Romantic Troubles of Duanmu-kun

Episode 52: Extra Chapter – Yayoi

Hello.

I should say, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

You look pitiful, seemingly unable to speak or move. Hm? Nothing to discuss with me? You’re being too cold—you didn’t used to be like this.

After all, you’re my elder.

Oh right, recently I learned a way to forcefully start conversations from a certain friend… What’s with that surprised expression? It hurts my feelings. Of course I have friends! And he’s even a handsome boy with a gentle personality! How about that? Surprised?

…

…I’m sorry, I was lying.

Even though I really like him, you could say it was love at first sight. But I still can’t say such insincere things. Mm-hmm, actually his looks aren’t bad, but he’s not handsome or gentle at all, and his personality is just as terrible as mine.

Back to the main topic.

This is a story about my parents.

I was born into the Ogiwara family. Until I was six, our family ran a major enterprise that had been passed down for three generations, and I was the Ogiwara family’s only daughter.

My father married into the family. They say he was very capable at the company, and I saw more than once how strict he could be when scolding his subordinates. But he was gentle with family, and no matter how busy he was, he would always make time for us on weekends.

My mother was a beautiful and gentle woman. Because she was born an ojou-sama, even though she wasn’t young anymore, she still had an unworldly side, and sometimes you couldn’t tell who needed taking care of. Despite that, she was a woman who deeply loved her family and could be relied upon when it mattered.

They were both good people, and good parents. If they had any faults, it was that they spoiled me too much—they didn’t need to be so fussy. For someone like me who always wanted to be grown up, it was really annoying. If they had just let me grow up naturally, maybe I would have turned into a delinquent.

But, you know what happened after that.

Father’s business was forced to the brink of bankruptcy through despicable means. For the sake of the employees, father had no choice but to accept being absorbed.

At that time, though our circumstances weren’t as comfortable as before, we could still maintain a life for three people with the work father found afterward.

However, father wasn’t satisfied. Because the Ogiwara family business had been inherited through mother’s family line. He had promised the elders that he would take good care of both mother and the business, as they were the two most precious treasures of what was once the Ogiwara family.

Although mother herself didn’t really care about such things, father stubbornly decided to revive the Ogiwara house, and borrowed large amounts of money from banks and acquaintances.

…In the end, he failed.

Half a month later, father committed suicide. Even though mother had never blamed him, encouraged him every day, comforted him every day. But in the end, father still chose to give up his life, to give up on us.

I’ve always hated him. Even now, it’s the same. But… I’ve come to understand father’s feelings a little bit.

Death is an easy thing; those who must live on bearing burdens will only continue to feel pain and suffer wounds.

…

Afterward, mother and I relied on each other to live. Using the insurance money received after father’s death, we lived frugally while trying to repay the enormous debt.

Mother worked very hard. But what could someone like her, an ojou-sama who had never known hardship, really do? Soon, our living situation became unsustainable.

One afternoon, mother went alone to see that “only elder we could rely on now,” hoping they would help us for the sake of being family. Even if they couldn’t help repay the debt, even if they could just provide her with work like being a maid.

In the end, she didn’t return until night. When she came home, mother’s clothes were in tatters, and her hair, which had been neatly arranged in the morning, was a mess.

…It was strange. Though it had been less than a day, mother had suddenly become so thin, looking so weak that it seemed a breeze could blow her away.

When I tried to help prepare her bath water, mother slapped me. It was the first time she had ever hit me. She hit hard—my face hurt. After hitting me, she hugged the stunned me tightly, desperately repeating “I’m sorry.”

That night, mother went to bed early. But I knew very clearly that she never fell asleep.

“Hate… so dirty…”

All night long.

Hoarse whispers lingered in the bedroom.

A woman’s nails torn off, fingers exposed to flesh, dragging bloody marks on the wall. She kept muttering, repeatedly writing the same things. In that skeletal shell, only the ashes of hatred and resentment remained.

That night, I didn’t sleep either. Because after father’s death, my bed had been moved to their bedroom. I slept in the same room as mother.

To my young eyes, the person lying in bed wasn’t the mother who used to pat my head, sing me lullabies, and tell me bedtime stories… but just a monster hiding in the darkness.

