Chapter 36: Traumatic Lightning

Translator: Soafp

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The Lightning Girl

[Moegi PoV]

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared.

However, those emotions were dominating me. My kicked leg was burning, and a throbbing pain ran through it.

“It hurts!! Stop! Dad!”

I held my leg, crouching in that spot. My mother held me, providing a slight sense of reassurance, but fear still dominated.

“Dear! Stop it already!”

My mother tried to protect me, but deep down, I knew she was also afraid. Both my mother and I had been abused and controlled by the man in front of us for as long as I can remember. I don’t know when it started, but it has always been like this since I was a child.

“Oi, she is so tall.”

“A giant girl.”

At school, I was ridiculed by boys in my class for being tall. It was always the girls who defended me. It gave me a brief sense of relief at school.

But coming back home was terrifying.

That man pretended to be a decent person in public, portraying us as a happy family. Both my mother and I lived that kind of life.

However, a turning point came one day. My brave mother gathered evidence and submitted it to the police. We were finally freed from his wicked grip. The sense of relief and happiness at that time was indescribable.

I thought I could finally have the best days both at home and at school. While boys made fun of me for my height every day, girls defended me and invited me to play. I think I was foolish back then. I wished I had realized the truth earlier.

When I entered middle school, I developed feelings for the first time towards someone of the opposite sex. It was a second-year Senpai who was two years older and taller than me.

I had been interested since the first semester, perhaps even love at first sight. We hardly ever spoke, but I had feelings for him. I truly was foolish. Even though I knew that men were nothing but scum, I failed to realize that fact.

“Senpai… Please go out with me.”

“Sure. Let’s go out.”

I was happy at that moment. I thought my feelings had been reciprocated, but it was all just an illusion. After dating for a week, I overheard a conversation in the hallway.

“Hey, weren’t you dating that tall underclassman?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“Weren’t you interested in someone else? That girl in the third class, one year younger…”

“Yeah, but she rejected me.”

“So, are you going to keep the tall girl for now?”

“Yeah, that’s right. She’s too tall and a bit creepy, but her face is attractive. So, I guess it’s okay to just date her for now.”

I could hear loud laughter echoing. My body trembled. I felt a deep sadness and frustration. The anger inside me was overwhelming, and I felt like I was about to lose control. However, the sadness was overpowering, leaving me with a sense of loss, unable to do anything. I returned to the classroom, where even in middle school, I continued to be ridiculed for my height.

“Hey, giant, I can’t see the front.”

A boy from the seat behind me joked. Others laughed along. But a girl from the same class defended me. It was then that I finally realized.

It was too late, but I finally did.

Throughout my life, I’ve always suffered harm from the presence of men. That disgusting man who was my father. They have always hurt me. And the ones who have consistently brought happiness to my life are women. The sense of security my mother provided, and always lending a helping hand when needed.

When I realized this, I no longer harbored any positive emotions towards men. However, most of the girls around me seemed to be infatuated with boys.

That feeling grew stronger when I entered high school. There was one friend I made, someone I knew since middle school. Others weren’t bad people, but all of them seemed to be interested in boys. Many of them were obsessed with the opposite sex. Was there something wrong with me? Was I some kind of different creature for disliking boys?

A sense of loneliness began to emerge. I couldn’t bring myself to say that I liked boys just to fit in with my surroundings. The girls around me were accepting and inclusive, but the loneliness remained. However, I found one interesting person.

A girl with beautiful red twintails. She was cute and seemed a bit reserved, always reading a book in front of me. She truly immersed herself in reading.

[Do you have a favorite actor or anything like that, Hihara-san?]

[Oh, sorry, I don’t know anything about that stuff.]

[What kind of person do you like, Hihara-san?]

[…If I had to say, maybe someone who can use magic.]

[??????]

She didn’t interact much with others. She kept to herself and always had her nose buried in a book. Occasionally, she would smirk, make various facial expressions, and seem occupied. I felt a connection with her somewhere. I had the advantage of being able to observe her since I sat behind her. The more I watched, the more I found her intriguing, and I wanted to become friends with her.

[Hihara-chan.]

I spoke to her from behind. She turned around and looked at me.

[What?]

[I was just wondering what you’re always reading.]

[The Failure of Magic Academy.]

[Is it interesting?]

[I have no other feelings]

[Oh, I see.]

[Maybe…are you interested?]

[Just a little…maybe.]

[I see! If you are interested, Then I’ll tell you!!!]

From that point on, she became a machine-gun talk. Honestly, I couldn’t understand what she was saying anymore, not even in the latter half. What I did understand was that she had an incredible love for the 2D world, and she didn’t seem to have much interest in anything else. She could be difficult at times, but she could also become quite talkative.

Since I sat behind her, we had more opportunities to talk. Besides discussing topics related to the 2D world, she seemed completely indifferent to everything else. She would even yawn when the conversation shifted to cute clothes.

