Don't you guys dislike me?

"You are the one. Come back early in the evening."

Youyi waved his hand and left. Having lost the protection of his senior, Chizuru Amamiya lowered her head again, holding up her skirt with both hands, feeling a little at a loss.

The tall Kasumigaoka Utaha looked down at her from above, her voice soft and her red eyes dim:

"Let's go, Amamiya-san~"

……

……

The moonlight passed through the shadows of the trees, struggling to dispel the thick night a little, so that this path leaning against the woods was not too dark.

Finally, they saw a bench. Yuichi put Tsukino down as if he was tired. He rubbed Tsukino's shoulders and watched Tsukino's eyelids tremble in fear at the sudden light. He reminded him:

"Stop pretending, it's time to wake up."

Hearing what Yuichi said, Tsukino, who was not good at pretending, opened his eyes with relief, being overly straightforward.

"Hoshino..."

Tsukino didn't really want to call Yuichi "senior". After all, he was the one who stole his beloved one, and he felt uncomfortable calling him "senior" with a hint of respect.

Tsukino opened his mouth awkwardly and uttered the last two words "senior", his face full of reluctance, which made Youichi feel that he was a person who showed his joy on his face.

Yuichi didn't intend to greet Tsukino or make sarcastic remarks. He asked directly:

"Tsukino-kun, when you came to me that day and asked me to help Chizuru Amamiya, it wasn't just your idea, right?"

"Hoshino...senpai, what do you mean by this?" Tsukino's tone became weaker. "I like Amamiya-san, but I can't save her by myself, so I came to you who can help her. What's the problem?"

Tsukino's eyes began to become erratic, he raised his eyes as if forcing himself to look at Yuichi, but the slight trembling of his pupils and the gradually heated voice were undoubtedly covering up his guilty conscience.

"Of course there is no problem. You are seeking redemption for the girl you love. Moreover, you have lowered your dignity to come to me, your love rival. If even your love is not recognized, it would be somewhat inhumane..."

Yuichi pulled himself to the same front as Tsukino and continued to knock on his swaying door:

"But precisely because of this, I don't believe that Tsukino-kun would do such a thing. You were only instigated and provoked to do such a thing. There must be someone with ulterior motives behind the scenes."

Yuichi's voice gradually lowered, as if he was whispering to Tsukino, allowing the sound to go directly into his ears and touch his heart:

"He must have had some conflict with me, but for some reason he couldn't show up in person, so he bewitched you and made you stand on the stage."

"Tsukino-kun, you have definitely been used. For his own safety, he pushed you to the forefront. You will be in a dilemma and completely under his control. You are just a tool for him. Even if he loses, he will not be in any trouble, but you..."

"He will be kicked out by him as a scapegoat. If you don't believe me, think carefully. Has he ever exposed himself in public?"

The summer night wind was not cold, but it made Tsukino's mood waver. Yuichi's words made him recall the details of his selective amnesia. How could Tsukino not know that he was a tool in Takagi Daisan's hands?

But considering that Gaocheng Daishan and he had the same goal, Tsukino, who could not think of any other way, told himself not to think too much and just achieve his goal.

But after what happened tonight, the situation is completely different.

If Tsukino had the upper hand when the video was circulated around the campus before, then the small vortex stirred up by Takagi's video at this time would definitely be submerged by the larger wave led by Hoshino.

Tsukino had to think about how to save himself now that he had lost control. Should he betray Takagi Daisan? Or should he confess and get leniency?

He was struggling and weighing the pros and cons. It was Tsukino's instinct as a fence-sitter to lean towards the advantageous side before failure.

So Yuichi needs to let him know who the wind is blowing in:

"Tsukino-kun, do you think you have a choice? The video you recorded is the best you can do, but that's all you can do."

"What do you have to fight me? If Murakami Aiko and the others' problems are solved, and the school continues to deal with our problems, how will you defend yourself when there are only three of us?"

That’s right… Amemiya-san has been rescued by him, so she is bound to stand on his side, and the confidence that Tsukino relied on is gone.

