Episode 32: Let’s Add More!
While Saeki Director was greatly racking his brains over Ema’s suddenly decided appearance, Kazuma headed over to Seiichi-san.
“Seiichi-san. Saeki Director looks busy, so let’s head home.”
“Is your business already concluded?”
“Yes. For now, it’s finished.”
“‘For now,’ huh? Sounds like you’re still plotting something.”
“Not at all~”
Contrary to his words, Kazuma’s expression was that of a gleeful prankster.
Seeing this, Seiichi-san became certain that Saeki Director would continue to be led around by Kazuma from now on.
Internally, Seiichi-san offered a silent prayer for Saeki Director as he quietly excused himself from the scene.
He would have preferred to say a word of greeting before parting, but Saeki Director seemed busy on the phone, so Seiichi-san, being considerate, informed another nearby staff member that he was leaving.
“Alright, let’s head home while we can.”
“Yessir!”
“Is this really alright, Senpai?”
Kotaro, walking beside Seiichi-san, glanced at Saeki Director.
This time, they were the ones who had requested to observe, imposing on Saeki Director, so they should have fulfilled their social obligations.
Yet, they had only conveyed their farewells to Saeki Director through another staff member.
Kotaro appealed to Seiichi-san with his eyes, questioning if that was truly acceptable as a working adult.
“Saeki Director is too busy to deal with us right now, so it’s fine. Besides, some of it is his own doing, you know.”
“Huh. I don’t understand what you mean at all, but if you say so, Senpai, I won’t worry about it anymore.”
“That’s for the best. Thinking too much about it will just cause you stress.”
“Did something happen, Senpai?”
Kotaro asked, concerned by Seiichi-san’s distant gaze, but Seiichi-san merely offered a vague smile without a clear answer.
That was his only lingering concern, but since Seiichi-san didn’t seem likely to answer even if pressed further, Kotaro did as he was told and stopped thinking about it.
“So, what are your thoughts on increasing my workload?”
“Momoko-chan! You’re super competent! You can do it!”
“Hmph!”
“Guhh!”
Kazuma attempted to persuade her with fawning flattery, but Momoko-chan’s iron fist caved his face in.
His face deformed as if in a gag manga, and unable to see ahead, Kazuma set off on his way home with unsteady steps.
Striding ahead of him with large, disgruntled steps was Momoko-chan, her shoulders stiff with anger, while Sakura Hakanai, finding the scene amusing, walked a step behind Kazuma, chuckling softly.
Seiichi-san and Kotaro, who had returned earlier, were waiting for the three at the parking lot.
Seeing Kazuma walking with an caved-in face and unsteady gait, Kotaro let out a scream.
“Uwaaaaaah?! Kazuma-kun, you’re seriously injured! What on earth happened?! No, more importantly, should I call an ambulance?!”
It was an entirely natural reaction, but Momoko-chan, along with the other two who were used to it, calmed Kotaro down.
“Now, now, Azumaya-kun. Calm down. Kazuma-kun will be fine with something like this.”
“No, no, what are you saying?! He clearly looks severely injured! Shouldn’t his father be worried?!”
“Yes. What you’re saying is correct. But, here, take a look.”
So saying, Seiichi-san tapped the panicking Kotaro on the shoulder, urging him to look at Kazuma, who was behind them.
“Even if you tell me to take a look, I just saw him a moment ago— Uuuuwhaaaaaaaaaaaa?!”
Seeing Kazuma, whose face had been caved in and a wretched sight to behold just moments before, now perfectly restored and handsome, Kotaro screamed in astonishment and his legs gave out from under him.
“Eh, eh, eh? Why?! What happened in that instant? Could it be, special effects makeup or something?”
“That’s right.”
Finding it too troublesome to explain everything, Kazuma went along with Kotaro’s words, convincing him that the previous injury was due to special effects makeup.
“Oh, I see! That makes sense! Normally, you wouldn’t be able to walk with an injury like that!”
“Mhm, that’s right.”
“Geez, stop with these heart-stopping pranks. You really had me worried, you know.”
“Yeah, sorry ’bout that.”
Still seeming flustered, Kotaro pressed his hand firmly against his chest, wrinkling his shirt.
Feeling a pang of guilt for having done something bad, Kazuma apologized sincerely.
“Have you reflected on your actions, even a little?”
“Nah~ I just didn’t expect such a great reaction.”
“Well, for an ordinary person, it’s an abnormal sight, isn’t it~?”
