Chapter 64 : How should I deal with this bitch?

How should I deal with this girl?

Sayō’s long story has finally come to an end.

Ahyun and Arin, who were hearing this shocking story for the first time, were so surprised that they could barely stand.

They anxiously shifted their gazes around, but…

“Ah…”

Is that how it happened?

I see. Hmm. I understand perfectly now.

The reason my memory wasn’t complete was probably some sort of survival mechanism?

If I had been the personality of the perfect man when I first entered this body, I might have immediately killed Sakura.

Yes. I see. That’s how it is.

Did Sakura try to possess me…

I placed one hand on my forehead.

I felt a bit dazed. The gears in my head clicked, click, and meshed together.

Fss…

Something tickles my hair… It’s probably nothing.

The scattered pieces of the puzzle slowly come together to form one picture.

Sakura.

Her voice, her touch, her gaze, her smile.

Now I finally understand.

The things she said to me, the looks she gave me, and all those moments I carelessly overlooked. I had never loved Sakura.

Yet, Sakura believed that she loved me and said she could do anything for me. So, in the end, she tried to break me.

She tried to break me, lock me up, and make me believe I was hers.

I slowly raised the corners of my mouth.

“Heh.”

“Sis? Why are you laughing? Isn’t this serious?”

Really, so cute.

Arin, standing next to me, anxiously looked up at me while tapping her feet.

I patted her head and slowly exhaled.

Yeah. It’s serious.

But, it’s not serious enough to make the people around me uncomfortable.

I’m already broken, destroyed, and shattered.

Now, what would it matter if one more wound, made by Sakura, was added?

I casually raised one hand.

Sayō froze for a moment when she saw my expression.

She was one of the people who knew me the best.

Maybe that’s why she never let her guard down, even with my slightest movements.

“Ma’am.”

Sayō quietly called my name.

“Are you… thinking…”

I slowly turned my gaze toward her.

Our eyes met.

I gave a small smile.

“It’s okay.”

It was a brief answer.

But, Sayō instantly closed her mouth.

Ahyun and Arin did the same.

They couldn’t say a word and just stared at me.

I stood up casually from my seat.

Then, I walked toward the window.

I looked at my reflection in the glass.

The face Sakura loved.

The face Sakura believed was hers.

The “Higurashi Nanoka” shell she tried to own.

I slowly looked up at the window.

She isn’t here.

She’s gone now.

Then, what should I do?

I smiled once more, very briefly.

And, as if whispering, I said,

“What do you think? Sayō.”

“Huh…?”

When I called her name, Sayō quietly looked up.

“Sakura… will she come looking for me again?”

Sayō didn’t answer.

That was the answer.

I lightly laughed at her reaction.

Yeah.

That girl will surely come looking for me again.

She won’t be able to give up on me.

Then, I should prepare too.

I slowly reached out and opened the window.

The cold night wind brushed against my skin.

Ahyun nervously opened her mouth.

“Sis. Are you… thinking of doing something dangerous?”

I turned my head to look at her.

And slowly raised the corners of my mouth.

Really, I only have kind people around me.

“Ahyun. Are you worried about me?”

“Of course! That crazy psychopath… who’s trying to…”

“No.”

I murmured as I looked at the night sky again.

“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about Sakura.”

I’m really quite angry right now.

Most people think that psychological battles are fierce intellectual contests between two geniuses.

But that’s a misconception.

Psychological warfare doesn’t always unfold that way.

For example, think about rock-paper-scissors…

What happens if the opponent loses their index finger and thumb while gambling?

Sadly, they can’t throw scissors.

In other words, the opponent has only two choices left.

I know they can’t throw scissors.

So I can use that to my advantage.

This is how simple psychological warfare is.

The key is to find the opponent’s weakness and maximize your own strengths.

And, the strength I have in this fight is clear.

I am a reincarnate.

I can objectively observe myself.

This is a rare ability that most humans don’t have.

People usually can’t fully understand themselves.

But I’m an exception.

I remember this body and my past life.

So I know myself better than anyone.

Therefore, I know what choices I should make.

This is my strongest weapon.

A person who fully understands themselves will never be easily shaken.

And the other thing… well, it’s not really suited for psychological warfare, but…

I fight pretty well.

The foundation of all battles is physical strength.

No matter how intellectual a scholar is, would a 2-meter tall, muscular African-American playing in the NFL be able to confidently say “The earth is flat” and be refuted with “No, you’re an idiot”?

