Chapter 119: Scumbag

Aoki Tsukasa followed the screams deep into the alley. The scene of filth and disarray, a stark contrast to the street outside, made him frown slightly. The twisting, turning junctions made the place feel like a labyrinth, but fortunately, the wails of the man ahead were loud enough to guide him.

"Help!" The sound made Aoki quicken his pace.

Finally, he found a man curled up on the ground, howling in agony. The man’s white dress shirt was smeared with grime from rolling on the ground, a scratch marred his face, and his glasses lay shattered nearby. His left leg was bent at an unnatural angle below the knee, his right arm hung limp at his side, and he clutched his own knee with his left hand, emitting pained groans.

Upon seeing Aoki, the man wept, snot and tears streaming down his face as he shouted, "Help me call an ambulance!"

Aoki frowned, looking at the man's wretched state. He took out his phone to dial, but asked, "What happened to you? Did something happen? Do you need me to call the police?"

"No, don't call the police!" The man’s voice turned shrill, causing Aoki to pause.

"Please, just call me an ambulance. I’ll give you money, all the money I have, just please help me." The man looked at Aoki’s fierce expression, trembling with fear as he begged.

His phone lay a dozen meters away. Under normal circumstances, it would be a few steps away, but with his left leg broken and his right shoulder dislocated, the slightest movement was excruciating. He was no action movie hero; he felt like crying for his mother.

Aoki hesitated, his thumb hovering over the dial button. He eyed the man's shifty gaze and pressed, "How did you get hurt?"

The man stammered, "I was... attacked by a freak. Please, don't ask, just call for help."

Sensing something was wrong, Aoki stood up, his expression hardening. "If you won't tell me what happened, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

Normal people didn't end up in alleys like this. What if he was a criminal? Why else would he be so afraid of the police? Aoki had no desire to get dragged into some major incident. As the man continued to stutter, unable to form a coherent explanation, Aoki turned to leave.

"I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!" In this godforsaken alley, if Aoki left, who would come by at this hour? The man’s expression was a mix of terror and shame. "I... I saw a girl on the street. I saw her walking alone in a place like this, and I couldn't control my evil thoughts. I wanted to... wanted to assault her!"

"I followed her into this alley, but before I could even lay a hand on her, she pulled a wooden sword from behind her back and beat me into this state..."

Hearing this, Aoki’s gaze filled with disgust. He looked down at the man and scoffed, "Scum! You deserve it."

"Please, I know I was wrong, just help me," the man sobbed, his face a mess of tears and mucus.

Aoki shot him a cold, contemptuous look. "Fine."

He pulled out his phone, ready to call the police, but stopped. If he called them, wouldn't the police pursue the innocent girl as well as this piece of trash? The level of violence might even be considered excessive force. The scum deserved punishment, but what about the girl?

Aoki stood in silence for a long moment, then put his phone away. He stepped forward, kicked the man’s phone further away, and looked down at him coldly. "Crawl to the police yourself, you scum."

The man looked up in despair. "You... you..."

Aoki just gave a cold smirk and brandished his fist. "Me? What about me?"

Seeing Aoki’s menacing look, the man shut his mouth, filled with misery and fear. Ignoring him completely, Aoki turned and walked away.

Even if the injuries were left untended for a while, at worst he’d be disabled. For someone who tried to assault a woman, that was getting off easy. If the girl hadn't been tough, she would have fallen victim to this predator.

He deserved it! Bah!

Aoki wanted to turn back and spit on him, but decided against it; he wouldn't give the guy any evidence to use against him. What if he claimed Aoki was the one who beat him? One shouldn't gamble on the moral bottom line of such human trash.

Still, what kind of girl carries a wooden sword? And with enough skill to beat a grown man into such a state?

As the keywords "girl" and "wooden sword" clicked in his mind, the image of a purple-haired girl popped into Aoki’s head. He shook his head to clear away the cool, enchanting face of Saeko Busujima and let out a dry laugh at himself.

How could that be? Busujima-senpai’s home was nowhere near here, and this wasn't on her route. Besides, Busujima-senpai was so gentle and understanding; how could she ever do something like this? Though... why did he keep thinking about her lately?

Aoki walked away with his hands in his pockets, leaving the man’s wails far behind him. In the dim alley, the scum crawled toward his phone, his twisted leg and useless arm dragging along the ground, his face contorted in agony.

Just as he was about to reach the phone, three small stray dogs appeared before him. Seeing their mangy appearance, the man was gripped by fear.

"Don't, don't come over here!" he shivered, pressing himself into the corner.

The three dogs had no interest in him; they were fascinated by the glowing screen of the phone, as if they had found a new toy. They circled the device, and the boldest one, Natto, tentatively touched it with a paw. Finding no threat, he picked the phone up in his mouth.

"No, don't! You beasts, give me that phone!" The man reached out frantically, but the other two dogs, Kuro and Shiro, bared their teeth and let out low growls.

The man froze, staring at their sharp fangs, and dared not make another sound. Natto calmly held the phone, cast a nonchalant look at the miserable man, and trotted away. Kuro and Shiro wagged their tails triumphantly, barked twice, and followed.

The man’s breathing grew rapid. Once the dogs were gone, he broke into a pathetic wail, "Mom, save me! Mom! I'm sorry! Someone, please save me!"

Unfortunately, his mother wasn't there.