A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Bastard Aristocrat
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chapter-44-1
Bonus chapter thanks to '@Citino' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi.Each of their hells.
Once again, it is a story from the past.
Changho finished his training and entered the locker room to change.
He massaged his sore arms and legs and let out a sigh.
"Ugh... Did I overdo it today...?"I should put on some muscle patches.
With that thought, Changho opened his locker.
Perhaps because it was late, the locker room was empty, not a soul in sight.
Changho sighed as he took in the eerie atmosphere of the place.
"Phew... I should hurry up and change, and go grab some dinner~"
Changho hummed a tune as he changed.
That's when it happened."Sob... sniff..."
"......?"
A faint sound of crying reached Changho's ears.
He felt a chill run down his spine and stared into the corner of the locker room where the noise was coming from.
'B-but, I'm sure there was no one there...?'
He held his breath and strained his ears, wondering if he had heard wrong.
"Sniff... sob... uhh..."
"......!"
Faint as it was, it was definitely the sound of someone crying.
A cold sweat began to run down Changho's back.
He hurriedly grabbed the bamboo sword that was lying on the floor and gripped it tightly.
The tip of the trembling sword pointed towards the darkness.
In that state, Changho slowly walked toward the source of the sound.
It was like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
The cliché where someone senses something strange from an unknown sound moves to check it out, and ends up missing the next day.
"Oh... Lord."
Changho made the sign of the cross in the air, seeking the Lord he didn't even believe in.
Gripping the bamboo sword tightly, Changho slowly approached the corner of the locker room where the sound of crying was coming from.
"Namu Amitabha, Hallelujah..."
Changho muttered a rather unsettling prayer that crossed between Buddhism and Christianity.
He took a deep breath and opened his eyes wide, charging towards the den of evil where wicked whispers seemed to boil.
"Who's there!!!"
A loud shout echoed through the silent locker room.
But the only response to Changho's shout was a small voice.
"U-uhh...?"
"......Huh?"
At the somewhat familiar voice, Changho frowned and looked back into the darkness.
There, sitting huddled in a ball, was a young boy.
"Naru...?"
"......?"
Recognizing him, Changho muttered the boy's name in a daze.
Naru tilted his head as if asking why he was being called.
"Haaa... You scared the crap out of me..."
Finally understanding the situation, Changho let out a sigh of relief and lowered the bamboo sword.
He calmed his pounding heart for a moment before moving next to Naru.
"Naru... what are you doing here at this hour..."
"......"
Naru didn't answer.
Changho stood in front of him and gently stroked his hair.
"I heard you crying... Did something happen...?"
-Shake, shake...
Naru shook his head.
"Then why..."
-Flap, flap.
Naru waved his arms excitedly, showing what he was holding in his hand.
"What's this...? Hmm? Isn't this the book I lent you?"
In Naru's hand was a book.
To be precise, it was Volume 5 of the 'Sorrow-erasing heroes' series.
Naru moved his hands excitedly as if trying to say something.
Changho asked, flustered by Naru's appearance.
"So... you were reading the book and crying because it was so sad?"
-Nod, nod.
Naru nodded his head vigorously.
Then he suddenly opened the book to the middle and pointed to a passage.
Changho looked at the part Naru was pointing at and nodded in understanding.
It was the scene where the mid-boss from Volume 5, a character named 'Violet', died.
"I see, you were reading this part?"
"U-uhh..."
"This part was a bit sad."
"Sob..."
Naru sniffled again.
Changho gave him a helpless look and wiped away his flowing tears.
"Oh my... You've really fallen for this book."
-Nod...
As Naru nodded timidly, Changho ruffled his hair and asked,
"What about dinner? Have you eaten?"
-Shake, shake...
"Let's go eat together. I'm going to secretly order chicken tonight."
-Nod, nod!
Naru's eyes sparkled at the word 'chicken'.
Changho chuckled at his reaction and held out his hand.
"Shall we go?"
-Nod, nod!
Naru took Changho's hand and left the locker room.
Once again, they were a very affectionate pair of brothers.
.
.
.
-Rattle, rattle...
I stared blankly out the window of the swaying carriage.
As I pondered the random thoughts that came to mind, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Haa..."
What was weighing on my mind was the thought of a certain girl.
It was the thought of the character I adored the most while reading the original 10-volume novel.
'Violet...'
Violet.
The mid-boss who appeared in Volume 5 of the original work.
Why had I forgotten about her existence?
If the world I was reincarnated into was the world of 'Sorrow-erasing heroes', then naturally, she would be alive and well.
"Hmm..."
I let out a small groan and picked up a few pieces from the worries that were bothering me.
The time when Violet awakens as a villain is about a year later.
What should I do?
The most logical way would be to eliminate her before she falls into villainy.
If I used a little bit of my status and family power, it wouldn't be difficult to get rid of a commoner with no particular connections.
But could that really be called the right answer?
I am a reincarnator.
In other words, I am someone who knows the entire contents of the original work, 'Sorrow-erasing heroes'.
Therefore, I know better than anyone what kind of misfortune Violet went through and how she broke down.
As someone who shed tears at her sorrow.
As someone who smiled at her joy.
As someone who met an end similar to hers.
I didn't want Violet's story to end in tragedy.
'In that case, I...'
...I don't know.
Even if I wanted to help her, I didn't know how.
And it was a bit ridiculous to think about helping someone else when I could barely handle myself.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
After all, there was still a year left.
During the school trip... well, wouldn't it be enough to just get along with her?
I shook off my thoughts and turned my gaze back to the passing scenery.
***
Meanwhile, as Raiden was lost in thought, Margaret arrived at the main building and was walking towards her classroom.
Her beautiful crimson eyes were dull as she looked up.
Her gaze was directed at the clear blue sky, but her mind was elsewhere.
"......"
Margaret pressed her hand to her forehead, a heavy silence hanging in the air.
A throbbing headache made her lose her balance for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.
-...What a shitty group formation.
The events that had just transpired at the carriage stop replayed in her mind.
Her silver eyebrows furrowed as a wave of unpleasant emotions washed over her.
The girl let out a low groan and muttered to herself.
"...I lost my composure, which is unlike me."
Why?
It was just one sentence.
Why had she lost her cool and gotten so agitated?
"He's nothing to me anymore."
Margaret scoffed, a bitter taste filling her mouth.
The self-deprecating laughter seemed tinged with sadness.
She erased the smile from her lips and dove back into the waves of her thoughts.
The countless emotions that had consumed her at that moment when she confronted the boy.
Anger, sadness, contempt, annoyance, and a faint lingering attachment.
All those colors, mixed together in a sticky mess, formed...
Disappointment.
Yes, it was disappointment.
"Disappointment..."
What exactly was she disappointed about?
She had let go of everything related to him.
It was a fragment of her heart buried deep inside her.
Memories of the past, they remained in her life like ink stains that she couldn't erase.
"...How foolish of me."
Margaret quietly chastised herself.
How could she be so stupid?
To still harbor expectations even after being betrayed and hurt like that.
The hatred towards the boy had festered into maggots, gnawing away at her.
"Get a grip, Margaret Phyler... You're letting this foolishness get the best of you."
Margaret muttered to herself, biting her lip hard.
The girl, having burned away her thoughts about the boy with hatred, started walking again.
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