Chapter 528: Another protagonist?
Azusagawa had always thought that fighting against an atmosphere was useless, so when everyone gave him a label as a delinquent who put three seniors in the hospital, he felt it was just too stupid to fight, and he just let them say whatever they wanted.
Azusagawa was alright with it, and he didn't care about it.
However, it would be a lie if he wasn't hurt by it.
When someone made a rumor about him, they would think it was just a prank and nothing harmful since they didn't punch or even kick him.
However, his heart was just dead tired.
Azusagawa didn't see hope, and he just saw everything as something meaningless.
Fortunately, he was luckier than most people since he met people who supported him. He also wasn't alone since even if he didn't have 100 friends, he still had two friends who could support him.
However, he would have never thought one of his friends would become the girlfriend of a scumbag.
Azusagawa knew this scumbag well since even if he didn't want to hear, the girls in his class would talk about him. Sometimes he wondered why girls loved to get the attention of Shishio. They knew he was bad, and being with him wouldn't give him a future since they could be dumped by him anytime. However, those girls were like moths. They knew they were right in front of the fire, but the brightness of the fire attracted them before they flew into it and died from being burnt.
His friend was one of them, but he couldn't stop her.
It wasn't that he wasn't worried about her, but it was just that he didn't have any experience in this matter.
Even though he wasn't proud of it, he wasn't the type who was good at talking, and he was quite a loner. It was also the reason why no one could help him when he was being slandered.
If someone had a friend and stayed in a group, they could use the power of the group to fight this rumor.
However, sometimes a human is a cowardly creature since they often avoid danger, so they might abandon you when you were hit with similar trouble like Azusagawa.
It was also the reason why Azusagawa had never expected anything, but if someone expected him, he would do it without hesitation since it made him have meaning in life.
In his shitty life, being needed by someone was the best thing he had found in his life.
It might seem strange for some people since people were usually selfish and put their needs in front of the rest.
However, sometimes, someone was just so empty that they felt their lives were nothing.
Having someone who needed them cheered them up and made them feel that they were alive since they were needed.
Anyway, this was how Azusagawa had been living.
His little sister was in a special situation, and he was also being slandered by a rumor. His life might be hard, but as long as there were people who could support him, and they also needed his support, he felt everything was okay. He also had two friends such as Kunimi and Futaba, to whom he could talk.
However, Futaba was gone since she chose Shishio over him.
It was a sad fact, but there was nothing he could do.
While Azusagawa had never been in love, watching someone in love, he knew they would prefer to be with someone they loved instead of the friend they happened to make because of a certain situation and occasion.
Azusagawa thought Futaba had changed, especially when she often went out with Shishio's group. However, he also felt it was normal since it was better to be on Shishio's side instead of his side.
Still...
Azusagawa let out a sigh inwardly, but he thought to meet Shishio, so he could tell what kind of person Shishio was. After all, he was afraid of Futaba being played by him.
However, even if Futaba was played by Shishio, she might not care much. It might seem weird, but one's physiology had always worked in a place one had never expected.
Azusagawa wanted to say something, even though he wasn't good at talking, but who would have thought he was beaten first.
'Clearing up all the rumors about me?'
"........."
Many emotions were brewing in his heart at the moment when he heard Shishio's offer. After all, it was his first time for someone to say something like that to him. Whether it was Futaba or his other friend, Kunimi, even though they were by his side, they couldn't help him with his situation.
Azusagawa was alright with it since he knew that people's ability was limited, and he even had given up trying to solve the rumor about him since the rumor was like an atmosphere. It couldn't be seen and couldn't be grasped, so wasn't it stupid to fight it?
Azusagawa had given up, but Shishio told him that he could solve it for him. He should be in disbelief and didn't think that it was possible, but somehow there was this certain aura that made him believe that Shishio could really solve this rumor for him.
Shishio stood with his back, facing the window, causing the sunlight to hit his back, giving him an illusion as if he was a superhero who saved those helpless victims from villains or a catastrophe. However, if someone saw him from the side, they would see his face was blurry, almost ghostlike.
As for which side of him Azusagawa saw at that moment, no one was sure, but he asked, "You don't doubt me?"
"It's stupid to believe rumors." Shishio showed a helpless expression while shaking his head. "I believe what I see, and from what I see, you don't even have the power to knock three upperclassmen to the hospital." Just by standing in front of Azusagawa, he could see how weak this guy was. It was simply impossible for him to send three upperclassmen to the hospital with his body.
