The morning was gloomy, with the wind carrying a quiet chill across the island. Arakawa stepped out of the shower, water droplets sliding down his well-toned body. Though his physique remained hidden beneath his uniform, it was the result of rigorous discipline. He ran a towel through his crimson-red hair, then dressed in his usual composed manner.

  Today felt different.

  As he reached for the door handle, something instinctively told him he wasn’t alone. The moment the door swung open, a flustered face greeted him. Nijuri stood there, her eyes darting away, cheeks tinged with red.

  "Um... hi," she mumbled, her voice slightly uncertain. "I just got out too. So, wanna go to class together?"

  Arakawa’s expression remained unreadable, yet something about the situation amused him. "I don’t see a reason not to."

  He stepped forward, and Nijuri naturally followed, her footsteps syncing with his.

  The walk was quiet at first, the air thick with an overcast glow, the sky casting a pale blue light over the entire island. Then, Nijuri attempted to make small talk.

  "Is there something you like?" she asked hesitantly.

  Arakawa responded without much thought. "I enjoy reading books."

  Nijuri’s eyes lit up slightly. "Oh? I like murder documentaries. Weird, isn’t it?" She let out a small, nervous chuckle. "I haven’t told anyone this yet, so don’t tell anyone, okay? I don’t wanna seem… weird."

  Arakawa glanced at her. "Then why are you telling me this?"

  She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Well… you seem like the type who wouldn’t judge, no matter what I said."

  "Is that so?" Arakawa said, holding her stare for a brief moment.

  The moment was short-lived as they arrived at the classroom, only to be met with an unexpected commotion.

  The Weight of the Past

  Inside, Hiroshi Tanaka, the athletic jock, stood squared up against Ren Saito, the quiet bookworm. Between them, Takeshi Yamamoto attempted to mediate, his usual charisma barely holding the situation together.

  Tanaka’s voice was sharp with frustration. "You need to report it, Ren! This isn’t something you can ignore!"

  Ren shook his head, his expression guarded. "I don’t want to get anyone involved. Please, just drop it."

  From the doorway, Arakawa leaned against the frame, silently observing. The tension was suffocating.

  Moments later, Ms. Yui entered, her presence commanding order. "Everyone, take your seats."

  The students reluctantly complied, but before Tanaka sat down, Ren whispered under his breath. "Please don’t tell anyone. Don’t make my life any harder."

  Arakawa’s ears picked up every word.

  The lesson proceeded as usual, but the weight of the earlier confrontation lingered in the air. Before leaving, Ms. Yui made an announcement. "Due to a staff shortage, your class event will be postponed until next week."

  Once she was gone, the students quickly dispersed, yet an underlying tension remained.

  Tanaka approached Takeshi, his voice lower but heavy with meaning. "Are you gonna let what happened to Suguro happen to Ren too?"

  Takeshi visibly stiffened. For the first time, the ever-composed leader seemed unsettled.

  "What happened to Suguro was his own fault," he muttered. "He didn’t want any help, so he did what he did."

  Tanaka’s fists clenched. "So you’re just gonna let another one of our classmates die?"

  The room fell silent. Some students exchanged uneasy glances, confused by what they were hearing.

  Arakawa, however, had already pieced it together.

  Tanaka and Takeshi had gone to the same middle school. There was a boy named Suguro. He had been bullied. And now… he was dead.

  Arakawa’s lips curled slightly in amusement. Perfect. I might just find my first pawn.

  Tanaka slammed his hand against the wall. "If you won’t do anything, I will!"

  Takeshi’s face darkened. "Don’t do anything stupid."

  But Tanaka had already stormed out.

  As students started leaving, some patted Takeshi on the back, telling him not to dwell on it. They saw him as their leader—someone who carried the class on his shoulders.

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  Takeshi sat down, running his hands over his face, lost in thought.

  Arakawa observed him for a moment but saw no further opportunity to gather more information. He turned and left.

  A Shadowed Past

  Alone in the now-empty classroom, Takeshi stared blankly at his desk, his mind spiraling into the past.

  What do you know, Tanaka? You only cried because our friend died. I… showed those bastards hell.

  Suguro had been their friend. A quiet, bookish boy, always keeping to himself—until the day he met Takeshi.

  It started in a math class, where Suguro had struggled with a problem. Takeshi, the ever-helpful, outgoing type, had lent a hand.

  From that moment, Suguro found his first real friend. And soon, he was introduced to Tanaka, the athletic meathead.

  The three of them became inseparable.

  Until the day Suguro came to class covered in bruises.

  Tanaka and Takeshi had been horrified, demanding to know what had happened. Suguro had simply smiled, lying through his teeth. "I just fell. It’s nothing."

  But they didn’t buy it.

  So, they followed him.

  What they saw that evening changed everything.

  Suguro met with two boys—one overweight, the other thin and smug. The fat one threw the first punch, sending Suguro to the ground. The skinny one laughed.

  Tanaka rushed forward, demanding they stop.

  The fat boy said with a smug smile, " Stop what? We're just playing. Ask him yourself."

  "Suguro, is this true? Are they beating you?"

