Published at 24th of January 2024 11:05 am

Chapter 472 Aim For It, A Rose Colored University Life!

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

「Hey, Tamai. If it’s you then you won’t refuse right? Lend us your mug for a bit.」

Four men were surrounding Tamai Atsushi at the end of the passage.

Every single one of them had nice physique. It was clear from their trained muscles that they were practicing some kind of martial art.

One of them, the man with noticeably better physique placed his hand on Tamai’s shoulder and put his strength into it. The hand was rugged. He could see that the hand was practiced with punching other people. His height was also around 190 cm. He was a head taller than Tamai.

His gaze that was looking down on him from above was sharp. His mouth that was sporting a grin honestly looked nasty.

Seen from the side, it was a scene of a very diligent first year student from the faculty of education getting bullied by senior students with lazy and bad conduct.

Although it was lunch break and most of the people had left, there were still a lot of students remaining and several of them kept glancing their way because of their curiosity toward the bad atmosphere. Most of them however were leaving with quick pace while taking care not to meet any of their gaze because they didn’t want to get involved with anything troublesome.

「Oi, say something Tamai」

「Aa~, I wonder what should I say here……」

Atsushi scratched his head with a somewhat fed up look facing the boxing club member who was tightening his grip on his shoulder while his smile vanished and grimness replaced it instead.

「Aa? What’s with that attitude? We’re just asking you kindly to change the location yeah?」

「Yeah we are.」

「No, I see. I get it yeah. It’s fine already if that’s how you’re feeling. Now that it has come to his even you understand rightt?」

The boxing club member grinned once more. The guys around him were also grinning as though there was something funny.

The hand let go of the shoulder. Then it clenched into fist.

Atsushi narrowed his eyes in respond.

The surrounding students, especially the girls were noticeably holding their breath while watching.

Then at the next moment.

「Tamaii……no, Tamai-kun! Introduce us to Nagumo-kun! You’re the only one we can count on-」

「「「Pleasee~, Tamaiii! We’re begging you~uu!!」」」

The eyes of the surrounding students shrunk into dots.

It couldn’t be helped. Men with aura of violence who clearly were the type of people that they should never get involved with, were all bowing their heads together.

Their legs were lightly opened, their clenched fists were pressed on their knees, and their bowing was in the beautiful angle of 45 degree. If an example had to be given, yes, they looked like the people with self-employed profession that started with the letters “ya” when lowering their heads to their boss……

Also, it seemed that some of the students were used to this scene. They were watching with gazes that seemed to say 「They’re doing it again」.

「Look here, for now let’s set aside that request」

Atsushis made a gesture of putting aside an object with his hands while smiling bitterly to the surrounding, to tell them that there’s no problem here~. The nervous students looked slightly relieved even if they still didn’t understand the situation and left.

「Ikeda, and also you three, I think it’ll be better if you guys become more aware of your appearance, or rather, your atmosphere? That kind of thing.」

「We ourselves are fully aware of that already. That’s why we’re begging like this.」

「I’m saying that even from the way you guys are begging is already stinking of crime.」

「That’s horrible calling us stinking of crime!」

「That’s right that’s right! Even though we’re just talking normally!」

「Why do we need to get questioned by police just from talking at the roadside huh?」

「Just what are you telling us to do about our scary appearance or whatever huhhh. Are you telling us to get plastic surgery?」

In order from above, Ikeda from boxing club, Aoki and Gotanda from judo club, and Mukouzaka from kendo club.

The four of them were first year just like Atsushi. Or rather, they were normally diligent guys. They were friends that Atsushi made in the university.

But, their appearances were like the exemplar of thug. They were radiating blazing aura of someone used to routine violence and intimidation.

In reality, their speech and conduct were only appearing like crime.

Also, the five of them became friends in their first meeting was also caused of that trait of them.

When heading to take the exam, there was a male exam taker who looked trouble near the examination hall. Ikeda ran toward him to ask if there was something that he could help with.

However, he had a frightening look. The boy was heavily frightened by Ikeda’s aura, and Aoki who coincidentally witnessed that thought 「A delinquent is bullying an exam taker!? I got to help!」 and picked a fight.

After that, Gotanda and Mukouzaka also came running sequentially because of the same thought process. It formed a scene that looked like four delinquents surrounding an exam taker when seen from outside.

