Chapter 58: Now, Shall We Retaliate Against Injustice?

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I reached out to Kojima-san but stopped myself. No matter how irrationally angry I felt, I had neither the right nor the obligation to pat her head and console her. While I sympathized with her pitiful situation, I wasn’t sure if stepping in further was the right move.

“Ah… ah… ahhh…”

Still, I couldn’t just leave her crying miserably like that.

I made up my mind.

“Do you really want my help?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard over her sobs.

She stopped crying abruptly.

“Will you really help someone like me?”

“Did you not believe I would when you asked for it? Don’t underestimate me.”

“No, it’s not that… but I feel so hopeless.”

“Yeah, maybe you can’t do it alone. But if you're not alone, maybe things can change. Just believe in that.”

“…”

“I can’t promise to save you. Things might even get worse. But if you’re willing to keep fighting, I’ll help as much as I can.”

Wow, I felt like a hero in a story. Not that I believed I could fix everything by myself.

“So, for now, just rest. You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping at all?”

Words are cheap, but I needed to calm her down. I couldn't have her crying all night. Besides, we had Kurebayashi-san, a reliable adult, to help.

Kojima-san seemed so grateful; she almost hugged me but thought better of it and started crying again.

“Th-thank you… for someone like me…”

Alright, enough self-deprecation. Get ready for bed. If Kouichi-kun were here, he'd bang on the wall. Crying yourself to sleep isn’t the way to go.

Rest easy; no one here will do anything to you.

***

The next day, Mrs. Kurebayashi showed up early. Given Kojima-san’s state, skipping university might be best.

“For now, Kojima-san can stay with us.”

“Your house?”

“Yes, it’s secure, and we can shelter her until she stabilizes.”

“…”

Sure, Kurebayashi's place might be the safest with her around. But mixing her with Kojima-san could be dangerous. It could be like mixing hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid—deadly.

“And sheltering Kojima-san is also beneficial for Mii.”

“…Huh?”

“Just to confirm, nothing happened between you and Kojima-san last night, right?”

“… Excuse me?”

“I mean sexually.”

Ah, so this is about keeping an eye on her.

“If something had happened, I wouldn't be this composed.”

“Yuuta-sama’s crotch is standing proud.”

“Don't compare me to a 9-centimeter cannon.”

“Forgive me. Comparing you to that slipped my mind. I have no intention of leaving such memories for Mii either.”

…

Is she still convinced her daughter's feelings towards me are romantic? Better not dig into that.

“Anyway, please take care of Kojima-san. We'll discuss what to do next after university.”

“My name is Misa. Please call me Misa from now on. ‘Mother' is also fine, though.”

So, she finally revealed her name. As I suspected, it's Misa. I'll mentally refer to her as ‘Laughing Panther.'

“Alright, Misa-san. Let me know if anything comes up.”

“Understood. Kojima-san, shall we?”

Kojima-san walked out with slightly more determination than yesterday.

“Thank you, Yuuta. I feel like I finally got some good sleep.”

Without turning to look at me, she left the apartment.

***

Anyway, I managed to get Kojima-san to stay with the Kurebayashi family for now.

But today at the university, neither Kojima-san nor any of the Kurebayashis are anywhere to be seen. What’s going on with them?

I have a bad feeling about this. Those instincts usually turn out to be right.

After finishing all my lectures with this uneasy feeling, I suddenly received a strong message from Ange.

“Onii-chan! This is the worst!! I got hit on again!!”

What the…?

My brotherly instincts kicked in immediately, and I called her on the spot.

I hadn’t expected this kind of bad feeling.