Life In The Reverse World

Ch. 67.2 - A Criminal Promise Pt2

“Here, senpai, your mic,” Harutaki said when the song ended.“Not singing another one?” Yobitani asked through a strained smile, not even taking the mic back.

He hadn’t expected this. Weren’t Nichiya High kids all supposed to be study nerds with no sense of rhythm?

Most prep-school types never had the time or money to hang out at karaoke, cramming and clubs ate up every spare minute.

So why did this Nichiya guy seem so damn comfortable here? So at ease? So… unshakable?

"If I keep singing, I’m afraid Shihou-san might just fall for me."

"As if! I’m not gonna fall for you just because you sang a few songs." The source of this content ɪs N0veI.Fiɾe.net

Chouko would never admit it, but when Harutaki had looked right into her eyes and sang “Go beyond two person,” something in her chest had undeniably fluttered.

Come to think of it, even Onii had never sung to her before…

All through elementary and middle school she’d gone to private girls’ academies, so now that she thought about it, Harutaki was probably the first boy she’d ever gone to karaoke with.

No, more than that, he was the first boy who’d ever sung a love song to her.

No, stop it! Don’t go there!

Onii will definitely sing for her someday too! Even if he’s off-key, he’ll sing.

Sure, he’s not as handsome or sharp as Harutaki, and he doesn’t have that effortless “can-do-anything” vibe, but… Onii works hard!

And as long as he keeps trying…

Even though she herself didn’t really believe that “hard work always pays off” nonsense, moments like this left her no choice but to cling to it.

"Then, looks like only Shihou-san hasn’t sung yet. Wanna give it a try?"

The way Senior Yobitani spoke to her was miles apart from how he treated Harutaki, but even so, his forced, fake gentleness was almost nauseating.

"E-Eh? I-I’m really not good at singing…"

Suddenly being called on made her flustered. She waved her hands quickly, trying to refuse.

"It’s fine! Kota was basically just shouting earlier. A pretty girl like Shihou-san sounds good just talking normally."

"I can’t… sorry, I’m just gonna, um, go to the restroom real quick…"

Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Chouko seized the excuse to retreat, leaving Yobitani awkwardly holding out the mic midair.

After a moment of silence, Yobitani turned to Harutaki, his high-cheekboned face shadowed with shifting expressions.

"You like Shihou-san too, don’t you?"

Ah, here we go. Finally getting to the point, huh?

Harutaki thought to himself, Then go ahead, show your hand.

"Does Senpai want the truth or the lie?"

"Cut the crap. The truth."

What an impatient guy.

"Shihou-san’s a high-class lady. What’s the point of a normal guy liking her? If anything, that filthy body of hers, with those huge tits, must feel amazing to grope."

"Didn’t think you’d fake it that well, underclassman. When Shihou-san comes back, I’ll be sure to tell her to stay away from a guy like you."

Yobitani’s voice was stern, like he wasn’t the same person who’d just been trying to cozy up to her moments ago.

"Be my guest."

Harutaki’s tone was calm, almost indifferent.

"You must’ve noticed too, she barely even talks to me. Always keeps her distance."

"Oh?"

That made Yobitani pause. Thinking back, her sharp rebuttals and the way she immediately stepped back whenever Harutaki got close… it all lined up.

"Truth is, she’s got someone she likes. Some bookworm loner from the third-year class. I confessed to her several times, and she turned me down in front of everyone. Embarrassing as hell, really."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

Yobitani snorted, rolling the empty glass in his hand.

"So tell her whatever you want. I don’t care anymore. Guess all I can do now is watch… watch her fall for someone else, date him, and someday, sleep with him."

His voice lowered, teeth clenched, like he was already mourning the loss of something precious.

"Then why stop me just now, huh? Are you in my way for fun?"

"You think you can touch what I can’t? Senpai, do you like daydreaming that much?"

That last mocking line snapped something inside Yobitani. His lips twisted into a dark grin.

"Then how about this, hypothetically, if there were a way to get that girl in bed, would you take it?"

There it is.

Harutaki had been expecting it. He glanced at the older boy out of the corner of his eye, putting together the weird tension in the room with those words.

This was supposed to be a casual karaoke hangout between old classmates and friends. But aside from Yobitani, no one had really said much the whole night. Wasn’t that odd?

When friends reunite, do they really just sit around making small talk and exchanging polite smiles?

He didn’t know how girls’ gatherings usually went in here, but there was no way this was normal.

"If it works, I’d love to shove it in."

He said it lightly, like he was joking.

"Hah, you’re a funny one. Ever heard of triazolam?"

"Fast-acting sleeping pills… or should I say, knockout drugs?"

The moment he saw the pack of small white tablets come out of Yobitani’s pocket, Harutaki’s suspicions solidified.

"You sure that stuff actually works?"

"So you have thought about it, huh, underclassman?"

Noticing that a high schooler like Harutaki actually recognized the drug, Yobitani seemed even more convinced of his own twisted plan.

"From my experience, eight minutes tops to take down a girl. If you help me spike her drink, I’ll let you have her first."

"And… what about afterward?"

You’ve got to be kidding me. He wasn’t the kind of idiot who’d share anything, least of all this.

Still, on the surface, he kept his easygoing, fake composure.

"Record it while you’re at it. If she talks, we’ll threaten her with the footage."

Seeing the younger boy look “tempted,” Yobitani thumped his chest reassuringly.

"Relax. This method’s foolproof."

What a complete piece of trash, Harutaki thought.

"Isn’t this… a crime?"

"Tch. You honor students are all the same. As long as she doesn’t report it, how’s it a crime?"

Yobitani sneered, grinding the tablets to powder on a napkin with practiced hands.

"Besides, I heard from one of her old friends, Shihou Chouko might look like a pure little princess, but she’s actually a bitch who posts selfies on a secret account. You gotta learn how to pick your prey, underclassman."

"Ohh… never thought Shihou-san was that kind of girl…"

Thanks, Senpai. Totally useless information, but noted.

Good thing she’d been careful enough to lock down her account, leaving him no solid dirt to use. And even if she did have some mildly risqué selfies, it was nothing compared to the real blackmail material sitting in his DMs.

"I’ll stand guard outside. You hurry up, Senpai."

"Okay~"

Before leaving, Harutaki cast a glance toward the two girls who’d come with Chouko, her old middle school friends. They didn’t even flinch at what Yobitani was doing, as if this kind of thing was completely normal.

Just what kind of friends do you have, Shihou…

He sighed silently, closed the door behind him, and pulled out his iPhone. Switching to video mode, he angled it through the frosted glass of the karaoke booth door, capturing Yobitani’s every move as he ground the pills.

The karaoke rooms here didn’t have surveillance cameras for privacy reasons, so if he wanted proof, he’d have to gather it himself.

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