Netori: I Shall Steal All Of My Enemies' Women For Revenge!-Chapter 255: Forgotten Face

Haruto sat behind the wheel, the hum of the engine soft beneath him as the car cruised down the empty road.

Ayaka sat beside him, animatedly recounting their childhood memories. Stories he had asked her to share in hopes of unlocking something long buried.

Some memories came back with vivid clarity. Others felt like empty echoes, slipping through his fingers no matter how hard he tried to grasp them.

But his mind kept drifting back to Ren’s memory. Back to that boy.

Jin.

’Why him?’ Haruto thought, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. ’Why was he the first person I thought of when I saw that boy?’

It wasn’t a fact, just a gut feeling, something about the way that boy moved, his posture, his cold, unflinching presence. It didn’t feel like Haruto at all.

It felt like... Jin.

But if that was Jin, then why didn’t I recognize his face?

He tried to recall his friend from the temple, the friend who never left its grounds.

But every detail blurred the more he reached for it. The shape of his smile, the color of his hair, even the curve of his eyes, all gone. Like someone had wiped them clean.

’What did Jin look like...?’ 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Sweat rolled down Haruto’s temple despite the car’s chill. A tightness gripped his chest, making it hard to breathe.

’Why can’t I remember his face...?’

"Haruto! Watch out!"

Ayaka’s scream snapped him back.

His eyes widened as the blur of headlights reflected off something on the road. He slammed the brakes. The car screeched then followed by a sickening thud.

The blurry motion cleared as the car came to a halt. In the beams of the headlights, a deer lay sprawled on the asphalt. Blood pooled beneath it, its chest barely rising.

"Oh my god, is it... dead?" Ayaka gasped, throwing the door open and hurrying out.

Haruto sat frozen, heart pounding in his ears. He exhaled sharply, finally pulling the handbrake before stepping out of the car.

He approached slowly, finding Ayaka crouched beside the animal’s lifeless body. She shook her head and rose to meet him.

"I think it’s gone..." she said softly. Then her brows knit. "Haruto, what’s wrong?"

"I’m fine," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair. "Just... too many things on my mind."

Her gaze softened. "Are you still thinking about killing Daiki?"

Her words landed like a weight on his shoulders.

"I-I don’t know what he did to you," she continued gently, stepping closer to cup his face, "but whatever it was... don’t forget you can’t take him down if you die in a stupid accident."

A small laugh escaped her lips.

Haruto chuckled too, holding her hands in his. "You’re right. That would be pathetic. Thanks, Ayaka."

She smiled. "You’ve done so much for me, Haruto. This is the least I can do."

Then, her tone softened even more. "You know you’re not alone, right?"

He paused and nodded. "I know."

But deep down, he wasn’t sure he believed it. He didn’t one his loved one being dragged into this mess again.

Haruto had chosen to fight like he was alone.

He then crouched beside the deer. The blood had already started to dry, painting the pavement in thick, black-red strokes.

Its eyes were wide open. He reached out, resting a hand on its fur, then gently closed its eyes with his fingertips.

But when his gaze met those empty eyes again, a memory surfaced, like a dam breaking loose.

It was summer.

Cicadas buzzed endlessly in the background, the air sticky with heat. Haruto, only in seventh grade was hunched behind the old temple, face red and puffy from crying.

His knees were scraped, his uniform shirt stained. He had been cornered and beaten again, mocked, kicked, and humiliated.

He curled up under the bamboo grove, sobbing quietly like a scared animal.

However, his muffled voice was stopped when he heard a sound, it was a thud, over and over again like someone hitting something sticky.

Haruto looked up, alarmed. He crept toward the sound, cautious, his heart already racing.

Behind the temple, near the mossy stone lanterns, a boy his age knelt on the ground, a brick clutched in both hands.

Blood splattered across his cheeks and knuckles as he slammed it again and again into something small and furry beneath him.

A cat.

Haruto froze.

The boy finally stopped, panting. The animal’s skull was caved in, its eyes wide and lifeless.

"What the..." Haruto took a step back, terrified.

He wanted to run but the boy turned and looked at him calmly, as if expecting him.

"If you keep running and don’t fight back," the boy said, voice steady despite the blood streaking his face, "they’ll just keep hitting you."

Haruto couldn’t respond. His eyes widened wanted to ask how he knew. But the boy continued.

"You know you shouldn’t be this pathetic, right?"

He didn’t know why but those words stuck with his heart like no other as that psychopathic boy was right. Why did he become this pathetic?

The next day, Haruto walked down the school hallway. The bell had already rung. However, Haruto stopped as three upperclassmen turned the corner.

"Well, well," the tallest one sneered, cracking his knuckles. "The little crybaby’s out of his cage early today."

"I’m feeling generous," said the second boy, brushing his bangs from his eyes. "So just give us what’s in your wallet, and we won’t dump you in the trash again."

The third didn’t speak just grinned as he leaned on the lockers, clearly enjoying the routine.

Haruto was just looking them straight in the eyes. This was the only thing he could do since realistically he would never win against three of them.

"Hey! I’m talking to—"

But before he could finish, Haruto’s hand swatted the boy’s away.

He stepped back not retreating, but adjusting his stance. His green eyes no longer held fear. They were steady, cold.

He was just... still. Like a taut wire ready to snap.

The boy who grabbed him blinked, confused. "What’s with that face...?"

Haruto tilted his head slightly, his gaze unblinking. "Are you seriously still doing this?"

The casual tone in his voice threw them off.

"Wh-what?"

"I mean," he said, brushing invisible dust off his sleeve, "bullying someone weaker than you to just look strong? That’s lame."

The smirk vanished from the second boy’s face.

"You little—"

Haruto took a single step forward. Not much. Just enough for his shadow to stretch toward them.

And for a moment, none of them moved. Because there was something off about him.

Not in his size or strength but in the way he stared at them. As if Haruto would kill them if they kept bothering him.

They know so well it was just an act, but as they were just children, they somehow believed that kid would hurt them badly.

The silence pressed down hard.

Then, awkwardly, the tallest boy cleared his throat and forced a chuckle. "Tch. Look at this punk. Trying to act cool."

"Whatever. Not worth the effort," the second one muttered, turning on his heel.

"Yeah, keep that glare, freak," the last boy said, avoiding eye contact.

Haruto tilted his eyes and moved on. He felt amazing that day, finally no new bruises on his face. But then stopped at his reflection in the mirror.

Somehow he didn’t look like himself.