I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director
Chapter 410: Asagami Fujino Meets Ryougi
Asagami Fujino was undoubtedly a very special girl. Anyone with a normal sense of morality who learned about her past would feel deep sympathy for her.
Yet at the same time, her complete indifference toward human life would inevitably evoke disgust.
Pitiful, yet hateful.
That was the inherent nature of the girl named Asagami Fujino.
Of course, whether one believes "those who deserve hatred must have something pitiful about them," or "those who deserve pity must have something hateful about them," ultimately depends on the perspective of the person making the judgment.
After all, when you look at the same event from different angles, the conclusions you reach can be completely different.
Take the story of Okazaki Tomoya and Furukawa Nagisa from CLANNAD, for example. Some people see it as a tragic love story, while others think they simply brought the tragedy upon themselves.
Childbirth is such a major event, yet they didn't arrange to stay at the hospital in advance. Instead, they insisted on staying home out of stubborn sentimentality. If something goes wrong under those circumstances, isn't it only natural that they must bear the consequences?
Oh, right—Tomoya started working immediately after graduating from high school.
Given that he lacked higher education and broader perspective, perhaps it wasn't entirely surprising that he abandoned scientific caution for the sake of romance.
Once again, it proves that—no matter where you are—education matters.
Otherwise, after making a clever but misguided decision, you might end up standing there helplessly as your wife struggles through a fatal childbirth.
Speaking of education…
Mikiya Kokutou had also dropped out of university, wandering into society with nothing more than a high school diploma.
Seen in that light, the fact that he was working at Touko's underhanded company without even proper legal paperwork—and even having his wages docked… might partly be his own fault.
Of course, there was someone even worse off—Shiki.
She hadn't even graduated from high school.
But at least she was the young lady of the Ryougi family. No matter how bad things got, she would never end up starving on the streets.
But what qualifications did Kokutou have to claim that education didn't matter?
"No wonder Kokutou sticks so stubbornly to Ryougi Shiki. With his low education and a shady boss docking his wages, if he doesn't hold tightly onto a rich woman like her, he might not even survive. After all, rich women whose education level is even lower than his aren't exactly easy to find…"
Smack!
Shinji's head was struck sharply.
"Hey, Shinji! What kind of nonsense are you turning a perfectly good love story into?"
Listening to Shinji's increasingly outrageous rambling, Shiki finally resorted to physical force to cut him off.
It was supposed to be a moving tale of love between a poor boy and a noble young lady. Yet somehow, in Shinji's version, it had become the scheme of a calculating man trying to marry into wealth.
"I'm just trying to tell you how important education is, Shiki," Shinji replied proudly.
Seeing the smug look on his face only made Shiki more irritated.
"If education is so important, how come I remember that you only have a high school diploma too?"
"What high school diploma?" Shinji shot back, glaring. "Your boss holds a perfectly legitimate Doctorate in Linguistics from Oxford University!"
"That fake diploma? You should really stop bragging about it in front of people who know the truth!"
Outsiders might not know better, but how could Shiki not know how dubious Shinji's so-called doctorate really was?
Shinji sneered.
"If I really wanted a degree, I could get one anytime. Something like a degree from USC… if I actually attended classes, I could easily graduate."
Perhaps because Shinji's tone carried a hint of tsundere pride, Shiki didn't believe a single word of it.
"Then go get it."
"I don't have the time." Shinji rolled his eyes. "I asked them already. A legitimate degree requires actually attending classes there. My schedule is packed with projects. Where am I supposed to find the time to go back to school?"
In truth, time wasn't the only issue. Shinji had long grown accustomed to a free-spirited lifestyle; the rigid routine of student life simply didn't suit him anymore.
USC had even offered to grant him an honorary degree—even if he didn't donate anything to the university.
But Shinji wasn't the type to collect diplomas like trophies. Besides, how could an honorary degree from USC compare to the Oxford doctorate he already possessed?
Sure, the process had been a little questionable.
But it was still technically a legitimate degree!
"Enough. Stop worrying about my education," Shinji said, clearly unwilling to continue this embarrassing topic.
He reached out and physically turned Shiki's head back toward the movie screen.
"Just watch the movie."
"Pfft. When you can't win the argument, you just do that."
Though she muttered the complaint under her breath, Shiki still obediently turned her attention back to the screen.
At this point, the movie had entered a very important part of the story—the private meeting between Ryougi Shiki and Asagami Fujino.
After parting ways with Azaka, Fujino began what had become her nightly routine for the past half month: searching for Minato Keita.
In the original story, Fujino managed to track down Keita's friends because she had spent quite a long time "associating" with those delinquent boys before. She was already familiar with their usual hangouts and activity patterns.
But in Shinji's version, those delinquents had already been twisted into a single rope—quite literally—during their very first encounter with Fujino. Naturally, that meant Fujino had no idea where they used to hang out while they were still alive.
Of course, having no clues didn't bother her much. Fujino had her own clumsy method.
She would simply visit places where delinquents tended to gather and ask around, one place at a time, to see if anyone knew Minato Keita.
