"So, the fact that you’re asking me about that... did something happen?"
How should I break this to Nishikawa-san?
I could just tell her the truth, but explaining things to someone who knew nothing of the circumstances would mean starting from square one, my own history included.
"Hmm... as for a simple explanation... I know! Sara, lend me your smartphone. Kazunari-kun, come over here."
I supposed I really did need to explain the situation between myself and Yamasaki. It was my responsibility; I should speak directly rather than leaving it all to Sara-san.
Natsumi-senpai took the smartphone from Sara-san and stepped aside. As I tried to move into the space next to Sara-san to take her place, I thought I caught a glimpse of Natsumi-senpai grinning.
...Or so I thought, but just as I was about to sit down, Natsumi-senpai gave me a light shove from behind.
"Whoa!"
Losing my balance, I tumbled forward, ending up in what looked like a full-on embrace with Sara-san.
"Ah! ...Kazunari-san, are you all right?"
Sara-san spread her arms and caught me, holding me tight against her.
"Natsumi! What would you have done if Kazunari-san had been injured...?"
Sara-san began to scold Natsumi-senpai, but her voice trailed off.
"Eririn, can you see?"
"Wait... Wha—?! E-E-E-E-Eeeeeeeeh?!"
Nishikawa-san let out a shriek—or rather, a scream of pure, unadulterated shock—that echoed through the speakers.
"S-Sara, what happened to your man-hater phase?! No, wait, did you just hug him of your own accord?! What? Huh? Natsumi, explain this right now!"
"It’s exactly what it looks like. You and I both got beaten to the punch."
Even for an introduction, this was a terrible way to do it...
I wanted to bury my head in my hands as I wondered what kind of face I was supposed to make when I finally greeted Nishikawa-san. Well, technically, it was Sara-san who was doing the holding right now.
"T-That can't be... To think that Sara... I was certain she’d be the absolute last person to get a boyfriend. Actually, I thought it would be impossible for the foreseeable future."
Nishikawa-san’s voice, sounding utterly rattled, reached my ears. I suppose seeing a friend like this so suddenly would be a massive shock.
By the way, Sara-san, could you please let go of me now?
When I shifted my body to try and pull away slightly, Sara-san just tightened her grip and hugged me even harder.
Ah, I see. I'm not allowed to leave yet.
"As you can see, Sara is completely lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. She’s so sweet on him now, it’s like she’s a different person."
"Natsumi, we will be having a talk later about you pushing Kazunari-san. Eri, I am sorry for the delayed report. Actually... well, I am with Kazunari-san..."
No, this was something I should say properly. It would serve as my formal greeting. I needed her cooperation from here on out, and I couldn't keep looking this pathetic forever.
"Sara-san, please let me say the rest. Also... if you could let go of me..."
Hearing my voice, Sara-san finally released me. The lingering, reluctant look on her face made me feel a bit guilty, but I had to talk to Nishikawa-san.
Since Natsumi-senpai was still pointing the smartphone toward us, I assumed I should just speak directly to the camera. I straightened up and faced Nishikawa-san on the screen.
"Nice to meet you, Nishikawa-san. I’m Kazunari Takanashi. I’ve been officially dating Sara-san since last month."
When I said that, Sara-san rested her hand on my arm and leaned in close.
"Eri, I’m sorry for keeping this from you. I want to prioritize our other business right now, so let’s talk about this properly another time."
"……I understand. But it has to be tonight. If I don't hear the details soon, I’ll be too restless to sleep."
She gave Sara-san a reply in a slightly lighter tone. It seemed she was willing to move on to the main topic for now. Nishikawa-san’s expression tightened, her gaze becoming sharp and serious.
"Takanashi-san, was it? Nice to meet you, I’m Eri Nishikawa. I have plenty of questions for you, but as I said, those can wait. So, since you’ve stepped forward, does that mean you are the one involved with Yamasaki?"
"Yes. To be precise, it’s not just me. There are several women who were treated like disposable playthings by Yamasaki."
I then gave her a summarized explanation of what Yamasaki and Yuzuha had done in the past, the current situation, the involvement of Tachikawa-san and Hanako-san, and the evidence from the photos and RAIN history.
"……Heh. So he was making moves on me while he already had a girlfriend. He certainly has a high opinion of himself, doesn't he?"
A cold, thin smile played on Nishikawa-san’s lips. The atmosphere around her felt dangerous; in a way, she reminded me of Sara-san when she was truly angry.
But it seemed she believed my story. I hadn't expected it to be this easy to convince her.
"From what I’ve heard, he sounds like the ultimate enemy of women. I’m sure there are plenty of other sordid details. So, Takanashi-san, what do you want from me... no, what exactly do you plan to do to Yamasaki?"
