Chapter: 40 Apparently, people call pigs super popular voice actors.

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Translator: Soafp

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The Incident by Kojin Academy – A Brief Summary

Let me briefly record the outcome of the Kojin Academy raid.

To begin with the conclusion: there was no clear victor this time—it’s officially a draw.

Of the eleven assassins sent by Kojin Academy, all were defeated except for the black-haired girl in a sailor uniform, Tsukino Kojin. On the Tekai side, thirteen people were injured, but fortunately, all injuries were minor.

If that were all, this would be a crushing defeat for Kojin—but Tekai Academy also suffered considerable damage. Three of the academy's most celebrated geniuses, members of the so-called “combat faction,” were completely beaten (two seriously injured, one fled).

Moreover, it came to light that Anki Kurata, once hailed as a strategic genius, had been a traitor. Apparently, he had been leaking information to the Kojin side since his admission. Kurata was immediately expelled from the Genius Council and is now awaiting punishment from the school. He'll probably transfer out on his own. Nothing is more pitiful than a spy whose cover's been blown.

Kojin had most of its assassins defeated.

Tekai had its elite crushed.

A draw, a mutual wound—so goes the verdict.

That verdict was handed down by the school chairman, Taizo Takayashiki.

This is just my personal opinion, but I get the feeling that old man had foreseen all of this, including Kurata's betrayal. He's the kind of guy who thinks letting a spy run loose makes things more interesting. The swine family really is lacking in ethics.

Regardless of the administration's schemes, the mindset of the students and faculty shifted somewhat.

President Suzuka's reputation rose significantly thanks to her proactive efforts during the chaos—leading evacuations and organizing rescue efforts.

In contrast, the stock of the other Genius Council members fell. I hear that even the overly confident Kaidou Tensai got severely scolded by the chairman and ended up in tears.

President Suzuka said:

“The Genius Council will probably need to change its form. It won't hold the same authority anymore.”

“This incident is my chance to rebuild Tekai into a more normal, decent school.”

“I'll make sure nothing like this mafia-style raid ever happens again.”

She was so dignified when she said it.

If the school really does become more “normal,” I'd welcome that.

To such a wonderful upperclassman, I made one request.

That she attribute the defeat of the Kojin assassins not to me, but to her leadership over the athletic club students.

I also asked Ayaka Ayukawa and the rest of the dance club girls to back up the story. Some of them asked for my contact info or even selfies, saying things like “You looked so cool while fighting!”—and I won't lie, it felt kind of nice—but Ayukawa was glaring at me with a smile, so I had to politely decline.

“How long are you planning to keep hiding your true power?”

So said Ayukawa.

“I mean, we already know, right? You're probably amazing at schoolwork and sports too. It's only a matter of time before everyone finds out and starts freaking out.”

Honestly, I don't really know—that's how I feel.

I don't even know what would happen if I went all-out.

––Well, that's a matter for the second semester.

For now, I just want to enjoy summer vacation to the fullest.

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Today, August 1st, is the day of the fireworks festival.

The riverside path leading to the venue is lined with food stalls, and just walking here, I can smell the savory sauce of fried noodles, the sweet scent of cotton candy tickling my nose. The sun's already set, but the crowd just keeps growing. Lanterns strung in a line light up brightly, rivaling even the daytime in brilliance.

I walked through the crowd and reached the meeting spot.

“Kazu-kun!”

A sweet voice called out.

Even amid the noisy bustle of the festival, her voice somehow reached me loud and clear.

Standing there was a girl in a vivid navy-blue yukata.

With her bangs swept up, she looked at me with big, kitten-like eyes.

“Hey, Amane-chan. Did I keep you waiting?”

“Nope, I just got here myself!”

She walked up to me. Maybe because she wasn't used to wearing wooden sandals, her steps were a bit unsteady. But even so, she hurried over as best she could.

“I'm really happy you came. I was a little worried, actually.”

“Why? We promised to watch the fireworks together.”

“Well, you've been super popular lately—Rua-san, even Kocho-Senpai …”

Amane-chan was spot-on.

There had been a few incidents with them.

Ayukawa invited me too, but I turned her down. She interrogated me with a smile—“Going with a girl? That Amane girl? Look me in the eye and say that?” When I told her honestly, she fake-cried, saying “So I was just a fling. Boo hoo,” then made me promise to hang out with her another day.

Later, President Suzuka also invited me. I declined, and she accused me, straight-faced, of using her. “Just kidding,” she added afterward, still dead serious. I promised to spend time with her on another day to keep the peace.

Even Icchan—Isami Shirasagi—invited me. “I want you to see me in a yukata,” she said. “Just once, I want to be a girl again.” When I refused, she looked at me with teary eyes. I ended up promising to go to the pool with her instead.

As for the Pig, she kept calling relentlessly afterward. Even when I blocked her number, she'd call from a different one. The last call came from the Prime Minister's Office. The Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary told me, “Rua-san sends word: accompany her to the fireworks festival.” I don't even know what's going on anymore. Abuse of power, much?

But in the end—

“You were the first to ask me, Amane-chan.”

That's what it came down to.

“Your yukata really suits you. You look beautiful.”

“Ehehe, thank you. My manager helped me pick it out.”