The moment a person breaks psychologically is when they face an opponent they know they can never defeat.

That’s right.

If the difference is not just in intelligence, but in actual combat power?

According to Sayō, Sakura is smart.

But anyone will crumble in front of overwhelming force.

I know how to move my body.

I know how to fight, and I know how to find my opponent’s weaknesses.

Psychological warfare is, in the end, a battle.

The first thing to understand in a fight is who holds the power.

And in this fight, the one holding the power is me.

I won’t directly pressure Sakura.

There’s no need to.

People are most shaken when faced with an unexpected situation.

Sakura probably thinks I will completely reject her.

But what if I react differently from what she expects?

At first, she’ll be confused.

And eventually, she’ll start to lose control emotionally.

That’s the moment when I will break her down.

“This is my plan.”

I slowly finished my words.

A dark and silent space.

The stillness filled the entire room.

Not even the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.

Arin and Ahyun were staring straight at me.

Their eyes held a mix of emotions.

Surprise, fear, shock, and… perhaps a little admiration.

I let out a sigh as if it were no big deal and leaned back.

If they’re reacting like this already, how will they handle what’s next…

“What? Don’t look at me like that.”

“But… even if you say that…”

“You’re lying on the couch all relaxed while saying all this…”

Even after my words, they didn’t recover quickly.

Arin was staring at me absentmindedly, her mouth slightly open, while Ahyun narrowed her eyes as if trying to read my expression.

Then, Arin was the first to speak.

“Wow…”

She murmured as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Then, she added with a small laugh.

“Unnie, you’re a scary person…”

Her words might have sounded like a joke,

But her expression was anything but lighthearted.

Perhaps feeling a chill, she crossed her arms and slightly shrank back.

“You seriously seem like a total psychopath.”

Arin looked me up and down again.

My face was the same as always, but to her, it must have looked different now.

“So, this ‘psychological warfare’ you’ve been talking about…”

“Yes.”

I slowly nodded.

“It’s not just a battle of wits. It’s about breaking your opponent down.”

Arin swallowed hard.

And then, Ahyun finally spoke.

“That…”

Her voice was quiet.

Lower than usual, with a hint of wariness.

“Isn’t that… too cruel?”

I looked at Ahyun.

Her gaze wavered.

“Cruel?”

I let out a small laugh.

“Me?”

“……”

Ahyun pressed her lips together.

I slowly leaned toward her.

“Ahyun.”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘cruel.’”

I looked her straight in the eye and said,

“But one thing I know for sure—if someone points a knife at me first, I won’t just stand still.”

Ahyun continued to look at me.

I sighed.

“Sakura wants to take over my entire life.”

My voice turned cold.

“And if I let her see my emotions, it’s over.”

“…That’s true. Unnie is much more important to me than Sakura…”

“Yeah. That’s why, before she destroys me, I’ll destroy her first.”

I shrugged.

“That’s psychological warfare.”

Arin took a deep breath.

“But unnie.”

“Yeah?”

“Then… will you really destroy Sakura without a shred of hesitation?”

Her eyes seemed to be searching for something.

I smiled.

“Of course.”

Maybe because my answer was too firm.

Both Arin and Ahyun fell silent.

The silence stretched a little longer.

Arin leaned back slightly and muttered.

“Wow. Unnie, you really are a scary person…”

She took a small step back as if distancing herself from me.

Ahyun also watched me quietly.

Then, she lowered her head slightly and spoke in a small voice.

“And yet… you seem strangely calm about it.”

Her words made me laugh.

“Ahyun, I’m holding back a lot right now. I even debated whether I should use this.”

“…What?”

Click.

“I got this as soon as I arrived in Japan… What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Like you’ve seen a ghost…

It’s not that big of a deal, is it?

Ah, are you misunderstanding something?

I hurriedly explained that it wasn’t as dangerous as they thought.

“It’s Russian-made. I got it as soon as I arrived, just in case. It’s from my go-to brand, Kizlyar—”

“Unnie.”

“Who the hell buys a knife when they’re planning psychological warfare?”

“Oh, for god’s sake. You might as well just challenge her to a fistfight…”

“Seriously… this time, you’re really…”

The cold gaze from Ahyun, who usually looked at me warmly, made me snap back to reality.

Ah… the tactical knife…

“…Ah.”

Was that the problem?

Well… I guess it’s fine as long as I don’t use it?

“I was joking, joking~.”

Like I’d actually use this.