Chapter 51: Strolling Through Town, Something Was Bound to Happen…
Tennoji Yayoi, the student council president of the Second Esper Academy who had come to the hotel, and Kiryuuin Hayato from the Seventh Esper Academy faced each other. The atmosphere was so tense they both seemed ready to pounce at any moment, but their apprehension proved to be unfounded.
“Well then, see you at dinner.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
Kazuma, who had been sure this would escalate from a grand war of words into a fistfight, was thoroughly let down. He almost reacted like a character in a slapstick comedy, nearly tumbling over, and called out to Shiori who was standing nearby.
“Um, uh, aren’t they going to fight?”
“What are you talking about? Fighting is strictly forbidden. We settle things in the ring. That’s who we are, right?”
“I see…”
While minor squabbles between students were common, a fight using Gifts like the one Kazuma imagined was not just forbidden but a matter for the police. If one was unlucky, they could even be arrested on the spot.
In the first place, using Gifts in the city streets would involve the police, so unless someone was a complete idiot, they wouldn’t start a fight.
After seeing off the students from the Second Esper Academy, Kazuma and the others headed to the Academy Battle Tournament registration headquarters and completed their athlete registrations. With their tasks finished, Kazuma decided to head out of the hotel alone and explore the nearby area.
However, Kaede, unable to leave Kazuma on his own, decided to go with him. Kazuma thought Retsuo, also a first-year, might join them, but he went off on his own as usual. Kazuma, finding this unacceptable, raised a protest.
“Objection!!!”
“Overruled.”
“Why?!”
“Because you’ll get lost if you’re alone, Kazuma.”
“Was that it…?!”
“Well then, let’s go.”
Kaede pulled Kazuma, who was stunned by a fact even he hadn’t known, by the hand and they left the hotel. Without a word of rebuttal, objection, or complaint, Kazuma let himself be led and walked beside Kaede. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like nothing but a date. However, they were not dating. Let me repeat: they were not dating.
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. Where do you want to go, Kazuma?”
“Akiba.”
“Akiba? Is there something there?”
“It was once called the holy land of otaku. But now, it should be a regular entertainment district since it was destroyed by Ibinom.”
“You mean there are naughty shops?”
“Well, there’s that too, but it’s more like a town for normal fun? I heard it has the biggest Game Center in Japan. Like, a hundred different types of crane games.”
“Huh. That sounds interesting.”
“Right? We gotta go!”
“Yeah. Let’s go!”
And so, the two decided to spend their time until dinner at a Game Center in Akiba. It was only natural that Kazuma would get worked up over crane games and squander his money. He was a man who had been ruined by gambling in the past; it was obvious he would get heated over crane games.
Still, there are times when a man cannot back down. That is when a cute girl asks him for something. Sadly, men are simple creatures. Kazuma, in particular, was a prime example. Living byテンション (enthusiasm) and ノリ (vibes) alone, Kazuma wouldn’t refuse if Kaede asked.
“Fugugugugu…”
“Kazuma…”
Beyond the showcase glass, a cat plushie sat serenely. Kazuma was desperately trying to get the cutely stylized cat plushie.
Kaede, watching over him, considered helping with her Telekinesis, but decided she shouldn’t interfere with Kazuma, who was tackling the crane game with such a serious expression for her sake, and watched with bated breath.
If possible, it would probably be better to help him until all his money was gone. Two thousand yen had already vanished from Kazuma’s wallet.
“Hah… Hah…!”
When was the last time he’d been enveloped in such tension? Perhaps it was when he fought the Demon Lord’s executives in the other world. Kazuma was smiling, feeling a long-lost sense of elation and impatience.
Time and time again, he got worked up over trivial things. In a way, he had an enviable way of thinking.
“Uwoooooooohn… Uwoooooooohn…”
“Kazuma…”
Five thousand yen disappeared. There was neither god nor Buddha to help. All that remained was the detestable cat plushie. Seeing Kazuma making no progress at all, a store clerk took pity and gave it to him. Its actual value was probably not even five thousand yen. It was a reality he didn’t want to know. Kazuma closed his eyes.
“…If it’s come to this, it can’t be helped. I didn’t want to, but I’ll use this move!”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Call Alicia and beg for money.”