There, a police who was increasing his patrol because of the exam season caught sight of that scene and came running. He put the boys into questioning.

However, the four simply looked like they were lying no matter what they said……

It was then, the passing by Atsushi made his entrance.

Atsushi had accumulated rich life experience that people his age didn’t have. His ability to evaluate people and detect danger was well cultivated.

Or rather, there was a guy with heinous appearance near him, but that guy was actually a good guy who treasured his comrades and family (that was what Atsushi thought), so he could somehow guess whether someone was really troublesome or not.

And so, even Ikeda and others who only looked like they were resisting against police officer when seen from outside, only looked like they were plainly troubled to him.

Even though he knew it was meddlesome of him, he thought 「We’re fellow exam takers here……」 and interfered. As the result he somehow became friends with them.

In other words, even when they talked to him at the hallway, for them it was just them talking normally to him. They weren’t scheming anything dastardly much less trying to threaten him at all.

「Well, you guys are people who can invite misunderstanding easily after all.」

「We’re already endeavoring to always smile even like this yeah?」

「We only look like we’re planning something bad even then huh.」

「And others will get even more nervous when we made serious face!」

「That’s right isn’t it.」

So what are you telling us to do then! The scary looking quartet held their heads while looking extremely troubled. People who were born under the same star got accepted into the same university by chance and became friends with each other. In a sense that too was miraculous.

But, for the people in question, they wished they could have a slightly different destiny.

「More importantly! No, this is also important but still, for now, setting aside about how scary looking we are」

Ikeda-kun made the same gesture of putting something to the side with his hands just like Atsushi before and put an ingratiating smile on his face. While lowering his waist, and rubbing his hands together.

The person himself was doing his best to project a gentle atmosphere, trying to butter up Atsushi so that he would listen to their request but……

As expected, they only looked like thugs participating in a criminal organization’s scheme to line up their pockets.

A pair of female students were just exiting the lecture hall at that moment. Their expression became 「These guys are absolutely scheming something wicked!」 and hastened their pace to escape from the room quickly.

Those two, were really cute girls.

Ikeda-kun stopped rubbing his hands with tearful eyes. He wiped his eyes with that hand. Aoki-kun and others patted his back and shoulder to share in his pain.

Even though these guys were really good natured martial artist youths who had sense of justice, strong sense of duty, and also manners……

「And, you asked about introducing you guys to Nagumo?」

There was no way sympathy didn’t well up inside Tamai after seeing their pitiful figures. He let out a sad sigh even while broaching the original topic from his own initiative.

He could somehow guess the flow of the talk, so his expression looked terribly reluctant though.

「That’s right! Tamai, no, Tamai-kun! Or rather Tamai-sama!」

「Stop that, gross. If rumor about me spread after Ikeda-kun put “sama” with my name, even I will get seen as a dangerous guy. We’re all aiming to be teacher here.」

「Even though that was why we considerately tried to change location! You were the one who acted reluctant like this!」

「It can’t be helped right? Recently there’re a lot of guys asking me to introduce them to Nagumo. Though a lot of them are guys who I never even talked to before, and on top of that even my friends are asking the same thing now. I’m fed up with it already.」

Enough with this troublesome crap! Atsushi’s reproachful gaze said.

「O-our bad. But, but still! You must understanddd! Even we, even weee──」

「「「「Want to have a kya kya ufufu campus life with girlsss──」」」」

It was a scream that came from their souls. If this was manga then surely they would also be crying tears of blood.

Are they finished already? Some female students were peeking out from the classroom to check but, 「B-beast! They’re beasts hungering for woman-」 and pulled back into the classroom again.

The misunderstanding around them was accelerating!

Atsushi wordlessly led Ikeda and others to the end of the hallway that was out of sight. At this rate his own reputation would also suffer. As expected he should just allow himself to change location without feeling fed up……he was feeling somewhat regretful.

「A student of the technology department is becoming a hot topic recently──Nagumo Hajime. It’s unbelievable. He got four beauties waiting on him yeah?」

「I, I saw it! At the morning, when super beauties came down from that guy’s car! Or rather his car is also an unbelievably nice one-, what the hell, is he living in a movie!? It’s just too unrealistic!」

「This is a stratified society!! Does that guy not know the words redistribution of wealth!?」

「I got it. I got that you guys are deathly jealous so, calm down for now.」

Ikeda-kun put his hands on Atsushi’s shoulders again. *GRAB* His eyes were a bit bloodshot. Scary.

