Vol. 4 Chapter 2.1

Translated by SoundDestiny Edited by Kaepinned

When the label came off.

“Hatsu Tashiro….”

I felt as if someone had called my name.

As if emerging from the depths of the water, my consciousness slowly took shape. With the awakening of my ego, my whole body creaked and the pain gradually returned.

‘Where am I…..?’

Something warm enveloped my wounded body. As I twisted and turned, the sound of water echoed in the darkness. If I moved around, I felt a rippling sensation on my skin.

‘Hot water? I feel…..calm’

Someone was holding my body. The warmth of our bare skin was touching each other. I felt a sense of relief spreading like rippling ripples from where we were touching.

“Uu…u…”

I tried to move around and I instantly felt pain. It was as if it wasn’t my own body. I was so exhausted by the violence thrown at me by my own club members that I couldn’t even speak properly.

“Have you awoken?”

I heard a voice in my ear. A calm, gentle……a man’s voice.

I opened my eyes dimly and saw the outline of what seemed to be a boy’s face in the darkness. Apparently, I was being held by the man and soaking in the hot water.

‘Who…?’

“Confinement King……that’s what they call me.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Was that not the name of the villain who had thrown us into this hell?

What was most terrifying was that this man replied to the voice in my mind.

‘W,what are you going to do to me…?’

“I’m here to help you, Hatsu Tashiro.”

‘Help…..? What are you saying, you idiot? It was you who did this to me in the first place.’

“I’m glad I made it in time. It sounds like you were treated very badly by the club members. It must have been hard for you. But it’s all right now.”

‘It was your fault that I was treated so badly!’

As I howled in my chest, I heard the sound of a sigh leaking in my ear.

‘Indeed ….. this man can hear my heart speak……’

“It can’t be helped if you feel that way…….But think about it again. Are you dying because you were whipped? Or are you dying because I did something to you?”

‘It’s not because of the…..whipping. It is true that I was…… beaten up by my friend……club members, but …….it’s because you confined us!’

“Even If I confine them, why did you all start hurting each other? Is that what you call a friend?”

“Uu…u…”

I almost shouted. However, the only thing that came out of my mouth was a grunt.

‘Don’t make excuses! It’s because you pushed us into a corner! People are weak creatures!’

“Yes, they are. They are weak creatures. That’s why I have to protect the people I care about. I locked you up because some of you have shamed my loved ones. They stripped her naked, took photos of her and gave it to lowlifes who demanded her body. And the photos are still in the hands of those four people. Now, what would you do?”

‘Uh, ugh, sorry about that……. But!!! That doesn’t mean you have to involve everyone who isn’t……involved. I could help you identify the culprits, and talk……to them’

“What if those pictures leak while you’re doing that? My loved ones could be hurt very badly by it, you know?”

“T,that’s….”

“I’ve been watching you. I’ve seen you try to be right and to be strong. Are you right now, protecting the guilty and allowing people I care about to get hurt?”

‘That’s not what I mean!’

I raised my voice in my chest.

But the statement that he’d been watching me for a long time caught me off guard. Did this mean that this man had known me for some time?

“What do you mean then?”

‘I told you, people are weak. We will make mistakes. We hate our sins, but we do not hate others. I was just trying to protect the members of the club, just like you protecting your loved ones. And I did not approve of hurting your loved ones!’

“I understand that people are weak. You put yourself on the line to protect the weak. But what was the result? Those weak people almost killed you. Why was that?　Was it because the people you were trying to protect were evil?”

‘No! Because of their weakness!’

“Then let me ask you this. Isn’t it arrogant for you to think that others are weak and you have to protect them?”

‘No, it’s not…’

“No, it’s arrogance. And before that, it’s an illusion. You are weak. You were almost killed because you are weak.”

‘B,but I think I did the right thing. And I’m even proud of the fact that I risked my life to do what I believe is right.’

“The right thing huh? ….Then, then let me ask you once more. What do you think about the fact that your friends are now also on the verge of death because of your complacency in trying to fulfil what you believe is right?”

