Chapter 49: Madwoman
Madwoman
“Fufu… Mizuki, was it? That girl playing house with Yu-chan.”
Aika-san, who had been using the phone she stole from me to exchange messages with Mizuki-san, turned her gaze toward me.
My hands were bound behind my back, rendering me utterly helpless.
I had completely miscalculated.
Because she hadn’t done anything drastic on the first day, I never imagined she would resort to such extreme measures.
“Spare me your sanctimony. You’re the one who abandoned Yuki and ran off to another man.”
I knew provoking her was reckless, but I couldn’t swallow my anger. The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Oh my, so that’s what you were told too, Yuna-chan? That man, honestly… How insufferable. As if I could ever love anyone but Yu-chan.”
The ever-present cold smile on Aika-san’s lips wavered.
When it came to Yuki, she seemed incapable of masking her true emotions.
“Whatever the circumstances, Yuki will always see you as the one who betrayed him.”
“Are you sure you’re not talking about yourself, Yuna-chan?”
Aika-san let out a soft, almost delighted chuckle.
But her eyes remained dark—deep, bottomless, and filled with something twisted.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? You’re the real traitor—the filthy little bitch who betrayed Yu-chan. And yet you dare claim he’s the most precious thing to you?”
She waved the phone in front of me, taunting me with a look of pure disdain.
I had deleted every exchange with Senpai, but a single glance at my messages with Yuki was enough to reveal everything.
“…”
Staring at the undeniable proof of my past mistakes, I found myself at a complete loss for words.
“I’m nothing like you. I was merely deceived by that man—an immature fool who was so jealous of his own son that he tore apart the bond between Yu-chan and me.”
I had a vague sense that “that man” referred to Yuki’s late father.
“And that woman… The moment I was out of the picture, she tried to make Yu-chan her own—tried to steal my place as his beloved mother…”
Aika-san’s eyes darkened further, murky with jealousy.
“So I simply removed them—for Yu-chan’s sake. His false father. His false mother. Because in this world, no one loves Yu-chan more than I do.”
She spoke those words in a trance, her gaze lovingly directed at Yuki, who wasn’t even here.
And yet, despite everything, that gaze was gentle. Overflowing with pure, unwavering devotion. I understood that. No—I shouldn’t have, but I did.
Even so, I refused to accept her.
“That doesn’t justify what you did! Do you have any idea how much Yuki suffered because of that incident?”
Yuki—the boy who had lost all emotion.
The one who had driven him to that point was standing right in front of me.
“That’s only temporary. If I just love him enough, fill the emptiness inside him, he’ll return to the way he was. But those fools refused to see something so simple. They tore us apart again.”
I was completely overwhelmed.
By the sheer weight of her madness. By the sheer weight of her fury.
This woman—she had come to despise every human being except Yuki.
And for her, Yuki was the only thing that mattered.
Faced with such a creature—one who had long since abandoned the realm of ordinary human emotions—I felt something inexplicable stir within me. Jealousy.
I had always believed that no one loved Yuki more than I did. But for a fleeting moment, I thought—I can’t win against her.
And in that same moment, I almost… envied her.
But then, I realized something.
No matter how deeply this woman loved Yuki… that love would never bring him happiness.
No matter how much one loves another, love alone does not guarantee their happiness.
Perhaps… that applied to me as well.
“Listening to you just now, I finally understand. You are nothing but a poison to Yuki.”
That’s why I made my decision—I would fight.
Because this woman was my enemy. Because she was nothing more than a madwoman who threatened Yuki’s happiness.
“Oh my, you’re not just a harmful influence on Yu-chan—you’re less than worthless. So tell me, what exactly do you think you’re saying now?”
The lunatic before me smiled, her eyes filled with mockery.
“Yes… If bringing Yuki suffering is the only alternative, then I would rather be nothing at all. In a way, I suppose I should thank you for making me realize that.”
“Fufu. I had thought to keep you around, to use you as a stepping stone to reconnect with Yu-chan… but if you’re worthless, then there’s no need to bother.”
As if to prove her words, all emotion drained from her gaze. She no longer even saw me as a person.
But then, as if struck by inspiration, her lips curled into an amused smile.
“Oh, but I suppose even trash can have its uses. You’re not bad-looking—perhaps I’ll let you serve as entertainment for the men. Let’s start with Mutou, the driver. He’ll be back soon, and I’m sure he’d love a little reward.”
The meaning of her words sank in, and I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.
My parents didn’t know where I was.
In the first place, I had been taken somewhere completely different from the original apartment, rendering any previous precautions meaningless.
The phone’s location-tracking app, which had been one of my safety measures, had likely already been deleted.
As a last resort, I had deliberately dropped my student ID in front of the apartment, but that was a gamble. It wasn’t a guaranteed safeguard.
That left me with only one real hope: Mizuki-san.
Maybe, just maybe, she had noticed something off about our exchange.
But even if she had, she wouldn’t suspect anything unless she already had reason to believe I was in danger.
In hindsight, I should have warned her about this lunatic from the start. The regret gnawed at me.
As I was desperately trying to think of a way out, the woman’s phone suddenly rang.
She answered in an annoyed tone—but then, within seconds, her voice twisted into something else. Elation.
“Huh? No way… You’re kidding… Fufu. So the heavens really are on my side. Fine, bring him here.”
A chill ran down my spine. I had no idea what had happened, but a terrible premonition clawed at my chest.
It was impossible, unthinkable. And yet, the worst-case scenario began to take shape in my mind.
And then, just minutes later, my nightmare became reality.
“Yuki… why? Why did you come here…?”
The words fell from my lips in despair, and with them, my last shred of hope crumbled. I hung my head, completely and utterly defeated.