「But, but we got our hand on a certain information. This will sound unbelievable again but, that Nagumo guy is apparently married. He’s married with a blonde haired girl. Go bald」

「Your resentment is leaking out there.」

「In shorttt! The other girls must be free right now!」

Ikeda’s expression was like a detective who had found the truth──no, that example was a bit too nice. Let’s say that it was the expression of a mafia grunt who found an illegal work that could become money.

Aoki and Gotanda also continued with an expression that was saying 「We got great offer. Let’s earn some money yeah?」.

「Yeah, we know! You wanna say that high leveled girls like that ain’t in our level right? We know!」

「But you know, it’s fine even if we just dream isn’t it!?」

「We ain’t gonna ask for much. But, but you know……we wanna to try talking to that kind of beautiful girls at least once in our life! If luck is on our side, we also want to get into a bittersweet atmosphere and got a bit closer with them!」

The last line from Aoki sounded overly fervent. It conveyed just how unrelated they had been with girls until now in their life. Atsushi looked like he really didn’t know what to say.

And, he could also understand somewhat their reason for seeing such dream. Ikeda brought his face closer. It was big and scary.

「There’s info. Info that you Tamai was eating lunch together with Nagumo!」

Yes, that was the reason why things had become like this. Originally these four would already give up 「The world that guy’s living in is just too different from us……」, but an unexpected connection came into their line of vision that they couldn’t stop themselves from reaching their hand forward.

「Well, we were high school classmate.」

The strength of the unexpected connection made Ikeda-kun and others cheered 「Ooh!」. They had the expression of a sinner who saw a single thread hanging down from heaven to the bottom of hell.

「But err. I’m warning you guys now with a good will, it’ll be better if you guys don’t think too deeply about Nagumo──」

「Tamaiii-, get it already! We have lived without any connection to girl until now」

「We can’t do anything about our face or aura. That’s why, we want to be thought as a reliable Man at least and trained our muscle and martial art like crazy!」

That’s why you guys got even more feared……Atsushi thought, but he held back those words strongly from coming out.

「And Mukouzaka……he went to boys school you know!? What’s more, what’s more it was a boarding school-」

Even if they said the words boarding boys school like it was a famous prison island (Alcatraz)……Atsushi thought, but as expected he swallowed back his words strongly.

「……I don’t wanna a life surrounded by splashing sweat and muscle anymore. Even though I finally left that Alcatraz, even though I finally come to this new world of bright campus life!」

It seemed Mukouzaka-kun really thought of that place as Alcatraz. What an unpleasant synchro.

「Tamai……I, want to talk with girl. My dream is to drink sweet café au lait in a cute café……」

What is this guy saying with that face of Shura who lived on the path of sword……Atsushi thought be he omitted the rest.

In any case. Their earnestness was conveyed. Then, quickly destroying their dream was his duty as a friend. He would take the role as their kaishaku! (TN: The person in charge of beheading someone who committed seppuku, to shorten their suffering)

「……Got it.」

「Ooo, so you get it!?」

「Yeah, I understand now. Rather than learning the truth after I introduced you guys, it’ll be better if I tell the truth now.」

「What do, you mean?」

Be strong. The truth was always cruel, reality was harsh, this world was full of suffering.

Atsushi engendered such atmosphere while being the one putting his hands on Ikeda’s shoulders this time.

「The four beauties you guys mentioned……all of them, are married to Nagumo.」

「「「「……………………………………………………………」」」」

This must be a model example of a “cat in galaxy face”. (TN: Search 宇宙ネコのような顔 in google if you want to see)

Eh? What? I don’t really understand. It felt like I heard words that I never heard before. Sorry, can you, say it one more time?

The gazes of Ikeda-kun and others were pleading like that. And so, he told them in easier to understand term.

「In the formal marriage registration there is only the blonde haired woman──Yue-san only. But, the other three are also married to him.」

「HAHA-, you’re saying something crazy there, Tamai-dono. Don’t you know? Japan forbid polygamy──」

「That just means you can’t register the marriage legally. It’s what you called de facto marriage. Also, what’s strange is Ikeda’s speaking style.」

「Tamai-chaa~n, you’re horribleee. Even if you want to make fun of us you knowww, there should be a better way isn’t itt~?」

「I’m not joking. Didn’t you see? That the other three also wear rings on their left hands’ ring fingers. Or rather, Aoki-kun must also have heard among the rumors. That everyone is married. Also, what’s horrible is your speaking style.」

The personalities of Ikeda-kun and others shifted because of how badly shaken they were.

