Shinanai Otoko ni Koishita Shoujo Vol 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 02: Immortal Boy and the cutting Girl

………..

But unfortunately I’m not a normal human. I played dead, waited for the killing Devil to leave and then went home. I was lucky that my sister was already asleep. Who knows what she would have said when seeing me like this. I changed my clothes and secretly disposed of my perforated clothes. I don’t really care for fas.h.i.+on, so I have a couple of sets of the same clothes. I’m sure my sister won’t notice it.

While oppressing a yawn, I dwelled on my surprise. To think the killing Devil was girl close to my age. Guess as a law-abiding citizen and brother of a policewoman, I obviously ought to report her. Reminds me, yesterday I abandon the guy she killed by prioritizing my own escape, but I wondered what happened to him. I felt a bit guilty. Well, even if I don’t do anything, someone will report the found of the corpse to the police at some point. I brushed it away irresponsible. That d.a.m.n organization didn’t really do anything in the case of my father even though my sister urged them to. That’s why I didn’t really like the police and didn’t want to have to do with them. It seems my sister made some enemies when she tried to bring change from within, so that no one would have to suffer like me. I respect her for such a honest approach.

“A donation please!”

Normally the student council is responsible for such activities, but at our school it’s a complete volunteer work, done by interested people. But coming to school early on a already sleepy morning and having to call out to others, only to be awarded with the invisible medal called good deed, sounds all tempting, so obviously I also partic.i.p.ate…. As if. But interesting enough, year after year, a whim brings people to step up for the task, so I guess humanity isn’t beyond help yet. Thinking that I at least have to help out a bit too, I took out my wallet from my pocket and hesitantly picked a 50 yen coin from my already small allowance (which was reduced even further due to the happenings last night), when I suddenly heard a cheerful voice.

I put the 50 yen coin back into my wallet and quickly started to leave. I was careless. I totally forgot about the person, who would 100% b present at such an event.

Trying to escape the criticism-glares of the other students, I wanted to enter through the school gate, but my path was blocked by a girl. With her height shorter than mine by 1-2 head length and carrying a box with her small stature, she looked more like a grade schooler that got a present from Santa instead of someone asking for donations.

First, she was extremely pa.s.sionate about volunteer work. She pa.s.sionately partic.i.p.ates in all kinds of volunteering, which people usually find annoying, from city cleaning to talking with the old folks at the nursing home, not just collecting donations. What’s more, she’s not doing with a hidden goal of gaining credits or the favour of the teachers, no, she simply does it out of goodwill and that’s what makes her strange. In short, she’s a credulous girl from birth on.

There are a lot of delinquents like the ones from yesterday, who are after me. That’s because somehow all high schools in the prefecture fell under my control, since I won all the fights due to my power. Everyone here at school thus fears me. I believe that to be only natural, but Kuon Rin was treating me strangely friendly after we became cla.s.smates in our second year. At first I was annoyed by it (and I still am), but to a certain degree I had resigned myself to my fate and at least replied to her.

“Yeah, but it’s not going well, so I’m troubled. Just one or ten yen are fine, just donate.”

“Because everyone thinks like that the box won’t fill!”

“Aw, what’s with you. Don’t pull back now”

I fished out a 100 yen coin and dropped it into Kuon Rin’s present box, I mean, donation box.

“OH! Hehe, thanks. Like I thought, you’re a good guy, Kugu-chan!”

“Reminds me, did you hear about it, Kugi-chan?”

“Heard what?”

“….They say close by a murder happened.”

“Gya! Stupid Kugi-chan! You spat on me! So filthy!”

“So mean!?”

“Sure, it’s surprising, but not so much for such an exaggerated reaction…”

I can’t really tell her that I witnessed that murder. Rin continued.

“What kind of funny tale is that?”

Just stop with the Juumonji.

She only kept the Juumon.

“Yeah, that! That whatever-Devil was at work, they say. How eerie.”

“Yeah, some to you, Kugi-chan. Be careful not to run into him by chance on your way back from the convenience story late at night.”

“Joke?”

“Yeah. See you later. Oh, right!”

She nodded, her serious expression (for her at least) from earlier changed into a bright smile and she said,

“Transfer student? What a lame time to transfer in. I mean, the year is almost over.”

