"I'm back."
"From the president's place?"
On the sofa at home, Hayasaka looked up from her phone as the door opened. Rinji had returned from meeting Shirogane.
Rinji didn't say much after entering. He slumped onto the sofa beside Hayasaka and closed his eyes.
"What's wrong, Rinji? You look exhausted."
"Not exactly tired, but I did handle a matter of human relations," Rinji said with a smile. "How should I put it… seems like I've really changed a lot over this year."
"You'd already changed in the first term."
Hayasaka chuckled.
"Something happened?"
"I just talked with the president a bit. Even though I'm a villain, in the eyes of others, I don't seem entirely unforgivable," Rinji said. "Do you know that feeling? Compared to fear or hatred, trust feels more like a burden."
"I think I can understand a little."
"When I see those trusting eyes, I feel like I shouldn't betray them…" Rinji whispered, then turned to the quiet Hayasaka beside him.
"Ai, did you ever believe I'd become a good person?"
"Who knows."
Hayasaka replied.
"I saw with my own eyes how you struck down the Shinomiyas. The blood and flying limbs from that day still haunt my nightmares."
"Yet you still liked me even then. Stockholm syndrome?"
"No."
Hayasaka smiled.
"Though you were terrifying when you killed, I was always certain you wouldn't hurt me. Besides, I've said it before—I'll stay by your side. I'll shoulder your sins with you."
"…"
"I believe you'll become a good person one day, but not now. Maybe in the future," Hayasaka said with a gentle smile. "But that isn't trust. Trust puts pressure on people. I don't want you to feel pressure from me."
"Then on what basis do you think I can become a good person?"
"Think of it as a gamble."
"Hm?"
"I'll always stay by Rinji's side. If Rinji can become a good person, that's naturally the best outcome. If not, then I'll bear the sins together with you and we'll both go to hell."
"I see…"
"Rather than calling it trust, it's more like expectation."
Hayasaka reached out and gently tapped Rinji's nose.
"I chose to be with you carrying that kind of expectation. No matter what you eventually become, I'll never leave."
"Expectation, huh…"
Rinji raised his head to look at the ceiling.
The people around him all seemed to hope he wouldn't become the bloodstained executioner he once was.
"This might be very difficult. Maybe while I've been in Japan I've managed to restrain myself, but once I'm in a different environment I might turn back into who I was."
"It doesn't matter," said Hayasaka. "I'll keep on hoping."
"…"
"So?"
"That's just unfair." Rinji couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, just a moment ago, the president found out about the things I did in the past."
"Oh?"
"I told him about blowing up a subsidiary of the Shinomiya family four years ago and using weapons to bombard their main house, killing many people."
"You actually told that to President Shirogane? I thought you'd hide those things from your friends for life."
"Because I know the president has a strong sense of justice, that's why I told him. I wanted him to know I go against his sense of justice, and I also told him that my next plan was to slaughter the Shinomiya family members."
"I imagine that must have been very painful for President Shirogane to hear."
"I could tell just from his eyes that he was utterly shocked." Rinji gave a wry laugh. "After that, I gave him a choice: pick between friendship or his inner sense of justice."
"Your goal was just to make him choose?"
"I wanted the president to uphold his own justice. For someone like me to even be considered his friend is ridiculous." Rinji sighed. "But in the end…"
"In the end, he still chose to trust you, believing his friend would never do something so cruel."
"Yeah."
Rinji's eyes looked empty.
"I really do feel it's wonderful to have a friend I can trust, but sometimes trust can become pressure."
"I see. So do you really plan to kill the Shinomiya family members?"
"Of course not. If this was me in the first semester, I would've chosen without hesitation to kill them all. But now, I won't." Rinji looked at Hayasaka and smiled. "After all, my girlfriend wouldn't want me to do that, right?"
"If you really went to do it, I wouldn't stop you, though I'd be a little sad." Hayasaka also smiled.
"That just means you don't want me to do it."
"So when you'd already made your decision, you still made President Shirogane choose? The Rinji from before wouldn't have pulled a prank like that."
"I've helped the president so much. What's wrong with teasing him a little now and then?" said Rinji.
"Besides, I also wanted to know how the president truly sees me. We've been friends this long; I can't keep hiding everything."
"So what was the result?"
"The result was, 'as expected of the president.'" Rinji said.
"The president's trust is a kind of pressure. Your expectations are also a kind of pressure… I'll respond to his trust, and of course I'll respond to your expectations too."
Faced with Rinji's words, Hayasaka lightly nodded.
"Mm."
Pa~
As she softly replied, Rinji suddenly leaned sideways, resting his head on Hayasaka's lap.
"Rinji?"
"Too much pressure. Let me borrow your lap for a bit."
This was probably the first time Rinji had taken the initiative with physical closeness.
After a few seconds of daze, Hayasaka's gaze softened.
While gently caressing Rinji's blond hair, she said softly, "Mm, don't overdo it."
She clearly knew that for someone like Rinji, neither evil nor good could truly sway him. By nature, he could just do as he pleased.
But for the sake of those around him, he willingly gave himself restraints.
"I'll always stay by your side."