Silence filled the area for a while. Everyone looked like they were desperately facing reality. Many times they looked at each other, stared at Atsushi, however, his expression conveyed that he wasn’t joking or lying by any means……

When the silence was starting to grow painful.

「Hey, we should go buy lunch soo──」

「HE, HEHE-. I’m gonna do it-. I’m gonna do it-, for real!! I’m gonna destroy that kind of shitty reality together with that bastarddd-. He gonna learn just how scary internet society is-」

Gotanda-kun fell into madness. He took out his smartphone and his fat fingers moved very skillfully to expose the sworn enemy of unpopular guys in social media.

「By the way, Nagumo is powerful when it comes to information. He won’t do something basic like asking the website to disclose your information. He can identify the poster by himself right away. From your name, family structure, and even your saving until your personal information, everything. The fate of the guys who went against him……I can’t say it from my mouth.」

「Internet society is scary-!!」

Gotanda-kun threw away his smartphone. It was covered with a case to absorb impact, but as expected it would break from that strong throw.

As someone who often needed to replace his smartphone because of the vegetable stick stabbing it, Atsushi unconsciously leaped and caught the phone.

It was clearly an inhuman movement, so Ikeda and others watched wide eyed. Perhaps because of that, a little bit of their sanity returned.

「……You’re definitely strong huh Tamai? You must be lying that you never done any club activity.」

「N-nooo, it’s true you know? I was seriously in going home club.」

「Did you went to dojo or any place like that?」

「I’m not, I’m not!」

These four had devoted their youth to martial art. There was something that they could sense from Atsushi despite his medium build that only looked like an ordinary person.

In reality, he was a genuine frontline fighter with his vocation of “Curved Sword Master”, and in the final battle he was one of the tough guys hacking down “god’s apostle” one after another even if it was with himself buffed to the heaven and the enemies debuffed to hell.

Surely his strength that could be vaguely sensed was also one of the reasons he could became friends with these four.

「A-anyway! If you ask me just what is it that I want to say, even if I introduce you guys to Nagumo, don’t go there with any strange ulterior motive. If it’s just as friend, even Yue-san and others will at least talk normally to you guys.」

「O-ou, that so……. No, I still can’t accept the reality but, for now I get it.」

「Well, just being able to talk to beauties like that is already like a dream come true though.」

「B-besides if it’s them then they must have a lot of female friends too! Perhaps there’ll be at least one girl who won’t mind to talk even with us!」

「It has been two months since we started in this campus……and we still can’t talk to even one girl. Our only hope is Tamai now. We’re going to obey all your instructions in this occasion yeah!」

Guide us! In order to make our dream of talking with girl come true! Ikeda-kun and others pleaded.

They couldn’t be satisfied with having business-like talk only with office ladies anymore……. It would also be a bother for them if they visited frequently……Aoki-kun gave that additional information even though no one was asking.

You, went that far……Atsushi felt like crying a little hearing that.

「Well, I understand your feeling of wanting to get closer to a girl. Even I’m someone with history of not having girlfriend equal to my age. Yaegashi and Shirasaki will definitely have a lot of female friends so……it’ll be nice if we luck is on our side and we can have mixer or something with those girls!」

「「「「My friend!!」」」」

The five huddled and locked arms tightly. Sympathy and joint struggle were heightening their friendship──

It was then.

「Aa~~~, finally found you! What’re you doing at the corner like that! Tamai-chi!」

「Oou!?」

A friendly voice from a girl echoed. Atsushi’s body jerked. Eh? Ikeda-kun and others raised their face in confusion.

Running their way from the other end of the hallway with very light steps *ta-ta-ta-* was a female student with her hair tied into a side tail which suited her really well as a gal.

「Eh, cute……」

Mukouzaka-kun unconsciously muttered.

「M-Miyazaki……」

「「「……」」」

Ikeda-kun and others looked at Atsushi with a serious face. There wasn’t any emotion at all in their faces. Their faces looked like mafias who were thinking of how to dispose with a traitor to their organization.