This method was obviously far slower. That was why it had taken her half a month just to find one of the two men who had escaped that night.
As for the other "lucky survivor," Minato Keita himself… he was still very much on the run.
But today might just be Fujino's lucky day.
At last, she found Keita's friend working part-time at a karaoke bar.
When the young man saw such a delicate-looking young lady coming to find him, he was so delighted he practically lost his sense of direction.
Without hesitation, he gave up his shift for the day and offered to take the girl somewhere quiet to "talk things over."
Normally, if a girl saw a sleazy man with a lecherous grin inviting her to some secluded place, she would immediately become wary and refuse.
But Fujino wasn't a normal girl.
In fact, when the young man suggested they leave together, she couldn't have been more pleased.
Even in her broken state, Fujino still wouldn't kill someone in a public place like a karaoke bar.
"Cleaning it up afterward would be too troublesome…"
Muttering that reason in a slightly complaining tone, Fujino quietly followed the man as they headed into an empty alley.
It was already close to midnight. Fujino pressed a hand against her abdomen, preparing herself for the abdominal pain that would come when she killed.
Walking ahead of her, the young man didn't notice anything strange.
On the contrary, he felt incredibly lucky.
Something like this—such an opportunity delivering itself straight to his door—was beyond anything he had ever dreamed of.
The man wasn't a good person.
Since a beautiful girl had practically delivered herself to him in a neat little package, skipping work to enjoy himself seemed like the obvious choice.
Especially since he had already recognized the girl's identity.
She was the young lady of Asagami Construction.
First he would have some fun with her. After that, he could threaten her with what happened tonight.
If he did that, the rich young lady would definitely hand over money obediently.
Wealth and beauty both in his hands.
For a street punk, what could possibly be better than that?
In short, the man was in an excellent mood.
He had already begun fantasizing about how he would spend the money he planned to extort.
As for Asagami Fujino, she silently followed behind him.
Since he intended to blackmail her later, the young man didn't bring her to the usual hangout where his friends gathered. Instead, he led her toward the warehouse district near the artificial harbor—a place where almost no one passed by.
It was nearly midnight now.
The night had grown deep, and the already deserted warehouse streets were completely empty.
Aside from the sound of the waves rolling against the shore, the entire street was silent.
When he finally brought Fujino into the darkness between two streetlights, the young man turned around.
"Alright, around here should be fine. So, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
A teasing smile spread across his face. He was the type who liked to toy with his prey before taking a bite.
Fujino didn't seem to notice anything strange.
She bent forward slightly, pressing one hand against her stomach.
The waves of pain coming from her insides were strangely addictive.
How many years had it been since she'd felt pain this frequently?
"It's like this… May I ask if you know where Keita is right now?"
Because her bangs were unusually long, her face was completely hidden beneath them as she lowered her head. Her expression couldn't be seen at all.
"Mm… mm…"
Outside the screen, Aoko sat in her seat, shoveling popcorn into her mouth at the speed of a hamster chewing sunflower seeds.
Right now, she was extremely excited.
Being very familiar with horror movie tropes, she could already guess what was about to happen next—and she was eagerly anticipating that moment.
'Honestly, this guy is such an idiot…'
'Fujino is already standing there in that classic faceless ghost-girl pose. How are you still standing there instead of running away?'
If she were the one in that situation, Aoko would definitely cast a spell to probe the situation first without any hesitation.
If it didn't work, then there was no need to try anything else—turn around and run for your life.
If even the Aozaki family's magecraft didn't work, then this was clearly no ordinary evil spirit. If you didn't run, were you just waiting for someone to collect your corpse?
Unfortunately, Aoko's thoughts couldn't cross the dimensional wall and reach the young man inside the movie.
The delinquent was still chatting smugly with the girl.
"Too bad. Keita hasn't shown his face around me lately. No idea where he ran off to. And he doesn't even have a cellphone, so there's no way to contact him."
"No, you can contact him."
The girl denied his words in a certain tone.
"Huh?"
The young man clearly didn't expect that response. Question marks practically appeared across his face.
"You can contact him? Then why not just ask where he is?"
"Well… Keita has hidden himself and doesn't want to tell me where he is. That's why I wanted to ask his friends for help. So please tell me."
There was a hint of urgency in Fujino's voice, as if she were truly worried about the young man named Minato Keita.
"Hey, hold on a second… What do you mean hidden? Did that guy do something dangerous?"
A trace of impatience crept into the delinquent's voice. Sure, he was greedy and lustful, but that didn't mean he wanted to get involved in serious trouble.
Delinquents like them didn't just disappear for no reason. If someone vanished, it usually meant they had provoked someone they shouldn't have.
Still, the young man never suspected the girl in front of him.
After all, she was the young lady of Asagami Construction. If Keita had really offended her, she could have summoned countless subordinates with a single phone call to track him down.
Well… how should one put it?
The things people overlook are often the truth.
"So, miss, what exactly do you want with him?"
"Before that, please answer my question. Do you know where Keita is now?"
Out of habit and upbringing, Fujino still spoke politely, using respectful language.
