08 Ayano Amakuji

During lunch break at a high school, Izumi and Mika sat and waited for someone with three boxes of food nearby.

"I-Is he really coming, Izumi-chan?"

"Don't worry, Mika-chan, he's definitely coming."

The two girls chatted as they waited for Amakuji, with Mika's expression slightly embarrassed and worried, while Izumi's expression was comfortable and full of confidence.

During that time, Amakuji appeared. He slowly walked towards the two of them calmly. It seems that Izumi was the first to recognize his presence.

"That's it, Mika-chan! He has arrived."

"E-Eh?! A-Amakuji-san has come?!"

"I'm really sorry that I'm late."

"N-No, we just arrived."

"Anyway, let's enjoy the lunch because I'm really hungry right now."

Izumi clearly expressed that she was hungry right now, so Amakuji immediately sat next to them. With Amakuji sitting on the left side, Izumi sitting on the right side, and Mika sitting in the middle.

The three of them each took out their own lunchboxes. Amakuji, without hesitation, hurriedly opened his lunchbox. reveals hand-made food that looks quite appetizing.

Mika looked at Amakuchi's lunchbox with a worried expression. Not sure if she should take out the lunch box she had prepared for him, Izumi, sensing Mika's hesitation, decided to gently poke her until Mika had to turn to look.

Izumi smiled at Mika and handed her a hidden lunch box. Mika, seeing this, gave her a fighting spirit and tried to gather the courage to overcome her own cowardice. She took the lunch box from Izumi's hand and handed it over to Amakuji.

"I-I've cooked too much food, so I want to share it with you."

"Eh?! Is that okay?"

"Y-Yes, I would be very glad if you could eat it."

"Then I'll take it for granted."

Amakuji took the lunch box and tried it. Mika stares with concern, isn't sure if he will like her food or not. In the meantime, Izumi cheers from a distance while enjoying her own lunch box.

"Mn! It's delicious."

"R-Really?!"

"Um! Did you do it yourself?"

"Y-Yes."

"You have great cooking ability. You will definitely be a good bride in the future, Mika."

"T-The bride?!!"

Mika's face flushed red with embarrassment, so she almost fainted. Izumi, who was looking at him, felt a little envious and affectionate.

"You should have tried your own food. It's really delicious."

"A-Amakuji-san has complimented me too much."

Mika shyly lowered her head to eat her food while Amakujii smiled at her, which made her very nervous.

"By the way, why did you invite me to have a lunch break today? Is there anything special?"

"E-Eh?! T-That..."

"Mika-chan sees that you are the president of the club I'm about to join. So she wants to get to know you."

"Y-Yes! just like that."

"Oh... just like that?"

"Because of that, Mika-chan has a lot of things she wants to ask you. That is why she invites you to have lunch together."

"What do you want to know, Mika?"

"Well... A-About you... I-I would like to get to know you e-even more... A-As the president of the club that my friend is about to join..."

Mika spoke with an embarrassed expression as she tried to hide her true feelings. Izumi gave her full support, while Amakuji, who already knew her true purpose, made him smile with affection.

"If so, feel free to ask. I'll be happy to answer as much as I can."

"R-Really?!... T-Then, what's your favorite food?"

"Oh! I like curry."

"N-Next time I will make it for you!"

"Umm! I'll be looking forward to it."

"S-So, do you have any hobbies?"

"Oh! I like to exercise. I often go to the gym in the evening."

"It's a very impressive hobby because not many people at our age go to the gym often."

Mika looked at Amakuji with sparkling eyes like she was impressed with his hobby, to which Izumi was also interested and asked.

"Do you have clearly visible muscles?"

"Well... I think it's clear to some degree, at least enough to see."

"Heh~ May I look at your abs?"

"I-Izumi-chan! W-What the hell are you talking about?! How dare you ask to see Amakuji-san's abs like that?!"

"So you don't want to see it, Mika-chan?"

"About that... N-No! No matter, it can't be!"

Mika's face flushed red with embarrassment to the point that Izumi smiled and laughed immensely. Amakuji sighed for the playfulness of Izumi.

"L-Let's go back to the normal question, Amakuji-san, what kind of pet do you like?"

"Hmm... Maybe it's a cat?"

"Heh~ W-Why?"

"I like the quietness of it. When I saw them, it calmed my mind."

"I like cats too. I have one cat at home as well. Do you have any cats at home?"

"Oh! No, I don't think I will have any pets soon because there are many errands that may not have enough time for them."

"Well... then... Would you like to come and see the cats at my house?"

"I'll consider it."

Mika spoke with an embarrassed red face, to which Amakuchi replied without thinking. Only Izumi knew the meaning behind those words. That caused her to show a slightly awkward expression in the seduction of her friend that was completely unexpected.

"Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Uh... About that..."

"Amakuji-san, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

While Mika was stumped, not knowing what to ask, Izumi intervened by asking a question. That question shocked Mika.

"I-Izumi-chan?! Why did you ask something like that?!"

"It will not have any problems, right? Amakuji-san."

"I didn't mind. It's also not something that needs to be kept secret."

"OK then, Amakuji-san, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

"Not yet."

"R-Really?!"

Mika spoke like she was happy, causing Amakuji to turn to look at her. But she tried to hide her face in embarrassment, and Izumi asked the next question.

"So Amakuchi-san, is there someone you have a crush on?"

"No, I'm not interested in anyone in particular."

After hearing that answer, Mika and Izumi smiled and showed a noticeably happy expression. Amakuji also smiled at their brightness.

After that, they had a delicious lunch together under a large, peaceful tree until the lunch break time had passed well.

...

In the evening after school, Amakuchi and Izumi sat under a big tree. The same one from their lunch break today.