「Oh? Oh? What’s this, a clandestine meeting between men? The suspicious smell is strong even from afar! Crime is no good you know, Tamai-chi!」

「Ouch ouch ouch, don’t slap my back!」

The one who was cackling while hitting Atsushi’s abck *Slap-Slap-Slap-* without even a shred of reservation, there was no need to hide it, it was Miyazaki Nana who was also aiming to be teacher in this faculty of education just like Atsushi.

It was unexpected but, actually this was the first time Nana ran into Ikeda and others even though two months had passed since enrollment.

It wasn’t the result of Atsushi and Nana avoiding each other or anything. One side wouldn’t run to Atsushi when he was with the other side, and even when he thought to introduce them with each other, mysteriously there would always be something coming up and both sides oddly kept missing each other.

Though there was also how Ikeda and others were in different faculty……

The degree of coincidence was already at the level where they might have incurred the resentment of the god of bond.

「Nice to meet you guys! I’m Tamai-chi’s friend Miyazaki Nana! Nice to metchu!」

Nana said that and offered her hand to the four with wide smile that contained not even a smidgen of hesitation.

「Eh, eh? Ah, n-nice to metchu?」

Ikeda-kun’s eyes turned into migratory fish. Because he had never experienced a girl talking to him so friendly like this even once before!

Even his nihilistic feeling toward the traitor was instantly blown away.

He reflexively held out his rugged hand. Compared to that Nana’s hand was small like a little child. That small hand touched his hand without any hesitation, in addition it strongly gripped his hand and swung it up and down energetically.

「Oo~, it’s so hard! You body is also hugeee! Are you doing martial art or something?」

「Ah, umm, I, I’m doing a bit of boxing……」

「Oo! A boxer! Something like this right? Shu shuh, shu shuh!」

Nana let go of his hand and started imitating shadow boxing. Naturally Ikeda and also Aoki and others all got turned into jelly seeing that.

「Forgot to ask, what’s your name?」

「Ah, I-Ikeda」

Ikeda answered even while being shaken. Nana’s gaze also moved toward Aoki and others after that. As expected it was a straightforward gaze that didn’t feel any fear toward them.

Actually, since their high school era, she was already like this around that time half a year had passed since they returned back to earth. Nana was quite popular with the opposite sex. She would talk with anyone casually without regard of their gender, she would instantly call the other party “**-chi” as their nickname, and she also had no reservation with body touch. She was simply friendly.

So to speak, she was a misunderstanding maker type of girl……

The more a male didn’t have immunity to girl, the more they would get the thought of 「Could it be, she like me?」. If an example had to be made, it was like the trope of a gal who was kind even to otaku, done in real life.

Nana was friendly to everyone all the time like that, but mysteriously there was a strong core that could be felt from her flippant conduct. That multiplied Nana’s charm even more and made her even more popular ever since she entered university but……

It seemed she had also gotten skilled with maintaining the perfect distance to stop the other side from confessing to her.

(That was why I didn’t want to proactive introduce her to them)

Atsushi arbitrarily thought of Nana as “mass-producing misunderstanding guy type of girl” and “natural wicked woman”.

Seeing her already giving Ikeda and others nickname as soon as they introduced themselves and the guy also becoming completely lovestruck, 「Aa, another victims……」he felt pity while at the same time staring at Nana 「What the hell are you doing to my naïve friends……」 reproachfully. He didn’t say it out loud though. Regardless of everything, the dream of Ikeda and others had been granted with this.

「Umm, by the way what is Miyazaki-san’s relationship with Tamai……」

Ikeda timidly asked. Before Nana could answer, Atsushi opened his mouth first to prevent any strange misunderstanding that could cause cracks in their friendship.

「Miyazaki is also my classmate from high school. That’s all. Seriously.」

「I-I see! So that’s it! Eh, then that Nagumo guy is also……」

「Ou, we were all classmate. That includes Yue-san and others too.」

「I see……u-umm, Miyazaki-san , I don’t think that’s the case but you aren’t with that Nagumo guy……」

Ikeda was speaking unclearly, however, he was clearly nervous. Aoki and others were also looking like they were praying 「Oh god! Please grant us mercy!」.

Nana-san somehow guessed what they were talking about.