‘Wh-what do you mean?’

In the darkness, white noise ran across the screen.

The screen switched to reveal an image of a room peering through a doorway.

“This is the scene that one of my favourite princesses is actually seeing right now.”

In the image, Shima was lying limp on the floor. The image of the members of the club who came together and kicked her in the foot was shown.

‘Shima! Stop it! Make it stop!’

“This is what……your so-called righteousness has brought about. To save you, your friend gave herself up. This is the negative cycle of a weak man drunk on false righteousness. And you, the weak one, can only watch your dying friend with your fingers holding your mouth. She is dying because of you.”

“Uu…uu…..”

“Does this still make you feel righteous?”

“But, I…… don’t mean to……”

I heard his sigh again in my ears as I was trying to say something.

“Why do you have to be strong? How did you come to have such an illusion that you have to be strong, that you have to be right?”

‘……..Illusion?’

“Let me put it this way. Hatsu Tashiro is a strong girl, Hatsu Tashiro is a righteous girl. How did you come to have such a misunderstanding?”

‘It’s not a misunderstanding…..’

“Humans are weak. That’s what you said. You are also weak. But there are people who force you to play a role that requires you to be strong and right. Hatsu Tashiro, a good girl, tried desperately to be strong and right in order to live up to expectations. Isn’t that right?”

‘…….I don’t get it.’

“I am sure they all admired you. Hatsu-chan is strong, Hatsu-chan is serious, Hatsu-chan is right. It is only you who are like that, you become convenient to the people around you.”

‘No, I’m not! I was……born this way myself…..’

“On the contrary, I’m sure the inconvenienced people would have been repulsed. That’s why you were almost killed this time. Annoying, uptight, troublesome person, pretending to be good…..you’re supposed to be on the right path, but they won’t admit it.”

‘But he……Hiratsuka-kun likes me strong and righteous, and if he……admits that he likes me, then I’ll be ….with..’

“Listen to me! I do not dislike the real Hatsu Tashiro, who is neither strong nor right! But because of your weakness, you’ve been at the mercy of the labels people have put on you, that’s what I’m saying!”

‘Labels….?’

“That’s right! A weak, ignorant girl, deceived into believing that she had to be this way, a false image of being 『righteous and strong』……that is the current Hatsu Tashiro……face it!”

── False image.

It was a shock. I had never thought of it that way before. But I was slowly convinced. No, I was convinced.

When I didn’t know what to do anymore, I burst into ragged tears.  What on earth was I? What was I going to do?

“Uuu…..now that you mention it…..”

In the deep silence, only my sobs echoed.

I was frightened by the feeling of being left alone in a dark world.

At that moment──

“Hatsu Tashiro, I love you.”

At that single word uttered by the Confinement King, my eyes widened involuntarily.

‘Wha! What are you saying all of a sudden?’

“It’s not all of a sudden. I’ve told you, I’ve been watching you for a long time, haven’t I?”

‘B,but….’

“Now I have the power. I can save your friends and save yourself.”

‘You’re taking advantage of my weakness and trying to cage me……!’

“You can think that if you want. But I know you are weak. I don’t care if you are weak and helpless. I love you, Hatsu Tashiro. It doesn’t matter if you’re not right, it doesn’t matter if you say it’s hard when it’s hard. It’s okay for you to be just as you are…….I can accept that in its entirety.”

His words sank into my cracked heart. I could not resist even if I wanted to.

‘Is it……okay……to be weak?’

“I’ll save you first to prove it.”

The next moment, I felt my lips being sealed.

“Nnnn……!”

The sudden kiss made me twist and turn in a panic. But my weakened body could not resist.

The taste of the liquid poured slightly into my mouth. It was sweet. As soon as I thought that, I felt my body temperature returning to my body.

“Open your heart for me, Hatsu Tashiro.”

“Open……my heart…..?”

As soon as I muttered this in a somewhat fawning head, a light like a six-pointed star began to flicker in the surroundings.

‘Wh,what’s that?’

“This hexagram is the proof that you became my property. A hexagram that shows you loved me, Hatsu Tashiro.”