“You do that. I’ll pa.s.s.”
I gave Rin a light chop on the head, shrugged and headed to the cla.s.sroom.

A transfer student is always welcomed with great expectations. Will it be a beautiful girl? An honour student? Will she have big b.r.e.a.s.t.s? Or great legs? Will it be a handsome guy? Or an model? Such rumours were already going around in the cla.s.sroom before homeroom.

“Who will it be~ Who will it be~”

“Let’s see. Average communication skills, average socializing, average grades, average athletic and after a few weeks he/she will have blended into the cla.s.s like any other. That’s the kind of transfer student we will get.”

“Call it being realistic”

A shocking encounter once or twice in your life is more than enough. And there are also plenty of women and men, who don’t even have that and just get past the age for marriage in simple admiration for a fated partner after seeing a horoscope in a magazine or a love movie.

First our homeroom teacher, who barely left any impression on us since the beginning of the 2nd year, stood at the front.

Everyone was closely listening to this set phrase. Our homeroom teacher fixed his gla.s.ses, maybe in an attempt to create a short silence. Then he faced the door and said,

I put my elbow on my desk and was the only uninterested one within all my fired up cla.s.smates. Reminds me, I wonder of that killing Devil attends a school normally. She unexpectedly might be some honour student. On TV news you often hear people commenting about the culprit with “He didn’t look like a person to do such a thing at all”, but if that’s true, then the “Madman who realizes his own lunacy” which I spoke of yesterday, might actually exist. Such a person would always consider how to kill the neighbour, who greets friendly with a ‘Good morning’, or a friend, who suggests to go home together. All while wearing a smile that doesn’t give any doubt. That’s quite scary.

Rin’s voice dragged back my consciousness. While I was deep in thought, the transfer student had entered the cla.s.sroom. Since I was staring into the void, I focused my gaze toward the front.

…And right that instant, I froze up.

Technically, I’m a realist. I don’t believe in fate and such. But only now it was different.

“Kugi-chan, she’s cute! So nice. She seems so elegant. Maybe she’s rich….. Kugi-chan? What’s wrong?”

was just surveying the cla.s.s.

“….”

“….”

and me stared at each other for roughly ten seconds.

Upon the teacher’s question, averted her gaze.

When she said that with a calm voice, the teacher nodded and pointed her to a seat in the corner of the cla.s.sroom.

nodded and started walking. Everyone was in awe by her elegant moves. Her movements were the personified neatness and by no way ironic but purely natural.

That’s why I was in doubt.

pa.s.sed by my desk on her way to her own.

“…Come to the back of the gym during lunch break. Don’t run away.”

I watched the well raised “elegant transfer student”, who got chatted up as soon as she sat down.

“What are you doing here….?”

The only girl to know the answer—-
The just smiled peacefully.

Lunch break.

The stale atmosphere behind the dim gym was void of people.

I leaned against the wall, crossed my arms and thought about her intention.

But… I s.h.i.+fted my attention to another possibility. Kirisaki Kyouko said that she transferred due to her father’s work. Is that really true? I thought of the area of operation. Because she killed all over j.a.pan, the police had a hard time making a profile of her. What kind of person is it? What actions were taken and how? But what if… If the killing Devil is a student, transfers all over the place due to “father’s work” and continues the murders at each place? Basically, she didn’t keep on moving from place to place to avoid being caught, but because it’s her original lifestyle. Then these strange patterns would make sense.

I heard that voice after I reached that conclusion. I look around…. There she was.

“…I hate women, who made me wait. See ya.”

“Don’t run”

“…Are you really the boy I killed back then?”

“I told you not to run away.”

“I’ll ask once more, are you the boy from back then?”

I emphasized every word. Kirisaki Kyouko then gives a surprisingly meek answer with “I see”. She might have really thought I’m just a look-alike. Man, don’t scare me so much. Just when I thought I’m saved, Kirisaki Kyouko said a single phrase as it were the obvious development.

Come again? I didn’t even had the time to ask that.

Wait, bear-panties!?

I was stabbed.

Obviously caught off-guard, I let out a silly loud. Even if I’m immortal and even if I feel less pain than the average human, I would obviously let out a voice when I’m suddenly stabbed in the side by a knife that could easily kill a crocodile.