「Ahahah, did you guys heard the rumors too? The real harem guy rumor」

「W-well……」

「I see. By the way I’m not you know? I’m friends with Shizuku-chi and others though.」

「I-I seeee!」

Nana smiled wryly while waving her hand in denial. The expressions of Ikeda and others instantly brightened.

There is God and Buddha in this world! A girl who not only approach us but give us nickname for the first time in our life isn’t a resident of crazy world like real harem, that’s reaa—lly greaaa~~~tt! Their expressions said.

Seeing that, Nana seemed to guess deeper what kind of person Ikeda and co were. Naturally she also somehow understood her standing here.

In that case.

She was only behaving naturally according to her own personality. In the end she was a misunderstanding producing type of girl, not a girl who intentionally wanted to cause misunderstanding. That was Nana-san.

Then, now that she had noticed, it was the natural flow of things that she thought to adjust her sense of distance with them just in case.

But, different from usual, there was something that tugged to her mind a little from the exchange before.

「But still, Tamai-chi」

「What?」

「Isn’t it cold of you, saying “that’s all?」

「…………………ha?」

Ikeda and others also made 「Ha?」 face. Nana ignored the bewildered boys and closed her distance to Atsushi by a step.

And then, she dropped a bomb.

「You’re talking, like we’re just classmates. Even though we have slept in the same hotel several times!」

「Stu-, yo-, what are you sa──」

Nana’s expression became despondent. Atsushi’s expression looked like someone who had just ran into demon.

「Tamai, let’s ascertain our friendship.」

Ikeda’s strangely composed voice resounded. But, the pressure from his hand that tightly grabbed his shoulder wasn’t calm at the slightest. His hand was shaking something fierce. Like he was desperately holding back the power that was flooding out from it.

Also, Ikeda wasn’t the only one shaking fiercely. Aoki and others were also the same. In the end, was Tamai-kun a traitor or not? They were staring hard at him to not miss any hint.

「You, Lie?」

「Stop with the halting speech, it’s serious scary!」

The hugely muscular four Men tilted their head while looking at him. The eeriness got multiplied four times too.

「I’m seriously not lying! I’m just like you see, girlfriendless ever since my birth! Believe me! I, I’m seriously unpopular!!」

Why, did he have to strongly insist on such sad things?

His killing intent almost bloomed toward Nana who was keeping her gaze fixed on the floor while shaking minutely to hold back her laughter.

「I-I see……of course! Then, Miyazaki-san is just joking huh.」

「Yes, exactly, Ikeda! I believed that if it’s you then you’ll believe me!」

「Well, just being teased by a girl is plainly something envious though.」

「It’s just as Aoki said yeah. I have longing for that kinda casual relationship.」

「Hehe, this Mukouzaka has never doubted his friend yeah. Something like Tamai staying overnight with a girl……HAHAH, as expected that’s too much teasing, Miyazaki-san.」

Nana lifted up her face and went 「Nn~?」 while tilting her head with an expression of not knowing what to say. That gesture, she wasn’t affirming or denying anything. 「Eh~?」 Ikeda and others turned their gazes to Atsushi once more.

「Hey, Tamai. That staying the night together thing is just Miyazaki-san’s joke right?」

「………………S-she’s talking about school trip! If it’s something like that, then you guys have also experienced it!」

「「「A-aa!」」」

「……No, I was in boys school though.」

Ignoring Mukouzaka-kun who was an alumni of the self-professed Alcatraz,

「Eh? I’m not talking about school trip though? Have you forgotten when we stayed in a lodging by ourselves?」

「Miyazakiiiiiii!!」

「A lot of things happened didn’t it? I was really nervous then, and it was so intense……」

「Okay, our friendship ends here. I’ll shut that mouth physically──」

Note that Nana was talking about their time in Ur Town. “We”──in other words the members of their Ai-chan bodyguard group who always stayed in the same lodging. She was nervous when they got reunited with Hajime, and it was intense watching the battle of brainwashed Tio VS Hajime, and the fierce battle against the swarm of 60000 monsters.

Yeah, she wasn’t lying. Though her way of speaking seemed to imitate a certain demon king-sama.

In any case.

「TAmai-KUn, LEt’S HEar It, ONe MOre TIme.」

「Your intonation is scarier than before」

「DId YOu, STay THe NIght TOgether, WIth A GIrl?」

「…………………………」

Just how great it would be if such sentence came out from a girl who harbored a liking to him feeling jealous.