“Wow, you've got a manager now?”

“I've got lots of game recordings to do over the summer, so things have gotten a bit busy lately. I've been getting more work, little by little.”

She's really growing as a voice actress.

As we walked, we talked about what had been going on in our lives lately.

“Is it true there was a raid by Kojin Academy? I heard people even got hurt.”

“Yeah, apparently. The student council president settled it.”

Amane-chan clenched her tiny fists tightly.

“I hate violence. You can just ignore people like that. It's best not to get involved.”

“…Yeah.”

If I told her the truth, would she end up hating me?

Just ignoring it and walking away—that kind of sweet world was never where I lived. I came from a world where it was kill or be killed, like something out of a crime drama—but real.

But that's not normal.

Normal is the world Amane-chan lives in.

If I stayed with her, maybe I could become normal too…

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We arrived at the riverbank where the fireworks festival was taking place.

Since Amane-chan didn't like crowds, we decided to watch from a quiet spot near the lone cedar tree, a little away from everyone else. The view wasn't perfect, but it was peaceful.

“I really love fireworks. I'm so excited.”

She held a digital camera in her hands, her eyes sparkling with childlike excitement. Honestly, that smile of hers was more captivating than any firework could ever be.

And then—

“Hey, move it.”

A vulgar voice rang out. A group of three flashy guys showed up—one with blue hair, one with red, and one with yellow. They looked like a walking traffic light. Big guys, all of them. Judging by their ears, which were all puffed up like dumplings, they were probably in the judo club.

“We had our eyes on this spot first. Scram, assholes.”

I was about to tell them to get lost, but Amane-chan tugged gently on my shirt. She shook her head slightly.

…Right. I almost forgot.

I was trying to be normal.

“Let's find another spot.”

“Okay.”

Just as we were about to walk away, the blue-haired guy suddenly shouted.

“Hey, I've seen this girl before. Isn't she a voice actress?”

“A voice actress!? For real? Wait, is she Rua Takayashiki!?”

The red-haired guy leaned in to get a closer look at Amane-chan's face.

“Nah, that's not her. Rua-chan has blonde hair.”

“Oh, lame. Just some no-name. Boring.”

Losing interest, the red-haired guy shoved her shoulder.

Amane-chan's face twisted in pain—but not from the shove.

“…Let's go, Kazu-kun.”

She forced a smile.

I gently pulled her behind me and stepped forward to face the stupid red-blue-yellow traffic light trio.

“Huh? What the hell do you want?”

I took a deep breath and switched gears.

“How rude. Mistaking such a cute girl for a pig?”

If someone insults a girl I care about, I won't just stand by.

I don't need to be normal.

“Parry.”

A defensive technique where you deflect an opponent's attack with your palm.

But it can be used offensively, too.

“Gah!!”

I snapped my wrist and struck the red-haired guy between the eyes with the back of my hand. As he staggered back clutching his face, I landed a low kick to his knee, shattering it. Guess he'll be watching fireworks sitting down.

“You b*****d!!”

The blue-haired guy charged at me, trying to grab my collar. I latched onto his thick arm and used my weight to throw him down. Then I fully extended his elbow. With a loud tearing sound, his muscles gave out. His scream echoed in the night. Guess he'll be watching fireworks lying down.

“You son of a—!!”

The yellow-haired guy pulled out a knife. So much for being a judo guy—resorting to a weapon? Shows how shallow his training is. I swept his legs out from under him and stomped on his solar plexus. “Guh!” he gasped, vomiting onto the ground. Guess he'll be watching fireworks from a hospital bed.

One second each. Three seconds total.

I kept it quick so Amane-chan wouldn't have to see too much violence.

“Let's go.”

I took her hand and led her away. On the way, we stopped by the medical tent and told them about the three injured guys.

We kept walking until we reached the top of the riverbank. The view wasn't great, but it was quiet and peaceful.

“…………”

Now that I had calmed down, regret came flooding in.

I'd let her see something I didn't want her to. I'd shown her the part of me that wasn't normal.

She was staring at me, mouth slightly open, like she was looking at something unbelievable.

“Kazu-kun… You're that strong?”

“…Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“You said you hated violence. I didn't want you to see that.”

I figured she must hate me now…

But Amane-chan shook her head vigorously.

“That wasn't violence. That was your kindness, Kazu-kun.”

“…”

“Thank you—for getting angry for my sake.”

She gave me a gentle, warm smile.

Then, as if to comfort me while I was down, she hugged me and gently patted my back.

“No… I'm the one who should be thanking you.”

I wrapped my arms around her yukata-covered back and held her tight.

We heard the sound of fireworks.

Hyu-ru-ru, then BOOM. The familiar sound of summer.

The pale sparks lit up the night sky.

But by then, we weren't watching the fireworks anymore—

We were only looking at each other's faces—

BEEP BEEP—KSSHHH—

Harsh feedback blasted from the loudspeakers.

Then, a stupid voice came on and completely ruined the romantic mood.

“We've got a lost child announcement~! Kazu Suzuki from Teikai Academy, Kazu Suzuki. Your adorable childhood friend is waiting for you. Please report to the main event tent immediately. Like, now, ♥ okay~?”

That damn pig…!!!