But the man had already run out of patience.
He no longer wanted to waste time playing along. Reaching out his hand, he prepared to forcibly take the woman he had been drooling over.
"Idiot. How would I know where that guy is now?"
"I see. Then you're useless."
The girl raised her head.
Crimson eyes stared directly at the young man.
The spiral began.
"—?"
The delinquent suddenly realized something was wrong.
The arm he had stretched out began to move on its own.
His joints twisted under an invisible force. Even when they bent nearly ninety degrees, the motion didn't stop—
Crack
At last, the arm broke.
"Eh—eh!? AAAAAAAAH!!!"
His delayed scream echoed through the silent street.
Fujino showed no trace of pity toward the wailing man. Instead, her gaze shifted toward the parts of his body that were still intact.
And so, within that alley where even moonlight could not reach… the tragedy began.
The young man's fate ended there.
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"Kind of good with food, honestly…"
Jeanne calmly took a sip of cola, expressing her thoughts in a relaxed tone.
She might be a country girl, but she was also a battle-hardened country girl.
Breaking people's limbs was something far too common on the battlefield. Not only would it fail to frighten Jeanne—it would be surprising if something like that did scare her.
Of course, if it were the Baron's mansion, Jeanne would definitely be startled.
Not only because Gilles was her old friend, but also because the victims there had all been innocent children.
As for the young man on the screen, Jeanne felt he had brought it upon himself.
If she had been in Fujino's position, she probably wouldn't have killed him, but sympathizing with him was also out of the question.
"Master showed mercy on camera, he didn't actually twist people into ropes like he always talked about on set."
Taking another sip of cola, Jeanne spoke with clear amusement.
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Of course, Shinji would never actually show someone being twisted into a rope—or a human pretzel—on the big screen.
He wouldn't even film the entire process of Fujino breaking all four of the man's limbs during her execution.
If shots like that were shown, it wouldn't just receive an R-18 rating.
It might not even pass NG-19—the highest restriction level in North American film ratings.
So by the time the audience saw the young man again, he had already become little more than a limbless body writhing on the ground like a maggot.
Nasu had thoughtfully arranged Fujino's "action scene" to occur entirely in pitch darkness.
Which, honestly, made filming the scene much easier for Shinji as well.
The darkness concealed everything that couldn't pass censorship, leaving only the girl's facial expressions visible.
Moments like this were when an actor's skill was tested the most.
"Ah…"
Standing in a pool of blood, Fujino looked down at the young man writhing on the ground like a maggot and let out a quiet sigh.
"Why did you make me do something like this…?"
Fujino had never thought of herself as a murderer.
Or rather, this sheltered young lady who lacked common sense simply didn't have that kind of self-awareness.
"Killing you was necessary…"
The man had already learned that she was searching for Minato Keita. Once the other bodies were discovered, someone would eventually uncover the connection between Keita and those people.
And so, to keep her secret safe, Fujino had to kill the man who knew she was looking for Keita.
Besides, from the very beginning, he hadn't had good intentions toward her.
In a sense, what Fujino had done could even be considered self-defense.
Of course, there was a clear difference between a man's ability to violate a girl… and Fujino's ability to violate others.
At the very least, men didn't usually tear someone's limbs off with brute force.
"I'm sorry… but I had no choice."
Lowering her head, Fujino gazed at the young man's still-twitching body.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
It wasn't the satisfied smile of a killer who had just finished torturing someone.
It was a smile of happiness, one that came from feeling the other person's pain as if it were her own.
Fujino didn't know that the pain in her abdomen was actually a symptom of illness, something that required medical attention.
Instead, she believed that whenever she used her ability, she would feel the pain her victim experienced.
That misunderstanding was exactly why Fujino had fallen deeper and deeper down the path of murder.
She killed… so that she could continue feeling pain.
Which was why one had to say that Fujino truly lacked common sense—especially medical knowledge.
If she were really sharing her victim's pain, then logically her arms and legs should hurt.
What did that have to do with her internal organs?
Of course, the reason Fujino lacked such knowledge might very well have been intentional on her father's part.
If she truly understood medicine, how could he make her obediently take those pills?
But the Fujino of this moment knew none of that.
She was still immersed in the joy of believing she could feel the young man's suffering.
Pain meant that she was alive.
"Finally… I can finally become a normal person."
Tears of joy welled up in Fujino's eyes. She wiped them away with her fingers as her heart pounded like a warning bell.
"What a pity…"
She glanced at the young man who had already stopped breathing and sighed softly.
"I really didn't want to kill anyone."
"That's not true."
The sudden voice startled Fujino. She quickly turned around.
At the entrance of the narrow alley between the warehouses stood a girl dressed in a kimono.
Behind her stretched the artificial harbor, its dark waters reflecting the faint moonlight.
And there, standing silently in that pale glow, was Ryougi Shiki.
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Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 455: Shinji — My Awesomeness Has Exceeded Even My Own Expectations[1]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-not-master-im-160861502?collection=31097[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-not-master-im-160861502?collection=31097
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/im-not-master-im-160861502?collection=31097