A NECESSARY BETRAYAL; THE TRUTH IS OUT

"Sorry about not stepping in earlier than I did," Tomoe said, her voice shaking.

Tomoe, who was completely lost, held her head down in confusion.

"You bastard, how did you? When did you find the time?" asked Jirou.

"Well, if you really want to know, I carefully planned my actions to ensure I gathered enough undeniable evidence against you, Jirou."

"The first time I noticed you was the day I walked Tomoe home after basketball practice. She ended up watching us train all day. On my way to her lane, I noticed someone trailing behind us in the distance, staying in the darkest corners. After saying goodbye to her, I used my phone camera to record and take photos of you as soon as you came into the light.

"After reviewing the footage, it clearly showed your intent to shadow Tomoe, proving a pattern of obsessive and predatory behavior. To add to that, Tomoe was completely unaware of this. The second time was when both Tomoe and I went on a date. Knowing that you were a stalker and my sister had a good idea to flush you out, I made the arrangements.

"Through every step of the date, I realized we were being followed, but I pretended to be unaware. After the date ended, I decided to leave Tomoe alone for a bit just to see if you would make a move—and you did. I also videoed that encounter. It was then that I learned you had done something terrible to her and caused her brother to get arrested for false accusations."

"I also managed to retrieve more evidence on you at the library. Thanks for that," said Tetsuo.

"Prior to that day, I had already been suspicious of your harassment, and I was somewhat knowledgeable about what was happening. I went to the library and saw her reading books that were torn to shreds. Suspecting it was you, I risked getting expelled, but I managed to retrieve security camera footage from the school, which showed you sneaking into the library and tearing apart Tomoe's textbooks. And Tomoe, the video captured Jirou's face, his aggressive actions, and his smirk as he ripped pages apart and scattered them on the floor.

"This footage proved that Jirou had been systematically trying to sabotage you by vandalizing your belongings and creating a setting that made it seem like you were the one responsible, so you would lash out at him, making him appear as the victim. The last and major piece of evidence I needed was an actual assault.

"So, I comforted Tomoe when I found her crying and told her to meet me in the literature club. You took the bait because that's when you decided to attack her. I was hiding nearby and recorded everything on my phone, ensuring I had clear audio and visual proof of what you planned to do. Of course, before things escalated further, I intervened—my voice and sudden appearance caused you to recoil," said Tetsuo.

"You've wasted your time. No one will ever believe you," said Jirou in a shocked state.

"On the contrary, I have video proof showcasing your pattern of harassment: stalking her, destruction of property, emotional and psychological abuse, and finally, physical and attempted sexual harassment."

"No way... I'm done for," said Jirou in shock, the look of despair spreading across his face.

Tomoe, her voice shaking, stood up and refused to look at Tetsuo in the eyes.

"I can't believe you. You set me up. You let him do that to me... just so you could get proof?" asked Tomoe as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Listen, I know it wasn't my place to get involved, and I know you're angry. You have every right to be, but it had to be done," said Tetsuo softly.

Tomoe then snapped, finally turning to face Tetsuo.

"Angry? I'm furious, Tetsuo! How could you? I trusted you, but you deceived me. I thought... I thought that date we went on was you showing me genuine kindness. But it was all just a setup, wasn't it? The date, you bringing me to the basketball court, walking me home—you never actually cared, did you?" she asked, tears of anger streaming down her face.

"It wasn't like that," said Tetsuo, sighing and running his hand through his hair. "I had to do it. You were already in danger, Tomoe. Jirou was never going to stop. I needed proof—proof that would not only give substantial backing to free your brother from jail, but also prove that your brother was framed for beating him up. In addition, it validates your claims about him and that what he did was not a lie, and you weren't the cause of the problem.

"And this will ensure that Jirou never hurts you again. I did it for your sake," said Tetsuo logically.

"And you thought the best way to do that was to let him... terrorize me?" asked Tomoe, her voice breaking.

"Listen, I know that the way I did it wasn't the ideal way to handle it. However, with this, not only can you stay at this school without fear, but your brother can finally be free. This evidence proves that Jirou lied about the reason he was beaten up, which caused him to be arrested."

Tomoe silently stared at the ground, her breathing uneven.

"I'm sorry, but I did it all for your sake."

"I don't know if I can ever forgive you after this..." said Tomoe, closing her eyes.

"I don't expect you to. But I need you to understand the actions I took. So what happens now?" she asked after a long pause, exhaling shakily as she looked up at him, her eyes filled with conflict.

"Now, we take this to the authorities and the principal," said Tetsuo, determined.

Jirou's eyes widened in panic as he realized the weight of the evidence against him. With a desperate snarl, he lunged at Tetsuo, aiming to snatch the phone from his grasp. But Tetsuo was faster. He sidestepped Jirou's reckless tackle with ease, causing him to stumble forward. Furious, Jirou recovered quickly and charged again, this time with even more force. But Tetsuo remained unfazed. Using nothing but a single arm, he redirected Jirou's momentum, flipping him over and sending him crashing onto the floor. Jirou groaned in pain, clutching his side as he glared up at Tetsuo, who stood over him with unwavering confidence and a blank expression.

Breathing hard, Jirou gritted his teeth.

"Give me the damn phone," he spat, trying to push himself up. But Tetsuo simply shook his head, holding the device up as if daring him to try again.

"Even if you break it, it won't matter," Tetsuo said coolly. "The footage is already backed up on my computer at home. You've lost, Jirou."

The color drained from Jirou's face as the realization sank in. No matter what he did now, the truth was out, and there was no escaping the consequences. Tetsuo slipped his phone into his pocket and took a step back, watching as Jirou's anger twisted into fear.

"It's over," he said firmly. "And this time, you won't be able to lie your way out of it."