Volume 1 - CH 12

Having been transformed back into a 16-year-old by the agent, I left Shinobu san’s house and headed for school. As I recall, the girls’ tennis club was only active on Saturdays’ morning.

And I’m sure of that memory. When I arrived at the school at almost 12 noon, the tennis court was being cleaned up. Probably cleaning up is a once per year job, so they’re probably stretching somewhere …..

“……!”

There she was. Saki was there. Happily chatting and laughing with Daiki across the fence.

Of course, I don’t mean to say that this is enough to call it cheating. I myself spent the night at Shinobu san’s house, and she never restricted my friendship.

But still, that look. That look of them laughing across the fence seemed to overlap with both of them who kept deceiving me while keeping a secret.

“………..”

I took a detour so that they wouldn’t see me and fled the scene. I couldn’t called out to them. I wasn’t sure if I could keep my cool. I was afraid that I would give them ten years’ worth of anger that only I knew about.

Instead, I went to the pond in the courtyard. After confirming that no one was there, I threw down a one yen coin.

“Was it the golden coin that you……”

“Can you kill someone?”

“Yes. Then.”

The agent who appears answered my question quickly, and the goddess-shaped robot nodded immediately and returned back into the pond.

All I have to do is throw down another coin, and Daiki will die. All I have to do is throw away this little coin in my hand, and Saki will be mine, and I will have my parents’ love. That’s all there is to it.

“Aren’t you going to kill him?”

I looked at the dirty surface of the water and an agent popped up even though I hadn’t put anything in the water. That’s a first. Is this what you call an AI gone out of control?

“I know some of your situation to some extent from the information sent to me from Phoenix headquarters. You want me to kill Daiki sama, is that right?”

“Well……,I suppose so.”

“Then let’s do it. You can rest assured. It is a natural human behavior to kick others down for your own sake. If I kill him, there will be no evidence left. Therefore, you will not be charged with a crime.”

“That’s…..some shallow study you’ve got there.”

That’s not it. Not that. I sat down by the pond and threw a stone that had fallen nearby.

“I hate Daiki so much that I want to kill him. For the past 26 years…..I’ve been disrespected all my life. I want to kill him. I want him dead.”

“That’s why I’m going to kill him….”

“That’s not it ! It doesn’t….make sense for you to kill him. I want to kill him. If I killed him, I would’ve surpassed him.”

“But if you kill him, you will be found guilty of a crime.

“That’s right. That’s why I can’t kill him even if I want to. That’s what humans are like.”

“That is terribly inefficient. If you can kill, it is better to kill.”

There is no change in the agent’s expression, but she looked puzzled. The machine doesn’t understand….my petty pride.

“Agent, I. I don’t want Daiki to die. I want to win. I don’t care if it’s a relationship, study, exercise, salary, or anything else. I just want to beat him and be satisfied within myself that I’m better than him. That’s all I want.”

“According to the data Phoenix has collected, you are not superior to Daiki in any way. You are an inferior competitor in every way.”

“You said it very clearly…… I know, but…”

Yeah. I can’t beat Daiki. That’s why Saki will never be mine. Everything that is mine will always and forever be taken by Daiki. That’s the law of nature.

“So is it more efficient to give up?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Well, I guess that’s true……”

Agent and Shinobu san are right. It’s impossible for me, so it’s better to look for another way.

“But it’s not decided that it’s impossible is it?”

“No, it has been decided.”

“Let me pretend that it’s not decided.””

“No, it is decided. You can’t win against Daiki sama.”

“Even if it did,….. it wouldn’t change anything.”

“Are you going to face it even though you will lose?”

“I guess you’re right. Even if it’s decided that I will lose, I haven’t lost yet. Losing is a story for the future. I’m living here now, and I haven’t lost yet.”

“That is a very foolish decision. There is a limit to inefficiency.”

This conversation isn’t going anywhere. A goddess who can make everything come true and a human being who can do nothing are not going to get along.

“You want information, right?　Then learn from me. Humans are very foolish and inefficient beings.”