Chapter 255: Get Lost! I Don’t Need a Wife Like You!

She couldn’t control it.

Her body wouldn’t obey her!

It acted on its own, undoing the seatbelt.

It acted on its own, opening the car door.

It acted on its own, trying to flee alone.

“No…”

Stop it! Please stop!

Someone who deserts their friend in a crisis like this is a coward!

“What did you do to me?”

None of this made sense. Yukinoshita whipped her head around to glare at Himekoji.

[Quiet, don’t let the attacker notice.]

Himekoji gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand. His other hand pressed against his lips in a clear ‘shush’ gesture.

Their escape attempt had to stay hidden from the attacker.

“Doing what? You folks still got time for that? Ha ha!”

The attacker seemed to misunderstand.

Good. To avoid suspicion, Himekoji just went along with it,

“Stay calm, Yukinoshita. I just want to hold you. Nothing more.”

“Tsk tsk, hugging… How touching, yet so sour! Might be your last hug ever, better enjoy it. Oh, and watch the road while you’re at it.”

Although a ruthless killer, he wasn’t heartless. Helping some lovebirds now didn’t seem too bad anyway.

They’d all explode together soon enough.

Yes, exactly—

Despicable lovey-dovey couples like you should all blow up!

…

Quiet, yes, stay quiet, keep it hidden.

Yukinoshita clenched her jaw, unable to speak anymore.

She could only fix Himekoji with an unblinking stare. He sat there calmly, driving as if nothing unusual was happening.

With the door open, wind rushed in, roaring outside.

The wind of late May, the wind of a hot, sunny afternoon, was scorching and furious, making Yukinoshita’s eyes sting red.

The car carrying the bomb and the rescue vehicle drove side by side.

Yukinoshita’s disobedient body moved on its own: one hand gripped the door frame tightly, half her body leaned out, while the other hand stretched desperately towards the rescue team.

Below her feet, the road flew backward. The wind whipped her hair wildly. She yearned to look back at Himekoji just once. But she couldn’t. She had no choice but to let her body act on its own.

She didn’t want to jump. Didn’t want to. Didn’t want to run away.

The person still in that car, sitting on the bomb… that was her friend!

“Yukinoshita, we’ll be fine. Trust me.”

But no matter how unwilling she was, no matter how much she fought inside, her body acted in the next moment anyway.

Like a wind-up toy train, once started, it couldn’t stop, heading wherever its path led.

A rescuer standing in the back of the open-top rescue vehicle grabbed her hand. Yukinoshita leaped.

Driving at high speed, Himekoji had to keep the car steady. He could only watch her go out of the corner of his eye.

He breathed a sigh of relief only after seeing her land securely in the rescue vehicle, cushioned by airbags.

“Phew—”

His hands, gripping the steering wheel tightly, were slick with sweat.

[Ding!]

[Absolute Command deactivated!]

Regaining control of her body, Yukinoshita immediately turned back.

She saw Himekoji sitting alone in the driver’s seat, his face calm and quiet, solitary and somehow serene.

What kind of person stayed this composed facing death?

If he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he could escape death… then he was one hundred percent ready for it…

Which one was it? The first, or the second?

“Yukinoshita, we’ll be fine. Trust me.”

Had that come from a Pervert’s mouth? Truth or lie?

“Can you promise?” Yukinoshita yelled back. The roaring wind shattered her voice, scattering it.

But Himekoji heard.

Sitting alone in the driving seat, Himekoji, isolated, turned his head to look at her.

[Of course.]

Lip-synced words carried no sound. So, they brought the girl no comfort at all.

…

This scene felt so familiar.

Himekoji always seemed to be alone, didn’t he?

Even in the Service Club, sitting by himself, apart in the corner of the clubroom… it felt just like this moment.

He never fit in with anyone.

Even when surrounded by noise, right at the center of the bustle, you never saw him truly connecting with others, getting along.

Just watching him felt lonely and desolate, even though he never showed it.

But this time… Yukinoshita wanted to stay with him!

Right up until the very end.

And yet, Himekoji was right now, still…

Alone.

By himself.

Completely alone.

…

“Oh! A call!”

She remembered suddenly, pulling out her phone.

Her voice might sound strange over the phone now… but anything was better than silence.

“Himekoji’s number… Himekoji’s number… Himekoji…”

Her fingers paused over her contacts. Yukinoshita froze.

She realized… no… she hadn’t… she didn’t have Himekoji’s contact information at all!

Yuigahama Yui!

Yukinoshita quickly dialed Yuigahama Yui’s phone.

…

“Yukino-chan? Are you okay now? Thank goodness!”

Overjoyed and tearful, Yuigahama didn’t get to celebrate for long before Yukinoshita’s urgent voice cut her off.

“Akito’s number? Huh? Weren’t you two together? Ah, yes! I’ll send it right away!”

…

Alright.

Back to the familiar battle—alone!

The bomb would explode. No matter what, it couldn’t hurt anyone else when it detonated.

Himekoji took a deep breath. Once his resolve hardened, he gritted his teeth!

He stomped the gas pedal to the floor.

The car shot forward—60 kilometers per hour, 70, 80!

Swiftly leaving the rescue vehicles and police cars behind, he soon lost them completely.

“The car’s speeding up!”

A police officer noticed the anomaly first, shouting in alarm.

“What’s he trying to do?”

“He’s left the ring road—heading out of the city!”

“Wait! Why that road?!”

The officer checked the tracker and froze in disbelief.

Himekoji was driving straight toward—

the coastal Cliff!

…

“The number you dialed is currently unavailable due to poor signal or lack of power.”

The call didn’t connect.

Right—Himekoji had turned off his phone the moment Yukinoshita jumped out of the car.

“Liar.”

Her mind went blank; the phone slipped from her hand and fell outside.

Shattered into pieces on the pavement as the car raced past.

Honestly.

She’d actually believed that Pervert’s words.

…

Ding!

[Skill—”Voice Mimicry” equipped!]

Himekoji mimicked Yukinoshita’s voice—

“Honey, the fuel gauge is nearly empty! We’re running out of time!”

Shifted to his own tone—

“Honey? Hah, I’d never marry someone like you!”

“But you hugged me earlier~”

“So what? Even if we slept together, I’d walk away without a second thought!”

“Ugh~ Honey…”

“No! Don’t act cute with me—it’s disgusting!”

Stand-up comedy in split roles—that’s how Himekoji fooled the kidnapper and eased his own tension.

Though… maybe the joke went too far?

He almost threw up at how gross it sounded…

“Urgh—!”

But the kidnapper snapped first.

“Stop messing around! If you two don’t quit those creepy voices, we’re blowing the bomb!”

…