One minute passed... Two and a half minutes passed... Five minutes passed...
Akane Nanao and Coach Togō remained in a tense standoff.
Togō wasn't in a hurry; everything was under his control. His massive, muscular frame blocked the only exit to the warehouse. He wasn't afraid of being interrupted; he just didn't want the girl to escape. Now that the lamb had walked into the tiger's den, there was no way he was letting her go.
He watched with amusement as Akane's face shifted from nervous anticipation to dark pessimism as the minutes ticked by. Togō felt a surge of exhilaration. Soon, he would turn this girl into a slave, a hole to vent his lust whenever he pleased. This would more than make up for his last failure.
Thinking back to that night, Togō's heart skipped a beat. That guy won't show up again, right? He tried to reassure himself. Lightning didn't strike twice. It was impossible for someone to ruin his fun every single time.
He convinced himself that the last encounter was a fluke—a random encounter with a powerful hothead who didn't care about his status as a teacher. He remembered being tossed around like a ragdoll. His old injuries twinged with phantom pain, fueling his hatred for that youth. He had been hospitalized for a day, but surprisingly, he had recovered almost completely within twenty-four hours. In fact, he felt stronger than ever.
If I see that brat again, I'll teach him how an adult handles business. I'll show him what 'respecting your elders' really means!
But revenge could wait. First, he would have Akane. He'd break her mind and body. Maybe he'd even fuck her right in front of that brat, making him watch as he failed to protect her.
"Hahaha!" Togō's sudden burst of laughter shattered Akane's fragile hope.
She stumbled, her legs giving out, and collapsed onto the soft mat. Her blue eyes were dull and clouded.
"Why... why... why didn't he come?" she whispered, her pale lips trembling. Six minutes had passed. A journey that should have taken less than three minutes was now a lifetime late. It spoke volumes.
Togō looked at the broken girl. The more she despaired now, the more likely she would collapse into a depraved, mind-broken mess—his personal "fleshlight"—after he was done with her. He decided to twist the knife.
"Tsk, tsk~ What's wrong, Manager Nanao? Where's that defiant look from before? You look so pathetic now."
She didn't answer. She just kept repeating her question into the void.
"Let me guess," Togō continued, leaning against the door. "You were hiding your hands behind your back... sending a message? Who was it? That brat from the other day? No, he's not here. So it must be Shoya Katase. It's been nearly ten minutes. The field is only a hundred yards away. Even a turtle could walk here in three minutes. Why isn't your knight in shining armor here to save you?"
Akane stopped whispering. She stared blankly ahead, her pupils unfocused. Her misery was making Togō's blood boil with heat. He wanted to rip her clothes off right now and bury himself inside her. But he knew that total psychological destruction would make the "meat" taste so much sweeter.
He licked his lips with a thick, scarlet tongue coated in saliva.
"Do you want to know why Shoya isn't coming?"
Akane nodded instinctively. She needed to know. They had a promise...
"Because I had someone stop him."
"You... it was you! You're the reason he's not here!" Akane screamed, a spark of life returning to her eyes as she glared at him. She felt a momentary relief. Shoya didn't abandon me; he's just being held back by this villain.
But Togō's next words dragged her straight into the abyss.
"Now, now, don't misunderstand. I didn't use violence to keep him away." He smirked. "You know Hiroki Fujii, right? I just asked Hiroki to offer Shoya some 'private coaching.' As for whether Shoya chose to accept the training or keep his 'promise' to you... well, he made his own choice. And you can see the result, can't you?"
"Hahahahaha!" Togō's laughter filled the warehouse.
"No... no... Shoya isn't like that... he wouldn't..."
She was a statue of grief.
"Why wouldn't he? Katase is working hard to improve his future. And you? You shouldn't hold him back from someone more 'useful' than you, right?"
Crack.
The world went silent for Akane. She couldn't hear the distant school noise or Togō's laughter. She only heard the sound of her heart shattering. Her life flashed before her eyes—Shoya sweating on the field, their shy first glances, the mutual encouragement. All of it was turning into a hollow lie.
"Hahahaha!"
Togō saw the two lines of tears streaming down Akane's cheeks. The time was right. He felt a strange, dark urge pushing him to act immediately. He stalked toward her.
"Hehe, no one is coming to save you this time."