"Eririn, are you sure it's okay to trust him so easily? For all you know, you’re the one being tricked by Yamasaki."
Natsumi-senpai interjected with a casual shrug. While I had wondered the same thing, she didn't need to go out of her way to poke the hornet's nest.
"He’s someone precious to Sara, so of course I believe him. There’s no way a man chosen by Sara could be untrustworthy."
"Thank you, Eri. Did you know, Eri? Even before Kazunari-san and I met, he was voluntarily taking care of the flowerbed you left behind all by himself. He did it silently, without expecting a single word of thanks from anyone."
Hearing it put like that made it sound like some grand, heroic tale, which was deeply embarrassing. It was true I wasn't doing it for praise or out of some hidden motive, but it wasn't like I had some noble, poetic soul either.
"Well, I suppose I should thank you for looking after my 'children.' You have my gratitude. In that case, I’m even more inclined to cooperate. Is there anything I can do?"
"Thank you. In that case, please join our discussion so we can determine what’s possible."
With that, it became the First Strategy Meeting with Nishikawa-san added to the circle. Especially regarding Yamasaki, Nishikawa-san was the only one who could deal a finishing blow given the current circumstances, so we would be relying on her for a lot.
"I see. While the evidence of his criminal involvement is technically weak, there’s no doubt he introduced a victim to an indecent assaulter. I understand. This is a golden opportunity for me as well, so I’ll talk to my father and see what I can find out."
If this went well, not only would Nishikawa-san be able to sever her personal ties with Yamasaki, but it could potentially drag in Yamasaki's parents and their entire company. It could literally lead to their total ruin.
But was it really okay to go that far?
This was no longer just a personal grudge. It was turning into a massive incident. For me to just say "please do it" so easily...
The expression on Sara-san’s face as she softly pulled me closer was tinged with a complex mix of emotions. It seemed she had noticed my inner conflict and looked as if she wanted to say something to reassure me.
However, Nishikawa-san spoke first.
"……Takanashi-san, it’s only natural to hesitate when the scale of things becomes this large. In fact, anyone who could casually say 'let's just destroy them' without a second thought might be a 'big shot,' but they’d surely face retribution for that arrogance someday. You are fine just as you are. Besides, this isn't just your problem anymore. For the Nishikawa Group, continuing to favor a partner who is a dangerous liability is out of the question. Thanks to you, we can prevent a major loss before it even happens."
Nishikawa-san was telling me that I didn’t need to shoulder the entire burden of the consequences. I had been overwhelmed because the situation had grown beyond the individual level, but the core of it remained unchanged.
I had to protect Sara-san. I had to keep danger away from her.
"Takanashi-kun, I’ve decided to join your cause. So, if there’s any responsibility to bear, I’ll take half of it."
"I feel the same way about wanting revenge on Yamasaki. So, it's not half—it's one-third."
"I’m the one who introduced Takanashi-kun to Yoko and the others! Of course I’m in, so that makes it one-fourth."
Hanako-san, Tachikawa-san, and Todo-san each stood up and declared their commitment.
"My, don’t leave me out of the loop. One-fifth."
"As long as I’m a target for Yuzuha Sasagawa, Yamasaki is going to be involved anyway. Don't exclude the guy actually on the front lines. One-sixth."
Natsumi-senpai and Hayato were next to step forward.
"Since I’m the one who will be doing the heavy lifting, my share should technically be the largest. I’ll settle for one-seventh for now, though."
Nishikawa-san made her declaration with a slightly playful, dissatisfied pout.
"Hey, hey, you're not forgetting about me, are you? Let me in on this, even if it's just over the phone. I'll need the full rundown later, but mark me down for one-eighth."
Without me realizing when the call had been placed, Yuji’s face appeared on Natsumi-senpai’s smartphone.
"Honestly... even though it is my role to share Kazunari-san’s burdens, please do not go assigning shares as you please. That said, if it lightens Kazunari-san’s load, then I suppose it is fine. I shall compromise and take one-ninth."
Then Sara-san, still holding me, made her final declaration.
One-ninth... roughly eleven percent.
If divided among everyone, each person only carried a small fraction of the weight. It felt so much lighter that way.
"Kazunari-san, you do not need to shoulder everything yourself. I am here... we are all with you. So, do as you see fit. I shall follow you to the very end."
Chu.
Sara-san kissed my cheek and gave me a radiant smile.
"Please do your best. I know you'll be fine, Kazunari-san."
I was going to protect this smile. For Sara-san’s sake, I knew I could do it.
Since Nishikawa-san had agreed to take charge of the Yamasaki matter for the time being, we decided to wait for her report before holding our next meeting.