I protested while Kirisaki Kyouko pulled out the knife without a word. I could see blood coming out from the hole in my uniform. After a single “Mmh”, Kirisaki Kyouko grumbled,

Then h.e.l.l broke loose.

SLASH.

“….What?”

She replied shortly. Of what?

Hey, hey, d.a.m.n body? Come on.

“That just a facade. Everyone’s creating a fake self so that their school life goes smoothly.”

“…Nothing?”

Kirisaki Kyouko blinked. And after a small silence, she swung her knife, cleaning it from the blood. She flipped her skirt. h.e.l.lo again, bear panties. Just stop it.

What’s with that precise number.

Thanks for that trivial information that I didn’t even want to know and won’t be any useful.

Considering to complain to her, I looked at her, but seeing her shoulders slightly trembling, I was shocked. Wh- What? ….Is she crying?

“Hey, you done now? You obviously noticed it already, but yes, for some reason I won’t die. So, now that you know that, there are two problems.”

“First, what are you going to do about my uniform that got riddled by your totally crazy knife handling. You’ll obviously compensate me, won’t you. I want to inquire about that responsibility.”

“And the second one, well, that’s the most important one—- Is about you, the ”

“It’s you, isn’t it? That cross wound inflicting serial killer. Maybe I should call it bad luck, but my sister works for the police. You’re the offender and I’m the victim. I don’t think I need to tell you what I will do, right?”

“What will you do? Will you turn in yourself? Whatever reason you might have had, what you did is unforgivable. Any sin has a designated place for it to be judged…..Well, I’m just quoting my sister here. Anyway, if you will turn in yourself, I’ll refrain from reporting you.”

Kirisaki Kyouko was crying. Tears were spilling from her big eyes and falling onto the ground.

“…ful.”

What was that?

Kirisaki Kyouko said that, nearly whispering. I couldn’t hear it well. I perked my ears. At that moment,

She raised her voice. Unlike from before, her expression was now a bright smile, like that of a kid, who just got his long desired robot toy…….Huh?

She spread her arms and firmly grabbed my shoulders. Wh- What’s with this development!? I was bewildered by her unexpected action.

“N-Node Kugito”

Don’t call me by my given name!

“Please, Kugito!”

“Go out with me!”

Without doubt I made a puzzled expression that could easily be considered top cla.s.s in my relative long life of 17 years.

“—-Become my lover, Kugito!”

It was after school.

“What are you doing, Kuon.”

“Ah, Kugi-chan! …Huh, why are you wearing a jersey?”

“Oh, you leaked a s.h.i.+t.”

Rin raised the garbage bag in her hand. Mh, certainly the half-transparent bag showed empty cans, juice packs, even a weekly manga magazine and a double-leaved 18+ book, which I would hesitate to buy.

“You’re doing it every day? Well done. You’re so hard-working.”

“Well, someone has to do it or it’ll turn into a big dumpster. And then n.o.body would be able to eat here anymore. One hour after school isn’t much work.”

I was impressed. I wouldn’t help in such an ungrateful activity, but that were my honest feelings.

But Rin is just too innocent. That’s why she doesn’t hesitates. She helps others and does good deeds like it’s a given.

I was secretly admiring that innocence of hers. I don’t mean to be arrogant, but the only people I have acknowledged are my sister and her. And they probably won’t be any others. Though it’s annoying when they become frolic with me.

How many people are out there that won’t use the excuse of “anyone can do it”? Just as less as there are people who convince themselves that “it has to be done by someone”.

I asked that because I felt that it would leave a bad aftertaste otherwise. I believe such an action to be worth being called a good deed.

“What?”

“….When did you get a girlfriend?”

“What’s more, she—-” Tilting her head, Rin was ascertain the situation. “is the transfer student, Kirisaki Kyouko-san… isn’t she?”

When I gave a vague answer, besides me—- yes, even though I don’t want to admit it, but besides me Kirisaki Kyouko, who had silently followed the conversation so far, smiled.

“Ah, yes. You already remembered my name. That’s impressive.”

“Ah, I see….. So?”

“So, could it be, you two are currently going out?”

