Chapter 256: Even So, Yukinoshita Wanted to See Him

“What?! He’s driving that car to the coast cliff by himself?!”

Officer Nakamura, still at the crime scene gathering evidence, gasped in horror at this sudden news.

“What’s that guy thinking? That was never part of our rescue plan!”

“The bomb… it was more powerful than expected. He seemed… like he was trying to keep the blast away from us.”

Faced with his furious boss, the timid assistant could only stammer out the facts.

“So that’s his reason? Playing the hero alone? Sacrificing himself to protect us police? Damn it, are you all useless?! Since when do the police need hostages to shield them? This is upside down, upside down, upside down! Cops are the ones who sacrifice themselves for citizens! I’ve never heard of it going the other way! After him! Stop that car!”

“Y… Yes.”

Frowning deeply, Officer Nakamura paced back and forth rapidly. His heart felt like a stone. Finally, gritting his teeth, he made his decision.

“No. I need to go myself to see this through!”

Even though he knew, deep down, it would all be over long before he arrived.

“But… The criminal hasn’t been caught yet, Sir. If you leave now…”

How troublesome! Officer Nakamura rubbed his temples irritably.

“Any results on the signal trace?”

“Not yet…”

“After this long? You still haven’t tracked one phone signal?”

“The suspect is cunning, he…”

“Enough! I don’t want excuses!”

“But… we just received an anonymous tip, Sir! It says the suspect is hiding at Kinkaku-ji Temple in the Rokuoji District…”

It was completely unknown if this tip was reliable, but with the situation desperate, the assistant blurted out every scrap of information he had.

“We have a lead? What are you waiting for then? Get a team over there, now!”

Blazing with anger, Officer Nakamura barked orders, practically glowering.

“But what if… What if it’s a trick? A decoy from the crook…”

The assistant’s protest was silenced by Officer Nakamura’s impatient wave.

“No ‘what ifs’! Anything is better than sitting here wasting time! Fine! You take charge of the team. I’m heading for the coast cliff.”

Shouted in anger, the police conversation was clearly overheard by the nearby students.

“Hime… Himekoji plans to… sacrifice himself?”

The word “sacrifice” felt too harsh, too terrifying for these teenagers used to their safe environments.

Tobe spoke, his spirit broken, his teeth nearly chattering.

Himekoji… Himekoji got into that car because of him!

…

As Officer Nakamura wrenched open his car door, someone suddenly grabbed his sleeve.

“Please. Take me with you.”

It was one of the students.

Officer Nakamura frowned.

“This isn’t something students should…”

“He’s my Onii-chan! And… And Onii-chan is just a student too!”

Officer Nakamura fell silent. It was true.

Right now, the person driving the bomb-strapped car towards the cliff alone was just a young student himself.

After a long moment of silence, Officer Nakamura finally nodded.

“Alright.”

He opened the car door for Akiko.

“Your brother is very brave. You should be proud to have a brother like him.”

“My brother… my brother is… just an idiot!”

Having held back her tears until now, Akiko finally burst out crying at those words.

The girl sank into the back seat, burying her face in her hands. Her sobs were small and muffled.

…

“Officer! I’m coming too!”

By the car window, Yuigahama yelled and banged on the glass.

“Take me too, please!”

Tobe clung desperately to the car door, finding a last straw to grasp.

His only hope now was Himekoji’s safety. Otherwise, he could never forgive himself for being the coward he was – that weak, useless coward who’d stepped back.

No, not like a coward. He was one.

The coward saved by Himekoji.

The coward who got Himekoji killed.

…

“Warning: Cliff Ahead. Drive Carefully.”

The sign stood out starkly by the roadside.

“Hah—”

Himekoji exhaled, relief washing over him.

He’d made it. Just before the gasoline ran out.

“Well, time’s almost up, guess it’s time to say goodbye.”

The criminal’s voice came through the phone, smooth and unhurried.

“Hey. You’ve been chatting with us this whole time. Aren’t you worried about your signal being traced?”

“Puhahaha!”

The criminal exploded into laughter, as if he’d heard the funniest joke.

“That really isn’t your concern. Ever wonder how I disappeared cleanly after every job?”

“Pure luck,” Himekoji replied softly, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

“Huh?”

The criminal on the phone thought he must have misheard.

“Luck? Luck? Luck?”

He repeated the word three times.

“Yeah,” Himekoji stated firmly. “Nothing but luck.”

“When I committed crimes before and didn’t run into you, how lucky you were!”

As his words ended, Himekoji finally saw the Cliff.

It was empty and unwelcoming; few tourists ever came here, no matter the season.

But Himekoji came.

On that very day!

He kept staring fixedly straight ahead at the road, and a smile slowly grew on his face.

That smile wasn’t cool at all. It didn’t match Himekoji’s handsome face; in fact, it was a huge difference.

The smile was twisted, fierce, crazy, and full of violence—the kind of smile Himekoji had never shown before.

But—

This was also the best smile Himekoji had ever had

since becoming a Pervert!

He stomped hard on the gas, and the engine roared.

“Clothing Explosion!”

Himekoji ground his teeth and yelled out low in his heart.

[Ding!]

[Clothing Explosion succeeded!]

[All stats increased by 300%!]

[Ding!]

[Desperate Boost triggered!]

[All stats doubled again!]

The fast-moving bomb car sped up more, sped up more, kept speeding up!

Charge!

Without looking back!

Toward the Cliff!

……

“You think not meeting you was my good luck? Joke! Who do you think you are? Just a hot-headed idiot about to be blown up!”

“What’s wrong? Weren’t talking? Got the nerve to keep arguing with me? Talk!”

“Huh, hold on…”

The slow-witted thug finally realized something was off; he suddenly looked at his phone screen and saw that the other person had hung up long ago.

“Damn it! How dare you hang up on me?!”

The thug angrily pressed the button to detonate.

……

The car rushed out over the Cliff!

“Boom!”

Still in mid-air, it exploded into a fireball and crashed into the sea.

The blast swept grass and rocks away from the Cliff edge.

The huge explosion noise shook the sky; the sound waves reached kilometers away.

Officer Nakamura was speeding fast toward the Cliff in his car. Just before arriving, he heard that explosion noise, and his face turned stiff.

Pale with anger, Nakamura slammed his fist hard into the steering wheel!

The black smoke slowly rising in the distance was enough to say what happened.

That high school student probably… was in great danger.

……

“My god! How did this happen?”

The just-arrived rescuers stood shocked and couldn’t believe it; they went silent for a while, had to accept the sad truth, and slowly closed their eyes.

But Yukinoshita couldn’t accept it!

The girl jumped off the rescue truck, raced desperately to the Cliff.

She wanted to see Himekoji.

Alive!

He had promised!

Even though she knew he was a liar, a liar who had just tricked her once.

Yukinoshita still had to see him.

……