“Your father knew beforehand, so it wasn’t an issue, but for someone who doesn’t know, a bloody scene like that would normally be considered a serious incident, you know.”
“That’s true~. This time, we were coming back from a drama shoot, so we could pass it off as special effects makeup, but I need to be careful next time.”
“I wonder if there will even be a ‘next time’ for you~?”
“Heh…”
Kazuma wore a triumphant smile, but the next moment, his expression turned as pitiful as a rain-soaked puppy.
“I wonder if they’ll forgive me if I cry and beg?”
“You know better than us, don’t you? Just how strict your own mother is.”
“It’ll be fine~. You won’t be killed.”
“Guess I should prepare for a full month of recovery…”
It was a certainty that Honoka-san would discipline him when he got home.
Of course, he wouldn’t die, but he’d have to be prepared for a broken bone or two.
After all, for the current Kazuma, anything less wouldn’t even count as punishment.
“Um… Senpai. They’re saying some unsettling things back there, should I comment on it?”
Kotaro, who was driving the car, felt an immense sense of dread from the conversation among the three seated in the back.
Glancing at them through the rearview mirror, he asked Seiichi-san, who was in the passenger seat, what he should do, but Seiichi-san just shook his head and told him not to worry about it.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just that they live in a slightly different world from us.”
“Haha… I’ll do that.”
As Seiichi-san said, Kotaro stopped thinking about it any further.
Or rather, he made himself stop thinking about it.
Kotaro concluded that a person like Satsuki Kazuma was likely beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans.
After a while, they arrived at the station.
Kotaro and Seiichi-san had come in a company car, so they had to return to the office.
This was where they would part ways with Kazuma and the others. The three thanked the two, got out of the car, and headed towards the station.
“Well then, thank you for today.”
“Thank you very much for having us today.”
“It was a valuable experience. If there’s another opportunity, please do invite us again. Thank you for today.”
“No, no, we should be the ones thanking you. Thanks for everything today. Well then, Kazuma-kun. Let’s meet again soon.”
“Yessir!”
Seiichi-san exchanged a brief word, and Kotaro bowed his head once before starting the car and heading back to the company.
Kazuma and the others watched them leave, then walked towards the station and disappeared into the crowd.
“I wonder if the King, the Overlord, or the Sun King would come if I invited them.”
After passing through the ticket gates and while waiting for the next train on the platform, Kazuma uttered an outrageous statement as if it had just occurred to him.
Momoko-chan, who was next to him and heard this bombshell statement of super-dreadnought proportions, nearly fainted but managed to hold on by a thread.
“Wh-What are you saying?”
“Eh? Well, I was just wondering if the King, the Overlord, or the Sun King would come if I invited them. You know, having the Prime Minister appear is interesting, but I thought having world-renowned Gifted individuals appear would also be interesting.”
“Indeed! It might be interesting for you, but let me tell you, for those of us who have to deal with it, it’s the worst!”
“But from the viewers’ perspective, it’d be prime entertainment, wouldn’t it~?”
“Wha-?!”
Shocked by this unexpected supporting fire, Momoko-chan raised her voice in astonishment and glared at Sakura Hakanai beside her.
“What on earth are you thinking?! You’ll be dragged into this too, you know!”
“Well, no matter what we say, he won’t stop, right? In fact, even Okaasama, his only deterrent, couldn’t stop him.”
“That’s… true, but…”
When Kazuma went on a rampage, Momoko-chan and the others had tried to contact Honoka-san, but although he showed signs of stopping, he ultimately pushed through, fully aware he would be disciplined for it.
“Let’s just give up.”
“Guh…”
Honestly, stopping Kazuma once he started rampaging was an impossible task.
If that was the case, then it was better to just go along with him until he was satisfied from the start.
That being said, for Momoko-chan, who was always caught up in Kazuma’s rampages, it was unbearable.
However, since they couldn’t stop him, there was no choice but to give up, just as Sakura Hakanai said.
“Haaah… I’ll just report it to my superiors.”
“That’s a good idea. The Prime Minister’s stomach will probably explode, though.”
If Ema, who was currently overjoyed about his role in the Sunday morning tokusatsu drama, heard about the terrifying developments happening without his knowledge, he would undoubtedly collapse to his knees at the outrageous situation.
The King aside, both the Overlord and the Sun King were influential figures, so inviting them to Japan would require appropriate measures to be taken.
It was pitiful, but as it was a consequence of hiring the Crimson Knight, it couldn’t be helped.