Author Note: I'll post one more chapter at 19:00.
The last of Shizuku arc.
The next day after the incident with Fudou Akari.
A short time before the morning homeroom started, Shizuku talked about the details of yesterday to Kaori, Yue, and Shia who had arrived.
「He, hee~. So there was something like that……. That must be terrible, Shizuku-chan.」
「Well, it's not that terrible though……. I'm thinking whether I should be able to handle that better. It's just a meaningless what-if though.」
Shizuku's shoulders dropped while saying such thing. Yue and Shia made a bit exasperated face while Kaori smiled wryly to such Shizuku.
Although, even though Kaori was smiling wryly, it seemed her attention was taken by something else, since some time ago her gaze kept glancing at other direction even while she was listening to Shizuku's story.
Yue and Shia didn't look like they were really bothered about it, but even the classmates who had arrived already were paying attention to it with cringing face「Uwaa」 or admiring face「That girl, she is a hero huuh」.
「Ouch ouch ouch ouch-, my head-, my heaaad」
「You're right. Your head is dumb huh.」
「It's painful-, let go you bastardd!」
「Aa? Bastard? Your way of speaking is improper huh, kouhai.」
「Hiih, I'm sorry! I got too cocky-! Don't grin on my foreheaad-, Onee-samaaa! Help meee!!」
A scream echoed inside the classroom.
「And then, I have a friend in Fudou-san's school, so this morning I tried calling her to ask, is she going to school. But, normally she would come early for morning training, but my friend told me that she hasn't come yet……」
「Tha, that's really worrying isn't it, Shizuku-chan. But, I wonder if perhaps it will be better for you to also feel worry about somewhere nearer to you for now?」
「Onee-samaaa! Help meee! Onee-sama!」
「There is also that thing that happened only yesterday, so I plan to wait and see for a while but……. I'm thinking of being the one to go meet her when the time is good.」
「Eeehh? Onee-sama? Onee-sama! Your soul sister is falling into a devil's hand right hereee!」
Shizuku-oneesama didn't turn around. Seeing such attitude from Shizuku and the deed that was being carried out behind Shizuku right now, Kaori couldn't help but let out cold sweat.
The kouhai-chan who was always hanging around Shizuku.
Right now she was receiving iron claw from Hajime first thing in the morning. Her face was being tightly held in an eagle grip while her forehead was nonchalantly getting grinded against with increasing strength, even watching from the side that looked painful.
Kouhai-chan was desperately tapping repeatedly on Hajime's arm while desperately seeking help from her beloved Onee-sama, but she was also casually insulting Hajime while doing that, so each time the grip's strength was increased and she was gradually losing momentum.
「Hey, Shizuku-chan. That girl is desperately calling at Shizuku-chan though……」
Shizuku's beautiful acting as though nothing happened which was unlike her made Kaori to finally ask while she raised her eyebrows with a troubled look.
「Aa~, Hajime? Won't you forgive her soon? I'll also speak with her later about it.」
「Well, fine then.」
Hajime casually tossed away *poi* Kouhai-chan. Kouhai-chan fell on her butt with「Ahih」. 「Uu, that huurtt. My head feels like they are splitting opeenn」 Kouhai-chan's face contorted looking like she was going to cry, but only after a bit she glared at Hajime fiercely.
「That's cruel, Nagumo-senpai! Just what I have done that made me deserved that!?」
「It's because how you were trying to post those blasphemous edited photographs.」
By the way, it was about edited photographs where Hajime was in a dreadful situation in them. In the photographs he was co-starring with macho onii-chan. As expected it was a doing in the level that made even Shizuku plainly snapped seeing the appearance of her lover that crossed the line.
Having a gaze that had crossed being chilly and even looked nihilistic like a black hole directed at her, kouhai-chan trembled with a sudden chill. She was drenched with cold sweat, and inside her heart she whispered「As I thought, have I overdone it I wonder?」.
But, in front of the hateful son of a bitch, the pride of a soul sister wouldn't allow her to apologize or anything.
