Next Target, 200PS!!
2 Chapters Today!!
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Yumiko Miura froze for a moment.
She expected to see Kai panic, but he admitted it right away.
"You did that on purpose!" she snapped. "I refuse to believe you don't know what Yui is like. Even if she finds out you're a player, that stubborn girl won't ever leave you!"
As her friend, Yumiko understood Yui's personality better than anyone.
She was bad at rejecting people, but once she set her heart on something—or someone—no amount of persuasion could change her mind. She was stubborn to the bone.
"Haha!" Kai laughed.
Since she already knew, there was no point in hiding it. He stretched his neck and stated plainly, "You're right, I'm a scumbag. Yui is cute, so naturally, I wouldn't let her slip away. But since you know exactly what I am, why are you still sitting so close to me?"
This time, he leaned in, locking eyes with her.
"I just want to know—where do I fall short compared to Yui?"
Yumiko was a proud girl. If he was just a player looking for targets, why did he go after Yui Yuigahama first instead of her?
Is that seriously what's bothering her?
Kai didn't answer. Instead, he pointed toward the back of the mall. "There's a restroom over there. Dare to follow me?"
"Why wouldn't I??"
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"Your phone is ringing!"
Inside the cramped restroom stall, Yumiko, who was currently crouching down, reached up and patted Kai's leg.
Glancing at the caller ID, he saw Yui Yuigahama's name. He wasn't in a rush to answer. He just gave Yumiko a look that clearly told her to focus on the task at hand.
"Don't speak."
"Mmph!" She shot him a muffled, reproachful glare but obediently lowered her head back to her work.
"Phew." He steadied his breathing and answered the call. "Yui?"
"Sorry, my stomach started acting up out of nowhere, so I ran to the restroom. Just wait for me, I'll be out soon."
After offering the simple excuse, he hung up and leaned comfortably against the stall wall.
A few moments later, Yumiko's phone rang. Seeing Yui's name, she wasn't surprised and answered the call.
"Hey, Yui. What's up?"
"Yumiko, did you go to another store?" Yui asked, standing alone and confused after turning around to find both her boyfriend and best friend missing.
"No, it's Kai. He got a stomachache but forgot to bring tissues, so I had to go buy some for him. What a pain. You looked so happy browsing, he didn't want to bother you and dragged me into it instead."
Complaining smoothly, her tone didn't betray a single hint of what was actually happening, easily fooling the innocent Yui.
In fact, Yui felt a little guilty. "Sorry, Yumiko. Should I bring it to him instead?"
"No need! I already bought it and I'm heading over now. Just wait there."
"Alright. Thanks, Yumiko."
However, hearing some faint noises through the receiver, Yui asked curiously, "Are you eating something, Yumiko?"
"Well, I skipped breakfast so I was getting a bit hungry. I grabbed a quick snack. Do you want some, Yui? I can bring you some."
"No thanks! Take your time getting back."
After exchanging a few more words, Yumiko ended the call.
"I didn't realize you were such a talented actress," Kai teased.
Yumiko rolled her eyes at him. "Hurry up. Don't make Yui wait too long."
"That depends entirely on your skills."
"..." This guy!
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Sure enough, when Kai and Yumiko returned, Yui didn't suspect a thing. Instead, she smiled apologetically at her friend.
"Sorry for the trouble, Yumiko!"
"It's nothing! We're friends!" Yumiko said, letting out a soft burp. Evidently, her "snack" had been a bit too filling.
"Anyway, if we don't have any other plans, let's go see a movie!"
"Okay!" Yui agreed.
Kai naturally had no objections either.
Overall, the date went well. Seeing that Kai and Yumiko seemed to be getting along much better now, Yui was visibly happier.
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"Are you sure you don't want to tell her?"
Late in the afternoon, after seeing Yui off on her train, Kai looked at Yumiko, who was waiting for a different line.
"Better not. Yui bottles everything up. I don't want to hurt her."
Yumiko knew her friend's personality well. Even though she was the one who lost her self-control today, she still wanted to protect Yui from getting hurt.
"Suit yourself. I never planned on hiding it forever anyway." Kai shrugged, looking relaxed.
"You jerk!" She was agonizing over the guilt, yet he was treating it like nothing. He was the root cause of all this!
Yumiko glared at him. "Shouldn't you be the one dealing with this mess since you're the player? Why am I the one suffering the most right now?"
"Suffering?" Tilting his head, Kai pointed down the street. "There's a hotel right over there. Want me to help you feel better?"
"In your dreams!" She shot him a flirtatious glare. She would be an idiot not to understand what he was implying.
