on the floor, I rotated my body and swung my legs into his, causing him to fall.

"Tsk, shit...!"

Before he had a chance to rise up, I roughly stomped on the centre of his back, causing him to yelp.

Slam-!

"Agh...!"

It wasn't strong enough to cause any permanent damage, but with that, it should be plenty enough to prevent him from moving for now.

"Y-you son... of a bitch..."

The guy I had punched in the stomach staggered and rose to his feet, clutching his belly with his hands.

Thud-!

"Ngh...!"

Walking nonchalantly over to him, I shoved him, to which he easily fell to the ground.

"Sorry, what was that? Did you want more, or are you satisfied?"

"!"

Turning my head away with a snort as his eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously, I looked at the girl who had watched the whole ordeal from a little further away.

"And you."

"Hiik...!"

She jolted, beginning to cower with jelly-like legs as I stepped closer.

Thud.

Powerless, she fell to the ground. Her legs, which gave in, were clearly trembling, but she still tried to scramble away with her hands.

"Uh, uh. Where do you think you're going?"

"...!"

Swiftly grabbing the back of her collar, I dragged her to the wall that was the back of the main school building.

Crouching down to her eye level, I stared at her and asked.

"Tell me. After today, are you going to try something like this again?"

She shook her head, but I asked again while looking deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure you won't?"

"N-n-no! I-I-I won't...!"

She claimed with a quivering gaze and a stuttering, shivering voice that she wouldn't.

A moment passed as we stared at each other, and I smiled.

"You know what?"

"..."

"I don't believe you."

"...!"

Her eyes widened to the point they seemed about ready to tear.

"N-no! I swear! I wouldn't...!"

"I'm sure of it. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking something like 'Once this bastard leaves, we'll bring even more people to fuck him up next time', right?"

As if I had read her mind exactly, her mouth opened and closed repeatedly without a sound, like a fish.

"Well, if that's what you're going to do, then go ahead. I won't stop you."

Standing up, I looked down at the girl.

"Anyway, I'm not going to bother with more than this today, so go home and have a good think about your next move. And, know this: Bothering me with nonsense like this again will result in... severe consequences, so I would think carefully before you do anything."

I turned my head and said one last thing.

"Also, keep in mind that the only ones at risk are not just you or the ones confronting me directly. Okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, I walked away.

As I turned the corner and exited their sight, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my smartphone. Cancelling the audio recording, I placed it back and sighed.

"Haa... Why is school drama such a pain in my ass..."

Making my way to Weinstell's local Junior High School, I contemplated such pointless things.

----------

"You're late."

Selina pouted as I picked her and Emir up from school.

"What do you want me to do? I was busy with something."

It was true that I was a little late because I had to deal with those punks who thought they could dictate who other people hang around with, but it wasn't like I took that long.

Though, apparently, I was longer than I thought, as Sophie Asanami was nowhere to be found. She was present when club ended, so I suppose she immediately went home without waiting for me after realising I was busy with something.

As we began walking to the station, Selina complained.

"But it's cold. I hate standing around in the cold."

"Okay?"

"What's 'okay'?"

"I'm not sure how you want me to fix that issue. Would you be satisfied if I changed the weather?"

"You can do that...?"

She looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"Of course not. Who do you think I am?"

"Hmph... Why don't you become a weatherman then?"

"What?"

"A weatherman. Then you can change the weather, right?"

Looking at her as if she was crazy, I asked.

"...Who told you that?"

"It's on the news every day! The weatherman who changes the weather! Haven't you watched the news?"

Wetting my lips, a surge of intrigue washed over me as I wondered for a moment if the person in front of me was real. Then, I realised it was probably because she was raised secluded in a household with no common sense, and laughed.

"Hah. That's silly."

"You mean they can't...?"

"You really thought there were people that could change the weather?"

She pouted again and turned her head away, to which Emir opened his mouth.

"...Selina, if you're cold, do you want to borrow my jacket?"

"Oh, thank you, but I'm alright. It's not that bad."

"Okay. Tell me if you do."

"I will. Thank you."

This kid.

Looking at his face, flushed red with some sort of youthful emotion, it was evident what was going on in his mind right now.

Slowing my steps, I walked slightly behind the two and tilted my head up.

It was nearing December, and so the sky contained no sun at this time; with glowing streetlamps around us highlighting our path instead.

As they continued to chat in front of me, I tuned my attention out and stared into the ever-blackening sky above.

"Haa..."

I exhaled a fresh white mist, proving how cold the air was.

Gazing into this pitch-dark sky, only illuminated by the scintillating stars dotted intermittently throughout, I felt something strange.

Shivers ran down my spine, and not because of the chilly temperature.

It didn't feel like a particularly unfamiliar feeling, but it was one I couldn't quite recall nor pin to a specific moment.

As if someone, or something, was watching me.

"..."

Pausing my steps, I glared into the intensifying darkness.

Surrounding me, other than the distanced utterances of the two kids talking, there was only silence.

My sharp gaze pierced the darkness, but there was nothing.

Neither obscured within it nor hiding beyond it, I knew there was nothing.

Even the Measurement of Truth confirmed that the only people or creatures present were me, Emir and Selina; the three of us.

But, instinctively, I could feel it.

"..."

In the next moment, the feeling vanished completely, as if it never were.

I looked around again as well as asked to make sure, but there was really nothing.

"Ah...! Hey, why'd you stop? Are you coming?"

Suddenly, Selina called out to me from quite a ways away. Replying to her that I'm on my way, I hastened my pace towards the two and felt the pace of my heart quicken.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out where that feeling came from.

In the end...

[You do not have access to this information]

--All I found out was that it portended something ominous.