Yasuo had left the hibachi restaurant without Tadashi, who wanted to eat and drink some more, even going as far as calling his girlfriend to accompany him for when he inevitably goes pitch black.
Yasuo didn't say goodbye. The two of them were close enough that a personalized handshake was more than enough.
He got up, put on his jacket, and stepped out into the night on his own.
The city greeted him with cool air and glowing lights. Neon signs reflected off the streets. Cars passed by, people were walking, businessmen were sleeping on the ground, and a lady with cat ears was trying to convince people to spend money at her workplace.
Yasuo began to walk. Where was he walking?
He didn't know. He didn't exactly have a destination in mind.
This city was his home. It was the place he grew up in and yet, everything also felt like he was here for the first time because both of these facts were true.
He knew every street, every shortcut, yet he was in awe at what he was seeing, as if he was watching an anime about a fictional world.
Yasuo was so familiar with it that he could walk around with his eyes closed and still know where he was.
"Little brother, you're very handsome. Are you stressed by school? By life? 5000 yen an hour and all of that stress can be relieved," a lady in a maid outfit called out to him.
"I'm okay," he shook his head, walking past her.
He had little interest in spending money on a hostess club.
It wasn't that he was frugal with his money. Yasuo had already come to terms with the fact that he could use his money as if it were worth nothing.
It's just why would he spend money when there were plenty of numbers on his phone that he could dial and he could get the same service for free?
As he was crossing a bridge, he slowed down.
The river below was dark, the water moving quietly but fast. The city lights barely reached the surface of the river and you could see only the slightest of shimmers.
Halfway across the bridge, that was when he noticed someone standing near the edge.
A woman.
Her hands were gripping the railing and she looked unsteady.
'Is she okay?' he wondered. Maybe she was drunk like him and was trying to gather herself.
Her body was leaning forward, a little too much. Too close for comfort.
Yasuo stopped once he got a better look at her face.
He recognized it immediately but he didn't say anything. He didn't call out her name. They weren't close enough to just strike up a conversation in the middle of nowhere.
Instead, he just continued to watch.
What was she doing here and why did she look a mess?
Then she climbed, one leg over the railing.
That was enough to unfreeze him from the spot.
"Hey!" Yasuo shouted, his mind immediately clear of any effects of alcohol. He rushed forward, running faster than he thought possible.
Grabbing her arm just as she tried to lift the other leg over the railing, the sudden force from behind made her gaze and she nearly slipped before he pulled her back down.
"Let go of me!" she yelled, struggling to pull her arm free.
"What do you think you're doing?" Yasuo snapped, holding on tightly. She could struggle as much as she wanted but his grip wouldn't budge. "Are you insane?"
Shoving him with all her strength, she was still unable to set herself free.
"Why did you stop me?!"
"Because you were about to jump!"
"That was the point!" she screamed, tears immediately spilling down her face. "I didn't ask you to save me! Why did you stop me?!"
Yasuo stared at her, stunned.
"You don't mean that."
"How could you possibly know that? You don't know me and yes, I do," she said, laughing bitterly. "I don't want to live anymore."
The words hit harder than he expected. He could tell based on her actions, but hearing it out of her mouth, it sent a shiver up his spine.
She finally looked up at him. Really looked at him.
It was dark out and the nearest lamplight was a little away, but the moon helped illuminate his features.
Her expression froze.
"…You," she said quietly.
Yasuo asked, "You finally recognize me?"
Her lips curled into a humorless smile. "Of course I recognize you. Great. Just great."
She laughed again, wiping her eyes.
"Otsuka Yasuo. Of all people to save me from killing myself, it is you. The same Yasuo who caused a student to kill himself is now the hero. Just great."
Wasn't life just hilarious?
"How could I ever forget you?" she said, shaking her head. "The bad boy everyone warned me about. The bully who had more power over the school than the actual principal."
She leaned back against the railing, her strength suddenly gone.
Yasuo still didn't release her, worried that she was going to finish what he had stopped if he did so.
"You know what's funny? Even though my friends would talk about how terrible you were, I think that I ended up marrying someone worse."
Yasuo said nothing. He could vaguely recall reading something in a group chat about her marriage to someone she had met during her freshman year in college.
"I hate my husband," she continued. "I hate my life. I hate waking up every morning pretending I'm happy."
Her voice shook as she spoke.
"I tried so hard to be good. To do everything right. I studied my ass off to get to the best university I could."
She scoffed as she recalled the multiple sleepless nights where she would study until her back nearly broke.
"And what did that get me?"
She began ranting to Yasuo about her mother-in-law, controlling and cruel. Her sister-in-law who was spending her money like it belonged to her.
A house that didn't feel like home. A marriage that felt like a cage.
She even had to drop out of college so that she could stay at home to take care of her in-laws.
"What was the point? Why did I spend all my time studying, trying to become something other than just a pretty face?"
Tears continued to flow as she spoke and asked questions that Yasuo didn't answer. He just listened silently.
"You know, I used to care about good and bad," she said softly. "I tried my hardest to live by what society deemed to be right. I don't care anymore. Being good and making all the correct decisions didn't save me from walking into Hell."
Her eyes met his as she forced her tears to stop.
"I should've chosen you back then."
Yasuo felt something twist in his chest. He was just here on the bridge to take a relaxing walk. He had no plans on stealing someone's wife. Not even someone's girlfriend. A fucking wife.
"Who cares if you're a terrible human being. You have money. Your family has money. Nobody would be stealing money from me and treating me like I'm a slave. You aren't a gambling addict who spends all of his paychecks on lottery tickets. And even if you were, who cares? It wouldn't make a dent in your wallet."
Although she was comparing how much better it would be being with him and not her husband, his pros basically boiled down to his money.
Nothing about his personality — which made sense.
"I'm leaving," he said finally, stepping back after letting go of her arm. "You should go home."
He turned away, but she quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait," she said.
He stopped.
"Take accountability," she said firmly.
He looked at her, confused.
"For what?"
"You stopped me," she replied. "You stopped me from ending it all. From freeing myself of my shitty life."
Yasuo swallowed, "That doesn't mean—"
"So what are you going to do?" she interrupted. "Just walk away and leave me like this?"
He didn't have an answer.
"If you leave, I'll just kill myself once you're gone. Take me to the authorities, I'll play it safe. Pretend I'm fine. Once they send me home, I'll slice my neck. If they save me somehow and I wake up in a hospital, I'll bite my tongue."
'This bitch is crazy.'
She stepped closer, her voice low. "Take me to bed."
His eyes widened.
"Please, Otsuka. I want to feel alive," she said. "Just once. I want to cheat. I want to do something for myself. Then, I'll return to my shitty life and pretend like everything is fine."
This was all a gamble. She didn't even know if he would care. After all, he didn't give a single shit about the student when he had committed.
Why would he care? But if he didn't — why did he stop her earlier?
He must care a little. Even the slightest.
The city noise faded into the background as Yasuo stared at her for a long moment.
Then—
He nodded.