It might be a different case if Azusagawa knew a martial art, but Shishio couldn't see it from this guy, so it could be easily seen that the rumor about him was just a false charge. It was done by a malicious person who hated or envied him.
This was something he didn't like about this country since everyone loved creating rumors so much, and they started to label that person a bad guy before they began to avoid and ignore the victim.
No one questioned it, and everyone acted as usual.
Then, if they were asked whether it was okay or not, they would say it was for, or it happened to "everyone," so bear with it.
It was just like that, and no one questioned it again as long as the reason was because of "everyone."
Still, while Azusagawa was happy that Shishio didn't believe in the rumor, he was speechless by his reasoning since Shishio indirectly told him that he was weak. However, he must admit that compared to Shishio, he was a weakling.
"So, in case I agree with this offer, what will you do?" Azusagawa asked since he wanted to ask what Shishio wanted to do to clear up the rumor about him.
Futaba also looked at Shishio curiously, wondering what he was about to do.
"Well, I just have to find the culprit, then make a rumor about him," Shishio said simply.
"......." Futaba and Azusagawa.
"...A rumor? You mean this "person" will taste what it feels like in my situation?" Azusagawa asked with a gulp.
While the words that came from Shishio's mouth might sound simple, when one received such a slandering rumor, it wouldn't be easy for anyone. People might say it was easy and say "everyone" had felt it, but they could say that easily because they hadn't tasted the feeling of being isolated, hated, or bullied because of a rumor.
Azusagawa had tasted this feeling, and it wouldn't be weird for someone to quit school or even commit suicide based on the mentality of that person.
"Yes." However, Shishio nodded, then asked, "Do you think it is wrong?"
Azusagawa opened his mouth before he closed it again. It might be because he had this useless sense of justice where he couldn't see someone in misery and wanted to help them, so when he thought that the person who caused him trouble would have similar suffering to him, it made him feel complex.
He should feel happy and exhilarated, but somehow he also felt guilty when he thought about what would happen to this "person."
"What are you hesitating about, Azusagawa?" Futaba asked, wondering what this guy was hesitating about since if she was in Azusagawa's place, she would ask for revenge without hesitation.
After all, when someone decides to stain their hearts with malice, they also have to prepare the malice from others.
Shishio was like that, so he had never shown mercy to his enemies.
Azusagawa looked at Futaba and asked, "Do you think this is "right," Futaba?"
"So, do you think slandering you with a false rumor is right, Azusagawa?" Futaba didn't answer Azusagawa's question. Instead, she asked him back.
Azusagawa couldn't answer Futaba's question.
"Calm down, Futaba. Everything is his choice. There's no need for you to work up."
Shishio didn't feel surprised by Azusagawa's answer since he knew the main point of every protagonist was "Yasashi," in other words, kindness. It would be amazing if they could say they wanted revenge on someone without batting their eyes.
Futaba was quite dissatisfied, but she let out a long sigh before she shrugged, causing her breasts to bounce around.
Shishio glanced at them for a while before he said, "Azusagawa, you're kind."
"...Is that sarcasm?"
"Not really, but you must be thinking about what will happen to the "person" who spread the rumor about you, right? You're hesitant since what will happen to that "person" once this person is in the same situation as you, right?"
Azusagawa didn't deny it. Instead, he asked, "You think it is wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong or right in this situation. Everything is your choice after all." This wasn't a question where there was only one answer, like mathematics. There were many answers, and depending on the individual, it would lead to a different answer. "Well, I'll try to erase your rumor without causing much trouble to this "person."
"Thank you." It might be the second time that Azusagawa was grateful to someone.
"Still, you're so unlucky to receive such a rumor right after you enter a high school," Shishio said helplessly.
"Well, I am popular after all," Azusagawa answered with a sarcastic tone.
"Well, that's alright." Shishio had given the right to revenge to Azusagawa, but he didn't take it, so he didn't think too much since it wasn't really his problem. The only reason why he helped Azusagawa was that this guy was his girlfriend's friend, so he decided to help.
Shishio thought it might be possible to get to know the girls around Azusagawa, too, like his little sister.
Right?
"Still, if your rumor is cleared up, and this "person" tries to harm you again, what will you do?" Shishio suddenly asked.
Azusagawa was stunned, then he thought for a moment and said firmly, "Tell me who this bastard is and let me handle myself."
"Okay."
There was no need to make it complicated, and everything was just as simple as that.
Still, somehow Azusagawa could understand why Futaba could fall for this scumbag.