Yandere? Menhera? Bring It On, If You're Confident That I'll love You For Who You Are - Chapter 28

The Calm Before the Storm

Kurogane Rio had been waiting for her brother to return.

How long had it been since she started waiting like this?

Two hours, three hours—or perhaps, even a day.

It all began with a casual phone call from her brother.

“Nii-san…”

That day, by the time she realized it, the sun had already set. She had been found collapsed in the schoolyard, and it seemed that a passerby had notified a teacher who had been sheltering her, but the problem wasn’t just that.

“That’s the situation. As a form of reparation, I’ll ensure you have enough funds to live on for the rest of your life. So, give me Minato—your brother, okay?”

Just one sentence from Asagami Kanade—the childhood friend and lover of her brother—was replayed in Rio’s mind countless times.

Was this a divine punishment for her once despising her own brother?

The realization of her feelings towards her brother came when significant changes had occurred between them, around the time her brother entered middle school.

Naturally, it would take a year before Rio could go to the same school as her brother.

Rio felt a tearing pain in her heart as she watched her brother, who was always so confident, become obsessed with martial arts and that woman.

That’s why she did it—tore them apart.

She knew it was the worst thing to do, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She sometimes planted false impressions about her brother so that the people around him would avoid, dislike, and scorn him.

But her brother, with his almost pathological mentality, wasn’t fazed by such things.

So, she stole his smartphone and made up false promises, but even that had little effect.

Their feelings for each other were connected, much stronger than the bond with his sister…

“(No… I won’t… accept it! I won’t accept such a thing…!!)”

Rio’s days had become an endless nightmare.

She would never let such a tragedy happen again.

“Nii-san… Rio’s… Rio’s own Nii-san… Give me back my Nii-san, my Onii-chan…!”

Kurogane Rio screamed, as loud as if her throat would tear apart.

Don’t take him away.

My brother has to be with me.

I won’t let anyone have him.

I won’t let anyone touch him.

Never again…

“Haa… haa… haa…”

As Rio gasped for air, she took out a fruit knife from her inside pocket.

She then reached for the neck warmer wrapped around her neck.

Just like before, she wanted her brother’s attention, his care…

For that alone, Rio had once wounded her own neck. There was no regret, no pain.

Only the one-sided belief that this would make her brother look at her, that this would make him worry about her.

Fortunately, at the same time, Kanade was targeting Rio’s life through her uncle and aunt, and her brother at that time did not realize her intentions.

As a result, everything had gone as Rio had wished.

However, her heart was still unsatisfied.

She still yearned for her brother.

So now, she would erase the root cause.

So that her brother could never look elsewhere again…

◆

“Then, Sensei, I’ll leave this here.”

“Ah, thank you so much. You’ve been a great help.”

“Hehe… Don’t mention it. It’s my job, after all.”

The scene changes to the staff room at Hoshimiya Private Academy.

Amano Mio had just placed a few hundred sheets of documents on the desk as directed by the teacher.

“Sensei, about Kurogane-kun and Asagami-senpai…”

“Yes. There’s still no contact from them today. We’ve received a report from Kanade’s bodyguard, but her condition hasn’t improved.”

“Is that so?”

Mio’s face fell at the teacher’s words, concern clearly etched on her features.

“Well, it’s strange that we can’t reach his sister either.”

“If you’d like, I can check on Kurogane-kun.”

“No, if there’s no contact, I plan to visit him directly. There’s always the chance of an emergency.”

“That’s true… Thank you. Well, I’ll be going then.”

After confirming the teacher’s nod, Mio left the staff room.

“(It must be her, the one capable of doing such things…)”

After walking a distance, Mio stopped.

It all started from a small unease. After becoming aware of the situation, she even consulted Saotome Yuuya , a friend of Minato, but he showed no signs of being unnatural.

At first, she suspected Saotome Hina, who was the only one attending school, but if Hina was the culprit, her brother would surely show some change in his expression.

As for Kurogane Rio, it was no longer necessary to think about it.

Since there was already contact from the Asagami Group about Kanade’s absence, there was no need for further inquiry.

Mio smiled secretly, her hands trembling slightly.

“Being used by your sister and having no choice but to comply, I suppose? For her, who burdened you with the sin of murder…”

Mio continued to grip her fist without breaking her smile.

Deep down, she harbored anger and jealousy towards his sister.

She had thought about presenting decisive evidence to rescue him, but she knew he wouldn’t want that.

Any rash actions could reveal her identity to Hina or Kanade.

Above all—Mio closed her eyes quietly.

Of course, she believed in his safety, but she also felt that this time, the situation was particularly dire.

The true final battle involving Asagami Kanade, Kurogane Rio, and Saotome Hina.

Does he realize?

The tragedy unfolding before his very eyes…

“However, he will manage somehow…”

Mio had confidence. There was no basis for it, but she could assert it.

That is the essence of Kurogane Minato.

Yes… he never fails to meet my expectations.

No matter what obstacles, he will find his way to me.

Then I will break his heart, give him unparalleled despair, and make everything about him mine.

Only I, who share the same pain as him, can do that.

“Now, all I can do is wait for that moment to come. So please, come back soon, Minato—no, I’ll save that for later. This time, I’ll enjoy the view from above.”

And so, Amano Mio smiled again.

Who will survive, and who will perish?

A literal Battle Royale begins.