Once upon a time, he relied on Chizuru Amamiya standing in front of him to protect him, which gave him too much confidence to win over Hoshino. Unexpectedly, in just one night, the helpless Hoshino Yuichi in his eyes became himself...

"That must be because Amemiya-san doesn't know what you, a scumbag, are thinking..." This seemed like Tsukino's last stubbornness, with a feeling of powerless unwillingness.

"That's better than taking her to the ditch with that crap, isn't it?"

"That's right..."

Tsukino grinned, and his clown mask looked like it had been stained with water, the paint was smeared, and it looked twisted and weird.

"So, Tsukino-kun, ask the person who has been instigating you to come out. As long as you find him, I can forgive what happened tonight. After all... you are also a victim."

When Yuichi blocked all roads and left only one way to retreat, there was most likely a trap ahead of that road. Tsukino, who had been deceived many times, finally stopped trusting people easily, but... this time the other party added some coercion and inducement in addition to his persuasion.

Tsukino had no right to choose and could only pray that Hoshino Yuichi would keep his promise and that Takagi Daisan would not hold a grudge against him.

……

……

The night is getting thicker, but the nightlife in the city center has just begun.

Under a sycamore tree next to Chabak, Takagi Daisan, who was wearing casual clothes, saw Tsukino and Hoshino Yuichi.

Seeing Takagi, Tsukino felt a little awkward. On the one hand, he felt guilty for coming to the appointment without asking any questions, as if he had betrayed his trust. On the other hand, he felt secretly happy that Takagi had appeared:

"Senior Hoshino, I've brought the person here. Please promise to forgive me for what I did to you."

He glanced secretly at Gaocheng Dashan and lowered his voice as if he was afraid of being heard.

"Yes, that's right. I promised you that I would let bygones be bygones, but it only applies to tonight."

The light words with a playful smile blew away the joy in Yue Ye's heart. His expression was dull for a moment and then turned into anger:

"You lied to me!?"

"How can you say that? You didn't hear the whole thing, so how can you blame me? How can a fair transaction between us be called a scam?"

172. It turns out that he had no choice at all from the beginning to the end...

He should have guessed that Hoshino Yuichi would not let him go so easily, but he did not expect that he would use such a simple word game.

Doesn't he feel any guilt for breaking his promise so easily?

...What's the point of questioning Hoshino's conscience in my heart at this point?

You just feel humiliated by being tricked by such a simple trick, right?

Tsukino knew that even if she noticed the loopholes in Yuichi's words, it would be useless. Many times, you don't need too many reasons to make things difficult for someone.

What's more, he is at a disadvantage at the moment and is completely controlled.

If they were to fall out, he would have no chance of winning at all, but Hoshino Yuichi gave him a way out, and Tsukino had no other choice.

You can only keep going in the dark.

On the one hand, he hated his love rival for what he had done to him, but on the other hand, he had to be careful to maintain this half-hidden face.

This twisted sense of contradiction tormented his heart. He had walked through this in fear, and now his face had been completely torn apart. He finally didn't need to maintain it anymore.

After a moment of relief, it was followed by an even stronger feeling of uneasiness.

Anxiety provokes anger, anger briefly burns out fear, he is a cornered wild dog, baring his broken fangs:

"Hoshino, even if I am the only one giving the speech and I am powerless, even if Amamiya-san is on your side, I will not compromise!"

"look--"

Tsukino pulled at his collar, revealing large bruises and scars. The shadow cast by his hair made his smile look sinister yet also revealed a hint of dying weakness.

"These are injuries caused by Yamamoto and Murakami, but when that day comes, they will all be attributed to you!"

"In the eyes of students and teachers, you will be a scumbag who bullies classmates just like Murakami and the others! Once your crime is proven, you will be expelled from school along with Murakami and the others!"

His performance at the end of his strength does have some momentum in him.

The vulnerable groups now become his natural umbrella of protection, and the scars all over his body are Tsukino's powerful weapon.

With the favorable conditions stirred up by Yuichi and the sympathy of some people, perhaps Tsukino's plan is not unfeasible.

"Do you want to prove my guilt?"

Looking at Tsukino who was ready to fight to the death with Pineapple's body, Yuichi couldn't help but find it a little ridiculous.