"Sort things out with Yui first, otherwise don't even think about it." What happened in the restroom was her limit for now.
She could see how happy Yui was, and she refused to ruin her best friend's relationship.
"Tsk." She went that far but still wanted to draw a line in the sand. He didn't mind, though. "Fine. But let me collect some interest first."
"You—"
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While Kai was having a great time, over at the Sawamura residence...
"Yawn~" Eriri walked down the stairs, looking exhausted.
"Seriously, how am I supposed to finish all the character designs in just two days?"
Thinking about the deadline Kai had forced on her made her irritable.
Still, this was a rare opportunity to break into the mainstream industry. Anyone with industry knowledge could tell his light novel had massive potential. If she became the official illustrator, it could launch her professional career.
Then, when people heard the name "Kashiwagi Eri," their first thought wouldn't be "doujin artist." That had been her dream for a long time.
"Whatever, I'll just pull an all-nighter. I have to try!"
When it came to her dreams, Eriri had drive. She planned to eat dinner and then stay up to finish the rough drafts.
"Mom?" When she reached the ground floor, she saw Sayuri sitting at the dining table. Her mother's eyes were clouded with deep exhaustion.
"Oh, Eriri."
It took a few calls before Sayuri snapped out of her daze. She stumbled slightly as she stood up. "Hold on, I'll bring the food out from the kitchen."
"No, sit down, Mom! I can bring the food out!" Eriri wasn't a child anymore. Seeing her mother look so drained, she quickly stopped her and jogged into the kitchen.
"My, Eriri has really grown up."
"I haven't been a child for a long time!" Eriri grumbled, efficiently setting the dishes on the table. "Did you not sleep well?"
Eriri might be a tsundere, but she was kindhearted. She cared deeply about her mother, even if Sayuri constantly teased her.
"Well, I started reading a good novel and accidentally lost track of time!" Sayuri forced a smile, making up a quick excuse.
She didn't reveal the real reason. It was far too bizarre, and she refused to drag her daughter into danger.
"Geez, and here I was actually worried!" Eriri didn't suspect a thing. She scolded her, "You're not young anymore, stop pulling all-nighters. The novel isn't going anywhere!"
Sayuri had a history of doing exactly that, which was why Eriri believed the lie so easily.
"Oh! Is Eriri calling her mother old now?" Sayuri sniffled, acting as if she were on the verge of tears.
"No, I'm not!" Even knowing it was fake, Eriri still fell for it. "I just want you to stop staying up late!"
"I know, I know! Eriri is just worried about her mom. Don't worry, I'll be careful!"
"Honestly!" Seeing her mother drop the act, Eriri settled down, muttering under her breath as she ate.
Watching her daughter, Sayuri's gaze softened, replaced by a steely resolve.
'No. I haven't even seen her get married and have kids yet. I refuse to die now.' Furthermore, she needed to know exactly what was happening to her. If anyone had the answers, it was Tomoya Aki, the boy who delivered that black videotape.
Thinking about Tomoya, a dark look crossed Sayuri's eyes. After all, that cursed videotape wasn't originally meant for her—it was meant for her daughter.
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The next morning.
Having stayed up late, Eriri was still fast asleep at eight or nine o'clock.
Sayuri knocked on her door. "Eriri, Mom is heading out for a bit. Stay inside and don't go wandering off!"
"I know, I know!" Drowsy, Eriri mumbled a reply, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
Sayuri didn't disturb her further. She walked downstairs, slipping on a pair of sunglasses before heading out the door. The shades were mainly to hide the heavy dark circles under her eyes.
It had been another sleepless night. Whenever she closed her eyes, her mind instantly conjured the image of that disheveled woman in the white dress crawling out of the screen.
Even with her eyes open, she felt a constant, creeping dread, as if something invisible was watching her from the shadows.
Sadako!
There was no mistake. It had to be the Sadako from the urban legends.
According to the lore, anyone targeted by Sadako had only seven days to live—unless they showed the videotape to someone else and passed on the curse.
So, was that Tomoya's goal? Did he deliver the tape just to pass the curse onto someone else?
But why Eriri? Weren't they childhood friends? Even if her daughter had found a new boyfriend, that was no reason to try and kill her!
When it came to her daughter's safety, Sayuri's maternal instincts flared. Her gaze sharpened into cold determination.
No matter what, she was going to track Tomoya down today. They needed to have a face-to-face talk.
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Meanwhile, Kai had already met up with Yukino Yukinoshita, Megumi Kato, and Marin Kitagawa.
"Morning, everyone!" Marin was as energetic as ever. She waved with a bright smile before running over.
"Kai-kun!" She immediately closed the distance, happily leaning against his side.
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