"It looks like the lunch break is going well. I hope you still remember the deal we promised."

"Yes, I promised anyway. I must do as promised. But don't get me wrong. I just promised to consider it. That doesn't mean I'm willing to join the club.

"It's okay, just listen to what I have to say. That's enough."

"So what do you want to say?"

"First of all, I apologize once again. The fact that Itsuka made you see a horrible picture, which terrified you, and the fact that Mise attacked your body, causing you injury, aside from that, it's me who was neglected, causing you to have these terrible experiences. I'm really sorry."

Amakuji bowed his head, apologizing to Izumi, who was sitting next to him in remorse, but Izumi didn't seem interested in that apology.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm not angry. I just want to forget about these things because I don't see any benefit in being involved. After all, you already know my desire."

"...A-About that-"

"And one more thing I have to tell you clearly... I'm not lonely at all, I have Mika-chan to listen to my problems. That's enough for me. And besides... I'm...  I've been to a club like that before... A club full of psychos... So then I'm not interested in your club at all."

"Eh?! W-What did you just say?!"

"...During high school, I stumbled upon a club that gathered various psychos. When I found a club like that, I was very happy. It was as if I had come across a society that accepted me. So I decided to join that club immediately..."

Izumi said with a smile, as if at that time it was a time when she used to be happy, but then her smile disappeared and became a face full of sorrow.

"Even though I expected it... I must have been disappointed in the end. As soon as they knew I was a pedophile, their gaze was filled with disgust. They didn't even listen to me. They hurt me, hated me, cursed me, even though I tried to explain that I had never done anything wrong to the young boys, but they didn't care, saying that the fact that I was born with pediatric disease was disgusting enough..."

Izumi spoke while clenching her teeth, like she was outraged at having shattered expectations. Amakuchi tried to comfort her, but suddenly Izumi looked up at the sky with a smile.

"In the end, there is Mika-chan, who is still by my side. She comforts me and makes me realize that at least there are people who always care about me... Even though she doesn't really care about my pediatric... She's just a normal person after all, but at least she's a good listener."

"Because of that, that's why you don't seem interested in our club. You probably think that you will encounter the same things that you have in the past, right?"

"Ah... I was shocked at first. I don't think after attending high school, I will also come across similar clubs like that, but it's like you said, I don't have an interest in that kind of club anymore. It's a waste of time. I just want to live the life I am living."

Izumi spoke with a calm expression, but Amakuji didn't think so. What he saw in front of him It was the calm before the storm. 

"I understand your feelings... But... your dark desire... It's increasing to the point that it might even make you touch a real young boy..."

Amakuji spoke with a serious tone and expression. Izumi, who was listening, was shocked at his words.

"What do you mean by that?! Are you trying to say I'm going to become a child molester?!"

"Yes! But we can avoid it. You just need an adviser and a good interlocutor. That's what your friend Mika isn't good enough to be..."

"Don't say anything stupid!! I can still be myself thanks to Mika-chan and me, who have always been fighting. You are an outsider. You have no right to say anything!!"

"Are you saying that you are proud of what you are now? You were plunged into the dark side by trying to find an excuse for yourself, and you are so weak that you are about to give up on the dark desire of your... Are you satisfied that you have become like that?"

Izumi's eyes widened in shock; what Amakuji said was like stabbing her heart. She stood up and had an expression of unprecedented fury on her face.

"Don't pretend like you know me!! You will never understand me!! No one understands me!! Even a psychiatrist!!"

Izumi spoke with a trembling voice and tears that were flowing slowly, but Amakuji did not panic at all. He still listened to her calmly.

"I may not be as good as a psychiatrist. But I really want to help you."

"Liar!! I know already!! In fact, you just need a new club member to prevent the club itself from having to be disbanded. You didn't care about me at all!!"

"Whether you believe it or not... but even if there is a new club member to replace you... I'll still be helping you... I will never leave you! Never!"

Amakuji spoke in a strong voice. Izumi saw his eyes filled with sincerity and determination, free from deception and hesitation, causing her to vacillate for a moment, but she tried to resist that feeling.

"...Did you know that people like me are the lowest in the moral... Lower than psycho killers! Cannibals! Zoophiles! Necrophiles! Incest!"

"..."

"Nobody in the media talks about people like me. Whether it's movies, dramas, novels, cartoons, games, and so on. Only the news and documentaries keep emphasizing how bad people like me are!! and internet jokes that are made for entertainment purposes only. They don't really care about real people like me at all!! People in this world definitely don't want to admit that there is a person like me in this world!!"

Izumi spoke with all her heart, while Amakuji sat and listened intently until she began to calm down and her voice began to soften. She turned to look at Amakuji with sad eyes and said.

"So then... Amakuji-san... Thank you for your concern... But don't mess with people like me... I already have Mika-chan. I can handle myself... You don't have to pay attention to me at all..."

Izumi said as she looked down at the ground. She's not angry anymore and did not want anyone to interfere with her either. But it seems that Amakuji has no intention of giving up. He had a serious expression and determined eyes, as if ready to use everything to convince the girl in front of him.

"You're... really stupid... And also naive. In spite of being in worse condition, you still feel confident as if it was nothing."

When Izumi heard that, her anger erupted again.

"How many more times do I have to say this for you to understand!! Ha!! Don't act like you know everything!! Don't act like you understand everything!! You and I are in different worlds. Even if you are a psycho, you will never understand me! No way!!"

Izumi spoke in a harsh tone, but Amakuji was unfazed. He sat with a smile on the corner of his mouth. Then turned to meet her eyes and said,

"Why wouldn't I understand? When I myself... a pedophile just like you..."

"...What?...What?!!!"

...

...

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