Chapter 19: Beneath It All

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Beneath It All

Mataguchi’s monologue, POV

-------

July 18th, 2025. Friday

The day before first semester ends.

The air near the City General Hospital smelled of ozone and sterile rain. Shion stood by the bus stop, shifting uncomfortably in her platform boots. She had spent an hour trying to style her hair so it looked "effortlessly cute" but not like she was "trying too hard" a delicate balance her bashful heart agonized over.

"He’s late," she muttered, kicking at a loose pebble. "That gloomy creep... making me stand here like an idiot."

"I’ve been here for three minutes."

To any passerby, she looked like a girl in a deep, private relationship waiting for her partner.

This is the main artery between the highschool and the "Game-Zone" arcade...

And right on schedule, the sound of loud laughter drifted down the sidewalk. A group of boys wearing Class 4B pins rounded the corner. These were the social butterflies of the grade, the ones who traded in the currency of gossip.

Shion went stiff. "Hey, isn’t that-"

The boys from 4B slowed down as they passed, their eyes widening. They whispered to one another, pointing subtly at the "tough" gal standing at a hospital entrance.

"Shion’s at the hospital, Is someone sick?"

"Is she on a date? "

"Why does she look so upset?..." the students of 4B whispered among themselves.

"Shion-San" one of the student called out to her. Her eyes was directed to them noticing them waving to her while they walked over to her.

"What are you doing here on your own? Are you waiting for someone?" One of the students asked

"Well ..I" shion shattered a bit before adding "Well I was waiting for a friend of mine who wanted to visit a patient at the hospital together"

"I see, your friend must be taking alot of time getting here.." The student added "I would had like to invite you to hang out with us but you are already booked for the day. Maybe next time"

"Yeah sure" Shion responded forcing a smile while been nervious.

Okay this is awkward..what’s taking him so long? Shion thought to herself.

-----

Some streets blocks away some students accompanied by me walked. They laughed and had conversations but l seemed undetached and was blending in perfectly though my expression remaining same while i observed the group and listen.

As the new current president, my social networking and standing was in fact much useful and smooth with others.

I have been tackling with my peers for connections, this group was one of them.

"Yeah so the bet was just a a prank at the end?" One of the student asked the others who seemed to let out a softly laughter.

"Dude it’s not funny, what if I get criticised by the cheer leader later on?"

"It shouldn’t be a problem buddy, besides it’s a bet you can’t lose on right?" Another replied.

"The cheer leader is known for rejecting boys on the spot though" I added

"Getting cooked in front of the whole school is going to hurt your social standing"

"You heard the President, so no going half wit" another added, honestly this whole conversation about him asking out a cheerleader out in public is stupid.

I mean, of course she’s going to reject him anyways.

Not to mention the girl in question has a boyfriend from another school.

"But what if she has a ’puppet’ she’s going out with?" The boy in question asked, sounding exhausted and down.

Bro she does. A boyfriend infact.

The term ’puppet’ was unnatural to anyone who heard it but for those at the Karafuguru it wasn’t. It was viewed as a statement to explain a lower lifeform that needs control or one who is been controlled but unaware. To them calling a person a ’puppet’ wasn’t a insult or criticism in anyway, though yeah no one will dare call someone out like.

"If she has a boyfriend, even better." The other added, I noticed that out of the eight of us walking two were remaining white while the others laughed or forced on their phones.

The dynamic here isn’t nice to be honest.

"What?!" Some of the boy muttered.

"I don’t know man"

"You’ve got weird taste"

"I didn’t know you were into that kind of stuff"

"Dudes chill" he said defending himself

"If she already has a boyfriend, that doesn’t mean she think of him as a love interest" he added.

Honestly I can’t see the logic and same time can’t follow the logic his coming from. Funny cause what his saying is if the BF is a puppet then no emotional attachment is between them which gives the other dudes which I couldn’t care about his name a chance to obtain the gem.

But..

