The city lights blurred as Kenta walked aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo. The confrontation with Takeshi played over and over in his mind, each word sinking deeper into his consciousness. He had finally told him the truth. The weight of secrecy had been lifted, but in its place, a darker burden had settled—a commitment to seeing his revenge to its bitter conclusion.
The satisfaction he had felt when he saw Takeshi's terror-filled face lingered with him, like a bitter aftertaste. Takeshi was beginning to feel what Kenta had endured for months. The uncertainty, the helplessness, the loss of control. And soon, it would all come crashing down on him, just as Kenta had intended.
But it wasn't enough.
The brief flicker of satisfaction had faded, and in its place, a hunger for more burned hotter than ever. Takeshi had to lose everything—his career, his reputation, his sense of worth. Just as Kenta had. And Mayu... she wasn't done paying either.
Kenta's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was Riku.
"I heard about the meeting. How do you feel?"
Kenta stared at the message for a moment, considering his response. How did he feel? The initial thrill of revealing the truth to Takeshi had been exhilarating, but now, all that remained was the cold, unyielding need for more. He typed his reply.
"It's not enough."
Riku's response came almost instantly.
"Good. Then let's turn up the heat."
Kenta's heart pounded in his chest as he read the words. Turn up the heat? What more could they do? He had already set Takeshi's career on a downward spiral. Was Riku planning something even bigger?
"What's the next step?" Kenta typed.
This time, Riku took longer to respond.
"The next step is the hardest one. But if you're truly ready to make them suffer, I'll guide you. Be at my place in an hour. We're going to finish this."
Kenta stared at the message, his mind racing. He had already crossed so many lines. He had already set in motion events that would ruin Takeshi's life. Could he go even further? The memory of Takeshi's desperate eyes flashed before him, and a cold, cruel smile tugged at Kenta's lips.
Yes. He could.
An hour later, Kenta stood outside Riku's apartment, a nondescript building nestled in a quiet part of the city. He hesitated for only a moment before knocking on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Riku stood there, his face calm and collected as always.
"Come in," Riku said, stepping aside to let Kenta enter.
Kenta walked into the small, dimly lit apartment, the air thick with tension. He had been here several times before, but tonight felt different. There was an edge to the atmosphere, a sense that whatever they were about to do would change everything.
Riku motioned for Kenta to sit at the table, where a laptop sat open. The screen displayed a series of emails, spreadsheets, and financial records—things Kenta couldn't fully understand but recognized as damning evidence.
"I've done some digging," Riku said, sitting down across from Kenta. "Takeshi has a lot more skeletons in his closet than just the affair with Mayu."
Kenta leaned forward, intrigued. "What do you mean?"
Riku clicked through several files on the laptop, bringing up transaction records. "Over the years, Takeshi has been involved in some pretty shady deals. Not just insider trading—there are connections to corporate espionage, bribery, and more. He's covered his tracks well, but not well enough."
Kenta stared at the screen, the weight of what Riku was saying sinking in. This wasn't just about ruining Takeshi's career anymore. This was about completely dismantling his entire life.
"This... this could put him in prison," Kenta muttered, a strange sense of disbelief creeping into his voice.
Riku nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yes. It could."
For a moment, Kenta felt a pang of doubt. Sending Takeshi to prison—that was a level of destruction he hadn't fully considered. Ruining his career was one thing, but prison?
But then the image of Takeshi with Mayu flashed in his mind, the betrayal, the lies, the complete disregard for the friendship they had shared. That doubt was quickly smothered by the flames of his anger.
"He deserves it," Kenta said, his voice cold.
Riku smiled faintly. "I thought you'd see it that way. Now, here's where things get tricky. In order for this to work, we need to make sure these records get into the right hands. We can't just dump them on the internet. We need a targeted leak—someone who can't be bought off or intimidated by Takeshi's firm."
Kenta frowned. "Do you know someone?"
Riku nodded, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard. "I have a contact at the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission. They've been watching Takeshi's firm for a while, but they haven't had enough concrete evidence to move in. If we give them this, it'll be enough to launch a full investigation."
Kenta's pulse quickened. This was it. The final blow. Once the Commission had this evidence, Takeshi's life would be over. His career, his freedom—everything he had worked for would crumble in an instant.
But Riku wasn't done. He leaned back, his gaze piercing.
"There's one more thing," Riku said quietly. "Mayu."
Kenta's stomach twisted at the mention of her name. "What about her?"
Riku's eyes darkened. "She still doesn't fully understand the consequences of her actions. Takeshi may have been the one who betrayed your friendship, but Mayu—she's the one who ripped your heart out."
Kenta's hands clenched into fists. Mayu's tearful apology echoed in his mind, her desperate plea for forgiveness. But it hadn't been enough. Her tears couldn't wash away the months of pain, the humiliation, the loss of everything he had believed in.
"I know where she works," Riku continued, his voice low. "If we want to finish this properly, she needs to feel the same sense of loss that you did. You deserve to have that closure."
Kenta's mind raced. Could he really do it? Could he destroy Mayu's life the way she had destroyed his? The image of her crying on the phone, pleading for his understanding, flashed in his mind—but it was quickly overtaken by the memory of her in Takeshi's arms, laughing as if Kenta had never existed.
"Yes," Kenta said, his voice steady. "She deserves to feel it too."
Riku's smile widened, a cold gleam in his eyes. "Good. Then we're ready."
He handed Kenta a small USB drive. "This has everything we need. You'll deliver it to my contact at the Commission. Once they have it, Takeshi's fate is sealed. As for Mayu... I'll handle that part."
Kenta stared at the drive in his hand, the weight of what he was about to do settling over him like a heavy cloak. This was the final step. After this, there would be no going back. But for the first time in months, he felt something that had eluded him since the betrayal—control.
He had been powerless when Mayu and Takeshi had torn his world apart. But now, he held the power. Now, it was their turn to suffer.
Kenta slipped the USB drive into his pocket and stood up. "When do we start?"
Riku stood as well, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "We already have. From this point on, it's just a matter of time."
Kenta nodded, a sense of grim determination settling over him. The path into darkness was laid out before him, and there was no hesitation left in his heart.
The only thing that remained now was to finish what he had started.
End of Chapter 7