Chapter 94: Responsibility
“Noyoru Yokota?!?!”
Looking at the black-haired boy in front of her with disbelief, Kazumi never thought she would see a colleague from the convenience store she worked part-time at at her doorstep.
“Mhm.”
The black-haired boy sat on the stairs, his eyes fixed on something ahead as if waiting. When he saw the figure appearing at the top of the stairs, a flicker of light flashed in his absent-minded eyes, and he immediately stood up and walked towards the girl.
“What… what are you doing here?!”
Yokota Noyoru’s sudden movement startled Kazumi. Perhaps it was the boy’s fierce appearance and his height, which was a head taller than the girl, that gave him a considerable oppressive aura.
Kazumi instinctively took a step back, her right hand lifting slightly. In a place they couldn’t see, a black skull tattoo silently appeared on her wrist.
“I…”
The boy seemed not to notice the flicker of fear in Kazumi’s eyes. He walked straight up to the girl, bowed respectfully, and said with a serious tone.
“Thank you for what happened yesterday!!!”
Noyoru Yokota was definitely involved in what happened before. Even the most timid thug would not be easily scared by Kazumi’s frail appearance, even if the girl was holding a weapon at the time.
And since this incident was caused by himself, Noyoru Yokota couldn’t just stand by and watch a girl be bullied by these people in front of him because of him.
Noyoru Yokota was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. If it weren’t for the thugs constantly threatening Manager Masamori and his small shop, these people combined would not have been a match for Noyoru Yokota if he hadn’t used his abilities.
Of course, it felt great to beat up these thugs with Kazumi, but when they were actually caught by the arriving police and taken to the police station, Noyoru Yokota only felt worry.
Perhaps due to the severity of the offense, or perhaps the preferential treatment that psychics generally received, Noyoru Yokota was not severely punished at the police station. After all, he was a psychic but did not misuse his abilities, and he only subdued the thugs without causing any actual harm. Therefore, Noyoru Yokota was released quickly.
However, from the words of the police officer who guarded him, Noyoru Yokota eventually learned everything the girl had caused: three minor injuries, one serious injury, a moderate concussion, and a potential risk of paralysis. Basically, he was an assailant who attacked with malice.
And Kazumi, who caused all of this, could not easily leave the police station. She would basically have to wait for her family to come to discuss further handling of the situation.
He hadn’t spent much time interacting with this cold girl who wasn’t good at communication. Other than explaining his job duties on the first day, the two basically had no communication.
For Noyoru Yokota, who already didn’t have much affection for women, this was a comfortable situation. This petite girl, who only studied and worked, also slightly changed Noyoru Yokota’s impression of her. At least she wasn’t as annoying as the women in his class who were superficial due to their abilities and family background.
And after that incident, it truly made Noyoru Yokota have a completely different impression of Kazumi. Whether it was the girl saving him, or the unforgettable words “coward” that lingered in his mind, or the unspoken thanks that he still couldn’t express to this day.
All of this made Noyoru Yokota develop a different feeling towards this cold and small girl, unlike any other woman.
Originally, in Noyoru Yokota’s eyes, the word “woman” was probably associated with words like “betrayal” and “filth.”
When his father’s company went bankrupt, his mother did not hesitate to leave with the property she had, leaving Noyoru Yokota behind to be raised by his father who was burdened with debt.
In order to make up for the company’s outstanding debts and the living expenses of his young son, Noyoru Yokota’s father, despite his already not-so-healthy body, also went to construction sites that required sweat and blood.
Although it was hard work, they could still make a living, and by working twice as hard, they gained a little breathing room.
But accidents always happened to ordinary people who were already miserable. In the year Noyoru Yokota was in junior high school, a small earthquake completely took his father’s life.
The collapsing scaffolding directly crushed his father’s fragile body. Even the rescue heroes who rushed to the scene couldn’t save the life that was already lost at the very moment of the accident.
That summer, Noyoru Yokota, who had saved enough pocket money to buy his father, who liked to smoke, a pack of the cheapest cigarettes, returned home to find the police in uniform informing him, and behind them, his father’s body tightly covered with a white sheet.
Disasters always favored the poor and ordinary. After experiencing the pain of losing his father, the boy had to face everything that his father had shouldered with his not-so-strong arms.
The father’s debts, the pressure of life, the relatives’ coveting of his father’s compensation, and the bullying from the so-called delinquent girls in his class.
Destroying a person probably only takes one incredibly bad day.
And everything Noyoru Yokota had experienced was still a bad day every day. Life did not crush this resilient boy; instead, it made him mature ahead of time.
He studied diligently, disguised himself with a delinquent appearance, and severed ties with those dirty and disgusting relatives. Even after enduring many difficulties and setbacks, this boy who had his own principles did not fall into depravity, and he kept working towards the goal that he and his father had hoped for.
And Noyoru Yokota had also experienced impulsiveness before. In fact, if it weren’t for Manager Masamori’s help at the time, his life would probably have been spent in prison, let alone entering Shikoku High School to study.
“So… what did you come here for?”
Listening to what the other person said, Kazumi slightly straightened her body, and the ability she had gathered in her hand slowly dispersed. She looked at the serious black-haired boy in front of her and asked.
Noyoru Yokota looked at the cold girl in front of him, a deep sense of guilt flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath, as if he had decided on something important.
“In three years, I will have graduated from Shikoku and entered the workforce. With my abilities, I can get a job with a good income directly by joining an agency, which will be enough to cover the compensation you need to pay.”
“During this period, I can visit you once a week. If you have any needs, please tell me, and I will do my best to meet them.”
“I am willing to make any compensation for the injuries sustained due to the case.”
Looking up at the girl in front of him, who had a hint of astonishment in her eyes, Noyoru Yokota raised his head and said word by word with determination.
“Kazumi Shimizu, I will be responsible for you!”