Kirisaki Kyouko was looking down while putting her hands shyly on her cheeks, which suddenly got a red dyeing. It was even creepier than Jason in Sat.u.r.day the 14th.

Gyaaaaaaa! I didn’t even have anything to say back anymore! Just kill me here and now! Ah, wait, I can’t die!

“No, it seems you’re under a great misunderstanding here. There isn’t a single sane person would take this girl as a girlfrOUCH!”

Kirisaki Kyouko asked me while she had her knife stabbed into me where Rin couldn’t see it. Stop it! Don’t twist it!

“N- No, you see, actually she (twist, twist) Gaaaah… It… It’s nothing….”

“Isn’t it time for us to go, Node-san?”

“Okay. See you.”

“….Hey.”

“What?”

“….Normally, in such a situation, one would step me on the foot, no? Why a stab? Why would you stab me?”

No buts! Don’t try to act cute!

“….Sure. Actually, say.”

“Are you serious about what you said at lunch break?”

“I am”

“An, that.”

“To be honest, I don’t want to be arrested.”

“Chill out. Let me finish.”

“…There’s one way for me to avoid arrest and for you to be satisfied.”

“It does.”

“Where’s your house?”

“We can hardly proceed our conversation when I didn’t even know where my boyfriend lives.”

“Then come to terms with it. I want to talk somewhere alone.”

“You’re going to rape me? There’s an order to things.”

“Are you praising me for having a brain where the information seeps in easily?”

“It means you’re an idiot, whose brain is full of holes.  Anyways, I won’t let you into my house.”

“….Can’t be helped. Let’s go to my house.”

“Don’t be selfish. I’ll stab you, Actually, let me stab you.”

“Hahahahaha. Let’s go.”

“I won’t eat you. On the contrary, I’m quite sweet in bed.”

Kirisaki Kyouko looked at me puzzled, when I  pressed on my temples.

The apartment was a not so long walkable distance away from our Public Meitou Academy. Build some decades ago, the building was brittle, the wall had cracks and the whole building was covered in an unbelievable amount of ivy. It looked like monster would appear here or rather it would be strange for them to not appear.

“Yep”

“Where are you parents?”

“So you’re living alone, huh.”

“I’ll explain about that too. Come in.”

I hesitated for a moment, then sighed after seeing her urging me in.
Then I set foot into the room of the killing Devil.

It was a room with surprisingly few furniture. The kitchen and refrigerator aside, there was a Kotatsu in the middle, a small television at the wall and a closet. That’s all. Only the notebook on the Kotatsu was standing out in this oddly plain room.

“I prefer it simple…is what I would like to say, but I just don’t have the money.”

“No, I myself. My father pays for my school tuition, but I pay for all the rest myself. I can’t waste money.”

“I work part-time.”

“….You’re a nice guy.”

“My first time being called that.”

She went into the kitchen, poured water in a kettle, put it on the gas stove and turned it on. After a few clicks the gas finally ignited, revealing that it was quite old.

I put my legs under the Kotatsu. It was only turned on just now, so it was still cold.

An unpleasant image flashed in my head.

“You condemn me now?”

“I see. That’s a good mindset.”

Kirisaki Kyouko sat down in front of me. My feet started to get warmer.

“Drawing the line?”

“So that’s why you live alone, apart from your father, and earn you money with compensated dating.”

“Huh? But you just said it yourself, that there’s no need to play after the rules when in need for money.”

“I- Is that so”

“p.u.b.erty, huh, Kugito.”

“Ufufu”

“Enough of that. While I’m at it, let me tell you that I don’t plan to go to university. After graduating high school I will cut all ties with my father and just live out my life reasonable with a part-time job like I’m doing now.”

“What comes that comes. I’ll just die in the fields then.”

“Well, yeah.”

“That’s just self-satisfaction. What you should be doing first is to hand in yourself.”

“So?”

“How does it turn out like this?” How does she reach that conclusion.

Kirisaki Kyouko put her hand onto her chin and her gaze faded off in deep thought. Then,

She said with a nod after a certain silence.

“First off, like you said, I’m the recently discussed serial killing Devil. Seems people on the internet got really excited about it and gave me the name .”

“Right now, I’m known throughout the world as a criminal with a fancy for bizarre murders—-The so called ‘Psycho Killer’. But I myself believe that I’m not like that.”

