She no longer controlled her emotions, tears welled up from her eyes, one hand clutched the clothes on her chest tightly, her hair disheveled.
"Sento, do you have to force me like this!"
Her trembling voice was no longer calm, but filled with suppressed roars, "You want me to choose, you want me to choose! Do I have a choice? What else can I choose besides accepting Haruko!"
Ichiko smiled through her tears, "Just like you said, she's a yandere, very dangerous, I know that too, but what do you want me to do? Abandon Haruko? Or ignore her? Or perhaps send her to a mental hospital?"
"Sento, originally, if we had just broken off our relationship, it would have been fine. If we met in the future, we could still be strangers who nod to each other. If you ever had any trouble in the future that didn't endanger Haruko, perhaps I could even help."
"But why do you have to force me!"
"Do you have to make me choose between her and you!"
Ichiko's chest rose and fell continuously, large gulps of cold air entering her lungs, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Her body couldn't stop trembling, unsure of what she was afraid of.
Yes, it would have been fine as long as they broke off the relationship in front of Haruko.
With less contact afterwards, they could still be like ordinary friends, like strangers.
If Shin or Inari were here, perhaps they would understand the meaning behind Ichiko's words.
But Sento, still forcing her as usual, pointed at Haruko and said, "Why can't you choose? Whether a yandere can be cured is beside the point. I have money and resources to hire a professional psychological Doctor to diagnose and treat her. If you care about her, I can also help you."
"You've never believed me at all, so how could you possibly choose me!"
Ichiko chuckled, "How can you expect me to believe you?"
"How many times have you said things like that in front of me? 'If I hadn't stopped it', 'Just giving me face', 'If it weren't for me, Haruko would have disappeared long ago'. Do you even remember how many times you've said words like that?"
"Are you trying to say it's for my own good?"
"You like me, and this is how you constantly PUA me, constantly using Haruko to pressure me?"
Sento waved his hand dismissively, "I didn't!"
Ichiko roared, "Then what you just said, about keeping Haruko here forever, is that fake too!"
"The way you reached for the knife just now was really pathetic."
"An adult man, the young master of the Kyoto Ye Family, a CEO with a net worth of over a hundred million, developed murderous intent just because he couldn't stand a little girl?"
Ichiko said coldly, "Forget it, Sento. If I had a choice between you and Haruko, I wouldn't choose you either!"
The words were completely spoken.
The memories and affection of the past were also severed along with Ichiko's cold laughter.
If the words just now were merely breaking off the relationship in front of Haruko, perhaps there would still be a chance for interaction in private.
But now, Ichiko was going to completely break with Sento!
Anger was extinguished by Ichiko's words.
Sento laughed distractedly, "You have no choice, just because Haruko is a yandere?"
She's crazy, so she gets all the favoritism?
Ichiko shook her head, her eyes no longer holding any fondness or lingering affection for Sento, "I said it at the banquet before, didn't I? Haruko grew up with me, she's my only one. Why do you think spending four or five months with me could replace her?"
She is irreplaceable!
"Besides, I've always treated you as a friend."
Another cold sentence was uttered, and Sento finally turned from pain to laughter.
Then, he became somewhat maniacal.
"Haha... Hahaha!"
"So, all of this was just my unrequited affection."
"I'm not even as good as Haruko?"
"I'm actually not as good as Haruko!"
Sento took a step forward, the accumulated snow under his feet seemed to melt.
His eyes were bloodshot, like a prelude to turning dark.
"Ichiko, you don't think a simple, dismissive break-up can clear everything up, do you?"
Sento stood in front of Ichiko, looking down at her and Haruko in her arms.
His smile was unsure whether it was self-mockery or relief, "I've spent so much on you, invested so much, you kept me hanging on, and now you're telling me to break up?"
"How will you compensate for the reputation, money, and connections that I, Sento, have invested!"
His aura was dark and surging, looking like he was about to turn dark due to his breakdown.
Ichiko held the already fainted Haruko tightly, her hand hidden under her sleeve, trembling as she spoke, "Sento, what exactly do you mean?"
"Ten million!"
"Wh-what?"
Sento revealed a sinister smile, "Several banquets, the people I invited, were all ruined because of you and Haruko. Do you know how much that cost? At least ten million, right?"
"If you don't pay back this ten million, do you think I'll let you go? Or are you saying, you two ordinary people, want to oppose me, Sento, want to oppose the Yamato Family?"
Sento covered his face with one hand and laughed wildly.
The feeling of flipping the table is truly good!
Seeing Ichiko purse her lips, looking pained and conflicted, Sento couldn't help but feel pleased.
This Kyushu City is the Yamato Family's domain!
However, just as he thought victory was within his grasp, a voice came from afar.
"Isn't it just ten million? I'll pay it back for them!"
Sento suddenly looked up, only to see a one-armed man covered in knife scars slowly walking over.
The man's face was gloomy, his sturdy body seemed to contain immense power, and every step he took melted the snow under his feet a little.
And by his side, there were several other men dressed like thugs, their faces covered in scars.
"Who are you?"
Sento still swaggered towards the one-armed man, sneering, "Don't you know that this Kyushu City is my, Sento's, domain!"
The man's face was grim, veins bulged on his remaining right arm, and he delivered a swift, heavy punch to Sento's abdomen.
The tall adult man vomited bile all over the ground from mid-air, actually flying a full 10 meters away!
In Yuna's words, his anger did not diminish, "I am their brother!"
And the bodyguards who had been enjoying the show on the side only just reacted at this moment.
Just as they were about to rush over, they were knocked down by a punch from Mana, who had already made his move first.
But at this moment, several cars drove over, and the bodyguards Sento had called earlier also just arrived.
Yuna clenched his fist and waved to his subordinates behind him, "Dare to hurt my Little Sister, leave them all here!"
Yuna came to Ichiko's side, his gaze suddenly softening, "Ritsuko, don't worry, I will protect you."
Then the softness turned sharp, looking at Sento, who was clutching his abdomen, his face contorted in pain.
Burning with rage!
It seemed that due to the arrival of the crowd, the surrounding temperature rose.
Ichiko just quietly held Haruko like this, not daring to touch the small knife in her abdomen at all.
Two lines of hot tears flowed down from the corners of her eyes again.
The screams of fists meeting flesh were incessant, as if turning into the buzzing tinnitus after a sonic boom, gradually fading away.
Everything around them seemed to be in slow motion.
A gust of wind blew.
The snow became heavier.
Ichiko lowered her head, reached out to stroke Haruko's pretty face, and tears involuntarily dripped onto her face.
Her eyes were unsure whether they were tired or empty, and her forehead rested against Haruko's.
Ichiko's voice was hoarse, her lips trembling, and she whispered softly, her tone full of confusion and fear.
"Hey, Haruko, this is the choice you wanted, right?"
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