But, the truth was always cruel, the reality was harsh, the world was filled with sadness.

Before him were four huge men with frightening looks, their blood veins were unconsciously pumping up all over their body.

I saw this kind of Buddha statues lined up a lot when visiting that temple in our school trip huh, he was recalling such thing to escape from reality a little with how bad this situation was.

He was sweating rivers. But, the fact was the fact. He didn’t want to lie to his friends. And so,

「Just let me say this」

「「「「WHat?」」」」

「There was nothing happened that I need to feel guilty about!! Nothing happened at all it was sad-」

Another scream of the soul echoed. It was a “believe in me” appeal with all his strength. The seriousness and grief in it reached Ikeda and others who were slightly in the verge of madness regardless of their wish and they reflexively looked at each other.

It was then, Nana finally couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter. She held her stomach and let out a loud laughter while tears gathered in her eyes.

「Miyazakiii, you bitchhh……」

Atsushi glanced at Ikeda and others who looked completely bewildered while his veins bulged with a relatively serious anger. Nana wiped her tears with her fingertip while sticking out her tongue cutely.

「So~rry! But you know, Tamai-chi is also a bit bad.」

「Haa? Bad what?」

「We have gotten each other’s back and overcame a lot of things until now right? Our relationships is seriously not just “that’s all”……I get that you want to get along with your new frineds but, you treating about us like we’re just mere acquaintance is a bit, you know.」

「…………」

Nana stared fixedly at Atsushi. That gaze made Atsushi went Uu- because she hit where it hurt. Ikeda and others busily looked back and forth between the two when they saw that. Eh, what’s, this atmosphere……they thought.

「For this Nana-san, it’s a bit offensive.」

「……Aa~, that so. My bad. That’s right isn’t it. You’re my important comrade.」

「Yep yep! Good grief, it’s troubling if you don’t pull yourself together yeah, Tamai-chi?」

「Aah geez, I said it was really my bad! That’s why don’t keep grinding it in!」

Atsushi scowled gloomily when Nana grinded her fist on his cheek. But he didn’t try to avoid it by all means. Nana’s expression also became refreshed and joyful.

Certainly, there wasn’t any romantic atmosphere. However, it was clearly conveyed that between the two there was a strong bond that no other people could easily get in between.

Ikeda and others couldn’t say anything and could only look at each other.

There, a new person arrived.

「Oii~~, what are you two doing, Nana, Tamai! The lunch break is going to be over──ah, hello.」

「「「「!? H-hello」」」」

It was another girl. Furthermore she also didn’t fear them at all! Even though she was calling out at Nana and Atsushi, she also noticed them and greeted them normally! Ikeda and others were shaken.

Not only that, her almond eyes and the face that showed not even a polite smile, 「A-a beauty with a scary atmosphere for some reason came!?」「Eh, we’re, getting glared at? Scary-」 those made them flustered like that.

「Eh? Isn’t the gathering today cancelled? That Nagumo got a call right? I got messaged just now about it.」

「You didn’t see? After that Yue-san contacted us saying that they and their friends will still gather and they’re going to introduce us to them if we want. Look at the group chat.」

「Seriously? I didn’t see. Or rather, won’t that be a gathering of girls only? I don’t wanna be the only man there.」

「I thought Tamai-chi would say that, so I searched for you to trick you and bring you there, but I forgot!」

「Miyazaki, looks like we’ll need to have a proper talk with each other one of these days.」

「You two, just what’re you doing……」

It seemed, it was something like that.

There, Yuuka returned her focus to Ikeda and others who got completely forgotten. It was Yuuka who was a considerate girl despite her attitude that was like delinquent. There was no way he would ignore them.

「Err, you four are Tamai’s friends right? Nice to meet you, I’m Sonobe Yuuka. I went to the same high school with these two.」

「I-I’m Ikeda, ssu」

「A-Aoki, ssu」

「Gotanda, ssu!」

「Mukouzaka, ssu!!」

It seemed they somehow felt an elder sister (the yakuza kind) vibe from her. For some reason Ikeda and others acted absurdly humble before her. It seemed that it was a reflexive action because the martial art custom where the pecking order was strict had seeped into their bodies completely.

Yuuka’s eyes widened just for a moment seeing their behavior, even so she immediately let out a chuckle.