So I trembled, trying hard to hide in the corner, staring fixedly at my mother. Unable to do anything. So afraid she would pounce over and eat me.

Mother’s wailing continued all night.

In the early morning, she crawled to my bedside.

‘Yayoi, you must remember. Use everything I have to make that man suffer…’

Avenge me and your father.

That’s what she told me.

Mother gripped my hand tightly. So tight that my wrist hurt. Mother wouldn’t let the frightened me who wanted to run away leave, forcing me to look her in the eyes.

The next day, when sunlight streamed through the window, she died. After I finally broke down crying and promised her, she quietly breathed her last in front of me.

Thinking back later, the reason I cried probably wasn’t because mother had been bullied and violated. It was because the woman I loved, who had always smiled gently no matter what hardships she faced, had disappeared from that point on.

I hate it.

I mean myself. What an extremely selfish, extremely terrible woman I am.

From then on, I was “bound” by mother’s words. Gave up all possibilities. How unpleasant—I was grown up, so why did I still need to be controlled by my parents?

…

My throat is getting dry, how uncomfortable. Sorry, you can hear clearly, right? The story about my parents ends here. Want to share your thoughts? After all, you were involved.

Hm? Shaking your head?

Is it that you don’t need to, or that you don’t want to?

Well, that kind of thing doesn’t matter anymore, since it’s been almost ten years. Ten years—people change and forget, don’t they? Oh right, relax a bit, I won’t do anything to you.

…Come to think of it.

Have you noticed?

The IV bag seems to have been switched.

Eh? What are you confused about? Of course I did it—who else could have?

…

Oh my.

That panicked expression of yours, I’ve never seen it before, it’s really interesting… *pfft* Sorry, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Poison?

No, that’s wrong, it’s not that kind of thing—

Hey, do you believe?

Actually, this emotion called “hatred” really can seep into your marrow.

I used to think that was nonsense. But when I received the last memento mother left for me, I understood. That was everything she left me.

It’s the world’s most violent and longest-lasting disease.

‘Use everything I have to make that man suffer’—

That’s what I promised her.

So, how is it?

The feeling of being filled with someone else’s remains… how does it feel?

For you who lives by sucking others’ marrow, it must be delicious, right? No need to rush, there’s plenty more, should be enough to completely fill your blood vessels.

But of course it’s not free.

I’ve already decided, afterward I’ll cut off your flesh and feed it to the Niwa family members. If they want to stay alive, they’ll have to obediently eat their former head clean.

…

…

Just kidding, I was lying. I’m not that malicious, you know?

Besides, doing that would be a crime, right? I won’t do anything that could leave evidence against me. After all, I still need to inherit the Niwa family’s wealth and power.

No problem. Without Niwa Enterprises’ support, they won’t be an issue… Then, in the Niwa family, only you will remain.

What’s wrong? What’s with that expression? Want to throw up? No, that won’t do, we can’t waste it.

If you want to pull out the IV tube, I’ll feed it to you… one… mouthful… at… a… time.

No, I’m not planning to let you off.

Only you must die.

Even if it takes ten years, I absolutely must kill you.

Until then, please enjoy a preview of hell while you’re still alive.

…

Fufu~ What did you say?

I’m crazy?

“Using family for this kind of thing, you woman must be crazy”… is that it?

Mm, perhaps so.

Just like you.

I’ll probably become an unforgivable sinner too.

That’s why I chose to give up my beloved family’s surname.

From today on, Ogiwara Yayoi is dead. What remains is just a ghost forever bound by the hated and detested name “Niwa.”

I will never receive salvation.

Isn’t that—

Only natural?

*

Well then.

It’s about time.

I should leave here and go complete my final revenge. My friend is waiting for me outside. Without him, I might not have had the courage to continue… I wonder if that’s lucky or unlucky?

Oh right, one last thing.

“Please do evil as you please.”

People like you who think they’re above others.

Just like before, indulge your desires, toy with weak women, deceive and persecute others. Violate them, feel smug about it.

Please go ahead and do so.

Just be prepared.

Because if you’re not careful—

You might catch the attention of terribly evil monsters like me, like “humans.”