Next Target, 200PS!
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"You don't think someone is intentionally sabotaging you?"
As Haruno described what happened, Shizuka frowned. One or two incidents might be accidents, but with so many, it was hard to believe it was just bad luck.
"You said it yourself—the Yukinoshitas are a prominent but regional family. Anyone with the actual capability to orchestrate something like this across multiple sites simultaneously has no reason to target us."
Haruno was inherently brilliant. She had considered the sabotage theory very early on, but logically, it just didn't make any sense.
They had looked into the incidents carefully, but found nothing. Every disaster seemed to be just an unlucky accident.
It was absurd.
"That..." For a moment, Shizuka was at a loss for words.
Could it actually be the work of ghosts?
Kai came to her mind. Without him, Shizuka would never have known that actual monsters existed in the world.
What did he call them again... Cursed Spirits??
"Why don't..." With this in mind, Shizuka was about to suggest she could find someone to check it out for her.
However—
"Alright, alright! I have to head back."
Haruno's phone buzzed with another urgent text. With no time to spare, she quickly dismissed Shizuka and hurried out the door.
"..." By the time Shizuka realized what had happened, Haruno was already gone.
With nothing else to do, Shizuka shrugged and pulled out her phone. She texted Haruno, saying the accidents might be supernatural and that she knew someone who could help.
The response she got back...
A mocking text from Haruno:
[Oh, Shizuka. Have you been single for so long that you're starting to hallucinate?]
Since Haruno had never seen a Cursed Spirit, she thought Shizuka was just talking nonsense. She even wondered if being single for so long had made her friend lose it.
'This fool!'
If Haruno was still there, Shizuka would have shown her why people called her "Iron Fist."
"Whatever!"
From Haruno's attitude, it didn't seem like she was in any real danger right now.
Besides, from what Haruno said, she planned to find Kai herself. When she did, Kai would notice any supernatural problem right away. There was no need to worry yet.
Thinking this over, Shizuka sent Kai a quick warning text and left the izakaya.
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"Kai-kun?"
At the same time, Kai was in the villa he now shared with Sakiko.
Kai glanced at the text message on his phone, lifting an eyebrow slightly.
Sakiko noticed him pause and, still catching her breath, looked at him in confusion.
"It's nothing. Just a text." He smiled and tossed his phone onto the bedside table. Now was not the time for distractions.
A moment later, Sakiko's mind went blank, and she stopped caring about whoever had texted him.
Haruno Yukinoshita? Shizuka's warning text flashed briefly in his mind.
'So she's targeting me now?' He found the situation rather amusing.
However, he didn't think much of it. Let her try.
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Over the next few days.
Haruno Yukinoshita never showed up.
Conversely, Soyo Nagasaki's text messages became increasingly frequent and unhinged.
[What are you doing right now?]
[Making love.]
[Ara?]
[With Sakiko Togawa. Do you understand now?]
"..."
Kai shut her down with just a few words.
On the other end, Soyo grasped her phone so hard her knuckles turned white. The plastic creaked as if she might crush it.
"THAT BASTARD!"
The thought of that repulsive, disgusting man treating her Sakiko like that right at this very moment seemed like someone violently twisting an old knife in her heart.
'No! I have to act faster!' The sooner she rescued Sakiko, the sooner Sakiko would be freed from enduring such agonizing 'Torment'.
"This is all for Sakiko's sake!" With that thought fueling her, Soyo's eyes burned with a terrifying, fanatic resolve.
——————————
Another weekend rolled around.
On Saturday, Kai went on his usual weekend date with Yui Yuigahama. And, unsurprisingly, they had a third wheel tagging along.
"Yui! Try this perfume! I heard it's the newest release for this season!"
"Wow, it smells so good!"
Watching Yumiko Miura eagerly leaning in close to Yui, Kai just shrugged. He wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Yumiko really was impatient. The moment she heard he had a date with Yui, she immediately insisted on coming along.