In the first place,
「Uh, bu, but! This is because Nagumo-senpai's own fault!」
「Aa? Why is that huh?」
Against Hajime in his current mood as an opponent, even though it was only at the level like a puppy yipping *yap yap*, but Kouhai-chan was still taking a defiant attitude against such Hajime. A commotion was running through the classmates.
「Hey, is there anyone who has a fresh status plate? I'm gonna ascertain that girl's vocation.」
「It's obvious already even without doing that.」
「Yeah. One who oppose the demon king is always――a hero.」
Such conversation were done between Atsushi, Akito, and Noboru. The other classmates seemed to also in strong agreement.
Not knowing that all her senpai was looking at her as though they were seeing a hero, or perhaps seeing a rare beast, Kouhai-chan shook her twin tail wildly while pointing sharply with her finger.
「Today, I woke up at five o'clock you know! I came at school at six o'clock without even eating breakfast, and from there it was also terrible!」
「Terrible? What is?」
「The school gate, it wasn't open!」
'Well of course', everyone nodded. As expected, even the teacher who came early for morning training and so on wouldn't come at six o'clock.
「You came too early.」
「But, if I want to participate in kendo club's morning training even just for a bit, I won't make it in time if I don't come at least that early. After all, the other school is really far.」
All the senpai were in admiration, thinking 'she is unexpectedly diligent huuh'.
「And?」
「It couldn't be helped so――I had no choice other than trespassing in.」
All the senpai tilted their head, thinking 'she is diligent, right?'.
「But, our school, it was really a big deal for a period because of all of you senpai's disappearance remember? Because of that the gate and fence were also reconstructed for a bit……」
「Aa. The countermeasure for unlawful intruder. Well, it was made so that it's a bit harder to enter here, only to the degree like the school of the rich I guess.」
「Yes. And so, right from the morning I was copying wall climb sport. It was difficult to climb up the wall. There were few protrusions to use……」
「You must looked completely like a suspicious person.」
A high school girl doing wall climb on the school's wall at six in the morning……. The gazes of all the senpai were once more turning into eyes that were looking at a hero in a different sense.
「But, I accomplished it. I collected that girl's uniform and climbed the wall once more to escape, and then sped away with my bicycle.」
「No, use the train. Just how far do you think the distance is? If I remember correctly, it's about three, four station. Using bicycle to go there is……」
「Round trip cost 440 yen. You bourgeois senpai won't understand the value of that amount.」
「……」
Saving 440 yen by pedaling bicycle. Was it her lunch money for today? The eyes of all the senpai were really gentle. At the same time, there were also accusing stares piercing Hajime. Hajime-san whispered 「Perhaps I should at least pay extra for her expenses……」.
「And then, a hell was waiting for me……」
「Here is Japan isn't it? But for some reason I'm smelling the smell of adventurer from her though……」
「Yes, it was a heart-breaking hill! The school of that girl, the school building is located on top of a hill! Can you believe it! My legs were already like jelly! What's more, there was a bus stop at the hilltop, the people who were arriving for morning training or whatever were overtaking me using bus! In addition, they were staring at me across the window! It was like they were saying 『Eh, what's with that person? Why is a student from another school is desperately pedaling a bicycle until she got drenched with sweat like that? She is a bit out of place though~』! There were even people who pointed at me I told you!」
「……」
Not losing against the hill, not even losing against the curious stares, kouhai-chan climbed to the peak.
By the way, looking at kouhai-chan who finally arrived wobblingly like a ghost while breathing roughly 'zee―haa, zee―haa', a teacher that must be an adviser――a young female teacher welcoming the students at the front gate was screaming.
「I who safely accomplished my mission received a lot of water from a kind female teacher, after resting for a bit I left the school. Haha, that hill road, when coming it's like hell, but the return home it's really heavenly! The exhilaration was amazing! I rode the bicycle down while my hands let go of the steer handle you know! What a thrill!」
「You, are really enjoying life huuh~」
The classmates nodded 「Certainly」 at Hajime's whisper.