  Suguro hesitated, his eyes darting in fear. "No… we're just friends."

  Tanaka’s patience snapped. "Bullshit! We’ll handle them!"

  But Suguro pushed him away, pleading. "Just leave it alone! Please!"

  And then he ran.

  Tanaka angry and unable to handle it punched the fat boy sending him flying, the fat and skinny boy were scared and ran off.

  What Tanaka did know was Takeshi already recorded the part where the fat kid had punched Suguro.

  That night the fat boy told his parents that's the boy next door Suguro bullied and beat him and his skinny friend. Then the fats boy father went over to Suguro's house and shamed his parents for raising such a criminal son. Suguro's stayed silent. The fat boy gestured Suguro's neck getting cut with his hand.

  Then Suguro's loving mother cried saying, I shouldn't have raised a criminal. It was as if the earth had vanished from under of Suguro's feets.

  The next few days, Suguro avoided Tanaka and Takeshi. The bruises only worsened.

  Tanaka and Takeshi begged him to report it. But Suguro never did.

  Then one night…

  Takeshi was eating breakfast when the news played.

  "A young middle school student was found dead in his room this morning, leaving behind a suicide note."

  Takeshi’s stomach twisted.

  "Mom, I’m sorry. I should have spoken up. But those boys said they'll hurt you if I did. I was afraid. I hope they get what they deserve. I loved you. I wish I could have grown up like the kids on TV."

  Takeshi’s father turned to him. "Isn’t that kid from your class?"

  He didn’t remember falling. But suddenly, he was on the floor.

  Suguro was dead.

  And the bastards who drove him to it?

  Untouched.

  The fat boys father ran a dojo and the skinny boys father was a big businessman.

  The fat boy’s father pulled strings. The skinny boy’s father silenced the case. The police did nothing.

  When Suguro found out the boys were released due to lack of evidence. He showed his father the video where the fat kid was beating Suguro. His father told him, let's go to police station son. He was determined to bring them to justice.

  But after reaching the police station the police told to go away, because it didn't prove anything.

  Takeshi wanted to argue with the police but his father stopped him and left.

  When going home his father told him, "Son, always do what you think is right. Even if it means taking someone else life. But remember there are people who care about you as well. Cheat in exam but don't get caught"

  Those words to Takeshi was like the word of God. It meant he had someone who had his back.

  His dad went on saying with a smile, " your dad's the mayor of Hiyama, so don't worry too much."

  Takeshi exactly knew what needed to be done.

  The following days he waited for a opportunity, to teach those boys a lesson which will be remembered for decades to come, such a gruesome site no one have witnessed in decades.

  One day Takeshi waited outside of the fat and skinny boys classroom, when they walked outside, he told them, " come to the hill river side after school, or you'll get exposed for killing Suguro."

  They didn't buy what Takeshi said but they got angry and wanted to beat him. So they thought going there would be the best way to teach him a lesson.

  When they went to the river side, they didn't see anyone. They started shouting "where did you go coward? Go die like you friend did? The world world be a better place without you shits."

  After saying that the fat boy went flat on the river rock. Seemed like a big rock hit him in the head. The skinny boy confushed looked around and saw Takeshi holding a big rock in his hand, the next moment another rock hit him in the leg, making him unable to run.. Takeshi went over and tied them up all.

  He did all that while wearing gloves and plastic all over his body. He sure did his research.

  When the fat boy woke up he didn't seem to be able to move, he was inside a cave of some sort. He found the skinny boy crying and screaming in agony, he was confused about what happened.

  The next moment he was some dogs chained to the cave wall, eating something. He looked over at the skinny boy and the dogs back and forth and saw that the boy didn't had his legs or arms. He understood and started screaming too.

  The dogs were eating the skinny boys hands and legs. He tried to look around to find a way to get a way to escape and call the police.

  But he regretted even looking around, Takeshi was holding a axe sitting on the entrance waiting for something.

  When he saw the fat boy had woke up, he went over and said,"Took you long to wake up."

  The next moment he chopped off the boys right hand.

  He cried in agony and saw the dogs feed on his arm, he started saying " you won't get away with this psycho."

  Takeshi laughed," Owh is that so, and who's gonna catch me for punishing some people who took my friends life? No one?"

  He left out a sinister laugh, so sinister that the hell and havean both must have shivered.

  He slowly went on chopping the 2 boys whole boy and feeding them to the dogs only leaving their heads.

  After all the body parts were eaten he burned the plastic and gloves. And let the dogs go in the forest to be never seen again.

  After few days an anonymous Email contacted Hiyama police department, saying a body was waiting in the cave deep on Hiyama forest.

  The police searched and only found 2 heads almost unidentifiable.

  The families of those boys went into shoke and tried to find the culprit but didn't seem to have any luck.

  The police assumed it was done by a serial killer who was really good at killing.

  There was only one thing left for Takeshi left to do. Spread rumors through the whole country that the boys died as a punishment of bullying a boy from another class.

  After that incident bullying went fully silent in Japan for a whole year.

  Now in present-

  Takeshi thinks to himself, I'll do whatever is right to me Tanaka, your no one to tell me what to do, with a sinister smile in his face.