NOVPUB
Chapter 119 - The Savior in the Rain
In the end, MEM still gave in.
With trembling fingers and a conflicted heart, she revealed Kurokawa Akane's home address.
A moment later, she and Yukima Azuma exchanged Line IDs. Everything she knew, every scrap of information she'd gathered, was sent directly to his phone—no filters, no hesitation.
She had no other choice.
As a fundamentally kind person, MEM couldn't just stand by and watch her friend spiral into oblivion. Even if it meant violating that friend's privacy... even if it tormented her conscience... even if it made her feel like a traitor—she did it.
Because once a person died, nothing could be taken back.
The situation had deteriorated so badly, it couldn't get any worse.
Rock bottom had been reached.
MEM could only cling to a single hope now: that Yukima Azuma would be able to reach Akane before she was lost to despair forever.
As she sat there, lost in thought, she suddenly felt warm fingers gently pinch her cheek.
"Wha—?"
She blinked in surprise, looking up at the boy before her. His gentle touch caught her off guard, as if to ground her in the present.
Up close, she looked like a classic little sister from a slice-of-life anime—soft golden hair, big round eyes, delicate features.
Who would've guessed this adorable girl was actually older than Yukinoshita Yukino?
That's right—despite her high schooler persona, MEM was in fact twenty-five years old. A full-grown adult, disguised in youthful charm.
Being pinched like that, she almost burst into tears. She felt like she'd been swept aboard a pirate ship—no control, no destination, and no way off.
The boy in front of her was a master manipulator—no, a tactician.
And what frightened her the most was just how solid his foundation was.
Was this the prelude to her being forced into some kind of shady "hidden rules"?
She flinched.
"As a side note, MEM," Yukima Azuma said casually, putting his phone away, "your current contract with your agency is just a basic partnership, right?"
"...Yeah?" she answered warily.
"Then how about switching sides and joining our Laplace Corporation?"
The moment he said that, her expression froze.
It was here. The hidden rules.
She instinctively took a step back, staring at him with wide eyes. Her gaze trailed up to his face—the damp hair still clinging slightly to his skin after being towel-dried at the station, the faint flush from the cold rain, those ridiculously beautiful eyes...
Even in an industry saturated with pretty faces, Yukima Azuma stood out.
A walking piece of art.
Damn. If this guy became a host, she'd be broke within a week.
But wait... if she was getting lured in with hidden rules, wasn't she technically the one gaining something from it?
MEM clutched her head in despair, her mind spiraling into ridiculous scenarios.
She was so deep in thought she didn't even notice Yukima Azuma ruffling her hair.
A soft chuckle escaped him as he turned his gaze toward the looming problem: Kurokawa Akane.
"What should we do with her?" he murmured.
MEM followed his gaze, concern creasing her brow.
"For now," Yukima Azuma said, "we find something for her to do. Something to anchor her."
Outside the police station, Akane followed her mother home in silence.
Once inside her room, she curled up in the corner of her bed, hugging her knees tightly.
The world around her blurred.
Her thoughts scattered like shards of glass—jagged, incoherent, painful.
Kurokawa Akane was a gifted actress.
On stage, she could immerse herself in any character, becoming someone else entirely. As long as she had a script, she could shine.
But in real life, without a script, she was lost.
No acting tricks could save her here.
No prepared lines could soften the blows.
On that dating show, she'd been exposed—raw and unfiltered.
The audience had seen the real Akane, and they didn't like what they saw.
She wasn't witty or bold or mysterious.
She was... just a regular seventeen-year-old girl.
And the moment the curtain was pulled back, the entertainment industry turned on her.
Her management company grew restless. She wasn't raking in enough profits. She was told to appear on more variety shows. Smile more. Be cuter. Be relatable.
The pressure was unbearable.
One slip-up—one tiny mistake—and everything crumbled.
Her mistake was minor.
The punishment was devastating.
Now she was the target of relentless cyberbullying.
Tens of thousands of people mocking her, insulting her, dissecting her every move.
Without the protection of her actress persona, she had no shield left.
She was being shredded as herself—as Kurokawa Akane.
She couldn't take it.
Every attempt to defend herself only made things worse.
Her company demanded silence.
"Let it pass."
"Time will fix it."
But even if the storm subsided for a moment, it would all come back the moment she returned to the screen.
Her youth—her precious teenage years—were being stolen from her, one painful comment at a time.
And no one came to help.
For an entire day and night, Akane hadn't eaten.
She just kept scrolling.
Refreshing. Reading. Hurting.
Until finally, a message from MEM appeared in the group chat.
That snapped her out of it.
Her stomach growled. She realized she was dizzy.
Like a ghost, she drifted out of her room and headed to the nearest convenience store.
The rain poured down in cold sheets, but she barely noticed.
Passing by a pedestrian bridge, she looked down.
The neon city below shimmered through the haze.
Her thoughts grew louder, darker.
I'm tired.
I don't want to think anymore.
Drawn toward the glittering abyss, she leaned forward slightly.
Just one step.
And then—
Strong arms grabbed her from behind.
She screamed, kicked, scratched. Her nails tore into someone's skin.
Blood splattered across her face.
Another mistake.
Another person hurt.
Her tears poured out all at once.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to.
I'm sorry.
She dropped to her knees and bowed, begging for forgiveness.
She didn't even know who she was apologizing to anymore.
She just wanted the pain to stop.
Later, she sat in her dark room once more.
Her phone was gone.
Every device that connected her to the outside world had been confiscated.
But none of that mattered now.
The damage was already done.
She thought of the river again.
Of how peaceful that moment had felt—right before she'd been pulled back.
And then...
Her eyes widened.
Through the misty windowpane, she saw a figure.
Standing alone in the rain.
Drenched. Still.
And somehow... familiar.
Their eyes met.
Then the figure turned and walked away—slowly, purposefully—toward the Tokyo drainage river.
The floodwaters were high.
The current was deadly.
He was going to jump.
Kurokawa Akane's heart stopped.
She imagined the scene—his body crushed, bloated, lost.
Her knees buckled.
"No—!"
She tore the window open and leapt barefoot into the storm.
She ran.
Mud splashed. Her feet slipped. She didn't care.
The moment she reached him, she threw herself forward with all her strength.
The two of them hit the ground hard.
Her sobs echoed into the downpour.
Yukima Azuma lay on the ground, soaked to the bone, but smiling faintly.
His plan had worked.
Saving someone in the middle of a breakdown required more than words.
It required a reversal.
You had to turn the one needing help... into the one giving it.
That was how you reawakened the will to live.
Yukima Azuma had considered all options.
He could've committed her to a psych ward, strapped her down until the suicidal urges passed.
But that was just survival, not salvation.
Instead, he created a scene.
He let her believe he was the one who needed saving.
And she responded.
Brilliantly.
He had arrived at her home in time, thanks to MEM's information. He'd studied the terrain, identified the river, and found the perfect vantage point.
Then he rehearsed.
He closed his eyes and channeled real emotion—drawing from the time before he met Kasumigaoka Utaha.
System Notification: Acting skill upgraded to Lv2.
It was just enough.
He made sure she saw him.
He walked slowly.
Gave her time.
And just before he reached the edge...
She tackled him.
A perfect performance.
And now? 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Now, things would get easier.
Still lying there, rain cascading over him, Yukima Azuma smirked.
"All according to keikaku."