「What’s with that, a new fashion? All of you saying ssu like that. Fufu-」

((((C-cute……))))

Their hearts were as one. And they all also fell easy-peasy easily.

Atsushi was worried that his friends would easily get tricked by a wicked woman in the future. Even so he carried out his duty as a friend.

「Too bad. This fellow is Nagumo’s mistress y’know?」

「「「「Reality is shit-!!!!」」」」

It went without saying that the four’s grief and resentment toward the stratified society reverberated through the hallway.

And then, the girls who ran into the lecture hall before this heard those thunderous yells and panicked 「A feud! The beasts started their fued!」「We can’t continue to stay here! I’m going home!」 while desperately running away. Atsushi and others could see their back from here……

Ikeda-kun and others, finally fell on their knees.

At the same time,

「Fuck, fuckkkk! This guy is innocent dammit-」

「T-that’s your just dessert! Stupid Tamai!」

Atsushi also fell on his knees.

His hands were holding the tragic smartphone-chan who was on its deathbed due to the pencil that skewered it.

By the way, Tamai’s smartphone had been installed with self-repair function ever since this 13th generation. For some reason it would always die quickly from cause other than Yuuka too, so he asked Hajime for that function.

「Tamai-chi, you never learn~. A-ha-ha」

Nana’s joyful laugh reverberated.

Seen from outside, it was like five men were doing dogeza in front of an angry girl──furthermore, four of the men were brawny and scary looking──and on top of that, there was another girl laughing loudly seeing such scene. It was that kind of sight.

……Actually, there were several students secretly observing them from afar, but Yuuka and others didn’t really pay them any mind at this time.

As the result, rumors that Yuuka and Nana were these incredible girls somehow were circulating. Students including upper years would go consult with them about things, and various circles would fight to recruit them but……that was a topic for another time.

「Ah, right right. Also, somehow the talk developed into us bringing our respective friends to hold a get-together. Tonight, it looks like we’ll have dinner with friends who we can gather right away but……if you guys are Tamai’s friends, do you want to come too if you’re free?」

Ikeda and others raised their heads in a snap.

For them who had just gotten beaten up by reality, this offer was truly a ray of hope.

「B-but, everyone there will get scared if we’re there……」

The unanticipated invitation that came out of the blue made them subconsciously hesitant.

Yuuka tilted her head in puzzlement hearing the reaction of Ikeda and others.

「Scared? Why?」

「You’re an angel.」

But, she was a mistress (according to someone else).

Ikeda and others looked deathly conflicted but, when Yuuka urged them 「So, what’re you guys going to do? Looks like they’ll have to reserve a place too, so I’ll need to tell them if you guys’re going to come or not……」, their answer could only be one.

「「「「By all means, please let us comeee ssu!!!」」」」

A hoarse sounding chorus of joy reverberated through the building of the faculty of education.

「You guys, great for you……」

「And Tamai-chi too. The sad Tamai-chi who ne~ver get into any good mood with anyone of us during our journey! It’s great that you’ll be able to meet cute girls, Tamai-chi!」

「Eh, what, just how many times you want to stab me in one day until you’re satisfied? Let’s get outside for a bit, you and me.」

「If you don’t get a girlfriend while still in campus……」

「W-what……」

「The probability of you laying your hand on your student as a teacher──is 100%!!」

「You’re talking about Aiko-chan-senseiii–!! Don’t say that, you make me cite her as an example!」

「I’ll pick up your bone if that time come, Tamai-chi!」

「Stop talking like it’s my failure is a sure thing-」

This side was enjoying their youth on their own way, in a sense.

In any case, it looked like the get-together tonight would become lively.

.

***

.

Meanwhile, around that time, when it came to Hajime who was heading to his important discussion with Hattori.

「……Otou-san?」

「!? R-Reina……why are you here-」

For some reason before meeting with the important person in question, he ran into Hattori’s daughter (?) by some chance.

Hattori was shaken even while making an expression like he had chewed on something bitter. The daughter who looked like she was in high school looked at her father who was like that with suspicious eyes.

It seemed that the father and daughter relationship wasn’t that good. Somehow they felt awkward, there was this disquieting atmosphere drifting between them.

Why was he getting involved into a parent-child quarrel even after slipping out of campus to help out?

And so, Hajime who got caught between the two sides instantly decided.

Yosh, let’s run, he thought.

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