“…”
Even Kaede stared at Kazuma with a look that said, “Is this guy serious?” Feeling uncomfortable, Kazuma closed his phone and put on a sly grin to cover it up.
“Ehehe…”
“You’re the worst.”
“Hauu…!”
At her merciless words, Kazuma clutched his chest and collapsed. In the first place, no matter how close they were, there was no way Kaede, as a woman, would think well of a man who would beg for money. Moreover, to take advantage of someone’s goodwill was simply outrageous.
Afterward, the two left the Game Center and casually strolled through the streets of Akiba. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy, but they walked around idly, engaging in trivial conversation.
For some reason, they were holding hands. Kaede held the cat plushie in one arm, and her free hand was linked with Kazuma’s.
Kazuma’s expression was as normal as ever. It made one wonder if he even possessed the emotion of embarrassment, but in the other world, his female companions had often led him by the hand to prevent him from wandering off, so he had no resistance to it at all.
In other words, his sense of shame was bugged.
“Are those two a couple, I wonder?”
“Ufufu. How nice. It feels like ‘The Youth,’ doesn’t it?”
“She’s cute.”
“Are they dating? Though, it kind of looks like she’s walking a dog…”
People passing by in the streets of Akiba watched the heartwarming scene of the two, offering various comments. Some saw them as a couple, while others thought it looked more like a master walking a pet.
Indeed, while Kaede walked straight ahead without even glancing at the sights of Akiba, Kazuma, as expected, seemed to find everything novel, his head constantly swiveling around, looking busy. Seeing that, the relationship of master and pet seemed to fit better than that of a couple.
“Hey, hey, Makimura-san! Want to go check that place out?”
“No. It’s almost time for dinner.”
“It’s fine if we’re a little late!”
“We have a meet-and-greet with members from other academies today, so being late is not an option.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. However, Support Course members aren’t particularly needed.”
“Then I’ll just go play by myself!”
“No.”
“Why?!”
“Because you’ll get lost and won’t be able to find your way back to the hotel, Kazuma.”
“You’re still on thatネタ (joke)?!”
“Besides, if a beautiful woman hit on you, Kazuma, you’d probably follow her without a second thought.”
“I can’t deny that!”
As Kazuma puffed out his chest with a smug look, Kaede frowned in annoyance and tightened her Telekinesis around his head.
“Agagagagagah!!!”
“The city is a scary place, you know? What will you do if you run into a Honey Trap?”
“I appreciate your concern, but before that, my brain feels like it’s going to splatter!”
“It’s fine. It won’t burst yet.”
“It’ll turn into one of those rubber band watermelon challenges, so stop—!”
Only a disastrous future could be seen. If she didn’t stop here, Kazuma’s head would face more than just a catastrophe.
Finally released, Kazuma checked if the shape of his head had changed. Having been squeezed by Telekinesis so many times, it wouldn’t be strange if Kazuma’s head was deformed.
“Good. It’s fine.”
“It won’t change that easily.”
“But, you know, Alicia, Makimura-san, and Miyazono-san have all squeezed my head so much, it wouldn’t be weird if it started to change soon, right?”
“Come to think of it, that’s true.”
Kazuma was, at the very least, being “attacked” by three women. Of course, this included romantic implications, but for the most part, the meaning was strongly physical. Rather, he had only received physical attacks. However, he had received courtship behaviors like blown kisses and kisses on the cheek from Alicia, so it was hard to say.
“By the way, Kazuma.”
“What? Is something wrong?”
“Why do you call only Alicia Miller by her first name without an honorific?”
“Eh? I think it’s because she told me to, but…”
“Why aren’t you sure?”
“Sorry. I actually don’t remember well. Whether I started calling her by her first name, or if she asked me to.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
The atmosphere became strange. At that moment, a flash of light ran through Kazuma’s mind.
“(Hah! This feeling, I’ve felt it in the other world too! A wrong move means death! Think, Satsuki Kazuma! I have to find the right answer here!)”
Kazuma’s eyes flew wide open as he arrived at a single answer.
“K-Kaede-san?”
“…Mm.”
The atmosphere changed. Kazuma knew his answer hadn’t been wrong and mentally struck a victory pose.