By the way, regarding kouhai-chan who was going down the hill road with a fierce speed while happily yelling 「Hyahoo―――」 with both her hands in banzai pose and her twin tails fluttering, currently it was becoming a hot topic at the school over there even now.
It was a terribly dangerous stunt, so good children absolutely must not copy it at home okay?
「After that, I sent a grandma who was tired from walking her puppy and became unable to move back to her home, and in the end I didn't make it in time for the morning practice……」
「Your trouble attraction rate is unbelievable oi」
Lightly ignoring Hajime's words, kouhai-chan suddenly opened her eyes widely in a flash.
「I have accomplished the mission that gave me enormous difficulty the first thing in the morning. And what did Nagumo-senpai say to such me after that!?」
「? Did I say something?」
「Yes, you said it! When senpai saw me drenched in sweat, 『Unebelievable. It was like you are a comedian wearing wig that produced water. Are you gonna participate in R-1 after this?』that was what senpai said! Who did you call a comedian! I'm not training for that just so you know! That was the result of my hard work you know! Praise me properly, you bastard!」 (TN: R-1 seems to be a comedy show in Japan. Anyone know more detail about it?)
All the senpai thought. That was a splendid tsukkomi. If she could find an excellent partner that took the role of the funny man, wouldn't she be able to participate in even M-1? Such thought ran through their mind.
By the way, right after kouhai-chan got her sweaty state pointed out at her, she rushed toward the dojo building with a fierce speed and properly put her appearance in order using the necessities for female club member that were constantly prepared in there. After that, she went to take the aforementioned edited picture from 『Soul sister's secret armory』, and when she tried to paste the photo on the door of Hajime's classroom she got the first iron claw of the morning.
「Now, praise me. While you are at it, apologize. Say 『You have worked hard. It's really inexcusable for me to bully such capable kouhai. As my apology I'll part from Shizuku right now. I won't come near her anymore from here on until the doomsday』. Now, quickly! Quickly say――ah, stop-. Pelase stop senpai! Don't tie my hair into a reef knottt! Onee-sama, save meee!!」
Hajime-senpai's technique shined bright. Kouhai-chan's twin tail was tied into a reef knot in the blink of eye, furthermore the tips were formed into heart shape. The hairstyle was then thoroughly fixed in place with rainbow colored wire with great detail.
The gazes of all the senpai who were looking at kouhai-chan struggling and squirming with teary eyes were lukewarm. Their gazes looked as though they were watching a frolicking small animal while they were saying 「She isn't learning huuh」 or 「She still haven't get enough huuh」. Kouhai-chan's petite body build also spurred that image further.
Shizuku smiled wryly while standing up to save kouhai-chan. The bell rang in a good timing.
「Come on, the bell has also rang, let her go already with that much.」
「Can't be helped.」
Kouhai-chan crumbled down on the ground with legs gluing close on each other as though she had just gotten assaulted by a hoodlum. Shizuku replaced Hajime and expressed her thanks to kouhai-chan regarding the matter of returning the uniform (Shizuku knew that kouhai-chan was ordered by Hajime to do that only this morning).
Kouhai-chan who were gifted with the words of thanks from the onee-sama that she loved and respected instantly made a loose expression that couldn't be showed in front of other people.
And then, after she stood up while trying to hug onee-sama which was casually dodged by Shizuku, she glared hatefully at Hajime.
「You better remember this!」
She said such thuggish line and ran away. The heart styled hair was bobbing up and down above her head. Was she planning to enter her own classroom while still like that? She was a kouhai whose soul of adventure was overflowing everyday nonchalantly.
「That photo is really too much but……so far as it goes she was doing it at the door of our classroom where no one other than the people of our class would see it, so forgive her already okay?」
Hajime shrugged at Shizuku's words.
Seeing such Hajime, Yue let out 「Nn~」 from her mouth while tilting her head.
「……Hajime. Actually, you are really pleased with that child?」
Those words toward the husband that came from someone who was acknowledged by everyone as the legal wife were basically recognized as correct by everyone in that place. If Yue saw it like that, then the possibility that it was actually like that was extremely high.