Yeah what if she does have emotions for the puppet or couldn’t care less about love interests.

Now that’s will sting to say out right now.

"Bro-" the boy muttered trying to protest but was interrupted.

"Or do you want to kiss her on public forcibly?" The other added.

"Come one that last one was so inappropriate" a student in the group said laughter arose as they walked forward.

"..." i remained silence watching the students laughing.

Shiwogata would just have to wait a bit..though I know she might kill me for this

The 4B should already be with her, she wouldn’t mention my name to them to avoid any unnecessary rumors between us

I’m guessing she would just go with the class ’I’m waiting for a friend’ or ’I’m busy’

"Okay, your turn man" the student who was teasing the other earlier said while signaling the next round of the game they were playing before I joined in.

"I guess it’s Mataguchi’s turn to ask" one of the students said.

"Okay then.." i said but then paused without saying anything.

I stopped for a moment to get the full attention of the group.

"What is it?" The student said confused as to why i had stopped.

"This game is becoming boring, why don’t we make it a bit interesting" i said his tone still remaining calm.

"Imteresting? What do you mean?" One asked.

"A dare," I murmured, to others my voice might as well be flat and devoid of inflection I placed a thick envelope of cash out. Well I did say interesting and what’s more interesting than the very source of human greed.

"Wow sick...let’s do it" one of the students said his tone excited. The others were excited as well some seemed calm.

Must likely thinking of the possibility of this been a scheme.

Rest your minds my brothers, cause this is no scheme. I will be honestly and give 100 percent honesty to my dealings.

"I guess it’s alright, I was getting tired of it anyways" another added.

"Tho on one condition" another added sounding confident before adding

"....."

"let’s make it a bet" The student added.

"I don’t know what you are scamming but I’m in if it’s on that condition"

I blinked once looking at the student for a brief second before answering "Yeah sure"

I wasn’t sure what he was up to but it was a way to secure himself from been exploited.

There were many other options to pick but a dare seemed more understandable without making it complex or suspicious to others.

The motives of a dare might be unclear but at this moment and current mood we have, it’s just a game, we can laugh it off....this attitude against them is sufficient...

"Take this to the hospital, a few blocks from here. Donate it anonymously. If you can do it without a single human soul noticing your presence, I will double the amount for you. And..."

I paused, the silence stretching uncomfortably long. "I will ensure your paths cross with the girls you’ve been watching. Consider it a choreographed coincidence."

I wasn’t going to bring this one out but it was to help put myself at a disadvantage for them.

If I was going to give them money to donated and double it for them if successful they lose nothing same either if they lost the bet cause I didn’t mention anything about what they will do for me if they lost.

They will obviously take an advantage of this statements and use it against me if I lost and laugh it off as a friend joke between friends.

The students, fueled by greed and desperation, took the deal.

"Wait, how did you know about it?" One pointed out. The one been teased earlier seemed a bit suspicious of my aware of the matter but come on.

"Hmm?"

"You seriously thought you guys weren’t being obvious.... just so you know it’s a miracle that the girls in question haven’t notice" i added while stared directly in his eyes.

"Wait we were?" One said in confusion.

"Come on man, his right. Who wouldn’t know?" Another said holding the confused student on his shoulder.

"Like you are any better" he replied.

I just watched as the group teased each other. While another student watched me from the side.

Well it doesn’t seem as though he is lying, and besides we have known him for some time now and his not that type of person.

We can aways laugh off a game, plus the rewards are there... The student who had been quite for some time thought observing the game unfold.

They thought they were being clever. They thought they were ghosts. Honestly this was too obvious it was like I was betraying them in more than one way.

Shion who was next to the hospital didn’t notice the students going in and out of the hospital because she was still distracted by the students from 4B.

When they returned, sweating and triumphant, Mataguchi didn’t even look up to them.

"You failed," i said.

--------

"And thus I clothe my naked villainy

With odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ;

And seem a saint, when most I play the devil."

-------