“Have you cut meat before?”

“Well, yeah. But what about it?”

“Huh?”

“How you ask… Nothing special. I just cut the meat. That’s all.” Actually, is there any person who holds a special feelings towards cutting meat?

Kirisaki Kyouko put her hands under the Kotatsu, pulled out the knife from her holster with a clicking sound and put it on the table.

“That’s quite the jump.”

“….I haven’t.”

“Then have you m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.ed before?”

There you have it. I’m a normal healthy high school boy.

“There’s that too, but don’t worry, there’s a meaning to it.”

“Verbal taunting is proper method, you know?”

“…Now then, normally s.e.x, or alternatively masturbating is done to experience s.e.xual pleasure. The peak of that is called o.r.g.a.s.m or climax and because it feels good, most people either play with themselves or use their partner’s openings. You following?”

“What, you like them all shyly? Say so earlier. So, to what extent? The virgin type that doesn’t even want to show her b.r.e.a.s.t.s? Or when her pus—”

“….Okay. Well, I’ll hear it from you in detail later. So, ultimately all people do the same stuff, but reaching that state depends on the individual and is divided into various cases. When there are people who can only get it on with women with huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then the opposite is also true. When there are people who only accept men or women in their prime years, then there are also people who only get excited over children that haven’t grown any hair down there.”

I said with a slightly disgusted voice. Maybe influence by my sister, who works in the department responsible for juvenile crime, but I have a hidden hate towards that kind of person.

“…I see. I follow most of it.”

I made an expression that said “So what?”, so Kirisaki Kyouko said,

“What?”

That’s too frank.

First she started killing animals. At first were mice, then the hamster she kept, followed by sparrows, crows and pigeons in the neighbours. Then she slowly switch to lagers one like cats and dogs.

Cutting the stomach, gauging the flesh, taking out the innards, lining them up all disa.s.sembled and indulging herself in the lovely view.

Suddenly a sound from the boiling kettle broke the atmosphere. Kirisaki Kyouko stood up swiftly and went into the kitchen. After a moment, she put down cups with tea in front of me and her. Though not entirely, I didn’t feel like drinking it. Just like she guessed my feelings, she took her cup and drank first.

She put down her cup. THUD.

She didn’t remember the turning point. She thinks it might have been from seeing an anatomic model on some experiment show on the education channel or from a disa.s.sembling ill.u.s.tration in a cooking book.

Wondering how much pleasure it would give her to plunge a blade into a big body, pierce the flesh and letting the blood gush out. With time she couldn’t suppress the urge, that started to grow in her, anymore.

Anyone was fine her target. Introduced by a bad friend, it seems she was doing a compensated dating imitation since then. Seeing a middle-aged salary man walking with her, who was younger by more than ten years, all happily made her think “He might be a good target”.

Better than anything she cut before. An irresistible pleasure that was hard to oppose, pa.s.sed through her body. She didn’t care about the man’s terrified expression at all. Her aim was to cut. To stab. To gauge. To pierce. That was all.

After that.

“That’s…. how you became a serial killer, huh”

“… I had no choice.”

“No. …Humans are weak. They die when you stab them. It’s not like I wanted to kill them. But… they just died.”

“You have no right to claim that as having no choice.”

“….I know.”

“No excuses, no shackles on me will change the fact that I’m atrocious criminal. I’m aware of that…But, I can’t stop. I just can’t stop.”

“I asked my father to transfer me over to a new school with some random excuse after a fixed period. My father prioritized work and was the kind of guy who says “I’m raising you since I’m responsible for bringing you into this world, but there’s no love for you in me. So my weird wishes or question—-everything that had to do with me, must have been a pain for him—-were left unanswered.”

With a small nod, she said,

“…Even so, I can’t let you go.”

“But?”

“….I met you.”

“When I saw you, who I supposedly killed, in the cla.s.s I transferred to, I was surprised, but at the same time had a fine hope. ‘Maybe…’ and then ‘Don’t tell me’, I thought. It couldn’t be, but…It actually could?”

“You—”

“are , aren’t you?”

I somewhat knew where this was going, so I didn’t want to answer. But I couldn’t endure her gaze filled with expectation. So I soon moved my chin.

