Chapter 40
A heavy silence fell as I processed her words—then, suddenly...
"Yuka-san... no, Aiba-san."
Yui's usual manic energy vanished. Her gaze was steady, voice solemn.
"Thank you. And... I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
"I know this is sudden. But I needed to say it. Back at that company—you protected me. Supported me. And I... never repaid you. It's haunted me."
Her eyes dropped to the floor.
"When I heard you were gone, my world went black. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. And when the numbness faded, all that was left was rage. At the company. At our bosses. At the society that broke you. But most of all... at myself."
Her fists trembled.
"When Albert-san asked me to leak the company’s crimes for revenge? I was glad. Finally—a way to make them pay. To honor you. To give back even a fraction of what you’d given me. So I burned it all down. Every dirty secret."
A hollow laugh.
"Now? The net’s in an uproar. The company’s reputation is gutter trash. Clients are fleeing. They’ll be bankrupt within months. And the CEO? Vanished. Part of me wishes he’d suffered more. That I could’ve made him feel even a sliver of the pain you—"
Her voice cracked.
"...That’s why... why I’m so relieved you’re alive. Really alive."
When she finally looked up, tears streaked her cheeks, darkening the carpet beneath us.
"Yui-san..."
"I’m sorry... I never dreamed I’d see you again."
"I’m just glad you’re okay."
"Because of you." Her smile wavered. "Without you, I might’ve— No. I would’ve ended it. So thank you... for saving me."
Her gratitude cut deeper than any blade. But there was one final truth I owed her—no matter the cost.
"Yui-san. There’s... one more thing you should know."
"Yes?"
"I killed them. both Kiyoharu and Kuzuya "
"...What?"
The shock in her eyes couldn’t stop me now.
"I’m the one who ended those two."
I’d come today for two reasons. To tell her I lived.
And to confess I’d murdered the men who broke us.
Even if this was our last conversation as friends... she deserved the truth.
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