Obviously, he was the good person who saved him from the bullying of Murakami and others. Why didn't Tsukino hate those who bullied him, but instead kept picking on him?

It looked as if he was venting all the trauma he had suffered from others on Yuichi, even though he had never even hit Tsukino, but Yamamoto beat him up so badly that his face was swollen.

Why is this?

Maybe it was because he never fought, and because he was outnumbered that he seemed easy to bully?

Oh... No, it's more because Tsukino was sure to win before, but the reversal of the situation in one night was something he couldn't accept, right?

Seeing the person you like looking at you with disgust, even your originally peaceful daily life will be gone forever.

He had been enduring all this time, but now he had no choice but to fight back in desperation, revealing his only remaining weapon, but:

"Do you know why I went to such great lengths to coerce and bribe you into asking that person out when I could have just come to you to settle the score?"

Hoshino Yuichi walked slowly to Tsukino, patted his shoulder, and whispered in his ear as if they were old friends.

"If I hadn't asked Gaocheng-kun out, how would you have found him? Or did you want to see my unhappy expression after being deceived by you? Then Senior Hoshino might be disappointed. Even I have made some mental preparations. I can't let you get your wish!"

Tsukino replied unwillingly, his stubborn voice containing a hint of vanity. Yuichi's close proximity made him feel completely insecure, and the hand that seemed to be on his shoulder locked him like shackles.

"Yes~ That's right, you tried very hard to persuade him to come out for the appointment, but when he saw me for the first time, Tsukino-kun, you were no longer his companion, but an enemy standing on my side."

"You are no longer a human being, Tsukino-kun, but don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble, because he is enough for me~"

You half bent down and whispered in his ear, little by little prying open the valve of fear in Tsukino's heart, allowing the uneasiness to spread.

"I was forced to do this. If you hadn't threatened me, why would I have betrayed him?!"

Tsukino lowered his head, rubbed the corner of his clothes, and said words to comfort himself.

But Yuichi didn't want to give him peace of mind:

"Don't fool yourself. I offended him once, and he still holds a grudge against me. What you did is stabbing your companion in the back. You were not defeated by me first, but your companion stabbed you in the back first..."

"look--!"

Yuichi exclaimed in a suppressed voice. Tsukino was frightened by his surprise. In panic, he raised his head blankly and looked in the direction of Yuichi's index finger.

"His eyes are fixed on you. You, who have been with him for a longer time, should be able to understand this look better, right? He is angry and wondering why you betrayed him. He obviously hid himself very well, but it was your phone call that exposed him."

"So he will definitely not let you go. Maybe Gao Cheng Da Shan hates you more than me right now. After all, it was you, his companion, who personally ruined his escape route."

"Is he already planning how to repay you?"

"Do I punch and kick you in the alley? Or do I spit in your lunch box and put thumbtacks in your shoe cabinet?"

"No, no, no, it might not be that easy. Maybe he will learn from the way the gangs treat traitors and cut off your fingers? Or..."

"A body sunk into the sea?"

Yuichi unscrupulously put forward the slightly exaggerated conjecture, which gradually shattered his desperate rage.

Tsukino didn't want to face it, so Yuichi twisted his head to face it, because sometimes if you don't really face the fear, you don't know how terrible it is~

"If Gaocheng-kun wants to take revenge, he will take revenge on you first! I only did this helplessly because you threatened me..."

"So you're still innocent?"

"Of course..."

"Why don't we just go and ask him what he thinks?"

Perhaps it was Yuuichi's words just now that made Tsukino fall into the fantasy of Takagi Daisan's revenge. He stood there motionless, and the palpitations born from the words and fantasies entered his body along with the darkness and air, slowly eroding his heart.

"It's so late, I've already made an appointment with someone so I won't go..."

"I'm sorry, Tsukino-kun, you don't have the right to choose."

Yuichi Hoshino dragged Tsukino, whose feet felt as heavy as lead, towards Takagi step by step.

……

"You are the one who filmed the video, right? Takashiro Daisan-san, I didn't expect you to actually come out as promised."