“So it’s true….”

“I once again ask you….Please go out with me.”

I saw that coming and lost all words.

Bending down, she grabbed my hand and begged me with a desperate expression.

“….Even if you say that…”

Lovers with a killer? And only to get stabbed? Where’s the gain for me in that?

But….From what I just heard, she obviously needs me. Not the unreal between lovers that you see in dramas or movies, but in it’s literal meaning. Without me, she would certainly break soon.

That’s certainly true. From the routes I should take, it’s the safest one for me.

She also thinks of herself as an unwanted human. That’s why she separated herself from her father and is spending a third-cla.s.s lifestyle. She’s the same as me.

But that dream was scattered with my birth. To protect her little brother that was receiving abuse from the father, my sister chose to become a policewoman instead of a novelist. If I didn’t exists, my sister might have become a world-wide renowned writer. Even if not, she would have been at least something that she truly wanted to be herself.

I knew since long ago that I’m unwanted.

Yeah, from the beginning I was a human that no one wished to be alive.

I lost hope in that.

That’s why she’s begging me.

“….”

….Saving people isn’t my style. But—Now that I have met her, I might get away with claiming to had no other choice.

“Okay.”

“….I’ll go out with you.”

I drank my tea, that became completely cold.
It tasted horribly bitter.

“The world sure is peaceful…”

The paper was reporting about recent incidents. A mother killed her five year old daughter with an axe. A grandfather repeatedly s.e.xual abused his grandchild. An a.s.sault by a stranger for the stupid reason of “You bought what I was just going to buy”, which ended in murder. A man, who lived together with his dead lover for more than three years, believing she would come back to life.

“Really, so peaceful. Killing and getting killed out of stupid or nonsensical reasons just shows it’s serene. A world where the majority of crimes are committed out of “inevitable situations” like fighting over food or being ordered by a superior, is way more dangerous.”

“….It’s cold.”

“Come in.”

“Was there some movement?”

Opposite from the contents, the voice was really monotone and echoed through the broad room.

“, who’s under surveillance, made contact with a boy.”

“But it wasn’t a normal encounter.”

“Let’s hear it.”

The man let slip a “Hoo” from his mouth.

“That’s not all. It seems the two of them became lovers.”

“Are you sure?”

“Wow….”

“The world sure is interesting.”

“Mh?”

“Hoo.”

“It seems he has restarted his activities that he put on a hold before. For now there’s one victim, but it probably won’t end at that. What should we do about it?”

The man moved his hand to his chin and deep in thought, he remained silent. After he while, he opened his mouth.

“You mean?”

“Then I’ll arrange everything.”

The man looked up to the ceiling with a snarl. Then he raised a finger.

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand the meaning of your question.”

It followed a small pause. Then a dry voice could be heard.

“Your reason?”

“And that will lead to victory?”

“I see. But you know, in the past there was a match between a chess computer, who learned a million moves, and a famous chess genius. Who do you think won?”

“It was the computer.”

“Basically, it means we won’t know what happens until we try it. Who do you think is stronger? The genius or someone who copied the genius?”

“Don’t you find it interesting?”

“But… What if the first fails?”

“I understand. Then initiate it as such.”

“I’m not your secretary, so please do it yourself.”

“Excuse me.”

“So not cute…. No, that’s another kind of cuteness? Whatever. It’s gotten… quite interesting.”

At that moment the wall flashed and became a display.

A gaze that pierced you. White skin. A small body that hid a wonderful physical strength. The display was showing the girl talking with a boy.

The man mumbled with a little smile.
“Genius killer—-Kirisaki Kyouko”.

Blood dropped from the knife in his hand and made a red puddle on the asphalt. A swing send fresh blood flying and the blade made a dull sound upon hitting the wall. The same action was repeated over and over. Over and over with no end. Every time the knife clinked and blood flew around. It was just like the blade was weeping.

A man on the ground before him. He was laying on his back feeble and limp. He was no longer breathing and his body had countless wounds. All of them were caused by his knife and ended his life.

“….Aw, my Lord”.

He waited until his hands stopped shaking and then took a big swing.

He cut the body vertically, is if he were to stab pull it. There was resistance in the flesh, but thinking of it as part of the ceremony made it n