In the flickering light, I caught a glimpse of the man’s face.

It was a somewhat familiar face. I could not remember who he was , but……I’d certainly met him before.

He was not a handsome person but for some reason I found it endearing. I felt it.

‘H-have I become this man’s ……?’

The devilish man who had done us a terrible disservice.

But my body and mind trembled not with anger but with pleasure.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Was it the liquid that poured from my lips to my throat or was his voice that recognised me, that had been cast away like rubbish? No, I must have been subjected to some dubious technique. Yes, it must be. It must be.

It was not my fault. It was not my fault. This was surely something inevitable.

In the hands of this man, I was nothing but a weak and helpless being. I was weak. I was a pathetic woman who could not even protect herself without this man’s protection. I could not even help my friends, I was just a woman without power.

But that was what made me feel so comfortable.

Now, irresistibly, my heart desired this man.

“I …… can be weak, can’t I? It’s okay if I’m pathetic, isn’t it? In front of you…..”

He nodded his head in response to my question.

×××

「The status of Tashiro Hastu has been changed to 『Submissive』. Accordingly, the following functions are now available.」

「Room creation level 8──up to 28 rooms can be used at the same time.」

「Furniture installation level 7──you can install extremely luxurious furniture in your rooms.」

「Special equipment (courtyard)──A courtyard can be installed.」

「Mysterious Dreams──You can show any dream to the person sleeping in the specified room.」

An echoing electronic sound. I stared at her in my arms while listening to it.

She had slanted eyes and a beautiful bridge of the nose that looked as if it had been traced with a painted brush. Her pale pink lips were reminiscent of flower petals.

Her waist-length black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and even now, in her weakened state, she exuded an air of dignity.

“I…… I am now yours, aren’t I……?”

Her cheeks burned as if in a fever, her eyes closed silently and I placed my lips on hers again.

‘I’m kissing that Tashiro-san…..’

Despite my calm demeanour, my heart was about to burst with joy. My relationship with her was as far away as the distance between Earth and Jupiter. I was about to overflow with unexplainable emotions at the fact that I had pulled it off with all my might.

Even if I dug back into my memory, the only connection between her and me was that we were in the same class in the first grade. That was all there was to it. Of course, there was no dramatic drama between us.

In fact, she only remembered me as 『vaguely familiar, but I don’t know who I am』. In her story, I was only a supporting character and a minor one at that, mob A.

She was really good-looking.

She behaved as the absolute leader of the class and was principled. She never tolerated bullying or being left out. So I didn’t remember being bullied in my first year.

Now that I remembered, she was really awesome.

She took the initiative to do the dirty work and never asked for praise. Her straightforward words had a persuasive power that could not be denied.

She had a dignified manner, a sharp gaze and a kind smile that she sometimes showed.

She was the protagonist of the story and I was mob A. I thought from the beginning that we were inhabitants of different worlds.

Therefore, the feelings I had for her were far from romantic feelings. For example, they were completely different from the feelings of love I had for Masaki-chan. The expression [admiration] was closer to reality.

Therefore, when I found out that Hiratsuka-kun and Tashiro-san had started dating, I did not even feel jealous. I thought it was something that happened in a world far away from mine.

At the time I locked up the 18 members of the track team this time, I was not aware that she was among them. I only became aware of her existence when Lili told me to『choose four girls of your choice from among them』. I spotted her in the panel floating in the air and felt my fingertips tremble.

I thought that I might be able to make that Hatsu Tashiro mine.

I parted her soft lips and inserted my tongue. I felt her body jump.

“Fua…Aa..a..”

Her breath was sweet and hot, melting my eardrums.

I traced her gums and twirled the tip of my tongue around them, and her tongue, timidly as if frightened, responded in kind.

“Chup, chup… Jyururi…”

The sound of the water echoed and my excitement grew higher. Gradually, her tongue also began to boldly seek my tongue.

‘So, what am I supposed to do…..from here?’

I could not make a bad move at this point. I began to recall from my mind the lecture Lili had given me just a few hours before.

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