As our interactions increased, our physical contact gradually became more frequent. She would often be surprised by my actions, but she never showed any signs of resistance. As a result, I became more and more daring. For someone like me who felt out of sync with others, spending time with her felt blissful. I didn’t know what she thought, but I wished to become friends with her, to be able to get closer to her.

Then one day, she suddenly changed. She started reading books about bento lunches and novels other than light novels. The cause became apparent immediately.

She had developed feelings for someone. I felt a sense of loneliness, but I also thought that as long as she was happy, it was for the best. It was an emotion I couldn’t quite comprehend anymore. But she was different.

The feeling of being “off,” of not fitting in, grew stronger once again. But that was fine.

The person she liked was probably a first-year student who had become the subject of various rumors. There was something suspicious about him being taken to the hospital shortly after starting school. I had some doubts about whether he was truly a good person. And just when I was feeling that way…

—-I found something.

What was written there… is this true? What’s the deal with this?

If, if it’s true what’s written here…

I can’t allow something like this. Unusual anger welled up within me because it was me.

I have to confirm it, and I have to do something about it.

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[Izayoi Pov]

The day after the sports festival ended, I yawned as I walked to school. Well, now that the sports festival is over, it’s time for mid-term exams.

And this is where the next bad end comes in… This time it’s quite difficult. First of all, Kikawa Moegi’s likeability level is inexplicably low. I don’t really understand why. Is it because I’m friendly with those two beautiful girls?

Or is she jealous because Hihara Karen was taken by someone else? In this timeline, in both the “main story” and the “what-if story,” there is hardly any connection between them. However, Kikawa Moegi unilaterally has quite high affection for Hihara Karen.

She felt a sense of disconnect from others because she claimed to dislike men. So when she met Hihara Karena, she seemed to feel some sympathy towards her… or so it seems. It’s not described in detail, so I can’t say for sure.

But you know, she doesn’t say such terrible things out of selfish emotions. Despite claiming to dislike men, she doesn’t attack indiscriminately. She only got angry at Sasamoto, right after she scolded him for making some students around uncomfortable. If she says something like that, is there some underlying reason?

I don’t know. It feels like there might be some underlying reason…

As usual, one method to avoid this situation is to direct my hatred towards me and provoke a fight. However, I’m also considering what to do if she doesn’t take the bait. That’s why I want to approach her as more of a cooperative relationship, but at the moment, it seems difficult. If only I could understand the cause of her strong aggression, but it won’t be easy. At this point, I’m not even sure if she would listen to me…

While pondering about these things, I arrived at the classroom. When I opened the door and entered, the classroom felt somewhat gloomy. What’s going on?

“Oi, Izayoi.”

“What’s up, Sasamoto?”

“The mid-term exams are coming up soon…”

“Yeah, exams.”

“If things continue like this… I’ll…”

I see, so that’s why the other male students are looking gloomy too. I have some knowledge from my previous life, so I’ll be fine to some extent… or maybe not.

I’m not particularly fond of studying, especially English and math. English grammar is difficult, and math is just generally hard. That’s why I don’t understand them. Well, at this point, studying is not my priority. I should focus on Kikawa Moegi.

She’s quite a popular character. In popularity polls, she usually ranks between second and fifth place, just like Hihara Karen. Despite her dislike for men, some people find that attractive.

There were some dangerous comments from fans, such as wanting to be insulted or belittled by Kikawa Moegi. And she’s self-taught in Aikido and martial arts. Her strength…

In the category of humans and simple strength, she seems to be the second strongest in this world. Her close combat sense is exceptional. By the way, the first strongest is Rokudou Tetsuro.

While she doesn’t lack muscle completely, she is a professional when it comes to utilizing her strength and other related aspects.

In my previous life, there were opinions on the internet like wanting to be thrown over Kikawa Moegi’s shoulder or wanting to be beaten up in martial arts. It was quite surprising. At one point, there were even conclusions circulating that many of her fans were masochistic.

I’m not a m*******t, so I don’t have any desire for that kind of thing. Well, maybe if it’s just light teasing… No, that’s not it.

While I was lost in thought, the classroom door opened. It was Rokudou-sensei.

“Let’s start homeroom. It’s sudden, but the mid-term exams are coming up soon.”

Tension filled the classroom. The boys near my seat had serious expressions, while those near Gindou Kohaku seemed calm. Their intellectual abilities are on a different level, so they can score high even without much studying.

“I assume you all understand that if you get a failing grade, you’ll have to attend supplementary classes. The tests will begin in approximately two weeks. Make sure to study diligently before then.”

He glanced briefly in my direction. The teacher is aware that the students with questionable academic abilities tend to gather near my seat, so it was probably an unconscious glance.

Sasamoto and the other male students had pale faces.

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