Chapter29: The Genius of Self-Detonation
"Sa-Satoru-kun, what are you saying?"
"Isn't that right? Sacrificing yourself for your sister, it sounds so noble. I can't help but fall for you after hearing that~"
"..." x4
Hearing this statement that sounded like a "confession," none of the people present reacted with their usual gossipy or disdainful attitudes. Instead, their expressions turned rather unpleasant.
No matter how you listened to it, his words carried a very clear tone of "sarcasm"!
Normally, Satoru was quite easygoing, and even if someone mocked him coldly, he wouldn't mind.
They had never seen him speak in such a sharp, biting tone before.
"But, to be honest, I might have misjudged you a bit too. I originally thought you were a pretty good girl—after all, you're Mei's friend, so I was quite interested. It's a shame you turned out to be such a self-righteous woman."
"Sa-Satoru, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't cause trouble at a time like this!"
Hearing this, Mei, who usually talked the most with Satoru, hurriedly scolded him.
Seriously, saying such things now was just adding fuel to the fire!
"Who's spouting nonsense? I genuinely think so. Someone as lively and cute as you, with a great figure and a kind heart—your friends must be just as wonderful, right? Like Ayano~"
But Satoru didn't change his stance because of Mei's words. Instead, he continued saying things that were clearly meant to provoke.
"Ayano is the same. She might seem cold on the outside, but she's actually warm-hearted and soft-hearted. She can't stand to see others suffer even a little—how wonderful~"
"What are you babbling about, Satoru-kun? Could you speak in a language humans can understand?"
Even Ayano, who was being praised by him at that moment, furrowed her brows tightly and spoke with a stern expression.
...Though, it wasn't as if she felt nothing at all.
She just thought Satoru-kun was talking nonsense. She wasn't "warm-hearted on the inside" at all—she had always been like this.
And it wasn't that she couldn't stand to see others suffer; she just didn't want to see weakness. When she saw someone hesitating because of trouble, it annoyed her, so she'd help resolve it.
Of course, she didn't actively step in to solve the problem herself—she taught them how to handle it.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Whenever Satoru-kun saw her approach, he'd smile happily and praise her in all sorts of ways...
How annoying. Who needed his praise? It wasn't for him that she did these things!
Ahem, of course, these were just her inner thoughts—she'd never, ever say them out loud!
But right now, what was he even saying?
The situation was already tense enough, and yet he had to add fuel to the fire, making the atmosphere even more oppressive...
But what she didn't expect was that Satoru's next words would make the atmosphere even heavier.
"I just think you're all quite admirable—at least you're sincere and brave enough to do what you like. Mukuro-chan is the same, so pure... It's just this Asahi-san who's so hypocritical and cowardly, unwilling to face anything. In the end, she'll just be a failure~"
"..." x4
It had to be said—when it came to pissing people off, someone might truly have a talent for it.
At least upon hearing this, everyone present couldn't help but clench their small fists, countless rebuttals flashing through their minds!
Asahi, who was being criticized, looked stunned before revealing an expression mixed with grievance and distress, tinged with disappointment.
Even Ayano, who barely knew Asahi, thought Satoru had gone completely mad to utter such foolish words!
No matter what, this girl didn't deserve to be belittled to such an extent!
Moreover, anyone with eyes could see Asahi had only spoken those words for her younger sister's sake. Yet he still chose to mock her despite the circumstances...
Huh?
Unless...
When a certain possibility occurred to Ayano, her expression turned slightly peculiar. As she looked at Satoru, her gaze grew increasingly strange and somewhat resigned.
Simultaneously, Mei shared the same thought and expression.
As fellow Service Club members, they both knew how someone particularly enjoyed employing a certain tactic when dealing with troublesome situations.
Though they never approved of this method, he himself remained completely unconcerned.
Yet this approach always proved remarkably effective...
"Big sister is not a failure! She's the best sister in the whole world!!"
Just as they had anticipated, Mukuro—who had been in a "yandere" state—remained silent for a long moment before suddenly raising her voice in furious rebuttal.
Her tone burned with uncontrollable rage!
...She really took the bait.
Though they disliked supporting this person's methods, his "self-destruct" strategy remained incredibly effective!
"Is that so? Then why does your sister wear such a pained expression~"
"Eh?"