Not just Shizuku and others, but all the classmates also looked at Hajime feeling 「Eh?」. Hajime smiled wryly from getting seen through while he lifted both his hands in giving up posture.
「Well yeah. Somehow seeing her feels nostalgic.」
「Nostalgic? By any chance, did you know her from before?」
Shizuku asked. Hajime shook his head and denied it before his gaze moved toward Shia. Shia tilted her head because Hajime suddenly looked at her for some reason.
「That's not it, perhaps I shoud say it's that girl's regrettableness, or how she won't get discouraged, somehow those sides of her resembled Shia when I first met her.」
「……Heh? Resembled, me?」
It seemed everyone didn't get what Hajime meant, but only Yue nodded 「Aa~」 in understanding.
「Yeah. The you when we first met could only be called as a regrettable rabbit. What you did and your attitude, rather it was your very existence itself that was regrettable. If there is a race of regrettable rabbit, then you will get a perfect score of 100 without any objection.」
「Hajime-san, are you picking a fight with me?」
Right now anyone could see the vision of her rabbit ears that were invisible because of the artifact hairband she wore going *usaa-!!* in indignation. (TN: Usa => Usagi => Rabbit)
「Your face was terrible with snot and tear and drool, your important place was in plain sight, even though you were the one asking for help but you were strangely impudent, your forcible attitude……」
「Nuh, guu, I, I cannot deny that desuu……」
「Even when I elbowed you, kicked you, electrified you, sent you flying, but you absolutely wouldn't let go even while weeping.」
「When I recalled it now, Hajime-san was really a brute that time! Or rather, even when I asked for help when I almost became a monster's meal, you tried to desert me so nonchalantly!」
The classmates who had never heard of the story how Hajime met Shia made a shuddering expression at Hajime's deed at that time. They couldn't even imagine it looking at his current attitude toward Shia.
「But still, I think Yue also felt it but……you were that kind of regrettable rabbit, but even so you didn't get discouraged, looking at you energetically hopping around running over there, hopping around running that way, just watching you like that was really fun, that even us felt like we were also energized.」
「……Nn. Just looking at Shia was somewhat fun.」
「Aa, u……is, is that so……」
Shia shyly played around with her rabbit ears that must be there. Even while looking at such Shia with a gentle gaze, Hajime also wafted off an atmosphere that felt vaguely lonely.
「You who needed to get looked after when something happened, is now in the remonstrating side instead right? Like when Yue and Kaori quarreled, or when Myuu was going to do something reckless, or when I wasn't reading the mood.」
By the way, what Hajime meant by not reading the mood referred to the time when he was flirting with the wive~s (mainly Yue) without even caring of other people's eyes.
「……Nn. Shia is a firm person. Her housework is also almighty.」
「That's why, seeing that girl who even though is regrettable like that, yet still charging ahead without getting discouraged, it's like I'm facing Shia in the past, it's a bit nostalgic.」
「I see now. When we met Shia, it was when she was already transformed into the bugged rabbit.」
Shizuku and the classmates also nodded 「I see」 in comprehension. And then, thinking that they also wanted to try witnessing the "regrettable rabbit Shia", but seeing how such thing couldn't be witnessed anymore, many of them whispered 「how regrettable」.
Hajime also looked at Shia once more, and then he whispered 「how regrettable」 while narrowing his eyes fondly.
Yue looked at Shia with nostalgia, and she whispered 「……regrettable」. Kaori and Shizuku too, they were thinking of the no good Shia and imagined that such thing might be cute in its own way, but seeing that they wouldn't be able to see it already, they whispered 「That's regrettable」「It's regrettable」.
「E, excuse me, I think that perhaps all of you are saying that in a good meaning, but still, getting called regrettable, regrettable on and on so many times, it's a bit……」
「「「「How regrettable」」」」
「Stooop! Please stop looking at someone's face while calling that person regrettable earnestly like that desuu!! Auuu, my past self is resurrecting desuu~」
The rabbit who was still called as regrettable whether she was actually regrettable or not was trembling all over while falling down powerlessly face down on her own table.
