Repaying the Favor EP.19
"Are you done saying your goodbyes?"
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"...Yeah, I've submitted my withdrawal letter, everything."
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'Of course, I only said goodbye through a letter... But anything more would be a luxury, so I should be satisfied with this.'
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"Oh, and this."
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I handed the document with Hoshino's signature to the man in the black suit.
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"I brought it as promised, so keep your end of the deal, black suit."
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"Hehehe, of course. I'll keep my promise. So don't worry and let's go."
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The man in the black suit led me outside to a car.
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"I just get in this car?"
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"Yes, this vehicle will take you to the lab in the middle of the PMC base."
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"...Alright."
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As I got into the car, I looked at Abydos one last time.
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"Hehehe, this is exciting."
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"I only offered a small bit of help, but in other words, you're my creation."
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"We'll study and analyze such a creation, understand it. In other words, use it for experiments."
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"This is the interesting experiment we've been wanting to observe."
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"Ta-da!"
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"Look, Hoshino-chan! I finally found an old Abydos desert festival poster!"
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"Back then, the oasis was as wide as a lake. Here, it's a souvenir!"
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"Hehehe... Isn't it awesome? If a miracle happens, people will come back here again and..."
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"There are no such things as miracles, senpai."
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"Such convenient things don't exist in this world!"
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"H-Howoo..."
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"Why would people come to the middle of the desert?! Stop with the dreamy talk!!"
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"Uung... But Hoshino, I'm s-sorry... I'm such an idiot..."
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"...Miracles, luck, blessings..."
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"You are the student council president of Abydos! You need to be more aware of the weight of responsibility on your shoulders!!"
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Zzzip, zzzip- zzziip!
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"I'm sorry Hoshino-chan..."
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"Huff...! Huff... Huff... Wh-Where am I...?"
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It was early morning, just after sunrise, and Hoshino, who had been knocked out by Sora, opened her eyes and looked around.
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"...This is my house?"
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As she looked around and realized she was in her own room, she couldn't understand why she had woken up at home.
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"W-Why? Just a moment ago, I was in the classroom with Sora-chan..."
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She had been talking with Sora just moments ago.
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But thankfully, her confusion didn't last long.
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"Yes, you go to sleep first."
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Fzzzt
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"Ugh!?"
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"Ah..."
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She remembered Sora, slightly, no, she remembered Sora knocking her out with a stun gun last night.
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"...Sora... Why would you do that...?"
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But this time, she couldn't help but question Sora's actions.
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She couldn't understand what Sora would gain by knocking her out.
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"Why on earth..."
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Ring ring!
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"Huh...? Ayane-chan...?"
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Just as she was pondering Sora's actions in her room, Ayane suddenly called her on her smartphone.
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"Hello? Ayane-chan?"
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Hoshino answered the phone without any suspicion.
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"H-Hoshino-senpai!"
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"Wh-What's wrong, Ayane-chan? What happened..."
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"Sora... Sora-senpai...!!"
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She felt her heart drop.
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"...What?"
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"Sora-senpai is gone!!"
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*
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[To the Abydos Countermeasures Committee.]
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[I'm sorry for saying goodbye with a letter, but this kind of goodbye feels right for a letter.]
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[Actually, just like Hoshino, there's something I haven't told you all.]
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[Sensei probably knows, but Hoshino was being scouted by someone.]
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[To work as a Kaiser PMC mercenary and pay off Abydos' debt.]
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[...And I've known about it for a long time.]
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[Ah, don't ask how I knew, it's not a story you'd believe anyway.]
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[Anyway, getting back to the point, after knowing this, I went to meet the person who scouted Hoshino.]
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[To tell them to take me instead.]
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[And surprisingly, they readily agreed.]
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[Though they added a condition that I take over as Abydos' president.]
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[But it still pays off the debt. Not all of it, but it should lighten the burden.]
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[So, the Countermeasures Committee should be fine now.]
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[My presence itself was a nuisance anyway. Without me, no, because I'm gone, you'll surely be fine.]
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[Of course, you can resent me. Curse me, hate me, I don't care.]
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[So, please be well. Forget about me.]
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*****
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"...Hey."
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"What is it?"
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"Isn't this too much?"
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'Tying my hands behind my back and making me kneel.'
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"This is really fucking hard, you know? My legs are about to cramp up right now."
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"Hehehehe."
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"Don't just fucking grin, change my position, you bastard!"
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*****
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[To Sensei.]
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[There's something I haven't told you, but soon after you read this letter, Kaiser will attack.]
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[Since I took over the student council and left, they'll think Abydos, with no official club, student council, or autonomous district, is an easy target.]
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[Plus, the Countermeasures Committee isn't an official club, so you probably won't be able to stop them.]
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[So, Sensei, even though I left without a word and broke my promise, I have one last request.]
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[Please protect everyone from Kaiser, somehow.]
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[I'll handle things after that.]
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[So, please. Please protect everyone.]
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*****
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"...Hey, what's that?"
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"Simply put, a fear inducer?"
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"...Really? Starting sooner than I thought?"
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Honestly, I thought they'd drag it out like the original and get stopped by Sensei in the end.
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'...Could it be I can finally die this time...?'
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*****
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[To Hoshino.]
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[I'm sorry, Hoshino, for disappearing without a word.]
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[But I couldn't think of any other way.]
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[Hoshino-san is pretty stubborn.]
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[Ah, don't feel guilty.]
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[As Hoshino-san probably knows this, but this is what I wanted, in a way.]
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[So, just think of it as me repaying a favor.]
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[...The food you gave me that day was delicious.]
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*****
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"...Hmm, you're tougher than I thought."
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"Yeah, being annoyingly tough is my only redeeming quality."
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"...Hmm, this is a bit unexpected. Well, we have no choice but to use another method."
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'Another method?'
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"...Hey, what are you doing? D-Don't tell me you're going to make me eat that?"
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"S-Stop! No, you bastard, ugh!!!"
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*****
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[To everyone.]
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[Take care of Hoshino... Take care of my sister.]
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[If anyone's shocked by this, it'll be her.]
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[So, please.]
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[So that my first and last family, the only one I have here, can live well without me.]
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[...And this is just a hypothetical, but if we ever meet as enemies,]
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[Destroy my halo.]
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[Please.]
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