The problem was that Yui was terrible at saying no, especially to Yumiko, who was her close friend. Refusing her was almost impossible.
"Kai-kun, please don't be mad!"
When Yumiko wandered off to look at new arrivals, Yui quickly moved to Kai's side. She took his hand and softly apologized.
"Hmm?"
'Mad? What would I be mad about?'
Yui explained under Kai's somewhat puzzled gaze: "Yumiko was just feeling bored and lonely being by herself this weekend, so she asked to tag along. Please don't think she's an eyesore or getting in the way!"
While Yui herself desperately wanted a sweet romantic date with just the two of them, she was just worried that Kai might be angry at Yumiko for constantly intruding.
"..." He had to admit that Yui was so pure and innocent it was almost painfully adorable.
"Don't worry." He raised a hand and gently ruffled her hair. He smiled affectionately.
"Why would I be angry? Honestly, just being able to go on a date with you makes me very happy. I wouldn't care if there was one Yumiko, or even ten Yumikos tagging along. I would never be angry!"
Mhm!
If all ten of those Yumikos acted exactly like the real one, he definitely wouldn't be complaining.
"KAI-KUN!" But Yui didn't take it that way. Hearing his sweet words, her eyes swelled with emotion.
"Hey! Are you two murmuring secrets behind my back?" Yumiko suddenly appeared beside them and spoke in a slow, bitter tone.
"Yumiko!"
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Yui jumped slightly. She hadn't even noticed Yumiko approaching.
Kai, on the other hand, maintained his calm, relaxed smile.
"Isn't it perfectly normal to talk behind your back? After all, Yui and I are a proper couple."
"Then what about m—" Yumiko instinctively almost blurted out: 'Then what about me??' But remembering Yui was standing right there, she slammed on the brakes. Instead, she gave Kai a resentful glare.
She stared at him, practically trying to convey her demands telepathically: Hurry up and explain everything to her!!
She was truly nearing her limit and deeply wished she could show affection and closeness to him publicly.
"Kai-kun didn't mean it like that! Please don't be mad, Yumiko!"
Yui, unaware of what was happening, panicked and attempted to comfort Yumiko, fearing his words had upset her.
'She's too innocent!' It was precisely because she knew Yui's pure, overly trusting nature that Yumiko so desperately wanted to hide the truth. She legitimately couldn't bear the thought of hurting her.
'Great. Now I feel guilty. This is all that man's fault.'
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Harboring their own vastly different agendas and secrets, the date carried on.
"Ara? Kai-kun, the second volume of your book has already been released?"
As they walked past a large bookstore, Yumiko saw a huge banner in the window. She gasped and looked at Kai.
"Has it?" He looked over curiously.
Sure enough, the massive banner was proudly announcing the release of the second volume of KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! He could clearly see a long line of people queued up outside the store, almost all of them there to purchase the new release.
Remembering something, he pulled out his phone. Exactly as he suspected, there was a message from Sonoko Machida, excitedly informing him that the second volume had launched and that opening-day sales were phenomenal.
He just hadn't bothered to check the status of his own book in quite a while.
"Tsk... It actually launched, and I had no clue!!"
"You're too careless! You're the author! How can you not even pay attention to your own release dates??" Yumiko scolded him.
What kind of author ignores the release schedule of their own work?
"Let's go, Yui! Let's buy a copy!"
Too lazy to scold him further, Yumiko grabbed Yui's hand.
"Yeah!"
Yui was more than happy to buy a copy to support her boyfriend's incredible work.
The two girls immediately hurried over to join the end of the line.
"..."
If they really wanted to read it, they could have just asked him for a copy. But according to their logic, if they didn't personally buy it from a bookstore with their own money, it lacked "meaningful support." Yui agreed with this sentiment wholeheartedly.
What else could he say?
Since he had nothing better to do while waiting, he was just about to go buy a drink from a nearby vending machine.
Right at that moment, Utaha Kasumigaoka—whom he hadn't spoken to in ages—suddenly sent him a text message.
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