Hajime and others were staring at such Shia with a lukewarm gaze.
Sunday.
Kaori was walking alone through a residential area toward the station in that day off. The time was just past noon. Her appearance was casual, but seeing her it was clear that she put her appearance in order while being properly conscious of her outing.
(Hm~m, I wonder if the time is fine? Nevertheless, it was shocking that that person is coming here. It seemed that person came when Yue opened the gate but……she said that it's a secret from Hajime.)
Kaori glanced at her arm watch while talking about such thing to herself. Today she had a plan to meet with a person who came from the other world secretly from Hajime. It appeared she was going to talk with that person a bit while also having tea but……
The point where it was a secret from Hajime gave off a really bad vibe. Although, it was just as Yue said, in this world there were things that weren't ought to be known.
Kaori fastened her pace while making a really complicated expression――it was at that time,
「……Who is it? Do you have any business with me?」
Kaori stopped still and said such thing toward the street where there should be no one else other than her.
After a while, there was only dead silence filling the street, but before long, from the gap between the fences of two houses behind Kaori, a person came out while making rustling sound from the clothes that rubbed the wall of the cramped space.
SSSHHH, HOHHHHH
「……」
A strange breathing sound resounded in the street.
Kaori who turned around was speechless. She was speechless, however, inside her heart she was greatly shaken.
The reason was,
(Da, ○rth Vader is here-!?)
Yes, what came out from between the houses, was someone wearing pitch black clothes, pitch black mantel, and then wearing a unique full faced gas mask, Lord ○ader! Even now he was breathing 'SSSHHH, HOHHHHH'!
If this was just a mere deviant, Kaori surely wouldn't be this shaken. She would finish it by normally defeating the other party. But, the opponent here was Lord V○der. She didn't understand how she should react!
As expected, should she praise 'what a lovely collection you have there!' like that here?
Even while Kaori was shaken and thinking of such thing,
「……If you're going to hate someone, then hate Yaegashi Shizuku for this.」
「Eh?」
Lord Va○er took out a shinai from his mantel. Seeing that what came out wasn't a light s○ber, Kaori went 'hah' and returned to her senses, however, her attention was diverted when she heard the name of her best friend spoken out.
Taking advantage of that opening, Lord V○der unleashed his shinai saber in a horizontal slash. The attack didn't aim at the head, but aiming at the shoulder blade. From that it seemed the attacker still had some rationality left, but even so there was no doubt that this was still a dangerous deed the attacker was doing.
If a delicate girl like Kaori got hit with that, it was possible her bone would break, even if that wasn't the case there was enough possibility she would get sent flying and got knocked somewhere on her body.
Well, that was if Kaori was just a delicate girl though.
「Eih」
「Eh?」
What was instantly taken out along with that cute voice, was a cleaving attack from a special security baton that stretched out from the centrifugal force when it was taken out.
Against that cleaving attack that was swung down like a guillotine, the horizontal slash of Lord ○ader was knocked down――not, far from that the shinai saber was snapped into two in the middle.
Lord Va○er was dumbfounded. A lovely voice 「Ei!」 came toward such him once more.
What entered his field of vision, was slender fingers that were clenched tightly, it was a fist that could even be called small. Although, the power was so heavy to the degree it felt like a gorilla was behind that punch.
「Buhee!?」
The Vad○r mask was smashed apart, and the person behind the mask was blown away. The person inside the ○ader rolled around on the ground before they fainted spread-eagled.
「Eh? This person, could she be……」
Kaori whispered that while she moved to restrain the person for the time being, and then she took out her mobile phone after making a thinking gesture for a bit.
And then, she began to contact her best friend.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
Why am I writing kouhai-chan that much, that's because as the result of my self-analysis while writing, I felt nostalgic about the regrettable rabbit just like I wrote in this chapter.
The regrettable rabbit is no more……how regrettable.