"H-handle?! Please wait!"
Hearing Kitahara Sousuke's words, Hayato's legs trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly lost control of his bladder.
Seeing his reaction, Sousuke, contrary to his previous behavior, smiled at him. Although he was wearing a mask, the other person couldn't see his smile.
"No need to be so scared. I believe you have the ability to repay your debts."
"In my personal capacity, I just want to ask you for a small favor. The money you owe can be discussed later."
He didn't clarify his identity as a debt collector; this identity was more convenient for what he was about to do. Sousuke cheerfully placed his hand on the thug's shoulder again. The familiar sensation almost made Hayato think the previous events were about to repeat themselves. Only after a while, when he didn't feel the familiar pain, did he temporarily relax.
"A favor?"
"Relax, it's nothing troublesome. Come with me."
Looking left and right, he didn't notice anyone tailing him. Then, in a somewhat forceful manner, Sousuke pressed down on Hayato's shoulder, and the two of them dawdled along, seemingly aimlessly, through the alley.
Hayato didn't dare to say anything, just enduring the pain and occasionally telling unfunny jokes as he followed beside the other. It wasn't until evening that Kitahara Sousuke finally seriously led the scum in front of him to the final destination of this incident. That was beside a garbage dump.
And there was that Lolita-dressed girl who appeared there as usual.
"See that cute kid?"
From afar, Kitahara Sousuke gestured to Hayato, but didn't look in that direction himself.
"Cute?! She's filthy all over, just looking at her makes me feel disgusted."
Hayato looked at the pale-faced girl in the Lolita clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in who knows how long, and thought with great disdain. But since the man beside him said she was cute, he naturally didn't dare to object, so he nodded with a smile and started flattering him.
"What a cute child. Is she your younger sister?"
Slap—
Another very sudden slap landed heavily on Hayato's face.
"Who the hell are you cursing?"
Kitahara Sousuke suppressed his voice and whispered threateningly to the thug beside him. Hayato touched the place where he had been slapped, feeling very wronged, and carefully defended himself.
"I-I didn't—"
"Shut up and listen to me."
Kitahara Sousuke was too lazy to explain anything. He sized up the scum opposite him. It seemed he had been slapped too many times today, and his immunity had improved somewhat. His mind was still relatively clear at this moment. So he continued to speak to Hayato.
"What I want you to do is very simple. Go up and chat with that little girl over there. Use your handsome looks..."
He couldn't help but pause here. Okay, this guy wasn't actually handsome, just dressed somewhat fashionably. And now his face was severely swollen, so he really couldn't be called handsome. He cleared his throat.
"Anyway, use your usual smooth talk to make that little girl happy, and then take care of her for a few days."
"As long as you can make her happy, whatever that girl asks you to do, you do it."
"If you do that, I'll give you more time."
Kitahara Sousuke said, pinching both sides of Hayato's cheeks, making his mouth pout and shaking it left and right.
"Ugh ugh ugh..."
He released his grip after a long while.
"Got it?"
Sousuke asked with a smile.
"Got it!"
Hayato didn't dare to be careless at all and immediately agreed. Looking at him, Sousuke thought for a moment and added a few more words.
"Oh right, that little girl isn't quite right in the head, and the people above don't really care about her. But her identity is that of a child of a big shot you can't afford to offend, so you'd better go along with whatever she says."
Kitahara Sousuke made up a story as he spoke nonsense, and finally patted Hayato's shoulder.
"I'm leaving. Don't even think about running away. You know the consequences."
From beginning to end, Hayato didn't even know what he looked like or what his name was. Having left Sousuke's side, Hayato still didn't dare to run away. If he ran and got caught again, he would be truly dead. Having mistakenly taken Sousuke for a debt collector, he had no confidence in evading those people's pursuit.
Unless he hid overseas, but he didn't have a passport. So he had no choice but to obediently follow Sousuke's instructions and approached the Lolita.
Kitahara Sousuke glanced back at Hayato approaching the girl, his face expressionless, and quickened his pace, leaving the place. What happened next was no longer his concern.
"Wow... so smelly... how long has this guy been living next to the garbage dump?"
A pungent odor entered Hayato's nostrils, making him feel like the little bit of residue left in his stomach was about to make him vomit violently again.
"Good evening, beautiful lady..."
Forcibly enduring this unbearable feeling, Hayato moved a little closer and took the initiative to greet her.
"Hello there, big brother."
The Lolita-dressed girl's attention was drawn to him. She put down the tattered parasol in her hand and replied with her bright red lips in a light and airy tone.
"This reaction isn't that strange... looking closely, although this girl is a bit dirty, she's quite cute."
"Right, I remember that bastard just now said this woman is the child of a big shot. If I can get my hands on her..."
Taking Sousuke's nonsense seriously, Hayato immediately started scheming in his heart. And just at this moment, the Lolita-dressed girl began her umpteenth inquiry.
"Hey, do you have a younger sister?"
Hearing this question, Hayato first paused subconsciously, then replied the next moment.
"Younger sister? No, I'm an only child."
He was still unaware of what his answer meant. Hearing his answer, the Lolita's eyes, hidden beneath her long bangs, emitted a terrifyingly fanatical gaze.
"Hehe... hahaha..."
She let out this kind of laughter. The girl suddenly stood up, grabbed the rabbit doll's ears with one hand, and spun around in place like a child, looking very happy.
"What's wrong?"
Startled by the laughter, instinct made Hayato feel scared, but he didn't know what he should be worried about. He wasn't the tall man from before; this was just a little girl in front of him. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore.
"If you don't have a younger sister, then let me be your little sister~"
The Lolita also stopped at this moment, her cloudy eyes staring intently at Hayato's face, answering word by word.
...
Urban legend—the bizarre Lolita.
It is said that late at night, a girl dressed in Lolita fashion appears near garbage dumps, asking passersby: "Do you have a younger sister?"
If they respond to her, the Lolita will force the man to treat her as his younger sister. Then the two will live happily together in order to become the ideal brother and sister.
However, the process of becoming the ideal brother and sister is not smooth. The last unqualified brother the Lolita encountered met his end in an oven.
The conclusion reached by the police in this world after inspecting the scene was that he died by self-immolation.
As for the name of the last person who came closest to being the ideal brother in the Lolita's heart, it was Keiichi. The same name as the rabbit doll the Lolita held in her arms. His flattened body was currently inside that strangely scented doll.